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Browsing by tag: white floral

Amouage Portrayal Woman ~ fragrance review

Posted by Jessica on 9 August 2019 22 Comments

I have to confess that I haven’t been keeping up with Amouage very well lately. My interest in Luxury-with-a-capital-L fragrance houses, never too intense in the first place, has dwindled over recent years; meanwhile, Amouage’s pace of new releases has been fast and furious. The fragrance duo of Portrayal Woman and Portrayal Man, in their matching iridescent white bottles, was launched back in April and I’ve just had a chance to try a sample.

Portrayal Woman, developed for Amouage by perfumer Annick Menardo, is “an olfactive portrayal of the 1920s cultural liberation” with a “playful refinement” and notes of jasmine, tuberose, “Craven A tobacco accord,” elemi and vanilla. I don’t know whether I understand the 1920s reference; I don’t associate big white florals with that era as much as I do with the 1940s (Fracas, Billie Holiday with gardenias in her hair, etc.). In any case, Portrayal is a classical white floral…

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McQueen Eau de Parfum by Alexander McQueen ~ perfume review

Posted by Robin on 28 October 2016 16 Comments

McQueen Eau de Parfum by Alexander McQueen, brand image

Let’s say you like the idea of a classic big white floral, but they don’t generally suit you. Or to be more specific, let’s say you like the idea of Robert Piguet Fracas, but you’d prefer to wear something a little cleaner, a little less ripe. The new McQueen Eau de Parfum might be perfect for you.

Do be warned, McQueen Eau de Parfum is not all that much lighter: it’s still a big white floral, with all that implies: it’s creamy, rich and sweet.1 The sweetness is apparent right from the opening, where the (floral) sugar mingles with plenty of clove and plenty of pepper, both black and pink, all over bright (and slightly loud) fruity citrus. There’s all the tuberose, jasmine and ylang you’d expect…

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Tom Ford Orchid Soleil ~ fragrance review

Posted by Jessica on 13 October 2016 30 Comments

Tom Ford Orchid Soleil

The latest fragrance release from designer Tom Ford is Orchid Soleil, a new addition to the designer’s Signature Collection of feminine fragrances and a flanker to 2006’s Black Orchid. I have to admit that I didn’t really care for Black Orchid, nor for Violet Blonde. Something about Tom Ford fragrances just doesn’t “fit” me. But I received a sample vial of Orchid Soleil with a recent makeup purchase, so why not give it a try, right?

Orchid Soleil’s composition of bitter orange, pink pepper, cypress, tuberose, black orchid, spider lily, vanilla, chestnut cream accord and patchouli supposedly “captures the seductive warmth and reflective bare skin of the Tom Ford woman.” Since I’m apparently not “the Tom Ford woman,” I was surprised to find that I enjoyed it more than its sister scents…

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Friday scent of the day 4/10

Posted by Robin on 10 April 2015 203 Comments

Fracas 65 ans

It’s BWF Friday! Our community project for today: wear a big white floral. Partial credit for diet white florals, a wee bitsy dash of credit for other sorts of flowers. What did you pick?

As always, do chime in with your fragrance of the day even if you’re not participating in the community project.

I’m (predictably!) in vintage Robert Piguet Fracas. And plenty of it…

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Dawn Spencer Hurwitz Jacinthe de Sapphir & Deco Diamonds ~ fragrance reviews

Posted by Jessica on 16 January 2015 23 Comments

Denver Art Museum, Brilliant exhibit banner

In late 2014 independent perfumer Dawn Spencer Hurwitz released her Brilliant Collection, a quartet of fragrances inspired by an exhibition of Cartier jewelry at the Denver Art Museum. I’ve been sampling the four Brilliant scents this week, and while I could go on and on about this interesting analogy between jewels and perfumes, and the language we use to describe both, I’ll try to stay on topic by sharing my thoughts on my two favorites from the collection.

Jacinthe de Sapphir was created to evoke “a densely blue, gorgeous hyacinth in the ground” and was “inspired by the Queen of Romania Sapphire, one of the famed Cartier jewels.” It has a composition of violet leaf, galbanum, bergamot and hyacinth; rose de mai, narcissus and tuberose; and tolu balsam, Peru balsam, vetiver, styrax and civet. As promised by Hurwitz, this fragrance evolves from “dewy” to “luscious and earthy.” It opens with a stemmy-green burst of galbanum that only gradually fades into a bouquet of floral notes…

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