Taormine Keiko Mecheri 2010

Keiko Mecheri seems to be one of those perfume lines that, try as I might, I can't "get." I feel like there is some subtle beauty to these scents (and I've tried at least half of them) that simply eludes me.

Taormine starts with a pale citrus and an almond note that, in the US, is often associated with Jergens' Lotion. It's entirely pleasant, but more like an inexpensive toiletry than a niche perfume. It stays quite close to my skin. Within an hour, it fades substantially and develops a slightly mineral note that I sometimes get from citrus scents. Even though I love many scents that feature citrus or almond, this one isn't for me.

I would not characterize Keiko Mecheri TAORMINE as a citrus cologne per se--but I would say that it's a scrumptious perfume! There is some real complexity to this creation, beginning with a green, almost hyacinth-like opening, which is somewhat fleeting and gives way within a couple of minutes to a mid-stage where I thought that I was detecting ambergris, although it is not listed in the notes above.

In any case, as TAORMINE dries down, a whole different demeanor emerges, and I come away thinking of this as a heliotropin-almond fragrance. Perhaps I have only smelled heliotrope in fragrances which also feature almond, in which case I may be confusing some aspect of the two. But this definitely smells like slightly sweet almonds in a buttery floral-scented cookie. Yum!

To me, this warm, feminine composition seems very well suited as a fragrance for cooler weather or wintertime. I hope that I can still get my hands on a bottle of TAORMINE, which I now see was a limited edition release... This is definitely my favorite of the limited edition Keiko Mecheri perfumes I've tried to date.

He had led her to the veranda, to the old rocking chair where her grandmother had once sat.
There she sat now, the little cat on her lap, the large cushion at her back that she had embroidered herself - so long ago that she could hardly remember it.
The day was warm, very warm indeed. She felt the sun's rays dancing on her skin, filtered through the leaves of the trees surrounding the house. As a girl, she had climbed on them, higher than the biggest boy from the neighboring farm. How tall must they have grown by now? And the boy? She smiled at the memory of that day in the hayloft - the first kiss had been awkward, a bit too wet yet more exciting than any that came later.
A gentle breeze brushed across her face, bringing the scent of the fields with it - sun-drying grass mixed with all the herbs whose names she still knew, even though their images were slowly fading from her mind. In the distance, the lemon trees, now ripe for harvest. Soon the seasonal workers would come and bring noisy life with them. She looked forward to it - it had become too quiet in the house, music and laughter now only echoed softly.
The cat stretched and sprawled - she felt the fine needle-like claws through the fabric on her thigh. How warm the little creature was! Was she as black as her mother? Or had she taken after her father, whom no one had ever seen?
Something clinked softly - he had returned with a glass of herbal lemonade. Two ice cubes, a little lemon. And almond pastries. She smiled - he had always been so caring, even back then. His rough warm hand rested for a moment on her shoulder before his steps moved away. In the evening, he would return, smelling of hay and earth, of sun-warmed skin and a little sweat. She smiled.

It starts off very lemony for me, you spray it on and it smells like lemon, a lemon that seems to ripen on the skin immediately. You suddenly really smell how the lemon becomes riper, you can see in your mind's eye how the lemon peel transforms from plump and juicy to gray-yellow and leathery, getting a nice warming coat of greenish-white fur.

No, this one just doesn’t work for me at all, it has nothing of any pleasant scent, it just stinks.
Therefore, the name is clearly a misnomer; there’s no way the beautiful Taormina would smell like this.

I suddenly have to think more of an old atomic submarine base in Murmansk where the old submarines are rusting away, or maybe Marseille in a setting like at the beginning of Perfume. But Taormina, that’s an insult to the beautiful, tourist-besieged city.

Well, in the heart note, some aromatic notes are added, which I have no idea about, but they prove that aromatic doesn’t necessarily mean good.
The rotten lemon is now just spiked with something, I suspect some herbs that nobody wanted at the market, which doesn’t help much, it still stinks.

The musk scent that eventually becomes noticeable crowns it all; it’s really a stinker through and through on my skin.
Plus, it’s one that has been mixed with glue; when I first tested it in the evening after showering and before sleeping, washing didn’t yield the desired result. So I generously sprayed Rousse by Lutens over it so I could sleep on my arm. It then smelled nice like Rousse, but after 3 hours I woke up again in a cloud of rotten lemon.

Bravely, I just tested it again, and again I see everything in my mind's eye but no city by the Ionian Sea. Rather, an orangery in the area of Pripyat near Chernobyl.

Not too long ago, you surprised me with your visit.
Suddenly, you were there, standing at my door.
Not alone, no.
Dear Aava sent you to me with a whole ensemble, each of you different yet unique.

At first glance, I didn't really notice you. Body language, as we know, says it all. You stood there quite sprightly, arms crossed, waiting in the corner...
Indeed, at first, I didn't like you.
You came across as arrogant and conceited.

Well, I thought to myself,
let the little one settle down first, she'll get herself together - I'm young, I can wait!

Suddenly, the almond and the bitter oranges seemed to have done you good,
you suddenly became warm.

Finally, you let your arms drop,
your facial features relaxed
.. and you came to me.
Step by step.
On tiptoes.
You took a seat beside me.
Looked deep into my eyes... and let yourself go.

I woke up.
With a smile on my lips.
For I had the certainty, you were not just a dream, no.
You are forever mine.