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

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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

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

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   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!

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

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       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.

Histoires de Parfums - Moulin Rouge 1889 (perfume review)

After giving myself an ample buffer of time following my bad experiences with Vert Pivoine and Blanc Violette, I figured it was finally time to start trying some of the other Histoires de Parfums samples I had purchased. Next on the list was Moulin Rouge 1889.

Photo from Histoires de Parfums Press Visuals

Moulin Rouge is definitely one of the more interesting scents that I've tried so far.  Upon first spritz, I'm greeted with a rather strong plastic smell - but warm plastic - the smell of plasticky dashboard baking in a sun-drenched car. Then when I take a closer sniff of my wrist, there's a definite acridity, delicately wrapped in sweetness, that's reminiscent of rotting fruit. The two scents are clearly separate entities and somehow they dance briskly together without merging. I can't help but think of Johnny reminding Baby to lock her wrists and her arms, emphasizing what was his space and what was her space. (Important side note: BEST MOVIE EVER!!)

After a few moments the forceful plastic relents, making room for powder and the previously distinct auras begin to meld into one. Now I can almost feel the puffs of compact powder swirling about my nose and the creamy dark red lipstick smearing onto my lips. The zing of cinnamon adds energy to the scent and one could easily envision the experience of the Moulin Rouge - the glitz, the glam, the lights, the excitement. The costumed performers back-stage applying their make-up, the drinks, the laughter, the perspiration...

From here the scent gets softer. Instead of being in the middle of the excitement at the Moulin Rouge, I'm now opening a velvet-lined make-up drawer, inhaling the combination of powders, lipsticks, blush and perfumes that have left their caresses upon their vermillion cocoon.

Moulin Rouge never loses its powder and lipstick accords, but in the dry down it mellows out and veers into the territory of a skin scent. While being powdery, it flirts with creamy beige leather. The musk grounds the powdery sweetness and brings a touch of human warmth to the composition.

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Clint's 3: Masculine (reminds him of his grandpa), Coffee, Mint Chocolate

Wow - Clint was all over the board on this one! It really goes to show you that everyone's noses are different. I think he was struggling to describe the warm sweetness of the dry down when he came up with coffee and mint chocolate. It's also interesting that he thought it smelled masculine and reminded him of his grandpa. I've heard of tons of perfumes being 'old lady' but not many being 'old man'!

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My rating of Moulin Rouge 1889: 3

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    Nausea/Gagging         Meh        Decent       Great         Olfactory Elation     

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Moulin Rouge 1889 as described by the Histoires de Parfums website:

Family: floral powdered; feminine

Top Notes: Tangerine, Prune, Cinnamon

Middle Notes: Absinthe, Rose of Damas

Base Notes: Iris, Patchouli, Musk, Fir

Perfumer: Gerald Ghislain

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Given that Vert Pivoine and Blanc Violette were disasters on me - this is easily my favorite of the three Histoires de Parfums perfumes that I've tried so far. While I can't claim to love the opening of Moulin Rouge 1889, I can appreciate its interesting combination of notes and evolution on the skin. I was surprised by how much I do actually enjoy the powdery sweet lipstick pleather dry down.

As an added bonus, this is the first scent I've tried with patchouli that I don't hate! *Cheers* 

Nonetheless, there's a world of love-worthy perfumes out there so I wouldn't classify this one as FBW for me (especially given Clint's lukewarm response). 

Have you tried Moulin Rouge 1889? What's your favorite Histoires de Parfums scent?

Maison Martin Margiela - Replica - Funfair Evening (perfume review)

Growing up in Bonney Lake, Washington, there was one thing every kid did in the town next door. And that was the Puyallup Fair. (Do the Puyallup!) These days it's officially called the Washington State Fair and it draws more than 1 million attendees during its late summer run, making it one of the top 10 fairs in the whole country. I went every year, either performing with the school band or with friends and I still vividly remember the dizzying amount of rides and games and prizes to be won. 

True to it's name, Replica's Funfair Evening (by Maison Martin Margiela) evokes a carefree evening spent at the fair - as an adult - complete with screaming kids frolicking about and that twinge of nausea you experience after one too many funnel cakes or rides.

Upon first spray, Funfair Evening opens up almost brashly with a strong marshmallowy cotton candy vibe that's intensely sweet and powdery. I can't help but picture a puff of the pink stuff. You can almost feel the stickiness on your hands and lips and it's almost sweet enough to turn your stomach - a sign that I'm no longer the kid I used to be.

5 or 10 minutes in, the billowing clouds of cotton candy make way for a slightly sharp but still very sweet vanilla amber. This is like sunset at the game area of the fair. Your stomach is finally settling from the rides and cotton candy, but you're still enjoying a little bit of adrenaline as you try repeatedly to win the most giant stuffed panda in the world.

Within a couple of hours, the sharpness fades away and you're left with a more delicately sweet vanilla caramel. This is the final walk through the fairgrounds and to the car, with the dueling scents of deep fried snickers and powdered funnel cakes lingering on your clothing after a long night at the fair.

All in all, Funfair Evening did not strike me as a particularly complex scent - but I think it is successful in reproducing the "familiar scent" of a night at the fair.  It's intense powdery sweetness makes it feel like a very youthful scent, which may be why it felt a touch too sweet for me in my ripe old age of 31. I could see it being a simple and fun scent on a carefree individual that likes sweet gourmands.

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My rating of Funfair Evening: 2.5

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 Nausea/Gagging           Meh       Decent       Great         Olfactory Elation 

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Replica Funfair Evening as described by the MMM website:

Top notes: Petitgrain, Sweet apple, Pear ester, Star Anise, Neroli

Middle notes: Infusion of Moroccan rose, Tuberose, Infusion of Egyptian orange blossom

Base notes: Ambrox, White musk, Tahitian vanilla, Caramel

Perfumers: Jacques Cavallier, Marie Salamagne

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Have you tried Funfair Evening, or any of the other Replica 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).

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My rating of Vert Pivoine:  1.5

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 Nausea/Gagging           Meh       Decent       Great         Olfactory Elation 

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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

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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!