Jul et Mad: A love story. Stilettos on Lex, Amour de Palazzo, Terrasse à St Germain (perfume review)

A few months ago, I had the distinct pleasure of attending the global launch for a new perfume line, Jul et Mad at the most perfect perfume destination in NY (if not the planet), MiN New York. I was so overcome by meeting a lot of friends in-person for the first time, by the beauty and quirkiness of the shop, and frankly also by owner Mindy Yang's 3 brilliant cocktails made with Mandy Aftel's Chef Essences and in the spirit of the 3 scents being launched --- so overcome that I forgot to ask for samples to take home and ruminate over.

Flash forward a few months and I finally got over my embarrassment and managed to procure some samples. If only getting myself bottles of these scents was as easy!

A little about the Jul et Mad line, for those who are not familiar with it...

Jul et Mad

If you like backstories for your perfumes, this line has it. The Jul et Mad line's Histoire d’Amour was presented to us at MiN by one of the owners, Madalina, who told of her love story with Julien (get it: Jul et Mad?). The perfumes trace this story and express it in scent, from Romanian-born Madalina's single days in New York working in the cosmetics industry, to when she first meets Parisian-born world traveler scientist-type Julien in Paris, through to the couple's first trip away together in Venice.

The perfumes were developed by perfumer Dorothée Piot of Maison Robertet (Amoauge Memoir Woman, Olfactive Studio Chambre Noire, and others) following the company's tagline "Perfume Without Compromise". Each of the three scents comes in a beautiful, fabric-lined box, accompanied by a travel-size atomizer because Madalina believes women should be able to touch-up their scent experience throughout the day. She spent quite a bit of time considering every facet of the production, from scent (of course) to packaging and bottle design. I like the way she thinks, though I do wish the scents were available in smaller bottles as a stand-alone (cheaper than the current $280 for 50ml - parfum concentration, btw), as while I adore the perfumes I must compromise or my kids don't eat! :)

Stilettos on Lex
One of my favorite things about perfume is the phenomenon of sillage. A scent trail. The lingering impression left in one's wake. An olfactory timestamp. A memory.

This is the basis for the first scent in the Jul et Mad story. It tells the tale of a single, cosmopolitan woman (our Madalina) as she walks down the street leaving a sensual and confident sillage trailing behind her. We hear her heels click as she leaves nothing but that sound and that smell to burn into our minds. Dramatic, but you get the point.

What does this Stilettos on Lex sillage story say?

I now invoke my luck, hoping that one day I will cross again her magnificent allure on this same legendary avenue…Her image disappeared, but during her short passage she offered me the most attaching of memories: her perfume…

The Accord: Chypre Fruity Floral

A timeless ode to eternal beauty opening on a sparkling fruity-gourmand note, a prelude to the opulent floral bouquet, dominated by the softness of heliotrope, and crowned by the powdery and sensual touch of iris and carnation… A mysterious and exalting mélange of musk and precious woods reinforce and sublimate this composition of ultimate elegance.
Head : Lemon, Pear, Davana, Plum Liquor
Heart: Lily of the Valley, Violette Leaves, Rose Absolute, Heliotrope, Iris, Carnation
Bottom: Musk, Madagascar Vanilla, Indonesian Patchouli, Atlas Cedarwood

A lovely story - but the perfume: does it stack up? Well, almost everyone I've encountered thinks so! It was, that night we met it, the most popular of the three, though I think the others have become just as beloved - perhaps Stilettos is most accessible? I don't know. I myself favored Amour de Palazzo that night, but I'll talk about that in a moment.

Stilettos on Lex is a modern take on both the chypre style of perfumery and on the traditional "lipstick" or "cosmetics powder" accords. The fruity opening, dominated by a luscious plum, is a flirtatious wink and smile, delightful but not sticky or shrill. Stiletto's heart features rose, violet, powdery heliotrope, and other lovely florals that bloom softly and with beautiful presence before folding graciously into the musky, softly-powdered base (in which the cedar and patchouli are barely noticeable but give a certain strength to a bottom that would otherwise fly away).

I love it. It's cheerful without being chipper, it's pretty without being girlish, it's floral without smacking you in the face. It's delightfully modern with a polite nod to traditional perfumery. Glorious.

Terrasse à St Germain

 Love at first sight. A lovely concept! Depending on who you speak to, it's either a ridiculous notion or the turning point in one's life.

Terrasse à St Germain celebrates the struck-by-lightening feeling of love at first sight, or "coup de foudre". Our couple meets in Paris - though they almost did not!

His passage leaves a void behind him, and this emptiness, daydreaming, she already fills it with wild and fascinating perfumes inspired by the picture of the young man… the beautiful stranger turned around and approaches...

The Accord: Woody Floral Musky

Starting with the first note, a green and sparkling freshness awakes the senses, rapidly sustained by a subtle floral palette of freesia, lotus and rose, giving to the formula a surprising and delicate sensuality. The strength of the musk strikes suddenly, but in complete harmony and perfect symbiosis with the precious sandalwood and the seducing patchouli…
Head : Grapefruit, Tangerine, Rhubarb
Heart: Freesia, Lotus Flower, Blue RoseBottom: Musk, Sandalwood, Indonesian Patchouli

At the start, there's a watery sweetness to Terrasse à St Germain that is unusual, at least to my novice nose. This perfume moves fast, flashing through the tangerine, a glimpse of grapefruit, and on to the rhubarb. It then grabs the freesia (sweet tarts! this is the truest freesia note I have encountered in perfumery so far!), and takes a little tang from the rhubarb. Rhubarb seems to be one of those notes that gets perfumistas very interested, very quickly. Luckily for those perfumistas, the note is handled beautifully here, and with a sense of humor - it's flirty and fun and unexpected!

Still moving quickly, on my skin if not yours, Terrasse slips right into the rose. It's slightly candied (the lotus and freesia still playing a hand) and very cheerful. This is, I suspect, the scent that is to blame for my recent obsession with rose! The delectable rose in this blend is one that stuck in my mind and didn't let go.

That said, this is not a "feminine" scent. A confident man would lead lines of women around wearing Terrasse à St Germain. This will be especially true when the beautifully musky wood base
comes into play. While I wish this scent lasted forever, it does not (alas! only 5 hours or so.), which is all the more reason to spritz it again.

Terrasse à St Germain is a beauty, from the first tangy, ebullient spray to the final, lingering woody traces.

Amour de Palazzo 

The first trip as a couple is always remembered and cherished as a memory. Our setting for this third scent and story, Venice, is the sight of one such trip, as our couple walk through ancient buildings and experience the history of this special city.

The rich and heavy perfume of precious wood and leather furniture, shone and polished by passing centuries, mix agreeably now with the pleasant and cocooning fragrances coming from the surrounding gardens, the humidity of the old stone and the lagoon that follows and surrounds us… We walk aimlessly… Dream or reality? It doesn't really matter… Here we are in perfect harmony, we feel free, free to love each other, free to taste as one the same happiness… free to appreciate the instant… Every single gesture, no matter how simple, is now charged with profound significance.

The Accord: Oriental Woody Leather

The noble palette of ingredients used for this creation give the precious character to this fragrance: a spicy start, fresh and slightly "gourmand" at the same time, opens the way to the heart of the perfume where floral, woody, and leather notes create a perfect harmony… A divine, marvelous amber-oud accord reveals itself promptly, sustained by the seductive power of animal notes… Narcotic and irresistible…
Head : Four Spice (pepper, cloves, ginger, nutmeg)
Heart: Absolute of Violette, Atlas Cedarwood, Leather, Indonesian Patchouli, Labdanum
Bottom: Musk, Oud, Amber, Papyrus, Animal Castoreum

This one is the more masculine of the three, though I consider all three unisex. Amour de Palazzo was my instant favorite of the three. Considering my tastes in perfume, it's easy to see why!  Amour de Palazzo is a woody, leathery thing that immediately evokes a sense of history, depth, and sex appeal. It opens with a peppery bang laid over leather. The spices do not turn foody, thankfully, rather they stand strong and lay wide the perfect path for the woody, slightly rough notes that are to come.

The heart of Amour de Palazzo still carries some of that peppery facet, wrapped in the slightest hint of violet, wrapped in patchouli leaves, wrapped in leather (the turducken of perfumery!). It's just the right amount of deep and slightly dirty. Sexy. By blending violet (Stilettos) and wood (Terrasse), we've moved from flirtation right into the good stuff!

The beautiful base of Amour goes on and on, echoes of spices and leather still present in swaths of animalic oud and musk. It's raw, but round; intense, but not painful and sharp. Where the opening notes are intense and somewhat strong, the base softens and melts into the skin leaving a distinct impression - but only for those fairly close up. For them, it leaves the heart racing.

Jul et Mad
It's now 6 months after the global launch of Jul et Mad, and already one of the scents, Terrase à St-Germain, has brought acclaim in the form of a nomination for FiFi Indie Perfume of the Year Award (it was runner-up!). MiN is not the only point of sales in the US, now: you can also purchase Jul et Mad at Aedes de Venustas (NY). MiN does now offer samples on their website, by the way, for those of you curious about the brand. I also encourage you to take a wander through the beautifully done Jul et Mad website (you can order online there, too).

Bottom Line: I would be a proud owner of any of these three scents, hard-pressed to select a favorite. I love them all.

Samples graciously provided by MiN New York

Neela Vermeire's Mohur will blow you away! (perfume review)

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For those of you do not know about Neela Vermeire's perfumes, you're in for a treat. Neela is fragrance fan who, in 2012, launched her own house. She contracted none other than Bertrand Duchaufour (seems to be a smart trend among new houses!) to bring to life her idea: Discover Your India. Together, they urge you to sample from India's past through to its future, in the French perfume style. Sample the Vedic period in Trayee, experience the Mogul-British Raj through Mohur, and finally land in Modern India with Bombay Bling. All three scents have been well-received by perfumistas and Noses in the Know alike. Today, we're going to discuss Mohur!

One of the incredibly intelligent things the Neela Vermeire Creations line does (aside from having beautifully-made scents) is offer not only a sample collection, but also a "discovery set" which includes 10ml of each scent (only $118.55). Genius.

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The name refers to the most valuable gold coin in India’s history, the last of which was minted in 1918. A way, perhaps, of underlining the value given to perfumery during the Mogul era, an art so highly considered that the most powerful empress of the Mughal dynasty, Noor Jahan, devoted herself to perfecting it. 

Though Mohur is built on the classic Eastern accord of rose and oud, with its powdery orris accords it also manages to conjure the opulence of classic French fragrances. It is also, despite the richness of its floral accords, a unisex scent, with leather effects alluding to high tea after a polo match in the British Raj, and perhaps a whiff of fine-milled English soap. 

But the real surprise in Mohur is the subtle “Indian pastry” accord tucked in the petals of its rose garden, with notes of carrot, almond, cardamom and ambrette, lending a tender touch to this majestic composition. If Patou had been Indian, this would have been Joy...   - Luckyscent

Mohur Notes

Cardamom, coriander, ambrette, carrot, black pepper, elemi, Turkish rose oil, jasmine, orris, hawthorn, almond milk accord, leather, sandalwood, amber, patchouli, oudh Palao from Laos, benzoin, vanilla, tonka bean

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Here's a lovely bit on the inspiration of this scent, written by Victoria of Bois de Jasmin, and since I couldn't explain it better, I won't:

"Mohur takes its name from a gold coin minted during the Mogul era in Indian history. It is influenced by the story of the empress Nur Jahan, who not-so-secretly became the power behind the throne of her opium-addicted second husband.  After her husband’s death, Nur Jahan took up the art of perfumery while under what amounted to a house arrest.  Although the perfumes Nur Jahan created are lost to history, the story is not and it is this that Neela Vermeire has taken as inspiration."

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Mohur kicks off (most of the time) with a swirl of dry, rooty spice. Specifically, I get carrot and pepper and coriander and orris. It's invigorating. 

Shortly, and it doesn't take long, the spicy winds settle down and in that respite blooms a beautiful french perfume full of the sweetest, dewiest rose note I've smelled in awhile. That rose is layered over jasmine and - believe it or not - almond milk. This creates the occasional impression of one of my favorite desserts of all time, carrot halwa or "Gajar ka halwa", a cardamom + carrot + almond + milk mixture that I can never say "no" to. 

Periodically, the winds kick back up and Mohur's roses become a garden with the whole rose bush - roots and all. 

Slowly, as the rose blows in and out, the grassiness and spices are gone and a base of oud (oh-so-softly) and vanilla-tinged leather is built underneath my feet. Rose petals settle slowly onto the ground, fluttering gently as the fall.

Mohur doesn't sit still often. The roses are ever present, but their dance partners change like the wind. I get different Mohurs depending on the day and on the way I apply (dab vs. spray). This does not at all discourage me from wearing it. Quite the opposite, in fact. It makes me drawn to Mohur to see which personality the winds will bring me today!

This is one of the few scents that I constantly wish to respray while I wear it, but I don't! I want to follow it through and see it to the end. But I don't! I want those rosy heart notes to start swirling around me. But I don't! I want this blissful and gorgeous, base to go on and on and on. But I don't! Let's relive that first few spicy moments by spritzing it again. Oh dear, I want it all, all the time.

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Let me call your attention back to the Luckyscent description of Mohur:

"If Patou had been Indian,
this would have been Joy."

I think not only is this quotation right on the nose, but it's also very descriptive and apt of this whole line. Neela Vermeire Creations, through the eyes and noses of Neela and perfumer Bertrand Duchaufour, is the perfect marriage of classic French perfumery and traditional Indian perfumery. This, I think, would make Noor Jahan very, very happy.

Tell me: Now that I've talked about all three of NVC's perfumes,
which one is YOUR India?
Or which one intrigues you the most, if you haven't tried them yet?

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Buy Mohur and the other 

Neela Vermeire Creations through

 the NVC website, Luckyscent, 

and through the retailers listed here.

Wow. That bottle... 

BTW, wouldn't you love to wear this amazing bindi?

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Neela Vermeire's Trayee - A whirling dervish of beauty. (perfume review)

Irreverently edited picture of  Sadhu source

For those of you do not know about Neela Vermeire's perfumes, you're in for a treat. Neela is fragrance fan who, in 2012, launched her own house. She contracted none other than Bertrand Duchaufour (seems to be a smart trend among new houses!) to bring to life her idea: Discover Your India. Together, they urge you to sample from India's past through to its future, in the French perfume style. Sample the Vedic period in Trayee, experience the Mogul-British Raj through Mohur, and finally land in Modern India with Bombay Bling. All three scents have been well-received by perfumistas and Noses in the Know alike. Today, we're going to discuss Trayee!

One of the incredibly intelligent things the Neela Vermeire Creations line does (aside from having beautifully-made scents) is offer not only a sample collection, but also a "discovery set" which includes 10ml of each scent (only $118.55). Genius.

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Trayee

The name (pronounced “try-ee”) means “triad”, an allusion to the sacred origin of the first three Vedas, the most ancient sacred texts in India. The notes are drawn from the ingredients used in religious rituals and ayurvedic medicine during the Vedic era. Rich in incense, myrrh and oud, the fragrance is a poignant blend of smoke, spices and resins that harks back to the very origins of perfumery – a burnt offering to the gods and an aid to meditation.
Bertrand Duchaufour has always excelled at bringing transparency to dark resinous notes, and he surpasses himself in the smoky blend: Trayee is amazingly faceted, with green (basil, cardamom, cassis), floral (jasmine), spicy (ginger, cinnamon, clove), leather (saffron, oud), smoky (vetiver, sandalwood) and balsamic (myrrh, vanilla) effects, dominated by the quintessentially Indian fragrances of sandalwood and jasmine. The perfumer has even added an arrestingly realistic ganja accord, a memory of the sadus he ran across during his trips in India.
Trayee’s smoky tendrils may not have consciousness-altering effects, but we suspect that the gorgeous natural materials in the formula might be aromatherapeutic. Beauty heals.  - Luckscent

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Trayee Notes
Blue ginger, elemi, cinnamon, ganja accord, blackcurrant absolute, basil, jasmine sambac, Egyptian jasmine, cardamom absolute, clove, saffron, Javanese and Haitian vetiver, incense, Mysore sandalwood oil, patchouli, myrrh, vanilla, cedar, amber notes, oud palao from Laos, oak moss.

Special Note: Trayee was nominated for the prestigious Fifi Award! 

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Trayee opens with a strong elemi scent to me. It's a lemon-piney resinous scent that is bright and sparkly - imagine lemongrass furniture polish, but pretty. Elemi is related to frankincense and myrrh. It's not a scent I am used to, and so perhaps that's why it stands out so much, maybe your results are different. The scent of elemi is considered to be balancing, and I think I find that to be true with the opening of Trayee. It's very calming.

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Slowly, the blackcurrant (cassis) peeks out, alongside some green cardamom. And there's a dash of spice and a basil leaf or two. Where did those come from? Maybe my nose simply adjusted to the elemi and they've been there all along?

Like blinking through smoke, or perhaps waking from a dream, one slowly becomes aware of soft, lush floral jasmine, but it's so hard to focus! Is it really there?

If you sniff closely, you get one thing, if you pull back and pay attention to the scent you'll notice that things are different. The heavier aspects (woods, resins, spices, fruits) seem to be weighted to the skin, while the smokier facets lift off and swirl around the wearer. It is here that you'll pick up not only the incense but, if you're lucky, that "ganja accord" which does flash in and out from time to time - and it's spectacular.

The sweetness of vetiver, vanilla, cedar, and oud now push forward a bit, grabbing the scent and pulling it down into a sweeter darkness, which eventually fleshes out and becomes a woody but sweet serenity, laced with smoke. This is definitely a scent that inspires relaxation and comfort. I haven't yet meditated while wearing it, but I suspect it would be perfect.

Trayee twists in the air, like the smoke she's based on (clearly she's a "she" as she's so beautifully volatile - though please men, try her! She's made for men and women!). She's mysterious, like her sibling Mohur, and rather like a multi-faceted gemstone shows various flashes of light, darkness, and color depending on how you hold her. Each time you pick these two scents up and wear them, you will surely get a different experience. Trayee is sometimes spicier on me. Every now an again she's all about the jasmine. Some days she wants to be a bit oud-ier, going nearly straight from the elemi into the oud with hardly a backwards glance at her own heart. Other times she is truly a full-fledged journey through all of these notes. Just like finding my center and staying focused while meditating, Trayee is hard to pin down to just one thing.

I'll be honest with you: all three of the scents in the Neela Vermeire Creations line were challenging to get to know. This one was my first favorite, and yet it was still quite tricky for me. In the end, like many things challenging, this challenge ultimately makes these scents all the more special. If you, like me, find these hard to understand, please persevere! I promise you, in the end you will fall in love with them.

Buy Trayee and the other 

Neela Vermeire Creations through

 the NVC website, Luckyscent, 

and through the retailers listed here.

Did you see that bottle?! 

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samples were a gift

Atelier Cologne - Vetiver Fatal: Lethally Lovely (perfume review)

Vetiver Fatal: Calabrian bergamot, Sicilian lemon, Paraguaian bigaradier, Tunisian orange flower, violet leaves, black plum, Haitian vetiver heart, Texan cedarwood, dark oud accord.

Vetiver is a pretty popular soliflore theme. Soligrass? Whatever. This one is a bit unique, showing less of the dry bite I have noticed in some vetiver perfumes. Instead it capitalizes on the citrusy-facet present in the grasses.

I tried this at Bergdorf Goodman in the Fall and liked it very much. I blew through a sample, and kept thinking about it. OK: obsessing. I bought a bottle last week and am more than thrilled with my purchase.

On me, Vetiver Fatal is pretty linear. It's a sweetened grassy goodness. It opens with a bit more citrus, definitely keeping this in the "cologne" frame, though typical of Atelier Cologne, that mood is blessed with longevity (hours and hours and hours) and actual sillage. It later settles into more of a buttery grass over a wood base that has just the faintest whiff of oud going on (which is about as much oud as I can take). The far drydown - I'm talkin' The Morning After, here - is my favorite part and if you're a fan of drydowns this is one to try. It's sweet and just a tad woody.  I have read a few reviews that mention that plum note; I don't pick it up.

According to Fragrantica, "the Vetiver root is used in folk magic for its purported ability to provide safety and increase financial resources. A ritual designed to promote personal safety calls for inhaling Vetiver while visualizing one’s body as being sealed off from negative energies." This is great, and I intend to use my bottle of Vetiver Fatal with intention. Maybe I'll get some money and be able to buy more. Is that like wishing for more wishes?

Buy Vetiver Fatal from a zillion sources, including: Luckyscent, Sephora, Bergdorf Goodman, and all of the other usual suspects.
Prices: 30ml for $70; 200ml for $185.
This perfume is one hundred and ten percent unisex.

image source: vetiver
bottle shot: my own
Reviewed from my own bottle

What is Oud?

How much oud could a oudchuck chuck...?

A helluva lot, if you look at today's perfume market! Everyone seems to be putting out a oud scent, which makes it a trend, which makes me curious:

What exactly is oud, anyway?

Since This Blog Really Stinks is about down-to-earth, open-minded exploration of perfume, I'm gonna break down the oud trend in basic terms that even I can understand.

Oud (or aoud ¹) is a resin made from moldy wood. No, really. And that's far from the weirdest origin of a perfume ingredient, so don't get your knickers in a bunch - I'll twist 'em for you when we start talking about musk!

The resin is formed in the tree (specific evergreens, for the record ²) as a defensive reaction to the mold. The resin has been used for its distinctive odor since at least the 3rd century in Vietnam, according to some sources.

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Naturally, modern man has gone completely overboard. Since agarwood is found in only a small portion of trees, people started purposefully infecting trees with the mold. Oud is big business, which means big money! So now we've overharvested the trees and some of the trees are at risk for extinction, and now they are protected. A few sources I encountered imply that much of the oud being used now was poached, but I don't know about that. There are multiple new-ish organic agarwood farms, apparently, attempting to rebuild the population. Regardless, the cost of oud is steep.

What does oud smell like? Woody, sweet, balsamic, rich, sharp, sometimes even smelling like incense or tobacco. Naturally, the quality of the oud oil impacts the scent, with more expensive versions (derived from golden resins) being more complex and smoother.

This is a unique note, at least to my nose, and I'm actually kind of surprised it's a new trend! I've only smelled three oud scents, with one being way too sharp and astringent to wear, one I'm not so sure about, and one I kind of like but only in certain days. Oud has a way of kicking me in the back of the throat, and pardon me for not heing used to it yet! ;)

So... Do you wear oud? What do you have to add to this basic little primer on oud? Which are the best? What kicks you in the throat?!

[1] You may also see oud called agarwood, aloeswood, eagleswood, jinko, gaharu, or oodh. It apparently is the item referred to as "aloe" in the Bible.
[2] Aquilaria and Gyrinops