Today we're helping Nicola, who will be getting married in January and wants to find a perfect fragrance so she'll always have a scent memory associated with the day. Because the weather will be cold and the setting (see below) grand, she'd like something rich and romantic, but she'd like to avoid the sorts of typical gourmands (no stewed fruits or chocolate notes, please) that might immediately spring to mind. Her budget is flexible but may not extend into the Amouage range. Here is what we know about Nicola:
She's in her late 20s, and is a Ph.D. student at Durham University in the UK, researching Old Norse translations of medieval female saints' lives.
She loves reading, opera, walks in the local countryside and travel to cities with beautiful architecture.
Because of her studies she speaks and reads several languages, including Icelandic and Latin, and she loves learning more — Welsh is next on her list.
She says her style is tailored and luxurious with an eclectic twist; she loves a cashmere sweater with a pencil skirt and tall hunting boots, matched with a Swedish army coat or a bunch of antique rings.
Her wedding will be in a small church in Durham, followed by a reception and ceilidh in the Great Hall of Durham Castle.
Nicola loves incense, jasmine, iris, oak moss, pine, rose, lily of the valley, charred wood, and some boozy notes (particularly peated whiskey or gin). Her short list of favorites includes L'Artisan Parfumeur Iris Pallida, Comme des Garçons Avignon, Etat Libre d'Orange Jasmin et Cigarettes, Guerlain Mitsouko (the old formulation), and the first ten minutes of Penhaligon's Juniper Sling (she finds it dies on her after that).
Nicola dislikes things that are overly sweet or gourmand, soliflore tuberose is just too much (please, no Carnal Flower!) and violet tends to smell sour on her.
Nicola has been too busy to really explore a wedding perfume, but here are a few things she has tried lately:
Frederic Malle Dans tes Bras: too sweet, and the patchouli was overwhelming.
Penhaligon's LP No 9: again, too much patchouli and rather cloying.
Comme des Garçons 8 88: she liked the warmth and spiciness.
What say you?
Note: top image is Number 24 [cropped] by thristian at flickr; some rights reserved.
A rich, romantic, boozy, rosy wood to try: Chanel Egoiste (older bottle if you can find it! for more/better sandalwood).
You might also be a contender for Ormonde Jayne Woman (spicy, woody, mossy, green, incensey amber with some jasmine) or the somewhat similar YSL Nu.
Ormonde Woman is a great suggestion. I’ll add Amouage Memoir to your list as well 🙂
For Lily of the Valley and the CDG spiciness which you like I’d consider CDG White, which is a Lily of the Valley overlay on the CDG’s original spiceiness. It has a hint of incense and would be lovely for a winter wedding. For jasmine, iris and wood, I’d consider Samsara. For a pine, I’d consider Itasca by Lublin, which is named for the small town in Illinois which is the start of the Mississippi river. It has a strong lavender, which may or may not be to your taste. I have not sniffed it, and I do not know its availability in Great Britain, but Cummings byCB I Hate Perfume is said to have a peaty-whiskeyish scent.
The first fragrance that popped into my head was Parfum Sacré by Caron: rose, myrrh, spices… absolutely gorgeous and elegant, and would be good in January weather. Incense Rosé by Andy Tauer is another good fragrance featuring, well, incense and rose, haha. I could see you liking this because you like Avignon. Also, I don’t know how it would be as a wedding scent, but Fille en Aiguilles by Serge Lutens (in the export line) is a great pine and incense scent; it makes me think of Christmas.
Incense Rose is beautiful!
that was my first thought too, or any other dark-dusky rose (just thinking: Ormonde Jayne- Ta’if, ELDO -Rossy de Palma , MFK – Lumière noire, Juliette has a gun – Lady vengeance, well, O.K. , that’s a weird name for a wedding scent… and many more)
My first thought was Serge Lutens Fille en Aiguilles. I don’t get “Christmas” from it but, it is a lush pine forest. It is a comfort scent for me. I urge you to sniff a sample if you can as I think it would be a gorgeous statement perfume for your wedding.
Incense and evergreens are really lovely in. La Liturgie des Heures from Jovoy, celtic Fire from Union Fine fragrances will give you smoky wood and for romantic and wintter my thoughts jumped to Sacrebleu Intense from Parfums de Nicolai
First of all, best wishes on your upcoming wedding, Nicola.
My suggestions:
État Libre d’Orange Archives 69 – balmy, peppery incense that opens slightly sweet but dries down to a lovely skin scent.
Baiser Vole Extrait de Parfum Cartier – this one is mainly about the lily. It’s not lily of the valley, but if you like lily, this is worth a try. I mostly get lily, powder, green stem, a bit of dirt. The extrait de parfum is the best version IMHO.
Voyage d’Hermes EdP or EdT – green, woody, musky and refreshing. The EdT has a boozy tone to it (g&t) and the EdP is richer and warmer.
L’Heure Bleue Guerlain – powdery iris… so sophisticated and elegant.
Serge Lutens Encens et Lavande
Andy Tauer Reverie au Jardin
Puredistance Opardu
Histoires de Parfums 1828
Andy Tauer’s Incense Rosé does what it says on the tin. A rich, happy perfume of incense and jammy rose. Wonderful. And I say this as someone who doesn’t usually fall in love with incense OR rose.
Might be a little obvious but for jasmine and rose there’s Joy, especially in extrait.
31 Rue Cambon is a chypre with peppery, fuzzy opening, tremendously rich iris and abstract ambery floral dry down.
No22 for aldehydic incense and white flowers.
OJ Ta’if for peppery rose.
I second (or third) both Parfum Sacre (maybe get a small decant of the extrait for the big day) and Incense Rose. I offer up Annick Goutal Encens Flamboyant or L’Artisan Mechant Loupe or maybe The Different Company Jasmin de Nuit.
Hi Nicola, with the strong caveat that this will not be my wheelhouse (incense/oakmoss/booze is a trio I’m pretty unfamiliar with), I’ll neverthless throw out Soir de Lune and Marni as possibilities. Marni I find quite juicy and therefore perhaps could read sweeter/fruity than you like (although it is not per se a fruit scent), but on the other hand it has rose and spice and a bit of incense and is so joyful, so maybe it’d be just the thing for a wedding. By contrast Soir de Lune is an impressive, romantic, definitely-not-sweet rose chypre that’s distinctive and long-lasting, so could work really nicely for scent memory purposes.
I’ll look forward to hearing what you end up picking!
My top suggestions woudl be L’Artisan Seville a l’Aube. SL Feminite du Bois or Bois de Violette might be great choices, too. Also try Parfum de Nicolai Les Temps d’une Fete.
Seconding the Seville!
These all look amazing! I’ve tried Incense Rose and it’s LOVELY – Andy Tauer’s Lonestar Memories is another one of my favourites. Can’t wait to try the rest!
+1 SL Bois de VIolette
L’A P Passage d’Enfer
AG Encens Flamboyant
Ormonde Jayne Ormonde Woman
I suggest a couple from the Parfums de Nicolai line: Number One (or Number One Intense) is a wonderful and rich blended floral. I find it very opulent. Le Temps Dune Fete may also fit nicely. It’s a green spring floral, but I find it very rich.
You may want to check out Sonoma Scent Studio’s To Dream or Incense Pure. To Dream lists violet, but I don’t get much violet.
Traversee du borosphore from L’Artisan might fit the bill – I find it rich and comforting. Seville l’Aube has a nice hit of incense, so check that one out as well.
Good luck and congrats on your wedding!
Frapin 1270: exotic woods, spice, raisin, vine flowers, pepper, candied orange, nut, hazelnut, prune, coffee, leather
CDG Daphne: bitter orange, incense, saffron, rose centifolia, Tunisian jasmine, iris, oud, amber
Anne Pliska: Bergamot, amber, geranium, musk, vanilla
Oops! I forgot to send congratulations.
Congratulations Nicola. I think Seville a L’Aube would be an excellent Wedding fragrance. It is an incredibly romantic perfume.
Nicola, I think Homage Attar by Amouage would suit your taste, it smells sublime and festive. A sample already goes a lomg way.
Congratulations!
My first thought was Ormonde Jayne Woman – an absolutely beautiful scent, with many of the elements you love. Badgley Mischka’s Fleur de Nuit (lovely jasmine) might also be worth a try. I wore Diorissimo to my wedding and thought it was a perfect wedding scent, for all seasons!
Nicola sounds like a very interesting woman, and I wish her the best.
Maybe one of these:
Etro’s Messe de Minuit
Creed’s Angelique Encens
Eau d’Hiver (can’t remember who makes it, but it’s beautiful)
or for something warmer, Donna Karan’s Black Cashmere
Eau d’Hiver is by Ferederic Malle, from nose Jean-Claude Helena. Good one!
First of all congratulations!!
For rich and romantic i recommend Chanel 22 and Songes.
Congratualations!
I think jasmine will feel great against cold stone walls – loved the castle!
My picks:
Serge Lutens à la nuit
AG Songes
Chanel 22
For a rich, warm, feminine non-floral: Fifi Chachnil Fifi. I think this would be a gorgeous – if non-traditional – winter wedding perfume. That said, there are lots of great suggestions here. Have fun sampling and congratulations.
A few have already been mentioned, but if I second/thurd them then it means a MUST TRY!
Ormonde Woman. Orris Noir. Ta’if. All from Ormonde Jayne.
For peaty whiskey, Aqua Alba by Angela Flanders is an absolute must. Also, her Lily of The Valley is utterly incredible.
Andy Tauer’s Une Rose Chypree is unique and epic. Spicey bay and cinnamon, some citrus, deep rose, a rich base notes. Fabulous.
I also wonder if a couple of Le Labo would suit? Patchouli 24 for the charred wood effect? Iris for the spicey iris? Rose?