Kerosene Follow1 conjures so many food memories for me: scents of — chocolate-coffee-caramel candy my grandmother made at Christmastime and wrapped in foil, the Nescafé Greek-style coffee a friend at work made every morning, steaming chocolate mochas with sprinklings of toasted coconut on top, Middle Eastern honey cake served with a cup of Turkish coffee, tonka bean and espresso crème brûlée…
“He had received a mysterious invitation to Venice just a few days after that unforgettable night. He was wondering what this was all about, then he recognized Café Tuberosa. There she was, staring at him. Suddenly it was clear. In a moment they would have the chance to start over again.”
Unforgettable, but in a good way? Staring at him…why not gazing or something less intense? Café Tuberosa: stalker? Ex? Watch out! All those Venice canals are perfect for drowning.
Atelier Cologne Café Tuberosa1 is a new fragrance in the brand’s Avant Garde collection.
Tuberose seems to be overtaking rose as the fleur du jour in perfumery…
Noir Exquis is the latest Bertrand Duchaufour production from L’Artisan Parfumeur. It’s another gourmand, and was “inspired by an unexpected rendez-vous in a French patisserie” — it promises all sorts of delicious things, from glazed chestnuts to coffee to maple syrup.
And the start is delicious: a bright citrus top note disappears almost as soon as it arrives, then it’s a lovely swirl of sugared chestnuts with hints of vanilla and roasted coffee bean, with mild fruity undertones. It’s rich and warming, and perfect for the October chill…
In my own perfume collection, certain houses receive more attention during certain seasons of the year. Diptyque happens to be a summer favorite of mine: I’ve worn L’Ombre dans L’Eau every summer since 2003, and I’m also very fond of Eau Rose and Eau de Lierre. Diptyque’s latest release, Florabellio, puzzled me on paper, and I wasn’t able to guess how much I’d like it or what season it would best fit. Florabellio was developed by perfumer Fabrice Pellegrin and features notes of salty sea spray, sea fennel, apple blossom, osmanthus, coffee and toasted sesame.
My sample vial of Florabellio has turned out to be a very suitable fragrance for the earliest days of summer. Diptyque describes Florabellio as “foreign yet familiar…blurring the perspectives between land and sea, flower and fruit, softness and bitterness.” Most of that description makes perfect sense to me…
When I tried the new Valentino fragrance, Valentino Uomo,1 in Nordstrom, I thought: “Uh-oh…I can’t smell a thing…asnomic to an ingredient, I guess.” But when I got outside Nordstrom into the fresh air, I could smell Valentino Uomo. Quickly, I realized why I was unable to detect it at the men’s fragrance counter — Valentino Uomo smells like the inside of Nordstrom, with its combined aromas of the makeup/skincare section, new clothes and shoes, a zillion fragrances, and Ebar. What I’m reminded of when wearing Valentino Uomo is not “Italy” but “American Department Store.”
At first application, Valentino Uomo smells like lukewarm milk with a shot or two of citrus juice in it…