By March

I had fun doing random candy samples the other day.  Here are some more, in order of personal dislike (worst to best), which I selected mostly by rummaging in my handbag, just for fun, to see what would turn up …

Jimmy Choo – my most common perfume change-of-heart is when something I dislike begins to grow on me over time.  Jimmy Choo has the interesting distinction of trending the opposite direction – each time I spray that bottle at Saks, I hate the fragrance a little more.  I put all my paper blotters in my purse, but this one I handed back to the SA and asked her politely to discard.  Is it the saccharine?  The patchouli?  The raspy woods?   The faint note of rotting fruit?  I am not sure.

Bond Madison Square Park – when niche perfume felt like a brave new world, and Bond only had eight or ten fragrances instead of the 90+ they have now (okay, okay, it just seems that way on the counter) they did some interesting scents, like Chinatown and New Haarlem.  The Warhol Silver Factory’s pretty great too, and I have a soft spot for the linden one (Noho?)  Madison Square Park is musky, fruital and extremely sweet.  It’s supposed to have a darker, vetiver/woods drydown, but not on my skin.

Hermes Un Jardin sur le Toit – of the series, Jardin sur le Nil is the bottle I own.  Méditerranée is too woody/herbal on me, but I have stopped more than one woman on the street to compliment her fragrance and been told that’s what it was.  Mousson?  The less said, the better.  Sur le Toit is a limpid, vitamin-water-strength fruit-tree scent that makes one think of Hermessences like Vanille Galante, sans  aquamelon.  It is apparently selling quite well in D.C.  As Robin said in her review on Now Smell This, “It’s young and spring-like and fresh, and very Jean-Claude Ellena, which will either please you or it won’t.”

Love, Chloe – insert screed here about how the original Chloe was so much better in its jasmine-tuberose-drenched 1970s heydey than the current 2008 version.  Add general sneering about the new-ish flanker(s?).  Thus, my expectations for Love, Chloe were, uh, minimal.  What a pleasant surprise this scent is. I’d add this to my list for a graduation present to a high school or college girl who’s maybe brand-conscious, an alternate to Coach and Chanel; they have a sweet gift set.  I wish it retained its initial iris/power structure, it’s very pretty then, but even after half an hour (and then all day long) it’s a soft powder/musk string-of-pearls-scent that manages to be polished and even work-friendly while retaining a little character, young without being insipid.

Maison Martin Margiela Untitled – Nobody’s showing this thing much love but me, right?  It’s deceptive at first, sharp and green and nutty, like Cristalle sprayed on a wet hemp basket, one of those worn-by-smokers galbanum fragrances (see: original Lauder Azuree, Jasmine White Moss).  Get past that, though, and the reward is the charming, quirky mix of cinnamon and wintergreen – it blows hot and cold at the same time, and would be a great alternative to a cologne in the summer heat.  Quite unisexy.  Smells much, much better on skin than on paper.  Also, the minimalist, Le Labo-ish bottle made my eyes roll when I first saw a photo, but it’s nice in the hand and, next to the various foofy, bloblular, and/or beribboned bottles on the counter at Saks, clean and appealing.

March

by Tom

Then off to Saks where I saw Guerlain Mayotte, which I hadn’t tried.  Apparenly this was called Mahora back in the day.  The Saks website reads “limited edition” in big red letters and admonishes that one can only order 6 in a 30 day period.  Which begs the question, who would need a big gulp of this every month?  Testing it I had the answer: anyone who would want to maintain it’s wholly wonderful, full throated ylang-ylangy ode to the islands.  I think some people would think of it as rather old-lady with its jasmine, vetiver, tuberose and sandalwood.  The opening makes me want to let loose my inner Dorothy Lamour.  The drydown calms down quite a lot, but I discreetly dabbed.  I might have to make a trip back and be a little less discreet; it may be my birthday present to myself.  $235 for 4.2 oz at Saks, where I dabbed.

by Moosette

Aiiyy!  We are having That Midwest Weather Thing again.  Hummingbirds and margaritas one minute, Dorothy Gale and heavy socks the next.  (at this rate we will have sweet corn in September).  Dang (stomping back up the attic stairs to pull the hoodies back out).  I was all set to review some classic leathers in the heat but Nature has other plans – so I’m going to review niche leathers in the blustery weirdness.  Leather is a note I absolutely adore but don’t always want to wear (except vintage Diorling which I hope to die in sometime way down the line).  And for me they, like oudhs, work best in extreme heat but your mileage may vary.  I’m reading the latest issue of Shotgun News, hence the gun references.

So let’s start with Heeley Fine Leather.  I didn’t even know this existed – I was in Barneys, sniffing Oranges and Lemons Say the Bells of St. Clement’s which, btw, bears a shocking resemblance to 4711 – a reverse “If You Love _________”.  Musette says: save your simoleans, go to Loehmann’s and get the Real Deal for $19.99.

Sorry.  Where was I?  Oh, yeah.  Heeley  Cuir Pleine Fleur, aka Fine Leather.  Bradley spritzed this on me and I was pleasantly surprised!  I’ve had troubles with Heeley in the past, with Ophelia boring me to tears, Cardinal making me sneeze, etc…and then O&LStBoSC just insulting me….but this one, Fine Leather?  It’s really nice.  It’s a soft, flowery leather, not chilly, not oily and there’s a nice powdery aspect to this that makes it a bit more ‘femme-y” than some other leathers but has just enough of the butchy stinkeye to keep it interesting.

Gun quotient: If someone stuck a shotgun in my face and said I had to buy a Heeley this would be the one.

Notes: violet leaf, bergamot, mimosa, aubepine (acaccia), hawthorn blossom, birch, suede, vetiver, cedarwood, castoreum.

Mark Buxton Hot Leather.  I got this in a split – tres cheap, thank Floyd. Oh, Mark.  I expected way better from you.    ‘tis neither hot nor leather.  It’s a lukewarm attempt at ‘cool’, like somebody threw one of those cheap cowhides on a shiny vinyl floor and tried to make it look Bauhaus.  It’s not bad-smelling, don’t get me wrong.  It’s a very nice Generic Masculine-Pretty that has some pretensions to elegance – Tony Curtis wore something like this in 40 Pounds of Trouble, I’m sure of it.   Only his was cool.

Gun quotient:  It would have to be a Very BIG gun.

Notes: citrus, bergamot, coriander, mandarine, orris, jasmine, patchouli, cedarwood and vanilla.  March reviewed it here

Tom Ford Tuscan Leather. Maybe I’m just crabby…but Tom Ford gets on My Very Last Nerve.  I want him to stop preening, take a shower, put his clothes on and act like he’s got some sense.  Then I smell something like Tuscan Leather and I’m reminded that the world is full of  non-greasy, sensible people – and very few of them would have the huevos to create what he does.    Love him or loathe him, we need narcissistic freaks like Tom to keep things interesting.  Tuscan Leather is interesting.  A smoky-woody leather, it’s bling-free, elegantly dry and simple, with all the complex bits on the inside, like a bespoke suit or a vintage Roadster or a swan.  For women this is the perfect leather to wear with an Anne Fontaine pintuck blouse at work and a black sheath and some chunky gold jewelry come nightfall.  For men, it’s a perfect scent, period.  Thanks, Tom.  Sorry I skeeved on ya.

Gun Quotient: No ammo need apply.  I would happily wear this, though I would rather save for a new 12-gauge than for a  full bottle.

saffron, raspberry , thyme, olibanum , jasmine, leather, black suede and amber.

Liz Zorn Sonoran Leather. Yeah, y’all know me as the Liz Zorn FanGirl Absolute.  So it’s always a surprise when I put this one on – and am immediately freaked out.  There’s a whole lot going on here, upfront.  I get jams and plums, cowhides and smoke andfireandtarandsoundandfury(pant!pant!) and it’s terrifying and I always want to cry because I’m so used to loving her stuff and I love leather and……and…then I scrub it off so I don’t have to think about it anymore.

A mistake.  And one that I’m glad I was forced to rectify last night.  Wore it après-bain. I was so whupped that I could barely crawl into bed.  Forget getting up to scrub.  Too early to sleep, too tired to think….I read some more Shotgun News and a Brad Thor novel and about 40 minutes into my settledown I brought my wrist up to my nose, wondering ‘what the heck is that incredibly beautiful…?” …It  smells exactly like a Baja California night or how March always describes New Mexico.  Mesquite? No.  That’s barbeque.  Pinon!  Yes, pinon. Or juniper.  That oily-citrus tang.  Just a touch, with those little flowers that always dot the desert floor whenever it rains.  Butter-tan cowhide drying by the fire.  Rough but so rich.  Then just smooth and beautiful. This is a challenging one to wear, going in but I do think it’s worth the effort.   Give it time to drydown and smooth out – once it does it will transport you to a midnight-blue, starlit desert sky.

Notes from Liz:

Leather (suede) Choya Nakh, Birch Tar, Tobacco, Cinnamon, Cloves, Animal Musk Accord, Rosewood, Sandalwood, Tolu.

It also has Jasmine and Rose in lesser amounts.

Gun Quotient:  Her prices are sane.  No armed robbery necessary.  Shotgun (and Shotgun News) safely back in the cabinet.

What are your leathers?  Do you have a particular Leather Weather?  I know lots of folks love ‘em in the winter cold – not meee!  I like ‘em HOT!

ps.  I was going to rave on about the leather note in Tommi Sooni Tarantella but I’ve never been able to replicate that first experience, where the leather just glided in, midway, and gobsmacked me. I’m starting to wonder if I made that up…

A young ladypal of El O’s cub , visiting  our bathroom, came out exclaiming “OMG!  YOU WEAR FRACAS!  My AUNT WEARS FRACAS!!!”  (caps all hers, I swear).  She shrieked on to tell me how much she liked it, etc….so my Inner  Nerd went on Red Alert….and I opened up the Perfume Armoire.

Stunned.  We’d just met so I’m sure she thought I was totally off the chain.  I forgot how it must look to a normal person.  I’m largely inured to it, of course, having seen pictures of collections way larger and more interesting than mine.  But guess what:  Normal people do not have entire armoires and closets dedicated to perfume.  Imagine that!  But! jazzed by her screeching I delved into the armoire, determined to introduce her to the genre of the Big White Flower. Hey, cub was in the shower – we had time.

It went thus:

Fracas.  Vintage v. contemporary.   You know, I have both (several flights, in fact) and I really can’t discern a huge  difference.  The vintage is a bit more nuanced because it probably has some  ingredient that will make your elbows fall off – but Fracas is such an ICBM of BWF that it’s kind of hard to differentiate.  After all, if an ICBM lands in your bathroom, does it really matter if it has 2kg or 3kg of plutonium?  Of course not.  Vaporized is vaporized.  I absolutely LOVE slathering myself in Fracas, from the shower gel/body creme/powder through to the vintage perfume.  Of course that only happens at bedtime when El O is out of town – even the dogs won’t come near me then, not even for a hamsammich.  For as Tom says: My Big White Flower Fight is one of my favorite, and sometime favorite to hate: Fracas.  In normal doses and at the right time it’s the most glorious, sexy thing imaginable.  In larger doses and at the wrong time it’s like being beaten to death by hot-buttered tuberose.  Note to the woman who sat somewhere behind me at “Sex and the City 2″ in Century City: marinating yourself in this  and plunking yourself in a crowded theater at 10am on a Sunday doesn’t make you Samantha.  It makes you sickening.  Sorry.

The cub-pal’s take:  “uh…wow.  I …”. and then sheer, panicked silence. .something tells me she’d only smelled it in passing on her aunt or maybe just knew that her aunt wore it.  I don’t think she’d ever actually smelled it.  Certainly not on herself.   Wearing Fracas is not for the faint of heart.  She seemed so poleaxed that I took pity on her and hit her with the #4 Toner.  Fracas is not a Big White Flower.  It is The GREAT White Flower, the Jaws of the genre.  And like Jaws, love or hate, you must approach with maximum respect.  20 years from now she may want to try it again.

Next up: Carnal Flower. I don’t know if you guys recall the conversation I had with M. Malle about CF v. Fracas, where he respectfully deemed Fracas a ‘perfume’  while considering Carnal Flower to be something not perfume (at least not compared to Fracas)  – and he’s right.  Carnal Flower, like Fracas, is an obvious composition of its time, having a more integrated feel to it.  I think Fracas sits ON the skin (as befits the era) where Carnal Flower gets a bit UNDER the skin, melding to it in a more contemporary way .   Contemporary or not, overapplied it can clear an elevator in 12 seconds flat (and no, F, NOT YOU!  The lady in the Barneys elevator. The one who prolly spritzed until she was floating in her shoes.)

Cub-pal take:  this was hysterical.  I watched this girl sniff.  Close her eyes.  Open her eyes.  Eyes rolled back in head.  .  She just looked at me, spellbound.  I didn’t have the heart to tell her she would have to work at Old Navy for an entire month to pay for a bottle.  Plus it’s a tad too old for her – but I suspect that she will ask to try it again.  And I will let her.  Youth should always have something to aspire to.

Diptyque Olene – well, as you might imagine, we did a whole-arm scrub, with Lava Soap, before trying the Olene.  Oh, c’mon.  Like Olene can compete with Carnal Flower.  Not.  It’s a lovely little scent and is a great bedtime jasmine (I wore it last night in solidarity for the Chinese people who now cannot buy, wear or speak of jasmine.  You can read about this insanity here).   It’s BWF Lite, which is not always a bad thing and actually is a great scent for a young woman just dipping a nose into Big White Flowerss.  The wisteria and narcissus greens up the jasmine enough to make it suitable for office work or a casual date, where Carnal Flower or Fracas would get you looked at funny.  I wish I were more egalitarian about scents but some really do require some age-heft to pull them off with aplomb. This one is not one of those.
C-pal take:  it’s interesting to watch someone try to be polite.  She thought it was ‘okay’ – just okay.  I think this young lady might have the making of a perfumista – NOT dissing Olene, btw.  I like it quite a bit.  And I think if I’d hit her with the Olene first she might’ve loved it.  But after Fracas, which terrorized her and Carnal Flower, which had its slithery-slickery way with her…..le sigh.  Poor Olene.

Tuberosa d’Autunno - this was a lavish gift from a fabulosa friend and my Italian stinks so it took me a minute to realize it was iProfumi di Firenze.   Is there a reason that is not on the label?  Or is it Italian for “if you want to know, you should learn to read Italian”.  Not a bad idea…

after some research I determined it’s the same one Robin reviewed – here’s what she had to say

i Profumi di Firenze Tuberosa d’ Autunno: By no means a duplicate of Tubereuse Criminelle, but it is in the same vein, albeit without the startling top notes. Lush but cold. If you wanted to like Tubéreuse Criminelle but couldn’t, do try this one.
Cub-pal take:  Okay.  I LOVE this girl. I watched her parse out the notes and when I mentioned the ‘sour’ note therein that makes this tuberosa so interesting she shouted ‘YES!” as her face lit up.  And here I thought I was gonna have a discourse on Soul Curve.  Instead, we  yarked on what that ‘sour’ note could be – if anybody knows, give ovah.  T d’A has a medicinal quality  that gives it an old-fashioned air, like it’s the 4711 of tuberoses.  Lots of comparisons online to Tubey Criminelle and no, I STILL haven’t smelled it.  Sorry.   FWIW, I do not get ‘cold’ from this but I could be misunderstanding what ‘cold’ might mean.  It smells a bit cinnamon-y to me..  If you get ‘cold’ from it, please enlighten me!
That’s as far as we got before she started turning green (danged shame).   I sent her to the scrubbery and when she got back I spritzed her with Guerlain Eau de Cologne Imperiale.   Apprehensive, she took a cautious sniff, breathed deep and said…”ohhh.  that’s NICE”, as all the bones in her face relaxed, like her fever just broke and her mom pulled fresh, clean sheets over her.

Hey, sniffing BWFs is Hard Work!

So  you BWF Lovers and Haters:  do you have contenders for the Great White Fight?  There are so many BWFs to consider – do you have any less daunting recommendations for her?  She’s still pretty young (20) and this was a toss into the deep end of the pool.   Should I back up to mainstream?  Your thoughts?

Is it just me, or does it seem like we aren’t getting a lot of exciting new releases right now?  So I’m looking at a couple of flankers, thinking about reviewing them and just sighing out of boredom.

It’s much more exciting to be planning what flowers are going in this year and where and how to get some more amazing smells going on in my yard.  I’ve yapped on and on about my daphne forever and think I finally have a place to put another one. They need full, unadulterated sunlight, southern facing, and their feet do not want to be wet even a little, so best to build it right at the top of a little slope so all the water runs off. Now that I’ve got the exact parameters figured out – plants, sheesh!  But I went to the store and grabbed some peony blooms for my vases, and I always forget how great they smell.  Now I need some of those in my garden.

And we have finally sectioned off a part of the yard enough to keep the bulldog out, who chews everything. he was even chewing on young rose plants, which some survived long enough to get some serious thorns, so he leaves them alone now. So now we’re planning that whole area again – for the 6th time, I think – but the rest of the area that used to be grass will now be a container veggie garden.

If you knew how much I hated gardening when I grew up on the farm, you’d know how really funny that is.  Here’s what we have planted or are planning on planting – heirloom purple tomatoes, golden beets and those striped beets (I looooooove beets, I can happily roast them and eat them daily), arugula, orange bell peppers,  herbs, maybe cucumbers.  What else? I’m also planning on doing something between the pots, like a walkway through the pots and maybe a bunch of lavender?  Heather?  Tall grass?  I’d like to have more smells, so the lavender appeals to me.  But I want a lot of visual interest with different heights.

So all you gardeners and flower people out there, is there one vegetable or smelly flower I just have to have? I’m zone 5, so it can’t be all the big old white flowers I’d be inundated with if I lived in the south.

We haven’t done a giveaway in a while. I don’t have anything specific to give away, but I’ll give three commenters a surprise little sample pack of some new things I find around that are interesting.

Patty