Eris Parfums Ma Bete and Night Flower

For forty day and forty nights … No, not really. Just overnight for a deluge, like a serious one where the creek is at its banks and the field is saturated. We’re back to wet and grey, though not terribly cold yet. It’s made me wonder if we’re looking at a yet earlier start to the rainy season (last year was mid-October).

I had my annual flu jab yesterday which made me want to get into bed with a book. Just a bit tired and achy.

And I recently discovered that there’s a US series on television based on Tony Hillerman’s Leaphorn and Chee books, Dark Winds. To my huge frustration, this cannot be accessed in the UK. Has anyone in the US watched this?

I had an acupuncture session this past Friday and I think our relationship has run its course. Not acupuncture – just this practitioner. It seems her imagination regarding my treatment has disappeared and we’re doing the same things – no matter what I say — which aren’t having much of an effect. I’m used to having a serious energy whoosh in a session and that isn’t happening anymore – and hasn’t for the past couple.  I will seek out someone else and see what I can see.

And I recently read about a former New Yorker who moved to London, missed ‘proper’ bagels, and ended up starting a bagel shop with NY-style bagels in an area of London called Primrose Hill. My absolute favourite London bagel place closed during the pandemic (and became a Middle Eastern sweet shop) so I immediately slotted the idea of a visit to this new place during my next London trip (hoping for late October or early November). Will report back.

Onward. I thought twice about posting yet again on more Eris perfumes, as Portia did one, then I did, then Tom did, and last week I found myself writing about two more. But, they are good and I think the house is worth paying attention to. There are two more I need to order but that’s going to wait a month or so. So, after this I’m on to different pastures.

Right. So, Ma Bete and Night Flower.

As soon as I sprayed on Ma Bete my brain went into ‘find that scent’ overdrive. This reminded me of something, which I quickly realised was Amoureuse by Parfums Del Rae, a fragrance I very much admired but couldn’t wear. And I think I gave away my bottle. From 2002, Amoureuse was floral fruity. Notes were cardamom, tangerine, lily, jasmine, tuberose, honey, oakmoss and sandalwood. I remember thinking it was gorgeous but it just didn’t quite work on me.

Ma Bete’s notes are aldehydes, Tunisian neroli, Indian nutmeg, Indian cypriol, Honduran styrax, Indian jasmine sambac, Virginia cedarwood, Indonesian patchouli and synthetic animal accord. This starts out spicy neroli which is just lovely.

Once that spicy-fruity aspect gentles we move into full blown pong territory. There is still a bit of the neroli but we’ve fallen down a jasmine-styrax-nutmeg hole. It’s incredibly heady and there’s a whispery rubbery thing happening (the styrax?) – not enough to be unpleasant but just enough to be weird. The nutmeg is spicy-powdery, adding a bit of astringence to the pong which makes it easier for me.

The drydown is spicy-wood, and then becomes very animal pong. It appears to start to disappear but then the pong gives it more longevity. I am not that enamoured of the pong.

The top and middle are what make this. The drydown is more pedestrian than the other development.

This is not as ‘pretty’ as Amoureuse but for me it’s much more wearable until I get to the drydown. And that rubber note is outstanding, as it punts this into beautiful monster territory (leading to the name making sense).

Night Flower’s notes include Italian bergamot, Russian birch tar, Guatemalan cardamom, suede, Indian tuberose, Laotian Cinnamon, Indonesian patchouli, Venezuelan tonka bean and musk.

This opens on me as a gently citrus birch tar which is soft but really nice. Then, the cardamom actually arrives to give things a touch of sweetness. But this isn’t cloying.

As it develops I get a suede ‘feel’ but it still smells of a gentle birch tar plus spicy tuberose which adds a rubbery aspect.

The drydown is floral-rubber-pong, if that makes any sense.

I really like this, but I like the opening most. I love birch tar as a note and this is an interesting take on that: not your usual heavy duty sense of the aspect. This is a more unusual take on things.

And it’s interesting I get rubber from both. Tuberose having an impact?

So, what to think? I don’t need either of these. I’m still fixated on Delta of Venus.

I don’t recall if any of us have said in the various posts but Antoine Lie is the nose for Eris’ fragrances. I really do like what he’s done here.

So, any of this sound up your alley? Are you feeling put upon by your weather? Is there something you’ve discovered recently that isn’t perfume and has gone on to your ‘hhhhmm’ list?

Pics: Pexels and mine