EB Florals Kingston Osmanthus & Annick Goutal Tenue de Soiree

Annick Goutal Tenue de Soiree was the review I promised you guys for this week, and this time I’m actually going to do what I said I would do.  But! I need to also talk about the new Eric Buterbaugh Kingston Osmanthus.

Annick Goutal Tenue de Soiree is a departure for Goutal in ways that intrigue me, but was also discordant.  Goutal has always had this pretty easy to follow marketing/design plan for their scents.  Mon Parfum Cherie (which I love, love, love, loooove) was a departure point, and then they circled back around with their green tea scent and others.  This is — well, the notes listed are iris and patchouli.  Start cringing now as I tell you what else is in there. Sugar.  Sticky, sweet, amped up with patchouli.  Exactly!  When did Goutal go this gourmand’ish route?  That it has a sweetness to it is most amplified on the open. Then that sugar’ish thing settles down and give a low hum of background sugar on the iris.  This seems to be a rebrand they are pursuing.  Now, I didn’t hate it, not in the least.  It never really felt like an Annick Goutal, but neither did Mon Parfum Cherie, which I may not have noted that I love wholeheartedly.  It fits a space that they don’t have filled now, a chypre gourmand.  It is not a simple gourmand, nor is it overly sweet except on the open.  It is just, well, different.  I think it gives them something that is a great fit for the evening, romantic market.  Not damning by faint praise, I’m just still not completely decided on how I feel about it.

Not being quite sure is nowhere in existence for me with Eric Buterbaugh Kingston Osmanthus.  Dear Lord, this thing is a marvel.  Notes of  violet leaf, jasmine, osmanthus, orange blossom, rose, sandalwood, iris, woody notes and musk.

Created by Alberto Morillas, he was aiming at capturing the intense osmanthus bud smell.  I’ve never smelled the osmanthus in a bud form, but let’s not worry about this. Is this absolutely gorgeous?  Ohmyyes.  There is this lovely muskiness wandering around beneath the apricotty-leather osmanthus that makes ooze sex without being smutty.  There is a soaring quality to this that lifts your spirit.  Yes, yes, I know this is an unquantifiable part of a perfume review, but that’s how it made me feel – lighter, joyous, beautiful.  If this is the direction Buterbaugh is taking, I applaud. I have really liked/loved many of the fragrances he’s done so far, but Kingston Osmanthus is  a serious step forward for this young perfume company.

Winners of the Annick Goutal Tenue de Soiree samples are – tiara, ricky rebarco and Donna S. Just click on Drop Us a Note at the top, send me an e-mail, remind me of what you won and get me your mailing address. I’ll send you a quick e-mail to let you know I got your e-mail and it didn’t land in a spam filter and then get it on the way to you.  I only check Posse e-mail like once a week, so it can take a few days sometimes to respond there.

We are a couple of day away from the U.S. Thanksgiving holiday, a time when we will sit down with family, pray no political battles break out, and figure out how to love each other a little better.  For those of you in the United States, a Happy Thanksgiving!  For those of you outside of the United States, just have fun and hug your friends and family extra that day.

Yes, of course I am giving away samples of this delightful Buterbaugh Kingston Osmanthus.  Drop a comment with your wish for a comprehensive guide.   Yeah, I know, I burned out on them and needed a break for, well, a couple of years, but I think I’m ready to tackle one here and there. I’ve thought either osmanthus, tuberose or chocolate.  Osmanthus would be fairly short, there’s not a ton of osmanthus-centric fragrances, but some good/great ones.  One of those three or something else?  I’m not doing sandalwood at this point, so X that out. I just don’t love sandalwood in a way that – I actually kind of hate it, and I don’t want to smell sandalwood for a week. I threw away my very expensive Malle candle with sandalwood in it.  It was great in theory, but every time I got near it, I was repulsed. I know, weird.  I’ll draw four commenters at random to receive a sample of the lovely Kingston Osmanthus.  You will be so happy if you win, I promise!