Serge Lutens Santal de Mysore ~ fragrance review

Posted by Kevin on 27 January 2010 51 Comments

How unlucky for perfume lovers to live in an era when Mysore sandalwood has disappeared from fragrances. Let’s hope the over-harvested and endangered sandalwood trees of India are truly being protected and propagated for future generations. According to Serge Lutens P.R., the company bought its stash of Mysore sandalwood before stringent trade regulations went into effect, and it’s this “legal” Mysore sandalwood that supposedly enriches the Lutens perfume of the same name.

Santal de Mysore was developed by perfumer Christopher Sheldrake and released in 2001. I never smelled “original” Santal de Mysore so I don’t know how it compares to the new, surely reformulated, fragrance. Today’s Santal de Mysore contains, apart from Mysore sandalwood, “spices,” cumin, styrax balsam and “caramelized” Siamese benzoin.

Santal de Mysore starts off smelling edible, with a nougat-y and coconut-cream sweetness emanating from a faint “wood” note…

Read the rest of this article »

Bath & Body Works Twilight Woods ~ perfume review

Posted by Jessica on 31 October 2009 43 Comments

Caspar David Friedrich Man and Woman Contemplating the Moon

When I heard that Bath & Body Works would be releasing a fragrance called “Twilight Woods,” and that this fragrance would evoke “a romantic walk in enchanted woods,” I imagined a blend of pine and cedar, a few drops of resin, and an ozonic note hinting at an oncoming snowstorm. When I later saw the list of notes, I realized that it would actually be a woodsy-fruity gourmand, with “top notes of Juicy Berry, Sparkling Mandarin, and hint of Coconut, heart notes of Creamy Frangipani, Soft Mimosa, Wet Honeysuckle, Wild Freesia, and Apricot Nectar, and basenotes of Oud Wood, Skin Musk Captive, Vanilla Milk, and Warm Woods.”

Twilight Woods is the newest addition to Bath & Body Works’ Signature Collection line, in keeping with the recent string of more complex, “abstract” fragrances (such as P.S. I Love You, as opposed to yet another Cucumber Melon type). It was developed by perfumers Harry Fremont, Jane Konnyu, and Honorine Blanc. This fragrance could just as easily have been named “Twilight Orchard,” because a ripe apricot note runs throughout its development…

Read the rest of this article »

Comme des Garcons Series 2, Red: Palisander ~ fragrance review

Posted by Kevin on 13 May 2009 61 Comments

Comme des Garcons Palisander fragrance

Two of my favorite rosewood-scented products, SABÃO PAU ROSA, Brasil (a soap) and Bois de Rose Eau de Toilette, “disappeared” about 10 years ago. I can’t remember the names of their manufacturers, but I remember their fragrances and have been searching for replacements ever since. The rosewood soaps were bright-red glycerin ovals wrapped in lime-green paper with black-and-white lettering. Bois de Rose was made in Provence and came in pale pink boxes decorated with an old-fashioned drawing of a rosewood tree.

The last time I wore Bois de Rose perfume was on a summertime New Mexico vacation with my friend Susan. I vividly remember our Bois de Rose-scented holiday adventures. After we checked into our rooms at a Taos inn, the owner, while delivering fresh towels, assumed we had switched rooms — SURELY, no man would have so many toiletry items lined up on the bathroom counter mere minutes after arrival…

Read the rest of this article »

Honore des Pres Chaman’s Party ~ perfume review

Posted by Robin on 14 April 2009 35 Comments

Honore des Pres Chaman's Party fragrance

French niche line Honoré des Prés debuted last year with five certified organic perfumes, all (Chaman’s Party, Bonté’s Bloom, Nu Green, Sexy Angelic) save one (Honoré’s Trip) from perfumer Olivia Giacobetti. As I’ve said here before, I don’t really care personally about the synthetic vs. natural debate — to the extent that it is a debate — but it’s been nice to see more and more choice for consumers on the naturals front over the past few years, and of course anything from Olivia Giacobetti is going to get my attention.

My early favorite of the five: Chaman’s Party, the woody-vetiver entry, of course. I have to note as an aside that the brand’s Ecocert status doesn’t stop them from issuing the same sort of breathless PR-speak as everybody else; Chaman’s Party is described as an “explosive perfume due to its top-secret ingredients with aphrodisiac properties”. I don’t know about all that, but it’s a wonderful vetiver, and like the recent Turtle Vetiver Exercise No. 1 from LesNez, I’d call it a must-try for vetiver enthusiasts…

Read the rest of this article »

Halle by Halle Berry ~ perfume review

Posted by Robin on 7 April 2009 122 Comments

Halle by Halle Berry fragrance bottle

Halle by Halle Berry is the debut fragrance from the very popular actress, launching this month under licensing arrangements with Coty. According to Ms. Berry…

[Before my fragrance] I was mixing other brands that shall remain nameless to make my own scent with fig and mimosa. With Halle, I added olibanum, which is an African root, which brings spice to the fragrance, and sandalwood, which smooths everything out and makes it yummy. It’s very sensual, very natural, very much reflective of the outdoors.*

The two nameless fragrances are rumored to be from L’Artisan Parfumeur; if that’s accurate, they’d presumably be Premier Figuier and Mimosa Pour Moi? Olibanum is another word for frankincense, which as any seasoned perfumista knows is a tree resin and not a root, but we needn’t split hairs: Halle is darned good for a celebrity fragrance, especially given the price — Halle is geared towards “mid tier” and mass market stores, so you’ll find it at Kohl’s and Sears instead of Nordstrom and Saks.

Halle opens FRUITY and SWEET (and yes, I’m screaming on purpose), as is very nearly requisite for a celebrity fragrance…

Read the rest of this article »

« Newer articles

Older articles »

Now Smell This

a blog about perfume

Serge Lutens Santal de Mysore ~ fragrance review

Bath & Body Works Twilight Woods ~ perfume review

Comme des Garcons Series 2, Red: Palisander ~ fragrance review

Honore des Pres Chaman’s Party ~ perfume review

Halle by Halle Berry ~ perfume review