Though it was 30 degrees F outside when I woke up this morning, I didn’t crave an intense amber, wood or incense fragrance; I wanted sparkling citrus…citrus that would laugh at winter and say: “Your time is almost up, Withered One…flowers and warmth are on their way!” Smiling at me from the “perfume sample bowl” near my bed were two recent citrus-y perfume releases from Askett & English, each an Eau de Cologne — Askett Absolute and Askett Essential.
Askett Absolute includes notes of tea, mandarin, bergamot, cardamom, basil, rose, orange blossom, woods, amber and musk. Absolute opens with ‘bergamot tea,’ lightly sweetened and clean. A zingy orange blossom-basil combo appears in mid-development. (I do detect a rose note, not at all soft or feminine but clear and “ripe.”) Absolute ends with a slightly floral, sheer wood accord (let’s call it “summer amber”). Overall, Absolute reminds me of a ‘sweeter’ Tom Ford Neroli Portofino (a likeable, well-done citrus fragrance with a too-huge ego, $195 for 50 ml, really?)
Askett Essential includes notes of herbs, lemon, bergamot, lavender, jasmine, woods, moss, cedar, tonka bean and vetiver. Essential opens with an abundance of sour/tart citrus aromas (accent on the rind, not the juice). Mixed with the citrus is a bright, green ‘moss’ note (sharper than expected); jasmine is a background accent. Essential ends with a flower-tinged moss-vetiver accord. Essential smells like an old-style citrus scent (think Eau de Guerlain), the type of Eau de Cologne made before moss was slandered, flowers were diluted, and awful ozone and “mentholated” sport fragrance notes appeared.
I enjoy Askett Absolute and Askett Essential; if I didn’t have way too many Eaux de Cologne in my collection, I’d buy one (probably Absolute). Each fragrance is unisex and has good lasting power (five hours) and sillage.
Askett & English Askett Absolute and Askett Essential are £60 each for 100 ml; they are not currently sold in the U.S. but can be bought at Les Senteurs in London, Kapok in Hong Kong and The Different Scent in Berlin.
Note: top image is Egon Schiele’s Der Cello-Spieler [altered], via Wikimedia Commons.
Thanks for the review, Kevin. If I were to seek these out, Absolute sounds more my style than Essential.
I was in a similar mood with the spring snow we got last night–I sprayed myself liberally with Bronze Goddess yesterday evening to laugh in the face of those snow flakes! (And to dream of Waikiki–only 3 weeks away!)
MR: you have something to look forward too!
I do that sometimes, too: it’s brutal midwinter and instead of wearing the usual warm standbys (heavy with vanilla, amber, leather or spice) I say, “Screw you, Winter!” and put on Eau Sauvage or White Linen or something equally bright and dazzling-spring-sunshiny. These sound like just the thing.
R: they did a good job on their first two scents…plum trees have just started blooming in this icy weather…they give me HOPE.
What timing on this review. We’ve had such a mild winter with almost no snow and today I’m watching it pile up outside and swearing under my breath. Something bright and sunny is just what I might need. These sound like something my husband would like too.
Poodle: seems like snow is the order of the day all over the place.
Nice review, Kevin. I too have a tendency to the defy the doldrums of winter with something bright and zippy so these sound great. The Absolute sounds most like me but the Essential is a definite contender!
FWitch: hope you can smell them…surely someone will pick them up for sale in the U.S….
I am in the UK so it’s all good.
Thanks for the review Kevin.They both sound wonderful. I have been thinking about summer scents as well such as citrus, jasmine, gardenia, etc. After a cold and dull winter, I long for the arrival of spring/summer and wearing a summery scent is a nice reminder of the warmer climate. It makes me happy!
LadyM: I agree…that’s why I chose the top image for the post…he “looks” like he’s engulfed in a citrus perfume! HA!
Totally OT, please excuse me, but has anyone heard form Rappleyea after the storms?
I was wondering about Musette, too.
Whereabouts are they? I know that parts of Mo. are still without power, but I don’t know about anything further afield than that, noot for certain. Earlier this evening, I think I heard a report that Kentucky and Tennessee had gotten hit again, but I was so frazzled when I finally made it in from work (high winds and a dry winter do NOT make for a fun day when you work in insurance, and add to that it ending up being a nearly 13 hour day besides…) well, I can’t be sure I really did hear that or not.
They are in affected states, but I don’t know/remember the towns, so I don’t know if they were at all close to the tornados.
Wow, a 13-hour day is tough!
Its bad, but better than flood season. People get very angry when you tell them they don’t have coverage for water. There are people I’ve tried to sell flood policies to every winter since I got here, who will occasionally get a quote but will never buy a policy who (when the river rises and thier house floods) scream at me “YOU NEVER TOLD ME THAT!”
*sigh* Sometimes insurance really sucks.
I am just checking back to see if there’s any news/contact from Rappleyea and Musette. Still nothing? I hope they’re okay.