All Invited! ♥ ♥ ♥ Sniff 'n' Speak Saturday, Jan 2, 2010 ★★★ ORIENTAL

[Baldufita]

I opted to try Shalimar EDP... The initial smoky blast is not exactly my cup of tea, but after a couple of minutes I get heaven... Which concentration has less smokyness to it? I might sure like it...

[Wordbird]

Woo hoo! How lucky am I that I reached for my tester of Miller Harris Fleur Oriental this morning? Because we were travelling back to Switzerland from our Xmas hols in Wales, I had forgotten bout the SnS (sorry Q). But it turns out I was part of the gang anyway!

I chose Fleur Oriental this morning because I'm on a huge Oakmoss kick at the moment (oh the irony of discovering oakmoss just as the IFRA bans it) and it was in my handbag with a selection of other tester vials.

I like the top to this fragrance - it has a sparkle to it that is slightly citrussy but also has a touch of the spiciness I associate with orientals like Opium. I suppose it's a 'traditional' oriental in both those aspects, but it smells fresh and good to me.
I love the base - it has a lot of oakmoss and has a warm, soft, musky animalic feel to it that smells very human. It feels like being cuddled up in your warm bed in the morning. Sexy, I'd say, but then I like that kind of smell.

It's in the middle that I become unsure. There's a vanillic heart that I don't know, has a touch of some kind of synthetic tonka or something I don't like enormously. It downgraded this from a 'must buy' to 'maybe a decant'. Though I still think it's very good, just not quite excellent. but don't quote me too much on that as I want to test it again.

[pomander]

Well I must admit, I have not (as yet) been a frequent wearer of Orientals. They tend to overpower my senses. However, if there's one thing I keep experiencing over and over (THANKFULLY!), it's that like other tastes, what I may find unpleasant (often repugnant) at first, can at another point in time become delicious. [See blue cheese, mince fruits, earthy mushrooms].

So last week when I read about Oriental SNS, I gave it some thought and decided to try a scent which I’ve never worn, and never wanted to wear. Chanel Coco. Of course I’ve smelled it on others and from the bottle, and my knee-jerk reaction was always “its way too loud and powdery”. I got a sample of Coco (EDP) and decided not to look up the notes. I gave it three, very short-lived ‘test wears’ over the week, just to build up some exposure.

Today it’s a full-fledged wear.
Where to apply: Since I don’t really know her yet, the left inner wrist it is.
How much: One medium-strength spray from a distance of about 9 in. [Yes I know, I'm being a sissy, but I have a fear of sillage and want to experience a diffuse Coco.]

Impressions: At first, it’s a blast of spicy, sweet, woodsy, creamy notes. Very assertive. Smells like the way the inside of a Lindt truffle feels in my mouth. It’s a bit heavier than I’m comfortable with, but not oppressive. Thank God I only sprayed once. I can relax now.
After 20 minutes of the spicy-sweet dance, a glorious orange note comes to the front and beckons me further. Oooh, I like that! Very quickly, the bright orangey note turns into a dark, candied orange, and then a molasses note chimes in. Another 10 minutes in, the chocolate-y sweetness is way in the back now, and the scent has become smoother and much less sweet. Then comes a whiff of coffee, and the candied orange whirls in and out again. Cedar, and then some cardamom – or was that masquerading as the orange all this time? After 1 hour, it seems to have settled into a soft, dry, orangey, woody scent. But time will tell if Coco has more to say to me.

Do I like her? Yes I do. Another friendship yet to explore.

[Baldufita]

Pomander, you're talking about one of my all-time favorites there... And I like what you say... It's exactly how I experience Coco...

[DeniDithyrambia]

Amouage Epic

Epic is a sublime accident as I became confused thinking I was buying Lyric. The first time I got the vial I put a tiny droplet on the top of my hand, as I had another fragrance on my wrist from earlier. It was impressive that even though I was wearing Coco, I could from this one droplet detect its character. There is this soft sweetness I remember from that quick sniff of Lyric, it is never cloying because it is perfectly balanced with spices. There is pink pepper and tea in there. That droplet had so much going on I knew this would be the perfect scent for the New Year. The scent makes you want to recline and think of being strewn on silken sheets with incense around you in a palace.

I shopped to find the perfect top and jewelry for the perfume and found a ruffled, gauzy shirt with dark red and pinkish rose poppies with green leaves and a black background. I also found gold jewelry that suggested Central Asia.

I waited until I was fully showered, dressed, and made up to put the full application of Epic. Listening to the New York Philharmonic play Gershwin fit this sublime sweetness beginning -- that beautiful peppery rose opening lasts for a couple of hours where we decide where we want to go, drive, walk on street lit up with glorious holiday lights, and wait for a table and our food with a perfect straight up martini. Then at the start of dinner the fragrance just opens up and gives an "epic" performance of roses, spices...everything it got. It shocks and awes in a lovely way. Having pillowy, garlicy naked clams and in the halo of Epic was just perfect. My only sticking point was I picked an Italian white, which didn't quite work. Maybe I should have gone with a Fume Blanc. Oh well.

Then as we started driving home the fragrance danced one last time to the fusion live jazz on the radio and then it adjusts itself again and centers itself into a low flame of incense with a hint of the sweetness that was there all along. When I say "centered" I mean that this incense was the type for meditation - there was nothing distracting -- just this resinous low flame.

Overall, we all ate well and hubby was able to share in the perfume's various stages. The sillage was 6-12 inches according to hubby. The experience was so touching and wonderful, I was eager to recapture it. I went over to share Epic with a perfumista friend. While it was lovely, Epic should never be worn when just watching Bowl games. It just didn't work. My suspicions about this perfume was correct, it needs to be worn for special events where the tempo is slower and everything glows and is romantic or dear. Epic is not a casual perfume. Lesson learned. Yet, one last little spritz today as I relax at home. Then I promise to put it away til some special occasion.

On Vintage Emeraude, what a charming spicy confection it is to me. I have a similar Emeraude de Coty with a green and gold cap and the label placed closer to the cap. Love the vintage ad.

Deni

[cello]

On to Laura Biagiotti's Roma after a shower. I had sampled this once and thought it was nice, but just didn't want a hugh bottle o it. Then over the holidays, I found a cute little 25 ml bottle and pulled out the wallet. The strange, herbal/minty opening is as I remember, and also the fair amount of pepper keeping it spicy. All I remembered from my sample was the minty opening (I found it strange then) and the creamy orangy body. I wanted to explore this one a bit, so it gets called into duty for Oriental S'n'S

[whisperingleaves]

Started out early this morning with Avon's Far Away. impression a nice floral oriental but it didn't wow me. maybe next time...

now trying Coco on one hand and Coco Mademoiselle on the other. both parfum from a wonderful sampler of 5 from a Chanel boutique that was a holiday present to myself. I think I am falling for Coco.

[Haunani]

Hi all! I'm on vacation, and didn't pack an oriental fragrance. Or did I? This classification has always been confusing for me. Some of the fragrances that seem to be considered front-and-center orientals (Opium, Tabu, Youth Dew) are among my least favorites. They are just too heavy-hitting and not a good match for my unsophisticated personality. On the other hand, there are the floral orientals, ambers, incenses and vanillas, many of which I really love.

So I did a little research, and just in case I'm not the only one with some confusion, I'm going to share two posts from an old thread on the subject:

For a straight oriental: Blends of resins (labdanum, styrax, Peru balsam, Tolu balsam, opopanax, frankincense, myrrh, etc), opulent flowers, sweet vanilla and musks that are introduced by citrus, green or fruity top notes - Shalimar, Habit Rouge, Must de Cartier, Chergui, Eau Lente, Musc Ravageur, La Myrrhe, Piper Nigrum, Versailles, Ambre Precieux, Bois d'Encens.....

Woody Orientals use more woods, mainly sandalwood and/or patchouli - Bois des Iles, Egoiste, Attrape-Coeur/Guet-Apens, Patou pour Homme, New York, Vol de Nuit, A*Men, Tea for Two, Bois du Portugal, Time for Peace pour Lui, Black Cashmere, Fumerie Turque, Gucci Rush, Angel, Bois de Violette, Ysatis, Dune, Heritage, Zino Davidoff, Gucci pour Homme (2003), M7......

Soft Orientals use more incense, and the base notes aren't as heavy and sweet, making them softer and more of a melange of flowers and spices - Opium, Sublime, Ambre Sultan, JHL, Theorema, Youth Dew, Cinnabar, Loulou......

Floral Orientals use more orange flower and aldehydes. Lately they're a lot more lively and fruity, and often times their cheap-sticky candy-nuclear radiance is enough to drive you out of the building or seek oxygen. These are good ones - L'Heure Bleue, Parfum Sacre, Tresor, Poison, Kenzo Flower, Nahema, Chamade........

Or some would say it's just an emphasis on amber (labdanum-vanillin-Ambroxide)

...When I started reading BN, I looked up my favorite fragrances and discovered most are classified as orientals. I've seen orientals defined as containing oriental resins and vanilla. I know, that sounds pretty circular. Resins are dried tree sap, like frankincense or myrrh. I don't smell that much of either in orientals I have. In practice I think of orientals as having a base of spice (usually cinnamon, sometimes clove, sometimes both) and vanilla. Then anything else can be added - woods to make a woody oriental or flowers to make a floriental, as pluran said. Add some oakmoss and coumarin to the base and you slide over to fougeres. Add some chocolate or coffee or honey and to slide into gourmands. Fragrances exist with almost every proportion from strongly oriental with a touch of wood to strongly floral with a hint of oriental to ... you get the picture. And most have some sort of citrus top note...

And this blurb from the Fragrantica website is helpful:

Oriental fragrances with dominant amber are placed in a separate group thanks to their accentuated warmth and sensuality. Their opulent bouquet includes intoxicating and intensive substances such as musk, vanilla, exotic resins and wood, often accompanied with exotic flowers and spices.

So now I see that many of my favorites apparently fall into this group. Mauboussin, Note Ambree, Boucheron, Ambre Precieux, Theorema, Fleur Oriental, Tolu, Shaal Nur, and Ta'if are among them. Are Chamade and Montaigne orientals? If so, those are good for me, too.

I see that many of you call Chergui an Oriental. Here's a question for you: Would you put Havana Vanille in this group, too? My nose says yes. Those two fragrances do basically the same thing for me, with Havana Vanille being my fave of the two.

Whew! Apologies for the long post (insert the old embarrassed smiley face). This kind of analyzing aloud is how I learn best, and I'm hoping the info is helpful to others.

[Haunani]

For this little trip, I packed decants or travel bottles of the following fragrances: Havana Vanille, Hologram, Rose Poivree, Sel de Vetiver, TDC Osmanthus, TDC Bois d'Iris, and Une Rose.

According to my new deeper understanding (or is it confusion, LOL?!), both the Havana Vanille and Hologram fall into the Orientals group. I am going to choose Hologram for today. It's an unusual fragrance by Neil Morris, with listed notes of yuzu, black currant, violet, fig, sea moss, amber, incense, and musk. It has that shimmery, warm, deep quality that fits our SnS category, and besides -- it's really, really beautiful!

[Leesee]

Running to put on some Montale Oriental Flowers. Will post impressions later, if I don't forget. I've been absent-minded lately.

[BlackCat]

Haunani, thanks for the previous posts. I've felt the same way about orientals and some of the same confusion.

This is a category where my knee jerk reaction is, "What will I wear? I don't particularly like this category." This is based on my initial perception that to be an oriental, it had to be big, spicy, and vanillic. Also, I'm not crazy about heavy orange blossoms, so some florientals don't work for me.

But then I start looking at categorizations and my list and realize that I have and enjoy quite a few frags classified as Orientals, even a few "heavy hitters": Bal a Versailles, Chergui, L'Air du Desert Marocain, Black Cashmere, Theorema, Roma, Ta'if. . . . I don't reach for these all the time (with the exception of BaV), but with the right kind of weather or mood, they hit the spot.

Good question about HV. I was wondering the same thing with Spiritueuse Double Vanille. Are they gourmands? But they're not really sweet. Are they orientals because of the smoke? I'd love to hear what others think about categorizing these.

[BlackCat]

Today I tried Ava Luxe's Carnet de Bal EdP from a decant I recently received in a swap. It appears to be based on a 1930s Revillon fragrance.

AL classifies it as an oriental and describes the oil version as follows:

"A wonderful musky and spicy oriental scent with very subtle fruit and citrus top notes over a soft woody floral heart of jasmine, ylang-ylang, rose, cyclamen and lily. The drydown is warm and slightly powdery musk and mosses.
Notes:Bergamot, peach, apricot, chamomile, cyclamen, jasmine, lily of the valley, rose, ylang , vanilla, musk, oakmoss, patchouli, ambergris."

I'm having a really hard time picking up the notes in this one. It's extremely well-blended and definitely has a vintage vibe. Got the bergamot and gentle fruit on the top on this one. Definitely getting the florals as well, particularly the jasmine. It also is animalic, which I liked. But I'm not loving some of the spices--they're nose ticklers for me, as is some of the powder.

I'll probably switch to BaV EdC later, thanks to Asha, I believe. I haven't tried that version yet. So far, my fave is the Parfum de Toilette. The parfum is gorgeous once it hits its stride, but I get a fair amount of gasoline out of the first 30 minutes, which is a rough ride for me.

[trikkirikki]

I'm taking Galimar by Galimard to bed with me now.

It started out with really clean, fresh lemon and orange, but mellows rather quickly into a heart of iris and nutmeg.
I don't get jasmine or cinnamon, which is supposedly there, but they might show themselves later.

The base is patchouli, vanilla and musk, and I'm sure that some of it will still be on my wrist when I wake up in the morning.

It's quite a fun and playful little scent, not an obvious sex kitten, nor sultry and seductive. It's easily worn both day and night and it stays quite close to the skin. Not a favourite, but very wearable, and probably a good choice for someone who is not used to wearing orientals.

Ohh, the vanilla is breaking through now...very nice, almost a bourbon vanilla. Rich as anything.

Anyway, good night for now.

[Sunnyfunny]

Wow, there are so many thoughtful and eloquent posts today! Thanks for the crash course in orientals, Haunani, it really is a broad group, isn't it. So all that being said, I guess spicy is sort of an oriental sub-category? I've always envisioned oriental to be more Pluran's definition of straight oriental, and spicy to be a non-gourmand foody. For instance Theorema and Ambre Narguile are both reminiscent of dried fruits or warm, baked goods to me, spicy but not gourmand, neither exotic or nuanced enough for me to call them oriental, while Hypnotic Poison is very much gourmand, due to its thick, syrupy yet effervescent sweetness that makes it almost Italian soda-ish, but definitely not spicy and not particularly oriental. I guess it all has to do with what it most dominant on whose skin. Also, though, if incense is also an oriental sub-category, then is Chanel No. 22 a floral oriental? or a soft oriental? I can't bend my mind around that one.

Anyways, I'm wearing Tabu today.



This one is so intriguing to me because sometimes the drydown is really dirty and animalic, but more often than not it is reminiscent of my Tabac Blond edp, with a warmer, sweeter spiciness. TB really shrinks up on me in the cold but is fabulously different and sexy on a swelteringly hot summer day. So I am loving the similarities of Tabu during these fall and winter months.
I got to thinking about how, exactly, those two are related and how another mentioned heavy hitting oriental that I love in edt also shares some similarities (and differences ).

Imagine there are three sisters, Bal a Versailles, Tabac Blond, and Tabu, hanging out in a crowded bar with a live band and a full dance floor. Each is wearing red lipstick and drinking wine, but the similarities end there.
Bal a Versailles is glamorous, elegant and overdressed. She is out of place, wishing she was at a symphony or at the very least a restaurant whose staff know the difference between Gris and Grigio. So she is resignedly sipping a Chablis, disdainful of the fact that all wines here are served in the same shape of glass.
Tabac Blond is moving her stilletoed foot in time to the music. She's festive in black slacks and a sexy top, aware of the eyes on her and flashing a diamond on her left hand, making it quite clear you can look, but not touch. She's on her second Cabernet and is seriously considering hitting the dance floor.
Tabu is already on the dance floor. She's been throwing back White Zins all night and right now her hair is a little mussed. She's clad in high-heeled knee high boots and a low-cut dress that keeps slipping off one shoulder. She's out to have fun, that's why she's here, and if she gets a little carried away, more's the better! The bassist, emboldened by her enthusiastic dancing, steps off the stage to make her his temporary muse. She willingly obliges him.

[alba]

I've been wearing Juliette Has a Gun Midnight Oud today. Sadly, I just can seem to get the rose. And those around me smell it, too. I've also got Amouage Epic and was ready for a different take on rose+oud (thought Epic is hard to top) but I still don't "get" the perfume. I'll have to give it several more tries.

[Haunani]

I love your "three sisters" story, Sunnyfunny!

I think Chanel No. 22 is classified as an aldehydic floral, yes? However, I'm still not firm on this oriental category and how it relates to the other groups!

[Sunnyfunny]

Haunani, I think you're right. 22's classification always throws me because the incense is so prominent on my skin.

[RHM]

I switched to Mitsouko edc for tonight. My daughter loves it on me & the vintage edc smells wonderful.

[shadesofbleu]

I'm wearing L'Air du Desert Marocain today. I am crazy for the incense in this ... one of my very favorites.

[tdem1961]

I've been wearing Robert Piguet Visa, a luscious gourmet-oriental and a gift from a darling, astonishingly generous friend.

[rogalal]

Hi all!

I started out the day, as promised, in Jovoy Paris Oriental.

It was perfectly nice, but missing a certain spark.

From the top, it was mostly cinnamony, citrusy bergamot with little pinches of peach and rose over vanilla. I have issues with citrus + vanilla mixtures, because they can easily cross over into creamsicle territory. Oriental managed to escape that fate, but still came off as a bit of a bergamotsicle (he he - I'm making up words now...).

With time, the bergamot faded and a light musk came in underneath the whole thing, but it really didn't do much.

The whole time, I kept wishing it had gone the next step somehow. Perhaps some bready orris would have taken it a step closer to Mitsouko and a step further from the ice cream truck. More spice could have upped the oriental angle, or some booze or heady woods would have rounded the whole thing out a bit more. Or even if it had just jumped in whole-hog and let itself be the gourmand it wanted to be.

As is, it was perfectly nice, but not very inspiring. I'm sure many people here would enjoy it quite a bit, but it left me wanting more.

2 stars from me.

[rogalal]

Hours later, with this morning's perfectly fine but uninspiring Jovoy Paris reduced to a musky memory on my right arm, I decided to try out Ava Luxe Vamp on my left.

Wow - this is really something.

Like wet brown paper towels with a pinch of cinnamon and sparkly cherry over vanilla.

In a way, this is intriguing, but it's also quite gross.

This isn't the time or place for impolite discussion, but suffice it to say that this is bringing to mind some rather unclean manly smells, so I'm quite creeped out - this isn't something I'm comfortable smelling like.

Points to Ava Luxe for recreating a specific kind of sexy funk, but I can't wear this.

1 star - sorry...

Maybe I'll dab a little L'Heure Bleue to finish off the evening on the right track...

[CuddleCat]

For my first Sniff 'n' Speak I wore Dior's Dolce Vita, a lovely woody oriental. I get spice, fruit (love the plum note), floral, woods (sandalwood & cedar) & a hint of vanilla & powder.

[ECaruthers]

I went to bed wearing Field Notes From Paris, by Ineke. It's still wearing well, four hours later.

[Guest 3]

What great posts this SnS! I love the 3 sisters story. I suppose I'd be Chergui in that one, but I've never tried it. Straight up "Orientals" have always been a bit problematic for me, too. Even though I love many of them (e.g., Coco - a sophisticated, sensual fragrance) they wind up wearing me and that becomes a drag after a while. I'm having more trouble than ever these days figuring out what classification a fragrance falls under...I suppose because the lines of separation are blurrier than ever. Which is a good thing overall, I think. Today, continuing SnS into Sunday, I'm wearing some Fendi edt that I bought last year in a drugstore bargain bin for $8.74. I would call this an Oriental, but maybe it's more of a powerhouse 80's spicy-Chypre.

[Quarry]

Late to my own party, but fashionable so, having worn Bal a Versailles parfum yesterday, courtesy of R fave dragon. I find myself scent twin to Lilybelle and agree-er with Pomander and Blackcat: Orientals are a challenge. BaV offers obvious floral and civet notes to make her attractive, despite the "O" category designation.

Trikkirikki — Your story was so special and, I expect, relatable to almost every reader.
Welcome to Deni — I like the definition. Reminds me of that beautiful word: autodidacticism (self-directed learning).
Cuddly welcome to CuddleCat!

[Leesee]

Sunnyfunny, I loved your "3 sisters" story. Loved it!

[Redneck Perfumisto]

Sunnyfunny, I loved your "3 sisters" story. Loved it!

Oh, yes! Big LOL on that one! And I must say - you have Tabu nailed.

Amouage Epic

While it was lovely, Epic should never be worn when just watching Bowl games. It just didn't work. My suspicions about this perfume was correct, it needs to be worn for special events where the tempo is slower and everything glows and is romantic or dear. Epic is not a casual perfume. Lesson learned.

Deni

Also being new to Epic, I loved your description. And I agree - it demands something more than usual conditions. Walking the dog? Nice time for that first sample, but I need to save it for more interesting situations.

I wore Oriental Lounge as planned. What wasn't planned was wearing it into an oriental lounge. Well, kinda. If the bar at Benihana counts as an oriental lounge. Turns out that the projection and sillage were perfect for dining. And it made a wonderful addition to dinner, with one spray on the back of my chopstick hand. For those interested in a full report, more details here.

[Antaeusintheair]

I've been big into orientals this frigid holiday season in Minnesota. Coco edp, Bal a Versailles edt, Opium (femme) edt, vintage Shalimar edc, Lagerfeld Classic (men), M7, Polo Double Black, Zino, Yatagan... the list goes on and on, but my favorite is a new aquisition, [B]Robert Piguet's Baghari[B], a floriental par excellence imo. I think I love it because it has aspects of other scents I adore. It has a aldehyde sharp/sweet orangey opening that is definitely akin to No. 5 or even more so Arpege (vintage extrait, especially, because it has less soap and more nutty sweetness). Then spices and flowers like Vol de Nuit and that great Guerlainish almond-pastisserie aroma, but also the warm vanilla syrup of Opium and Coco. All that and an ambery-chypre drydown ... simply fantastic and a winter HG I think for me.