Hannah

In music, a rondo is a composition in which a constant, repetitive part alternates with various intermediate parts. What does this mean for Rondo Armaniano? Perhaps that the classic style of Armani with its pure elegance is the constant, recurring refrain and the appearances of the so different fragrance notes from lavender, sage, iris, vanilla to woods and patchouli ultimately always lead back to the elegant refrain? I am curious ...

My blind order comes in a simple petrol-colored cardboard box, Armani according to without ostentation and pomposity. The rectangular bottle with the rounded edges, a square metal shield on the front and the cap modeled after a rounded stone is common to all Privés. In the case of Rondo Armaniano, the serene color scheme from natural white to light gray to sage green is captivating. The tones appear milky, calm. The bottle itself is off-white, the sage-colored plaque graphically clear with a diamond of the same color. Between the bottle and the pebble-gray cap, which is a real hand-flatterer, two color-coordinated silk ribbons with small gold balls at the ends are artfully looped. The toned color mood acts as a soft focus for the angular flacon.

For all my confidence in Armani, I am nevertheless tense before the first spray. After all, 660, - euros you have to pay for it. First impression: highly aromatic and intense lavender, slightly reinforced by sage, clearly a fougère and a reminiscence of classic men's fragrances. But just as the muted colors take away the austerity of the bottle, so too in the fragrance, soothing veils quickly cover the strong herbaceous lavender. On the one hand, delicate in the form of iris powder - but the iris plays rather a supporting role in this annual fragrance and the listed rose I can not even perceive in the background -, on the other hand, amber-like notes and a delicious vanilla essence keep the intense, almost sharp, lavender in check. They bring a balsamic and sweet warmth into play, ambery, harmonious, endearing, and balanced with the lavender. You hardly like to take your nose off your wrist, it smells so irresistible. The ambered side never gets too dense, too sweet or too tired, because the lavender keeps stimulating and cheering it up with its lively aroma. I don't smell any earthy or mossy scents, the patchouli just creates depth and a slight melancholy. Rondo Armaniano is aromatic, balsamic, harmonious, soft - in no way "lavender fresh".

So not a classic fougère, but an amber fougère fragrance. Although I associate this with classic men's fragrances, the pendulum on the scale between masculine and feminine does not swing too far in the direction of masculine for me. I think it's because there's no oakmoss or other earthy/forest ingredients used here, but warm, sensual, sweet-spicy notes. I can imagine Rondo Armaniano as a great evening scent as well as during a hike in nature through meadows and forest or even for deep breathing and relaxing on the sofa at home. The fragrance has a punch, an enormous durability beyond the day and a strong sillage. The intense interplay of herbaceous lavender and balsamic amber certainly provides positive attention. Thus, it is not suitable for every occasion, and it is not a fragrance to be thoughtlessly drizzled with. He requires a conscious decision, perhaps also a no longer too youthful age and I feel him as a fragrance for the cool season.

To be able to classify and compare him, I would have to know other ambrierte Fougères, but there I must unfortunately pass and can only say from my current fragrance experience that I find Rondo Armaniano extremely harmonious, expressive and warming and can not imagine that there is very much equivalent in this balance. Rondo Armaniano is classic Armani elegance with modern facets. I would wear it myself as a lover of delicate and feminine fragrances probably only very rarely. In the evening with a slim black dress I would find it a striking and great choice. At (m)a man I would love to smell him but more often.

Just two ingredients - citrus notes and kumquat - for 263, - euros is an announcement. It is not even a 100 ml bottle with which we could generously spray the supposedly light-footed summer freshener, but the fine bottle in the style of L'heure fragrances holds only 75 ml. With the wrapped light yellow ribbon and the citrus finely etched into the glass, it emphasizes the summer impression and the noble style of the house of Cartier.

Les épures de Parfum means "The sketches of perfume" and lives up to this claim brilliantly in the flacon design, with the minimalist number of ingredients and in the selection of purely citrus notes that stand for clarity, purity and freshness. I like purism and thus already like the concept without even sniffing the bottle. On it goes ...

Imagine you're sitting in bright sunshine in a lemon grove and cut up plump fresh lemons, limes, yuzu and kumquats, the juice runs over your hands, in the air is the scent of summer, right next to you pulls someone with the Zestenreißer very fine strips of peel off. Very carefully, so that he doesn't touch the bitter white underlayer. I named it Lemon Grove to evoke an image, and because I don't know if there are lime, yuzu, or kumquat groves, but it's actually these three that make up the scent. Pur Kinkan smells hocharomatiasch, intense, radiant, fresh and tart, but not at all sour or even pungent after many kinds of citrus, and perhaps two, three orange petals (more really not) floated down to the table.

This has so nothing at all to do with classic fresh fragrances, which like to use neroli. Here no trace of it - for me, fortunately. Also no flushing lemon, no toilet freshness and no lemon cream ball. There is no perceivable accessory to my nose in the form of musk, cedar, herbs, mosses, or whatever else you might find in other fresh fragrances. Pur Kinkan smells like you are rubbing the juice and peels of fresh fruit directly on your skin. Totally natural, not synthetic at all, totally unscented, full of joie de vivre, pleasant, sunny, modern, pure, unique. In hot temperatures it is a pure blessing, for other weather conditions Pur Kinkan is not suitable in my opinion. Unfortunately, this joie de vivre lasts with me only half an hour and then quickly flattens.

Pur Kinkan smells of nothing but the most beautiful citrus fruits, but that at the highest level. The name and the ingredients reflect the fragrance exactly. Whether that must cost 263, - Euro, I will not judge and it is certainly not everyone's thing to smell like rubbed with limes, yuzu and kumquats - I find it wonderful on hot summer days.

Early summer. A fine dinner party at the Orangery. Animated conversations, laughter and ringing glasses. It is a pleasure to be there and yet to seek the peace and quiet of the adjacent park for a moment. Alone, with a glass in your hand. Lantern light. The sweet scent of jasmine and roses is in the air. The scenery is peaceful, friendly, internalized. Not lonely, but to be alone, to feel good and enjoy the magical moment - and then stroll back to the lively life on the terrace.

It can also be more prosaic: an absolutely finely composed floral scent with notes that inspire, sometimes calm, sometimes harmonise. The iris takes away the sour peak of the wine note, which is often unpleasant for me in fragrances, and makes it slightly liqueur-like. The wine in turn gives wings to the often so brittle iris and makes it appear finely powdery and turned here. Jasmine puts a fine sweetness over everything and shows itself from its best side. Delicate, absolutely clean, without any claim to dominance. Rose petals blend in flatteringly. Sandalwood with its milky creaminess reinforces the softness and unagitated nature of this fragrance. Everything is delicate, silky and yet conveys depth. I do not perceive the other notes mentioned. Feared spicy notes are also not noticeable.

That I associate the fragrance with an evening mood, although it is in no way heavy, dark or dramatic, I attribute to the calm and serenity that Niral radiates.

It has been a long time since I have smelled such an enchanting, so sensitive fragrance, with which I can fall in love at the first go and of which I have the feeling that it suits me. Niral is discreetly powdery floral with a fine sweetness, easy to wear, definitely feminine, has a very good shelf life of many hours and a medium sillage.