Shocking by Elsa Schiaparelli

Timeless

For a fragrance released in 1937, Elsa Shiaparelli's Shocking is surprisingly 'nouveau' to my nose, but definitely brings with it all of that 'Golden Years' charm and grace.

One could imagine the Baroness in The Sound of Music wearing this ... it's beauty is regal!

The use of a heavy Civet note often dates a fragrance (Patou's Joy and Desprez' Bal a Versailles immediately spring to mind) and if not carefully used illicits the response of "ugh, cat pee" from many a nose. Civet is, however, used very successfully in combination with my favorite floral note Tuberose ... imho at least :). I can't see it's exclusion, for example, from something like Versace's Blonde doing that fragrance any favors.

In Shocking, the Civet is beautifully toned by the addition of Honey creating a gorgeous platform for the floral notes of Jasmine, Ylang Ylang, Rose and Narcissus to intermingle and project. While being rather floral heavy, Shocking has the curious attribute that it could very well be a modern 'masculine' floral ... a virtue demonstrated by quite a few classics, Patou 1000 and Lanvin Arpege also falling into this category.

If I had to describe Shocking in a single word it would be 'smooth'. The Aldehydes sparkle all the way through this beauty, doing their job of lifting and invigorating. In a prime example of the art of superlative blending, none of the notes here gets a chance at being in the spotlight ... rather they all swirl together creating the effect of a piece of olfactory silk, rippling in the breeze. This is definitely something that all parfumistas should have in their collections ... even just a 1ml sample to refer to every now and then. Not for the meek and mild ... if your preference leans toward lighter frags avoid this one completely. This fragrance demands confidence from it's wearer and will reward with heaps of attention!

Shocking is undeniably glamorous ... as at home in the glittering salons of pre WW2 Vienna as it would be at an Oscar's Ball in 2012.

Rating: 8/10

Comments

Oriental Lounge by The Different Company

Bergamot, Curry Leaf, Pepper, Red Rose, Tonka Bean, Labdanum, Satinwood. I suppose the first thing I noticed about Oriental Lounge is that as a man, this is a bit of a stretch to pull off. Since the core of Oriental Lounge is a powdery tonka and amber duo, it really does lean a bit too far feminine for me to wear. However, it would smell just as lovely on a woman and more appropriate as well. I bring this up simply because it's marketed as shared. I was wondering about the curry leaf. Actually, this "note" brought nothing to the table with the exception of possibly enhancing the pepper note just a bit. Even so, the pepper note itself was low key ( at least on me ) and both blended nicely with the citrus opening. From the onset of Oriental Lounge, it's unmistakable that this fragrance is.......well.....an oriental. From other opinions, I read some gripes about longevity, but it lasts on me quite awhile. This fragrance is uncomplicated and without much movemen...

Black Suede by Avon

Nutmeg, Clove, Amber, Musk, Moss, Wood Notes. Yes.........I am reviewing one of the Rodney Dangerfield's of fragrance. Black Suede has been gracing medicine cabinets, for better or worse, since 1980 my friends. If you're expecting me to inform you ( like others may have already ) that Black Suede is a nasty scrubber, you will be disappointed. On the other hand, if you're expecting a glowing review claiming it's a diamond in the rough, you won't hear that from me either. I will say though that Black Suede doesn't deserve the hate it's received and most of that is due to snobbery aimed at Avon products in general. I kid you not when I state that a close relative to this fragrance is Cacharel Pour L'Homme. The array of spice in both ensure comparison, but the "smoother" of the two is Black Suede due to its implementation of Amber. While wearing Black Suede, one can detect a hint of "drugstore". That quality doesn't manife...

Paco Rabanne Pour Homme

I am reviewing the original Paco Rabanne Pour Homme ( circa 1973 ) thanks to a generous basenoter who sent it to me recently in a swap. He also sent me the current formulation in order for me to do a side by side comparison. The side by side resulted in what I had already imagined would be the case. Not that the newer formula is terrible by any means. The original version simply is better by being deeper and a bit more masculine. No......you shouldn't go to ebay searching for the vintage formula and paying stupid prices. It's simply a notch or two better than the current and noticeable by comparing the two in real time. Rabanne Pour Homme opens with a slight shimmer in conjunction with lavender, spices and a subtle woodiness. It's an old school introduction, however a good one. The lavender takes about 5 minutes to raise its volume and evolve into a soapy rendition. I dislike when a boatload of soapy lavender takes over a composition, but here it doesn't go over t...

Il Mondo di Odore

Search This Blog