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Frederic Malle Cologne Indelebile ~ fragrance review

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Frederic Malle Cologne Indelebile

Here’s what Frédéric Malle has to say about its newest offering, Cologne Indélébile1:

A clean scent, yet surprisingly magnetic. A modern yet traditional Eau de Cologne that lasts forever. Dominique Ropion embraces musk’s nature as both a quasi-aphrodisiac and a scent of purity to create a very personal interpretation of Eau de Cologne. A splash of the best neroli intertwined with orange blossom, bergamote, and the most technical musks for a scent that endures, and endures, and endures… Cologne Indélébile (Permanent Cologne).

My preliminary edits…

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Three in One: reviews of Annick Goutal L’Ile au The, Salvatore Ferragamo Vendemmia & Acqua di Parma Colonia Ambra

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Annick Goutal L'Ile au The, Salvatore Ferragamo Vendemmia & Acqua di Parma Colonia Ambra

Annick Goutal L’Ile au Thé

Perfumer Isabelle Doyen; fragrance notes include mandarin, citrus, osmanthus, tea, white musk

Annick Goutal just released L’Ile au Thé, a new unisex fragrance inspired by the South Korean island of Jeju. It’s true that Jeju Province produces teas and citrus, but there’s nothing about L’Ile au Thé that couldn’t be attributed to many locales. I could even “inspire” such a fragrance here in the Pacific Northwest, in Seattle, by wearing a classic Eau de Cologne while drinking a cup of fragrant green tea…or sipping my tea next to the blooming Buddha’s hand citrus or kumquat trees in my bedroom. There’s nothing “exotic” about L’Ile au Thé; it fits in perfectly with Annick Goutal’s recent releases: nice fragrances that don’t bare their teeth or muster much emotion beyond a wan smile. (I could almost have used Robin’s review of Vent de Folie as the basis of this review.)

L’Ile au Thé goes on smelling of citrus rind and blossoms; it’s a happy, if quiet, opening.

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Masque Milano Tango & Luci ed Ombre ~ fragrance reviews

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Masque Milano Tango

I love rough-and-ready amber fragrances. I’m not a fan of dainty or too-sweet (polite) amber perfumes (except in soaps or candles, and even then…). Masque Milano’s Tango1 is my type of amber; it presents a spicy amber that’s singed around the edges. The perfume begins with the aromas of pepper, charred cardamom and “tempered” cumin (as I sniff, the color that comes to mind is rich sepia). While remaining dark in character, Tango’s heart has glimmers of floral notes (“simmered/reduced” rose and jasmine…warm and rich, not fresh or clean). As Tango develops, I smell leather, tough musk, and only mild sweetness (tonka, vanilla, benzoin and clover accent the richer, burnt/caramelized notes; they never take over the composition)…

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Fire, Twigs & Smoke ~ home fragrance reviews

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home fragrance items

I live in a house that’s almost 100 years old; with me are two male cats (and their three litter boxes — yes, they have more “bathrooms” than I do) and my partner (who cooks all the time — seafood, Indian, Thai, Burmese, Mexican, Middle Eastern and Italian food — pungent stuff!) Apart from doing a “country-house-style” cleaning a few times a year (scrubbing walls, floors, ceilings and everything in between) I rely on scented products to make my environment smell a little better than it would if I simply relied on open windows and elbow grease. I’m a big user/addict of, pardon the cuteness, candles (fire), diffusers (twigs) and incense (smoke).

Like all scented products, home fragrance prices have skyrocketed; this post will concentrate on “affordable” (or at least reasonably priced) items. Please chime in with your own favorites in all categories. The comments from my recent soap post provided sensational ideas for soap fiends; I hope this article will generate the same response for home fragrances fanatics…

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Aedes de Venustas Palissandre d’Or ~ fragrance review

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Aedes de Venustas Palissandre d'Or

In May, West Village niche perfume boutique Aedes de Venustas will launch Palissandre d’Or,1 a new unisex fragrance developed by perfumer Alberto Morillas.

For rosewood lovers like myself, it’s good to know Palissandre d’Or does not aim for any realistic representation of rosewood, and there’s no rosewood in the formula; banish that idea from your mind or you may create disappointment for yourself before giving the perfume a chance. Palissandre d’Or aims to create an “imaginary wood…”

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