Ava Luxe - Mousse de Chine (perfume review)

The more perfumes I try, the more I realize how many I haven't tried! I have been rather unorganized in my sampling since delving into the perfume world - following individual tangents (such as particular notes or houses) or simply going gaga over the rhetoric surrounding new releases. 

But there's a huge world of perfumes out there and to be quite frank, I am missing whole families of them in my testing so far! For example, chypres. I had never tried a chypre on skin (and have only sniffed a few at most). In fact, to really highlight my ignorance - I can't even tell you what the famous, iconic chypres are. Clearly I have some reading ahead of me. (If I get any credit at all for this, I do know that Hiram Green's release Shangri La is a peach chypre, and I'd like to try it). 

So, in an effort to rectify my chypre-virgin nose, I raided my sample box and decided to give the Ava Luxe chypre Mousse de Chine a try.   

The opening of Mousse de Chine offers about 10 seconds of crisp and loud citrus, then dives straight into sharp lavender and powder. Very shortly thereafter, the lavender powder becomes quieter and is joined by the earthy fern and moss. 

mossy, weedy grass

These greens are slightly herbal and pungent - and lean a touch masculine to me. For some reason, the green notes in Mousse de Chine never feel warm or inviting, instead remaining cool and stoic. This is a little unsettling for me. I guess I like warmth.

moss covered concrete stones

About 20 minutes in, the citrus notes seem to reappear and waft about me - though I don't necessarily smell them when I sniff my wrist. They just float around for a bit.

About an hour in, the lavender fades and the powder remains. The ambergris makes a slightly salty appearance, but it's not particularly loud and I mostly get powder with just a touch of something peppery.

I had to try (and re-apply) Mousse de Chine several times to even get this characterization of it, and it generally became barely noticeable by the 2 hour mark (though it's nearly imperceptible scent remained on my wrist much longer). 

To be fair, I received the sample I tested as a freebie from another lovely perfumista, so I can't be sure if it was very fresh or if time has compromised the sample at all.

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My rating of Mousse de Chine: 2

1  -  - -  -  2  -  -  -  -  3  -  -  -  -  4  -  -  -  -  5

   Nausea/Gagging         Meh        Decent       Great         Olfactory Elation    

This is the first chypre I've ever tried, so honestly I have no idea how it compares to other chypres. I'm not a big lavender fan though, so Mousse de Chine was not for me.

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Mousse de Chine as described by the Ava Luxe perfume website:

Family: Chypre

Top Notes: bergamot, lime

Middle Notes: fern, lavender, amber, spanish moss, oakmoss

Base Notes: labdanum, musk, ambergris

Perfumer: Serena Ava Franco

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Have you tried Mousse de Chine? What are some of your favorite chypres?

A Lab on Fire - What We Do in Paris is Secret (perfume review) + a kitty story.

I hope everyone had a lovely Valentine's Day! Mine was a little rough for a couple of kitty-related reasons, but the biggest one was related to Puff (the other I'll save for another post someday). 

Puff, my purely indoor kitty, stealthily escaped the house (unbeknownst to us) on one of our 2 trips out, and remained missing for at least 5 or 6 hours, if not more. In fact, we only realized he was gone because we bought a new cat condo and he didn't come out when we were rounding the kitties up to show them. After searching the house up and down for an hour or two we conceded to the idea that he must have gotten out. We searched the yard, drove around the neighborhood, posted signs, and visited the neighbors with no luck. All the while I watched the snow fall. I fretted, wondering how I was going to see a white cat in the snow, and worried about the falling temperatures - yesterday's low was supposed to be 5 and the wind has been howling all winter. (To be fair, Puff is built like an arctic kitty - covered in fur with tufted paws, so I was thankful for that.) Then I watched it get dark, wondering how I would see Puff in the dark. Every 20 minutes or so I went around to all of our doors and stepped out, calling out for Puff and shaking a treat bag, hoping he would come out. Finally, on my rounds around 7:30pm, I heard the faintest sound and I wasn't sure if it was a kitty or the children playing in the snow around the neighborhood but repeated callings revealed the tiniest of muffled meows, and I searched around the back deck where I found Puff huddled between storage baskets and the house siding. He wasn't there earlier, so I guess perhaps he had heard me calling and found his way back. Fortunately, he was found - a little dirty and hungry but safe and in my arms. So, today's review is dedicated to my sweet sweet Puff! 

I've been wanting to try A Lab on Fire's What We Do in Paris is Secret since early in my perfuming days (which admittedly was only a five or so months ago). I think I was mostly drawn to it by the name. I've never been to Paris, and even if I had, I doubt I would be privy to the exclusive or secretive happenings that I imagine when I hear this name. I had no idea what to expect, but I honestly didn't expect a sweet gourmand. I also didn't expect to be trying SO MANY gourmands. I guess that's what I get for not looking at the notes!

When I first applied What We Do in Paris is Secret, I was struck by how familiar it smells. Soooooo very familiar! It reminds me of something that was popular and prevalent back when I was in junior or senior high school or so, but unfortunately I can't place it.  CK in2u? Hugo Boss? Hugo Boss Deep Red?  Whatever Jean Paul Gaultier I had?  GAH it's so frustrating! If anyone can enlighten me, I'd be ever so appreciative...

The very beginning of What We Do in Paris is Secret feels really plush but light, like a large dollop of thick whipped cream or vanilla mousse. Or a Puff.

fluffy Puff - a sweet gourmand kitty if there ever was one!
p.s. he has lost weight since I transitioned the kitties to a raw diet, so he's actually quite svelte now.

It's voluminous, it's honeyed, and it has the presence of a whole table of desserts. And then, for a few brief moments the thick gourmand recedes like an ocean wave, unveiling a light and delicate almond that is so singular and crystalline and pure it feels like a ray of sunshine bursting through the clouds. Then the gourmand cloud returns, bringing with it a tinge of sharpness. For some reason, this sharpness makes What We Do in Paris is Secret feel a bit masculine to me. (It's also what makes it smell so darn familiar...)

The drydown is a deep vanilla with a touch of salt, a speck of sharpness and a tinge of rubber. It reminds me a bit of the drydown of Havana Vanille/Vanille Absolument. It's warm and inviting, and I could see What We Do in Paris is Secret being another winter time winner.

Although I didn't love this one the first time I wore it, it has grown on me a bit with repeated wearings. It's a sweet gourmand that I can actually handle (a stark contrast to Or du Serail, for instance). I especially love the almond note - it reminds me a lot of L'Occitane Almond Supple Skin Oil, which also smells lovely. 

Overall, What We Do in Paris is Secret is a pleasantly rich gourmand, but for me it skews a bit too masculine and is still a touch sweet for my tastes. Perhaps its the honey. Maybe I'm just not a big fan of honey as a note... Nonetheless, if you're a fan of honey and vanilla and sweet gourmands, this could be a home run for you!

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Clint's 3: vanilla, cream, light

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My rating of What We Do in Paris is Secret: 3 

1  -  - -  -  2  -  -  -  -  3  -  -  -  -  4  -  -  -  -  5

   Nausea/Gagging         Meh        Decent       Great         Olfactory Elation    

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What We Do in Paris is Secret as described by the A Lab on Fire website:

Family: Gourmand, Oriental

Top Notes: bergamot, honey, lychee

Middle Notes: turkish rose essence, vanilla, heliotrope

Base Notes: tonka bean, tolu, sandalwood, ambergris

Perfumer: Dominique Ropion

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Have you tried What We Do in Paris is Secret?  Do you have a favorite A Lab on Fire scent, or a favorite gourmand?