Quick reviews of two fragrances from Lush (Kerbside Violet and All Good Things), two from Imaginary Authors (The Soft Lawn and Yesterday Haze), and one from Memo (Inlé).
A lovely gentle violet with jasmine and ylang. It’s sweetish but not too sweet, and nothing like so strong and sugared as the brand’s Tuca Tuca…
Last week I reviewed three new natural perfumes from Providence Perfume Co: Rose 802, Orange Blossom Honey and Summer Yuzu. This week I have some brief thoughts on the other three, all of which are similarly light-hearted and wearable. They also have fun sources of inspiration.
Ivy Tower might, I’m guessing, be a play-on-words evoking the academic “ivory towers” of Providence’s own Ivy League institution, Brown University. In any case, it’s billed as “a delicate green floral evocative of a rain soaked path through the ivy,” and that’s a perfect description…
Our Friday community project this week: wear something green.
As always, do chime in with your scent of the day even if you aren’t participating in the community project.
I started the day with Sous Le Buis by Gobin Daudé. Sadly, the juice from my aging bottle is not in perfect shape, so I’ve put some Miller et Bertaux No. 3 Green, green, green and green on too. I smell like grass and shrubbery…
Corsica Furiosa is the latest from French niche line Parfum d’Empire, and it centers around mastic, native to the island of Corsica, where perfumer Marc-Antoine Corticchiato spent part of his childhood (he was born in Morocco and spent part of his childhood there as well). It is perfectly named; the PR materials refer to a “a verdant blast” and that’s exactly what Corsica Furiosa is all about.
The “verdant blast” starts off with plenty of lime-y citrus. It’s resolutely, unapologetically green and smells strongly of the outdoors, untamed, in high summer: there are grassy notes and an overdose of tomato leaf, some almost-sneezy black pepper, flashes of peppermint and other green herbs, crushed pine needles and plant sap (the listed notes include mastic, eau de vie, wild mint, tomato leaf, pepper, honey, hay, cistus and oakmoss). And yes, pretty much all at once…
The soliflore, reinvented around a remarkable flower, rare in perfume making, the hyacinth. A fluid, profound and richly-faceted flower, velvety, green and crisp, quickened by an unexpected ingredient with a fiery temperament, incense. The spicy aromas of a great perfume in a paroxysm of pure sensuality. Unsuspected mystery and depth.
«By blending notes of incense and an amber base, I imagined a hyacinth with a bold temperament, far from the idea of the emblematic, romantic flower. Supra Floral signals a seductive perfume for women and temptation for men.» Olivier POLGE1
The Thierry Mugler Les Exceptions series launched earlier this year, although they’re still very tightly distributed. Supra Floral was the first that caught my eye when I read about the collection, hyacinth fragrances being rather thin on the ground as it were. I bought an extra bottle of L’Artisan’s Jacinthe des Bois when they discontinued it so I’ve still some left, and there’s always Guerlain Chamade, although that one is not a soliflore. And there’s Tom Ford’s Ombre de Hyacinth, which made so little impression on me that I can hardly remember what it smells like. Do comment if there’s a lovely hyacinth soliflore I’ve forgotten…