There´s a fragrance review down there. But first, some housekeeping:
The winner of the bottle of Baiser du Dragon is … Jill! Please email me your address using “Contact Us.” I´m sorry I didn´t have a bottle to give to everyone who wanted it (well, not really – but you know what I mean).
Next: we´re tinkering with our blogging schedule; Patty´s now doing some regular posts on Fridays, so if you missed her excellent post this last Friday, do yourself a favor and go back and read it. Or you could subscribe to our blog, because sometimes she gets a wild hair from smelling too much product and decides to post on Saturday or Sunday.
Also: I know — our archives are a mess. The reviews sort of grew without us paying much attention or sorting them early on; the search feature is broken; there´s no list of fragrances we´ve reviewed; and when we moved to the current web address last summer, the older posts were badly garbled in punctuation. We´re working on a new format, and I keep going in and tediously cleaning up random old posts. Bear with us. (Sometimes I can´t find my old posts, either.) Okay, on to the fragrance:
What is it with Creed? You´d think for a line that´s been around since, what, the Battle of Hastings I´d have fallen in love with something by now. Part of the problem is the sheer number of fragrances lined up in formation on the counter (Bond No. 9 – heed my warning.) Part of the problem is I get distracted reading their cheat sheet, looking at which fragrances are/were worn by which celebrities (Marlene Dietrich, Princess Diana, Errol Flynn, Prince… okay, not Prince). Part of the problem is the Creed base in many of their fragrances — what I think is a combo of civet and ambergris – tends to smell very bitter on me. However, I took the challenge and decided I´d keep sniffing until I came up with five I´d wear cheerfully. With the exception of the first, I think they’re some of the line’s more obscure offerings.
Cuir de Russie – sandalwood, leather, ambergris, bergamot, amber. Released 1850. Wow. Which one of you said your skin just eats this thing up? A skank sandwich of such Plutonian proportions I felt a wee bit of shame walking around smelling like this. An earthy, fishy, post-coital leather. You people? Are perverts.
Cypres-Musc – bergamot, mint, ambergris, oakmoss, musk and cypress. Released 1948. Green and woody, with a resin-y quality further along in the plot. Gorgeous, long-lasting drydown.
Himalaya – bergamot, grapefruit, sandalwood, cedarwood, musk. Released 2002. This one I loved, although I concede it has a more distinctly modern smell than much of the line, and that´s maybe not a good thing for hardcore Creed fans. A unisexy citrus-bomb with a stiff wood chaser. Where have you been all my life?
Epicea – Russian Pine and spices. Released 1965. Colombina, have you smelled this? It made me think of you. Yes, pine and spices (pepper and cardamom, maybe?) A fragrance with zero development that also manages to be compelling.
Aubepine Acacia – bergamot, galbanum, mimosa, ambergris, hawthorne, acacia. Released 1965. Confession: I tried this in a fit of sheer pigheadedness, because I thought the notes sounded so horrible. Galbanum and hawthorne in the same fragrance? Please, kill me now. But it wasn´t the trip to Satan´s greenhouse I´d anticipated. It was sweetly green and honeyed with a touch of hay.
Okay, which Creeds do you like? What do you think of the ones I´ve chosen?
image: Cypress Trees, Vincent Van Gogh, allposters.com
Hello
G’night
late to the party… but among my favorite creeds are fantasia de fleurs and bois du portugal. also love angelique encens, fleurs de bulgarie, jasmal, and tubereuse indiana. and their feuille verte is incredible. wish i could afford that one. i’ve only tried a couple of the ones you mention, but now plan to go revisit those and the ones i missed. i seem to find something new each time i try the creeds. when they work on my skin, they really work, and they have a richness many other scents lack. when they don’t work, same thing – they really don’t!
J — ah, I dunno. I took it as a personal challenge to find something I like. I bet you could live without all of them, if you want the truth 🙂
A day late (and many dollars short). I love Angelique Encens; it has never been bad to me. I haven’t been moved by the other scents I have tried, but I need to try or retry all that you have mentioned. . .
March, thanks for giving us the opportunity to connect. Who would have thought a Creed column would do it–since Creed is the fragrance house so many of us find so difficult to connect with?
I now know some fragrances I *must* try. Bois des Iles is going to the top of that list. And I guess if other people are saying something is too difficult because of the darkness, etc., it’s a sign I should try it. :d I guess reading that others couldn’t wear Shalimar should have been a clue. 😕
Patch — I guess I have to try the Vanisia. Yeah, BdI smells GREAT on Louise and vanishes on me (the EDT?) in 10 or 15 minutes. Which is too bad, I love the way it smells.
Maria and Louise — I am feeling the love through the internet here. There is nothing like finding your fragrance soul sister.:x
Maria-this is getting into a personal thread…but the following also hang in for me… most SLs (Datura especially), Feminite du Bois, Sensuelle Russie, Angels (I only like the rose)and just about any amber and/or vanilla. And violets. I’m beginning to think there’s an acidity factor…I can make good quality jewelry smudge. Good luck!
CHARDKAY — The Rose Bulgare I appreciate aesthetically for it’s beauty, while simultaneously not finding it something I want to slip into. But that’s just me. I am AMAZED at all the AE fans, though.
Gina — well, we love you too! PLEASE tell me you didn’t buy the Epicea unsniffed based on my 4-line review up there… right?
Gaia — they are aloof. In stark contrast to the Tauers you reviewed, you know? If the line disappeared tomorrow I’d be okay.:-$
aimtx — dang, if I could find a perfume that would nuzzle me awake, make the coffee and get the kids off to school, I’d pay any price and it wouldn’t even have to smell good.;)
Solander — I’m a dunce. I was thinking of a different Paul Smith, the one in the psychedelic bottle…:”> I haven’t smelled Story, so who am I to judge?
Elle — you are killing me with your college story. By the way, isn’t a “git” some sort of English slang for an idiot?
I like my 19-year-old boys smelling like their own sweat and not much else. Of course, this would all be in my dreams, since I’m now (technically) old enough to be their mom…
Haus — hey, maybe that’s it! Although I wear room spray all the time, and nothing’s dropped off … yet:-“
Oh, I want some little taters in a vending machine!
So now this is chafing me: do the bottles here say “Aluminum”? I thought they did. I will now (sigh) have to run by NM to check… oh, the difficult life I lead.
Katie — oh, I dunno. I kind of like the dirty version.:”>
Another vote for the Creed- meh department. Most of them remind me of ether and being knocked out to have tonsils removed back in the dark ages before sodium pentathol. However. I haven’t tried the ones you mention. Just recently found Vanisia and Jasmal quite nice. Maria, I’m interested to hear what happens to Bois des Iles for you. It vanishes in ten minutes on my skin (this is the EDP, though).
Hey, Louise, it just occurred to me: L’Eau d’Ambre lasts longer on me than Ambre Extreme!!! Alcohol, as you suggest, is the key to persistence. OTOH, it makes me lose the warm, curl-in-your-lap quality of a parfum, and I like softness and warmth.
Wow!
Louise, you are my fragrance twin!!!!!!!!!!!! :x:x:x:x:x:x:x:x:x:x:x:x Wow, I thought I was an only child!
I get the same exact effect from Arabie and Poivre. Tabac Blond after an hour or so is a lovely ambery whisper.
I avoid EDTs because my skin magnifies sharpness in fragrances and this aspect comes out more with EDTs. However, yes, EDTs do last longer. Eau d’Ambre and Messe de Minuit last a long time. Department store sprays I make the mistake of trying as I pass last and last, sometimes after a couple of washings. I must try Bois des Iles.
Wow!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I adore Angelique Encens, a masterpiece. One that I would rescue from a burning building along with Fleur de The Rose Bulgare and Jasmal. I have tried many of the others and could part with them but not the 3 above.
First, I love love love this blog. I’ve been buying decants from Patty for maybe a little over a year, and damn you (I mean that in the nicest way!), I’ve just ordered a bottle of Epicea!!! I’ve only been reading this blog for a little over a week (oh why did I wait so long?!)and have spent a load o’ cash on frags to add to my collection. Ahhh. Ok, as far as Creed goes, the only one I’ve tried and really like is Cuir de Russie. Fantasia de Fleurs and Fleurs De Bulgarie (smells like Dial soap) are nice, but not really my thing. The only other ones I’ve tried are Spring Flowers, Angelique Encens,Green Valley,Pamplemousse, and Green Irish Tweed. Creed’s generally tend to give me a little bit of a headache, with few exceptions. March, the way you’ve described CdR is perfect…I love it’s leatherpost-coitaldirtyskanky smell, I DO!!! Thanks for making me laugh, all of you!!!
Maria B-my sympathies for your similar scent-eating skin. On me, Arabie could be considered a light splash after a few hours! And yes, I just discovered I can wear Carons-Poivre stays pleasantly spicy, Tabac Blond lightly floral.Oddly enough, some EDTs last well-Bois des Iles, Calyx, a few light musks. What scents do last for you???
The first two are permanent fixtures on my wish list, but keep getting pushed aside for other things when it’s time to buy. I never thought of CdR as skanky. A russian skank? It doesn’t sound as good as a French whore, right?
I’m very fond of Creed in general, but none other scent of the many I sprayed and sniffed has grabbed my heart. There’s something too cool and aloof about most of them.
First of all — Leopoldo: “tiny Indian potatoes in a Japanese vending machine”. HAH! Favorite quote today.
I’m pretty meh about the Creeds so far myself. I really like Tabarome, but not enough to justify the $$ when there are more reasonably-priced things that serve the same purpose. I seem to have a price-threshold for fragance. After a certain point, I don’t care if it nuzzles me awake & makes me coffee in the morning, it’s just too &%$# much money.
Oh but I LIKE Story. A lot. I even bought it in Stockholm because I didn’t know if it was going to get to my little town… It did of course, but they marketed it as if it was only going to appear in “selected” stores…
We don’t even have a perfume shop in town, just the usual department stores with all the latest fragrances…
In Stockholm there’s a shop that carries CdG, L’Artisan, Etro, Damien Bash and I don’t remember what else, but it’s just easier to order online than to hop on a train and rudely sniff away without buying…
Did some digging and found my Epicea sample. Good stuff. Should have mentioned that I’m also a Vintage Tabarome sl*t. But GIT was the reason I decided to not become a professor. OK…there were other reasons as well, but in grad school I once walked into a class I was teaching and some sweet, but apparently anosmic undergrad had practically bathed himself in the stuff. Frankly, a lot of young men in my classes seemed to have little sense of moderation w/ scent. I decided I could not pursue a career where I’d be trapped in small spaces (the classes I taught tended to be small) w/ GIT fans. Liquid evil.
ha! turns out the Creed i like is a room spray! maybe that’s the difference…
.. and I’m pretty much invisible on the ‘Notes anyway. Both in posts and direct responses. Damn invisible. Though I might go to their London party anyway…
Honey, we were spelling and saying it the aloominiyum way (which written like that, looks like tiny Indian potatoes in a Japanese vending machine) before you guys had your hissyfit with the tea…
It doesn’t smell “marine” to me. Salty, sure, like ocean water: a little salt air, a little brackishness from the tide, etc… but it smells on me like a super clean kind of dirty as a consequence of the ocean water in the leather. No juice of life on me, heh. Which, I guess I should be counting my blessings on that count obviously.
Solander — Nope. You are right, my friend. If you have Paul Smith Story, you do indeed have nothing.<):)
Katie — clean?!? CLEAN?!?!?!?!!! Hahahahaha. Basically it smelled like I’d just taken a tumble. With the football team. It occurs to me this may have to do with how we read “marine.” On me, that note freq. translates as, uh, well… you know. The Juice of Life. Or whatever.:”>
Carole — wow, great deal on those Creeds! I wish the ladies’ smelled better on me. My skin is not kind to the florals/ambergris combo.
Maria — Now, I would love it if my skin ate some of that Caron base, because I love the top of several of them.
Leopoldo — yeah, the Himalaya is the one they compare to XS. Which personally I can’t see./:) But that’s the one. Careful, they’re going to ban you from basenotes, heretic!
PS Do you guys really say “aluminium”? Is that the way it’s spelled, or just pronounced? I’m now trying to decide if I imagined the whole thing on the bottle…
Mmarie — I get a weird metallic note from AA (unsurprisingly) BTW I’m too lazy to go look but I think, like the way it’s said, I saw AA Spelled as “Aluminium” on the UK website.
Tigs — I didn’t realize till I spent some time on Basenotes lookng at Creed that they had such a hardcore following. Clearly the Creed base works for a lot of people.
Vi — GIT has TONS of fans on Basenotes. It’s funny reading the reviews how often GIT features in comparison to whatever they’re discussing.
I do something nasty to Royal Delight. I do think the small bottles are lovely.
Justine — wow, you get powder from AE? Interesting.
Actually, I was surprised by how often mint showed up as a note listed in the Creeds. I hadn’t realized.
Tom — oooh, lookout!!! The basenoters are going to take your man-card away!!! Better post anonymously from now on.b-) They LOVE them some Creed, don’t they?
I think you should layer CdR with HE. Heh heh.
Allison — something interesting I realized browsing the reviews on Basenotes is that a number of commenters mentioned significant batch-to-batch differences. Which would really bother me if I loved a particular scent and wanted it to smell the same.
Marina — AE is naughty on me and I never know what I’m going to get. Sometimes it’s just awful. I’d love to know what you think of Epicea and Cypres-Musc (which smells a little incense-y).
Louise — it WAS you, wasn’t it? Dang, woman. That smell on me was pervasive — like when you get gasoline on your hands at the pump. I felt like I was doing my own little Walk of Shame there in Tysons II.
Elle — neener neener neener! I am never quite sure how I feel about hawthorne. I find it a little gamey. But that one was lovely. So you object to the citrus? Hmmm. Maybe that’s part of what’s so sharp and bitter on me. The line definitely has its fans (a lot of men) but many of them just smell so bad on me.
Nina — certainly Creed varies pretty widely in the flavors. LiW makes me gag, as do some of the other gal-florals. AE I liked for the incense, but it’s tricky on me, and I hate it when it’s bad. I will have to try Vanisia.
In my neck of the wood – no, we have nothing here. I mean nothing. Well alright, we do have Paul Smith Story, is that “exclusive”? In Stockholm – I don’t know, I haven’t seen it. I order all of my samples online anyway. And I’ll get to Creed, some day…
Jaw drops: Cuir de Russie is so skanky it’s pervy on you??? But! But! It’s such a clean ocean leather! How??? My brain has just exploded in uncomprehension. 8-x
Carmen — well, I guess we have a lot of company in the Creed — meh department.:-<
Chaya — you are a filthy, filthy creature.:x Honest, I tried to walk away from my own arm after putting on the CdR.
Thanks for all of the additional suggestions! Lots of other Vanisia fans here today, too.
Patty — AE was excellent until that fateful day the angelica did its thing and was a vomit-inducing scrubber. After that I was afeared to ever apply it again. Can’t believe all these people who love AE… nobody else gets the Stinky Finger of Fate with that one?b-(
SMW you gave me and some days it’s great and some days it’s … not.
Solander — do they not have Creed in your neck of the woods? I thought they were everywhere … like mice.;)
Maria — I hope you feel better soon! Satan’s greenhouse contains Vent Vert and Ma Griffe…;) SMW I liked for maybe 9 days and then something threw me off.
Good luck with the move.
Haus — there are just too darn many of them, and I can never keep the names straight. Plus that base… glancing through the comments, I’m not alone in my indifference.
I’m a fan of a lot of Creeds-I was able to get some at drastically reduced prices years ago (like 70 % off!). Irisia is probably my favorite-lovely iris, roses, ambergris, and a hint of vanilla. Like another commentator said, it gets under your skin! I have to say it makes me feel womanly.
Surprised noone has mentioned Fantasie de Fleurs-totally over the top roses and ambergris. It radiates warmth and personality.
And does anyone else love Tubereuse Indiana?
Louise, I suffer from a similar phenomenon, skin that eats perfume. Fragrances fade quickly, but there are advantages too: “What–Caron has a DARK base???” \:d/
AE – wunderbar. Vintage Tabarome – amazing. CM (thanks Chaya) – impressive. Most others I’ve tried (including SMW, GIT, MI) – blech! That modern Creed accord does something nasty to my tummy tum tum.
But this means I’ve avoided Himalaya which I now need to sniff. Isn’t this the one that smells like Paco Rabanne XS?
I have been wanting to try Acier Aluminum for a while now; now you’ve got me breaking my neck to try Cuir de Russie, Himalaya, and Vanisia. Oh, my.
Forgot to say that Cypres-musc sounds great, though!
I haven’t tried many Creeds, but I’ve had a very mixed experience with the four I’ve tried. AE is very evocative and lovely, but I’m just never moved to wear it, for some reason. I’d be happy to own a bottle of Bois du Portugal, though, and one of my favourite all-around guys, Paul Newman, wears it apparently. On the other hand, Spring Flowers is one of the few perfumes that really makes me panic – Help! Get me out of here! Original Vetiver was neither original, nor particularly vetiver-ish on me, and smelled “clean and fresh” in the soapy manner. So I’d feel very 50-50 about Creed if it weren’t for those guys from basenotes who recommend Creed exclusively as a cure for all the ills of the world.
March, I have not tried any of the ones you have chosen.
However, of the ones I have worn over the years, my faves are Royal Delight (violet and tangerine) and Fleurissimo. Green Irish Tweed (is that the correct name) smells wonderful on my husband. They may be better at producing the more masculine fragrances, don’t you think?
This line was one of the first “niche” lines that I wore when I started to amp up my perfume collection about ten years ago. Since then, I have discovered other lines that appeal to me more than the Creeds ever did.
Hugs!
I have got to try the skank sandwhich, frankly it sounds like a little slice o’ heaven. I’ve tried Angelique Encens and it goes so powdery on me that it makes me a little nausous.
I like SMW on a hot day and always get compliments on Spring Flower. It’s interesting to me because SP is pretty consistently considered another boring floral, but it is unlike any other floral I’ve smelled. It’s not at all cloying and there is no BO acccord, two problems I get a lot with florals. On me it SP starts out minty, (not wintergreen, but peppermint) and just gets better from there. In fact, mint seems to be the one note I get in a lot of Creeds I’ve tried and I like it.
Personally (and I’d be strung up if I wrote this on Basenotes) the Creeds I tried were just sort of “meh”. They certainly never made the Neimans card magically raise out of the wallet the way that other lines have. But the line “earthy, fishy, post-coital leather” may just change that. Thanks. Er, I think.
Hi! I adore Aubepine Acacia as well. It’s classy, refreshing and a little sexy. Jasmal is intensely floral, green and very sexy. I feel rather self-conscious when I wear it. I am also extremely fond of Fleur de The Rose Bulgare, but I have discovered there is an immense difference between bottles. I don’t know if the variation depends on the year of production or what. I have a decant from Ebay that smells divine and I have smelled a tester at Neiman Marcus which is only remotely similar. It’s very frustrating!
Except for a couple of scents, the line leaves me cold. But I am forever thankful to them with coming up with the wonder that is Angelique Encens. Epicea?? Sounds like a must-try for me, March!
Hey March! I think, yup, that’s me that both likes Cuir and whose skin eats it up. And just about everything, except scents I don’t like. Weird acidic skin, maybe? I don’t care much for any of the Creed line on me, but want to retry Tabarome and Vanisia.
String of expletives deleted! I’d totally managed to forget that Aupepine Acacia was on my list of must buy lemmings. Now it’s been bumped back to the top, which is totally tragic since there’s such a crowd shoving each other around for first place right now. I’m a serious hawthorn sl*t and love this one madly. However, it’s one of the few scents that changes on me each time I’ve worn it. One day it will be nice, but not heartbreaking, the next the hawthorn will be front and center and I’m on my knees. Epicea is lovely, but I don’t feel compelled to own a bottle. Although maybe a decant. I have a problem w/ most of the masculine Creeds having citrus tossed in them for good (evil imo) measure.
I’d tried every Creed in my local store, and not one of them raised more than a yawn. No matter how orgasmic Spring Flowers was for Gwyneth Paltrow, it was just a generic floral on me. Then I got some samples from Les Senteurs, including Angelique Encens and Vanisia – and they were stunning. Especially the AE; I’d go so far as to say this is my favourite scent of all time. I managed to get hold of a Big Bottle, and it’s the one I would rescue in a fire. Vanisia – which gets wrinkled-nose reviews all the time, is just the loveliest vanilla oriental on me. What I don’t understand is how some of the Creeds are utterly pedestrian (Love in White could have been made by Coty), while some are so unique and weird and wonderful. It’s like Creed is schizophrenic.
I’m another one not particularly drawn by the Creeds… I’ve never got to the skin stage, what’s on the paper strip always smells of lemon candy for some reason. I know the house has got passionate devotees but for the time being, I’ll pass.
:d:))=))
HAHAHAHAHA !
I’ve been WAITING for you to smell Errol Flynn’s superskank !
I have a sample that I enjoy smelling, just for yonks [and honks]. It has your evil lil’ name all over it .
Cypres Musc- I’m afraid to start a lemming here- is so glorious, it’s only rivalled by Bois du Portugal.
Don’t get me wrong- they’re completely different- but so beautiful, how do you choose?
BdP turns into a chypre of exquisite balance and depth; CM is so green, with its lilt of mint, that it charms you, and haunts.
I’ve resisted the lure of CM, but I won’t be able to hold off much longer !
I’m an AE and Tabarome gal, so we won’t go there.
Anything that makes me part with that much dosh has to be enchanted- and they ARE.
Baie de Genievre is another pretty thing- juniper with cinnamon leaf; gorgeous, close to the skin.Not much sillage- subtle.
Much maligned [damned if I can discern why] is Vanisia- an ambery oriental with a deeply animalic, ambergris-y glory. It lasts forever, and garners a lot of compliments.
After that, we’ve got Irisia [yup, must have been named by the same crackhead!], with iris/ violet/ rose/ jasmine/ambergris.
WOW ! Complex, compelling, gets under your skin…
I wouldn’t normally describe myself as a floral type, but this grows on you until you finally succumb.
For lovers of Green Water- there’s Cary Grant’s favorite, Selection Verte- and green it is. Lovely, lovely, vernal, crisp and soignee.
And Royal Water- which was supposed to be Princess Di’s [but she never lived to wear it]…
Well, I ought to stop, so I will.
Don’t shoot me for the countdown, Sweets…^:)^
Hey, I’m nosing about Creeds these days. I used to wear Spring Flower and SMW, but something in SMW, once you get a little OD’ed on it, you can’t really wear it anymore. It’s potent juice.
Didn’t I hate Angelique Encens before? I’m about to chalk that up to a bad decant or a tired nose because what I’m smelling now is pretty terrific.
I have no favourites since I haven’t got to try them yet, but I long to try Angelique Encens and Cuir de Russie… and after your review of Cuir de Russie I long even more… mmm, skanky…
Why oh why are there so many perfumes and so little money for a poor student like me? 😉
Hey, wait, watch the “Plutonian proportions” comparison. Remember, Pluto has been demoted to MINOR planet. ;);)
March, your column was just what I needed during a break from our marathon packing session for the Big Move (not a digestive system term). It’s 1:13 a.m. according to the computer.
Now I’ll be wondering all day in my sleep-deprived, antibiotic (for sinus infection)drugged state what Satan’s greenhouse might possibly contain. My conscience doesn’t want to go there, but my imagination insists. I suspect a half-eaten “skank sandwich” of “Plutonian proportions” may lurk there. You’re a stitch!
Having said all that, I now confess that I’m the worst person to be first to respond to your post because my few brushes with Creed have not enticed me to explore further. Silver Mountain Water smells good on my DH, but I wouldn’t choose to wear it myself and he says he’s “past it.” It’s a lot more modern than what you were looking for.
Now I must try Himalaya and Epicea at the very least. Glad to be so enlightening. :d
hi march! creed is a line whose charm has evaded me as well. i’ve tried sniffing them in 3 countries and i always get grossed out. too strong, too perfumey, too something. i finally found one i liked – Pekin Imperial – thanks to a kind soul. maybe on your recc i will try Epicea as well.