Lilitu

Why did I absolutely want to buy this perfume? Phew. Wouldn't a sample have sufficed first?

I was hooked by a YouTuber who praised the old, unreformulated version to the skies. As is often the case, I first tried a fragrance twin to find out if I even liked the scent direction. And I liked it a lot - really a lot.

So you can surely understand how excited I was when I received my package from the postman. How happy I was to unpack the scent and hold the bottle with the juice in my hands. Wow. This bottle is really beautiful.
I wouldn't have thought so, because in photos it often looked less high-quality. Kitsch is the wrong word, but somehow strange.
But when I could see the heavy glass bottle with the silver-shimmering decorative cap in person, I was blown away. The woman's face is really cool. Looks like it came straight out of an alien movie. The silver chain doesn't bother me here either. Somehow everything fits together well.

Now it gets serious. We come to the scent. Can you even say scent instead of perfume? Whatever.

The start on my wrist is fresh and woody - probably the fig wood. This wood note is encased in a salty crust.

Do you like fish? There are great recipes where the fish is wrapped in a sea salt crust in aluminum foil and roasted in the oven. That's how the start of "Womanity" smells to me.

Pretty quickly, an earthy note sneaks in. It becomes more and more pronounced. It feels dirty to me, like dirty, earthy "patchouli." But "patchouli" is listed nowhere. I actually love patchouli. It just can't be too much of it. When gently enveloped by softening scents, I find patchouli really great. But here? Phew. A mysterious "patchouli" smell that shouldn't even be there. Damn, what fragrance note combination creates this dirty, earthy character?

From here on, it gets quite penetrating and unpleasant. Although I can still smell the salty note - which probably comes from the caviar note, it is pushed into the background by the extremely earthy-dirty smell. I wonder if I bought a skewed version or, worse, a fake perfume.

Suddenly, a green note joins in. Could this be the fig leaf? I also perceive an aquatic note. The remnants from the caviar? At least this piercing "patchouli" note is fading.

So, if it weren't for this green note, I would have scrubbed this perfume off my wrist a long time ago. But this green scent. It unfolds more and more. The whole composition becomes softer, subtler, and more fragrant. A slightly sweet and aromatic scent shines through. Does the fig note temper this scent orgy? Interesting.

Conclusion:

Do you have to wade through a mess of mud that horrifically smells of earthy, dirty patchouli to get to a green meadow soaked by gentle summer rain?

In the end, the salty, aquatic caviar note is woven together with a fine sweet, aromatic fig. This subtle mélange cuddles on a damp green meadow. Somehow hard to describe. It all seems not to fit together. This green note at the end just won't let go of me. Now I even enjoy sniffing at my wrist.

I can understand that this Eau de Parfum polarizes. However, what this has to do with "Womanity" is not clear to me after the first testing attempt. So I will continue to test to uncover the mystery of "Womanity."

Maybe - yes maybe - this scent will then be allowed to stay with me.

Finally, my sample for testing has arrived. I was so excited about this scent.

As is often the case with me, I approached the original through a fragrance twin. I liked the fragrance twin so much that I forced my husband to test it too. After all, it’s unisex - a scent we can both wear. That was my underlying thought. So when the sample of the original arrived by post, he couldn't avoid it and had to try it as well.

Not that you think I exerted any pressure here. You must know that my husband had a larger fragrance collection than I did before Corona. But due to the lockdown, I overtook him with flying colors, especially in the fragrance department.

Since we unfortunately live in a small apartment, I always test my perfumes or samples in the living room. Then the whole room smells of all kinds of fragrant and less pleasant essences. Which, I admit, can sometimes be a bit overwhelming for the nose. Just a little bit overwhelming. Tiny bit. Sooo tiny.

But now to the highly anticipated scent: Tatatataaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa (drumroll):

Once sprayed and take a deep breath ....

... I immediately get the full broadside. Wow, is it intense. Honestly, I can't recognize any of the listed notes in the top note. The heart note is completely skipped for me. It goes straight into the base notes. From that, I can identify oud, woods, cardamom, incense, and patchouli.

I can definitely understand the comparisons of the scent on Parfumo to the smell in a pastry shop. It also smells on my skin like in a bakery. But unfortunately not as pleasantly sweet as cakes, but rather it’s clear that rancid butter was used for baking. What a shock.

On top of that, the damn baker also baked the cake too long in the oven. Because when pulling it out, a wave of burnt smoke first pours out of the hot oven. Phew. What a disappointment.

I switch to my husband's wrist. Here too. A blast, but not quite as unpleasant as on my skin. Here too, the oud is only barely held in check by the balsamic notes. Plus, this patchouli that smells like dirty earth. Slowly, I’m getting the feeling that for me, "Sweetie Aoud" is absolutely not a women's scent. So much for unisex.

On my husband, it also smells very strong and powerful. He himself cannot associate this perfume with a bakery or pastry shop. Instead, after the initial chaos settles, it smells to him like sweet-bitter incense sticks. I think the balsamic and spicy notes come through better for him. The scent thus appears a bit softer. Of course, the sweet notes that slowly blend in also help. But the scent doesn’t become soft, just a little bit softer.

At least the rancid butter smell on my wrist takes a backseat. What remains is a sweet-smoky note with an emphasis on smoky. Not at all my thing. I just can’t deal with oud. At least this time I’m spared the fecal smell of oud that I’ve encountered in other fragrances. A small improvement.

Still, I’m sorry. Even though I out myself here as a philistine who tramples on the high art of perfumery, I prefer the fragrance twin. Probably because it’s sweeter and more pleasing than the original and thus may not be as artfully woven. However, it can truly be worn unisex.

Of course, this is just my personal opinion. Everyone sees it differently, due to different fragrance preferences and the individual skin chemistry that makes perfumes smell different on each skin. And that’s a good thing. It would be boring if everyone loved or rejected the same perfumes. The sillage and longevity are unfortunately very good.

My husband also cannot get excited about the original. But I think this scent can excite enough fans. We just don’t belong to them.

Poetry for the End of the Year or Papillon

A butterfly lands on my hand.
I want to catch it,
but it flies away!

Yes, autumn is progressing and soon winter will arrive again. It still buzzes sporadically in the garden and now and then I even see a butterfly flutter by.

A subtly bitter chamomile starts immediately, then it is enveloped by delicate green woods. What does a weeping tree smell like? I don't know. Probably very inconspicuous. But it beautifully connects with the chamomile. Then a hint of musk comes in, making the chamomile softer - almost creamy.

I am still waiting for the dry-down. It is slowly becoming more and more delicate. Just a light breeze of transparent little wings. The wood is only barely perceptible and the vanilla is very hidden as well. I continue to sniff at my hand and catch a remnant of the sandalwood-vanilla finish.

And quickly it is just a lovely memory.

I find it difficult to find beautiful green fragrances. But I like this one very much, even though it appears so delicate and fragile. Therefore, it is best to spray it at home for cuddling and linger with a cup of tea in hand, reminiscing about the beautiful memories of spring and summer.

I don't understand the bad reviews. The sillage and longevity are very low, but the scent is beautiful.

Yes, why did I wait so long? That is exactly the question I ask myself in connection with my latest acquisition "Ange ou Démon" by Givenchy.

Before Corona, I preferred to buy my perfumes at the duty-free shop in airports. I can't remember how many times I have hovered around "Ange ou Démon." Of course, the name intrigued me.

I fondly remember a former colleague. She always had loud conversations with her "little angels and devils." Very funny - like a performance from the Commedia dell'Arte.
She made me vividly imagine this - even with myself. I could almost feel a little angel and a little devil sitting on my shoulders, whispering their advice. And it’s still like that. Who do I listen to today? Does the angel or the demon in me win, or should I say on me?

When I first saw this perfume, I had to try this scent. I sniffed the test strip with great anticipation and... my first reaction... should I reveal it? ... YUCK - pure rejection! That couldn't be true.

Givenchy has great fragrances: "Ysatis," "Very Irresistible," "Amarige," and so on. What did I not like about the perfume with the interesting name? A piercing unpleasant note, which I couldn't define at the time, irritated me. Off to the trash with the test strip. And what happened? Instead, I bought another perfume. Guess what I bought! Well, who knows? Any ideas? It was "Alien" - the ultimate hit. But that’s another story.

I didn't give up. Years later, "Ange ou Démon" was on sale at the duty-free shop. So I tried it again. This time, the piercing note was not as present. However, even though I kept sniffing the test strip, it remained present and simply bothered me. Anyway, it ruined the overall impression for me. Because I did quite like the warm, cozy note in the background. This time, I bought an Eau de Parfum from Yves Saint Laurent. No, I can already hear your guesses. It wasn't "Black Opium," but "Parisienne." So nothing came of us again.

Only last year did this rather persistent scent come back into my focus. During my research on "Opera" by Xerjoff, I stumbled back to "Ange ou Démon." Here on Parfumo or was it Fragrantica (?) "Ange ou Démon" was actually listed as a comparison perfume to "Opera." By now, I was also exploring perfume twins and actually ordered a dupe of "Ange ou Démon," which I found quite acceptable, but with terrible longevity. However, it would take almost a year before I finally dared to buy the original and even online - without a prior test. So almost a blind buy. Somehow.

Accordingly, I was excited when testing at home. Now finally to the scent test - a few spritzes on a neutral cosmetic tissue and on my wrist, and here we go:

A subtly fresh and citrusy start, which transitions into a sweet warm mandarin, surprises me. Honestly, I don't specifically smell mandarin, but something fruity-orange-like. Immediately, thyme joins in - but mild - not intrusive. The thyme is well recognizable. The saffron, on the other hand, is hardly detectable, at best intertwined with the thyme scent. This spicy mixture becomes stronger - at least on my wrist.

On the cosmetic tissue, the fresh note from the start remains present longer.

The scent development on my wrist is already progressing further. The floral creamy notes of orchid and ylang-ylang seductively push to the forefront. In the background, I still smell something slightly powdery - probably the lily. I love powdery scent elements. They give perfumes a cozy touch and sometimes also an elegant direction. What a beautifully intertwined composition - seductive and cozy at the same time with an elegant twist. I realize my skin chemistry fits perfectly with this scent. Nothing is too much or intrusive.

In stark contrast is the scent development on the cosmetic tissue. Here, the powdery and the spicy cool thyme now take center stage. The emphasis is on cool and initially still mixed with the long-lasting citrus freshness. No, that’s wrongly expressed. The thyme-saffron note here leans towards sharp herbs and stands out from the cool combination. Later, the freshness gradually disappears. The herbal element remains. Overall, it seems to me more like a medicinal smell. Could it be the saffron? I remember that some people describe "Baccarat Rouge 540" as smelling like a dentist. Gradually, it becomes woodier and warmer. However, the vanilla-tonka mixture sadly only remains in the background on the cosmetic tissue. The sharp, piercing note overshadows all other scent components.

Back to my wrist: Here, the rosewood slowly joins the harmonious composition. For me, the oak moss remains rather subtle. Barely perceptible. Both components unite in a soft, cozy vanilla-tonka bean bed. Seductive indeed. Sigh. It smells so beautiful. Sniff, sniff.

Even my husband likes it this time. I got lucky. Or did he? Who knows?

I find it very interesting that the scent develops much more beautifully on my skin than on the cosmetic tissue. Although, now that I sniff it again - it’s slowly becoming warmer, softer, and more pleasant here too - less and less piercing.

By now, I know, of course, which scent note or notes I couldn't handle. I have identified the culprits. The thyme-saffron mixture put me off, and if I hadn't bravely tested it directly on my skin - who knows, maybe I would have let the "Ange ou Démon" bottle rot unused in my closet. What a shame that would be - to ignore such a beautiful scent. Yes, I love this scent. It took a long time.

This Friday, I went out - met with former colleagues - finally again after a long time. Also present was the aforementioned ex-colleague, who had the little angel/devil dialogues, and everything was like before. Relaxed and fun. Of course, I had wrapped myself in a wonderfully fragrant cloud of "Ange ou Démon." What else would have fit?

Conclusion: This scent is suitable for going out - less for the office. In my opinion, it is suitable for all women - regardless of age. The sillage and longevity are rather medium to good for me. Tending towards good.

So, don’t wait as long to buy the scent as I did. And importantly, be sure to test it on your skin! It’s worth it.

For a long time, I contemplated which version of L'Interdit I wanted to buy. The story behind the fragrance intrigued me. A perfume created especially for the great actress Audrey Hepburn. Of course, I know that the original scent doesn't have much in common with today's versions. But I simply love orange blossom. And I just can't resist that.

Usually, before COVID, I preferred to buy my fragrances at the airport in the duty-free shop. A fragrant start to my vacation or sometimes a lovely conclusion - a scented memory. I found the selection in duty-free shops to be good, and I usually had enough time to test the fragrances beforehand.

That all changed. Last year during the lockdown, my perfume obsession intensified, and I was on the lookout for new inspirations. I had plenty of time, thanks to reduced working hours. So what to do? First, I extensively researched online. Here we go.

Before, I had never dealt with fragrance pyramids, individual notes, or anything like that. Why would I? Either I liked the scent I sniffed or I didn't. I had a few brands that I particularly liked. With the expensive ones, it usually ended with just a sniff test. With the others, I sometimes bought different perfumes. During the lockdown, the opportunity to test was gone.

It was only through Parfumo that I realized I particularly appreciate perfumes with orange blossom. In my research, I came across L'Interdit. The fragrance pyramid of the new versions of the classic scent sounded enticing to me. I looked at the notes of the EdT, EdP, and the Intense variant, along with YouTube comparisons. Eventually, I had to make a decision. I chose L'Interdit EdP Intense. This variant seemed more mysterious to me. Although the black pepper initially made me a bit apprehensive. Pepper in a perfume? I had never encountered that before or wasn't really aware of it.

L'Interdit Eau de Parfum Intense surprisingly starts fresh for me. Fresh orange blossoms shine. Then the tuberose embraces the orange blossoms. The scent gradually becomes noticeably sweeter. In the background, a nutty note joins in. The sesame weaves the mélange into a creamy paste. The initially bright scent takes on a deep, mysterious turn. Dark and black.

Does this have to do with the black pepper? But where has the black pepper gone? Individually, I can't smell it out. How the hell does black pepper smell in a top note?
In the background, however, I perceive a nuance of something spicy. Woven with the creamy paste, this note remains soft. Nothing piercing, as I imagine pepper to be. Because ultimately, I always get hit with a violent sneeze when I sprinkle pepper over a dish.

Something else stands out to me. On Parfumo, the perfume is described as sweet-floral. But as with some other perfumes, I also perceive a powdery note in L'Interdit Intense that isn't described further. For me, this nuance gives the perfume an elegant touch. I love powdery scents - have I mentioned that? Hmm, maybe that's simply the reason? No idea.

The composition now becomes a little greener. Vetiver makes its presence known. A spicy element rises from the depths. Patchouli lurks mysteriously in the base. Unfortunately, I can't smell leather. Instead, the vanilla caresses my senses. It fits perfectly into the paste-like composition and rounds it off. A mysterious, dark yet soft scent. Sexy. Elegant. Delicious.

While I appreciate the creamy-paste-like mysterious and powdery aspect of the perfume, interestingly, my husband perceives the scent as just too intense. Too bad, for him it's not a sexy fragrance.

But he's out of luck, I mean my husband, because I love this scent. And now there are finally opportunities to wear it. He just has to deal with it - my husband.

Conclusion:
A scent for confident women - a beautiful evening fragrance. I can't see it on young girls, more on women aged 30 and up.

Somehow, I can't imagine the scent on Audrey Hepburn either. An actress famous for her girlish charm. The attributes mysterious and enigmatic fit better with other famous film divas of classic Hollywood. But so be it. After all, I don't know the original scent.

Sillage and longevity are very good. Sillage maybe just a little too good, at least for my husband.

The bottle is quite appealing. The black emphasizes its mysterious and elegant character.

I just have to love it!