Naomi Goodsir - Or du Sérail (perfume review)

When you're new to perfume and you don't know what you like and dislike, its easy to fall into the trap of wanting everything you read about. Especially when it seems like everyone and their mom adores it. It's so so easy to do.

Such was the case with Or du Sérail. I was taken by its evocative reviews and intriguing notes and descriptors - golden tobacco, velvet-like, charmingly sensuous... (to be fair, I'm obsessed with the idea that I'd love a tobacco perfume, though I'm not sure if that is really true). It really sounded exotic and amazing.

Alas, you live and you learn. Hopefully. (I have learned, for instance, that I really can't do sweet gourmands.)

Or du Sérail is, in one word, overwhelming. It's a rich, syrupy concoction that's heavy and sickeningly sweet. It's as dense as Christmas fruitcake, with the sting of the rum that it's soaked in. 

In my opinion Or du Sérail defines the term 'cloying.' The first hour or two also possess a knife-life sharpness that clings to my nostrils and burns them. I can feel Or du Sérail in my throat and it even makes my eyes water. Unfortunately it is also very headache inducing. In all honesty, I can barely even sniff my wrist during the first hour.

But even without sniffing my wrist, I feel suffocated by the opening of this scent. I'm drowning in a red river of assorted molten lollipops - cherry, apple, cranberry, strawberry. It's thick, hot and sticky. I finally reach the river's edge only to fall captive to an almost coconutty vanilla quicksand, sinking ever deeper...

Imagine this is red molten lollipops instead of chocolate!

A little over an hour into the wear the strength of Or du Sérail dies down and I'm able to sniff my wrist with relative safety and comfort. It's still terribly sweet, but there's so much going on that the only thing I can really pick out is the amber.

The sugar tones down and the next couple hours of the drydown are tolerable, though *still* a bit too sweet for me. At this point, around 3-4 hours, Or du Sérail is far less fruity but far more decadent. The fragrance is centered around a heavy tobacco note over honeyed vanilla, chocolate and amber. 

At 6-ish hours into the wear, the sweetness of Or du Sérail becomes softer still. The vanilla phases out and the character of the fragrance is dominated by the wood notes, which lay gently under scattered tobacco leaves. At this point Or du Sérail is almost a skin scent. It is dry, lightly sweet, only mildly perceptible, and I finally find it quite pleasant.

For me, obviously, Or du Sérail is too much. (Dabbed on, at that.) While I do enjoy the very end of the drydown, the tongue-curling sweetness of the opening and the rich decadence of the middle make Or du Sérail a bit of an olfactory challenge. But I am somewhat scent sensitive, so this clearly wasn't a good pick for me. Nonetheless, you may want to give Or du Sérail a try if you like bold, fruity, boozy gourmands or tobacco scents.

-----

Clint's 3: Fruity, Bitter, Sharp

Sums it up nicely.

-----

My rating of Or du Serail: 1.5 

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

      Nausea/Gagging         Meh        Decent       Great         Olfactory Elation    

-----

Or du Serail as described by the Peony Melbourne website:

Family: Dry Woods/Rich

Top Notes: Cistus, Apple and red fruits, Mango, Rum, Sweet Orange, Davana, Sage
Middle Notes: Beeswax, Coco, Geranium, Ylang-ylang, Turkish Tobacco, Amber
Base Notes: Labdanum, Oak Tree, Cedarwood, Musk, Vanilla, Maté

Perfumer: Bertrand Duchaufour

For some other (more positive) takes on Or du Sérail, check out the following great reviews: Kafkaesque, AustralianPerfumeJunkies, NST, CaFleureBon 

-----

What do you think of Or du Sérail? Do you have a favorite Duchaufour fragrance?

*sample purchased by me

Frederick Malle - Bigarade Concentree (perfume review)

When I first opened my small vial of Frederick Malle's Bigarade Concentree, I was greeted with just the most pleasant of citrus smells and I got excited. It's the middle of a dreary winter, and maybe a good citrus was just what I needed. I put it on, and in my eager anticipation, I did so a bit more heavily handed than usual.

This was a *big mistake*. 

photo found on pinterest, source unknown

Less than one minute in, the lovely citrus that wafted from the vial turned into a vile and ugly rotting lemon, sharp and acrid, collapsing into it's own pit of mold. But even worse than that (is that even possible??), was the loud, forceful stench of body odor (surely due to the phantom CUMIN never listed in the notes). The only thing 'concentree' about Bigarade Concentree was the BO! And this isn't even the possibly attractive smell of a man who'd "been chopping wood in the forest" or "working out" or any other sweat-inducing but possibly attractive activity... This is the BO of a grossly hungover guy that binge drank vodka, gorged himself on foods drenched in oil and hadn't showered in several days. In short, it is horrifyingly nauseating - at least on my skin. Your mileage may vary.

That being said, I know it's not just me. After trying Bigarade Concentree and commenting about it on NST, I googled it a bit. I saw people likening it to a NYC taxi driver that had just eaten an orange, and other less than savory comparisons. 

This is easily, easily the worst scent I've tried on skin. I'd rather smell like deli pickles than this.

So, if cumin has it's nasty way with you, beware. You've been warned! 

If cumin doesn't morph into nasty BO on you, this may be a very pleasant citrus scent. 

-----

Clint's 3:  I actually (and unfortunately) tried this scent twice and Clint wasn't home either time. I was unwilling to apply it a 3rd time in order to get Clint's opinion.

-----

My rating of Bigarade Concentree: 1

(1)  -  - -  -  2  -  -  -  -  3  -  -  -  -  4  -  -  -  -  5

       Nausea/Gagging         Meh        Decent       Great         Olfactory Elation    

-----

Bigarade Concentree as described by the Aedes website:

Family: Citrus

Top Notes: Orange

Middle Notes: Rose

Base Notes: Cedarwood, Hay

Perfumer: Jean-Claude Ellena

-----

Have you tried Bigarade Concentree? Did you have a better experience than me?

*sample obtained by me.

Atelier Cologne - Gold Leather (perfume review)

I'll be honest, of all of the samples that came in the Atelier Cologne set, I may have been the least enthusiastic to try Gold Leather. To be fair, I hadn't read anything about it and my prejudice was based solely on the name, which I didn't particularly care for. I'm not even really sure what I had against the name, I guess I just associated it with an image of gaudiness. I've also tried very few leather scents but haven't had great success with them on my skin (I'm looking at you Kelly Caleche and BV Knot), so perhaps those experiences contributed to my lack of excitement. 

So when I randomly drew Gold Leather from my fine jewelry box of samples, I kind of shrugged my shoulders in disappointment. But hey, I had to try it at some point, right?

And then I put it on.

Wow. 

...

Gold Leather is extremely alluring on (my) skin. I was immensely shocked by how quickly I was drawn into this enticing gourmandy leather. Everytime I wear it, I find my wrist stays glued to my nose - consciously or subconsciously.

The opening features a crisp, almost cranberry-like citrus that manages to be simultaneously warm and cool at the same time. After the first bursts of citrus die down, a sweet and spicy plum emerges. This temptress is dark, boozy, thick and jammy - with a touch of pepper. She's a bit playful, she's definitely sexy, and she is really quite delicious.

Elizabeth Taylor in 1960, via dailymail.co.uk

This dark-haired siren calls for you as she lays seductively upon her bed of soft nude leather. The leather is soft, supple, warm and cozy. But before she can get too hot, the woods in the base wrap our jammy queen in their dry airiness - ultimately preventing Gold Leather from ever becoming too cloying, spicy or heavy. Interestingly for the first 30 minutes or so, the scent distinctly shifts between plum or leather, but after that they blend together seamlessly. 

Several hours (5 or so) into the dry down, Gold Leather loses its spicy edge and becomes an innocent skin scent - lightly sweet and slightly leathery. Still gorgeous, but in a new light. It stays on my skin that way through the next morning and occasionally through a shower. 

And as much as I hate to admit it, I can understand the name Gold Leather - the perfect combination of nude leather and wood emanates luxury. However, while the golden leather may be luxurious, it's the spicy plum that keeps me coming back for more. 

To me, Gold Leather feels like a power scent - it's assertive and sexy, bold yet refined. This is easy my favorite Atelier (so far).

This would almost definitely be on my FB wishlist, but at $195/100ml bottle (or $295 for the 200ml + 30ml ecrin absolu set), I think it's a bit out of my price range. Perhaps if the bottle weren't plated in real gold (it really is)... I suppose I can dream that they'll offer the 30ml bottles someday.

-----

Clint's 3: Pleasant, Beachy, Floral

Hehe, I think he might be getting the beachy vibe from the wood. I'm not exactly sure about the floral - but that's what he smells!

-----

My rating of Gold Leather: 4.25

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

   Nausea/Gagging         Meh        Decent       Great         Olfactory Elation      

-----

Gold Leather as described by the Atelier Cologne website:

Family: Woody Leather*

Top Notes: bitter orange from Seville, Indian saffron, Jamaican rum

Middle Notes: plum, davana from India, eucalyptus from California

Base Notes: heart of gaiac wood from India, heart of cedarwood from Texas, leather & oud accord

Perfumer: Jerome Epinette

*Personally I would consider Gold Leather more of a fruity leather than a woody leather (though I can understand why they would say woody leather). Interestingly though, the Atelier line has another fragrance, Rendez-vous, which they characterize as a fruity leather. I'm really interested to try that one too now!

-----

Have you tried Gold Leather and if so, what are your opinions on it? What are some of your favorite Atelier scents?

Histoires de Parfums - Vert Pivoine (perfume review)

Being new to the wonderful world of perfume, I sought to grow my sample base as quickly as possible. I found that one of the easiest and cheapest ways to do that was to buy sample packs offered by perfume houses. I started with the 10 piece L'Artisan Parfumeur sampler (awesome!) and quickly followed that with a Histoires de Parfums sampler. 

The L'Artisan sampler comes packaged with 10 pre-selected scents, but the Histoires de Parfums sample program allows you to choose any 6 of their scents for 20 USD. Each sample is 0.07 oz, or just over 2 ml. Since I'm pretty clueless when it comes to perfumes, I chose my 6 based off of the descriptions and what I thought I might like note-wise. I also checked out their reviews on Luckyscent. I received the samples about 2 weeks after ordering them and have chosen not to re-read the descriptions prior to sampling to avoid influencing my perceptions of each scent.

The glass vial samples came packaged in a little paper box with paperwork describing the scents.  The kit was mailed in a small bubble envelope.

I've read that perfumes can behave differently when sprayed or dabbed on, so I started by transferring all 6 scents into plastic atomizers. After the transfer, one of the first HdP scents I tried was Vert Pivoine - which translates to Green Peony. I'm no perfumista, so bear with me here as I try to describe my experience.

Photo from Histoires de Parfums Press Downloads

I applied approximately one and a half sprays on my left wrist/forearm. Before I could give Vert Pivoine a chance to dry and then sniff, I was bombarded with a very green (as advertised in the name) opening. The scent was distinctly recognizable but it took me a minute or so to place it - and unfortunately it wasn't peony. To be fair I'm not actually sure what Peony smells like, so maybe I'm wrong. Nonetheless, for me Vert Pivoine opened up with pickles. Not a mere suggestion of pickles dancing amidst a bouquet of beautiful flowers - peonies if you will - but straight up, 100% pickles. More specifically, these were not the vinegary Vlassic jar pickles (which I would have preferred), but the deli pickles you get quartered on the side of your deli sandwich or on a Chicago hot dog. I've never liked these pickles. 

That being said, the pickle opening did have a certain effervescent energy to it. Perhaps the refreshing essence of cucumber was shining through? In fact, my 5 month old son promptly awoke from his nap - filled with an unusual vigor - the moment I sat down beside him post-spritz. (This is probably another ping against the fragrance in my book...)

After 5 minutes or so, the screaming pickles faded down to... well... pickle perfume. I'm not really sure how to describe it. Vert Pivoine definitely had a classic (dare I say "old-lady") perfume-y base above which floated the distinct and enduring pickle. It must be something in my chemistry, because I simply can't imagine that peonies smell like deli pickles, and if they DO, I can't imagine that anyone would want to smell like them.

About two hours later the pickle may have faded away completely. I did feel as though I was still smelling it, but I'm not sure if it was really there or if my brain was stuck on pickle. At this point however, Vert Pivoine was becoming unpleasantly sharp - the kind of sharp that clings to the inside of your nose and burns. Not unlike the ammonia in cat pee. Of course it didn't smell like cat pee, but that's what it felt like in my nose. Pungent and headache inducing. I wondered if babies get headaches and worried that I was subjecting my poor Walden to a headache as well.

By the three hour mark I could bear the torture no longer and tried washing it off with tea tree oil hand soap and then again with lavender hand soap. While I couldn't get all of the fragrance off of my wrist I did mute the scent enough for my headache to go away. A sniff of the wrist still imparted a faint pickle scent and at that point I was tempted to go to the store and buy some pickles (the Vlassic kind, which I do enjoy).

-----

My rating of Vert Pivoine:  1.5

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

 Nausea/Gagging           Meh       Decent       Great         Olfactory Elation 

-----

Vert Pivoine as described in the Histoires de Parfums Press Kit:
fresh floral; fem.

Peony is considered as the queen of flowers in China, expressing elegance and wealth. Its colored roundness and exquisitely fresh floral vapor trail is an ode to femininity.

Top Note: Peony, Ivy Leaves, Rose water

Heart Note: Peony, Rose, Mimosa, Gardenia, Rose Berry

Base Note: Peony, Cedar, Sandal, Musk 

Perfumer: Gerald Ghislain

-----

The reviews of Vert Pivoine on Luckyscent make it sound oh-so-floral, but unfortunately I didn't get any florals - except perhaps in the old-lady perfume scent in the drydown. (I'm not sure what notes comprise the old-lady perfume scent.) I can agree, however, that the scent was green, fresh (pickles are fresh, right?), and on the revitalizing side. I may have to give this one another go in the very distant future to see if anything changes. I'd love to experience this as a fresh and feminine floral.

Have you tried Vert Pivoine? If so, I'd love to hear your take on it!