Il Mondo di Odore

Immortelle wood, Leather, Cumin and Ginseng. I've worn this multiple times now before posting an opinion on Fareb. I'm finding this one to be a Dr Jekyll. I like it one wearing and don't the next. Go figure........ The wearings I liked better were the ones that the Immortelle was more pronounced. The other wears had the cumin-ginseng at the fore and I admit to not caring for that too much. It seems that if I shake the sample a few times, I get more Immortelle. Once again, go figure........ Fareb is extremely uncomplicated and what I get in the opening is what I get for the life of the scent. It's not because there's only a few listed notes. I'm quite sure there's a good deal more in the makeup of Fareb. It's simply the way it's tuned. If perhaps the Immortelle and leather notes were attenuated in a more noticeable fashion and only assisted from the spices, Fareb would probably have a much broader appeal. As it stands, the two notes I want...

Anise, Licorice, Violet, Spices, Cedar, Patchouli, Vetiver, Leather, Vanilla, Musk. This Mugler release has been around awhile now and it certainly seems to have its share of detractors.  When B*Men first hit the malls, it didn't polarize like it does in the current market.  Now, both Angel and B*Men seem to have lost their luster in the eyes of hobbyists. Not in all eyes however.......... B*Men is as good as its always been. Our preferences  have changed over time. The "no apologies" aroma of  this particular scent is in variance with today's sensibilities. It also doesn't help that for years, numerous people wore way too much of this and Angel. I am in no way a Muglerite. I guess I am as neutral as one can be when it pertains to Thierry's creations. I hear, I try, I form an opinion and then post it. There's a subtle gourmand theme that runs through numerous Mugler  releases. B*Men is no exception with it's burnt and carmelized agenda. Per...

I was unsure about trying Genie de Bois as it features the violet note and that one is precarious for me. There's something about the way violet is used that either makes me walk away from it or appreciate it. I like the Mecheri line and since Keiko is intent on releasing very civilized renditions, I assumed that Genie de Bois would be in keeping with the house mentality. As expected, there's not a rude or caustic note to be found in the vicinity. Genie de Bois is an uncomplicated floral woody. It leans on the feminine side, but not overtly so. I would have no qualms in wearing this and it feels suited for office, casual or even a frivolous night out. It wears light, but that doesn't mean there isn't substance here. There's substance all right.  Genie de Bois is one of those fragrances that is more noticeable to others in your proximity than it is to the wearer. The cedar note is very evident and incrementally becomes more dominant as the wearings ensue...

Grapefruit, Neroli, Cumin, Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Orange blossom, Incense, Benzoin, Tobacco, Vanilla. Even though the notes are listed and easily seen, the last thing I expected was an excellent grapefruit, incense and tobacco accord blasting to life on my skin when I applied Terre de Sarment. I mistakenly thought the Incense and Tobacco would slowly integrate into the fragrance, but they are the framework from the very beginning. The others come to fruition at different transitions and that's what makes this have real depth. I give kudos to the grapefruit rendition because it lasts much longer than a puff of smoke. It works oddly well with the Incense and the tabac note reminds me of pipe tobacco. Within 20 minutes or so, you will find that name is totally appropriate. A beautiful, earthiness unravels and instead of taking the baton from the tobacco and Incense, it augments both. The tuning of notes is commendable and the ratios are seemingly perfect. They succeed in gett...

Cabreuva, Davana, Jamaican Rum, Cistus, Pink Pepper, Jasmin, Sambac, Hawthorn, Ylang Ylang, Clove, Cinnamon, Dried Fruit, Rose, Ambergris, Tonka Bean, Myrrh, Patchouli, Cedar, White Musk and Vanilla. Frapin releases some interesting and eclectic scents. Some are a bit challenging, yet they find a way to balance a little daring with convention. This house seems to have a penchant for implementing spicy elements in their creations. I guess it's safe to say that 1697 is part daring and part business as usual. This approach is in keeping with the house. This particular fragrance is complex, but it doesn't wear like one. The volume and overall aroma is very nice, but the slew of notes makes it difficult for all to be heard and felt. One of the promo lines for 1697 is that "this is the stuff angels stir with their wings when they fly over the vineyards where the liqueur of the gods is distilled". I find nothing overtly boozy about 1697. The opening is uniq...

Musk, Sandalwood, Nutmeg, Cardamom, Ginger, Clove, Mandarin, Cedar and Cypress. One of my favorites from Sonoma Scent Studio. This is a musk dominant scent served up a tad different. I won't go as far as to say the rendition is arid, but ( on me ) projects a dustiness that I have come to thoroughly enjoy. Sienna Musk falls in between sensual and just plain smelling good for the sake of smelling good. I don't claim to have a wardrobe full of terrific musk representatives, but enough of my collection have musk as part of the drydown. Some I like, some I'm ambivalent to, but what they all have in common is that none smell as good as this one. It's true that Sienna Musk doesn't simply use the musk note in a base-accord setting. It opens as a spicy woody with that unconventional musk permeating the opening accord and beyond. From the onset, you will become aware of how well this is blended. It's very rich, yet still has room to expand and breathe a little...

Sicilian Mandarin, Sicilian sweet Orange, Rose Wood, Pink Pepper, Coriander, Indonesian Patchouli, Cedar, Amber and Incense. The very first thing I noticed about Come La Luna was the retro opening of citrus. This top could have been on any number of classic feminines. It's one of those accords that you can literally taste in your throat and it  doesn't take much of this to get noticed. Over apply this one and you will be noticed on the lunar surface. I'm not badmouthing here, just giving a heads up that Come La Luna is no lightweight and if you have issues with sillage and longevity, pull the trigger on a sample of this. Your worries may be over. I always enjoy citrus implementations and especially notes such as mandarin and tangerine. I cannot say that I like the rendition here in Come La Luna. It smells brash and synthetic to me. It's also tuned too loud for my taste, but others may have a different opinion of the opening. The Pink Pepper is also a bit abras...

Pierre Guillaume is behind the Phaedon releases and he seems to be on a mission of sorts the past few years. Trust me when I tell you I'm not complaining because he puts out innovative fragrances. The ones I have sampled so far have been well made, but I wouldn't expect less. Grisens is not one that falls into the innovative category, but it's one, excellent incense perfume. On me, it's dusty dry and isn't of the conventional, smoky variety. I can find only 2 listed notes that make up Grisens and they consist of Incense and Sandalwood. Grisens is about a grey incense that, from what I've read, is indigenous to the island of Awaji. About a century and a half ago, this island became the hub for Japans incense needs. Apparently, the winds on the island of Awaji result in only seasonal work. This "disadvantage" resulted in the blossoming of what once was the cottage industry of incense. The winds are also reported to be advantageous in drying the i...

Myrrh, Black Tea, Licorice, Vanilla The nose for Myrrhiad is Pierre Guillaume. I decided to buy a sample recently while perusing ThePerfumeShoppe. I believe all the releases from Huitieme Art Parfums hit the market in 2010 and his new creations under Phaedon have been released in 2011. Pierre has been busy. He has an impressive resume and since I also like myrrh, I was compelled to give this a whirl. I've worn it twice now and it felt denser the first wearing, but Myrrhiad is still a substantial fragrance with some presence. The 2nd wearing gave me the impression it was a little more spatial than the first time and has room to breathe. Naturally, this is all about myrrh and the few accompanying notes work well with one another. Myrrhiad embodies just enough sweetness to enhance its star player. The tea and licorice notes are readily apparent when you get close and then more diffusive at a distance. This is a full bodied aroma and extremely pleasant. The implementation o...

Brazilian orange, Indonesian cloves, Petitgrain, Rum extract, Bourbon vetiver, Ylang Ylang, Indian sandalwood, Gaiacwood, Vanilla absolute, Amber and Tonka bean. Mona di Orio's Vanille is not just another vanilla fragrance. You might think that, by name alone, this could be a one trick pony or very linear. On the contrary, Vanille is complex and multi-faceted. I enjoy the vanilla note as much as most people, but only in certain implementations. If it results in that waxy, vanilla candle aroma, I end up shunning that fragrance. I annoy myself due to the fact that this particular note, in certain variations, arouses such a sensitivity. Since I'm stuck with my olfactory, I move on and when I find one that works, I'll extol its virtues. Enter Mona di Orio's Vanille. This is a spicy, woody vanilla and falls smack in the middle of the gender category. It would smell appropriate and extremely good on anyone. Vanille has the ability to exude largess, yet the accords...

As a lover of far too many woody scents, I am not only the the self-declared mayor of my perfume collection, known as Wardrobe City, but I am also the proprietor of the virtual village eyesore known as Red’s Lumberyard .   Thus, CdG Series 2 Red: Sequoia , is one of those scents that I probably should have tried sooner.   It is supposed to evoke, if not mimic, the scent of California redwoods, e.g., its namesake,  Sequoia sempervirens .   It seems to do this rather well. To say those wonderful words, that make the friends of old-growth forests faint on the couch, " Let's git 'er in the mill, boys! " Sorry!  Just kidding! ;-) Sequoia opens up with some momentary citrus, lifting what smells like a fairly unique redwood scent.   It is something like an average of cedar and pine, but milder and more like a hardwood aroma.    There is a brief flurry of dirty and animalic notes as the fragrance settles down, which it does very quickly. ...

Funny how we can come full circle with certain fragrances. There was a time when I found Villoresi's Sandalo much too harsh and downright crude for my taste. My palette has broadened over the years from simply staying active in the hobby.   I still equate Villoresi as being the Frank Zappa of perfumery. No, I don't mean buffoonery, but rather an "in your face" and a take-it-or-leave-it approach. His creations always seem to be rugged, but that's one mans opinion. Sandalo has a "not quite finished" air about it. Lorenzo has chosen not to cover the flaws in sandalwood and has it stand completely naked before the world. Naturally, there are other players in the works in this fragrance, but the sandalwood is deliberately left to stand or fall on its own merits. If those of you considering sampling Sandalo necessarily don't harbor much love for sandal, rosewood or some lavender, then be advised that you will find this NOT to your liking. I love s...

I guess I have come to expect incendiary fragrances from Frapin. It's true I've only sampled a few, but they don't have many releases to begin with. I ordered a sample awhile ago after perusing the accords. A sucker for woodies, I'm always interested in one that I haven't tried and especially if it's from a house I hold in regard. Passion Boisee opens with a slightly alcoholic and indistinct citrus. At the same time, there's a rubber aroma coming into play from the leather note. It's not an off putting latex smell, but I notice it and am glad when, after a few minutes, it morphs into a conventional leather note. Tangerine? Well, I happen to love the smell of tangerine more than any other citrus. I enjoy the aroma of all citrus, but tangerine has that special something. The listed tangerine in Passion Boisee is ( to me ) a very generic rendition and difficult to even identify as such. There's a citric accord at work here for sure and I'm...

Cistus, Bergamot, Osmanthus, Jasmin Tea, Patchouli, Amber, Sandalwood, Olibanum and Musk. L'Ambre de Carthage is an Eau de Parfum and exhibits a thick, swirling effect when applied. I'm unfamiliar with the house of Isabey, but L'Ambre is nice enough to warrant future samplings of other creations. The labdanum is so front and center that it can be smelled before applying it. Once on skin, the labdanum and citrus spread out and create an inviting accord. Within a minute or so, the tea note and floral tones squeeze into the fray and the resiny spice that comes with it is very interesting. I love this part of the fragrance and only wish it could stay just like that. The floral component in L'Ambre is exceptional. There's hints of sweet from jasmin and there's also balsamic undercurrents. The tea note seems to work rather well with this accord and I'm not exactly a fan of tea notes. When I find one I like, I give it praise like I'm doing now. L'...

Rum absolute, Saffron, Black cumin, Bitter orange peel, Doum palm, Rock rose, Smoked ebony, Frankincense, Sugarcane, Leather, Sandalwood and Amber. Upon hearing of Lubin's planned release of an Eau de Parfum version of Idole, I was anxious to try it. I truly enjoy the EDT and also admire Olivia Giocabetti. I assumed I would like this rendition......and I was correct. The first impressions of Idole EDP is balance and blending. This is very smooth and stays true to the original. Normally, I'll do a side by side comparison, but I felt that it was unnecessary in this case. This is Idole through and through, with some of the brightness removed from the opening accord. In that respect, it's similar to Guerlain's Heritage EDP in that it moves quickly to the heart and maintains a bit more density. Do I like the EDP better? Actually, I like them the same. I also think it would be redundant to own both. If you have the EDT, I recommend that you be satisfied with it and...

  Femme Fatale Perfumes   In part 1 of this Tokyo Milk Dark series , I reviewed six of the original eight edps: Crushed (a very green jasmine); La Vie La Mort (a slightly spicy tuberose); Bittersweet (cacao bean-flour composition); Excess (an excellent labdanum amber patchouli); Arsenic (an “unexpected” absinthe, salt and fennel unisex fragrance); Everything & Nothing (an orange-potpourri-tea scent). I promised to return with reviews of Bulletproof and Tainted Love , which were backordered and never sent to me. I eventually had to re-order them from another vendor, and happily they have finally arrived. Since my investigations into the Tokyo Milk Dark line began, however, Margot Elena, who may well suffer from hyperactivity attention deficit disorder—given that she simultaneously runs three separate perfume houses (Tokyo Dark, Lollia, and Love & Toast)—managed to launch a whole new series of Fate and Fortune “roller parfums de...