Hey Crew. Scent Semantics?
We get a word, we get a date, we have to choose a single fragrance that fits the word and then have to explain how it fits together, in our way. As much or little as we feel the word/fragrance connection needs. We are going to probe a little into how each of us bloggers see the world, fragrance, ourselves. We get to see how one word can inspire different directions in connection. or not.
Filed under Perfume Reviews
Hey Crew. Scent Semantics?
We get a word, we get a date, we have to choose a single fragrance that fits the word and then have to explain how it fits together, in our way. As much or little as we feel the word/fragrance connection needs. We are going to probe a little into how each of us bloggers see the world, fragrance, ourselves. We get to see how one word can inspire different directions in connection. or not.
Filed under Perfume Reviews
Hey Crew. Scent Semantics?
We get a word, we get a date, we have to choose a single fragrance that fits the word and then have to explain how it fits together, in our way. As much or little as we feel the word/fragrance connection needs. We are going to probe a little into how each of us bloggers see the world, fragrance, ourselves. We get to see how one word can inspire different directions in connection. or not.
Filed under Perfume Reviews
Hey Crew. Scent semantics?
We get a word, we get a date, we have to choose a single fragrance that fits the word and then have to explain how it fits together, in our way. As much or little as we feel the word/fragrance connection needs. We are going to probe a little into how each of us bloggers see the world, fragrance, ourselves. We get to see how one word can inspire different directions in connection. or not.
Filed under Perfume Reviews
Nick and Pia of Olfiction launched their luxury scented candle brand Boujee Bougies this time last year. Lockdown turned out to be the perfect time as sales of scented candles went through the roof. I’m not surprised because after only buying a single candle in my life, I purchased four – one being a Boujee Bougie.
They were kind enough to send me all five mini candles recently so I got a chance to sample the whole line.
Queen Jam
Tart berries, purple roses, flashes of green
Named after a Finnish conserve, Queen Jam was exactly what I was expecting: a rich rose jam scent. I normally swerve gourmand fragrances but I found this hugely comforting and can quite imagine many finding it addictive. Juicy berries and rose petals are swirling in syrupy jam. The overall effect is that of a jammy, fruity rose edged with leaves and this greenery contrasts beautifully with the sweetness. Queen Jam is full of character and a great sense of fun. It also has a tremendous amount of throw, I could smell it at a distance even when unlit.
I burn it when I feel life is a little too austere and I’m craving a bit of guilt-free indulgence.
Cuir Culture
Old books, worn jackets, pup masks
Genius name alert! I love leather but wondered if this would be a little too much on the skanky side for my prim tastes. This was purely going on the description which talked of it being raw and raunchy. Up close it does smell like a tough, spicy leather. However when lit, I actually find it to be rather low-key with a subtly sensual quality. It’s quietly reassuring and perfect for a chilly winter’s evening.
Imagine being curled up in a worn leather chair in a dusty old library with a good – somewhat racy – book. That’s Cuir Culture.
Succulent
Houseplants, jungles, joy
The name says it all – the scent of cacti bursting with moisture. This is a bright green scent with a distinctive tomato leaf note. I don’t know how Pia managed to make this fragrance so dripping with sap. Underneath the the tangle of greens there is a fuzzy white musk which amps up its radiance. This is not a deep, dark green aroma (my usual preference) but one of plant stems full of vitality, straining towards the light.
Sales of houseplants also went up through the pandemic (again guilty – I’m so predictable) because they impart such a feeling of wellbeing. Succulent brings a riot of jungle palms and desert cacti into your own humble abode.
Gilt
Whispered confessions, incense smoke, gold leaf
Another inspired name. This incense is warm and woody rather than cool and mineralic. The enticing golden glow that veils the incense comes from amber and labdanum. The really clever thing about this scent though, is the surprising inclusion of aldehydes. I kept wondering what I was picking up on and that’s it. These cool, soapy notes give Gilt a nice amount of uplift and the feeling of calm you get from stepping inside the hallowed stone walls of a church. Brilliant.
This one always hits the mark for me.
Hellflower
Sulphur, burning flowers, brimstone
I was attracted to the idea of a smoky magnolia more than any of the other candles but was unsure about the presence of a sulphurous grapefruit note. Again, I needn’t have clutched my pearls. Hellflower is a sparkling, green grapefruit laced with lush white florals. There is a suggestion of brimstone smoldering in the background but if anything, it just serves to highlight the brightness of the citrus floral bouquet.
Hellflower is a luminous, stimulating scented candle that I like to burn on my desk while working.
I was impressed if not surprised by the quality and ingenuity of each and every candle, all having an inspired, playful twist on a familiar theme.
If you fancy treating yourself or someone else to a Boujee Bougie, there is currently 20% off everything on the website until November 28th with code Boujee20. Which one would you go for?
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Hey Everyone, This month we are trying something new. New idea, new crew, NEW NEW NEW! We’ve gathered together a fabulously far flung gang. In my mind this idea was to let our creativity flourish with the least amount of parameters possible. We get a word, we get a date, we have to choose a single fragrance that fits the word and then have to explain how it fits together, in our way. As much or little as we feel the word/fragrance connection needs. We are going to probe a little into how each of us bloggers see the world, fragrance, ourselves. Also, if this idea works, we get to see how one word can inspire different directions in connection. or not. Everyone has signed up for 12 first Mondays of the month.
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OOOOHHHHH! Our very last Mood Scent 4 week! All good things come to an end eventually and Mood Scent 4 has fallen victim to perfume ennui. We gave it our all and now there’s nothing left to give. I’m super bummed though because it’s been a wonderful time working in tandem with these three perfumed peeps. Thanks Esperanza, Megan and Sam for letting me be part of this cool kids collective. It was really nice to be part of a crew. I particularly loved how different our collections and perfumed directions were on the same topic, also those rare times when we snapped on a perfume. I loved the reckless running through my collection trying to find the exact five or six matches for a mood, note, moment. The sense of fulfilled completion after winnowing a huge list down and getting the post finalised, often with three or four overhauls after remembering a forgotten fave that fit the brief better or more interestingly. The fun of jumping over to the other members pages and seeing their choices, sometimes beating myself up for not going with what they chose too. It was a monthly labour of love and I will miss it, a lot. Ironically our Into The Woods and Away theme seems to have coincided perfectly with our wave goodbye. So it is with melancholy heart I’ve chosen my woodsiest fragrances to share with you all today.
Can’t wait to read about your fave Into The Woods Perfumes in the comments too.
Sad but excited to be blogging with these three superstars one last time: Esperanza L’Esperessence, Megan Megan In Sainte Maxime and Samantha I Scent You A Day. Check theirs out too. 
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OOOOHHHHH! Mood Scent 4 week! YAY! This month we sniff some Al Fresco Party Perfumes. Most of our readers being Northern Hemisphere have had a seriously warm summer so I am really excited to read what you have all been wearing for outdoor adventures, beaching, meals, BarBQs, rooftop parties and secret rendezvous. Here in Australia the cold is has been abating over the last month and we’ll be heading into the jaws of spring/summer again from now. YAY! Already we are seeing some days at 25C (77F) and over in the warmest parts of the day. As soon as Lock Down is over here in Sydney I’ll be getting my Al Fresco Party spritzing on like crazy!
Can’t wait to read about your fave Al Fresco Party Perfumes in the comments too.
So excited to be blogging with these three superstars again: Esperanza L’Esperessence, Megan Megan In Sainte Maxime and Samantha I Scent You A Day. Check theirs out too.
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Notes: Basil, Sicilian Orange, Lime, Bergamot, Petitgrain, Lemon, Green Notes, Hedione, Jasmine, Rose and Patchouli
Paris-Deauville was the only one of Les Eaux de Chanel released in 2018 (composed by Olivier Polge), that caught my fancy. I have a fondness for green fragrances and this seemed like a good one to wear in warmer weather as opposed to the chypres I associate with spring.
The bottle with its rounded edges is just gorgeous and the sprayer is exceptionally good at misting the skin.
Tart, zesty, citrus fizzes and sparkles in the opening. It’s uplifting but a brief introduction. This is rapidly followed by a herbaceous wash of green that is chiefly made up of basil interspersed with sprigs of fresh mint.
I wish leafy herbs were used more in modern perfumery so I’m pleased to experience them here. They make a welcome change from the usual suspects and have a depth of aroma I really appreciate.
The chic French resort of Deauville is on the coast of Normandy and there is a waft of salt air here that I can imagine may not be to everyone’s taste. It mingles with the herbs to recreate the scent of foreshore foliage crusted with sea salt. Some people’s skin seems to play up the florals but it’s green all the way on me without any noticeable jasmine or rose except for a subtle sweetness.
It’s a classy cologne-style fragrance with complexity and recognisable Chanel D.N.A. I really appreciate its aromatic, citrusy radiance and find it to be a real mood-lifter.
It’s been a pleasure to feel it cutting through the heat of summer as well as on those dull, muggy days we’ve had too much of this August. I am determined not to be precious with it and instead spray it lavishly – it’s what it needs.
Paris-Deauville doesn’t last terribly long in its true form before scattering, to be replaced by a wispy, celadon-tinted musk. However this is when I have to remind myself it is an EdT and needs to be enjoyed for what it is.
Do you have any Chanel Les Eaux in your collection? I’m looking forward to trying the latest, Paris-Edimbourg.
Photo credit: Loik_marras from unsplash
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If I happened to have been wearing Frédéric Malle´s Synthetic Jungle, these might have been my impressions.
JUNGLE: 1. an area of land overgrown with dense forest and tangled vegetation, typically in the tropics. 2. a style of dance music incorporating elements of raga, hip-hop, and hard core; consisting of very fast electronic drums, and slower synthesized bass lines.
SYNTHETIC JUNGLE: 1. a piece of acid-house (techno, rave) music by Limbo. 2. a perfume by Anne Flipo for Frédéric Malle.
I have been watching the internet like a hawk, since the beginning of 2020, for information on the what is now the soon-to-be-released, beginning of September as far as I know, Synthetic Jungle from Malle. All you could ever find was the trademark registration information for the name. Then in April of this year information started to trickle in. Note list includes basil, galbanaum, lily-of-the-valley, jasmine, patchouli, oakmoss.
Possible Impressions.
Green up the yin-yang. A bright galbanum opening, and a darker, more vintage galbanum in the oakmossed base. Very indolic from both the jasmine and the muguet. Walking into a hothouse of transparent lushness. Quite a prominent jasmine, and possibly a hyacinth. Acutely modern, without taking away from the more traditional aspect of the green genre. Just beautiful. An impressive addition to the collection.
Does Frédéric Malle go to the South Goa Indian Jungle Parties? And will we ever know?
CQ
With thanks to my Fabulous Malle Fairy Godmother.
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A Bottled Rose 