Pretending that you're an artist when what you've made smells like the fragrance right next to it... all that bullshit! The business is full of bullshit.
Hear, hear! That's perfumer Francis Kurkdjian, at the end of a long discussion with Persolaise about why perfumery is not art (among other subjects — if you have not read the interview, it is worth the time, and don't miss part 2). It's the sort of thing most perfumers don't say in public, and his candor is one of many reasons I have always found Mr. Kurkdjian — or at least, his public persona — extremely likable.
I don't always find his perfumes as appealing as his person, though. That is not to say I don't like his work, because I do think he's a brilliant perfumer. But in general I don't feel the same sort of natural affinity for his perfumes that I do for those of some other perfumers or brands. Many of the perfumes that the rest of you swoon over (Elie Saab Le Parfum comes to mind) I find extraordinarily well done without feeling any sort of tug at my heartstrings or wallet. Of Kurkdjian's entire output for other commercial brands, I own exactly one full bottle, and that is the first, and now discontinued, version of Acqua di Parma Iris Nobile, which he made with perfumer Françoise Caron.1
Pluriel Féminin, from his own brand, Maison Francis Kurkdjian, did have a little conversation with my heart and my wallet, and would have joined my collection if the line included single-bottle travel sizes.2 The newer Petit Matin falls into the same category. It's a woody floral citrus which functions essentially as a unisex citrus cologne. The brand already had several such things, including Aqua Universalis, Aqua Universalis Forte and Cologne Pour le Matin, and they are all perfectly nice (I think the Aqua Universalis has lots of fans) but in keeping with the explanation I've already given above, they did not move me.
Petit Matin starts cheerful and fresh and lively (the notes: lemon, litsea cubeba, orange blossom, hawthorn, lavandin and musk / ambroxan). It reminds me vaguely of the greenish lemon tea from Carthusia Mediterraneo, and has the same tonic effect in the heat, as should any decent citrus cologne. The Petit Matin is dewier and softer, though (the "luminous energy" in the PR copy is spot on) and the pale creamy florals in the heart, accented by the slightest tinge of almost-powder, give it the feel of a lazy sunny morning, when you might best linger on the patio over your tea and toast before making any big decisions. The dry down is, as advertised, a woody amber-y musk, rather transparent and again done in shades of pale — the image they're using, of the Paris sky in the early hours, is a perfect match for the scent — but with better lasting power and sillage than you might expect.
Verdict: Two thumbs up. Petit Matin would be a perfect addition to my collection of no-brainers, and like the best of them (Hermès Eau des Merveilles, for example) would spend more of its time on a shelf in the open, for easy access, than tucked away in the cabinet.
As it happens, the Candy Perfume Boy reviewed Petit Matin today as well, so I'll give him the closing line: "...it is yet another example of his effortless style of casual designer-style fragrances elevated by exceptional ingredients."
The quick poll: is there a perfumer (or brand) that you think is fantastic, but for the most part, you don't necessarily want the actual perfumes for yourself?
Maison Francis Kurkdjian Petit Matin is available in 70 ml Eau de Parfum, $215. For buying information, see the listing for Maison Francis Kurkdjian under Perfume Houses.
1. Although I should add that I wish I'd bought Jean Paul Gaultier Fleur du Male, and there are any number of his scents that I would not mind owning (and a few that I have in miniature). I just don't feel compelled to buy full bottles.
2. They do make travel sizes, but you have to buy them in refill packs of 3, and the bottle is not really a "finished" piece — it's meant to go in the "Globe Trotter" case. I don't want 3 refills, and I don't want the case, and in a perfect world the bottle would look less like a large sample. Still, I could buy the travel set and split it, and maybe someday I will, or, maybe some day they'll start selling mixed packs of 3? Or maybe I'll never own it.
You can think I am crazy..but Hermes is one of those houses. Very nice scents, but when I go to purchase a bottle it either goes back or finds a nice home. Jo Malone- I have smelled this line on people but wouldn’t want a bottle of anything, even if it landed on my lap from the sky. I think sometimes that line is “over rated”-please don’t throw tomatoes at me.
The Hermes makes us opposites, but the Jo Malone keeps us together
I’m the same, I’m afraid. Hermes is one of those houses I really *should* love, but I can’t say that anything of theirs has truly stood out to me. I do love Christine Nagel’s work, though, so perhaps we’ll find a match very soon!
Love the review and love the house of Kurkdjian.
So maybe Hermes will stop being my house and start being your house!
I’m with you entirely re: Hermes, and I’ll go so far as to say I have the same relationship with Chanel. More for everybody else, I guess!
Exactly the way to look at it
I love some of the Hermes (Ambre Narguile & Vanille Galant: swooooon!) but Jo Malone leaves me completely unmoved too. I can see the point of Mimosa and Cardamon (was that its name?), but to my nose, the others have weak personalities, and worse than that, seem to smell rather alike.
For me, the problem with Jo Malone is the overwhelming musk base. For example, I love Black Vetyver Cafe at first, but after a while the musk always takes over and I just can’t take it any more! It’s such a shame because the black coffee-vetiver idea is fantastic and otherwise well-executed.
Whereas on me BVC disappears altogether. Wish somebody would remake that one with better materials!
Yes! Loved it but no longevity.
I’m with you on both of those brands.
I guess I’m willing to forgive Hermes everything because the old classics are so solid and Cuir d’Ange is so delicious. And Hiris. I also like Iris Ukiyoe quite a lot.
I am with you on Jo Malone, I love the fragrances but never feel the urge to buy them.
I too have no love for Jo Malone I have always felt that it’s made for people who like the packaging and the image but are really not that into perfume. They are all so bland and disappear so quickly they not likely to offend anyone or even be noticed. Far too polite for me personally.
So late to this conversation, but…..
I really do love Hermes (don’t know of another scent with the dry, mineral character of Eau de Gentiane Blanche), but I’m totally with you on Jo Malone. Although I love the concept of the ingredient combinations, all the actual perfumes tend to smell alike. On the other hand, the design of the shops and the product line is exquisite.
Hermes, Cartier, Creed – there are lots that I think are good but not for me. MFK generally falls into that category as well. I also think it’s interesting he is calling bullshit on perfumes that all smell alike as I find a lot of his stuff smells alike (and not particularly impressive). My only real love from his house is Absolue Pour le Soir.
Ah, but note that first of all, he not really calling bullshit on perfumes that smell alike, but calling bullshit on calling them art! And presumably when he works for hire, he makes what they ask for. If you think the MFK scents smell like others, though, that’s a bigger complaint, I guess.
Yes I agree! I adore Absolue Pour le Soir but have not been impressed by any of the others in his line.
MFK’s Grand Soir is really good…just a teeny edgy but wearable, much more so than Absolue Pour le Soir.
I agree with you on Mr. Kurkdjian. I like his perfumes, but the only ones I that work for me so far are Enlevement au Serail and Promesse de l’aube. (To be honest, I’ve only tried a small fraction of his work, but most of the MFK line.)
Another would be the Christopher Brosius and his CBIHP line. I find him very appealing, like the idea of what he’s doing and have enjoyed the beginning of several of the perfumes. However, the oil or water formulations (instead of alcohol) don’t work for me, and the ones I’ve really liked fizzle out quite quickly.
Not sure which are his Demeters. I do love Tomato.
Of course, it’s possible he doesn’t really mean them to be wearable, but rather just quick evocations. I also remember a remark by Luca Turin that CB has great ideas but is incapable of finishing a perfume.
I would agree with that — CB is working on a totally different wavelength. And FK, on the other hand, seems uninterested in that sort of thing, or perhaps a better way to put it is that he seems far more interested in making commercially viable fragrances! But FK did make Pruning Shears, one of the all time great Demeters (although probably reformulated by now).
I wish I had smelled Pruning Shears. I guess I should still try it just in case. Tomato still smells good to me after 20 years.
Now that metallic notes are more common it probably would not seem such a big deal (?)
I do love CB’s scents, both pre- and post-Demeter, but I agree that the water-based fragrances don’t work for me. Gone in a flash on my skin, and my samples that are a few years old no longer smell like anything at all — I guess they just revert to water after a short while? The absolutes are quite long lived on me, though, and several (Cumming/Second Cumming, Wild Hunt, To See A Flower) are utter favorites of mine.
I don’t generally love his stuff, but To See A Flower made me cry – it felt like my heart was stretching with hope. (Did I buy it? No.)
Hi Robin, you made Petit Matin sound quite promising. I have to admit I like the name this perfume holds but it also sounds like something that I might wear. Are you able to tell how does it compare to Absolue Pour le Matin. They sound pretty similar yet Absolue didn’t smell good on my skin.
I’d go with Hermes for your poll. Many of them look great on paper but that’s where their greatness ends for me (but I got to really have a good relationship with Le Jardin de Monsieur Li and Eau de Neroli Dore)
Sadly I cannot help you — did not love Absolue Pour le Matin, and no longer am able to keep things I tried briefly but didn’t like straight in my mind — there are too many perfumes!
Honestly, you guys are ganging up on my BFF Hermes today
And I’m here, always ready to jump to Hermes’ defence
Glad to have a partner in crime!
I think if I was constrained to only use perfumes from one house, I would choose Hermes. While I don’t know that any of theirs are in my top five, I absolutely love Eau de Merveilles, L’ambre des Merveilles, Hiris, 24 Faubourg, and Caleche.
Hee! hee! and now you know how I feel about the gang up against Jo Malone
Lucasi, Petite Matin smells nothing like Absolue Pour le Soir. It is more on the lines of Aqua Universalis and Aqua Vitae. It’s a very wearable scent and suitable for the office.
Although I really dislike the Elie Saab, so loud, I adore his work for MDCI.
I’m not very familiar with his own line but have recently ordered some samples that I’ve yet to try.
This one sounds good too!
The house I struggle most with, is Chanel. I’m sure they’ve done a lot of masterpieces but they are mostly not my thing. And even the ones I own and love, I don’t wear as much as others in my collection.
I bet Chanel gets lots of votes today.
I’m with you on the Chanel. Beautifully constructed and made, but just don’t elicit the swoon.
Second (or third or fourth?) the comments about Chanel. Want to love it, but just…..don’t. Everything just feels thin. Guess I’m not elegant enough to wear them!
Well, I’ll turn in my perfumeista card now – for me it’s Caron. Bellodgia and Parfum Sacre are nice but I let my decants of both dry up from neglect.
Caron has reformulated or stopped making everything I love, so we’re in the same boat.
I don’t get Caron, either, except for a few: vintage Poivre, and Parfum Sacre. I had a small bottle of Aimez-Moi that I enjoyed but really did not wear.
Miller Harris,in particular the big hits like Geranium Bourbon and L’Air de Rien.Both smelled wonderful on skin and I purchased a fb of each.When I started to curate my collection they were the first two to go.Rose en Noir so far the only real real love.(tiny bit of love for Noix de Tubereuse though!)
Totally agree on MH.
Yep, I agree on regarding this house too.
Oh, no! I love Fleurs de Sel and Geranium Bourbon. They are perfect for certain weather and seasons.
Sadly, for me it the Guerlains, especially the classics, that I like on others but just don’t work on me. The best I have gotten from any has been “meh” on my skin.
I am beginning to think I will never “get” Mitsouko myself.
I feel so much better about myself because of hearing that from you. I’ve tried, I have really tried. With Jo Malone and Serge Lutens too.
Oh, never feel bad about yourself for not loving a perfume!
To continue picking on you, R, I would say I never got Daniela Andrier’s work for Prada at all. I appreciated that it was well crafted and that other people liked it, but she left me cold. But then she did Marni, BV Knot and Bvlgari Eau Parfumée au Thé Bleu, all of which I really liked, and one of which I bought, so I thought the curse was broken. Miu Miu might have brought it back, though — pew pew. And the recent Pradas are bad again…
FK, though, I do really like enough to cash in, though much of his work for his own brand does smell similar. I finally caved and asked for a bottle of Pluriel Féminin for my last brithday and I’m fond of Absolue Pour le Soir and Ciel de GUM, too. And, of course, I own a vat of Dior Eau Noire and treasure my MDCI Enlevement au Serail decant, outside of his line.
We agree as much as not on DA though. I did not think the original high end Pradas (forget the name) were all that great, did not like any of the flankers to Infusion other than the Absolue, did not like the flankers to Prada Candy, and La Femme Prada is meh (and so is Miu Miu). So hard to say why I still think of myself as liking Prada, except I still feel like I do! And I do still like DA.
Jealous of your Pluriel!
I completely forgot about Dior Eau Noire which is another brilliant FK creation.
By the time I decide I couldn’t live without Enlèvement au Sérail, there were no more bottles to be had in the Netherlands, so I ended up ordering one from Poland. It has since become a staple, and I’m always glad to see it has more fans.
Hermes can be a bit hit or miss for me. I like the Merveilles series (Elixir being my favorite – I could barely smell Eau Claire), and I like a couple of the Jardins. I didn’t care for Jour d’Hermes, but I think there is a gardenia flanker that I remember liking well enough, though probably not enough to buy. I think I’m not minimalist enough for JCE…. We’ll see if things are any different with Christine Nagel. I wasn’t sure what I had tried of hers, and a look at her page tells me.. not much. Si Lolita, and I do like that one.
I realize there is a lot that I haven’t tried, but I haven’t cared for the Jo Malones that I have smelled. I got a sample of the orange blossom cologne once, and it seemed promising for a few minutes and then just went all to dryer sheets.
As for FK.. I haven’t actually tried a lot of his stuff either. I have a mini of Elie Saab le Parfum, and I like it, just not enough to really need more than that mini. I also really liked MDCI Enlevement au Serail. For some reason I’ve never gotten around to really trying the MFK stuff.
If Galop is any indication, Hermes is not leaving minimalism behind!
I could barely smell Eau Claire des Merveilles, too. I tried it again recently and it smelled better, but I’m not sure why. Interesting.
The only FK fragrances I’ve even tried were his Rose Barbare for Guerlain (the musk killed me) and Enlevement au Serail for MDCI, which I really, really wish now that I had bought.
For me the brand that I’ve liked several scents well enough but have never bought is Serge Lutens. They’re always okay on my skin, but then I forget about them before I’ve even finished the sample. Sorry fans…
I am surprised not to see more Serge mentions!
And Rose Barbare smells *exactly* like Heeley Hippie Rose, which I initially liked a lot, but no makes me queasy. Something about the musks there I think.
I agree! Iso e super also makes me queasy and unfortunately, it’s now ubiquitous.
I’m with you on MFK. Lots that are pleasant enough; none that I want to own other than Absolu pour le Soir, which I can’t find anywhere now. Possibly more blasphemous yet, I don’t get along with Amouage or Ormande Jayne. The latter in particular uses something regularly that gives me a big headache. I’ll hand in my lady card at the door.
OJ must be the Iso E Super? I have given up on Amouage — I love three of the early ones and the rest I can live without.
Oops reply below, with query about whether there’s a reputable list of what contains it. I am curious if it is the issue.
Oops just found Kafkaesque’s list.
Some things on this list I love–like the original Feminite du Bois, so I think it must be another synthetic/woody amber I have a problem with…
Yes see below on the problem with lists Robin points out.
Not sure looking at a list of things with that particular chemical really helps — could be that it gives you a headache when used in certain proportions, for instance.
Yes you are surely right. Elsewhere K describes it in L’Atessa, which is one of my favorite and oft worn perfumes since it came out. Amounts vary, mixes vary; I’ll just have to follow my nose!
Same here.
L’Attesa, Iso E Super? Aaaah thank you for that snippet of info! I had to pass on my decant, with great regret, because it gave me headaches.
Sorry, the “same here” belongs in a different post.
I fear that might be it, as a number of Hermes smell great to me initially and then grate and Tauer’s almost impossible – again despite often loving the first whiffs. It’s sad.
Agreeing on the almost impossible Tauer’s.
I feel like a philistine for not liking more of the Tauers, and for generally preferring the Flash series over the “Serious Perfumes” series. I love PHI and Rose Chyprée, and I get a huge kick out of Lonestar Memories, but a lot of the others either go dirty-dishwatery or plastic-dollheady on me, and I can’t abide either.
I think the world of Andy Tauer, the man and the perfumer, though.
Andy is pretty awesome! Some of his I love.
But I absolutely cannot wear Incense Rose. Or Zeta (oh, gag – powdered toilet cleanser with bleach). Or Orange Star. It’s feast or famine for me, with his stuff.
Agree about the Tauers–love Andy, and wish I could feel the same way about his perfume.
I’m with those who can’t handle the Ormonde Jaynes, probably due to synthetics.
Also, I just don’t think Chanels suit me, though I’ve recently come to appreciate 31RC due to a generous gift of a little decant.
Geza Schoen loves iso e super!
http://www.escentric.com/blog/what-makes-iso-e-super-so-super/
(and adding, I love it too but I know not everyone does. But it’s in more fragrances than most people realize, just in smaller amounts.)
I wrote above–I don’t know if it’s iso e super that I dislike, as several perfumes that are noted to have lots of it I like…
I would like the OJs if they did not depend so heavily on Iso E Super. After a while you realize that very little of the original interesting idea is left and you’re basically wearing Iso E Super. It makes them all smell very similar, as well.
That is true, but also true to me of many things with significant ambroxan or cashmeran, etc.
Agree completely! Which is one of the reasons they all smell the same, as FK points out.
I struggle with the Maison Francis Kurkdjian brand since the names sound the same and of course the bottles are the same. I can’t tell what I’ve tried, liked or disliked, and I can’t be bothered since nothing yet has grabbed me anyway.
Serge Lutens is a brand I have enormous respect for and even like a couple of their offerings but to use your words Robin, they don’t move me and most times I find the scents completely perplexing – people really wear this??
Admittedly that’s what I think of some of his newer scents too! But in the “old days” it was another matter.
For me, the ones I I like, I really LOVE (insert UBV, Chergui, DB, and FdB)- but the ones I don’t love, I seriously dislike. Its all or nothing.
Heh!
I only love La Myrrhe, but I really really love it. I could probably wear Fleurs d’Oranger (the less-cuminy/more-recent version) and UBV, but I don’t think I’d actually pay for them myself. I really dig smelling Serge Noire, but in the same sense that I like smelling some of the CBIHPs, or BPALs – a sort of carnival for the nose, and then you get tired of the rides and the junk food and go home to wear something that isn’t ridiculous.
Houses that generally leave me cold: Hermes, Prada, Caron, and Serge Lutens. (ducks rotten tomatoes)
I generally – generally! – get along fine with FK’s stuff and at least enjoy it even if I don’t feel compelled to buy. But sometimes I am compelled. I bought the 1oz bottle of Carven Le Parfum; I snapped up a 10ml decant of Rose de Siwa, spendy as it is; I have now killed a 10ml decant of Lumiere Noire pf and am asking for a bottle for Christmas.
On the other hand, Rose Barbare smells like shaving cream to me, and Elie Saab was too patchoulified. I liked Feminin Pluriel without feeling I needed it. Shrug.
I could live with a 30 ml of the Carven if I found it at discount! Surprised you like that one but not the Pluriel, I think of them as being in the same family.
Oh, I did like Pluriel. I might have bought it if it were the same price as the Carven (I think I paid like $22 for it).
Gotcha. $22 is a great deal.
“(ducks rotten tomatoes)” … LOL!!!!!
I agree, I appreciate him as a perfumer who really knows what he’s doing. But for some reason, his scents don’t appeal to me.
My twin!
Bull**** was my fathers favorite curse word, although he was quite stingy with it, which of course made a bigger impact whenever he did mutter it under his breath.
So, for no reason related to perfume, 2 thumbs up for Bull**** and MFK! I happen to love APLS and CPLS as well as the new flip side to this reviewed perfume, Grand Soir. Others in the line that I have tried moved me not a teeny bit, but I still like the line, as there is probably something for everyone within the scope of his offerings.
Better to be stingy with it, I say, and thank you for using the asterisks — I used the quote despite the fact that we don’t allow cussing here! (Kevin will be sure to notice.)
I duly apologize and will refrain from using potty-mouth words, even those sanctioned by MFK himself ???? (It IS great one, though!)
Hey, did not mean to chastise you at all!
I did try this and Grand Soir and wasn’t moved by either, and actually had to scrub GS (ducks!). The synthetic woods he uses are the kind that are a deal breaker for me- same as the ones present in the Montales and a whole lot of lines. Major sinus burn! I wish I knew what that aromachemical was called.
I’m finding Frederic Malle lately to fall into that admire, well-done category. I even like and have bought a few travel sprays, but they’re just not moving me these days.
There are so many synthetic woods these days that I just can’t stand!
I have three Malle FBs and could easily have done with the travel sprays instead. Someday I’ll sell them except maybe Le Parfum de Therese. What I’ve actually worn the most is a travel spray of Eau d’Hiver.
I just swapped out my PdT travel spray. But my L’Eau d’Hiver is almost used up. Of the 5 travel sprays I’ve owned, it and VE were my most used.
Yeah, I’m very wary of the “woods” category.
I did not expect to like Grand Soir and I didn’t.
I was delightfully grossed out by Grand Soir. It made me a little queasy and I kept going back for more.
Fragrant masochism ????
LOL!
Well, at least your expectations were met! I thought I’d at least like it.
Ha, no ducking required! Even though I’m a fan, I can totally see it as very polarizing for numerous reasons!
Like many, I share your feelings towards Francis Kurkdjian’s work (although I have to admit my knowledge of it is limited, e.g. I haven’t tried any of MDCIs).
I struggle with Diors – most of the “regular” line I plainly dislike, but I like many of La Collection and I’ve tried to find one that is “me” among them, tried and failed. Beautiful and chic, but I’m not seduced. Eau Sauvage is the only Dior I own and wear.
Another case is Tom Ford – some of his perfumes seem to be very nice, but I have someting close to aversion to his persona and his brand’s general aesthetics, and none of the perfumes had impressed me enough to forget about it.
I can’t get with Tom Ford, either. The perfumes are a bit crude to my nose. Too bad because there is really quite a good range of ideas there. I tend to feel it as a bit of disdain for the customer.
I feel it exactly the same way — I cannot help it, I picture Tom Ford lying on a chaise eating grapes and laughing.
Ha!
Insert burn emoji!
The most expensive black grapes, too, and a $28,000 chaise.
Yep, exactly. That’s part of what I don’t like about his aesthetics.
See, I think that’s what I *like* about Tom Ford.
Only in my mind, he’s wearing a silk velvet suit, unbuttoned to the waist.
Admittedly, I’ve not tried many of his perfumes, and didn’t get on with at least half of what I *have* tried.
Yeah, the open silk velvet suit is just right.
I admit I have not tried all the collection, but as of this moment Eau Sauvage is the only Dior I can think of that they have not ruined.
My experience with a lot of the TFs are exciting, loaded top and middle notes and then a flat or even unpleasant drydown.
I have an impression that his perfumes sell well (even at those prices), and exiting top notes explain that, I guess.
I’m not a Tom Ford fan either. Also agree on Malle. Although I do really like L’eau d’Hiver I never bought it.
I feel similarly about MFK as many here: all except Cologne pour le Soir leave me unmoved. Sad to say, I don’t get most of Parfums de Nicolai either. I love Temps d’une Fete (and MDCI Rivage des Syrtes), but can’t shake off the impression of washing-up liquid in most of the others.
I adore PdN but after all these years they have never “taken off” like other niche brands, so others must agree with you!
I have never been moved by Lush perfumes. I tried for a long time to get what others say they get, but no. I gave up.
Me too! I was rather disappointed in myself since they are so affordable. Oh well????
Oh thank goodness, I thought I was the only one!
I find them interesting, but largely unwearable, with the exception of the straight-up lovely (and sadly discontinued) Orange Blossom.
They have a very particular aesthetic too, so I can see not loving any of them.
Yes. From outside the store things smell great, but the first time I walked into a Lush store I stood there for 30 seconds, then walked right out. Couldn’t bear the fumes from all the bath bombs.
When Lush samples have come my way that’s all I can smell. Bath bombs.
I feel the same way about SSS. I think Laurie is wonderful but the base she uses is too lumberjack for me. I have a small bottle of champagne du bois but usually find it too strong.
I have 2 I like and wear (Tabac Aurea and Ambre Noire). I have a small 3ml size of CdB which I never wear for the same reason, but her perfumes do scent my drawer really nicely.
SSS was my first indie line and there are several that I love, but I can NOT wear any of them if I have a headache coming on. They are unscrubable and super strong. I just want to hang out with people wearing her scents so I can walk away when I need a bit of a break.
LOL! Everything Laurie makes I adore
I loved “too lumberjack”
I have some loves in the MFK line: Ciel de Gum, Grand Soir and Amyris Femme although this last one I have not worn in forever. The lines that leave me cold and really don’t interest me are: Creed, Acqua di Parma and Montale (and the bottles look scary to me). I like some of the Ormond Jaynes well enough to own travel sprays but I don’t own any FB nor do I have a desire to own one.
Petit Matin sounds really good — I’ll have to try it soon – this weekend at Sniffapalooza!
See, with Montale, I LOVE those bottles! I wish I could find a scent I liked just so I could have that space age 2112 canister bottle thingy! Call me tacky, but I want one ????
I have tried such a tiny fraction of the Montales that I can’t even comment.
As a lover of essential oils and blending I REALLY REALLY REALLY wanted to and should have adored anything and everything from Mandy Aftel…but sadly nothing I have tried every worked or moved me )and one was so God awful on my skin that I immediately had to scrub it off
)
and while I continue to enjoy reading about her new releases I have yet to seek out a full bottle …..well, lots of money saved , I guess
I have had much better luck with Fiele, Providence Perfume Co and SSS Naturals…..
I cannot afford Mandy Aftel anyway, other than the body products. PPC is going up in price too. Sigh.
I agree about Aftelier. I just don’t get it. People rant and rave, and I’m thinking, seriously? Are we not smelling the same things here? Honestly, I don’t understand the hype and while normally I’m one for “pay whatever you like if it makes you happy,” with her line I just think it’s a joke. The packaging is atrocious as well.
I find Kurkdjian fragrances to be really powdery. So much so that I have given up even trying them. I own a couple, including Absolue pour le Soir, which I still find too powdery!!
Another perfumer I admire but don’t really want to own many of his scents is Maurice Roucel. Again, I own a few (which I do like) but for the most part his stuff leaves me cold.
Interesting, wonder if you would find Petit Matin too powdery too? To me, it is just barely powdery.
Late to this discussion (other side of the pond etc etc) but I’ve thoroughly enjoyed reading it and the review which gave rise to it. So now my confessions – Frederic Malle, Serge Lutens and one to make the Baby Jesus cry – Andy Tauer. All three lines consist of fascinating, quality scents but there are very few I actually want to wear.
I attended a talk given by FK a few years ago – he was very appealing in person too – that same candour. I love Cologne and Absolue pour le Soir but find the rest not my thing (love his take on Papier d’Armenie though!)
His Papier d’Armenie is fantastic. I am still hoping he’ll do the matching perfume. And one of these days I am going to bite the bullet and get the candle.
I never bother to sample Roja Dove, Hermes, Creed, Cartier or Jo Malone (although years ago I was a fan, but now they bore me for the most part). I avoid sampling the perfumes from perfume house that are way over budget for me because I fear I will fall in love with one of them.
That’s a good practice.