Atelier Cologne Grand Neroli and Orange Sanguine ~ fragrance review

Posted by Jessica on 27 March 2010 29 Comments

Atelier Cologne packaging

Atelier Cologne, a new niche perfume house based in Paris and New York, recently introduced its range of five fragrances. Atelier’s signature concept is the “cologne absolue”: fragrances inspired by the historic recipe of the original “Eau de Cologne” — a mixture of citrus and herbal ingredients — but blended in stronger concentrations for a richer and more lasting effect. Each of the fragrances in Atelier’s debut collection is centered around a citrus motif, and each is intended to embody a “singular moment” of memory and experience.

My current favorite from Atelier is Grand Néroli, created by perfumer Cécile Krakower. Grand Néroli opens with a radiant burst of neroli and orange blossom (those two lovely, but differently-achieved, products of the same flower). This opening accord is soon pierced by more astringent notes of lemon and petitgrain, for a lively blend that mellows after an hour or so. Grand Néroli’s middle phase includes a salty aspect with a very subtle “beachy” feeling, but it never becomes as marine-like as Le Labo Neroli 36. The galbanum seems to extend the citrus notes without turning them too green…

Read the rest of this article »

Penhaligon’s Extract of Limes ~ fragrance review

Posted by Kevin on 24 March 2010 51 Comments

Penhaligon's Extract of Limes

As I write this review, the temperature in Seattle is nearing 70 degrees; it hasn’t been so warm here since last October. Fueled by optimism, I’m taking my spring shirts, even short-sleeved shirts, out of storage, and I’m “rousing” my spring and summer perfumes from their winter hibernation closet. (Come March, I need a break from heavy oudh, musk and wood fragrances.)

I’ve also been having a recurring “scent fantasy”: I’m sitting in the middle of a bright citrus grove, and the trees are full of ripe lemons, oranges and limes (and since it’s a fantasy, some orange trees are in full bloom as well). One citrus cologne that helps me conjure this scene is the recently reissued Penhaligon’s Extract of Limes — an old favorite of mine.

Extract of Limes was created in 1963 and disappeared sometime in the Nineties; it’s now part of Penhaligon’s 2009 Anthology Collection…

Read the rest of this article »

Histoires de Parfums 1873 Colette ~ fragrance review

Posted by Robin on 18 March 2010 59 Comments

Sidonie-Gabrielle Colette

I never read a word by the Marquis de Sade, the subject of yesterday’s post, but French writer Sidonie-Gabrielle Colette is one of my favorite authors. I started, just as she did, with the Claudines, and eventually I worked my way through most everything else, and then I followed that up with a few biographies. That was many years ago now, and although I’ve re-read most of her books since then, some more than once, it’s been awhile. Last night I took out My Mother’s House and Sido, and skimmed through the sections where she writes about her mother’s garden, and I glanced quickly through The Vagabond and Chéri to remind myself why I so loved them.

Colette’s life, like her writing, was turbulent, passionate, and above all, unconventional. I know there was, at some point, a Claudine perfume — wouldn’t it be fun to smell that now? — but I have no idea what perfume Colette wore herself. If I had to assign her a perfume, it would surely be a heady floral — Piguet Fracas is perhaps too obvious, but it fits. If you’ll pardon the anachronism, Etat Libre d’Orange Jasmin et Cigarette would also work, although you’d have to amp it up: more (indolic) jasmine, more smoke, and maybe a hint of leather or some other animalic note in the base.

Histoires de Parfums has done something entirely different…

Read the rest of this article »

Annick Goutal Ninfeo Mio ~ fragrance review

Posted by Robin on 11 January 2010 196 Comments

Annick Goutal Ninfeo Mio perfume

I’ve been half afraid to seriously investigate the state of citrus these days. Have the new IFRA regulations destroyed my summer favorites, like Eau de Guerlain and Chanel Cristalle? If it turns out that they have — or will before they’re through — Annick Goutal’s new woody citrus, Ninféo Mio, will help to make up my new summer arsenal.

Like Annick Goutal’s last major fragrance release, Un Matin d’Orage, Ninféo Mio was inspired by a garden — in this case, a very specific garden, the Giardino di Ninfa (Ninfa garden) near Rome. The first thing you need to know about Ninféo Mio is that it’s green. Very green, from the start right through to the finish. The opening is sharp green citrus, rather acidic, and more dry than juicy — think Hermès Eau d’Orange Verte with more lemon than orange. There’s a fair amount of lavender in the early stages, and it adds an herbal cast to the scent, but it isn’t harsh or overwhelming; those of you who say lavender is a deal-breaker really ought to give this a shot anyway…

Read the rest of this article »

When life gives you lemons ~ scented body products

Posted by Jessica on 30 August 2009 45 Comments

Body Shop Energy Gel Bigelow Lemon Lime Souffle 4mula

Citrus scents can be such cheerful, uncomplicated fragrances, and they can brighten up a gloomy day with their connotations of sunshine, cleanliness, and good health. I particularly like to layer citrus-fragranced shower gels and lotions under my favorite summer perfumes, to boost their bright-and-crisp qualities.

However, the available range of lemon-, lime-, and orange-scented products is occasionally disappointing — especially at the higher end of the price spectrum, for some reason. One example is Strange Invisible Perfumes Wild Orange Invisible Body Lotion. I’m assuming it’s intended to be layered under Strange Invisible Perfumes’ citrus-accented perfume oils, such as L’Invisible or Fair Verona. It’s a nice enough medium-weight lotion, packaged in a bottle that suggests a fancy hair mousse. It’s all-natural, with aloe vera and olive oil for moisture. It smells like, well, sweet orange oil. But for this price, I was expecting to be amazed, and I just wasn’t. ($40 for 8 fl. oz.; for buying information see the listing for Strange Invisible Perfumes under Perfume Houses.)

NARS is best known as a creator of trend-setting color cosmetics, so I was surprised to learn that the company also sells a line of body products. Its Ginger Grapefruit Body Lotion promises a fragrance that “fuses the vibrant essence of grapefruit and cassis with the romantic floral touches of sweet peony and violet flower.” This sounds like something I’d love…

Read the rest of this article »

« Newer articles

Older articles »

Now Smell This

a blog about perfume

Atelier Cologne Grand Neroli and Orange Sanguine ~ fragrance review

Penhaligon’s Extract of Limes ~ fragrance review

Histoires de Parfums 1873 Colette ~ fragrance review

Annick Goutal Ninfeo Mio ~ fragrance review

When life gives you lemons ~ scented body products