RANDOM PERFUME PICKS - DAY 03

L'HEURE DEFENDUE  VII - CARTIER - LES HEURES DE PARFUM - LIMITED EDITION - 2011 - UNISEX

Photo credit: Cartier

Official olfactive notes: patchouli, oriental notes, cocoa beans
Non official olfactive notes: iris, tonka, vanilla, brandy (?) or cherry, patchouli, cocoa.


I do love gourmand notes/fragrances, but this one smells like a black forest cake. Now, why the hell would you want to smell cake all over you? I don't really get this perfume.

Photo credit: Greedy Gourmand

Brazilians may also relate to the smell of the historical Kopenhagen cherry brandy-chocolate treat:

Photo credit : Kopenhagen chocolates

Tricky my friends, really tricky. I do love iris combined with chocolate gourmandises - you all know I am crazy about Guerlain's Iris Ganache, but this one here is simply unnecessary in the wardrobe. Dark chocolate and cherry brandy for starters - a whiff of cake that it is surprising to me after all, even black forest cake is passe. Indeed demode isn't it? Try to think when was the last time you had a piece of that kind of cake? So now try to answer why Cartier is selling an old fashioned liquid cake? And some nicer reviewers called it retro...LOL

As the cake develops, the cherry brandy note becomes more woody and the iris stands out. The fragrance at this point becomes more wearable. A woody-powdery perfume. Not a very creative idea I may add...we have 1000s in the market that top this one easily.

In a nutshell: Unless you are a pastry chef wanting to make a personal olfactive marketing of yourself (professionally I mean) any place any time, I don't see any reason to purchase this fragrance.

Patchouli - chocolate combos that I find divine: 1969 by Histoires de Parfums, Bond No9 So New York, A*Man Pure Coffee by Thierry Mugler, Coromandel by Chanel

RANDOM PERFUME PICKS - DAY TWO - ONE MORE PICK

BOND NO. 9 NEW YORK OUD - BOND NO.9 - FEB. 2011 - MASCULINE*

Photo credit: Bond No. ( facebook)

Official notes: red plum, saffron, orange zest, oud, red rose, orris, patchouli, musk, honey, vetiver. It is indeed, as the brand promises, a modern, urban - hip, creamy- velvety fragrance. No wonder it was a nominee for a FIFI Award.

OK, challenging...I am not such an OUD fan...courage...

If I can review it in one sentence - I wanna be near the men who wears this fragrance 24X7!

It is the second Oud fragrance of the brand and this time it hit the jackpot! Launched during winter, it can be whiffed a year round. It is soft, slightly gourmet, slightly rosey...seeeexy! The most balanced rose-patchouli-Oud fragrance I have tried so far.

I know I know...OUD is already getting on our nerves...everyone nowadays need to launch at least one oud fragrance...but this one stands out for its uniqueness. It is not Middle Eastern exotic. It is harmonious, very chic and frankly, a must have to all men who wishes to score some points with the ladies. It is simply dreamy... FABULOUS!

The more I smell it on my wrist, the more I am falling for it. 

*Could be also enjoyed by women, but I think it is perfect for men.

More Bond delight: So New York 

Oud-Rose fragrance: Royal Rose Aoud 

Smoky Oud: R'Oud Elements

Listing Oud fragrances

RANDOM PERFUME PICKS - DAY TWO

Plunging into the first box of samples again... 


ANGLE'S TRUMPET - INEKE - FLORAL CURIOSITIES COLLECTION - LIMITED EDITION - 2011 - FEMININE

ANGLE'S TRUMPET

Photo credit: INEKE

Notes officially listed: rich & opulent blooming of night flowers, Melon, Seville orange, cinnamon, allspices, leafy greens, Virginia cedar, white musk.

I have reviewed Ineke's fragrances in the past, and one thing always come to mind when I think of her - she must be a very delicate (yet powerful) woman.

This fragrance, as she describes, is very opulent. Melon and orange notes were too fruity for me, falling into the teen frag category. The additional greens gave it a bathroom air freshener kick (not a nice thing to say - but we agreed that this might happen), but once the night bouquet bloomed, it never stopped!!!

I think this is perfect fragrance for brides. If you are looking for a perfume to wear in your wedding (if to be celebrated at night), the search has ended. You have a winner.

Just make sure you apply at least 20 minutes before walking the aisle.


Also the shape of Angel's trumpet is a constant inspiration for wedding dress designers, such as vera Wang. 

Check some dresses of her spring collection 2012 - so just say YES to Ineke and to the future husbbie:

Photo credit: Vera Wang 2012

Photo credit: Vera Wang 2012

and the flower:

I think this perfume is absolutely narcotic, and indeed it contains the very extrait of night flowers blooming. It is too strong for me. I prefer less diffuse fragrances.I am also fed up with flowers and white musk with creamy effects... 

But if you like hypnotic, ultra feminine and very sensuous perfumes - you will like this one.

Fragrances of this brand reviewed: Balmy Days & Sundays, After My Own Heart, Chemical Bonding

RANDOM PERFUME PICKS - DAY ONE

BOIS NAUFRAGÉ  - PARFUMERIE GENERALE  - SPRING OF 2010 - LIMITED EDITION - UNISEX 

Photo credit: Parfumerie Generale

Notes officially listed - Carob tree, sea salt and ambergris.

Notes non- officially listed - vetiver, orris, neroli, ionones, mint, hedione.

The inspiration of the fragrance is a photo entitled "Le Nu au Bois Flotée", by photographer Lucien Clerge - 1971)

Truman Capote in Long Island - 1965

This one is a bit salty, a bit sweet. Fig and skin. Sensual, warm, mineral ... a bit old fashioned...with a touch of modern fresh saltiness...

Smelling my wrist, I relate more to Truman Capote relaxing in a wicker chair, outside his home in the Hamptons, wearing those American coconut sun lotions and tons of aftershave, rather than French artistic photography.

Ok, not my favorite. But nice!

Salty Fragrances that I liked in the past:  Sel de Vetiver by The Different Company or Fleurs de Sel by Miller Harris, Acqua di Sale by Profumum Roma, Sel Marine by Heeley,  or even L'Artisan's Coté D'Amour.


Edited by morning after thoughts - if it is called Bois... I think the woodiness would have to be better explored...but if you are an ambergris lover - that is a fragrance for you. Loaded of ambergris. At one point I got a bit tired of it. But in general - I loved the fig, I loved the delicate vetiver...did not like the old fashioned cologne of the 50's note, loved the mineral-saltiness.

RANDOM PERFUME PICKS - DAY ONE - So this is the first fragrance I picked randomly. A good start... I am a fan of salty fragrances. Let's see what I will get in my next article!

Back to Track!

Dearest friends & readers,


It has been a month now since I published my last article. I know, I know... some might thought (and some might have wished) I quit blogging. But the fact is that this blog is a one woman show, and when life off blog gets complicated, I need to prioritize. But finally I can breath slower, and bring a fresh whiff of life into this blog. I decided to start a new project that will be called RANDOM PERFUME PICKS. I will literally dive into my boxes of samples and pick them randomly to review. To me it will be a bit of a challenge, because over the past years I have been only reviewing fragrances that I liked (I never believed in negativity). In this project, whatever will come to my hand, for better or worse, will get a review. I won't do long reviews thou...I will try to make it simple. So let's the fun begin today!