EauMySoul

Sacred Scarab is a tribute to a symbol of ancient Egypt, the dung beetle. The beetle was associated with the divine manifestation of the early morning sun. Khepri was a scarab-faced god who represented the rising of the morning sun, creation, and the renewal of life. Therefore the sun is central to Sacred Scarab, and you get this burst of golden lemony aldehydes in the opening that is exhilarating and bright. This is maybe the most misunderstood aspect of the perfume because it seems some expect something dark and smokey but the brightness of the sun is central to the sacred scarab.

I don’t like dark smokey perfumes so I was pleasantly surprised (and positively thrilled) when I first smelled Sacred Scarab. Like many others, when I hear “ancient Egypt” I get a certain picture in my mind so after I smelled the glorious brightness of SS, I had to find out why. So I started reading more about the scarab and then I understood where the brightness was coming from. There is also an unmistakable glamour to the perfume, very regal and opulent like something fit for Cleopatra.

But as it dries down, the red wine aspect becomes more apparent and there is a darkness that begins to take over, like the golden ball of light starts setting and the feeling changes, becoming noticeably more somber. It never gets a churchy vibe about it but it becomes more sacred feeling, and the animalic aspects seem to start becoming more prominent. It’s never overly animalic though, at least not to me. But the perfume seems to go through a life stage, starting with a ball of light and finishing with quiet darkness.

I find it to be a remarkable perfume with a serious feel about it and is more suitable for formal situations. There is nothing casual about this perfume at all.

Sacred Scarab really stands out for me as one of the most beautifully balanced yet artistic perfumes that I’ve smelled in quite some time. It made my jaw drop when I smelled it the first time.

I think I have found my holy grail fig perfume....the newly released reformulated version of Meo Fusciuni’s 3# nota di viaggio (Ciavuru d’amuri). Because of new restrictions on a couple of materials he used in the original eau de toilette, rather than discontinue the perfume altogether he decided to reformulate it and make it an eau de parfum. 3# nota di viaggio is a tribute to Meo Fusciuni’s mother and his homeland of Sicily, so it’s clearly not something he wanted to do away with because of some regulations, so instead he made an amped up version of the previous one which is more powerful, not only in strength but in feeling. It opens much greener and has an almost boozy, smoothly bitter aromatic quality, there is more heft in the base and structure, and the overall fragrance is more complex and dynamic. There is a very realistic leafy green aspect coming from the fig leaf, and enhanced by artemisia, it has an almost absinthe like quality to it. This is balanced by a beautiful jasmine, creamy ylang ylang, and in the base there is the addition of benzoin and woods along with the original incense. The overall feel of the perfume is heavier, but it still retains that sort of ethereal quality about it. But it’s not as simple as the sort of pure, white light feeling of the original, although that aspect is still included, it is more herbaceous, there is more creaminess, a gentle touch of smokiness, and a slight bit more masculinity in the base which makes it more solidly unisex. I believe this aspect was added to reflect his father as well, or family as a whole. The entire fragrance is beautifully balanced and maybe the most classically structured perfume he has done. There is such a beautiful quality about it, very refined, almost pristine, but it still carries that feeling of joy and contentment of the original. A perfect example of a reformulation done right.

With my last order (which completed me having Francesca’s entire line), there were two samples enclosed. I’m like oh great, now I will probably need two more lol. Because I literally want everything this woman makes. There is something so original and unique about what she does, and all the fragrances feel meaningful, personal and very human. It’s hard to explain but they all have a lived in quality about them. Much like a patina on a leather bag.

Lost in Heaven is the biggest departure from her usual style, there is a feeling of innocence here, even fragility. It reminds me of memories of little smiling girls with pink bows in their hair or a slice of white birthday cake with pastel colored swirls of icing. But....combined with elements of something that feels very adult, almost like an animalic vintage floral, so for me it creates the memories of being a girl inside a grown woman. Like she is reflecting on the innocent days that are now lost but with fondness and no sadness. There is a brightness to it, a freshness, a sweetness, a gourmand almost cake like quality, without seeming “gourmand”...but it’s added to more adult things like a rather animalic muskiness. Lost in Heaven makes me think happy thoughts, and I feel more alive. It takes away any sadness. It makes me think of pretty pastel frosting, but on a cake covered with many candles. An innocence combined with a life lived. And no regrets.

I don’t want to confuse the gourmand lovers though, this is not some full on gourmand, it’s just one quality it has, combined with other things like fresh citruses and florals, musks, resins and spices. It’s like she took everything you can think of that brings pleasure and combined it in one bottle. And she chose the perfect name for it because that’s exactly what this is, a feeling of being lost in a story book, forgetting all your troubles and indulging in everything you love. It’s having your cake and eating it, too, and feeling no shame. All the good things. Lost in Heaven makes you feel jubilant yet content, the perfume equivalent of having comfort food in paradise.

Features grapefruit, tangerine, orange blossom, jasmine, ylang-ylang, mimosa, magnolia, cumin, cinnamon, coriander, ambergris, musk, castoreum, beeswax, orris root, labdanum, opoponax, heliotrope, vetiver, sandalwood, patchouli and tonka bean.

I have always been really iffy on overtly smokey fragrances. I don’t like those smokey outdoor BBQ sort of fragrances that others seem to think are all that. I have never smelled one that I felt was all that appealing, let alone beautiful...until today. Bloodline is, without a doubt, the most realistic woodsmoke fragrance I have ever smelled, the most natural, and the most beautiful. There is nothing weird thrown in, nothing distracting, no rubber, no plastic, nothing “trying too hard”. It’s not too charred, nor is it lumberjack manly with added evergreen notes, nothing grilled food like, nothing Portland hippie trendy, or anything that you usually find in many smokey indie scents. This is the exquisite beauty of whiffs of firewood that you get in fresh morning air of a rustic cabin in the middle of nowhere. It’s that first smell of winter in the neighborhood you grew up in, those whiffs you get when you know it’s cold enough for someone to be using a fireplace for the first time. It’s the comforting smell of being home with family. It’s pure. It’s elegance. I can’t explain it, but Bloodline almost makes me cry.

For someone who doesn’t even like smokey fragrances to be this pleased, it is really saying something. I actually feel bad even writing a review for this because only 15 bottles were made and it sold out in an hour. But if you are a fan of smoked wood fragrances and see this one ever for sale, I strongly suggest you buy it unsniffed. I can’t image ANY fan of woodsmoke would not be pleased. In my humble opinion, this is an award worthy scent. It’s flawless. And, again, I don’t even like smokey fragrances. But when something is this good, I will make an exception.

There is one thing about this hobby and passion of ours; the discoveries are endless. We can sometimes feel a bit jaded, trying sample after sample, bottle after bottle, then occasionally there are these relatively unknown, almost hidden, special ones that we discover which feels almost like unearthing a secret diamond.

Created by Santiago Burgas Bou, Eau Dadette is inspired by Dadaism, an artistic movement that started around World War I, and its purpose was to ridicule the meaninglessness of the modern world. Dadaism influenced pop art, punk rock, and many artists including Salvador Dali. Bou has created a series of perfumes inspired by this particular modern art movement, and the third is Eau Dadette, dedicated to Juliette Roche, a French painter and writer who celebrated independent women capable of self-expression.

A tribute to unknown artists, Eau Dadette is unusual and unconventional, feminine leaning, with notes of heliotrope, Bulgarian rose, jasmine and raspberry, but it is hardly a pushover. Eau Dadette almost explodes in the opening, it is very bright and powerful and being an attar it is highly concentrated and only a few drops are needed. The florals and fruits are highly charged but seem to magically melt into the skin and retain a certain delicacy. Sandalwood, vetiver and incense give an underlying tone of assertiveness which also keeps this rather femme creation unisex.

Eau Dadette does not smell like anything I have ever tried but it does reflect Santiago Burgas Bou’s unique style if you are familiar with it. Eau Dadette makes a statement, it’s not subtle in character but it wears softly, powdery, especially in the dry down. The scent lasts many hours on my skin and I literally can’t stop sniffing it. I wore it 3 days in a row and had to force myself not to wear it a 4th. There is something truly special about this fragrance that I can’t quite put my finger on. But it lives up to the striking bottle that it comes in and that is saying something. This is a fragrance that should be talked about more. But then again, Santi Burgas should be talked about more in general in my opinion. I have been impressed by a number of creations from this house, especially the Palindrome collection, but for me, Eau Dadette is the masterpiece of Santi Burgas.