Il Mondo di Odore

Orange, Bergamot, Lemon, Mandarin, Pink Berries, Black Pepper, Saffron, Rose, Freesia, Lilac, Peony, Blond Wood, Patchouli, Frankincense, Styrax, Suede, Vanilla, Chocolate, Licorice, White Musk. Olympia "Music Hall" is a rather easy concept to grasp. Gerald Ghislain envisions the aromas wafting around the legendary Parisian venue L'Olympia. The attempt to capture the musicality of smell emanating from skin and-or environment is not such an easy task. I believe that, more than mimicking memories of a "place", Ghislain endeavors to duplicate the flow of seamless, musical phrases. What my skin informs me is that this particular music is mellow, rich and without seam or ripple. I know not if Ghislain succeeded in putting the genie in the bottle, but Olympia certainly is very suitable to don in such a scenario. The citric opening of Olympia is akin to a musical score beginning at volume 3 and then slowly rising to 5 to coincide with the chiming in of peppery ...

Patchouli, Coriander, Cardamom. Patchouli, Flowers, Berries. Patchouli, Musk, Leather, Vanilla. I've worn Noir Patchouli before and genuinely thought I had already reviewed it. I suppose it's best this way, since my current perceptions-descriptions differ ( on occasion ) with fragrances I've reviewed a few years back. We all evolve in increments and I'm certainly no exception. This particular release is a leathery patch bordering on gnarly. My initial comparison was to that of Giorgio V.I.P. Special Reserve and after multiple wearings, the similarities haven't changed.  On me, they are kissing cousins with a few, minor differences. Noir patchouli opens as a dense and penetrating leathery patchouli with a fermented fruit vibe. The "fruit" rendition is rather good and in combination with the patchouli and leather, it gives the accord some teeth. From the opening blast until the finish, Noir Patchouli cannot hide its kinship with V.I.P. Specia...

Pineapple, Peach, Gardenia, Jasmine, Rose, Muguet, Clove, Sandalwood, Patchouli, Musk, Benzoin, Vanilla. I have come back to this particular fragrance around 5 times. This is not exactly an easy one to wrap your head around. I do not believe I have ever smelled a protracted opening that consisted of pineapple and decaying florals resting on, or near, a gasket. Does it sound crazy? I'll bet it does, but I deliberately wore this frequently and get the same impression each and every time. As I wear 1804 for the final time, I once again get the exact same accord in the opening and it has commendable longevity as it has in the previous sample wears. I have no other way to describe what it is I'm smelling. It's as if pineapple chunks are placed on top of a rubber mat near a discarded bouquet. I wanted to like 1804 George Sand, but this opening and heart are making it extremely difficult. It's not unpleasant, but I have no wish to smell like this; especially for such...

Pepper, Elemi, Iris, Oud, Saffron, Castoreum, Vanilla, Sandalwood, Amber. Very recently, I was impressed with Edition Rare Petroleum. I enjoyed it enough to put it on the potential purchase list. Histoires de Parfums is piquing my interest with some very respectable releases. Ambrarem is the most unapologetic of the Edition Rare series. The peppery introduction is just that; an intro to what will soon become a slightly smoky, woody leather with resin. There's nothing crude here. Apparently, all the edginess was deliberately left to be experienced, yet it's completely appropriate since there's an animalic quality at work here. Ambrarem transitions from its spicy opening to the darker heart accord with absolute ease. Everything listed here will manifest itself for your smelling pleasure. The heart evolves a smoky core with embellishments from oud and saffron. Like Petroleum, the tuning here is key. This is not oud overkill. This is resiny oud showcased in a way ...

Oud, Bergamot, Aldehyde. Rose, Oud, Amber. Oud, Civet Absolute, Leather, Patchouli, White Musk. Yowza ! So, you like your openings full of smoky and leathery oud do you? This is slightly charred embers still hot and wrapped inside a leather satchel. The leather isn't burnt, but the heat has been building up inside of it. There's intermittent, olfactory references to Mona di Orio's Cuir, but they are more akin to passing nods of acknowledgement. I'm referring to the smoke and leather when I make that statement.  Petroleum is also a chameleon and does not remain this way for long. Impressive to say the least and what's more admirable is the way Petroleum evolves through each stage of development. As the smoky leather and wood settle and dissipate some, a resinous amber begins pushing its way into the accord. It smells like labdanum to me, but regardless, it's very welcome and a terrific, complimentary note. The oud is soft but firm and a polite mainsta...

Orange, Plum, Cinnamon, Absinthe, Rose, Iris, Patchouli, Musk. I suppose I was hoping to be surprised when I chose this and placed the sample in my cart. Reading the listed notes and a smattering of reviews, I did not hold it in high regard ( blind ), but I've been known to be won over by scents that I have no anticipation for. Moulin Rouge is feminine as expected. I wasn't exactly impressed with the Can-Can descriptions because, if it indeed smelled like the promotional filler, I would surely find it too retro for my tastes. Let's just say that Moulin Rouge straddles the fence between then and now. The opening and heart are nods to the past and the base ( at least to me ) is a bit more in keeping with current tastes. My initial impression was that of a leather purse chock full of mascaras and tubes of assorted lipstick. The suggestion of leather is tangible, yet it's not an aspect that lasts the life of the scent. It's realized in the heart accord, then s...

Bergamot, Citrus, Grapefruit, Licorice. Lavender, Star Anise. Vanilla, Almond, Sandalwood, Cedar, Amber. Histoires de Parfums 1725 starts off with what I consider an excellent citrus accord with hints of sweet thrown in the mix. The licorice and anise add a terrific contrast to the tart grapefruit note. This is an enjoyable opening that lasts a few minutes before transforming into the heart. The grapefruit note is suggestive on me and not literal. Either way, it works like it's supposed to and like a runner in the 100 yard dash, it's all over but the crying in the proverbial blink of an eye. Well.......maybe not that quickly, but you get the gist. Categorized as a fougere, the emergence of van-amber cast this in the fougiental arena for me. Personally, I no longer put much stock into classifications. If you're testing in a department store or at home sampling, does it matter? What counts is if it smells good and works for you. The vanilla note is reminiscent o...

Rose Petals, Citrus. Saffron, Incense, Rose Absolute. Amber, Sandalwood, Patchouli, Oud. The very first thing I took notice of after wearing Rosam was its similarities to Czech & Speake's Dark Rose. The differences are very slight and I've found Rosam's drydown to reveal a softer finish due to how the amber is tuned. With that said, Rosam is very nice and every bit as good as Dark Rose. Rosam is more about Rose and Saffron than it is oud on my skin. The "oud" is suggested more than implemented. Like Dark Rose and numerous Montale's, the "oud" in Rosam will be very recognizable to those who have been testing these waters the past few years. I own Dark Rose because it performs well on me. Rosam is like it's identical twin and it would be redundant for me to own both. Even identical twins have subtle differences that are evident to those familiar with them. After a side by side comparison, that tiny difference in their drydowns is en...

Corsican Peach, Strawberry, Tahitian Coconut. Orange Blossom, Egyptian Jasmine, Bulgarian Rose. Incense, Vanilla, Cocoa, Benzoin, Patchouli, Cedar, Sandalwood. It's always fun to run across a scent that is not only better than you expected, but also works for both genders. I believe 1826 is marketed toward the female persuasion and I find that erroneous. 1826 opens with a combination of pastel strokes compliments of incense, fruit and orange. The feel is soft but full of substance. Depending upon what site you search on, the accord listing is very different. As usually is the case, it all comes down to personal interpretation. On my skin, the incense is apparent immediately. It's a soft version and blends well with the demure peach and orange. The blossom is tuned to low pitch and relinquishes just enough of a sweet essence to  create a very enjoyable opening. It never oversteps this barrier. The heart doesn't transition in a conventional manner. It's seam...

Amber is a metaphor in perfumery. Many casual perfume users appear to think that amber stone is somehow implicated, but it is not. Although both amber (fossilized tree resin) and ambergris (a concretized substance excreted from the intestines of sperm whales) used to wash up on the shore and so were sometimes confused, perfumers have not been able to make much use of amber stone in their work because it does not create the scent which they seek. In creating an amber effect , there is no single substance in nature which perfumers collect up to melt, distill, condense, and extract essences from in order to build a perfume. No, what we refer to as amber is constructed, often of labdanum, benzoin, and vanillin, but other components are sometimes used as well, and these may be combined in varying proportions to produce distinctive interpretations of amber. Still, there is something, a specific type of scent, to which the term amber refers in perfumery, though it is not a ...

Bergamot, Davana sensualis, Patchouli, Coriander, Cardamom, Cedar, Elemi, Leather, Labdanum. I did some cursory information gathering on the Marquis de Sade before starting this review. It's pointless adding any of it to this post. From my perspective, this was a sick individual whose claim to fame was his perversion. I'm also quite sure the Marquis did not smell anything like this fragrance. How's that you say? Since he took great pleasure in the pain of others, this aroma is not capable of enhancing punishment. If anything, it would have generated the opposite reaction. It simply smells too good. I cannot say that Marquis de Sade smells unique. It does not. It does smell deep, rich and has some aromatic qualities in the opening. The citrus in the top is melded with a herbaceous wood and balsam. There's nothing strident about the salutation even if the topnotes are a bit diffusive. The Davana, Cardamom and Elemi perpetuate a smooth, balsamic effect through...

Petroleum is pretty bizarre indeed being entirely built and conceived on juxtapositions. Resinous and intense but at the same time fresh and "ozonic", deep and obscure but surrounded by aldehydic notes, dark and animalic yet "clear" and somehow light. All the elements are handled in an almost "unseen" way. The oud/rose combo is nowhere similimar or somehow close to all of the previous interpretations of the accord, they're amphasized in their woody freshness avoiding the burnt-sugar and medicinal effect. Rose is detectable but masterfully blended with the rest. Deepness is provided by a consistent dose of resinous notes while civet juxtaposed to aldehydes and ozonic hints gives birth to a destabilizing and pleasantly dissonant accord during the musky/ambery drydown. The base. This is the real point of strenght of Petroleum. Wearable? I don't know yet I will have to test it a few more times before coming with my (very personal) final virdict ...