Be More With Less

I recently came across these super cheap perfumes from the Olfactory Lab brand—not to be confused with the Laboratorio Olfattivo brand—produced in Italy by the ROLS company, which was born in a deconsecrated church as a small artisan business. In 1975 it made Etro perfumes, and now it has launched these vegan little pearls, which I will tell you about shortly. The carbon box is made of recycled paper, and the marvellous coloured bottle's labels are made of rice paper, traditional Chinese Xuan paper for calligraphy and sumi painting, lightweight, a popular choice for bookbinding, relief printing, screen printing, and more. These precious little diamonds are available at the OVS store. Each bottle is 50ml in size, EDT concentration, and costs around €8, which is a bargain! Some fragrances were released on April 2022, and others followed on March 2023. Being a collection of monothematic perfumes, they are all genderless.

Despite the brilliant collection, and good intentions, there was no promotion or publicity, probably to keep costs even lower. There is some information you need to know. Hang in there for the next few minutes and let me briefly explain each fragrance. And if you have the time and desire to go deeper, I've put a link to the detailed review. Enjoy!

Crystal Sun

Crystal Sun is a gorgeous creamy floral fragrance with some sunscreen scent without being overly coconutty. It is prosperous and sensual. I’m not a big fan of very sugary sweet perfumes. This perfume definitely has sweetness, but in a more adult and acceptable way. The lightness is excellent for those hot summer months when you want a subtle scent without overpowering everyone around you. A beachy Vanilla Coconut Citrus fragrance that scents the skin in a creamy tropical way. I picture the scent of an expensive beach vacation at a desert island resort. Smooth, creamy, soft, bright, cuddly, and wearable under impalpable clothes in very light fabrics.

Continue reading One Day, The Sun Will Turn Into Crystal

Cherry Pop

“Obtained from Marasca cherry juice, we are told that this liqueur was named ‘Sangue Morlacco’ (Morlacco’s Blood) by the Italian poet and soldier, Gabriele d’Annunzio, in honor of the Morlacchi, fierce Dalmatian warriors who fought for the Republic of Venice and defended their homeland against the Turks.” This is an intensely flavoured alternative to cherry brandy.
I think Olfactory Lab’s Cherry Pop brand is, based on the name alone, obviously inspired by a perfume close to the Lost Cherry EAU DE PARFUM fragrance. And it does an outstanding job. It is not only cheaper, but also has excellent performance. Cherry liqueur, almond and other gourmand notes blend together in its syrupy goodness. The keynotes are cherries, pistachios and tonka beans. I can relate this essence to a cherry candy filled with almond syrup.

Continue reading Sangue Morlacco (Morlacco’s Blood)

More & Musk

As always, I want to tell you my impressions, perplexities, and preconceptions honestly. And that's why the combination of blackberry and musk always leaves me a little sceptical. It could be because several perfumes are based on this accord. Or maybe it's because I'm always afraid I'll come across something syrupy, cloying, hairspray, synthetic musk, and pungent berry that bears no resemblance to authentic blackberry or any berry I'm familiar with. Something that looks like laundry detergent or fabric softener. Instead, I can actually smell the blackberry and musk in this one. This fruity and herbaceous fragrance plays with the contrast and accords of purple wild blackberry and radiant white musk.

Continue reading Blackish Berries And Soapy Moss

Memories

Smelling Memories is like visiting a school of natural soaps enriched with ornamental plant extracts. A master soap maker below our eyes teaches us how to make natural soap according to an ancient recipe with the classic “cold kneading” method. Let’s imagine taking the white flowers, the green leaves, and the orange rind from the bigarade plant, a handful of vegetable musk, and mixing it all with a neutral base paste for soap. From this mixture comes the aroma that distinguishes Memories. Is a cologne still good these days? Yes, since it is classic yet modern, clean, and fresh.

Continue reading At The School Of Natural Soaps

Vetiver

What should I expect from a fragrance named after one of its dominant notes, vetiver? An overdose of herbaceous and earthy scents. Well, these facets are all there, as well as slightly floral, smoky and musky nuances. Before testing it, my mind had been prepared to smell some sort of Vetiver EAU DE TOILETTE, Uomo Vetyver EAU DE TOILETTE, or even Cacharel pour L'Homme EAU DE TOILETTE, all with a citrusy slant. But I was miserably wrong, and it did not meet most of my expectations. The aroma has nothing to do with those colognes, and even less with the filthy theme as in Encre Noire EAU DE TOILETTE, Vétiver Limited Edition, Vetiver Essence , or any other fragrance that I have in my vast collection that has the vetiver as a leading dancer in the corps de ballet, a premier danseur.

Continue reading Premier Danceur

Vanilla

I thought this was one of my least favourite Olfactory Lab snippets, because of the vanilla I oftentimes associate with gourmand essences, cupcakes, ice-creams, latkes, and buttercream frosting, until I reached for it this chilly mid-May morning, a bit abnormal and still cold for nearing the end of spring, and instead, I found it very welcoming and warm. This vanilla scent is anything but ordinary. The initial aroma is a boozy bourbon vanilla akin to Don Papa rum from a fine strain of cane. Once distilled, is then aged in ex-bourbon American oak barrels, lending a larger-than-life vanilla aroma. If you have Caribbean Vanilla - Original Vanilla or Vanilla EAU DE TOILETTE in mind, then forget it, ain’t no things in common, not that sweet flora that might be a pain for some people including myself.

Continue reading A Scentless Flower

Pamplemousse

Grapefruit most commonly serves as an opening or top note in perfumes, but due to its synthetic nature, it can also serve as both a middle note and sometimes a base note as well. Here, it can be smelled throughout evolution.
Pamplemousse opens with a burst of the citrus accord, all bitter and tart. Fresh, with zesty notes and a bittersweet aroma reminiscent of wet pebbles, yet well-balanced and in the right amount. Of course, it listed both Citrus Paradisi, the grapefruit, and Citrus Limon, the lemon, for a reason. They are identifiable, each with its particularity. The bright yellow big grapefruit shows all its bitterness, with a strong sulfur vein.

Continue reading The Good Side Of Sulfur

Neroli

Orange blossom and neroli are two extraordinary ingredients I instantly recognize in fragrances. Neroli is produced from the blossom of the bitter orange tree, which is the same blossom that the sweet orange blossom comes from. While they are similar scents, Neroli has more of a sweet floral aroma. Neroli is a citrus-floral-musky scent reminiscent of the Italian southern gardens featuring citrus trees. Zagare, orange blossom, lemon blossom, and neroli aromas linger in the air during the blooming season. Neroli bloom has a fresh, floral, and citrus scent profile that is light and relaxing. Imagine taking a deep breath under a citrus tree in the countryside. The small white flowers of the tree are hand-gathered in the springtime.

Continue reading Golden Cologne Soap

Green The

Olfactory Lab Green The is a perfume that gives you a sense of pleasure, lightness and happiness, courtesy of floral and refreshing essences that improve your mood. The citrus aroma is prominent in the initial notes and joins the spicy and herbaceous scents. The floral bouquet creates a restorative state of heart notes, and the particular fruit accord completes it. The dense and deep aroma of dry wood reaches a peaceful and pleasant state in the base notes thanks to a musky accord. It wasn’t part of my first loot, as I already have many green tea items. It was just another brick in the wall, something like #arden green tea or #victor green tea, and so on, which I love, but ultimately they’re similar. Instead, this is a no-brainer for me. Citrus, green, floral and woody, I absolutely love it.

Continue reading Mood Booster In A Nutshell

White Tea

Light, airy, sparkling, as it should be. It is a fragrance that is suitable for people who dislike strong scents. Or do not tolerate beast cologne. White Tea to my nose has three dominant notes: tea leaves, white jasmine flowers, and the whiteness of white musk. Citrus could be identified, but it needs to become firm. It reveals itself with all its delicacy, composed of a light and unmistakable citrus scent of citrus flanked by the herbaceous and greenish notes of white tea, representing this fragrance's fulcrum. It's a pleasant sensation, like a steaming cup of tea on a spring morning with a blue sky, a few faint clouds, and a fresh breeze. White tea is very different from green tea; it is more floral, less crisp, and almost devoid of that lemony facet.

Continue reading Light, Airy, Sparkling, As It Should Be

More to come so, stay tuned...

Thanks to Elisa Vianello, Product Manager Assistant by OVS Spa, for providing me with valuable information about this collection. I appreciate it.

-Elysium