Review: Amouage Gold Pour Homme (1998)

Amouage - Gold Pour Homme (1998):

My bottle of Vintage Amouage Gold Pour Homme

As you may have notice I have not been writing as frequently lately, if you are a university student or are a parent to one you will understand that it is currently our exam study period. So I thought I'll write a review before I go off to exam study for a week or two. The scent I will be reviewing today is Gold Pour Homme by Amouage.

The house of Amouage a perfume house created by the sultan of Oman in 1983, by his Highness Sayyid Hamad bin Hamound al bu, who had a dream to restore the great Arabian art of perfumery to the region.

Guy Robert

Amouage perfumes are known to be luxurious, of very high quality, and with immense dosage of perfume oil concentrations in their creations, as well as the scary price tag that comes with it. Amouage utilizes traditional Middle Eastern ingredients in their perfumes, unusual to the Western world previously, such as agarwood (oud), incense, musk, spices, and colossal amounts of florals.



The first Amouage fragrance is Gold Pour Femme, the Pour Homme version that I am reviewing came 10 years after the female version. It was composed by Guy Robert, who had also worked for Dior, Rochas, and Hermes previously. This is a very unique scent with colossal amounts of animalics and foral notes with a woody base.

Presentation:

Current Presentation

Originally presented in a very luxurious, avant-garde and traditional Arabic styled bottle that looks some what like the handle of a dagger (see picture above). Now it is presented in a more conservative rectangular gold bottle with the same style of lid.

The imagery that I get from this scent overall would be an Arabic king, like the Sultan of Oman him self. An opulent and undiluted combination of dirty animalics and flamboyant florals, something that you would picture a powerful Arabian smelling like.

The Scent:

Initially looking at the liquid in the bottle, it is so thick!, doesn't even look like water/alcohol!, looks more like oil..... and this is the vintage EDT that I have here....you will never have to worry about the quality that you pay for when you buy Amouage.

Arabian Feast

Upon spraying I get an overload of musky floral notes which composed of a very dominant combination of rose hip and jasmine waltzing away, with lily of the valley in the background sitting by her self waiting for a partner. The animalics which includes civet and musk are not as strong here yet but can still be detected. Just imagine it as a celebratory feast inside a smoky room inside the palace of an Arabian sultan, smogs of warm musky incense swirled across the interior of the room along with the intense aura of florals radiating from the perfume of women entertaining the kings.

Musky Incense

Arabian Dancer

The animalic component radiating from the body heat of guests, dancers, the fur and leather trimmings from their elaborate costumers. Hundreds of spices and woods diffused their fumes, and joining the others scents in a great Arabian dance ball of aromas, an invisible party of their own, only observable through he nose.

About 45 minutes in, the scent doesn't change much except for the fact that it gets more animalic, the civet and musk really amplifies here. It just makes me imagine the dirty, sweaty female dancers of the party getting up close and personal next to the sultan, and of course he is enjoying it. Floral, musky and animalic, a very intensely unique combo.

Painting: Hans Zatzka

The perfume lasts on me over 10 hours, and even after a shower I can still smell the civet (pee like smell) on me. The scent pretty much doesn't evolve much from the mid notes, it just gets more and more animalic and less floral as time goes by. I am not sure about the modern version using synthetic animalics, if it will be this animalic or last this long or not. However mine is the vintage and I am sure that they still used real animal ingredients in this one.......one time while wearing this, I went to play with my neighbor's dog who is normally very friendly towards me, this time he growled at me..............So I figured...It must be the civet in the Amouage Gold on my wrists!

I would say this is not an every day scent, I rarely wear it, it's a special occasion scent for me especially for the price tag. If you do not like unorthodox scents, animialic scents, or very strong perfumes, I would not recommend this to you. This is a very very strong and unorthodox perfume, I might even attempt to say that it is more floral than your average male perfume and not every guy can pull this off. I love Amouage Gold Pour Homme very much and will definitely be buying more of their scents in the future, the quality is undeniable.

My Lucky Perfume/Scent: Robert Piguet - Bandit (1944)

Robert Piguet - Bandit (1944):

My lucky bottle of Bandit!

Germaine Cellier

Mid of last year I started to become very interested in the more "Classical" type of fragrances, such as No.19, Silences, Arpege, etc. . . and after doing my research and buying a few I stumbled upon Robert Piguet - Bandit. It has almost all of my favourite notes in it, oak moss, leather, aldehyde, galbanum, civet, jasmine, neroli, just to name a few. So I thought I definitely have to check this one out . . . and i'm so glad I did. I was fortunate enough to receive my bottle from my wonderful friend Dimitri, you can check out his amazing blog - http://sorceryofscent.blogspot.com.au/ .

Bandit was composed by Germaine Cellier, a famous perfumer whose creation also included iconic scents such as Fracas, Vent Vert and Jolie Madame. It is a daring perfume released first in 1944 then discontinued around the 1970's, after 25 years in 1999 Bandit was released again...Thank god for that! It is considered the "most daring" in the whole like of perfumes for women with a strong and bold personality, those who dared to outrageously smoke in public with no shame....eg: Cuir De Russie and Tabac Blonde. Bandit was said to be inspired by romantic sea voyages and pirates.

Presentation:

Current bottle

Bandit is currently presented in a simplistic and completely black, rectangular glass bottle, a signature of the Robert Piguet line.
In the past it was presented in a rectangular glass bottle also however it was clear glass.

Lucky scent:

As you all might be wondering why I am calling Bandit my "lucky" perfume, I have a few stories to tell, I don't wear Bandit often but when I do I almost always seem to get lucky! The first day I received it I thought "Oh my god this scent smells SCARY and super strong", I didn't like it, but then eventually I fell in love with it, the dry down is divine. On my first ever wearing of this scent to work, I received a compliment straight away, something that I don't get very often!

Current Robert Piguet Collection

On  my second wearing to work at a restaurant again, I received a $20 tip!, In Australia, unlike over in the America, it is not expected of the customers to leave any tips. I wore Bandit for the third time for a job interview for a position of a very successful global company, I was feeling hopeless and a little bit depressed, having applied for 100+ other job ads and having been unsuccessful at their interviews. Surprisingly I got the position, and it was for the biggest company out of all the ones that I applied for.

The latest time that I wore Bandit was to my first shift of work at my new job (I cannot say where as it is in the company's policy), after such an amazing shift, I was sitting at the train station waiting for my train, just as I was thinking about money ......a $20 and a $5 bill waltzed passed my feet. I was the only one there and no owner was in sight, I wonder how it got there.
Maybe my "Bandit" stole it !

The Scent:

Bandit is a leather-chypre scent, with  notes of oak moss, leather, galbanum, civet, vetiver, and aldehydes, jasmine, neroli, and carnation.

Lost in the woods?

Black Panther

This scent opens with a very aggressive and threatening combo of leather, civet, aldehyde, vetiver and galbanum. Like you're lost in a lush verdant jungle, you can hear and smell starving predatory beings around you, terrifying howls from a distant, sweat poured down your body, hair on the back of your neck fully raised like a frightened cat. You tried to contain your self and tried not to breathe yet your heart raced, almost popping out of your chest. The leathery and animalic scent of the black panther waiting to pounce on you filled your nostrils along with the undergrowth of damp, green, and slightly floral aroma of the forest floor. Your teeth chattered in fear and your legs wobbled like jelly as you turned around slowly and spotted a pair of bright yellow eyes ferociously focused on you.

A different type of woodland

45 minutes into the wearing, Bandit turned more floral and powdery ,but still green, as leather, civet and vetiver settled down, and the florals (Jasmine, neroli, carnation) and aldehyde becomes more dominant. A whole different scenario to the opening, this is more of a peaceful forest, the one which you would imagine in Snow White, before the wicked queen came along. Flowers all around, trees growling freely in the damp soil protecting the foliage , woodland creatures that talks to you and understand you. No threat here!

Towards the end of this perfume's life, the scent does not evolve much from the serene floral-green mid except the animalics and leather notes becomes more noticeable as the florals fades slightly, now it is a beautiful and perfectly balanced concoction of animalics and flowers. Peaceful yet danger lurking deep within, floral and green yet there's animalic remnants down under.

She dares to smoke in public!

Fast becoming one of my favourite scent and I am actually craving it more than my signature...SO maybe this could potentially become a new signature for me. Lasts over 8 hours with strong silage, a true product of quality, highly recommended. What your pay for is the quality that you get, so don't be put off by the higher than average price tag. Bandit might also even being you luck, like it did for me!

Review : Chanel - Gardenia (1925)

Chanel - Gardenia (1925):

My mother's bottle of Gardenia bought in the U.S, 1980's

Ernest Beaux

Chanel Gardenia is a transparent white floral perfume with leading sheer notes of gardenia, tuburose, and jasmine. It was released in 1925, originally, and was re-released again in the 1980's as part of the Chanel Les Exclusifs line. Gardenia was composed by the legendary Ernest Beaux, whose creation also included some of Chanel's most iconic fragrances No.5, No.22, Cuir De Russie, and Bois Des Iles.

Camellia, a Chanel Emblem

Mademoiselle Chanel loved Camellias, one of her emblem, yet the Camellia has no scent. So the idea of this perfume came when Chanel saw that Gardenia resembles the appearance of Camellia but also has a sensual and well-defined aroma. Gardenia was traditionally used to scent tea in countries such as China and India, and also symbolizes harmony, love, sensuality, and grace.

Dried Gardenia Fruit used in Chinese Medicine

If you ever have a Gardenia tree in your garden you will notice how fragile it's blossoms are, even just a gentle touch from the human hand can bruise their plump velvety white petals. Countless attempts had been made to extract the natural essential oils of the Gardenia, however none had been successful. Chanel and Beaux created this scent using synthetic compounds, considered very modern and advanced in the 1920's, as well as natural oils of orange blossom, jasmine, and tuberose (Compounded together to resemble the scent of Gardenia).
 
The modern and vintage version of Gardenia can be considered quite similar due to the restrictions of raw materials hardly affecting the ingredients of this scent. I have both the vintage and modern Eau De Toilette and I can confirm that the differences are very subtle. Main difference would be longevity, vintage lasts a lot longer and also seems more concentrated (perhaps the reason for the yellow juice).

Presentation:

Parfum Version

Currently available as an Eau De Toilette (75ml & 200ml) and Parfum (15ml), as part of the boutique only Chanel Les Exclusifs line. Presented in the Chanel elongated bottle with a magnetic cap for the EDT, while the Parfum comes in a beautiful classic square Chanel bottle with a crystal dabber. The vintage version that I own comes in the regular elongated Chanel bottle with a screw cap.


The Scent:

Scorching day ahead.

First of all I would like to say that Chanel Gardenia is a very feminine scent, I find it super hard to imagine a man pulling this off. It opens with a very transparent and crystalline, crisp, clear, refreshing note of Gardenia. Imagine sitting on your porch on a scorching summer day, no clouds in the sky, not even a gentle breeze can be felt, the world seemed to have stood still. You are surrounded by shrubs of Gardenia, their aromas are uplifted by the heat, soon you are surrounded by the hazy and ghostly miasma of their essences. A beautiful smell indeed, very different from sniffing the Gardenia right from it's bloom, where it can get quite thick and nauseating.

Creamy, Velvety, Suede-like Gardenia

Within only 15 minutes the initial euphoria that you are experiencing from the opening notes becomes disrupted as it vanishes leaving behind .....well almost nothing. I have to really put my nose right up against my skin to smell anything now, and yet I still have a difficult time detecting the scent. The vintage version at this point still stayed strong and turns really creamy and delicious, with Coconut and Jasmine now exposing themselves from underneath a curtain of Gardenia. This is when you are now enjoying your morning tea, iced jasmine and gardenia tea, with coconut macarons. Creamy, delicious, and simply divine.

Chinese Gardenia Tea

I honestly cannot give a review on the closing of this fragrance except the fact that it gets more musky over time but still a transparent fragrance. The reason is, it never lasted long enough for me to test it out, it seems to disappear not long after the creamy mid.

It is a beautiful scent, especially if you like white flowers but find that most perfumes that are white florals are usually too strong for you. This would be the perfect choice. The longeivity and silage are quite poor, which is a shame for such an expensive perfume.

Would I buy it? No, I am sampling the modern EDT from a 4ml mini, while the vintage belongs to my mother. I find that for it's price it needs way better longevity and there are many other fragrances that smells similar that you can get for only a smell fraction of the cost of this one. Try Kim Kardasian by Kim Kardashian for example, or Elizabeth Arden's Gardenia.....both are similar yet costs WAY WAY less.

Review: Fidji by Guy Laroche (1966)

Fidji - Guy Laroche (1966):

My beautiful bottle of Fidji + flower from my garden :)

Today, I had the pleasure of finding this perfume at a chemist store I walked pass while in the city for an affordable price.....I grabbed it of course! Being only $45 while the cheapest 100ml on the internet was over $70 not including postage yet.

Ad of Fidji

Prior to that I have only smelt Fidji once, from my mum's old bottle that accidentally squirted into my mouth and left me with VERY flowery breath for hours. I also read about Fidji online and in perfume books having only heard good things about it, I am glad I finally get the chance to review it.

Fidji to me is a green-woody perfume with a powdery and mildly sweet floral undertone. The scent was composed by Josephine Catapano in 1966, the name Fidji stands for island country "Fiji", where one of the managers of Guy Laroche had a vacation, which was the main inspiration for this scent. Notably, this is the first ever and also one of the most successful fragrance that the house of Guy Laroche released.

Presentation/Imagery:

The Island of Fiji

Fidji, A far away, tropical, and pristine island, sun shining bright, you lay flat on the sand, relaxed as ever, as currents of warm sea breeze carrying scents of tropical woods and flowers surrounds you. Comes presented in a minimalistic, classy, and simple clear glass bottle with a black lid. The packaging had not been updated and remains the same since it's release.

The Scent:

Fijian Sunrise

Opens with a bright green combo, reminiscent of an island sun rise, the first fresh breath of air you inhale when you wake up that morning. It's that morning after landing from that exhausting and extremely long flight the night before. The new-found scenery is not what you are used to back home, where it's currently winter --- gloomy, dark, wet and freezing. You feel like you are in another dimension filled with happiness, endless horizon of oceans and cloudless sky, warm pristine air, and a sun that seems to shine on for eternity, "Fiji is indeed, heaven on Earth", you whispered. Galbanum, lemon and bergamot gives this perfume an intoxicatingly sparkling opening while hyacinth gives this fresh opening a deep, oily, floral tint.

Hyacinth, a dominant flower note. Painting: L.McCoy

About 35 minutes of wearing this perfume I began to be able to sniff out the heart notes. A spicy and warm floral compound of rose, jasmine, iris, ylang-ylang and some bitter oak moss in the back ground. Looks like it is now mid-day, the sun is scorching and right up in the sky, radiating it's warmth and joy to the world. Your morning island air has just gotten more radiantly hot.

A cheerful Sunset.

Towards the end of this perfume's life, about 7 hours, the scent gets woodier, as the floral essences fades and the warm woody base of sandalwood, amber, orris root, and clove take over. This is the type of feeling of warmth where you are comfortable as well. . . . Think of warm fireplaces and a comfy sofa, Christmas family gatherings , a feast maybe, just very warm and comfortable. Perhaps this is when you are sitting at a Fijian BBQ party, the sun is on it's way down but the beach is still as warm as ever. The scent of sizzling spices radiates deliciously in the air, mixing with the aroma of scented woods used to heat up the BBQ and the occasional whiffs of florals being carried by the wind that traveled through the woods nearby.

Sun rise, Sun set

I think it is fitting to compare this scent to the 3 stages of the sun - rise, noon, set, because the scent really does seem to behave in this fashion while I was wearing it. I think this classic perfume is very impressive. Lasts 7 hours + on my skin for an Eau de Toilette, green and refreshing as well as being woody and floral, perfect for all seasons. I also find that when my skin is warm (Summer perhaps), the florals - creamy jasmine in particular can be noticed a lot more easily and gives this scent an exotic and feminine touch. While when my skin is cold (As in Winter), the woodiness shines a bit more, giving this scent a slightly more masculine edge. I would say it is unisex either way, just like some other similar scents such as Silences, No.19, and Vent Vert, marketed for women but also just as suitable if worn by a man.

I would love to visit Fiji!

Review: Knize Ten (1924)

Knize - Knize Ten (1924):

My bottle of Knize Ten

As I began my appreciation for different and less common perfumes and perfume notes, I stumbled upon Knize Ten. As I was just beginning to love leather notes, after breaking away from wanting to smell too generic like the regular citrus and aquatics, I smelt Knize Ten and feel in love with the scent.

The House of Knize

Knize Ten is a masculine and classy, floral-leather fragrance composed in 1924. The scent was created by Vincent Roubert for Knize, a Viennese tailor of the Royal Court. The fragrance was released to compliment the release of Knize's first ready to wear men's clothing line. Knize Ten is considered to be one of the best leather fragrances ever composed. It's rare to see fragrances from the 1920's still persisting and competing with modern day fragrances.

Presentation:

The bottle was designed by Viennese architect Adolf Loos, the number 10 symbolizes the polo game. A minimalistic and very simple yet classy design. The scent it self evokes a sense of luxury, class, and authority, like high-status gentlemen of the past who would wear suits, top hats, smokes pipes, and does hunting and polo as a sport. Knize Ten is available as toilet water ( Eau De Toilette), and comes in 30 ml, 50ml, and 125ml.

Knize Ten Bottles

The Scent:

I would describe the opening and mid of this scent as a violent, sharp and needle-like but be patient and you won't regret it.

Lemony Leather

High-Society gentleman of the past

Opens with a blast of lemony tar-like leather with subtle hints of geranium and carnation. Mid way through the wearing, the lemon and tar-like leather settles down a bit and becomes a little more powdery, lemon still sourish through. I also get stinging jabs of vetiver which is somehow not listed on fragrantica as an ingredient, but it's very visible here as my my skin does not like vetiver and always turns sour! Musk and castoreum contributes to the aroma and gives it a jagged and splintery animalic and masculine undertone. Like a powerful, wealthy man riding majestically on his horse during a polo game.


The dry-down what made me love this fragrance so much, after the harsh and throat-cutting opening and mid, the angelic, soothing, and extremely classy dry-down comes through. This is where all the good stuff has been hiding, luxurious and powdery miasma of roses, geranium, carnation, sandalwood and orange blossom, embroidering onto a layer of deep, rich, and silky masculine leather, then being stitched up by the warm and animalic fumes of amber, musk, castoreum and  cedar wood.

What a wonderful scent from the House of Knize, tailor of the Royal Court, a perfect and wonderfully fitting scent to be released accompanying his first men's clothing line. A surprisingly enduring longevity for an EDT, with over 8 hours of strong noticeable silage. Wear this scent and you will sure be transported right back in time and find your self right in the middle of a high society tea party.

High-Society afternoon tea

Quick Review: The House of Kerosene Perfumes

Kerosene Perfumes:

My Kerosene Sample Pack

John Pegg, the nose and founder of Kerosene

A relatively new and independent perfume house created by American, John Pegg, aka Kerosenetrewthe on YouTube, a former fragrance reviewer. Really great quality and unique fragrances, you will definitely not smell like anyone else on the streets! The name of the house was inspired by John's former job working with motorcycles, which drew unusual scents such as dirt, grease, oil, blood, plus his love for unorthodox aromas of trees, earth, stamped steel, gasoline, plastic, and the earth.

His motto for his creations consists of 3 things - rawness, uniqueness, and approachability. His bottles are hand painted with premium quality automotive paint and clearcoat, which resulted in a shiny, metallic, and rustic looking perfume bottle.

Signed sample box set

I ordered a sample pack consisting for all of John's creations except the most recent "Black Vines". I've been testing these scents on and off for the past year, to make sure I know them all relatively well. All perfume sample vials came nicely packed in a neat little black tin and hand signed. You can order any of his fragrances or a hand signed sample box set from ... The House of Kerosene.


All scents are Eau De Parfum in concentration and costs $140 USD which includes free shipping globally.

Quick Overview of the Scents:

R'oud Elements (2011):

Middle Eastern Spice Market

The first perfume to be released from this house. It is a citrusy-oud fragrance with warm and comforting touches of amber, sandalwood and vanilla added. Opens with a very unique deep, rich, and sweet combo sharp citrus and oud, slightly animalic as well in my opinion. About 30 minutes into the application the citrus settles, the oud, sandalwood and vanilla amplifies giving the scent a spicy-woody aroma, and a velvety and silky texture. Towards the end the amber further warms up the aroma as the top and heart notes blend together smoothly. Unisex, and makes me think of being in a smoky middle eastern spice market while nibbling on some succulent orange wedges in the smouldering heat. Lasts a good 8 hours on the skin, a strong silage.

Creature (2012):

Cool blast of lush, green minty freshness

A soothing, green, aromatic, and VERY fresh scent, you can actually feel something cold when you first applied this scent. Opens with a violent blizzard of mint and cyprus, with gentle breezes of jasmine and birch whispering about. About 15 minutes into the application the cyclone of super chilling green mintyness settled down as oakmoss, cedar, and birch make this scent a touch warmer and more well rounded. 

Stays relatively settled and similar throughout the application except visibly more floral in the end. Reminds me of standing in a wide open grass field as a crisp, artic cyclone approaches and then passes you by, with you being in the middle of it all, unharmed, just letting all the cooling natural essences of all the greens that nature has to offer take over your body. 

Re-invigorating, re-charging, fulfilling and up-lifting your senses entirely. This could have been a signature for if it lasted longer, because in just 2 hours the scent disappears and became difficult even when my nose is right up at my wrists. More like an Eau De Cologne. Yet it's still my Top 3 despite longevity issues.

Whips & Roses (2012):

A leather whip of roses!

Probably would be my top 3 from this house along with Creature and Pretty Machine. As a leather fan and also a fan of green floral perfumes like No.19, my god! this scent is perfect! I am a little bit shattered that John also recently discontinued this scent for reason I have yet to find out. Whips & Roses, a green and slightly powdery rose scent with leather elements.

 Opens very green, fresh and floral almost identical to the smell of a freshly cut rose. Bitter green and fresh hints coming from the stems and thorns while the floral aura from the bloom it self, a gentle leather accord can be detected in the opening. 30 minutes into the opening, the lush greeness mutate into a more powdery sort of green as the Iris starts to shine. 

The leather also becomes prominent at this point, compounding wonderfully with the powder-green florals giving a sort of leathery, kinky, but floral smell. The leather you get here is a sort of new and shiny leather reminiscent of PVC. Makes me think of a leather bondage party in the middle of a rose garden. Lasts about 4-5 hours with good silage for the first 2-3 hours.

Fields of Rubus (2012):

Hansel & Gretel and the Candy house in the woods.

A sweet and fruity vanilla and patchouli duo, like Hansel and Gretel finding a house made of mouth watering candy in the woods. Little did they know there is something dark and sinister lurking behind the colourful and innocent image. 

Opens quite rich, sweet and slightly gourmand with prominent notes of patchouli, tobacco, raspberry and plum. Sweet and fruity like the candy house with a darker tone of dark green patchouli and opulent tobacco lurking underneath the foliage of sweets. Mid way about 30 minutes into the application, the nectarous jammy elements of fruits still dominates along with patchouli and tobacco, however softened and creamier a bit as musk and vanilla becomes stronger. 

Towards the end cedar and sandalwood contributes to the delectably dark fruity scent giving it a touch of warm woodiness. The witch had invited Hansel and Gretel into her candy house, the fire place is red hot, little do they know that she is planning to roast them alive soon enough. Lasts a good 6 hours on the skin with moderate silage.

Wood Haven (2012):

A dried and long forgotten piece of wood

Wood, wood, and more wood.... I wouldn't be telling the truth if I told you I liked this one. I don't hate it but I also don't really like it either. You have to be a true lover of pure wood to love this one, smells like a freshly sawed plank of wood. 

Opens with a terrifying slap in your face combination of ginger root, vetiver, citrus and black pepper, an earthy, VERY spicy, and slightly citrusy opening. 

Becomes more woody and less medicinal as the opening notes settle down, as the tar-like smokiness of Guaiac Wood becomes more dominant. Gets spicier towards the end as pink pepper and black pepper continued their shooting rampage, while you see no stop to the dominance of ginger root and vetiver either. As suggested on Kerosene's home page, this scent is reminiscent of wood doused with spices and left in the Gobi desert to be long forgotten. Go for it if you really want to try something more challenging and very un-conventional.

Unknown Pleasures (2013):

Drawing by H.Groat II

Mmmmmm............. freshly baked Lemon Meringue Pie topped with toasted coconut, served with Honey and Caramel Latte on a chilly winter morning. What a perfect start to warm up and brighten your day! ... Um......and also pile on the pounds ....hmmm.  

That was a short and simple way for me to describe this scent. In the gorumand opening I can detect a mouth-watering, tummy-grumbling combo of lemon, caramel, coconut (even though not listed as an ingredient), and honey. About 40 minutes into my wearing I detect the smooth and spicy quality of tonka bean, the vanilla and honey also gets warmer and stronger. I guess that's the moment when you take the first sip of your freshly served honey and caramel latte, after waiting a while eating only your meringue. 

The citrus here lasts surprisingly quite long, it remains a prominent composition of the aroma of this scent from start to finish, honey, caramel and vanilla also stayed strong and noticeable. A well made scent, excellent quality, longevity (8+ hours) and silage. Highly recommended for gourmand lovers or if you are looking for a distinctive scent to wear during the cooler months.


Santalum Slivers (2012):

Grandma's Citrus Conserve

A woody citrus with hints of floral. Opens with a smooth and creamy combo of oranges, lemon, grapefruit, rose and mild sandalwood. It's like the smell of the warm kitchen of a wooden hut during autumn when grandma is making home-made citrus conserve. There is a giant vase of rose on the counter top, sending its aroma across the room to waltz along with haze of citrusy goodness from the stove and puffs of woodiness from the interior of the cozy kitchen. The heart of this scent gets more rosey and sweeter, I can also detect weak whiffs of musk and some pepper. The perfume gets more powdery and slightly more woody towards the end, where cedar wood breaks through to dance with the rest of the notes in a ballroom of aromas. An interesting powdery citrus scent, not your typical fresh citrus scent. Lasts about 7 hours with moderate but noticeable silage.

Copper Skies (2012):

A Chinese Natural Medicine Shop, Macau

Have you ever been to Chinatown and gone into one of those "Chinese Natural Medicine Shops"? This is almost exactly what Copper Skies smells like! As spicy-sweet and rich fragrance with dominant notes of clove, amber, and tobacco. Opens with a hazy smog of clove, sweet tobacco, and lukewarm amber, just like the sweet-spicy air of a Chinese herb medicine shop. 

Settles down a bit within about 20 minutes and the sweet spiciness becomes reminiscent of dried Chinese plum. Towards the end the woody quality of cedar and the chunky animalic quality of the Bee's wax comes through which tones down the spiciness a bit and to me, makes the scent more pleasant to wear. More suited for cooler days, a longevity of around 5 hours, moderate silage.

Pretty Machine (2013):

Sweet, nectar-filled citrus blossoms

This scent signifies spring, a favourite of mine from this house, and a truly exceptional quality citrus-floral. This reminds me of spring and I am standing in a field filled with citrus trees (orange, grapefruit, and lemon trees) with their blossoms in full bloom, the sun fully up and bright, with a gentle breeze sweltering about, mixing and swirling the concoction of these citrus blossoms in the air.

Pretty Machine opens with a clean, crisp, and refreshing whirlwind of orange blossom, Neroli, Linden Blossom, and Jasmine. So well crafted and smells just like how these flowers would with the mid-day spring sun full heating them up, nectar oozing and dripping waiting for the butterflies and bees to come take their rewards. 

Gets a little bit of musk in the mid notes as well as notes of orange, grapefruit, and lemon being detectable underneath the inflorescence bed of blooming flowers. It is very difficult to find a citrus blossom scent that has a good silage and also excellent longevity. Neroli and Linden blossom being some of my favourite notes and this scent being an exceptional representative of that while also lasting over 8 hours makes it my favourite!