torsdag 28 december 2017

Best of 2017

I have little to say about the 2017 releases as most fragrances I've tested this year was created in 2016 or the years just before. I liked both of the two great releases in 2017 much.Versatile and elegant/playful fragrances: Chanel Gabrielle and Hermès Twilly. This year Carner Barcelona Floral Collection also was nice even if I liked the Black Collection from 2016 better. Puredistance Warzawa, with its muted, dark, green elegance, was released for the entire market 2017 but was actually released in 2016, exclusive for the polish market.

Picture: Best of 2017
 Roger & Gallet Extraits de Cologne
Photo: PR Roger & Gallet (c)
My choice of best of 2017 is the classic Colognehouse Roger & Gallet Extraits de Cologne line. The fragrances are created by different, famous or upcoming perfumers. Some of the extraits de Cologne are as an Eau de Toilette (Edt) in radiance and stregnth and other somewhere in between Cologne and Edt. My favorites are Néroli Facètie (Fabrice Pellegrin) and Cassis Frénésie (Elise Benat) even if Tubereuse Hédoine (Anne Flipo) Thé Fantaisie (Alberto Morillas) and Verveine Utopie (Juliette Karagueuzoglou) comes close. The line is very well done and priceworthy given the quality (100 ml GBP 55 ). Lovely fragrances, would be great for Springtime.

söndag 24 december 2017

The Fragrances of Christmas Eve 2017

Picture: Christmas tree 2017
Photo: Parfumista (c)
The Scent of Christmas Eve 2017 is the elegant retro and in the same time contemporary austere flowery-green Vert de Fleur by Tom Ford.  Suits a green Christmas very well I think. It's more like a partial sunny autumnday outside.

Mr Parfumista is wearing Incense Extreme by Andy Tauer. A light "white" incense swirling to the sky even if intense in performance. Below is the updated list of the fragrances I've worn the last fourteen Christmas Eves:

2016: Oud Sublime Parfums de Nicolaï (quality "forest-refreshing" dark green, mossy, woody)
2015: Rose de Taif Extrait Perris Monte Carlo (high class smooth velvety rose petals)
2014: Impossible Iris Ramòn Monegal (an elegant, contempory iris with a delicious rasperrynote)
2013: Quintaesensia Ramòn Monegal, (a special retro styled blend, furry, ambery, herbal/spicy)
2012: Nothing, knocked down by the worst flu in ten years+.
2011: Betrothal, Grossmith (classic, light and exquisite florals)
2010: Cuir Mauresque, Serge Lutens (saddle leather, orangeblossom, jasmine, spices)
2009: Tribute Attar, Amouage (dark leather, smoke, oud, excellent spices)
2008: Incense rosé, Andy Tauer (rose, mandarine, cardamom, myrrh cedar, incense)
2007: Ambre Russe, Parfum d'Empires (boozy amber, the, wood, oriental)
2006: Jil Sander 4, Jil Sander (dark, overripe fruits, white almost withering flowers, oriental spices)
2005: Nuit de Noël, Caron (dusky, retro flowers, moss and a furry note)
2004: Cabochard,  Parfums Grès (leathery chypre, harsh green notes and retro flowers)
2003: Fracas Robert Piguet (the ultimate classic grand tubereuse)

Let's have a Great Fragrant Christmas! 

onsdag 6 december 2017

Independence Day

Picture: Finlands "Blue Cross Flag"
Photo from Facts.co

Today our beautiful neighbour Suomi-Finland is celebrating 100 years as an independent country.       Congratulations Finland!

Thinking of Finland, I suddenly remembered there was some entertaining fragrant readings with finnish connection on Fragrantica a year or two ago. And here I found them, written by Eeva-Helena Laurinsalo.

Fragrant Finland: A Fresh Affair


And last but not least: Congratulations to my son who is celebrating his 15th birthday today!

måndag 27 november 2017

Fragrantica Perfume Awards

Picture: Fallen falleaves
Photo: Parfumista (c)
An exciting initiative from Fragrantica - We at Fragrantica decided to organize our own community awards which will be fully driven by your suggestions and votes. You can nominate up to 5 fragrances in each category and vote for or against  of each nomination". 

The awardcategories, submitted & voted by the Fragrantica community, are:
  1. Best Fragrance Of All Times for Women
  2. Best Fragrance Of All Times for Men
  3. Best Unisex Fragrance Of All Time
  4. The Worst Fragrance Of All Time
  5. Best Women's Fragrance Voted by Men
  6. Best Men's Fragrance Voted by Women
  7. Best Discontinued Fragrance for Women, Bring It Back!
  8. Best Discontinued Fragrance for Men, Bring It Back!
  9. The Legend of the Latest Decade for Women
  10. The Legend of the Latest Decade for Men
  11. Best Fragrance of 2017 for Women
  12. Best Fragrance of 2017 for Men
  13. Niche Fragrance of 2017
  14. Most Innovative Fragrance of 2017
  15. Perfume House Of The Year
  16. Best Perfume Bottle of 2017
  17. Best Perfume Flanker of 2017
  18. Most Underrated Fragrance
  19. Most Overrated Fragrance
  20. Best Fragrance for Hot Days
  21. Best Fragrance for Cold Days
  22. Fragrance with the Best Longevity
  23. Best Bargain Fragrance for Women
  24. Best Bargain Fragrance for Men
  25. R.I.P - Beloved Perfumes Murdered by Reformulation
The voting is open 24 Nov to 1 Dec - Don't miss the chance to  have fun and to influence.

måndag 20 november 2017

Further fragrance reading...

Picture: Novemberrose
Photo: Parfumista (c)
I'm in some sort of writer's block but others have interesting perfumrelated things to share. Here some links to articles/posts I've appreciated recently.

Intresting thoughts about the battle between two versatile, very likable, everyday  fragrances launched in 2017  Chanel Gabrielle and Hermès Twilly - like them both.

And here comes reviews of them Twilly on Perfume Shrine and Twilly on Now Smell This Twilly on The Scented Salamander, Gabrielle on Bois de Jasmin and Gabrielle on Now Smell This, Gabrielle on The Scented Salamander.

An article about styling the winter wardrobe with perfumes on Fragrantica. The picture of the snowmen is just great :-)

Bois de Jasmin share us some words of wisdom from Christian Dior’s Little Dictionary of Fashion  timeless advices about style which of course including perfume.

More vintage, here about vintage perfume bottles

And last but not least - an inteview (with photo) with the mysterious perfumer Pierre Montale who many people doubt exist. Anyway, somebody is interviewed here 

måndag 13 november 2017

Styling with perfume

Picture: The frame for the perfumes of last week
Photo: Parfumista (c)

Styling the SOTD with suitable outfits and accessoires is almost a science, especially under timepressure which is the ordinary state in the early mornings during a working week. I have found a routine to tackle this "problem". Doing some planning in advance gives the opportunity to concentrate on the choice of  SOTD the following mornings. I'm not organized like this often, but sometimes I got the "flow". Here is an example from last week:

First of all I chose a theme for the SOTD:s for the coming week which in this case was autumnal + oriental + dark fragrances + classic. Then I chose the beckground, the canvas for the composition, black dresses in jersey or light woolblend qualities act as a dark, simple neutral background. As the everyday frame to the composition, I chose the reaible accessories pictured above: Mulberry Chester in textured goat, my favourite November - December Hermès cashmere-silk shawl Collections Imperiales in black with pattern in muted autumn and winter colours, the Freywille Attersee bangle, vintage rings in gold with pearls and cabochon amethysts and a simple strand of pearls. The olfactory brushstrokes which completed the composition for each workday were:

Monday - Dior Eau Sauvage not an oriental but on the verge of beeing heavy applied the basenotes with moss, amber and musk are more pronounced. Still with the golden citrus glimpses and dark green aromatic accord.

Tuesday - Guerlain Shalimar Edp what a pleasure to wear this classic I imagine Shalimar as auburn in colour. Elegant, special, comforting and warm. Timeless.

Wednesday - Penhaligon's Halfeti not a classic but a representative of the western oud trend: Loud peppery saffron, oud  and woody notes over somoother and pleasant accords of a very dark red rose, creamy amber and leather. Potent and radiating, lasts for days on textiles and also with traces on skin after more then one showering. If it had a colour: Darkest of red and black.

Thursday - Chanel Coco Edt spicy, soft, cosy, strong and radiating but still elegant. A contemporary classic. Just as Shalimar, a real pleasure to wear.

Friday - Burberry My Burberry Black I like Burberry fragrances, it seems as their DNA suits my skintype. This fragrance is deep, dark, fruity, boozy, smokey, balsamic in a such pleasant and warming way. It also lasts for days on my shawl.

End of report from my well organized perfume week.

måndag 6 november 2017

Blog anniversary 11 years

Picture: Violettes du Czar
Photo: PR Oriza L Legrand (c)
Last Wednesday 1 November, Parfumistans Blogg celebrated 11 years and I was wearing the intriguing leather, gasoline, violet Violettes du Czar from Oriza L. Legrand. Since a couple of years I have noticed that November is the time of the year when  I crave Oriza fragrances the most. Probably something in their nostalgic DNA that goes with the mood of the season.

Picture: Eau Sauvage
PR Christian Dior (c)
When writing this post I'm wearing a true classic signed the great Edmond Roudnitska, Dior Eau Sauvage, to honor my father, who passed away 10 years ago today, far too young. Eau Sauvage was his signaturefragance and it was like tailormade for him. I find Eau Sauvage unisex, with cirtus, aromatic, subdued  flowery, mossy accords. It's casual fresh in an elegant retrostyle and lights up any gloomy Novemberday as well as beeing refreshing a warm summer day.

So far this year it seems as I'm not in the right mood for the real, heavy autumn/winterfragrances, probably this will change when winter strikes. Probably there will be another day in Eau Sauvage tomorrow, and I definitly think more women should try it.