Juliette has a gun - Gentlewoman (perfume review + GIVEAWAY!)

Helllllloooo everyone! It has been forever and a day (again) - and I apologize.  I have really missed this blog, but home renovation work has consumed my life for the past month or so. We're still not done (are we ever??), but things are coming along grosir kaos distro and I'm excited to post about the changes over on rustyfarmhouse. But today - today I focus on perfume!  (and I hope to start posting slightly more regularly again too.)  :)

Up until about a month ago, somehow in my perfume journey I had managed to try nothing from the house Juliette has a gun. Not for lack of interest, however, just circumstances. Then suddenly I won a decant of Moondance from the lovely lovely folks at AustralianPerfumeJunkies, and then I somehow also won a sample of Gentlewoman from APJ. A couple days after that I was surprised with a promotional kaos distro sample of Gentlewoman as well. It seems my JHAG luck has turned!

Gentlewoman is the latest release from Juliette has a gun, a feminine take on the classic eau de cologne. Perfumer Romano Ricci characterizes Gentlewoman as modern, daring and free.

When I wear Gentlewoman, it opens with crisp citrus that manages to be neither too sweet nor too bitter. It feels like your fingers doused in the juices and oils of freshly peeled oranges and limes. Within moments the bright citrus notes fade into the flowy white caresses of the orange blossom. The orange blossom is soft, gentle, wispy and soapy. I can't help but think of bright, slightly overgrown sun-soaked country fields adorned grosir tas import with wavy white bedsheets hanging on expansive clothing lines. (If I'm perfectly honest, I also picture Julie Andrews twirling about and singing that the hills are alive with the sound of music...). It's really so very pretty.

The soapy orange blossom gives way to the lavender, which begins as subtle, clean and slightly masculine. I should admit that on the whole I'm not a big fan of lavender. Lavender almost always feels heavy and distinctively masculine to me. This isn't necessarily a bad thing though, and one might expect an eau de cologne to have masculine touches - even a feminine one. 

The lavender grows in intensity, becoming stronger and sadly a bit too sharp for me. Gentlewoman also becomes a bit powdery and artificial at this point, making the soft cotton sheets feel more like a dryer sheet right under my nose. Fortunately, this stronger lavender phase passes and the lavender eventually retreats into the cozy world of musk. On me, the musk in Gentlewoman feels pristinely clean - keeping Gentlewoman squarely in the work and black-tie appropriate arena. The clean laundry musk also feels a bit artificial. It is here that I wish Gentlewoman was a bit more "daring." I think a slightly more animalic musk to offset the stoic and artificial-feeling cleanliness of the lavender would be amazing.

Overall, I think JHAG did well with the concept of a feminine eau de cologne. It's a simple but pleasant fragrance. I was surprised by how much I loved the opening of Gentlewoman. The sparkling citrus of the opening is perfectly blended for my tastes and I actually really enjoy the gentle soapy character of the grosiraksesorisfashion.com orange blossom heart. Unfortunately the drydown wasn't a great fit for me, perhaps because I simply don't care much for lavender and I prefer a slightly skankier musk. But I'd dance around with Julie Andrews in the opening for hours if I could!

If you like soapy orange blossom, Gentlewoman could be a winner for you - but it may not be the best fit if you dislike soapy florals and clean musks.

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My rating of Gentlewoman: 3.5

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

   Nausea/Gagging         Meh        Decent          Great        Olfactory Elation    

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Gentlewoman as described by Juliette has a gun:

Family:  Citrus Woody Musky

Top Notes: Neroli Essence, Bitter Orange Petitgrain Essence, Calabrian Bergamot Essence (Capua)

Heart Notes: Almond Essence, Coumarin, Orange Blossom Absolute, Lavender Essence 

Base Notes: Ambroxan, Musks (Muscenone and Ambretolide)

Perfumer: Romano Ricci

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A Scent Life's FIRST GIVEAWAY!
Since I was lucky enough to both win a sample and receive a promotional sample of Gentlewoman, I'd be delighted to share the wealth and give away my promotional sample. 

Who is eligible?
Readers worldwide are eligible, though I cannot guarantee it's safe arrival for my non-US friends or replace it if something goes awry.

How do I win?  (updated)
Just leave a comment telling me about why you'd like to try Gentlewoman and if you have any favorite JHAG scents that I should try.  The draw will remain open until June 1st. The winner will have several days to claim their prize, so don't forget to check if you've won!

*Although I received a promotional sample of Gentlewoman, all opinions are my own and honest. 

The Different Company - Tokyo Bloom (perfume review)

Hello everyone!

It has been a lot longer than I had hoped since my last post. I brought a hoard of samples with me on my trip to my parents' house thinking I'd have ample time to sample and review lots of fragrances with my parents around to entertain the nugget. Haha, I'm so silly... 

It took a long time just to recover from the 2-flight, 14 hour trip cross country. We finally got to bed at 1:30 am PST (which felt like 4:30 am EST to us), just to have Walden wake up less than 3 hours later - obviously he didn't take note of the time change. In the following couple of days, Clint had to fly off for a business trip and Walden began cutting 3 (or 4?!) new teeth, leaving him fussier and clingier to me than he's ever been. He's finally settled down and is allowing my parents to hang out with him, and likewise I've finally emerged from the deep, hazy fog of fatigue that hung over me for several days.

And, like my fatigue, the rain has lifted and it feels like spring in the beautiful Pacific Northwest. I've escaped the harsh winter of Maryland for the lovely weather of Washington. It rained for a couple of days, but the last couple of days have been gorgeous. Temps are in the low 50's, the sun is shining, Mt. Rainier is out in all of her glory, and everything is beginning to bloom - especially in my parents' yard (as seen below). As such, The Different Company's Tokyo Bloom was a perfect scent to bring on my trip.

the magnolia tree

hyacinth buds

the camelias blooming

cherry blossoms

I don't have the right vocabulary to describe Tokyo Bloom. It's a beautiful floral. I really really love the first few minutes. The opening is fresh and vibrant, dewy and sheer - but not so soft that you don't notice it. It's the sunshine of summer, the crisp cool air of spring. It's green and a touch grassy. There's a soft powder that tickles the nose like pollen. Without seeing the notes I couldn't tell you off the top of my head what kind of flowers are in Tokyo Bloom. I remember seeing comments from others about dandelions and maybe that's true (we'll find out below!). These flowers do possess a childlike innocence and simplicity to them, and dandelions are a flower I inherently associate with childhood (as well as one of my favorite songs from my high school (ska) days - 'Dandelions' by Five Iron Frenzy - which is made even more meaningful by my entrance into the world of motherhood. It's really sweet and definitely worth a listen (even if you're not a ska person). Song w/lyrics here).

I am positive that there is no dearth of photorealistic floral scents on the market, but the thing that I love about the opening of Tokyo Bloom is that is possesses something that I don't experience that often - it really feels alive to me. And I love that. I'd reapply to experience the opening again and again.

Tokyo Bloom isn't particularly complex, and after the vibrancy of the opening, the heart and drydown are a bit of a let down. It loses the life-like energy that pulses through the opening. While it remains a sheer and pretty floral, there are moments where it gets slightly sharp and starts to smell a touch artificial. It fades fairly quickly, and is no sillage monster. (It's listed on their website under the l'esprit cologne collection.) While I won't spring for a full bottle, I'll happily use my Olfactif sample whenever I need an uplifting touch of spring. I could also see it being lovely as a linen spray (although it's probably a bit expensive for that).

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My rating of Tokyo Bloom: 3.5

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

   Nausea/Gagging         Meh        Decent          Great         Olfactory Elation    

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Tokyo Bloom as described by the The Different Company website:

Family: Aromatic - Citrus 

Top Notes: basil, dandelion, black currant

Middle Notes: jasmine, cyclamen petals

Base Notes: gaiac wood, musk, amber

Perfumer: Emilie Copperman

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Have you tried Tokyo Bloom or any other fragrances from The Different Company?

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. 

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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.

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My rating of Bigarade Concentree: 1

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

       Nausea/Gagging         Meh        Decent       Great         Olfactory Elation    

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Bigarade Concentree as described by the Aedes website:

Family: Citrus

Top Notes: Orange

Middle Notes: Rose

Base Notes: Cedarwood, Hay

Perfumer: Jean-Claude Ellena

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

*sample obtained by me.