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Notes10/18/2021
Carlitos01
378 Reviews
Carlitos01
Top Review
16
Spice up your life!
It may seem strange that something as seemingly insignificant as a spice could have played a very important role in world history. After all, we are referring to a small amount of "something" to pleasure our mouth and nose. Well, we may as well speak of something that is burned to flavour the air. If we reflect a little, even today many of our daily decisions are made through the influence of our mouth and nose need to be pleasured.
The global demand for spices grew during the Roman era and into the Middle Ages, moulding the economies of India to the existing demand in Europe. This demand led to the creation of several truly international trade routes. It shaped the structure of the world economy in a way that is still felt today. There were times when those who controlled the spice market commanded prosperity in the world.
In 1498, the Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama made the first sea voyage from Europe to India by bending Africa's southernmost cape. The goal was to find a direct route to lands where spices were abundant and cheap. In today's language, this is called "cutting out the middlemen." When he reached the Malabar Coast in India, it marked the beginning of direct trade between Europe and Southeast Asia. This milestone crowned the establishment of the brief Portuguese empire, which stretched from the shores of Brazil, through Central and South Africa, to the shores of India and the Far East. This influence reached as far as Japan, where we still find Portuguese derived words such as "gaijin," "tempura," and "pan" (white foreigner, a specific well known spicy recipe, and bread). This world dominance lasted 80 years and was suddenly annihilated by the rules of monarchical succession. The lack of recognition of a crownable Portuguese king under the intricate laws of monarchies, allowed Philip II of Spain to take over this empire without shedding a drop of blood just because he was a distant cousin of the last Portuguese king. Spain gained then world dominance for a century and a half.
Europeans coveted spices for several reasons. They used it in rituals, as medicine, as a social lever, and to differentiate culinarily. Spices gave a heavenly ambience to god's house, helped humans to become more beautiful and healthier, and made the food a lot tastier.
All these factors combined created a high economic demand for spices. They still influence many decisions we make on a daily basis.
The life of Ernest Hemingway is a spicy tale. During his childhood he lived in Chicago and hopped to different corners of the world such as Paris, Pamplona and Havana, aiming for bohemian life, bullfighting and good cigars. The writer, born in 1899, married four times, participated in two world wars, survived two plane crashes, had a sun orbiting celestial body named after him, and, as if that wasn't enough, won the Nobel Prize for Literature. As a reporter, he witnessed the invasion of Normandy in World War II.
The author landed in London in May 1944 to cover the conflict and didn't even have to set foot on the battlefield to suffer a car accident. With his head covered in bandages, he boarded a boat to closely follow D-Day, the landing of Allied forces on the northern coast of France on June 6. Sometime later, he accompanied a French militia infiltrating enemy territory and gave so much good advice that he became, in effect, the leader of the group.
On a personal level, Ernest Hemingway loved boxing, hunting, fishing, and bullfighting. The writer's fascination with androgyny behaviours and haircut fantasies was famous: he used to ask his feminine companions to wear their haircuts as short as possible. Spicy indeed!
Histoire de Parfums celebrated the life of Ernest Hemingway with a very spicy fragrance. On their website, we may read the following text image about its 1899 creation:
"Night throws its mask over Paris, the City of Light radiating from the splendour of freedom. In the streets, artists and writers capture the games of love and seduction in their modern languages. Champagne flows over crystal pyramids, and the very first jazz bands make the cafe walls tremble. A twirling Vanilla vanishes while playing hide-and-seek with vigorous Vetiver. There is not a second to lose in moments such as these; everything is possible. The night belongs to those who know how to live it.
Black pepper, cinnamon and vanilla, manly juniper and earthy iris, spice up this memorable perfume work. I consider it one of the best spicy perfumes I have tried. It is quite aromatic, just a bit woody, and will certainly capture the interest of those around you. It is almost as bold as Ernest Hemingway's tale of life. You will end making comparisons with Spicebomb and Bvlgari Man In Black, but some differences towards those perfumes will make enjoy a lot this perfume as well.
What else can I tell you about it?
___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
- Opening: 9.0 (Admirable... bergamot, black pepper and a hint of juniper berries; nuances of neroli and iris do give it a "different" ambience).
- DryDown: 9.5 (The residual black pepper amplifies the effect of warm and sweet cinnamon and vanilla in an ambery background).
- Longevity: 8.0 (Slightly above average; 3 sprays last up to 8 hours)
- Sillage: 7.5 (Moderate with up to 4~5 feet and 2.0 hours projection with 3 sprays)
- Exclusivity: 9.0 (almost unique in some details; Nevertheless I must recognise some familiarity with the Spicebomb type of scent)
- Wearability: 8.0 (not suitable for warm weather)
- Versatility: 8.0 (you can use it almost anywhere, but I recommend it as an evening fragrance; good for a night out or casual wear. Avoid the beach and the gym).
- Praise: 9.0 (you will get quite more compliments than average).
- Quality: 10.0 (Fantastic)
- Presentation: 8.5 (Simple, effective and stylish)
- Price: 6.5 (Available for €130/120ml in various web suppliers; Smaller sizes are available)
___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
Overall rating: 8.45 / 10.00
- between 7 and 8 = above average;
- between 8 and 9 = recommendable;
- greater than 9 = definitely not to be missed;
My opinion: This is one of those masculine perfumes that I consider timeless and a true olfactory work of art. I usually consider perfumes to be gender-neutral and I don't see why women cannot use them as well. The perfume is expensive but if you are curious enough to buy it blindly, you may start with a mini bottle of 15ml for approximately 35 Euros.
Music:
Spice Girls - Spice Up Your Life (for the title)
and PinkFloyd - Have A Cigar (for Hemingway)
The global demand for spices grew during the Roman era and into the Middle Ages, moulding the economies of India to the existing demand in Europe. This demand led to the creation of several truly international trade routes. It shaped the structure of the world economy in a way that is still felt today. There were times when those who controlled the spice market commanded prosperity in the world.
In 1498, the Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama made the first sea voyage from Europe to India by bending Africa's southernmost cape. The goal was to find a direct route to lands where spices were abundant and cheap. In today's language, this is called "cutting out the middlemen." When he reached the Malabar Coast in India, it marked the beginning of direct trade between Europe and Southeast Asia. This milestone crowned the establishment of the brief Portuguese empire, which stretched from the shores of Brazil, through Central and South Africa, to the shores of India and the Far East. This influence reached as far as Japan, where we still find Portuguese derived words such as "gaijin," "tempura," and "pan" (white foreigner, a specific well known spicy recipe, and bread). This world dominance lasted 80 years and was suddenly annihilated by the rules of monarchical succession. The lack of recognition of a crownable Portuguese king under the intricate laws of monarchies, allowed Philip II of Spain to take over this empire without shedding a drop of blood just because he was a distant cousin of the last Portuguese king. Spain gained then world dominance for a century and a half.
Europeans coveted spices for several reasons. They used it in rituals, as medicine, as a social lever, and to differentiate culinarily. Spices gave a heavenly ambience to god's house, helped humans to become more beautiful and healthier, and made the food a lot tastier.
All these factors combined created a high economic demand for spices. They still influence many decisions we make on a daily basis.
The life of Ernest Hemingway is a spicy tale. During his childhood he lived in Chicago and hopped to different corners of the world such as Paris, Pamplona and Havana, aiming for bohemian life, bullfighting and good cigars. The writer, born in 1899, married four times, participated in two world wars, survived two plane crashes, had a sun orbiting celestial body named after him, and, as if that wasn't enough, won the Nobel Prize for Literature. As a reporter, he witnessed the invasion of Normandy in World War II.
The author landed in London in May 1944 to cover the conflict and didn't even have to set foot on the battlefield to suffer a car accident. With his head covered in bandages, he boarded a boat to closely follow D-Day, the landing of Allied forces on the northern coast of France on June 6. Sometime later, he accompanied a French militia infiltrating enemy territory and gave so much good advice that he became, in effect, the leader of the group.
On a personal level, Ernest Hemingway loved boxing, hunting, fishing, and bullfighting. The writer's fascination with androgyny behaviours and haircut fantasies was famous: he used to ask his feminine companions to wear their haircuts as short as possible. Spicy indeed!
Histoire de Parfums celebrated the life of Ernest Hemingway with a very spicy fragrance. On their website, we may read the following text image about its 1899 creation:
"Night throws its mask over Paris, the City of Light radiating from the splendour of freedom. In the streets, artists and writers capture the games of love and seduction in their modern languages. Champagne flows over crystal pyramids, and the very first jazz bands make the cafe walls tremble. A twirling Vanilla vanishes while playing hide-and-seek with vigorous Vetiver. There is not a second to lose in moments such as these; everything is possible. The night belongs to those who know how to live it.
Black pepper, cinnamon and vanilla, manly juniper and earthy iris, spice up this memorable perfume work. I consider it one of the best spicy perfumes I have tried. It is quite aromatic, just a bit woody, and will certainly capture the interest of those around you. It is almost as bold as Ernest Hemingway's tale of life. You will end making comparisons with Spicebomb and Bvlgari Man In Black, but some differences towards those perfumes will make enjoy a lot this perfume as well.
What else can I tell you about it?
___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
- Opening: 9.0 (Admirable... bergamot, black pepper and a hint of juniper berries; nuances of neroli and iris do give it a "different" ambience).
- DryDown: 9.5 (The residual black pepper amplifies the effect of warm and sweet cinnamon and vanilla in an ambery background).
- Longevity: 8.0 (Slightly above average; 3 sprays last up to 8 hours)
- Sillage: 7.5 (Moderate with up to 4~5 feet and 2.0 hours projection with 3 sprays)
- Exclusivity: 9.0 (almost unique in some details; Nevertheless I must recognise some familiarity with the Spicebomb type of scent)
- Wearability: 8.0 (not suitable for warm weather)
- Versatility: 8.0 (you can use it almost anywhere, but I recommend it as an evening fragrance; good for a night out or casual wear. Avoid the beach and the gym).
- Praise: 9.0 (you will get quite more compliments than average).
- Quality: 10.0 (Fantastic)
- Presentation: 8.5 (Simple, effective and stylish)
- Price: 6.5 (Available for €130/120ml in various web suppliers; Smaller sizes are available)
___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
Overall rating: 8.45 / 10.00
- between 7 and 8 = above average;
- between 8 and 9 = recommendable;
- greater than 9 = definitely not to be missed;
My opinion: This is one of those masculine perfumes that I consider timeless and a true olfactory work of art. I usually consider perfumes to be gender-neutral and I don't see why women cannot use them as well. The perfume is expensive but if you are curious enough to buy it blindly, you may start with a mini bottle of 15ml for approximately 35 Euros.
Music:
Spice Girls - Spice Up Your Life (for the title)
and PinkFloyd - Have A Cigar (for Hemingway)
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