This summer, Italian niche line Laboratorio Olfattivo introduced two new fragrances, Nun and MyLO. Later this year, they will launch Nerotic, the first fragrance in the Laboratorio in Nero collection…
Masque Milano Romanza & L’Attesa ~ fragrance reviews
Usually in autumn I’m drawn toward woodsy, smoky, leathery fragrances. Not this autumn. Go figure. Despite the rain and falling leaves, it’s the floral, “girly” perfumes that have pulled me in lately. When I came across a full set of Masque Milano testers last week, I had to ask for sample vials of the line’s floral scents, Romanza and L’Attesa.
First, a quick word on the Masque Milano line. The fragrances are grouped into four “acts” that make up the “opera of life.” The acts are: experiences, places, discoveries, and journeys (no, that’s not all four acts, just one); interior monologues, emotions, deep thoughts and inner reflections, lights and shadows of human nature; sentimental relationships, romance and love, affections and betrayals; and dreams. Romanza and L’Attesa are part of Act III, the one about sentimental relationships.
Perfumer Cristiano Canali developed Romanza, a complex narcissus…
Jul et Mad Secrets du Paradis Rouge ~ new fragrance
French niche line Jul et Mad will launch Secrets du Paradis Rouge, a new fragrance inspired by Marrakech…
Jul et Mad Les White (Nea, Nin-Shar & Garuda) ~ short fragrance reviews
Jul et Mad recently launched Les White, a trio of fragrances inspired by ‘distant locales and long-ago civilizations’. I’ve been a fan of this niche brand since Jul et Mad released its debut trio three years ago, so I was naturally curious about these new perfumes that venture beyond France and New York in their inspirations.
Néa is meant to evoke the opulence of the “Golden Age in Byzance,” with notes of date, davana, pomegranate, palm leaf, black pepper, jasmine, rose, plum, patchouli, cashmeran, vanilla, benzoin, caramel, tonka bean, ambroxan and musk. It was developed for Jul et Mad by perfumer Luca Maffei. Néa starts with the date note, and it’s chewy-sweet but not overwhelmingly so…
Gabriella Chieffo Lye, Hystera & Ragu ~ short perfume reviews
I recently reviewed two fragrances (Acquasala and Camaheu) from Gabriella Chieffo, a niche perfume line based in Italy. This week I tested the remaining three, all released in 2014: Lye, Hystera and Ragù. Yes, let’s get those names out of the way: they don’t necessarily transfer well into an English-language context. I tried to concentrate on the actual fragrances, instead.
Lye is inspired by memories of laundry day: “The smell of the sun drying the clothes just hung out…Ash, like alpha and omega, become real protagonists in this fragrance. Lye, used once to whiten, to clean, dramatically returns to our fragrance memory, evoked by a unique and absolute scent.” This fragrance includes notes of bergamot, lemon, incense, iris, leather, patchouli, opooponax and vanilla. It’s described as “woody” and “spicy,” but that doesn’t sound quite right to me…