Momento Mori - by Mandy Aftel for Aftelier

I'm obsessed with The Day of the Dead because it celebrates life rather than focusing on loss. Similarly, momento mori jewelry and art are meant to remind the wearers/viewers of their mortality while often also using relics (hair is a common one) of departed loved ones as a way to remember their lives fondly. 

Honestly, I'm always drawn to ornate and beautiful momento mori jewelry when I see it in antique stores, but am also repelled. This perfume captures the beauty and earthiness of these precious rings, lockets, and brooches well, and I'm at once entranced and put off by it. At least, I was the first time I wore it.

Mandy Aftel's tribute to these unique pieces of mourning jewelry is simply called Momento Mori. 

A natural perfume, as all of the Aftelier scents are, based on "the musklike smell of skin," is a tricky one. And it was a labor of love for the perfumer.

In Mandy's words:

"This was a deeply personal perfume for me to create. Memento Mori is about the tender memories of the skin and body of someone with whom you have been intimate, and the ways that you treasure and long for that which you remember when they are lost to you. We want to hold the vanished beauty close even as we experience the piercing quality of memory."

Momento Mori opened with a fiercely animalic pulse on my skin. It's buttery, intimate flesh, and there's no getting away from it. 

After a half an hour or so, the scent settles on my skin and becomes more translucent and diaphonous. 

Don't be mistaken! It's still animalic and raw, but to my mind Mandy's showing us how grief morphs and becomes a little easier to stomach.  

The heart of the perfume is softly floral, more gentle yet. You're leaning in to catch the intimate smell of a loved one's skin. Your memories are fond, if still slightly unsettling. 

I find myself pressing my nose into my skin at this stage, really enjoying the unusual interplay of notes: rose, often used in funerals, dances with more skinlike notes as the scent morphs again towards its drydown. 

Hours of drydown ensue, leaving us with more skin, more intimacy, more memories. 

While patchouli and civet are present, neither dominates the scent, which keeps it still in the more intimate, personal realm rather than veering toward the barnyard. This stage of the scent is almost transluscent, like the veil of a memory. 

Momento Mori is a masterful show of perfumery. Intricate and yet blunt, much like the jewelry it's meant to represent.

The journey taken from top to bottom of Momento Mori is delightful, though this scent isn't going to be for everyone. The daring perfumista/o (this scent is not gendered) may enjoy this fleshly ride through love and loss, just as only certain people are going to enjoy momento mori art and jewelry.

I, personally, love the journey. 

Top: butter, orris, phenylacetic acid.
Middle: Turkish rose absolute, phenylethyl alcohol.
Base: beta ionone, ambreine, ambergris, antique civet, patchoulyl acetate.

Now available at Aftelier.com 

Sample provided by the perfumer. 

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 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.

[via]

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

[via]

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.

[via]

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?! 

[via]

samples were a gift

Karma Chameleon: Lush's Karma Soap plays dress-up

You don't really have to be a patchouli lover to get into LUSH's Karma soap, but you do need to love LUSH...

Karma is one of the brand's more popular scents and comes in several different varieties. I have the perfume, in a solid, and I get the soap as often as I can! There's also a Bubble Bar, which got mad props from the girls, a liquid perfume, a bath melt, a body lotion (mental note: gotta try that one!), and a shampoo bar.

They all have the Karma scent in common:

Spicy patchouli is complemented with refreshing lemongrass, orange oil and pine to create a clean and lovely smell that lasts on the skin for ages after you've washed. If you've been mindful and brimming with loving kindness, this is the soap to reward you. One whiff and you'll be hooked - for this life and the next.

And hooked I am. I find the scent really, really centering in the bath (is it the soothing Lavendin oil and pine oil?). It's as great a way to start a day as it is to end one. As an added bonus, the entire washroom smells great for the rest of the day!

I get mostly orange and pine and lemongrass from the Karma products, though there's definitely more patchouli coming off of the perfumes than there is off of the soaps. That citrus blast is one reason I like Karma best in the morning - it invigorates while it soothes you. Yes, that sounds like a paradox, and it probably is, but I don't mind. Seems fitting for something called "Karma", doesn't it?

Karma is minimally-lathery and soft on the skin. I wouldn't say it's particularly hydrating and moisturizing, but neither does it strip the skin or leave it dry. A nice, basic soap that does its job well. The scent lingers a bit, especially in the bathroom, as I mentioned. As for skin, I have found that after a half an hour or so I can put on almost any perfume and it won't clash with the Karma. Naturally, popping a citrus or patch scent will draw those last Karma molecules out just a little bit longer.

For the LUSH haters (I know there are some of you out there!), this probably not going to be the one to change your mind, but who knows? It's not quite as technicolor-herbal as many of the product from the line, but it is strong and it isn't subtle and it definitely doesn't smell like something you can get at a department store (except that you can because there are little LUSH kiosks at some of the departments stores, but you know what I mean, don't you? Please say yes...)

To celebrate the dawning of the Chinese Year of the Dragon, LUSH has transformed their Karma soap into a ferocious and hideous dragon* and given it a delightful and festive golden coat! The golden sparkles were not noticeable on my skin, in case you're worried. Then again, that is kind of disappointing. ;)

Pick yours up soon if you love the dragon idea! And check out the rest of the Karma line while you're there... let me know how that lotion is!

The Red Dragon Soap is Limited Edition. $7.95

*It's not ferocious, unless you loathe LUSH.
 It is kind of hideous looking. It only mildly resembles a dragon, at least to me. 

Mary Greenwell Plum - modern classic?

Mary Greenwell Plum. The name is whispered reverently in perfume circles. Mary. Greenwell. Plum. I feel a lot of pressure when reviewing a scent like this. The whispers... the laughing and pointing if I screw it up. Perfumistas are a vicious, hateful group*.

*This is a very blatant lie.
The perfume community is one of the most
lovely groups I've ever had the privilege to be a part of!

The Mary Greenwell website claims Plum is "A story of femininity and joy."

It goes on...

A classic chypre with a memorable modern twist. Plum begins the story of femininity and joy, a fragrance of uncomplicated chic and sensual warmth. Top notes of English plum, blackcurrant, peach, bergamot and lemon blend with heart notes of gardenia, tuberose absolute, orange flower absolute, rose absolute and jasmine absolute with a base of precious woods, sandalwood, oakmoss, patchouli, amber and white musk complete the intoxicating scent that is Plum by Mary Greenwell.

To top it all off, I'm sure you saw those words that make the shriveled, evil little hearts of certain perfume fans race, beady eyes darting every which way:

A classic Chypre. 

Oakmoss.

Big words, big fans, big expectations.

My thoughts
Disclaimer: I can count myself in that crew of oakmoss and chypre-lovers. And I'm talking about the heavy-on-the-oakmoss vintage chypres, not the modern kind with patchouli and a cast of supporting mossy characters. I like those, too, but to me "chypre" means the vintage kind.

Plum is not like those, but still a very good perfume.

It opens with strong fruit salad, heavy on the lemon and blackcurrant. I can't find any plum, but that's of no real issue to me. It's a voluptuous, unabashedly feminine in a very sweet and tart way. I kind of like that view of women: sweet but tart.

I begin to pick up the woods just as the florals make their entrance. There's something sweet there that supports them, like a cedar table under a very full vase of flowers. First you notice the orange blossom, then the higher-pitched gardenia. Jasmine and some well-behaved tuberose join in after awhile. And this stage is long-winded...

Luckily for me, the floral stage -long as it is- is also a little quieter than that fruity opening. I feel fairly... obvious, I guess, in the opening minutes of Plum. The heart of the perfume isn't exactly shy and retiring, but certainly more circumspect than the opening. On another happy note, the florals do not boss or bully; it's actually sweetly feminine and very pretty.

What I don't get, other than that breath of woods, is chypre. I can't pick up much oakmoss  or even much patchouli. A soft amber muskiness ends the scent on my skin. It's a great ending, but not exactly capital-C Chypre stuff.

So, this modern chypre with the cult following --- what do I really think in the end? You know what? I like it. But I do not love it. At least, not enough to go through all of the hoops required to obtain a bottle. Apparently this one is hard to get out of England, and frankly even though I have a friend in London I just resent that kind of exclusivity and won't deal with it. Which tells you how much I didn't fall in love with Plum, I guess, or I'd toss my flimsy morals to the curb. I am a perfumista after all...

Are you a fan of Plum? How do you feel about modern chypres? The vintage ones? 

Elie Saab Le Parfum (A perfume review)

Do you remember that dress? I think it's one of my favorite red carpet gowns to-date. Halle Berry is so fabulously gorgeous and so perfectly suited to the brilliant femininity of Elie Saab's gowns. 

I've long been a admirerer of Saab's, so when I heard a perfume was going to carry his name, I was interested. When I heard that it was designed by perfumer Francis Kurkdijian* well, it became a must-try. 

Here's the spiel:
“Composed as an ode to light, ELIE SAAB Le Parfum celebrates the splendor and the brilliance of radiant femininity with a floral solar woody theme. The permanent exchange between flowers and wood is what gives the fragrance such captivating resonance.”

And here are the notes:
Orange blossom, jasmine (Grandiflorum and Sambac), rose honey, cedar, patchouli.

And here are my thoughts:
I think I like it. I can see the relationship between this scent and light, and I can see how it suits the Elie Saab esthetic. It's bright, it's feminine, it's pretty. In fact, it's womanly. Just like Saab's gowns. It brings out some lovely floral facets that really say "woman" but grounds them in the modern fashion with some fairly strong woods.

It's not terribly ground-breaking - I'm sure plenty of smarter and more experienced perfumistas can line up a list of scents this one references. I don't know that creating Le Parfum stretched any of Kurdijian's olfactory or brain muscles. Then again, I'm not sure the brief asked for that. However, it seems to be a solidly-made perfume that will likely find a lot of fans.

I enjoy the initial blast (and it is a blast!) of orange blossom. There are other white florals in there, too, I believe. Definitely jasmine. Quite a bit of jasmine! And I suspect there's some gardenia maybe some tuberose. This is one of those "don't spray it right before you walk into the office" scents. You'll be the cause of a new no-scent policy, for sure.

Give it a little while -10 minutes or so?- and the orange blossom and jasmine party starts to die down a bit. The scent is still floral, but more at a more socially acceptable volume. That "rose honey" accord kicks in giving this a warmer, more friendly feel while still retaining maximum femininity. That said, I don't see why a man couldn't carry this off. 


Throughout, sillage is present - maybe even overtly so. Le Parfum wears well, too, still wafting five or six hours after application - at least on my skin.

Some people report a strong patchouli taking over at this point, and I 100% smell the patch, but for me the one being pushy is the cedar. He's not my favorite, and this is the note that caused me to waffle for quite a long time on my review of Le Parfum. In warmer weather, the cedar pushes this perfume into a shrill place that I don't enjoy. In cooler air, it is less sharp and pointy.


It's this feminine floral vs. woody counterpoint that I just can't quite decide on. I enjoy tension in my perfumes - linear and straightforward is too easy. But I can't help but wonder if this technique has been overplayed here. I find the first half of Le Parfum's development so overtly feminine and round that it's almost difficult for me to swallow the edges of the drydown.

In the end, I'm still not sure how I feel about Elie Saab Le Parfum. I think I like it. That clearly means I don't love it. If I did, I'd be clamoring for a bottle, and I'm decidedly not doing that. I will wear my samples, though, and maybe even fork over for a decant.


*Here are just a few of Kurkdijian's best-selling and/or highly thought-of works: Green Tea (Elizabeth Arden); Le Male (Gaultier); Lady Vengeance, Miss Charming (both by Juliette Has a Gun); Narciso Rodriguez for her, Narcisco Rodriguez for Him; and his own well-received line.
Have you tried Le Parfum? Do you like it? Love it? How do you feel about cedar? Would you wear an Elie Saab gown?

This blog really stinks, and you can, too! Our first giveaway: Wild Child by Opus Oils (sponsored by Perfume Pharmer)

That's right. A giveaway. A prize! And it's a good 'un, too. This was one of my favorite scents from my Patch Test Bunny trials, and the winner of Perfume Pharmer's summer contest: Summer of Patchouli Love.


The winner was formerly known as "#13", but we now know it as Wild Child, by Kedra Hart of Opus Oils.

Who loved this? Well, I did, for one. It was my #4 but came close to being #3. More importantly, fume bloggers Marlen, Felicia Hazzard, Donna Hathaway, Carrie Meredith, Victoria Jent (Ajent Orange) and everyone's friend Ida Meister all had #13 in their Top Three, as did my favorite stinky Facebook friend, Carlos Powell. Perfumer Justine Crane was a "nose" for the contest, and she loved Wild Child, too. Did you want to know what the celebrities thought? How about Grammy Award winning vocalist Patti Austin? I am a fan of the famous pagan Starhawk from way back. She voted, too. Are you a fan of folks singer Bruce Langhorne? He participated. Fetish model Tiger Powers got in on the contest, too. All of those folks voted for Wild Child, as did Davika Weston of the Weston Gallery. And don't let me forget to mention that #13 was one of the top votes for Monica Miller's special Martha's Vineyard "Islanders Choice" awards!! I'm telling ya: this is a lovely, gorgeous perfume!

When I reviewed this scent, my first-impression notes read: "Vanilla? Candlewax! Oh wow, yum!" And for the most part I'm sticking with that assessment, though subsequent wearings allowed me to pick up some other nuances besides "yum". I almost always get blasted (in a good way) with dirty but sophisticated patchouli in the beginning, and it stays pretty steadily throughout the wearing. I love the sweet-woody opening and the sultry dry-down, but my favorite stage is the nearly-tropical, milky, coconut middle phase. The fruits shouldn't scare you, by the way. They add to that almost beachy, lazy-sexy vibe that made this perfect for my recent vacation at the shore!

The official notes look like this:

Top Notes: Saffron, Cabreuva, Blood Cedarwood, Peach Tree Leaf, Clementine, Yellow Mandarin & Wild Orange 

Middle Notes: Honey, Milk Accord, Black Currant Bud, Tuberose & Peach Accord 

Base Notes: Aged Dark Patchouli, Sandalwood, Ambergris, Dark Amber, Vetiver & Vanilla 

I want to thank Monica Miller (of Perfume Pharmer) for having such a bang-up patchouli experiment. I totally dug it, man. I know she worked really, really hard on the whole thing, as did Kedra Hart (Wild Child's creatrix) and all of the other mad scientist perfumers who participated.I hope to grow my blog over the year so I can participate in whatever Monica has cooked-up for next Summer - and any other

And now the opportunity to win a bottle of Wild Child!
Enter a comment below (any comment, I'm not pushy or rigid) and you're in. Monica will send the bottle when I've randomly selected a winner*.

Contest closes Friday, 8.12.11 at midnight, EST.

That's it. That's all you have to do to be the one who wins a bottle of the overall favorite perfume from The Summer of Patchouli Love. Easy peasy, right?

But....
Please could you Tweet, FB, G+, or otherwise mention this contest for me? I wouldn't ask, but since this is such an amazing scent and I'm such a new little blog, I am worried that the give-away won't get the attention that it, Monica, and Kedra all deserve. Pretty please, help a contest out? Send me a link to your sharing and for your kindness you can win another entry!


Good luck!
xoxo,
*jen


*For those of you new to my ways, my completely scientific and unbiased method of winner selection is to put all of the names in a bowl and let one of my kids pick one out.

Patch Test Bunny reporting for duty! 2011 Summer of Patchouli Love.

I am so totally loving being a Patch Test Bunny! Not only am I getting to try some amazing natural perfumes, but I'm falling in love with patchouli all over again!

I'm going to review most of the scents here, but first I want to tell you which I've selected as my Top Three!

Remember: each Patch Test Bunny (bloggers, experts, famous friends) got 13 un-numbered samples of natural perfumes constructed around a minimum of 25% patchouli. Each perfume is 100% natural. Otherwise, it was up to each perfumer to decide where to go with their scent. Some buried the patch in light, bright florals, while others reveled in the patchouli and honored its darker side. 

In my opinion, each and every one is bottle-worthy (no, really!), but I had to pick 3 favorites. They were...

Here are a few notes about them:

#11 - My first place choice, though it was an intense struggle to choose. This one opens strong and tough, but then pulls me in close and hugs me, just like I like it! I didn't immediately notice the leathery aspect until Nathan Branch (one of my imaginary BFFs) pointed out, but indeed there is a nuance of leather. I enjoy a bit of badass in my perfumes, so this doesn't surprise me too much. But I also love the wafts of florals and mellow patch. I'm really diverse and this scent works for all of my sides!

#2 - I love the meatiness of this one. Not like a side of beef. More like deep and complex. Over time a bit of a smoky vibe starts to come out, which adds to the complexity, richness and beauty of the scent. There is a little bit of a flirtation with the gourmand here - something vanilla? Maybe chocolate? Is that anise? Wait, it's gone. I can't wait to read the notes in this one - you know my baby, newbie nose isn't great at this game!

#3 - You know how sheer curtains catch in the breeze, billowing out nice and full and then pulling back in, tight? That's kind of how this perfume moves. It's light much of the time, with a hidden darker base tinged with spices. There's coconut in there, I'm sure of it, and even though I wouldn't call this "tropical" its lightness and simply pretty presence is going to be with me at the beach on vacation!

One thing all of my top choices have is noticeable patchouli. Well, there's 25% in there, right? Not so fast! Not all of the 13 placed the patchouli out there, front and center. Some had hidden the patchouli pretty well, which is fine, but I love the patch and want to smell it.

Most of the testers have returned their ballots and many have shared some thoughts on the scents they enjoyed most. As soon as all of the votes are in, Monica will announce the three winners (most overall votes) and share the scent breakdowns. Then we can all buy the ones we love, just in time for late Summer-early Fall (my favorite time to wear patchouli).

Stay tuned for more Summer of Patchouli Love.

Peace, Love and Patchouli (PLAP)!

* jen

Get up-to-speed on all of the PLAP happenings here, on Perfume Pharmer.

Visit the thirteen genius perfumers at their sites:

• Liz Zorn,
• Dawn Spencer Hurwitz
• Jane Cate
• Rodney Hughes
• Shelly Waddington
• Alfredo Dupetit
• Ambrosia Jones
• Amanda Feeley
• JoAnne Bassett
• Lyn Ayre
• Charna Ethier
• Kedra Hart
• Tanja Bochnig

Happy Earth Day, you dirty hippie! (A discourse on patchouli)

It's Earth Day! I thought it would be a great day to talk about a nice earthy perfume ingredient. I hope you enjoy reading it. Happy Earth Day!

Patchouli.

What do you think of when I say the word?

For years and years, when I heard the word "patchouli" I would cringe. If you asked me, it was one of the worst scents I'd ever encountered, second only to (and in my mind not dissimilar to) the smell of something wet and rotting.

My experiences with this stench went pretty much like you'd expect: I smelled it on hippie wannabes and in New Age shops.

I studied Fine Arts in college. I'm fairly certain part of the curriculum was donning long skirts and bell-laden anklets and listening to The Grateful Dead. I'm not sure that was in the course book, but I can't say with certainty because those years are kinda foggy.

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Yes, I saw Jerry perform. Several times. What an experience Dead shows were! I almost preferred to go hang out in the parking lot to actually going into the arena. In part, this was because the real fun happened out there in the lot: people watching, shopping, meeting interesting characters, watching people dance with ribbons or fire, the friendlines and warm feelings... Definitely worth the price of getting onto the grounds with no ticket! Besides, by the time I got to Jerry he was forgetting his own lyrics. The songs were no longer nearly-endless due to the band blissfully losing themselves in the rhythm. Rather, Jerry and the boys seemed to get stuck in a song with no idea how to get out, like a needle in a record groove.




This aimlessness that seemed to only suit those who tripped their way into the show simply wasn't my thing. As sad as the decay of a once strong band was to me, worse was the stench of rumpled tie-dyed shirts as they ambled past. Each time one of those long-haired and vacant-eyed girls would spin, she'd kick up a cloud of rank and oily nastiness. I imagined the reason most of them twirled with their eyes shut was to stop them from tearing at their own stink.

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To me, this was patchouli. Oily, high-pitched, shrill, and not smelling like any natural thing I'd ever smelled. This patchouli lay restlessly over unwashed skin, co-mingled with goodness-knows-what kind of cheap, synthetic musk oils, and rose in clouds that merged with cheap pot and incense sticks.


Patchouli. I wasn't a fan.

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I seem to be rambling worse than Jerry in 1991, so let's flip the calendar a few years. Setting: 2008. I'm just starting to get "into" perfumes. Not a full-fledged perfumista yet, but writing a beauty blog has exposed me to new fragrances. The power of Google enabled me to quickly learn more about these pretty bottles coming my way.

I also searched for the notes on favorite perfumes I'd worn in the past. Imagine my surprise when a certain note kept coming up! What grounded the fruity blast of Belle en Rykiel (Sonia Rykiel), the peachy florals in Chinatown (Bond No. 9), the fresh explosion of my longtime love Colors de Benetton? Patchouli. What resided in the base of the oh-so-swoonworthy cologne wafting from most guys I knew in high school (I'm talking about Drakkar Noir, of course)? Patchouli.

In fact, patchouli is in quite a few perfumes. As in, a zillion. Many. Maybe even most! It's an essential piece of the chypre formula. It's in many perfumes in the oriental family of scents. It's earthy qualities pair well with florals and add a solid counterpoint to sweet scents.

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Patchouli is an herb. A mint. The bush grows to two or three feet tall and sports small light pink blooms. Native to Asia, it's now cultivated in China, Indonesia, India, the Philippines, Vietnam and West Africa.

Patchouli, or "patch" as it's sometimes fondly called, was used long ago as a moth and bug repellant, tucked in-between cloth exported from India. In aromatherapy, it's used for balancing, mind clarification, and as an antidepressant. It may perform as an antifungal, cell rejuvenator, antiseptic, appetite-suppressant, and headache reliever.

Patchouli oil is extracted by steam distillation from either the dry leaves or from fresh. As the oil ages, it mellows and becomes more rounded, smoother. The scent profile for patchouli has been described beautifully on the blog Perfume by Nature, so I'll share it with you here:

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Dark woody, sweet amber, earthy, musty with a touch of fruit and spice  (lighter in iron free version). Aged Patchouli is softer than fresh, which can have a sharp, biting by note to it.

So, what this all boils down to is an imense eye-opener for me! Patchouli doesn't have to evoke sweaty, bearded men who slather the oil into their dreadlocks. It doesn't belong only to those channeling the 60's or dancing under the influence of LSD dreams.

Flip the calender a few mote times and patchouli is present in my perfume collection in a prominent way.

My next bottle purchase will be Calamity J, a smooth patchouli + iris, amber, musk, and "vanilla infusion" by Juliette Has a Gun. I've torn through 3 samples and it's still bewitching me; I use it to de-stress and relax. I also adore patchouli in Chinatown, which is going to show up in my house as a bottle once my seemingly endless stash of Bond's "bonbon" samples is gone. 

Similarly, I'm repeatedly reaching for my vials of a few others:

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1. Coromandel* (Chanel) - clean and elegant patch
2. Borneo 1834* (Serge Lutens) - dirty patch with cocoa
3. Patchouli Patch (L'Artisan) - velvety patch
4. Voleur de Roses* (L'Artisan) - thick and fluffy patch wrapped around a red rose
5. Karma (Lush) - orange and spicy patch, somewhat of a throwback headshop scent, updated (I prefer the soap but the solid is nice, too)
6. Patchouli 24 (Le Labo) - Leathery patch
7. Angel (Thierry Mugler) - chocolate-dipped praline patch
   
   *full bottle-worthy

It's also in these favorites: Dune (Christian Dior), Miss Dior (Christian Dior), Jicky (Guerlain), Enjoy (Jean Patou), Prada (the original), Musks Kublai Khan (Lutens), Flowerbomb (Viktor and Rolf), and countless others.

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Am I showing too much New Age-y touchy feeliness when I say that a well-executed perfume with a creamy, aged patchouli really speaks to me? Am I a having a flashback when I nuzzle my wrist to get another sniff of an earthy, clod-of-dirt-bearing patch? Is it the munchies making me crave more of patchouli's chocolatey facet? I don't know the answer, but as long as the patchouli isn't that cheap crap that I remember (and can still be found in some New Age or "health food" shops), well, sign me up! I dream of trying an aged patchouli oil.

Jerry Garcia has moved on to the great big gig in the sky, and I'm long past my flirtation with the hippie way of life. What I have now, though, is an affinity for deep, earthy scents; mellow music; tie-dye; and long-winded rambling. And, apparently, patchouli.

Do you patchouli? Which are your favorites? Which should I try next? What's your favorite Dead song?

header image via; Dead montage image sources: peace hippie, hippie hands, proud hippie, love hippies, The Dead.

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