Dame Perfumery Scottsdale - Black Flower Mexican Vanilla (perfume review)

Heeeeellllllllllloooooooooo! Just in case you've forgotten, my name is Sun and I like perfume :)

It's been forever, and I am so sad that it has taken so long to get another post up. Between some new in-progress DIY home renovations (they'll eventually get published at rustyfarmhouse), Clint's awful work schedule and my wonderful baby that hates sleeping (unless I'm lying next to him, that is), I've barely had time to try any new perfumes attentively, let alone write about them.

But, I wanted to get a review of this one in before the spring fully hits and this recent wave of cooler weather has been a perfect time to wear Black Flower Mexican Vanilla (hereafter referred to as BFMV) again.

photo from Dame Perfumery Scottsdale,
artistry by Jeffrey Dame's father V. Dave Dame.

While there's probably hundreds of vanilla scents I've yet to try - so far BFMV is one of my favorites. It's a little bit foody without being sickly sweet or reminiscent of cake, cookies, frosting or ice cream. Ultimately it's vanilla - all grown up.

The opening is big and plush, like a cumulous cloud of dark, rich vanilla. Some slightly sharp citrus elements (I smell mostly grapefruit) cut through the cloud like bolts of lightning, but they're wrapped in the spicy warmth of nutmeg which keeps them from being overwhelming and gives BFMV a really unique character.

The strength of the vanilla tones down a bit in the heart, and this provides room for the florals to peek through. They're not strong and I personally couldn't identify the floral notes as gardenia and jasmine, but they are lovely. If I *really* sniff hard, there's a tiny bit of soapiness for me. The florals are slowly replaced by sandalwood in the early dry down, which makes the composition begin to feel lighter, like replacing a thick wool scarf with a cashmere scarf. 

Later in the drydown there's a lightly chewy, black licorice-y note. Usually I hate black licorice, but here it seems to just add texture to the vanilla rather than scent or overpower it, so I don't mind. The black licorice note reminds me a little bit of Un Bois Vanille, but BFMV isn't nearly as sweet.

And then there's the super late drydown. This part of BFMV is completely awesome in it's own right. Though the earlier stages of BFMV aren't super gourmandy on me, the late drydown smells like hot cocoa and s'mores. A touch of cocoa, a touch of vanilla, a little powdery graham cracker... Yum. It's the first time BFMV presents as sweet - but not overly so. I probably couldn't handle a strong overtly s'more from-the-get-go scent, but in the soft drydown, it's perfect. And it is enjoyable for a long time because the longevity of BFMV is really great - it lasts at least 24 hours on my skin. 

BFMV has usurped Eau Duelle to land in my top 3 favorite vanilla scents (along with Vanille Galante and Orchidee Vanille). Some may be able to wear BFMV year round, however vanilla (in general) feels a little heavy for me when the temps are up. As such, I think Black Flower Mexican Vanilla is especially wonderful on chilly fall/winter days. 

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My rating of Black Flower Mexican Vanilla: 4

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

   Nausea/Gagging         Meh        Decent       Great         Olfactory Elation    

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Black Flower Mexican Vanilla as described by the Dame Perfumery website:  "The composition is vanilla absolute with touches of lemon, grapefruit, caramel, nutmeg, gardenia, jasmine, sandalwood, patchouli, vetiver, musk and tonka - but the ingredient list is less important than the final blend. " 

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Have you tried Black Flower Mexican Vanilla or any other Dame Perfumery scents?


*sample of BFMV originally obtained through Olfactif, but I also received a sampler set from the perfumer himself, Jeffrey Dame. Like all of my reviews, the review of BFMV was objective and unbiased, however I feel compelled to mention how sweet and generous Jeffrey is. His passion is truly to share perfume with the world. Very very reasonably priced samples and bottles are available at his website, and he has a free postcard sample program as well.

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?

Parfums de Nicolai - Sacrebleu (perfume review)

I feel like I have been completely MIA - it's been a long couple of weeks! The extended and nuclear family has battled several colds and yucky stomach bugs, and somewhere in there I turned 32.  Yep, the big 3-2. :) And though I had fully intended to put several perfumed items on my birthday list, I just never got around to it - and to be honest - there weren't many fragrances that I *really* felt I needed to have. (Still thinking about getting a decant of Gold Leather, though). I guess I'm rather picky, which is delightful for my wallet but disappointing at the same time. 

But finally we're all feeling a bit better and I've resumed the search for some perfume loves. I'm turning attention back to my pile of samples that remained neglected while the family was under the weather. Yay!

I suppose it's not super helpful to review fragrances that are discontinued - but unfortunately I only have a sample of the discontinued Sacrebleu, and none of Sacrebleu Intense which is still currently available. I am curious how they differ.

On me, Sacrebleu opens up with a thick, syrupy sweet orange with an undercurrent of spice and maybe even a touch of anise. Alongside the sweet fruity melange, there is a thick and sweet almondy vanilla aura which gives it a slightly gourmand quality.  On me, however, there is an artificiality to the rich sweetness that lends it a little bit of a rubbery plastic vibe a few minutes into the opening. Overall, Sacrebleu feels plush and enveloping, and in my mind, distinctly golden orange in hue. Wearing it feels as if you're curled up in this chair on a chilly day.

photo from Horchow

After 10 minutes or so, the white floral heart sneaks out, but honestly the components are so well blended that its hard to separate them or sense when they're really beginning or ending. The florals are sweet and buttery, which is a very natural continuation of the sweetness of the opening, though at this point the sweetness isn't as thick or syrupy. The cinnamon lays low in the composition, but partners with the carnation to give the scent a spicy kick.

The early dry down features a slightly sweet and slightly musky amber. Honestly, I'm not that big of a fan of this kind of amber (it's growing on me a little bit), so it's not really my thing. However, an hour or so later into the wear, the amber is accompanied by darker notes of incense, and I really enjoy this part of the dry down. The incense counterbalances the sweetness of the amber and together, the scent is extremely pleasant and comforting.

For me, the opening is a bit too sweet and heavy, which detracts from my enjoyment. I'm starting to realize that gourmandy sweetness is something I'm pretty sensitive to, and often experience headaches or nausea from it. Sacrebleu was shy of being nauseating or headache inducing, but still a bit much for me. I suspect that for others it would be a lovely, comfy, enveloping oriental vanilla. The mid to late stages of Sacrebleu are really lovely, especially (I'd think) if you're a fan of amber. Although this one isn't FB worthy for me, Sacrebleu strikes me as a lovely, well-done perfume that I could envision many enjoying.

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Clint's 3: spicy, bubble gum, cinnamon

Sometimes I am so impressed by Clint's nose!  A review of Sacrebleu on Perfume Posse also noted a 'juicy fruit' note - so Clint is in good company!

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My rating of Sacrebleu: 3.25 

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

      Nausea/Gagging         Meh        Decent          Great         Olfactory Elation      

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Sacrebleu as formally described by the Parfums de Nicolai website:

Family: Oriental Vanilla

Top Notes:  mandarin, red fruits

Middle Notes: carnation, tuberose, jasmine, cinnamon oil

Base Notes: frankincense, patchouli, sandalwood, peru balsam, tonka absolute

Perfumer: Patricia de Nicolai

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Have you tried Sacrebleu, or its remaining successor Sacrebleu Intense? How do they differ? Do you like them?

Serge Lutens - Santal Majuscule & Fleurs d'Oranger (perfume review)

Santal Majuscule

The opening seconds of Santal Majuscule on my skin is an exceptionally lovely, lightly floral scent. But after just a few seconds, it morphs into a combination of bitterness and burnt butter. A mild element of creaminess sneaks in, moderating the bitterness and Santal Majuscule almost sweetens up to a creme brulee, but then the sharp wood note takes over.

In a short time, the wood note loses the creaminess and begins to feel drier. About 10 minutes in I get something slightly medicinal, and I'm not really sure what it is. This fades slightly, but Santal Majuscule never really progresses beyond this for me.  It stays slightly medicinal, dry and woody, and has a dark brown aura.

On my skin, Santal Majuscule feel a bit raw and unfinished, where I would hope for a slightly rounder and creamier feel. I'm really confused by the notes, because I get no rose or chocolate. It must be a chemistry thing.

Family: Wood

Top Notes: Rose

Middle Notes: Tonka bean, Rosewood

Base Notes: Sandalwood, Cocoa

Perfumer: Christopher Sheldrake

* * * * * * * * *

Fleurs d'Oranger

Upon first application, Fleurs d'Oranger presents as a soft and slightly powdery orange blossom. To me, the opening feels like a delicate cloud - beautifully feminine and lovely. Within a couple of minutes, the scent becomes a little spicy and peppery which is pleasantly reminiscent of the spicy and sweet orange blossom of L'Artisan Parfumeur's Seville a l'Aube. 

Unfortunately, just after the pepper the familiar tang of cumin makes it's entrance. To be fair, this is no Bigarade Concentree. On the whole, the cumin isn't *terribly* strong but it does register as body odor on my skin, and regrettably it detracts from the whole experience for me. 

My son Walden, clearly confused and upset that cumin is used in perfumery...

After 15 minutes or so, Fleurs d'Oranger introduces a combination of creamy white florals. They lend a plushness to the scent and their weight works well to balance the sweetness of the orange blossom and the spice of the cumin. 

Fleurs d'Oranger doesn't strike me as a particularly complex scent, with few evolutions before the drydown. Nonetheless, it is a pleasant, easy to wear, happy perfume. I think I'd like it a lot if it didn't possess the pervasive undercurrent of BO from the cumin. 

Of note, I've read that older versions of Fleurs d'Oranger contain more cumin than the more recent formulations.  I received my sample in a swap, so I'm not sure if the sample I tested from was of the older or newer variety.

Family: Floral

Top Notes: Orange Blossom, Neroli

Middle Notes: Tuberose, Jasmine

Base Notes: Hibiscus, Cumin, Musk

Perfumer: Christopher Sheldrake

* * * * * * * * *

My rating of Santal Majuscule and Fleurs d'Oranger: 2 

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

   Nausea/Gagging         Meh        Decent       Great         Olfactory Elation    

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So far I have only tried a few Serge Lutens fragrances, but none have really dazzled me. I'm not sure if it's a body chemistry thing, my unsophisticated perfume tastes or if I'm just not trying the right ones. 

What are your thoughts on Santal Majuscule and/or Fleurs d'Oranger? And, if you're a Serge Lutens fan, what are some of your favorites? I'd love some recommendations for others to try!

Hiram Green - Moon Bloom (perfume review)

Happy New Year! Thanks for reading my first official post of 2015!  *hugs*

Not too long before Christmas Clint informed me that he needed ideas for one last Christmas gift, as the list I had provided wasn't quite enough to split between him and the family Secret Santa. So I put 2 more things on my list - the 5ml travel atomizer of Moon Bloom and an equally priced scarf. I was kind of hoping for the Moon Bloom as I have read countless lovely reviews for it - but instead I got the best of both worlds, the scarf (which I love increasingly by the day) and a sample of Hiram Green's first creation.

sample purchased from Indigo Perfumery

Moon Bloom is an all natural eau de parfum and it is lovely. On me, the first sniffs are lush, green, creamy and nutty - channeling the smooth aura of coconut without the sweetness. After the initial wave passes, the white florals come out to play. The sharpness that I commonly associate with florals emerges first, and is then balanced by pearly soapiness. The floral accord shifts back and forth between the creamy tuberose and jasmine; they dance together in the night - the moonlight shining down on them through a veil of coconut. There remains a touch of green, and Moon Bloom is warmly tropical. Several other reviewers mention a rubbery notes and a medicinal camphor/menthol note in the opening, but I don't really get either on my skin - though I was dabbing from a vial. 

As Moon Bloom dries down, the jasmine fades behind the tuberose, whose creaminess is enhanced by a touch of sweet banana (which I've read comes from the ylang-ylang). Despite it's milky character (which I would envision as being opaque in my head), Moon Bloom becomes quite light in the dry down, and it feels more like catching a floral breeze through a tropical garden than smelling a bouquet of white tropical flowers.

The sharpness in the early stages Moon Bloom varied on me over several wears. Some days it was hardly perceptible, and other days nearly headache inducing. The greenness varied a bit as well, but the creamy tuberose and milky coconut were a constant - and they alone are worth the wear.

There is no question that Moon Bloom is a beautiful and captivating tuberose - and one that all admirers of tuberose should try. In many ways, Moon Bloom reminded me of my beloved Do Son EdP - lush, creamy, milky florals married with greens. However for me, Moon Bloom doesn't quite live up to Do Son. This is actually a huge relief since I just received my bottle of Do Son for Christmas. On my skin, Do Son feels lusher and thicker, creamier and more opulent - without the sharpness.

While I will *happily* use my sample, I don't think I personally need Moon Bloom while I have Do Son. So in the end, I am exceedingly thankful that Clint got me the beautiful scarf - I guess he knows me even better than I do. :)

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Clint's 3: Soapy, Rose, Sharp

Clint thought Moon Bloom smelled nice, but it didn't elicit as much enthusiasm as some others. I'm not sure where he got rose - but maybe he just associates all floral smells with roses?  :) 

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My rating of Moon Bloom: 4 

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

   Nausea/Gagging         Meh        Decent       Great         Olfactory Elation    

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Moon Bloom as described by the Hiram Green website:

"Moon Bloom includes generous amounts of tuberose absolute, jasmine absolute and ylang ylang. There are also notes of coconut, leafy greens and hints of tropical spices and resins."

Perfumer: Hiram Green

There's no shortage of reviews on this beautiful scent. For further reading, check out: EauMG, The Scented Hound, Now Smell This, Olfactoria's Travels, Perfume Posse, Kafkaesque, Perfume Shrine, Smelly Thoughts, CaFleureBon.

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Have you tried Moon Bloom? What are some of your favorite and least favorite tuberose perfumes?

Atelier Cologne - Oolang Infini (perfume review)

There is little better than a lovely cup of hot tea on a cool fall morning (or an ice-cold fall morning, if the polar vortex is having its way with you). As such, I turned to Atelier's Oolang Infini to see if it could bring me the feelings of warmth and comfort that a nice tea would.

Photo from Atelier Cologne website

Upon first spray, the opening of Oolang Infini is crisp and fresh, citrusy and bright. For me it was immediately reminiscent of the Twining's Lady Grey iced tea I used to drink on occasion (a blend of black tea, orange, bergamot, lemon and lime), though the tea note may be a bit more demure than the black tea used in Earl or Lady Grey.

I'm not sure if it's a quality of the fragrance or my personal chemistry with it but Oolang Infini was exceptionally soft and light. I actually had to reapply Oolang Infini twice within 15 minutes to maintain any level of scent. There are very few scents of which I could tolerate 6 sprays without massive nausea or headaches, and honestly with this one I could probably tolerate several more still.

After the initial fragrant burst of tea dies down, Oolang Infini's tea notes float lightly above the skin - soapy and clean. The tea notes are, however, marked by a small undercurrent of tannic bitterness that makes the scent feel just a tad medicinal and sharp on me. After an hour or so, that sharpness fades a bit but unfortunately I don't get a lot of the blond leather or wood notes that others seem to enjoy. Perhaps for this reason, Oolang Infini feels cool to me - lacking the warmth or depth of a nice full-bodied tea. Around the three hour mark only the faintest waft of soapiness is discernible with the wrist to the nose - even after 6 sprays. Surprisingly though, that faint waft was still detectable by the next morning.

Although it evokes more of an Earl or Lady Grey tea feeling for me than Oolong - Oolang Infini is definitely a realistic tea scent. It's gentle nature is office appropriate, comfortable for everyday use and very gender neutral. I think it would be quite becoming on a man, but I'll never know because Clint did not care for it in the least.

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Clint's 3: As I noted above, Clint struggled with this one (made a very disgusted face) and really wanted his words to be "I don't like it." I was a bit surprised by his strong and visceral reaction to a scent I found fairly pleasant and quite inoffensive. Nonetheless I forced my wrist upon him repeatedly and he finally came up with:

Citrusy, Soapy, 'Musky'

Musky was my word - Clint didn't have a precise word but said it smells like our dog after she has rolled in something outside and needs a bath. We're not really sure what it is she rolls in. It doesn't smell like dung... but it does reek of dirty animal. Needless to say, I didn't smell it, but everyone's nose is different.

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My rating of Oolang Infini: 3 

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

    Nausea/Gagging         Meh        Decent       Great         Olfactory Elation    

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Oolang Infini as described by the Atelier Cologne website:

Oolang Infini, a full-bodied, mysterious concoction, captures blue tea and bergamot in the warmth of smoke and leather.

Top Notes: bergamot from Calabria, Tunisian neroli, freesia

Middle Notes: oolong tea, jasmine from Egypt, blond leather

Base Notes: tobacco flower from the Balkans, gaiac wood from India, musk 

Perfumer: Jerome Epinette

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Have you tried Oolang Infini? What are your favorite tea scents and teas?