You’re My Favorite Mistake

I ordered a fragrance sample package from Luscious Cargo. I love my Luscious booty — the folks are friendly and helpful, the shipping is speedy and they always throw in something I haven´t tried that I usually love as much if not more than the thing I ordered.

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So today my latest Luscious treat arrived.

And it was filled with somebody else´s order.

There was a cheerful note in there to “Ludmilla” (not her real name) saying they hoped she’d picked a winner. Which does make me wonder whether Ludmilla is out there right now somewhere, glaring at my Delraes and that other stuff she didn’t order.

I emailed Luscious and they said, hey, keep whatever it is we sent, your correct sample order will go out tomorrow, sorry, sorry, etc. Really, what is not to love about this company? (No, they are not paying me to shill.)

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Anyway, here is an impromptu review of what they sent, because I figured why not, it´s fate, right?

Les Parfums de Rosine – Ecume de Rose – ecume translates as foam (I looked it up, correct me if I´m wrong) – this is, I guess, a marine rose fragrance? I´m just learning to wrap my nose around the rose, but this is a keeper. A beachy rose, unlikely as that sounds… well, maybe not that unlikely. Those scrubby rugosa beach roses I adore. It smells like rose, a marine note, and a little bit of suntan oil. I´m typing this while taking a head-trip to Nantucket. After one hour it reaches a state of Rose Nirvana. Ranking: #1

L´Artisan La Haie Fleurie – “(The Flower Hedge of the Hamlet): This beauteous brew of honeysuckle, jasmine, wisteria, tuberose, hyacinth, narcissus and white lily is a long-standing favorite here at Luscious.” – lusciouscargo. Oh, my. This is a SERIOUS floral: va-va-voom sillage, not for amateurs or the faint of heart. If you are a Fracas freak, or a Serge Nuit (or Datura Noir) Nut, this one will suit you right down to the ground. Ranking: #2

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Idole de Lubin – everyone else already reviewed this, so all I´ll say is: I was disappointed. There. I´ve said it. It´s a lovely, spicy, amber-y fragrance. But I wanted Exotic Skank. This juice just wasn´t dirty enough for me. Ranking: #4 (I’m still sulking)

Robert Piguet Bandit – I described Parfum d´Empire Ambre Russe in an email to Patty as “Rasputin´s armpit.” Would suffice for this frag as well. You know what? I´m going to try this one again on a different day. Instinct tells me I might like this if I hit it right. But following the Rose and the Jasmine – ack! Scrubber! Ranking: #5

Ligne St. Barth Tiare – This one should have worked. I love the gardenia/tuberose aspect of tiare, and I don´t think there´s a lot else going on there, except vanilla. (Hey, are you noticing a pattern among these scents? Wonder if Ludmilla was going on/returning from a tropical vacation?) But it´s strangely medicinal on me. Ranking: #6

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I need to clear my palate, so let´s sniff the: I Profumi de Firenze Acqua di Firenze – I spent two afternoons in the farmacia near the Uffizi in Florence trying the entire line on, between breaks to walk across the street and drink more coffee and eat another pastry. Those two days are a still a blur in my memory of powdered sugar, caffeine, and scent. This particular fragrance is white flowers and green leaves with rain notes. My 11-year-old loved this. It´s very green, very girly. Ranking: #3

Okay, I can only smell one more of these, and it´s going to be…

Josephine EDP by Rance – I gave up so I looked it up: “hawthorn and jasmine, surrounded by ylang ylang and hyacinth, followed by a heart of iris, blackcurrant, white peach, cloves, galbanum and violet leaves. The base notes – ebony, sandalwood, white musk, Bourbon vanilla and ambergris – complete the fragrance, amplifying its refined sensuousness. – lusciouscargo.” Well… it´s all there, particularly the hawthorne. Ranking: #7

There were others but, honestly, I can´t smell a thing. I´m going to eat my Pixie-Stix (yep, one included!) and call it a night.

Don´t forget – YOU can get your own Luscious Cargo sample, 8 for $13, at lusciouscargo.com!

Sconset cottage – westford.com
Uffizi – relaishotel.com

  • marchlion says:

    Gingele — huh, wonder where you got a decant of rose juice?:wink:

    Yes, the more I smell the Ecume, the happier I am they mixed up the order. Although knowing P she would have sent it to me eventually… she’s trying to get me in a whole new world of trouble.

  • marchlion says:

    Victoria — Josephine is a very sophisticated, multifloral fragrance of a general type that just doesn’t work for me at this point in my life. I seem to get on better with more linear, less complex florals. It is beautiful, though.

  • marchlion says:

    Cait — that sounds like a wonderful store. I’m sure I would come out with a bottle or three of perfume, too! I am all about the strewn rose petal…

  • gingele says:

    what a happy accident! I also adore the Ecume. I was fortunate to receive a decant from a fabulous woman :wave: and believe it is a great choice for spring & summer. Definitely full bottle worthy.

  • I love, LOVE, love Josephine!

  • Cait says:

    I put on Ecume de Rose after you mentioned it. It reminds me of my rambles in Paris. I love the way the flower shop Au nom de la rose has rosines for sale. The petal strewn sidewalk lures you in and whammo, you come out with bottles of perfume.

  • marchlion says:

    Victoria, Bandit is precisely the sort of thing I’m working my way toward. It’s an amazing composition. I still remember the first time I smelled it, though, years ago, and it was just … shocking. I recoiled physically. You wait, one of these days I’ll be writing some Ode to it on here. I just need to keep re-smelling. Maybe if I learn to love Bandit, Patty and Robin will let me off the hook about Tuberose Criminelle?!:wink:

  • marchlion says:

    Robin — several hours later, the Ecume was the winner by a landslide. I just thought it was gorgeous — sheer, but great sillage. I would wear it again in a heartbeat.

  • marchlion says:

    Marina — it’s one of those uncommon names (uncommon here, anyway) — I wrote it in and then felt like I was invading her privacy, whoever she is. After all, she probably got my stuff, none of which she wanted. I think she made out okay, though, the stuff I ordered was great!:biggrin:

  • marchlion says:

    P, you’re the rose expert. Only one of the Rosines I wasn’t loving, very green, but I can’t remember which! I’m counting on you to get me on board with the other 257 rose scents you love!:thumbsup:

  • marchlion says:

    Marlen, I’m a recent convert to roses. I think the rose/saltwater thing is brilliant. Most of the iPdFs I like a lot, although I’ll concede I don’t think they’re First Class perfumery. I do wish they lasted longer. Bandit — just give me time, I know I’ll get there…

  • Victoria says:

    Try Bandit on a different day! It deserves a week of its own, for that matter.

  • Robin says:

    Ecume is not quite my favorite rose, but it is the one I actually wear (the others are just kept to be adored on rare occasions). Yum.

  • Marina says:

    I will not be provoked to comment on the “not dirty enough” and “armpit smell”, but one thing I want to know is, if the name of the rightful owner of the sample set made you think of “Ludmila”, what was the real name? A Russian name? *gasp* you have my package! (j/k!):devil:

  • Patty says:

    Ludmilla, your conversion to the rose is nothing short of miraculous! Ecume is a winner too. Actually, I can’t find a de Rosine to hate. Some I like better than others, but all are just wearable and do the rose justice.

  • Marlen says:

    Wow! What luck! complimentary samples, a surprise, and a few winners! I told you the Idole was “eh”! But how about that Ecume de Rose? I’m getting more and more into the whole rose thing these days…and agree about the Acqua di Firenze – this is perfect for a summer day and a snuggle…Bandit’s a hard one for me too…sometimes I think “groundbreaking” other days I think it’s…well, u know…