[Hey, everyone -- Patty's in India and we'll be mixing up the schedule for the next couple of weeks. Here's Tom.]
By Tom
A couple of years ago I met Brent Leonesio, the youthful founder of smell bent, the West Hollywood based house known for its playful packaging, low price points, and seriously good scents. He has released his limited Holiday line for 2010, and sent me samples of them to try.
Dr. Dreidel is woody, with cool anjelica balanced with spices. He writes its pimento leaf. I swear there’s cardamom or mace in there. I like the way it dances from warm to cool- like coming in from a snowball fight to a warm fire and the smell of baking.
Sexy Turtleneck is a resiny tonka with a disconcerting butter element that’s discernible and surprising. (Hey, Uncle Serge is going to do a butter scent in 2011,(LINK) I read this morning…) Luckily after finishing his croissant, Mr. Turtleneck snuggles in to share reading the paper, and his soft musk and patch makes you not mind so much that he insists on hogging the style section…
Elf-Fulfilling Prophecy lists “cinnamon sugar cookie, naughty pipe tobacco and toy shop sawdust”. There’s also some funk in there; like Santa needs to remind the Elves to dryclean, and a fatty nuttiness to it. Not my thing until the drydown when the sweeeeetnessss burns off and its all tobacco and woods.
Reindeer Games is bergamot, incense and woods and is the polar opposite of “Elf”. While I wish “Elf” was diluted by about half (at least the beginning), I wish “Reindeer” was about three times stronger. Maybe I need the oil?
Bi-Polar Express starts with comb honey, complete with wax. It’s closer to Botrytis than Miel de Bois- no cats here. Chamomile joins in cutting the sweetness with a fresh wood note at the base. I never thought I would like to smell like sweetened tea. Well, that kind. Live and learn.
Once again I have to marvel that smell bent manages to come up with scents that are this good (even the ones that I wouldn’t wear personally) at this price point. $20 for 8ML oils and $45 for 55ML EDT make these practically stocking stuffers. I gave some to my godchild for her birthday and she was thrilled- and this is a young lady who wears Bandit, Asja and Norell (courtesy moi) and Lutens (pilfering from her mother). I have three of his scents in my rotation and enjoy them immensely, and not in a palate-cleanser sort of way.
Brent’s been kind enough to offer a pack of samples of these five to one commenter. Please leave a comment today saying that you wish to be entered in the draw. I’ll pick a winner and announce next week.
My samples: came from smell bent.
Hey, first, the winner of the L’Artisan Havana Vanille sample is: maidenbliss. Click the Contact Us on the left, send me your address and remind me what you won, and I’ll shoot you out a small sample!
Toronto Perfume meet-up: Date: Saturday November 28th, 2009. Locationcation: Noor Boutique, Yorkville
Time: Let’s aim to meet at noon (12:00) for a couple of hours. We can stay there, or walk around to some other nearby locations. In the area are various boutiques (Chanel, Geurlain, Hermes) and some other stores like Andrew and Holt. Let’ss see how things go and decide at the time.
To Bring: Yourself, an open mind, maybe some cash, your significant others, and any books, samples, etc. Daniel will be reading comments, and he’s the organizer, so if you have more questions, mention them in comments!
I’ve had samples that Smell Bent sent me sitting around for a couple of months (insert whatever disclaimers from the FTC that may be necessary soon about no promise for a review at all, positive or negative, etc., etc.). I have way too many samples I get sent, and my head wants to review what it wants to review only when it wants to, so my slowness to get to something means, well, nothing except my OCD or ADHD spun me off somewhere else for a while.
I spied the packet of Smell Bent scents a couple of days ago and remembered, Hey! I want to smell those, they have the most ridiculously cute and clever website in the world. It’s got cuteness down pat, but it’s overlaid with a clever laugh at yourself patina that makes me smile every time I see it. It’s gotten even better since the last time I went there – now they have calendars with all the great cartoon art that completely enchants me.
Let me tell you something that will make you smile even more. 8 mls of oil perfume at Smell Bent is $20. AND they are really good. And fun. And cute. And clever. So with all the moaning I’ve been doing about new releases this year with astronomical prices, it makes me so grateful to see a perfumer who really loves perfume, has a great time with it, making something great for a price point that lets everyone play. And with Christmas getting closer, these are tremendous stocking stuffers at good price point that the recipient will love.
Horny Little Devil is golden amber, black pepper, filthy musk and a touch of cinnamon. I was thinking this might be dirtier in the drydown. Instead it has this great balance between the musk and cinnamon that leaves you poised with the age-old question – do I want to eat it or %$&* it?
Sunshine has notes of sun warmed blood oranges, rich sandalwood, vanilla-drenched resins and a golden musk base. The name of this sums it up perfectly, it is an open-mouthed gulp of sun, warmed up with the vanilla and musk without distracting from that full-on happy that comes out of it.
Hungry Hungry Hippie has notes of “freshly baked pot brownies dusted with cassia over an earthy dose of finely aged patchouli.” Not that I have any personal knowledge of freshly baked pot brownies, but I think I can imagine the smell of chocolate, ganja and patchouli well enough to say this reminds me of some people I used to hang out with in the ’70s before they got money and started doing blow, then went broke and wound up in rehab. Normally this combination would send me screaming. Chocolate almost never works for me in perfumes, especially oils, but the combination or addition of the cassia or something makes this pretty great. The drydown smooths out any of the rough edges of this hippie.
Those are just three that I’ve tried so far. I’m dying to try some of the Limited Editions like Pere Noel Coward with notes of sweet immortelle, atlas cedar, balsam fir and pinàµn sap. Yum, right! I have to tell you, after what I’ve spent on perfume this year, the less than $100 I spent on these have me feeling completely virtuous.
Patty
