Nina Ricci – Farouche

Posted on March 5, 2014 by Leah

Nina Ricci – Farouche

The Nina Ricci fragrance line is one that I did not traditionally have much exposure to growing up, as none of the women in my family wore it. I did have a distant aunt who sometimes wore L’Air du Temps, but we’ll save that for another post. No wonder then that the house’s 1973 release Farouche failed to catch my attention until now (there were after all plenty of other fragrances to keep me busy).

I recently purchased an assortment of vintage perfume minis, and one fragrance included in the assortment was Nina Ricci’s Farouche in the Eau de Toilette concentration. While I have a decent knowledge of French, I will admit that I was not familiar with the word “Farouche”. Interestingly, I did not look it up until after I had tested the fragrance several times, fearing it might skew my impression. In that vein, I will keep its meaning silent until the end of the post.

Farouche opens with some fizzy aldehydes adding lift to a soft orange and galbanum melange. While galbanum fragrances generally make weak in the knees, Farouche comes on like a whisper. The heart unfolds to a gentle floral bouquet of jasmine, lily-of-the-valley and geranium, to which iris lends a hint of powder, While carnation and clary sage add a bit of a twist, Farouche’s overall character remains moderate. The fragrance wafts up again after a about an hour or so, revealing a mossy, vetiver base, reminiscent of classics such as Ma Griffe, but executed with a subtle hand.

In fact, my main issue with Farouche was its faint presence, which made an otherwise lovely fragrance with all of the hallmarks of a classic, slightly forgettable in the face of other mossy, green giants. That being said, this lightness of character would make it a perfect scent for someone just starting to explore the genre, as it touches on all of the aspects of a mossy green floral. I can only imagine how lovely the parfum concentration must be, though I have heard that is subtle as well. The Eau de Toilette bottle is lovely, with its slender neck is reminiscent of a swan, while the flacon for the parfum (reportedly made by Lalique) resembles a heart.

And in case you are still wondering (and have not searched for it yourself), Farouche translates as shy. Perfect.

Floral Aldehyde

Notes: Aldehydes, Mandarin, Bergamot, Galbanum, Peach, Honeysuckle, Carnation, Iris, Lily, Clary Sage, Jasmine, Lily-of-the-Valley, Rose, Geranium, Cardamom, Sandalwood, Amber, Musk, Oakmoss, Vetiver.

Guerlain – Nahéma

Posted on February 19, 2014 by Leah

Guerlain – Nahéma

Still from Benjamin ou les Mémoires d’un Puceau”

“Mon grand-père Jacques m’a dit un jour:

‘Mon petit, n’oublie jamais que l’on crée toujours des parfums pour les femmes qu’on aime, qu’on admire et avec lesquelles on vit’

Et c’est comme cela que tout a commencé.”

“One day my grandfather Jacques said to me

‘My little one, never forget that one always creates perfumes for the women one loves, admires and those with whom one lives.’

And that is how it all began.”

So begins the book “Parfums d’Amour” by Jean-Paul Guerlain, in which he describes the journeys, both literal and figurative, he undertook to arrive at his fragrant creations and the women who inspired him. Although the story behind the inspiration for Nahéma does not appear in Parfums d’Amour, this introduction could not more perfectly describe the fragrance, which along with Jicky, is perhaps among the more well-known of Jean-Paul’s amorous anecdotes.

What would a perfume inspired by the paragon of beauty, Catherine Deneuve, smell of? For Jean-Paul Guerlain, whose 1979 fragrance Nahema was inspired by the award-winning, supremely talented and breathtakingly beautiful actress, the answer was simple. The archetypal symbol of romantic love: the rose. And what a rose he created.

Legend has it that Jean-Paul made 138 attempts at the creation before reaching perfection. Nahéma, which translates as “born of fire” or the “fiery one” is an incredibly ripe, lush rose. With its plummy and peachy facets, which give the fragrance a fullness and ripeness well beyond a simple soliflore, he achieved a rose so compelling that it takes on a nearly three-dimensional aspect. While rose fragrances are often dismissed as being “old-fashioned”, Hyacinth adds a delicious tension to the fragrance, making this a rose that could never be mistaken for anything less than a sexpot.

While I do not find Nahema to be particularly “fiery”, there are oriental aspects which when combined with the ripe fruit notes and Ylang-Ylang suggest a degree of feminine intimacy, not unlike Rochas Femme. Much like a young Catherine Deneuve, Nahéma is inexplicably lush and sensual, like a woman in a crimson velvet gown full of voluptuous curves.

Notes: Peach, Bergamot, Citrus Notes, Aldehydes, Green Notes, Rose, Jasmine, Lilac, Hyacinth, Lily of the Valley, Ylang-Ylang, Peru Balsam, Vanilla, Vetiver, Sandalwood

Robert Piguet – Baghari

Posted on January 31, 2014 by Leah

Robert Piguet – Baghari

While we often have a mental picture of the 1950s as a time of feminine restraint, the fragrances of that era paint a different picture altogether. Perhaps due to the fact that woman essentially inhabited a different sphere than men, far away from stuffy office corridors with their recycled air, their perfumes seemed to have some lifeblood in them. Even the airy aldehydic florals had something hefty lurking within to give them a backbone.

When Francis Fabron’s vintage Baghari walks into a room, she commands attention. The opening aldehydes have a kick to them, as they heave rather than sparkle. The waxy, tallow-like opening has an orange-amber richness similar to Caron’s Nocturnes and Givenchy’s L’Interdit, interestingly another fragrance created by Fabron.

The opening is suggestive of the animalic undercurrent of the fragrance to follow, and while Baghari reveals a bosomy floral bouquet, it shares a complexity with Piguet’s Bandit by Germaine Cellier – the hint of something beneath the surface.

The fragrance, like others of its time, is remarkably well-constructed and gives an impression of roundness and depth, like an embrace from an old friend on a cold night, the scent of her fur tinged with perfume and smoke to create a scent that is more than the sum of its parts, the scent of a woman.

Baghari was reformulated by Aurélien Guichard and while the fragrance is suggestive of the original Baghari, it lacks its driving force and personality. Still, it makes a lovely daytime companion for stuffy office corridors.

Notes: Aldehydes, Bergamot, Citrus, Rose, Lilac, Ylang-Ylang, Lily of the Valley, Jasmine, Vetiver, Benzoin, Musk, Amber, Vanilla.

Caron – Bellodgia

Posted on January 24, 2014 by Leah

Caron – Bellodgia

There are certain fragrances which are like a revelation for us, sending our senses reeling as our minds attempt to catalogue all of the myriad impressions they inspire. Bellodgia, created in 1927 by the perfumer Ernest Daltroff, the nose behind such classics as Tabac Blond and Nuit de Noel, is truly revolutionary. While it is often referred to as a study of carnation in all of its spicy glory, and meant to invoke all the beauty of the lovely, sunny seaside town of Bellagio, Italy, Bellodgia’s beauty runs much deeper.

The carnation certainly takes center stage during the opening, and its vibrancy nearly blinds us to the other important figures arranging themselves onstage. The piquant spice of the carnation and lily of the valley is enhanced by a smoky facet with such intensity that it reminds me of the charcoal trail fireworks leave behind. The carnation begins to smolder with the spice of clove, which melts and softens into a creamy, powdery cloud.

In fact, this combination of carnation and clove works so well that it found its way into another incredibly successful fragrance which I shall post about soon. For those few of you fortunate enough to have smelled Guerlain’s Bouquet de Faunes, the clove in Bellodgia takes on a similar character, miles away from its interpretation in Diptyque’s L’Eau.

While with its exotic name, Bellodgia is meant to transport us to summery climes, for me Bellodgia is all about winter. It possesses a deep and embracing character which feels perfect with cashmere and thick, plush scarves and while I can imagine it being worn by elegant women with fur stoles and opera length gloves, it just as beautifully dresses up a pair of blue jeans.

Unlike some of the other vintage Carons, the vintage extrait version of Bellodgia can be found online for a reasonable price. If you are a carnation or clove lover, the vintage is worth seeking out. Unfortunately, I cannot much recommend the modern reformulation which is dissimilar to the original, due in great part to restrictions on many of the original ingredients.

Notes: Carnation, Rose, Jasmine, Violet, Lily of the Valley, Clove, Sandalwood, Vanilla, Musk.

Clinique – Aromatics Elixir

Posted on January 21, 2014 by Leah

Clinique – Aromatics Elixir

Aromatics Elixir 2011 Limited Edition Flacon

Perfumistas are nothing if not passionate. Researching fragrances and scouring stores and the internet for treasure requires dedication and persistence. As we all know, negative passions can be equally strong, if not more so, and many perfume boards are filled with rants against one or another fragrance.

With its bold lemony opening and bitter, slightly medicinal herbal quality, Aromatics Elixir is often the subject of vitriol. Its minimalist flacon and sunny packaging are somewhat misleading, as this elixir has deep and dark undercurrents. This 1971 creation by the masterful Bertrand Chant is clearly a product of its times with its emphasis on earthy oakmoss and patchouli, though its potent sillage seems to foreshadow the oversized perfumes of the 1980s.

And yet, smelled today, Aromatics Elixir feels new and compelling. Where fragrance after fragrance in today’s market copy Angel’s groundbreaking patchouli theme to play out variations of the sweet, fluffy gourmand, Aromatics Elixir seems austere and intelligent – a sort of bookish brunette. The fragrance delivers a bit of everything: citrus, florals, herbs and woods and yet is so masterfully blended as to create a seamless impression. If some creations shower their wearer in a veil of scent, Aromatics Elixir wraps them in a thick tapestry.

While the opening is bold and brash, as the fragrance starts to unfold, the more subtle interplay of rose and patchouli become apparent and this is where love strikes. The volume comes down to more muted tones, allowing the beauty of patchouli-tinged woods to shine through. While many complain of the fragrance’s volume, Aromatics Elixir maintains a crisp, dry quality that prevents the patchouli from becoming overly earthy and heavy. Indeed, it is a wonder how Bertrand Chant was able to create a fragrance that is at once both supremely rich and yet light.

The bottle shown above was a limited edition issued in 2011 to commemorate the fragrance’s 40th birthday. For those not brave enough to try the original, an update called Aromatics Elixir Perfumer’s Reserve was issued which focused on modernizing (and lightening) the original. For what constitutes a reasonably priced fragrance in today’s market, the quality of materials seems superb – perhaps a byproduct of the simple packaging and minimal marketing.

Notes: Rose, Chamomile, Oakmoss, Jasmine, Lily of the Valley, Ylang Ylang, Patchouli, Musk, Amber, Sandalwood.

Bond No. 9 – I Love NY for All

Posted on July 8, 2013 by Leah

Bond No. 9 – I Love NY for All

Given my predilection for vintage perfumes, it is not unusual for me to sometimes miss new releases and on occasion entire perfume houses. One such house which had escaped my attention, in part due to the fact that it was not available in my geographic area for sampling, was Bond No. 9. Imagine my joy (as only a fellow perfumista can) of walking into my local Nordstrom one Saturday morning and finding a counter-full of their line-up.

While somewhat daunting to find myself face-to-face with such a comprehensive display of bottle after bottle bearing the iconic Bond No. 9 design, (where to begin??) I decided to start with the obvious. Housed in a black bottle, emblazoned with the well-known I Heart NY symbol, I Love NY For All is to date my favorite of the lot.

Bond No. 9 – I Love NY for All is definitely compelling, a fragrance built around a coffee accord, and what could be more NYC than a rich cup of your favorite brew. I Love NY for All starts off with a spicy floral mix highlighted by citrus which quickly gives way to warm notes of coffee and hazelnut. The juxtaposition is decidedly odd and yet it works somehow, like the woman in your office that can pull off plaid with lace and high heels. As the fragrance unfolds into a velvety base of patchouli and woods, the coffee is sweetened with a hint of vanilla.

Despite the potency of these individual notes, aside from an initial sour sensation, the fragrance overall feels smooth and is extremely wearable. The sillage and lasting power are decent, which is a relief given the fragrance’s price-tag. While this would not be a signature scent for me, I love having it in my collection when I want something really different.

Gourmand

Notes: Bergamot, Lily of the Valley, Pepper, Coffee, Patchouli, Leather, Sandalwood and Vanilla.

Balmain – Ivoire

Posted on June 25, 2013 by Leah

Balmain – Ivoire

Elegant and polished like the keys of a piano, Balmain’s 1979 Ivoire perfectly captures the sensibility of its time and of the refined, luxurious fashions of its creator, Pierre Balmain. While the fragrance can go head to head with the big, bold and brash fragrances of the 1980s, it possesses an earthy quality characteristic of the 1970s. While the name Ivoire, French for ivory, conjures for many images of a big white velvety floral, Ivoire is positively green.

From the outset, Ivoire is dense and layered. On my skin, the fragrance does not unfold in the typical top-heart-base progression, rather it unleashes its depths all at once. Ivoire is green, herbal and floral, with a pungent, spicy warmth at its depth. And while the fragrance does take some twists and turns throughout the day, revealing bright citrus and hints of floral underpinned by galbanum, the warmth of oakmoss and musk is ever present. The drydown is a creamy, woodsy and slightly soapy pillow.

I have a small vintage bottle from the 1980s that I take out whenever I want to feel especially elegant in a confident, Chanel No 19-esque manner, so I was thrilled to see that Balmain had re-issued the fragrance in 2012. While perfumers Michel Almairac and Jacques Flori are certainly talented in their own right, the beauty of the original was unfortunately lost in translation due to restrictions on perfume materials. The re-issued Ivoire leans more toward a straight floral, and feels sharp and unbalanced without the richness that only true oakmoss and musks can bring. And while it does not possess the elegance of the original 1970s ads, the new marketing photos are a knockout.

Notes: green accord, galbanum, bergamot, lemon, aldehydes, lily of the valley, rose, hyacinth, jasmine, carnation, orris, orchid, geranium, cedar, musk, oakmoss, amber, raspberry and sandalwood.

Lubin – Idole Vintage

Posted on June 13, 2013 by Leah

Lubin – Idole Vintage

After Gilles Thevenin (Guerlain’s former director of creation) rescued the Lubin perfume house from bankruptcy, the group has been hard at work creating a bright future with the release of several new perfumes, in collaboration with the talents of Thomas Fontaine, Delphine Thierry and the supremely talented Olivia Giacobetti. While the quality and creativity of their new line is undisputed, I have a soft spot for the firm’s vintage creations. So while the internet is flush with reviews of the spicy and almost decadent Idole created by Giacobetti, this review is for the vintage Eau de Parfum released in the 1960s.

Idole was originally released in 1962, and while the modern release bears the same name, this was more a reference than a reformulation. The vintage Idole is a floral chypre, rendered in the elegant and somewhat understated Lubin style. The fragrance opens with a rich, almost fruity, bergamot which seems to be deepened by drop of peach – our first hint of the sensuousness of this creation. Although the fragrance features a heady jasmine rendered velvety and somewhat opulent by a lush Lily of the Valley note, Idole never becomes cloying or over-powering. There is a slight hint of woods emanating from the heart, giving the perfume just a touch of smoke and depth. I have found Lubin’s vintage fragrances to be extremely well-crafted, with an emphasis on quality ingredients and thoughtful compositions. In Idole, Lubin achieved a lovely balance between the rich floral notes by interposing a warm animalic base redolent of leather and moss.

Idole is certainly more unabashedly “feminine” than other Lubin fragrances I have tested, and this fragrance seems to me their version of the femme fatale parfum. That being said, the fragrance maintains a type of discretion that keeps it lady-like in the midst of its sensuality. If you have not had the opportunity of sampling any of Lubin’s vintage fragrances, I would highly recommend seeking them out via a decant service. Kudos to Thevenin for resurrecting this house and for developing what will no doubt be the next generation of vintage masterpieces.

Floral Chypre

Notes: Bergamot, jasmine, lily of the valley, woods, leather and oakmoss

Robert Piguet – Fracas

Posted on April 29, 2013 by Leah

Robert Piguet – Fracas

There are some fragrances which are love at first sniff, as though the scent satisfied some intense longing we never knew we had. And there are those which we struggle with, knowing conceptually that they are the stuff of legacy, but which we are nevertheless unable to embrace. While most would pass on a perfume that failed to capture their immediate attention, many perfumistas have confessed to a struggle with one classic or another until either the relationship ended, or a lifetime romance began. For me, it was Fracas.

Perhaps it was not the fragrance itself as much as it was tuberose, the heady white flower which when used injudiciously can evoke images of a Hawaiian luau. The name also befuddled me, as fracas implies a noisy conflict or quarrel and I found none of that here. I had a vintage bottle which I kept for reference purposes mostly, taking it out every now and then to re-test, which I did regularly over the years. Perhaps there was some half-forgotten association from childhood, but whatever the reason, the lovely little bottle went unloved for many years.

And then something magical happened. The way an old friend who has waited patiently in the wings while you date the more flashy suitors, I found myself thinking of Fracas and wondering if there might be something there, some magic spark. Magic indeed. Fracas was created by Germaine Cellier in 1948, one of the few female noses and a master of her craft. In addition to other memorable Piguet fragrances, she was the genius behind Balmain’s Vent Vert.

While Cellier used a perfume base in her creation of Fracas, a dense, luscious tuberose dominates the landscape and indeed, it appears that any other flowers are there to support tuberose in its leading role. Upon application, one notices immediately that Fracas is like no other. The citrus opening is miles away from the ordinary, lush and rich, rather than sparkling. As the tuberose unfolds, it seems impossibly large, buoyed by the presence of jasmine and violet, which lend to the fragrance’s deep indolic quality. There is an unctuous sensation to the fragrance, as though the tuberose had turned to syrup. While iris helps to temper the creation slightly, Fracas envelops you in a thick velvety haze that is indolic one moment and pure butter the next. Fracas is tuberose on the point of turning, with animalic references throughout enforced by the depths of oakmoss and woods.

Fracas feels both sophisticated and sensual. It is a fragrance which one must give oneself over to, as it is completely enveloping, to the point of rapture. And now that I have given myself over, there is no turning back.

Floral

Notes: bergamot, orange blossom, greens, peach, tuberose, jasmine, violet, iris, lily of the valley, carnation, sandalwood, musk, oakmoss, and cedar.

Revlon – Fleurs de Jontue Iris de Fete

Posted on April 12, 2013 by Leah

Revlon – Fleurs de Jontue Iris de Fete

In order for a perfume to be truly appreciated, it must always be viewed within context. Similar to the world of fashion, perfume styles change, at times in conjunction with the tide of cultural sentiment, but often at the hands of those searching for the next big commercial success. While perfume releases hit department stores these days at breakneck speed, a healthy level of competition has always existed between perfume houses, making them seek out innovative ways of promoting their wares. While few self-respecting perfumistas would dream of buying fragrance in a drugstore these days, after WWII and continuing until the 1970s, it was possible to purchase Chanel No 5 at the local five and dime.

Founded in 1932 by brothers Charles and Joseph Revson, along with chemist Charles Lachman, Revlon entered the world of beauty through an innovative nail enamel product that would ultimately pave the way for what became a multi-million dollar corporation, allowing the group to expand into cosmetics and eventually perfume. Revlon’s first commercial success in perfumery came in 1973 with the launch of the iconic Charlie, which quickly became a bestseller. Revlon followed up its success with the launch of Jontue, which became the number two bestseller for the company. While Revlon initially sold fragrances in departments stores as well as drugstores, the group struggled against giants like Estee Lauder and chose to focus their efforts on the lower-tier retail market.

While still a relatively new phenomena at the time, Jontue was followed up by three variations under the Fleurs de Jontue moniker. These flankers were Fleurs de Jontue Rose de Mai, Lotus de Nuit and Iris de Fete. The original Jontue, which was launched in 1976, was a floral fragrance balanced with a touch of oakmoss and musk. The three flankers each emphasized different floral notes and could be purchased with the original Jontue as a gift set.

Iris de Fete opens with a sharp green note, which initially seems a bit artificial. This opening quickly fades, however, and the fragrance’s character immediately softens. At its heart, Iris de Fete is fairly close to an iris soliflore, a fragrance based on the scent of a single flower. While a touch of Lily of the Valley is detectable, it only serves to lift the powdery softness of the Iris. The fragrance is somewhat understated, and the dusty quality of the iris is enhanced by a touch of light musk later in the dry down, giving the fragrance a bit of warmth.

Despite the subtle presence of these other notes, it is evident that they are there to highlight the star of the show: the iris. The fragrance has a polite sillage, but the lasting power is relatively good. Iris de Fete and its sister fragrances pop up every now and again on Ebay and at some internet retailers. While Iris de Fete might not stand up in a competition against iris-heavy hitters Chanel La Pausa from the Les Exclusifs line or Guerlain’s Apres L’Ondee, it is a lovely, light, and affordable fragrance that calls to mind the beauty of Springtime and the innocence of youth. It is by far one of my favorites drugstore finds and never fails to bring a smile to my face.

Floral

Notes: Green notes, iris, lily of the valley, musk

Quintessence

Perfume Reviews

Tag Archives: lily of the valley

Nina Ricci – Farouche

Guerlain – Nahéma

Robert Piguet – Baghari

Caron – Bellodgia

Clinique – Aromatics Elixir

Bond No. 9 – I Love NY for All

Balmain – Ivoire

Lubin – Idole Vintage

Robert Piguet – Fracas

Revlon – Fleurs de Jontue Iris de Fete