Estherica

..oh what a pity.
Does anyone still remember that jingle from some TV show? What was it again? I have it in my head today, thanks to Coromandel.
I had my eye on Coromandel for a while, wanting something Chanel-like again, and since there were only good things said about it everywhere + interesting notes, it had to be Coromandel. And thanks to a wonderful Parfumo fairy, it was already in my mailbox today. I couldn't wait and immediately started smelling the bottle in the hallway. Hmm, nice, nice. So I tested it right away. Good thing I hadn't applied anything else.
At first, I am greeted by Chanel-typical aldehydes with fresh, light neroli. Not bad, but unfortunately, it's a short opening. The scent quickly transitions on my skin into a tamed patchouli, brushed with gentle vanilla. I find this quite appealing, an elegant delicate patchouli variant.
And that's it. Nothing more comes, and I am a little disappointed; it's somewhat boring. But there are perfumes that my skin practically absorbs and that don't develop much. Not a big deal, it was nice up to that point.
But then after about 2 hours, it just smells SWEET on my arm, and I mean SWEET in capital letters. Yuck. It's really not nice, cloying sweetness, with none of the elegance left. Slightly nauseating. Quick, quick, wash it off! I do this very rarely, and I didn't expect it here, but it can't be helped. Phew.
In Coromandel's defense (although it probably doesn't need it), I must say that it smells wonderful on my paper scent strip. Fine, harmonious, and the beautiful top and heart notes come out much longer. Hmmm.
Oh man, Coromandel. You smell so fantastic on paper, why not on me?
It seems like it won't work out between us. Okay, okay, it's my fault, I admit it.
Do I dare to try it on my skin again? I didn't plan to scent my bookshelf. When I come into the room in the evening where the scent strip is, I find it pleasantly noticeable. It also reminds me of Fate Woman. Quite different from this afternoon on my arm.
Oh what a pity....oh what a pity!

P.S: Did anyone else notice something similar? I suspect some musk that turns sweet on me and obscures all the other notes.

The commentary during my lunch break on one of my favorite fragrances.
After some commercial perfumes gave me headaches, I set out to find as many natural alternatives as possible and discovered some beautiful and some terrible ones along the way.
House of Matriarch is one of the beautiful discoveries. :)
Not yet available in Europe (that's in the works) and still relatively unknown, House of Matriarch is the "baby" of perfumer Christi Meshell, who has taken "Nature is the ultimate luxury" as her motto. All perfumes are predominantly 100% made from natural raw materials, with her "mixed media" still being 85-98% natural. At the same time, Ms. Meshell draws inspiration from the French art of perfumery. This may all be part of the marketing, so let's let the nose decide.
I tested the range from HoM, and after my nose kept returning to the already empty sample, I had to get some full bottles.
The Maj was my first choice.
A bit of clever background info on this perfume:

The Maj is inspired by the Indian tradition of creating a perfume from various attars, usually based on vetiver or sandalwood. Attar in the Indian sense generally refers to a co-distillation with sandalwood. Flowers (rose, champaka, jasmine, etc.) are often distilled with sandalwood, resulting in the attar.
For "Majmua," which means to gather or unite, the attars of mitti (that's baked earth), vetiver (khus), and flowers come together.
Christi Meshell has created her own version of Majmua, aptly named "The Maj." For this scent, she used attars that are already aged, bringing a vintage character, and she claims that she will not be able to recreate the perfume the same way once these raw materials are gone. In The Maj, these are mitti attar, pandanus attar, kadam attar, and vetiver.
And you can smell and feel the careful selection of raw materials. Nothing beats real sandalwood, which is abundant here....
I find the scent so difficult to describe...I love it very much!
It is definitely a linear perfume; there is no fragrance pyramid here. The scent remains predominantly the same. It radiates warmth and at the same time freshness, woody, slightly spicy, but not reminiscent of spices, sweet, but not sugary-sticky. It is soft and gentle. I smell the scent of the earth after a monsoon rain, the freshness that the rain brings after a long heat, the warmth that the sun radiates at the same time, flowers that release their fragrance.

The scent is evocative and conjures images of Hindu temples, of people dressed in colorful clothing, and incense being burned.
This scent puts me in a calm and serene mood, yet it is never boring or soporific.
Regarding longevity and sillage: at first, I used it rather generously, and then it develops a strong sillage that is activated again by warmth. In my yoga class, there was a comment: "It smells so much like India here!" "Are there incense sticks somewhere?" I would say Ms. Meshell has achieved her goal with this scent. :) I have never been to India, but the association comes to even those who have never been there or engaged with it. One or two spritzes are enough for me; you don't need to perfume the whole room. ;)
I prefer to wear The Maj on cooler and cloudy days, but I can imagine that it works in principle all the time and for many occasions. Also for men.
So, the lunch break is almost over, and The Maj, which I applied this morning (one spritz), continues to accompany me through the day.
Lastly, regarding the bottle: unfortunately, the painted colorful bottle was a limited edition, and now simple frosted glass bottles are used for the entire line. They are okay, but such a scent deserves a more appropriate packaging; the painted bottle (shown in the picture) was much more beautiful.

First of all: this was a blind purchase, as I thought to myself with the notes, it must appeal to me. I like the herbal note of Tagetes and also the crisp freshness of Galbanum.
Upon the first spray, my reaction was: "this smells like perfume." Interestingly, I had the same reaction with some scents from Nicolai. This is because the craftsmanship of the perfumes from this house transports me back to my childhood, as they remind me of some classics from the 80s. A vintage feeling arises... this is how adults smelled, especially on festive occasions, like perfume.
Well, after a few seconds, the shock of the perfume fades, and I perceive the Galbanum and also the blackcurrant in the top notes. I can't pick out Tagetes. Undoubtedly a well-made classic women's fragrance. However, I immediately wonder if such a rather feminine scent suits me.
The sillage is extremely strong; after the top notes settle, the full tuberose explosion hits me. I like tuberose, but here I find it very loud. And the image that comes to mind is of an elegantly dressed woman from a 40s film. I think of the classics by Billy Wilder and Frank Capra, envisioning a well-dressed Rita Hayworth standing in a noble setting, smoking a cigarette. The scent exudes effortless wealth without being ostentatious. Understated luxury.
But I have many questions piling up. When should I wear this? For what occasion? Too intense for work, and in everyday life as well. When I go out, it's usually to dance tango, and I wouldn't want to subject my dance partners to such a strong sillage. Hmmm. Should I just pass it on to my mother?
By now, I already feel overwhelmed by the tuberose.
Hours later. What is this? The scent knocks me over again, this time in a positive sense. A dreamy base of oakmoss and sandalwood spreads out, and it lasts and lasts. Even after the shower! this base is still on my arm.
I like it so much that I wait a bit longer before it moves from my collection to the souk or to my mother. But do I want to wait hours for it? Or shower? :) It definitely deserves a second test. A film-worthy performance for hours.

It says Patchouli on the label, and guess what, there’s Patchouli in it.
It is a dry, pleasant representative of the type, and those who like Patchouli and want to smell exactly like that, with friendly sillage and longevity, and prefer a perfume, will be well served here.
I don’t need it. I compared the perfume one-to-one with my Patchouli oil (purchased from the Mekkanische Rose), which according to the label comes from India, but smells exactly like Patchouli Indonesiano. The difference, however, is that PI has a nicer sillage. Is it due to the alcohol or other ingredients? The scent is the same. Maybe it’s quite good for layering.

Edit: In the drydown during my paper test comparison of pure Patchouli and Patchouli Indonesiano, my pure Patchouli is now ahead. It lasts significantly longer, there’s not much left to smell from the Indonesiano, the oil is still strong. And the longer I sniff it, the more uninspired I find Patchouli Indonesiano. There’s nothing else in it but Patchouli. You can’t really call that a perfume! I can also dilute Patchouli with alcohol and bottle it.

Several Ylang Ylang bottles of essential oil are in my collection. I love the scent; even the rubber note in it doesn't deter me. The pure oil is, of course, very strong and comes across as more enjoyable when diluted.

In my search for a Ylang perfume, this one has so far been the "Holy Grail" for me; it has all the creaminess and softness that I missed in "Fleur des Comores."
Guerlain's Ylang & Vanille is a Hmmmmmmm scent that simply enchants me. As already mentioned, the association with a South Sea beach is obvious. Sure, this scent doesn't particularly challenge you; the structure is very simple, and it doesn't tell any grand or exciting stories. Nor does it need to. For me, it is the hammock in my collection. Just lie down and dream.
Ylang Ylang and vanilla complement each other in perfect harmony; the scent is soft and creamy, nothing in it is disturbing. It also comes across very naturally, having no synthetic feel, which I had feared. (I think of the Yves Rocher Monoi perfumes)
As wonderful as the scent is, I wouldn't want to wear it every day. But to escape the gray and dreary world, it is perfect, or to add something extra on a sunny day.

A small downside: the longevity isn't great for me. After 2-3 hours, I can hardly perceive it anymore. However, in warmth and movement, the scent does re-emerge, which again speaks for the naturalness of the ingredients.

A big downside: why is this not produced anymore? What is Guerlain thinking? This simple qualitative beauty is discontinued, and every year a new Allegoria flanker comes out that, in my opinion, cannot compete with Ylang and Vanille.