Sniff 'n' Speak Saturday, Dec. 1, 2012 *** GOURMAND (after Gourmand Sync Friday!)

l don't have many gourmands in my stash at the moment, but today l went for Sables, with its dominant note of immortelle. l get a big dose of dry-but-not-too-sweet maple syrup from this one, & none of the curry note mentioned by some reviewers. Very comforting on a crisp, cold day.

Tomorrow l might go for my samples of either Ambre Narguile (cinnamon apple pastry) or Like This (candied ginger in syrup), or perhaps both! l have worn these two together before, & the combination is delicious.

Have a scrumptious weekend, people!

I've taken Q's wonderful advice and been pigging on on edible scents since bedtime Thursday.

Thursday bedtime brought the comfort and greediness of EL Amber Ylang Ylang banana split without the chocolate sauce.

Friday brought TM Angel A Taste of Frangrance all dry cocoa powder and softened Angel.

Today I opted for a slightly more subtle but none the less gourmand route, the wonderful Floris Madonna of the Almonds officially fruity floral, which it certainly is not,with it's citrus opening and almond blossom and bitter almond mid ending on a long dry down of sweet vanilla and a whiff of smoky incense it's definitely gourmand. My quick review is at http://www.basenotes.net/ID26131053.html.

This evening brings the cuddly warmth of Dior Hypnotic Poison which needs no description being so popular and quite rightly so, bitter almonds sweetened with vanilla custard. A gourmet dessert fragrance if ever there was

This morning I was thinking about delicious gourmand fragrances and just what and I might choose for today's S&S (I own very few). Suddenly, I remembered a bottle of Vanilla Noir (B&BW) that I'd purchased back when it came out (2009?) when I was looking for a heavy vanilla scent to give to my daughter who was at the time, very into the V note. Well, turns out, it was not vanilla-centric and she ended up not wearing it So, I (not a fan of vanilla back then) had a quick sniff (of just the spray nozzle - didn't even try it propoerly!) and respectfully relegated the bottle to the back of a cabinet for safe-keeping.

So, back to this morning...I returned to the cabinet and found the Vanilla Noir safely tucked away in it's tall, white box. I pulled out the bottle and got that tingly feeling in my toes and stomach, anticipating the rush of smelling something new. The jus was a dark reddish-brown (had it always been that dark?). I removed the cap, took a whiff of the nozzle and smelled not much of anything, as had been the case years ago on that fateful day when I'd banished the fragrance to the dark recesses of the cabinet. Now, much wiser for my wear, I knew to take the bottle in my right hand, turn it 90 degrees, align it with my left wrist, and resolutely, yet gingerly, depress the spray head.

What rose up from my skin, was a dry, vanilla-coffee fragrance with notes of plum and exotic florals. I was pleasantly surprised at how lovely my wrist smelled. Within a few minutes, the scent deepened, thickened, and became warmer - a bit creamy as well. The vanilla moved forward without overt sweetess, instead with a slightly toasted, booziness. The fleshy plum and floral notes stayed right behind the vanilla, never letting it take over. An hour or so in, some spices emerged, and also a fleeting "musty, old book" note, which I admit to finding irresistable...maybe its part of the vanilla or plum drydown??? The spices brought a dryness to the scent adiding a sohisticated, veiled presence. The scent's projection was decent, and while a bit linear, I did notice subtle changes in the development. Did I tell you that the spiciness in the dry down is really beautiful?

Finally, the rather ironic twist to the story. My daughter (the original recipient of the fragrance years ago) passed by me on her way out, and said, "Ooooo, something smells really pretty, Mom. What IS that scent you're wearing???". What fun!

Notes:

Plum, Berries, Bergamot.
Carnation, Gardenia, Tuberose, Vanilla.
Cinnamon, Cashmeran, Musk, Sandalwood, Toffee, Vanilla.

I'm in Frapin 1270. Delightful abundance of amber & fruit soaked in brandy.

oh pomander- I always enjoy how tempting you can make scents sound- you make that BBW scent sound very nice, indeed.

I 'm also going with vanilla- my recent purchase of Shalimar Ode a la Vanille Sur la Route du Madagascar

I'm maybe cheating a bit today and wearing what I would call a semi-gourmand: SL Santal Majuscule. Some words to describe Santal Majuscule are definitely gourmand: creamy, silky, milkiness, powder-y, but those words aren't the entire story. There is a slightly smoky sandalwood that isn't sharp or cedar-y at all. It is soft and yummy feeling, but it doesn't have that super sweet, edible vibe.

Notes: sandalwood, rose, cocoa, tonka bean

today I wore Bulgari Black, sampled Dzing!, and wound up taking a long hot bath scented with Chopard's Casmir.

I think all of these scents are cheating, being so amber, but Casmir surprised me. The methodology was: I poured some of the lotion in the bath. This is a double foul, right? Not proper application, plus not actually the juice itself. But!

it was perfect in this context, made adorable by the wet heat. Pushed out of the overbearing sweetness so often referred to in reviews, it revealed more amber and jasmine, and the vanilla buzzed and hummed within like candlelight behind a colored screen. The fruity notes were minimal here. I'm not sure I would want to wear Casmir as a scent out in the daylight, but at night, in a private space, where its more dated elements suggest less dowdiness and more nostalgia, it was very pleasant.

Good evening fabulous fragrant friends. Today has been La Petite Robe Noir. Cherry yoghourt deepening to cherry liquor dark chocolate. Pretty and growing on me but not a classic