New in Niche : Sniffa Spring Fling recap

If I wanted a traditional eau de cologne Thierry Wasser was ready to supply me with one. M. Wasser evidently composed Cologne du Parfumeur while he was also designing Idylle. Cologne du Parfumeur was supposed to be for M. Wasser’s personal use. After experiencing it I am not surprised that Guerlain has chosen to share this with the general public. Cologne du Parfumeur is the first eau de cologne since 1974’s Eau de Guerlain. The notes are orange blossom, lemon, bergamot, cut grass, and galbanum. Cologne du Parfumeur is, arguably, the best fragrance Thierry Wasser has released in his role as in-house perfumer at Guerlain. I find the juxtaposition of the green and citrus in it to be a nod to the past and a look towards the future. This is going to be another warm weather staple for 2010.

It seems like everyone is jumping into the eau de cologne end of the pool and Bertrand Duchaufour doesn’t want to be left out of the party. One of two new re-working of the classic Penhaligon’s fragrances by M. Duchaufour is Eau de Cologne. M. Duchaufour has resurrected the original 1927 classic and the notes are orange, lemon, bergamot, rosemary, and neroli. This is a classically constructed eau de cologne and it has all the refreshing hallmarks of the class. What makes it interesting is the way the lemon shimmers on my skin and the rosemary and neroli add complexity to the construction. This feels like old-fashioned perfume making the way they did it back in 1927 and is another fragrance ready for the dog days of summer.

Penhaligon's Anthology Orange Blossom

The other fragrance from Penhaligon’s is one where M. Duchaufour’s hand is much more evident. Orange Blossom is almost the antithesis of what he created in Amaranthine at the end of 2009. Where Amaranthine was described as a “corrupted floral oriental”; Orange Blossom is all about light and it almost seems as if M. Duchaufour has captured sunlight in a bottle. The note list is extensive and contains, neroli, violet leaf, bergamot, lemon-cedrat, cardamom, pink berries, orange, jasmine, tuberose, rose, peach flower, orchid, sandalwood, cedar, white musk, and vanilla. There are a flower shop’s worth of florals in that note list but Orange Blossom always seems to keep in balance and present what is advertised; which is the slightly citrusy sweet aspect of an orange blossom in the sunlight. This is such an interesting companion piece to Amaranthine I could see owning both of these and rotating them as the seasons change.

If Amaranthine is corruption and Orange Blossom is light the third fragrance I’m going to cover by M. Duchaufour is all about the shadows in between. M. Duchaufour has been the in-house perfumer at L’Artisan for about a year now and each new release has illuminated another aspect of his artistic vision. In Nuit de Tubereuse he has taken a powerhouse of a note like tuberose and stripped it down without losing the essence of the note. What is left is tuberose that speaks in enticing whispers and beckons you toward the dark side. The notes are cardamom, clove, pink berries, pepper, citrus, tuberose, orange blossom, ylang-ylang, rose, mango, angelica, gorse, sandalwood, pallisander, musk, benzoin and styrax. This is a triumphant piece of perfumery and even if you’ve found tuberose to be too intense for you in the past this is one you should try because M. Duchaufour has domesticated the powerhouse and made it play nice.

Acqua di Parma Bergamotto di Calabria

The latest entry in the Bond No. 9 Andy Warhol series is Montauk. Montauk is a town at the very end of Long Island and was purported to be Andy Warhol’s favorite beach town. Bond No. 9 has once again used images from Andy Warhol on the bottle namely from his “Sunsets” series. The notes in Montauk are bergamot, bay leaf, blueberry, hyacinth, lily of the valley, honeysuckle, amber, driftwood, maple, and oak. Montauk is a very fruity floral fragrance which very slowly lets the woody base gain a foothold. It should be one that fans of this type of fragrance will enjoy wearing.

Dawn Spencer Hurwitz Butterfly Nectar

Another fragrance, fans of fruity florals should have on their radar is Dawn Spencer Hurwitz’s Butterfly Nectar. This is to be the first release under her DAWN Perfumes label. Butterfly Nectar is a classic example of an artisanal perfumer at work. The notes are lemon, green mandarin, peach, apricot, violet, linden blossom, clover, osmanthus, honey, musk, sandalwood, and civet. The choice of apricot and peach leading to the violet and osmanthus heart make Butterfly Nectar a fruity floral but it is one with a quirk all Ms. Hurwitz’s.

Ms. Hurwitz has been a reliable artisanal perfumer but nothing delights me more to experience the first steps of a new perfumer. Jessica September Buchanan has started her own line of perfume called 1000 Flowers and her first fragrance is Reglisse Noire (Black Licorice). Reglisse Noire has notes of white pepper, ozone, mint, shiso leaf, star anise, ginger, licorice, cocoa, patchouli, vanilla, vetiver, and musk. As one who has been wanting a licorice fragrance as dark as the candy itself Reglisse Noire is an answered plea. Ms. Buchanan’s dark core of anise and ginger followed by licorice and cocoa takes Reglisse Noire into a licorice heart of darkness that I found compelling. This is a fragrance for those who like licorice and want more, more, more. Ms. Buchanan serves up just what I was looking for.

CB I Hate Perfume M4 Room With A View