RANDOM PERFUME PICKS - DAY SEVEN - ONE MORE PICK

LORELEI - EN VOYAGE PERFUMES BY SHELLEY WADDINGTON - ODYSSEY COLLECTION - NEW LAUNCH

Photo credit: Shelley Waddington - En Voyage Perfums

Official olfactive notes: fresh green notes, Lilac, Wisteria, Violet - Jonquil, Daffodil, Lily, sheer musk.

I have to confess, I did not pick from my box of samples. It arrived today, so I actually picked from the mail box without knowing what it was...so it must count, no? Besides, we are talking about purple-ish fragrances today...

Lorelei is a flowery fluid fragrance that does not contain bamboo, lotus, sea water or any kind of note that you have already found in floral aquatic perfumes. Instead, you will find a purple shower of delicate flowers such as Wisteria, lilacs and violets, but the watery sensation is there, I promise you.

Daffodil and Jonquil are types of Narcissus and they bring to this fragrance a beautiful sheer green freshness and a springy facet to it. They also bring a whiff of narcotic floral top notes - but it mellows down quickly (which is a good thing IMO, because i like close to skin fragrances more than loud ones).

Random thoughts: I must say that I love almost all fragrances created by Shelley but this is one of my favorites so far. Funny thing is, that also browsing today for Chanel runaways, I discovered that one of my favorite Chanel's collection by Karl Lagerfeld so far - the resort 2013, it is 100% Lorelei material:

Photo credit: Elle magazine/Chanel

A modern/sci-fi Marie Antoinette! 

Both Largerfeld & Waddington are offering violet delicacy with a modern touch. Young, cheerful but not childish. 
You will find Shelley's Lorelei more discrete thou...but as fantastic as Chanel's futuristic French queens...
BRILLIANTLY done my lady!!!


More beauties by Shelley : Makeda, Pêche Noir

RANDOM PERFUME PICKS - DAY SEVEN

IRIS DE NUIT - HEELEY - 2005 - UNISEX

Photo credit: www.jamesheeley.com

Official olfactive notes: angelica seed, ambrette, iris absolute, violet, carrot seed, grey amber, white cedar.

Ahhh...I am lucky: continuing to plunge inside my boxes of sample, I fished today what I can a marvelous iris fragrance. A relief because I simply hate to give perfumes bad reviews!

Heeley mastered a very soft, delicate, airy iris. Combined with notes of cypress it offers a woody green facet that is very uplifting and comforting at the same time. Some people might relate to the smell of white paint, and twist the nose a bit. But since I also enjoyed M/Mink by Byredo (that smells of ink), I don't mind some eccentric/conceptual notes in my perfume. To me it gives a milky kind of texture to the fragrance, which I frankly enjoy a lot.

Photo credits: www.funnycowpictures.com

This is a very versatile fragrance, that not only can be enjoyed by both genders, but also whiffed a year round. It can be very modern and urban if you wear the right look.

The plus is the amazing violet that slowly becomes stronger than Irises and finally explodes in a beautiful bouquet.

What can I say...I am crazy about milky - purple-ish fragrances...

Many irises to pursuit: Iris fragrances

Random thoughts: I simply love James Heeley.

                          I also need to review Shelley Waddington's new violet-watery fragrance!

RANDOM PERFUME PICKS - DAY SIX

SYCOMORE - CHANEL - LES EXCLUSIFS DE CHANEL - 2008 - UNISEX

Photo credit: chanel.com

Official notes: vetiver, sandalwood, cypress, juniper, pink pepper.

Could a vetiver sprinkled with grapefruit drops be a feminine option for a woody fragrance?

Chanel thinks so. This vetiver was launched in 2008 for women who were looking for a different type of fragrance. I must admit, I loved the fragrance, but I would never wear it. Although it does contain a sweetness undertone that is deliciously gentle, I prefer to enjoy this perfume on my husband.

It has two opposites that are fantastically bonded. It contains a heavy woody smokiness (almost burned), dense aura and a juxtaposition of freshness and lightness of green grassy notes. Can something be light and heavy, clean and earthy at the same time? Sycomore is a positive answer.

Photo credit: Marc Harkness

It is certainly better than Vetiver Dance by Andy Tauer, less salty than Sel de Vetiver by TDC, and hard to choose when Mona di Orio's Vétyver is around.

There are many options of vetiver masculine fragrances in the market (Carven's, Creed's, Lanvin's, Givenchy's, Guerlain's, Dior's, Prada's, etc etc etc...). If you like a luxurious sweet vetiver, that is your fragrance. If you want a genius vetiver - Mona di Orio is your choice! What makes Mona's vetiver more special its dryness; a different approach, when most vetivers are kinda moist - muddy.

Being a woman, and choosing Sycomore to be your fragrance signature will be like walking on a string - if your persona can hold it you won't fall. If not, I think it will be very hard to keep the balance and you will go down!

And of course, if you are looking for romance, don't wear this fragrance. Men won't turn their heads when you pass.


Random thoughts about the fragrance 2 days later: Once upon a time someone created a pepper-citrus-vetiver combo. Since that day perfumers are reinventing it. Besides Encre Noir by Lalique, have you seen anything, anything at all that you can say it is exquisite, when Vetiver is the main note???

RANDOM PERFUME PICKS - DAY FIVE

YASEMINE - ANE WALSH - 2008 - NATURAL SOLID PERFUME

Photo credits: Carl Zeiss

Official ingredients: Sambac jasmine concrete, Grandiflorum jasmine concrete, jasmine flowers infusion, Sambac/Grandiflorum/Nocturnum jasmine essencial oils, Israeli jojoba oil and patchouli.

OMG, I died and went to heaven! 

Nature was capture in full bloom and beauty. Jasmine grandiflorum has a fruity-flowery rich note, combined with notes of Sambac, it becomes greener and darker, and when enriched by a narcotic nocturnum (also a night blooming flower), the result is a combination of many aspects of the same flower - Ane Walsh simply created a new natural botanic reality. This soliflower fragrance is delicate (yet narcotic),  ultra feminine, very sensual and absolutely divine!!!!! I simply feel that I am surrounded by jasmine flowers in a warm spring night. This is by far the best natural solid perfume I ever tried. Also by far the best jasmine perfume ever!!! And I can't believe I have this beauty right here in front of me! 

My batch is newer, from 2011 and today it smells even better than last year when I first opened it.


As per readers request: You can purchase any product by Ane Wash by clicking on her name ANE WALSH. The link will redirect you to her website :-)

OBS.: I once read that researchers fund out that jasmine is a natural substitute to valium. Its narcotic scent can lower anxiety, excitement and aggression...so why I am so euphoric that I have this amazing scent??!! (Have you noticed how many exclamation marks I used in one single text?)

Smelling this fragrance I remembered the last time I felt this way...it was when my mom brought me one entire suitcase full of Snoopy & Woodstock stuff from England when I was 9 or 11 yrs old...LOL!

Photocredit: Schultz & Hallmark

RANDOM PERFUME PICKS - DAY FOUR

ARCHIVES 69 -  ETAT LIBRE D'ORANGE - 2011 - UNISEX(MORE FEMININE...lesbic!)

Photo credit: Etat Libre D'Orange

Official olfactive notes: Mandarine, pink pepper, pimiento leafs, orchid, prune, incense, camphor, benzoin, patchouli musk.

Ground breaking tech: Mane's Jungle Essence Technology℗

Bubblegummy, sexy, creamy, happy...exquisite. I loved it!

Although the inspiration is an address of the flagship store in Paris - Marais, 69 rue des Archives - it still contains the naughtiness and luxury that the brand is nowadays trying to avoid or even hide. The description mentions "She is masculine/feminine, succubus and incubus and she can be dangerous, but only to those who willingly resist the confines of safety".

Although Archives 69 smells totally different, it reminds me of the concept of JPG's 2008 Ma Dame (Fruity- juicy, with a touch of musk and cedar. A pink happy pill). JPG created back then a fragrance for rebellious, androgynous young ladies. 

I think that both fragrances are targeting the young ladies who were following the "The L Word", and at the age of 16-17 decided to give the best friend a french kiss to see what happens next. Or Katy Perry younger fans maybe...

Photo credit: Etat Libre D'Orange

The special touch here is the combination of notes of pink pepper, incense and camphor. It is indeed kinda masculine. That is what really makes me smile when sampling this fragrance - it contains both feminine and masculine elements, and they are connected in such a way that it is hard to break them apart.

Photocredit: fanpop.com

The day after: I smell the same accord used in Secretions Magnifiques  - a mix of lemon tart and male sexual fluids - I called once the crazy baker who gave himself a treat in a tart and served it warm - a porn scene taken from movies like Poky's, American pie etc etc etc...but back to the perfume - here the accord was tuned down to a more pleasant or more bearable secretion.