Let’ go through two interested new releases – Papillon Salome and Maison Francis Kurkdjian Ciel de Gum. Both were what I expected and some unexpected. Why put them together in a review? Because they go great together.
First, let me warn, if you put Papillon Salome on, be ready to live with it for a couple of days. I sprayed it on in the afternoon, then showered because I was going out that night, and it was as if I hadn’t even showered as far as Papillon Salome was concerned. I meant that as in it had not washed off a bit and I smelled more than a bit unwashed – in a good way, of course.
So if you are going to put on Papillon Salome, commit, because it won’t be leaving you for a day or two. I needed to re-apply to write this review, and I have to go to the office tomorrow, and, well, I’m afraid that even a tiny drop may be too much to take in there because I know it’s not going anywhere.
Notes of bitter orange, jasmine, carnation, rose, Africa stone, oak moss and styrax make up Salome. Inspired by Biblical Salome of the Dance of the Seven Veils, intended to be seductive, it hits that target square on. It applies with an amazingly heavy dose of skank. This is the Africa stone, which is basically the old droppings of a Rock Hyrax – also known as hyraceum – and that stuff is pungent. While I find the opening to be sexually feral just because it takes your breath away and makes you think naughty thoughts, I don’t think it really stays that way. It stays incredibly seductive, like a full-court flirt press that never lets up. Dance of the Seven Veils in scented form, and my respect to the perfumer to fully encasing this sort of seductive hammer in a perfume.
Maison Francis Kurkdjian Ciel de Gum was created for the anniversary of the GUM store in Russian and has been exclusive there since 2014. Osswalds in NYC got a few bottles of it, and I hope they can continue to get them. This has rapidly become one of my favorite go-to scents. Notes are amber, pink pepper, jasmine, rose, cinnamon and vanilla. This is your gramma’s amazing closet – the best smell I ever get out of amber. It has the lovely cinnamon-rose-jasine that keeps the floral accord so warm. When I first put it on, I thought, oh, yeah, nice. The more I sniffed it, the more I liked it. it’s some combination of notes that has this warm snuggly comfort in it. The vanilla isn’t overpowering at all, it takes a back seat, so it’s really not a vanilla perfume wholly. The vanilla just smooths over the more potentially problematic parts of cinnamon and amber and renders it all lovely comfort. My only complaint is this is an EDT, so frequent applications are necessary. For me, I can’t even complain because I don’t like stuff to last past 2-4 hours so I can put on something else if I want.
Both Papillon Salome and Maison Francis Kurkdjian Ciel de GUM are great additions to your winter perfume wardrobe. But where the magic happens? Put them both on one arm and sit back and go into an olfactory cuddlesex coma.
So let’s give away two sets of samples of Papillon Salome and Maison Francis Kurkdjian Ciel de GUM with commenters drawn at random. Favorite comfort scent or favorite seductive scent, or do you have one that hits both?
Winners of the By Kilian Voulez-Vous Coucher Avec Moi samples – Lisa Stephen, fleurt4fleurs and Julie. Just click on Drop Us a Note at the top of the blog, send me your name and address and remind me what you’ve won. I’ll send you a quick “got it” e-mail so you know it didn’t drop into my spam filter and then get it sent to you.
I know I’m repeating what’s already said, but still, it’s Shalimar, (or some other perfumes from Guerlain: Jicky or Plus Que Jamais). L’Heure Bleue is offers lots of comfort too. There is also a nice comfort that I love to spray with abandon because it’s not too strong: L’Artisan’s Cote d’Amour.
My favorite comfort sent is Dries van Noten by Frederic Malle. Or really anything sweet and vanillic and not too skanky.
Can’t think of any that do double duty*, but Chanel’s Coromandel and Cuir de Russie are comfort and sexiness respectively. The OH loves anything with leather!
*Wait: Rochas Femme
Both would probably be Guerlain’s Jicky. Maybe not the most predictable, but hey.
Comfort scent is … SL fumerie turque. Sexy scent is … vintage shalimar. Sometimes bella belissima perfect night in winter. Possibly furmerie turque as well. I have a lot more sexy scents than comfort!
Great reviews! I’m so glad the weather is starting to turn and we can reach for some of our more sumptuous perfumes. Guerlain’s Angelique Noire is pretty comforting these days, and Frederic Malle’s Portrait of a Lady is my current go-to seductive scent, especially layered with the body butter 🙂
My favorite comfort scent is Le Labo Labdanum…it eases me into sleep.
oooh, seductive scent would be Guerlain’s Cuir Beluga and I have too many comfort scents. However, lately, it has been anything with vanilla or EL Amber Ylang Ylang <3
Thanks for the draw…I’ve been hearing so much about Salome, I’d love to be in the know!
My comfort scent would have to be Eau des Merveilles, and my sexy scent is Hiram Green Shangri La. Vavavavoom!
My comfort scent is Prada Candy, one of the few gourmand scents I own. I have used it as a bedtime scent, in cold weather most of all. I would very much like try Salome, it sounds very good based on what has been written on several blogs.
For comfort I wear MFK Cologne pour le Soir, perhaps the Absolue would be skanky enough to classify as sexy, but I prefer the Cologne. Ciel de GUM sounds like something I would love!
I have a sample of Salome it is a little too skanky for me … I guess i’m not there yet in my perfume taste. My comfort scent is SL jeux de peu, a gourmand mixe with sandalwood just make me feel like i’m in a hot cozy bakery having my coffee 🙂 Sexy I have nothing better then Armani Prive Cuir Amethyste there’s nothing more sexy then leather with a sugary violet, it has some projection too!
Sexy and comfy: Shalimar and Femme. thank you for the draw, Patty!
Bois Des Iles is my comfort scent, Coco Mademoiselle my sexy scent. I’d love to try these 2 fragrances…thanks for the draw.
Vanilla is probably my go-to comfort note although I don’t have a particular perfume. I’m very curious about Salome so I appreciate the opportunity to try both of these.
Oooh, these both sound fabulous, especially Salome!
For some reason, I find Fendi scents very comforting, especially Asja, which I tend to wear to bed. I also find amber very comforting. Seductive..I dunno. I get the most compliments from men with Jasmine et Cigarette, Jubilation 25 and Opium, so I guess those would be my er, love potions! (Sadly, my husband is indifferent to almost all my perfume)
Off topic, but I’d like to say hello to Musette! (And Lee and Nava)
I agree with Ellen. I love Fille en Aiguilles in the winter. It warms me right up. I would add TF Café Rose on a rainy day in Fall and The infidels by Agonist is a seductive scent. Oh, and Guerlain’s Tonka Imperiale is somewhere in the middle of comfort and seductive. I need to try SL Profundis and Mona di Orio’s Vanille. Ciel de GUM sounds interesting. But, a perfume that lasts forever? I may be too fickle for that but the description does tempt me.
Thanks,
Brandi
Thank you so much for the draw. Favorite sexy scents would be Tom Ford’s Black Orchid or vintage Opium. Favorite comfort scents would be Hermes’ Ambre des Merveilles or SL’s Fille en Aiguilles. I would so love to try both of the scents you reviewed. They sound fabulous.
Anything Amber feels like a comfort scent to me. I especially like Ambre 114 from Histoires de Parfums.
I can think of several perfumes that are both seductive and comforting, including Jub. 25, Shalimar, and Courtesan (Worth). I would love to try the two featured scents, esp. Salome!
My most worn comfort scents are probably Vol de Nuit and L’Air de Rien and for sexy I tend to think of Kingdom. Musc Tonkin EDP checks both boxes though, and I wear it a lot.
I love Salome and wish it’s opening stuck around longer, since it is otherwise indelible (yep, lasted through a shower for me too), and really want to try Ciel de GUM, which I hadn’t even heard of.
My naughtiest perfume is Different Company Jasmine de Nuit.
What a great giveaway! Like a few others, my comfort scent is Mona di Orio’s Vanille and as for a sexy scent… hmmm….Puredistance White. Salome and Ciel de GUM sound wonderful!
I love cuddly comfort scents, and my favorites include Mona di Orio Vanille, Tihota, Musc Ravageur ( which is soft and non-ravaging on me) and Barbara Bui. These sound wonderful. Thanks for the draw!
My current go to for this might be Theorema… But would love to try these…
Fave casual comfort scent is Oriza’s Heliotrope Blanc; more elegant is Chanel BdI. Shalimar, esp vintage parfum, is a sensual beauty.
My favorite cuddly scent is either Kenzo Amour or Penhaligon’s Amaranthine. My favorite sexy perfume is easily Alexander McQueen Kingdom. My combo scent? Vivienne Westwood Boudoir. I bet you could never guess what my favorite note is? 😀
I’ve been dying to try Salome! As far as comfort scents wow, I have a few…Rochas Absolu, My Preccciousss Galanos ( which is comforting in a sensual way), and probably Obsession , too!
My favorite comfort scent is Traversee du Bosphore. I also really like FM’s Dries van Noten. Great review…both sound fabulous.
both sound great
Oooh, they sound good! I find the rich warm vanilla note in Mona Di Orio’s Vanille so comforting and MFK’s Absolue Pour le Soir is just the thing for an smoky-eyed evening out, batting my lashes and feeling seductive…
My comforting scents are Diptyque’s Tam Dao and Ormonde Jayne Woman. I wear them a lot in the autumn season. I never consider a scent to be sexy or seductive, the sexyness definitely depends on the person wearing it. I mostly get compliments from men (can it be considered sexy in this case? :-D) when I wear something very moderate and calm, never for loud and extravagant scents.
Thanks for the chance to try these two jewels!
ooh- I need to try these two – they both sound amazing in very different ways. I have a decant of Musc Ravageur Oil and it could possibly hit both notes though it is more comfort than seduction I guess? I find ‘prickly’ and scents with difficult personalities comforting too. Like Black Aoud and certain chypres.
Thank for the reviews. I’ve been wanting to try Salome. Both sound amazing. I’m really thrilled that carnation seems to be making a comeback. The carnation/clove in Bellodgia always reminded me of my grandmother, and I loved it at one time, but find it unwearable on it’s reformulated state. I’ll have to try both of these!
Sonoma Scent Studio Jour Ensolielle, I find both sexy and comforting. It helps that I get plenty of positive feedback when I wear it. Chanel Bois des Iles, I find more comforting than sexy, and Chanel Cuir de Russie, more sexy than comforting. A more recent discovery: Frau Tonis Sminta has a kind of vintage glamour, yet the powdery aspect makes it comforting as well. Le Labo Ylang 49 and Lys 41 Could make my list, too.
Lovely by SJP is comforting, but could be sexy.
i haven’t really found the perfect fit for either of those categories yet.maybe these will fit the bill!! thanks for the giveaway : )
I’m stuck. I can not think of ANY sexy scents or comfort scents. Perfume, for me, is basically a sensual experience. It does not make me feel sexy or comfort me.
I have one that actually hits both cuddle and seductive – it’s Caron’s Parfum Sacre. Thanks for the draw; Ciel de Gum and Salome sound like fumes that would be just my type! Thanks 🙂
I think Roberto Cavalli Oro is both seductive and comforting, Salome in particular sounds amazing. Thank you for the review and the giveaway.
I love indult tihota and serge lutens ambre sultan for comforting scents.
Musc Ravageur from Frederic Malle is a scent I find both comforting and sexy!
You know, it really is.
Salome sounds crazy sexy — I’d love to try that one! Not sure what I think about Ciel de Gum, from the description — is it really gourmand? or just kind of cozy?
Right now, my comfort scent is Hermessence Ambre Narguile, and my seductive scent (which literally worked the nasty on my hubby last week!) is Chanel’s Cuir de Russie.
My favorite comfort scent right now is Laurent Mazzone “Ambre Muscadin” and my favorite seductive scent is STILL Tom Ford’s “Shanghai Lily”. I know nothing of Salome but would love to try it and my Belorussian soul has been yearning to try Ciel de Gum….thank you for the give away!!!!!!!!!
My favorite comfort scent is SL a keys de Peau. My favorite seductive scent is Puredistance M – it gives me a ton of confidence . Thank you for the drawing – both drags sound amazing
My favorite comfort scent is SL de Profundis. My favorite seductive scent is Bogue Profumo Maai.
Salome & Ciel de Gum are both amazing, thank you for the giveaway!