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A Toast to Social Housing
I have been convinced by the cosmetics of the Korean company Missha for a while now and was accordingly intrigued when I found five fragrances in the German online shop. My interest was further piqued by the basic concept of connecting fragrances with historical eras; as a former history student, this always gets me. Since the prices are also consumer-friendly and I couldn't decide, I simply bought all of them and will describe them here one by one in chronological order.
The last fragrance is labeled "1960 in London," which refers to the time commonly associated with the term "Swinging London." Characterized by political upheaval from the younger generation, the rise of pop music, and new fashion trends like the mini skirt. A wild and exciting era. To make it short: Those looking for that in this fragrance will be very disappointed.
As a big fan of the BBC series "Call the Midwife," which is also set in London during the late 50s/early 60s, I can, however, establish a vague association with "1960 in London." A brief explanation for the 'uninitiated': The series revolves around a group of midwives in London's East End, the then 'poorhouse' of the English capital with correspondingly difficult social and hygienic conditions. Over the years, improvements in healthcare and urban development are also addressed; for example, the demolition of entire tenement buildings with shared hall toilets for multiple tenants, and the construction of new apartment blocks with fitted kitchens and a private toilet for each apartment. A private toilet that you could decorate with your own kitsch and spray with a fresh room fragrance. And that's exactly where we find ourselves with '1960 in London'; it smells just like the generic fresh scent often encountered in public pay toilets today, e.g., at rest stops or train stations. A few flowers, a bit of disinfectant. Revolutionary in the 60s, but even then not suitable as a perfume. But since there are enthusiasts for everything, maybe someone is indeed looking for exactly such a fragrance.
The last fragrance is labeled "1960 in London," which refers to the time commonly associated with the term "Swinging London." Characterized by political upheaval from the younger generation, the rise of pop music, and new fashion trends like the mini skirt. A wild and exciting era. To make it short: Those looking for that in this fragrance will be very disappointed.
As a big fan of the BBC series "Call the Midwife," which is also set in London during the late 50s/early 60s, I can, however, establish a vague association with "1960 in London." A brief explanation for the 'uninitiated': The series revolves around a group of midwives in London's East End, the then 'poorhouse' of the English capital with correspondingly difficult social and hygienic conditions. Over the years, improvements in healthcare and urban development are also addressed; for example, the demolition of entire tenement buildings with shared hall toilets for multiple tenants, and the construction of new apartment blocks with fitted kitchens and a private toilet for each apartment. A private toilet that you could decorate with your own kitsch and spray with a fresh room fragrance. And that's exactly where we find ourselves with '1960 in London'; it smells just like the generic fresh scent often encountered in public pay toilets today, e.g., at rest stops or train stations. A few flowers, a bit of disinfectant. Revolutionary in the 60s, but even then not suitable as a perfume. But since there are enthusiasts for everything, maybe someone is indeed looking for exactly such a fragrance.
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All that Jazz
I have been convinced by the cosmetics of the Korean company Missha for a while now and was accordingly intrigued when I found five fragrances in the German online shop. My interest was further piqued by the basic concept of connecting fragrances with historical eras; as a former history student, this always gets me. Since the prices are also consumer-friendly and I couldn't decide, I simply bought all of them and will describe them here one by one in chronological order.
Fragrance number four has the Jazz Age from 1920 as its main theme, the "Roaring Twenties." Personally, I would associate this more with Chicago than with New York, but okay. It was a time of great uncertainty and upheaval, including the advancing emancipation of women. They shed corsets and long hair and began smoking cigarettes and wearing makeup in public. I find this new androgyny and bitterness reflected in "1920 in New York."
The fragrance starts off floral-green; according to the pyramid, it is freesia. It seems sweet at first, but then immediately becomes greener, reminding with every breath that a plant is not just made up of flowers. The top note is also quite persistent, and it takes some time before it is replaced by a strongly jasmine-heavy heart note. I perceive this as the weakest phase of the fragrance development. Just a rather generic jasmine bloom, without much of a surprise effect. The fragrance becomes more interesting when it transitions into the base. On me, it develops a peppery note. Often, you find pepper in top notes, but here it slowly emerges from the sweet jasmine (and honestly, I have no idea where it comes from, as it does not appear in the pyramid). Here too, a classically feminine-sweet fragrance is broken up by a bitter-cheeky note. Almost like a sheltered young woman from a good family sneaking out at night to secretly consume alcohol in a speakeasy and listen to the latest jazz hits. For me, this is quite a rounded interpretation of the "Roaring Twenties."
Fragrance number four has the Jazz Age from 1920 as its main theme, the "Roaring Twenties." Personally, I would associate this more with Chicago than with New York, but okay. It was a time of great uncertainty and upheaval, including the advancing emancipation of women. They shed corsets and long hair and began smoking cigarettes and wearing makeup in public. I find this new androgyny and bitterness reflected in "1920 in New York."
The fragrance starts off floral-green; according to the pyramid, it is freesia. It seems sweet at first, but then immediately becomes greener, reminding with every breath that a plant is not just made up of flowers. The top note is also quite persistent, and it takes some time before it is replaced by a strongly jasmine-heavy heart note. I perceive this as the weakest phase of the fragrance development. Just a rather generic jasmine bloom, without much of a surprise effect. The fragrance becomes more interesting when it transitions into the base. On me, it develops a peppery note. Often, you find pepper in top notes, but here it slowly emerges from the sweet jasmine (and honestly, I have no idea where it comes from, as it does not appear in the pyramid). Here too, a classically feminine-sweet fragrance is broken up by a bitter-cheeky note. Almost like a sheltered young woman from a good family sneaking out at night to secretly consume alcohol in a speakeasy and listen to the latest jazz hits. For me, this is quite a rounded interpretation of the "Roaring Twenties."
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An Evening at the Opera
I have been convinced by the cosmetics of the Korean company Missha for a while now and was accordingly intrigued when I found five fragrances in the German online shop. My interest was further piqued by the basic concept of connecting fragrances with historical eras; as a former history student, this always gets me. Since the prices are also consumer-friendly and I couldn't decide, I simply acquired all of them and will describe them here one by one in chronological order.
The third time travel aims to bring the "Belle Époque" of 1890 in Prague to life. Generally, Paris is seen as the epitome of this era, but that city was already occupied by 1780. So, Missha chose Prague, which was then part of the Austro-Hungarian K&K monarchy. This era is generally regarded as the birth of modernity, during which many new ideas in technology, art, and culture were developed, yet it was still characterized by a rigid social class separation. Missha itself states on the fragrance packaging that it symbolizes "the era of elegant and noble opera."
"1890 in Prague" starts extremely fruity with various berry notes, softened by grapefruit. This results in a fragrance that is fruity but not overly sweet, making it very pleasant. To stay within the manufacturer's imagery, one could view the top note as the opera singers on stage. Glamorous stars of their time and the center of attention, instantly drawing all eyes. After a while, the gaze then drifts into the audience and to the other opera-goers, who are less colorful but equally elegantly dressed. Accordingly, the heart note is floral and less loud. Here, the rose stands out, unfolding much closer to the skin than the top note. True to the ideal of the time, it is simple yet elegant. Finally, the evening draws to a close, and the fragrance slowly fades into the darkness of the night. The longevity is not above average, but good enough for an opera act. Then one can quickly reapply during the intermission without overwhelming the other audience members with an exaggerated scent cloud.
With "1890," Missha has created a wonderful fruity-floral fragrance with quite natural notes, which so far is my favorite from the collection.
The third time travel aims to bring the "Belle Époque" of 1890 in Prague to life. Generally, Paris is seen as the epitome of this era, but that city was already occupied by 1780. So, Missha chose Prague, which was then part of the Austro-Hungarian K&K monarchy. This era is generally regarded as the birth of modernity, during which many new ideas in technology, art, and culture were developed, yet it was still characterized by a rigid social class separation. Missha itself states on the fragrance packaging that it symbolizes "the era of elegant and noble opera."
"1890 in Prague" starts extremely fruity with various berry notes, softened by grapefruit. This results in a fragrance that is fruity but not overly sweet, making it very pleasant. To stay within the manufacturer's imagery, one could view the top note as the opera singers on stage. Glamorous stars of their time and the center of attention, instantly drawing all eyes. After a while, the gaze then drifts into the audience and to the other opera-goers, who are less colorful but equally elegantly dressed. Accordingly, the heart note is floral and less loud. Here, the rose stands out, unfolding much closer to the skin than the top note. True to the ideal of the time, it is simple yet elegant. Finally, the evening draws to a close, and the fragrance slowly fades into the darkness of the night. The longevity is not above average, but good enough for an opera act. Then one can quickly reapply during the intermission without overwhelming the other audience members with an exaggerated scent cloud.
With "1890," Missha has created a wonderful fruity-floral fragrance with quite natural notes, which so far is my favorite from the collection.
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You wouldn't expect this from Primark
First of all: I am not familiar with oud fragrances, even though they have apparently been trending for some time now. Therefore, I will describe the scent impression as it comes to me. This is actually my first fragrance labeled "oud," so I cannot compare the scent note to anything familiar. I pondered for a long time where to categorize the fragrance, and in the end, I settled on Red Bull Cola. (Compared to other common brands, this one is a bit more spice-heavy. Connoisseurs will know what I mean. ;) ) I find this typical cola scent with citrus notes and spices in "Polka Rose Oud," after the rosy-soapy top note has faded away.
When I first tried the fragrance, I wasn't entirely convinced. Primark has several perfumes on offer, and most of them tend to fall into the fruity-sweet category. This probably sells best to the young target audience. The "big sister" Polka is also more of a fruity-sweet-synthetic perfume (reportedly related to "Lady Million"), which shows itself to be significantly more accessible in direct scent comparison during testing and I liked it from the very beginning. "Rose Oud" only became great for me over time, as I kept trying to categorize the scent somehow. As mentioned, there is nothing comparable in my collection so far. Accordingly, I have sniffed it quite often and repeatedly compared it in my mind. I believe you can definitely work through fragrances in this way. In any case, I am glad that I could gain this new impression for a relatively low price and will happily wear the fragrance.
When I first tried the fragrance, I wasn't entirely convinced. Primark has several perfumes on offer, and most of them tend to fall into the fruity-sweet category. This probably sells best to the young target audience. The "big sister" Polka is also more of a fruity-sweet-synthetic perfume (reportedly related to "Lady Million"), which shows itself to be significantly more accessible in direct scent comparison during testing and I liked it from the very beginning. "Rose Oud" only became great for me over time, as I kept trying to categorize the scent somehow. As mentioned, there is nothing comparable in my collection so far. Accordingly, I have sniffed it quite often and repeatedly compared it in my mind. I believe you can definitely work through fragrances in this way. In any case, I am glad that I could gain this new impression for a relatively low price and will happily wear the fragrance.
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... then let them eat cake
I have been convinced by the cosmetics of the Korean company Missha for a while now and was accordingly excited when I found five fragrances in the German online shop. My interest was further piqued by the basic concept of connecting the fragrances with historical eras; as a former history student, this always gets me. Since the prices are also consumer-friendly and I couldn't decide, I simply got them all and will describe them here one by one in chronological order.
The second fragrance in the series is "1780 in Paris"; the era of the declining "Ancien Regime" and growing social tensions that ultimately lead to the French Revolution. Presumably, the development department was mainly thinking of the grandeur and excess of the court in Versailles and the notorious extravagance of Queen Marie Antoinette. These motifs can indeed be sensed in the top note of the perfume. The pyramid mentions orange and peach, but my nose distinctly picks up pear (extremely natural, juicy, almost as if you just took a bite). Historical parallels can also be drawn for the heart and base notes, but they are different from what was probably intended: Just as the "Ancien Regime" was practically built on sand, the foundation of this fragrance is also extremely thin and disappointing. You really have to stick your nose to your wrist to perceive anything at all, and what you do smell is not particularly impressive. The scent lies somewhere between green, sweet, fresh, and citrusy; it almost comes off a bit like dish soap. I can't pick out individual notes.
In summary, one could say that the fragrance is disappointingly fitting. The top note promises shine and opulence but delivers only lack and bleakness in the heart and base notes. I really wanted to like it because it represents the era that spontaneously appealed to me the most out of the five offered, but unfortunately, it holds almost nothing. In that sense, it is almost a successful thematic fragrance, although that was certainly not the intention.
The second fragrance in the series is "1780 in Paris"; the era of the declining "Ancien Regime" and growing social tensions that ultimately lead to the French Revolution. Presumably, the development department was mainly thinking of the grandeur and excess of the court in Versailles and the notorious extravagance of Queen Marie Antoinette. These motifs can indeed be sensed in the top note of the perfume. The pyramid mentions orange and peach, but my nose distinctly picks up pear (extremely natural, juicy, almost as if you just took a bite). Historical parallels can also be drawn for the heart and base notes, but they are different from what was probably intended: Just as the "Ancien Regime" was practically built on sand, the foundation of this fragrance is also extremely thin and disappointing. You really have to stick your nose to your wrist to perceive anything at all, and what you do smell is not particularly impressive. The scent lies somewhere between green, sweet, fresh, and citrusy; it almost comes off a bit like dish soap. I can't pick out individual notes.
In summary, one could say that the fragrance is disappointingly fitting. The top note promises shine and opulence but delivers only lack and bleakness in the heart and base notes. I really wanted to like it because it represents the era that spontaneously appealed to me the most out of the five offered, but unfortunately, it holds almost nothing. In that sense, it is almost a successful thematic fragrance, although that was certainly not the intention.
