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Anyone tried Tomato Leaf by Illuminum?

post #1 of 16
10/30/12 at 3:52pm
Thread Starter 
I wonder if anyone has tried "Tomato Leaf" by Illuminum. There are no reviews posted in the directory. I like Sisley's Eau de Campagne a lot, I wonder how this compares.
And how is the Illuminum house generally? Any comments?
Cheers, ody.

ILLUMINUM TOMATO LEAF PERFUME 100ML
"A vegetal freshness is central to this green and pleasing scent. Tomato Leaf, Carrot seed and Osmanthus form a leafy triumvirate that emanates upbeat and zesty lushness. Accents include Seaweed, Water Lily, Dew Drops and Musk like a glorious greenhouse full of sprightly scents."
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post #2 of 16
10/30/12 at 4:23pm
The thing that worries me about Illuminum is that no-one talks about it...
It's also the same perfumer as the house of Boadicea The Victorious - which isn't a particularly strong line and the scents are often terribly unbalanced. The Illuminum's are more simplistic - all being combined of only 8 notes.
I can't talk from first hand experience, as I have only tried one fragrance in the line (White Gardenia Petals - which was one of the most rancid things I've ever smelt) - other than that, I have never read a positive review from a nose I follow on a single Illuminum fragrance
Have you tried Memory Of Kindness by CB I Hate Perfume?
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post #3 of 16
10/30/12 at 6:57pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by forfreddie View Post

...
Have you tried Memory Of Kindness by CB I Hate Perfume?

Thanks for this, forfreddie. I have tried MOK by CB. I have to confess that I'm completely underwhelmed by the entire CB line. I appreciate the concepts and the memory-moments, but on my skin the execution simply does not work. MOK is alright in an attenuated way for about 30 seconds, then I get the usual CB house note (on my skin: cold corn cobs). I've tried many in the CB line and they all wind up in the same place.
Illuminum isn't inexpensive. I'd hope for something worthwhile. :/
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post #4 of 16
10/31/12 at 9:56am
Quote:
Originally Posted by odysseusm View Post

Thanks for this, forfreddie. I have tried MOK by CB. I have to confess that I'm completely underwhelmed by the entire CB line. I appreciate the concepts and the memory-moments, but on my skin the execution simply does not work. MOK is alright in an attenuated way for about 30 seconds, then I get the usual CB house note (on my skin: cold corn cobs). I've tried many in the CB line and they all wind up in the same place.
Illuminum isn't inexpensive. I'd hope for something worthwhile. :/

Ahhh that's a shame. When I first tried CB I was hugely impressed, the novelty has died down quickly though and there are none at the moment that I'd love to own. Still, they are enjoyable to sniff. I know what you mean about the drydowns though.
Worth a sample of the Illuminum surely - I mean, they've gotta have a least one good fragrance in the lineup!
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post #5 of 16
10/31/12 at 2:09pm
Thread Starter 
Well you and I are having a good conversation about this. It may show what you suggest, that the line is not known or discussed much. I'll definitely target the Tomato Leaf on my next shopping trip. And I'll report on it here.
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post #6 of 16
10/31/12 at 3:50pm
I don't know - tomato leaves smell eerily, disturbingly, yet attractively, like a woman's who hasn't bathed armpits.
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post #7 of 16
10/31/12 at 4:03pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by odysseusm View Post

Well you and I are having a good conversation about this. It may show what you suggest, that the line is not known or discussed much. I'll definitely target the Tomato Leaf on my next shopping trip. And I'll report on it here.

Exactly! Haha - no one wants to contribute :') It just doesn't get talked about and that's worrying. I look forward to hearing your thoughts on it.

Quote:
Originally Posted by HORNS View Post

I don't know - tomato leaves smell eerily, disturbingly, yet attractively, like a woman's who hasn't bathed armpits.

You've been around strange women.
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post #8 of 16
10/31/12 at 5:47pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by HORNS View Post

I don't know - tomato leaves smell eerily, disturbingly, yet attractively, like a woman's who hasn't bathed armpits.

Thanks for sharing that, HORNS. Another item to add to my bucket list.
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post #9 of 16
10/31/12 at 6:33pm
Sorry guys! TMI?

Let me be clear - No, I am not a pit-sniffer (I'm sure there are plenty out there who are but I haven't given it too much thought). Secondly, there are many other components, of course, to tomato leaf that I love but there is that component that is quite similar to, well, what I originally said.

Last, just like any perfume, there's the real scent and the idea/abstraction of the scent.
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post #10 of 16
10/31/12 at 7:19pm
Thread Starter 
No problem, HORNS. It was a vivid image.
For me, tomato leaf (when realistic) reminds me of my garden, and that fuzzy green-leaf scent when I pick tomatoes. It is very pleasant.
Not that the other couldn't be pleasant too.
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post #11 of 16
11/1/12 at 3:12am
I own the whole line in samples (they're something like 30 fragrances) and a few months ago I started exploring them. I was initially excited but after going through a half of them, things turned into pure frustration. This line is extremely disappointing. Cheap, unbearably synthetic and absolutely uninspired. With the exception of Piper Leather (which is a Helmut Lang Cuiron clone), I haven't found a single composition to be barely interesting. I've not tried Tomato Leaf yet but I'm afraid it wont make an exception...just a feeling, you know....
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post #12 of 16
11/1/12 at 10:20am
Thread Starter 
Thanks alfarom. I'm scaling back my expectations. For me, it seems hard to improve on Eau de Campagne. I like it much more than Huitieme Art's Aube Pashmina.
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post #13 of 16
11/1/12 at 1:45pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by odysseusm View Post

For me, it seems hard to improve on Eau de Campagne. I like it much more than Huitieme Art's Aube Pashmina.

Agree but, at least, Aube Pashmina is still nice and quite natural smelling when compared to Illuminum.

Anyway, today I applied a tiny bit of Tomato Leaf on my wrist and, oh my! Honestly? It's terrifying. A synthetic musk concoction with marine nouances, a bilge like note probably provided by the seaweed and some generic "cosmetic-smell-like" florals. Overly sweet and just gross Carrot seeds? Yes, a lot of but very poorly blended, unbalanced and of the worst quality.
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post #14 of 16
11/1/12 at 1:59pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by alfarom View Post

Anyway, today I applied a tiny bit of Tomato Leaf on my wrist and, oh my! Honestly? It's terrifying.

LOL! Should have tried it yesterday during Halloween, then terrifying would have been more appropriate.

Just the name Tomato Leaf would keep me from trying it. A Tomato Leaf note to me is one of the worse notes I have ever smelled. Sisley has one, forget the name, where the Tomato Leaf s the star of the show, and it is ghastly. But that is just my take
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post #15 of 16
11/1/12 at 2:02pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by HORNS View Post

I don't know - tomato leaves smell eerily, disturbingly, yet attractively, like a woman's who hasn't bathed armpits.

That's given me a pretty loaded mental image!
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post #16 of 16
11/1/12 at 2:18pm
Thanks for the update alfarom - I expected nothing more than what you said :P I can imagine it vividly!
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