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Browsing by tag: iris

Ormonde Jayne Orris Noir candle ~ home fragrance review

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Playing the role of counselor to my own addiction, I might ask: “What about expensive scented candles (average cost: $100) appeals to you, Kevin?” Lots of things! Well-chosen candles have perfume-quality aromas. I can vouch for $cented candles by Annick Goutal, Astier de Villatte, Cire Trudon, Diptyque, D.L. & Co., Frédéric Malle…and, now, Ormonde Jayne.

Often, scented-candle packaging is beautiful, too. I can make one helluva candle display around the holidays using empty vessels that once housed extravagantly priced scented candles…

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The traditional methods of orris extraction

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Just beyond the tiny village of San Polo (about a 30-minute drive from Florence) sits the Pruneti Farm. Surrounded by steep hillsides purpled by blossoms, the mill has been operational for nearly two centuries. Today, brothers Paolo and Gionni Pruneti are dedicated to preserving the traditional methods of orris extraction, a costly, labour-intensive process passed down from generation to generation.

— Read more at Orris: The world’s rarest perfume ingredient at BBC Travel. Hat tip to PekeFan!

Atelier Cologne Iris Rebelle ~ short fragrance review, with a long digression on my buying habits

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Atelier Cologne Iris Rebelle brand image

Last month, I walked into my local Sephora, smelled Atelier Cologne’s latest, Iris Rebelle, and had a travel spray packaged and paid for within about 5 minutes. Must have been fantastic stuff, you say? Well, it’s decent, but I wouldn’t go so far as fantastic. If I’d had a sample at home and spent some time with it, it wouldn’t even have made my buy list — which, by the way, is a looooong list. There are an awful lot of perfumes I’d much rather own than Iris Rebelle. So why did I buy it…

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Imaginary Authors O, Unknown! ~ fragrance review

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The backstory: Like the other fragrances from indie brand Imaginary Authors, O, Unknown! was inspired by an imaginary book by an imaginary author. Here’s the book blurb:

At age 65, when famed explorer and author Philip Sava was given less than a year to live, he set off from his home in Madagascar for parts unknown. Leaving all his belongings behind, he set off on foot, hopped a freighter across the Indian Ocean, and wandered into the Bangladesh wilderness….

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Bruno Fazzolari Feu Secret & Cire Trudon Bruma ~ quick fragrance reviews

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Bruno Fazzolari Feu Secret & Cire Trudon Bruma

As September draws to a close — where has this year gone? — I’m trying to catch up on the year’s releases. Here are two more, and look for more multi-scent reviews over the coming month.

Bruno Fazzolari Feu Secret

Secret fire of the alchemists: the elusive scent of iris root smolders with spice, cedar and smoke in a transformative hidden fire. Bright, joyful, ardent.

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My goal with Feu Secret was to allow a sort of hidden warmth to shine through the cool surface of orris butter and to stay true to the rooty-woody aspects that I find so compelling.1

Feu Secret is from artist and indie perfumer Bruno Fazzolari, and I’m surprised I haven’t seen more mention of it in the comments here…

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