Monthly Archives: April 2016

by | April 27, 2016 · 7:00 am

1805 Tonnerre by Beaufort

Twisted firestarter…

Notes: Lime, smoke, gunpowder, blood, brandy, sea water, amber, balsam fir and cedar.

 

These days when I hear about a new perfume house it tends to wash over me. That is unless it’s mentioned by a friend.

Tina G of Australian Perfume Junkies told me about Beaufort and specifically the scent 1805 Tonnerre. What especially got my attention was when she said the man behind the line, Leo Crabtree, had played drums with The Prodigy. Apparently he has had a life-long love of fragrance and his inspiration for Beaufort is the dark side of English history, particularly in relation to the sea.

The brand name comes from the Beaufort wind force scale of measuring the intensity of the wind: a system still in use today. The website states that it represents “a kind of framework within which we can understand ourselves: The wind is constant, enduring, but ultimately changeable and potentially destructive”.

So when I met up with fellow blogger Esperanza at Bloom perfumery during her recent trip to London, I suggested we try the line. We both enjoyed testing the three fragrances released last year in the inaugural Hell and High Water Collection because they were so distinctive. Whether they’re to your taste or not, it’s interesting to try something that isn’t bland or you’ve experienced a million times before.

BeauFort_London_1805_Tonnerre_Eau_de_Parfum_by_Andrew_Ogilvy_Photography_2

1805 was the year of the Battle of Trafalgar, which Admiral Nelson won but during which he lost his life. The fragrance, 1805 Tonnerre attempts to re-create the scent of the battle and is an arresting clash of lime and gunpowder. The lime is bright, fresh and tart while the gunpowder is smoky, leathery and almost meaty. The two are surprisingly well matched, with the lime slicing through the powdery smoke in the opening stage.

The citrus fades over about an hour leaving a woody/ashy drydown with a little salt spray and a pleasing handful of pine needles thrown in.

Of course there should be no gender restrictions in perfume but 1805 Tonnerre feels assuredly masculine to me and I can envisage it being attractive on a guy with a bit of an edge. I can also see women who like bold, smoky perfumes going for this one too.

Tina told me that as well as the Eau de Parfum, the scent is available as a candle and that medium appeals to me most.

Projection is explosive to begin with but mellows out.  I found it to be fiercely tenacious – as if it had seeped into the skin – even surviving a bath.

Turner,_The_Battle_of_Trafalgar_(1822).jpg

It’s one of those fragrances that is best appreciated at a bit of distance. If you press your nose in close – as is our wont – it’s too intense and jarring, but that’s not how we experience fragrance in day to day life anyway.

Give it room to breathe and 1805 Tonnerre can become an uncommon pleasure.

32 Comments

Filed under Perfume Reviews

Tagged as , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

by | April 20, 2016 · 7:00 am

Niki de Saint Phalle by Niki de Saint Phalle 

Unique green…

Top notes : artemisia, mint, green notes, peach and bergamot; Middle notes: carnation, patchouli, orris root, jasmine, ylang-ylang, cedar and rose; Base notes: leather, sandalwood, amber, musk and oakmoss.

The inimitable Portia of Australian Perfume Junkies brought this 1982 release to my attention and kindly sent me a sample when I expressed interest. I’m always on the lookout for interesting green fragrances which are more than simply light and fresh: Niki de Saint Phalle fits the bill.

niki

It’s funny, I can have trouble with powdery perfumes but the thin veil of green powder here feels just right. Truthfully, it doesn’t smell high-end but it does have an old-school vibe about it which I find appealing.

There is a tension between the tart greenness and the spring florals which works. It may have come out in the early 80s but it really belongs to the 70s – the era of the green chypre. This genre seems to be a thing of the past, though if the aquatic trend can make a comeback, anything is possible.

Niki de Saint Phalle does smell of another age and not as classy as No 19 say, but it does have an individual charm. There’s an uncompromising sour note in there that is refreshing and wakes up the senses. For someone so tired of the relentless sweetness in perfumery these days, I find it a welcome palate cleanser.

It will please those who are fond of galbanum; that chlorophyll-packed note found in Jacomo’s Silences, with which NdSP shares a kinship. The base is oakmoss-style chypre heaven and feels like a carpet of smooth moss under your bare feet. There’s also a very nice touch of ambery warmth. During this final stage, I inhale almost to the point of dizziness.

I found it really interesting and inspiring to read about the woman herself, while trying her fragrance. Niki de Saint Phalle was an artist who worked in a number of media. After suffering a nervous breakdown, she was encouraged to pursue her love of painting as a form of therapy. Her “Shooting Paintings”  of the early 1960s were bags of paint in human form covered in white plaster which she shot to create the image. She went on to make work which explored the female archetypes and women’s place in society.

In part inspired by Gaudi, she purchased some land in Tuscany to create a monumental sculpture park. This was 20 years in the making and The Tarot Park eventually opened in 1998. It looks like a surreal wonderland with her huge colourful works interspersed amongst the greenery of the trees and shrubs.

panoramica.jpg

It seems fitting that her fragrances is intense, uncompromising and striking, like de Saint Phalle and her art.

 

Do you have any interesting green fragrances to recommend? Have you tried Niki de Saint Phalle?

24 Comments

Filed under Perfume Reviews

Tagged as , , , , , ,

by | April 13, 2016 · 6:41 am

In Rotation

Spring has sprung in the UK and so the perfumes I have in heavy rotation at the moment reflect this. I use the season as the first criteria for narrowing down my daily fragrance selection, followed by mood. So of the several scents I feel appropriate for this time of year, here are the ones that are currently getting the most wear and why.

Vol de Nuit EdT (vintage) by Guerlain

Notes: Bergamot, Galbanum, Petitgrain, Jasmine, Jonquil, Violet, Carnation, Rose, Spices, Woods, Iris, Vanilla, Sandalwood and Amber.

I think it’s the large amount of Guerlainade that does it – Vol de Nuit just makes me feel so grounded. If I’m feeling stressed during springtime, I always turn to this enigmatic chypre oriental: it soothes me. The vernal scents of green leaves and delicate flowers are weighed down in the rich earth, dark woods and emerald moss.

I have a 93ml refillable cannister which is three-quarter full, but I still feel uneasy as I watch the level drop. Vol de Nuit is the fragrance that I feel most at home in.

Champaca EdP by Ormonde Jayne

Notes: Neroli, Pink Pepper and Bamboo,  Champaca Absolute, Freesia Absolute and Basmati notes: Myrrh, Green Tea and Musk

I wear green-tinged fragrances in March/April to echo the resurgence of nature. Most greens have a bitter edge but this pale green floral is nothing but fresh, breezy and easy to wear. It reminds me of the striking rice terraces of Bali, the most breath-taking place I’ve ever visited. This is probably because of the bamboo and Basmati rice accords.

For me, Champaca is a relaxing, beautiful, feel-good perfume that transports me to much more scenic climes. It’s filled with light, air and lush vegetation.

Diorella Edt (vintage) by Dior

Notes: Sicilian Lemon, Basil, Honeysuckle, Peach, Vetiver and Oakmoss

Diorella has such a fruity zing it mirrors the bright new mornings after the clocks go forward. When I first spray it after the winter, I’m reminded of just how much I enjoy this early love of mine. It always feel right, whenever, wherever.

The zesty citrus, gentle florals and fresh herbs make it uplifting while the mossy base gives it an air of easy-going elegance. It’s a killer combination.

20160410_165755[1].jpg

My bottles of Diorella, Vol de Nuit and Champaca

Which fragrances do you have in rotation right now?

 

 

26 Comments

Filed under Perfume Reviews

Tagged as , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

by | April 6, 2016 · 7:00 am

Opus X by Amouage

Passion and pain…

 

Notes: Rose Centifolia, Bloody Rose Accord, Rosebud, Rose Oxide, Geranium, Varnish Accord, Leather, Ambrarome, Ylang-Ylang, Laotian Oud, Metallic Accord

 

I recently went with my pal Kirk to the elegant Amouage stand-alone store in Knightsbridge, London. He purchased the excellent amber, Opus VI which I  think is particularly great on the fellas. It’s fun to see “a civilian” sucked into our fragrant little world.

While there I tried the brand new Opus X from The Library Collection. The mainstream line is full of well constructed, full-bodied perfumes with a capital P. The Library Collection is more exclusive with scents which are often more challenging.

Opus X is a rose-centred fragrance so I was initially disappointed when I inhaled it on a paper strip and it came across as rather jarring. The Sales Assistant suggested trying it on skin because the high percentage of natural oils means there can be quite a difference.

Sure enough, a spray on the back of my hand and it was a different story.  The sour aspect was dialled right down and even the friendly SA was surprised at the dramatic change it took on me.

o.37473

I’m always complaining about perfumes being too sweet but the beginning of Opus X has sharp, slightly metallic greens surrounding the central, multi-layered rose. I picture a dark fairy-tale scene of long, malevolent creepers twisting around and almost strangling a partly-opened rose of the deepest crimson.

 

Creative Director, Christopher Chong found his inspiration for Opus X in the 1998 film, The Red Violin. In it, a violin is crafted in 1681 by a grief-stricken Master Violin Maker who infuses the varnish with a little of the blood from his recently deceased wife.  The movie then follows it over the next four centuries to Austria, the UK, China and Canada; telling the stories of the people who own it.

I really want to see this film

RedViolin-435x650

 

Fittingly the mood of the fragrance is a mix of harsh bitterness, mysterious darkness and deep passion. The varnish on the violin is present, providing a sheer overlay to the many-petalled rose. The lacquer creates a disturbance, but knowing why helps me appreciate Opus X, even if I can’t love it. The widow’s loss means everything can’t be rosy.

This artistic response to another’s creative work has been composed by perfumers Pierre Negrin and Annick Menardo.

The base is distinctly Amouage, as all traces of greenery, metal and varnish disappear. The texture becomes reassuringly velvety thanks to a low whisper of the smoothest oud snaking through a gorgeous amber accord.  Here at last, the sensual side of love and life is exposed and quietly celebrated.

As we’ve come to expect from this luxury house, the longevity is outstanding. Opus X isn’t as voluminous on me as their other perfumes, but that seems to fit: it’s not a showy, outward-looking scent, but a very personal tale.

e3003aa2d0d5ab6ba990fcf604c1f37a

Still from The Red Violin

What do you think of The Library Collection? Have you seen The Red Violin?

27 Comments

Filed under Perfume Reviews

Tagged as , , , , , , , , , ,

by | April 3, 2016 · 7:00 am

Skincare Sorted – Paula’s Choice

For years I’ve lacked any kind of consistency in my skincare. I only bothered with a basic 3-step routine and would switch to a different product every time one ran out. I never had any confidence in a particular brand. I didn’t trust that the cheap ones would make a difference and I felt like I was largely funding the advertising budgets of the premium beauty companies.

I had never heard of American online brand Paula’s Choice before Birgit blogged about it on Olfactoria’s Travels.  I must admit, from that point until last year, I had a couple of false starts with the website. I just couldn’t get to grips with the many products and the long, similar sounding names. There wasn’t the usual “day cream, night cream, eye cream” categories and I no idea what BHAs or AHAs were. I just couldn’t find a way in.

Then when B came to London last year and had brunch with Vanessa and me, I asked her thoughts and she recommended a couple of products. That was the pointer I needed.

I was away and I’ve never looked back since.

paula-begoun

Paula Begoun of Paula’s Choice

If Paula’s Choice is new to you, basically you pick a range that suits your skin concern (Resist for me as it’s anti-aging) then pick products that suit your skin type (combination to oily or normal to dry). I suggest choosing a serum to treat the skin and a moisturiser with SPF for day. If you want, you can choose a moisturiser without SPF for night and add a liquid exfoliant once you have that basic routine sorted. You can use the moisturisers around the eye area though Paula’s Choice have now brought out an eye cream.

They do trial sizes too which are great for holidays as well as testing out new products. Other definite pluses are that they are fragrance free and not tested on animals.

What I think has made the most difference to my skin is not relying on a moisturiser to do all the work. They are often sold as miracle creams but their actual primary job is to hydrate the skin (the clue is in the name). The key is actually a good liquid exfoliant and the serum you use to treat the skin beforehand. As Sali Hughes says, the moisturiser is just a blanket to lay over the skin after treating it, in order to provide comfort.

I have combination skin and my daily regime (excluding cleansing) looks like this :

Morning

Resist Anti-Aging Ultra Light Super Antioxidant Concetrate Serum

Resist Anti-Aging Hyaluronic Acid Booster

Resist Anti-Aging Super-Light Daily Wrinkle Defense Moisturizer SPF 30 in spring/summer/autumn

Resist Anti-Aging Cellular Defense Daily Moisturizer SPF 25 in the winter

Night

Resist Daily Pore-Refining 2% BHA Treatment (liquid exfoliant)

Resist Anti-Aging Retinol Serum (on the eye area)

Resist 1% Retinol Booster

Resist Anti-Aging Barrier Repair Moisturizer

 

I finally have a skincare routine I’m happy with, containing products I use consistently and I can tell are working for me. My sister is also a total convert and has even invested in the men’s range for her husband. You can see why they don’t need to advertise.

In case there is any doubt, I’m not affiliated with the Paula’s Choice in any way; just a fan girl with happy skin.

20160402_114039[1].jpg

 

Is there a beauty brand you’re loyal to? Are you a fan of Paula’s Choice? If so, what are your hero products from the line? 

 

 

 

 

 

22 Comments

Filed under Beauty Review

Tagged as , , , , ,