Coromandel by Chanel, nannies and comforting fragrances - fragrances review

There are times in life when everything seems to have a shade of gray. When clouds and thunders seem to follow you everywhere you go.

Having the blues is like having butterflies in the stomach. Can be for a good reason, can be the first domino piece to fall. The feeling that the world is crumbling under our feet can turn into the hole that will suck us in, or it can be a beginning for search of answers. A sign that things are not the way you wish them to be, is also a sign to shake things up and move forward. The word for this kind of situation is MOTIVATION. The other is COMFORT.

Perfumes are an amazing thing because they bring joy to life. They also bring beauty. They help us express our personality. They play with our emotions and memories. They tease our senses, our fantasies and our desires. 

Not surprisingly I also found comfort in them. Some perfumes are like spoons of sugar, like warm hugs (or the so called bear hugs), like  cozy blankets in a cold day, like a hot coco prepared by a beloved grandma. I call them "The Mary Poppins" fragrances, or "The Nanny Mc Phee's" (if you are younger).

The fist Mary Poppins fragrance is Cartier's Essence D'Orange EDT. A citrusy happy cocktail, with vibrant notes of bergamots and oranges. A peachy velvety texture of amber, patchouli and woods. 

EAU DE CARTIER - ESSENCE D'ORANGE EDT

Call it a sugar full of spoon, Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious or Essence d'Orange EDP, a little whiff of this beauty, a little diddle dance, and the world is once again a beautiful and vibrant place to be! 

Here, notes of violets and acacia are wrapped by a luminous uplifting sensation that only citruses can bring. It is sheering and gay. A liquid laughter sort of speaking. The happy pill! Bad moods and cranky faces will be simple washed out by this deliciously delicate perfume.

Sing along with Julie Andrews. Tap dance with Dick Van Dick, feel the autumn/spring winds carry you away. Float in joy! Beat sadness with your best weapon - a bottle of a Cartier perfume.

LES EXCLUSIFS BY CHANEL

The second fragrance comes from Chanel's collection of perfumes called Les Exclusifs by Chanel, launched in 2007. Among the 10 fragrances, Coromandel EDP stands out for me as the comforting hug of a beloved person, as a life saver fragrance when things are going downhill.

COROMANDEL BY CHANEL EDT

Inspired by the lacquered Coromandel screens found in Chanel's apartments, this perfume is said to have notes of frankincense, benzoin, patchouli, amber and woods.

It is warm, creamy and deliciously composed. Patchouli and white chocolate is a maximum treat for me. A bit powdery and yet not dry. A pale dirtiness (earthiness) covered by vanilla. I smell traces of lavender on the top notes too! The baby cologne lavender note. Just to transport you to the memories of the days when you had nothing to worry about, when everything was simple and easy! 

White chocolate & Lavender treats

Lavender is followed by the richness of the amber-patchouli (white chocolate) treat. The wood notes are delicate, almost a resemblance that wood was once there. If you bring your nostrils close to the skin and continuously smell it, you will also find a warm milk + cinnamon note in the composition.

Although described as dry amber-y oriental, it is not dry, it is not amber-y and not a typical oriental.

This oriental fragrance is my ultimate polar bear hug. The first whiff of this fragrance is a creamy - off white - beige cloud. (I wonder why it was not named Beige instead! So what they did launched another one with this name!)

extracted from Chanel's site:

COCO CHANEL’S APARTMENT 
THE COROMANDEL SCREENS

“I’ve loved Chinese screens since I was eighteen years old…I nearly fainted with joy when, entering a Chinese shop, I saw a Coromandel for the first time…Screens were the first thing I bought…” (Quoted in “Chanel Solitaire” by Claude Delay – Gallimard – 1983 p.12)

Mademoiselle Chanel is believed to have owned 32 folding screens. Her apartment at 31 rue Cambon had eight of them, which she freely used in ways other than for what they were intended — she dressed her walls with them, like wallpaper, or used them to give structure to her private space.
It is also said that she used them to hide the doors. That way, she was sure to keep her guests when receiving them for dinner.

The Coromandel screens embody her taste for Chinese art, which she discovered together with Boy Capel. The Coromandel lacquer technique emerged at the end of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), in the Hunan province, in the heart of China. The major themes include mythology, scenes of imperial life and love of nature, which bestow a spiritual dimension upon the art form.

UBAR EDP BY AMOUAGE

The third fragrance is UBAR EDP by Amouage. Retro and super granny's fragrance, with notes of bergamots, lemons, lilies, rose, jasmin, civet and vanilla. 

Designed and inspired by an Ottoman city, UBAR means something else to me. 

Ubar in Hebrew means fetus. And that is exactly how one can feel when wearing this fragrance. Totally protected and covered by layers of love. Many described as a sensual and voluptuous. In my skin it is rich, velvety and very vintage. I can only picture sweet old ladies wearing it. The ones that pinched our cheeks till it hurt when we were kids. The ones who knew how to bake amazing chocolate cakes and would leave a mark of lipstick everywhere.

Wherever fragrance you choose to comfort you, know that a comforting hug or word of a friend, from a beloved person or from someone you trust is also important. Also know that time is the best medicine for everything, as long as you move with it.

I wish my grandmother was still alive today! I miss her hot coco. I wish this gray cloud of grumpiness that stands over my head would go bother someone else!
You can find AMOUAGE fragrances at Essenza Nobile by clicking on the brand's name!

A spoon full of sugar - click HERE
Nanny Mc Phee - click HERE
You've got a friend sang by Carole King & friends click HERE

Brothers in Scent - Midnight in Paris/Black Bulgari/Bois d'Argent/Exotic

  

Black Bulgari EDT (♥♥♥♥♥) - 1998: Notes of bergamot, black tea, jasmine, cedar wood, sandal, leather, amber, musk, vanilla.

Bois D'Argent Cologne (♥♥♥♥♥) by Dior - 2004: Notes of benzoin, incense, leather, iris from Tuscany, myhrr, honey and vanilla.

Exotic EDP by Bodicea The Victorius (♥♥♥♥) - 2008: Notes of lavender, bergamot, linalyl acetate, African costus, White lily, rose, frankincense, ambergris and musk.


Midnight in Paris EDP by Van Cleef & Arpels(♥♥♥♥♥) - 2010: Notes of lemon, bergamot, rosemary, green tea, lily-of-the-valey, styrax, black tea, woody notes, tonka, benzoin and leather.

In 1998 Annick Ménardo (IFF) created a fragrance that would give fragrances a new look: the urban concept. The perfume had a burned note of rubber combined with a powdery-flowery accord and a woody wrap up.The burned nuance came from toasted black tea. It is very discrete, almost transparent which brings the idea that one has to come closer to enjoy this luxury. (For a detailed review, click HERE). One of my favorite perfumes, it is a concept fragrance that is wearable. 
In 2004 the perfumer created for Dior a similar concept: Bois D'Argent.  Also a woody transparent fragrance, but with suede undertones. Less flowery, more amber- y, this fragrance has something that Black Bulgari does not have: IRIS. 
Still in my opinion, very hip and urban (and here the urban concept comes from the cement-gray note of Iris). Very delicate, and like Black Bulgari, also a "come closer & smell me" fragrance, it has an almond-y touch that is very rich. While Black Bulgari is drier and more powdery, Bois D'Argent is creamier and velvetier.

Four years later, niche brand Boadicea The Victorious launches Exotic, a fragrance that has the aura of Black Bulgari, but with a woody - incense note that is the core of the perfume.   Top notes of lavender and bergamot are very distance from Black Bulgari, but somehow this fragrance does remind me of it. It feels like if Black Bulgari was spiced up and received a more mysterious touch. Not my favorite from the list, due to the fact that I am not particularly fond of incense. Also you don't need to come close to appreciate this fragrance. The diffusion is stronger. Less urban, more Middle Eastern, but it is a nice perfume too.

Last and today my best (probably after wearing a few times I will decide that nothing beats Black Bulgari), comes the newest launch of Van Cleef and Arpels in 2010: Midnight in Paris, with a urban concept too. A night in a French city - Paris, at midnight. 
The night concept is the traditional one, brought by sensual notes. The top notes are more citric acid than Bulgari's due to the lemony touch, also freshier with rosemary and green tea. The flowery bouquet is way more intense, therefore more feminine than Black Bulgari. While Balck Blgari is drier, more powdery and less vibrant, Midnight in Paris has more light and more sheer. Both have the smoked tea accent combined to wood and vanilic tones. Both have the dry pencil note that I love very much.


So, to makes things easier for you when choosing which one fits you best:


The most feminine (although sold as a masculine fragrance): Midnight in Paris EDP
The woodier: Exotic EDP
The Most powdery: Black Bulgari EDT
The most ambery: Bois D'Argent Cologne
The most flowery: Midnight in Paris EDP
The fresher and most aromatic: Midnight in Paris EDP
Most exclusive: Black Bulgari EDT
The spicier: Exotic EDP


OR


In a scale of woodiness: Exotic, Black Bulgari, Bois D'Argent, Midnight in Paris
In a scale of powderness: Black Bulgari, Bois D'Argent, Midnight in Paris, Exotic
In a scale of flower intensity: Midnight in Paris, Black Bulgari, Bois D'Argent, Exotic.


In my scale of preference: 
Black Bulgari, Bois D'Argent, Midnight in Paris, Exotic.

For another article with sisters in Scent: HERE
For another article with brother's in Scent:HERE


For the most beautiful video by Dire Straits: Brothers in Arms - CLICK HERE

Leather & Perfumery - PART FIVE (last one)

List  - fragrances from 01 to 05 - click HERE

List - fragrances from 06 to 09 - click HERE


And to finish my list of Leather fragrances I bring last 10 to 12:

Cuir Ambre EDP

10. Prada with Cuir Ambre EDP: This fragrance is an exclusive edition by the brand, released in 2004. Notes of leather, amber, neroli, coriander, cinnamon, clove, musk, carnation, rose, jasmine absolute, iris absolute, sandalwood, oak moss, heliotrope, vanilla and patchouli.

Leather here is constant and delicate, combined with powdery and spiced notes. Although meant to be shared by both gender, I think it is a very feminine fragrance. From all the fragrances presented, this one has nothing to do with all the list. It is indeed a different leather fragrance. You will feel the leather but it won't overcome the iris, or the rose-jasmine-vanilla. It is chic, a bit retro (my son defines it as a granny's perfume) and worth trying.

Black Bulgari EDT

11. Bulgari with Black Bulgari EDT: Notes of bergamot, black tea, jasmine, cedar wood, sandal, leather, amber, musk, vanilla. This is one of the fragrances I love the most. It has very a modern/urban concept where rubber, powdery notes, tea and leather mix to bring a secret agent persona. To read a full review, click HERE

Bois d'Argent Cologne

12. Dior with Bois d'Argent Cologne: creation by Annick Menardo (also Black Bulgari and patchouli 24 by Le Labo - mentioned in my list too) with notes of benzoin, incense, leather, iris from Tuscany, myhrr, honey and vanilla. It is an unisex fragrance that can really be share by both genders. It is a wood, balmy, velvety, comforting and yet mysterious fragrance. Incense here is very delicate (I tend not to love incense on me) and also the leather is very soft. This fragrance brings an aura, a touch. It is  very transparent and very subtle. It invites people to come closer to you - they will certainly want to! Myhrr, benzoin and honey is the bonus here. The leather here feels more like suede. It is a must in anyone's wardrobe. I am dying to have a full bottle. I think it is complementary to Black Bulgari. Bois D'Argent is less rubbery, more romantic, softer. It is a secret agent that fell in love and is a bit vulnerable (LOL).


For another review of this fragrance, by Michael Mattison, epicurean and lifestyle guru, with an impeccable refined taste for life, click HERE.

So my beloved, we had a flashback in history, without extending too much (the subject has been already explored by many fellow writers) and we have now a list of fragrances to explore. I think the list is updated (even that some fragrances are not new launches) and it covers  different paths and uses of leather notes.

Hope you all enjoyed it!

P.S: If I would have to choose one fragrance only for man, and one for women today, I would pick:

Bois d'Argent Cologne by Dior for women

Cuir EDP by Mona di Orio for men.

but this is me...


To feel cozy and involved... a song played by Stan Getz and velvety/suede like voice of Astrud Gilberto:

EAT PRAY LOVE/ COMER REZAR AMAR

Dear ones, 

since all I hear now is about the newest movie by Julia Roberts Eat Pray and Love, from the book the best seller written by American author Elizabeth Gilbert (is she related to you Avery?), I decided to make a fragrance list inspired by the book.

EAT - there are many fragrances that are considered GOURMET (or that it could be edible if it wasn't so full of chemicals). Notes of chocolate, caramels, maple syrup, cotton candy, cookies, marshmallows and other sweet treats are common inspirations for the perfumes  of this family. One you spray on yourself, it feels like licking the skin. Some are just fruit salads, others can even bring tooth decay (LOL). 

Find here some of the most edible ones:

ANGEL EDP BY THIERRY MUGLER

PRAY - I once posted about religious fragrances, meaning, fragrances inspired by religion, sanctuaries, shrines, churches and religious cults. Find here a list of some of them:

CARDINAL EDP BY HEELEY

INCENSE EXTRÊME BY ANDY TAUER 

OLIBANUM BY PROFUMUM ROMA

HAIKU EAU DE PARFUM BY AVON

BALSAMO DELLA MECCA BY PROFUMO IT

CÈDRE OLYMPE BY ARMANI PRIVÉ COLLECTION 

CARDINAL BY HEELEY

you can read full reviews by clicking HERE

LOVE - there are many fragrances inspired by love, passions and sex. They are also sensual perfumes that are a must in everyone's collection. Some will help you find love! I put together just some of them. We could stay one entire day listing amazing perfumes...but one has to do other things in life rather than just write blogs right?

Le 6 EDP by Ida Delam (seek for my full review in the blog)

Noir Patchouli EDP by Histoires de Parfums (I gave a quick review in my last posts)

Love and Tears EDP by By Kilian

La Nuit de L'Homme EDP by YSL

Nuit de Sens EDP by Louis Feraud

Vetiver Dance EDP by Andy Tauer (seek for my full review in the blog)

Cuir EDP by Mona di Orio (I gave a quick review in my last posts)

Ambre Nuit by Dior

Acqua di Sale by Profumum Roma (seek for my full review in the blog)

Narciso for HER EDP by Narciso Rodriguez(seek for my full review in the blog)

100% Love by S-perfume

NARCISO RODRIGUES EAU DE PARFUM FOR HER/HIM

So whatever mood you are in today, to eat a good meal, to dive into sweets and surrender to gourmandise; to pray and find a way to ease your soul; or to give or find love (or just sex), you will find here a fragrance to join you.

Have a great eat, pray and love weekend!

Poopoo Pidoo	Egofacto
Love EDP	By Kilian
Angel EDP	Thierry Mugler
Pink Sugar EDT	Aquolina
PC 02	Biehl Parfumkunstwerke
Fleur de Corail EDP	Lolita Lempicka
Harajuko Lovers EDT (any)	Harajuko Lovers
Melissa Eau de Cologne	Melissa
Delicious Candy Apple RP EDP	DKNY
Euphoria EDP	Calvin Klein
Love at First Glow EDT	Jenifer Lopez
Dulcis in Fundo	Profumum Roma
Confetto	Profumum Roma

Leather & Perfumery - PART FOUR

A Rainy gray day today ...perfect for leather scents! The velvety touch, the softness of suede, its liquid warmth  and coziness, hummm! 

Let's continue with our leather fragrances list!

CUIR PLEINE FLEUR EDP

6.English brand HEELEY with CUIR PLEINE FLEUR EDP: very chic, very delicate and exclusively amazing, with notes of violet, heart accacia flower, aubépine, soft suede, castoreum, birch, vetiver and Atlas cedar. 

What can I say about Heeley...everything the do is perfect and beautiful! They have a huge collection of fragrances and each of one is worth every €. This is a very modern leather  composition, with birch and suede, giving us a slightly smoked-smooth leather with an amazing flowery tone of violets and accacia. Slightly green, slightly root-y...slightly animal... Slightly is the word to describe it in many ways,  BUT entirely magnificent! 

You will want your man to smell like that! This fragrance is the potion that turns any man into a gentleman. A perfume for a guy who considers grooming a very serious business, who follows fashion and dresses neatly, and for the type of man with impeccable manners and probably never sweats (LOL). Also for women, who are delicate in the outside, but has a strong vibrant personality in the inside. [For leading ladies only :-)].

You will find all Heeley fragrances at their website by clicking HERE.

your man can be dressed like this:

photo credit: details magazine

But when wearing Heely, he will look always like this:

Handsome & impecable!

photo credit: details magazine

LES NOMBRES D'OR CUIR EDP

7.French-Dutch brand MONA DI ORIO with CUIR EDP: Oohlala! Mona oh Mona...you are a naughty lady :-)! With notes of cardamom, absinth, leather, cade, castoreum and resinoid opoponax, this fragrance is urban and sauvage. Dirty and elegant. The notes of cardamom and absinth combining with the leather and castoreum are an invitation to sin. But don't get me wrong: vulgarities have nothing to do with this fragrance! It is super classy!! It is also slightly edible - you do feel like licking the skin...meow! I see wearing it rockandrollers, bikers, lawyers, gentlemen in tuxedos...it will suit all men with balls! With a smokey accent - hot, very hot "men on fire". Don't wear it to work, because it is a real love potion. Save it for nights out, dating, hunting...etc...etc... hummm....I need more...Give me more!!!!

To know all about Mona di Orio fragrances, click HERE for their website.

1740 EDP

8.French brand HISTOIRES DE PARFUMS with 1740 EDP: continuing in the path of sensuality, this fragrance has notes of bergamot, davana sensualis, patchouli, coriander, cardamom, ceder, elemi, leather and labdanum. Another patchouli-leather combo that led me straight to heaven! Here, the genius touch is a dark chocolate undertone that makes this fragrance so beautiful, and so roundly maple syrupy and yet animal. Spicied and very pleasant, I keep coming for more. Like most of the fragrances of the brand, once whiffed you are addicted. You will continuously smell your skin... 

As the brand describes it, this fragrance would please Mr. Marquis de Sade very much. Could be...I am having second thoughts about myself too LOLOL! What can I say...it does turned me on! Leathery, syrupy...extremely rich and sensuous.

You can find the fragrances of Histoires de Parfums in their website by clicking HERE.

IDOLE EDP

9.French brand LUBIN with IDOLE EDP: Mastered by perfumer Olivia Giacobetti, with notes of rum absolute, saffron, bitter orange peel, black cumin, Doum palm, smoked ebony, sugar cane, leather and red sandalwood, this fragrance was the best sold at Harrod's. Not a a surprise to me because it is simply beautiful!! it is sweet, smoked, spicy and leathery-woody. The flacon is simply amazing. Once you look at it you know something beautiful must be stored inside. The saffron brings a special aura to this fragrance. It is also a syrupy fragrance, but here chocolate and maple syrup are out. The sugar cane molasses with the Grand Marnier touch is not only edible, but very very exclusive.

To read my complete review, published back in August, click HERE.

You will find all Lubin fragrances at their website by clicking HERE.

to be continued... sorry dears...but I really have to go now!

So once again, till I am back...grab a chair, grab your partner, and get confi with leather perfumes...