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A lovely osmanthus supported by jasmine and green tea
Osmanthus Interdite is lovely jasmine and osmanthus scent from Marc-Antoine Corticchiato for his house Parfum d”Empire. This review is based on a sample I got from Jovoy Paris. China plays a strong marketing anchor for this perfume, as osmanthus is the national flower of China.
Their website and Parfumo list green tea, osmanthus, white musk, jasmine sambac absolute and rose as the main notes. The green tea is prominent in the opening but recedes quickly. The rest of opening is jasmine and osmanthus, though musk and rose cannot be completely ruled out. The presence of green tea tempers the sweetness in the opening to a certain extent. There is not much progression in Osmanthus Interdite on my skin. It continues primarily as jasmine and osmanthus with hints of musk and rose. It is beautiful and airy. I cannot call it delicate because the osmanthus is a strong sweet, honeyed note.
Osmanthus Interdite shows excellent performance on my skin. I can smell the jasmine and osmanthus strongly on my skin even after 8 hours. The sillage is also very good, but it is not intense. It could work as an office perfume in small amounts, as green tea holds back the intense floral notes.
Dior Jasmin des Anges (Francois Demachy) is the obvious competitor to Osmanthus Interdite. Jasmin des Anges is a sweeter perfume, where the osmanthus plays a supporting role to jasmine. Though the osmanthus is more dominant in Osmanthus Interdite, the honey-like quality of osmanthus is more prominent in Dior. So, if you want a clean honey jasmine, go with Dior. If you like a more rounded osmanthus and jasmine, pick Osmanthus Interdite. Cost may also play a role in your decision, as Jasmin des Anges costs twice as much as Osmanthus Interdite ($220 and $110 for 50 ml respectively). I will pass on this perfume for now, as I already have Dior Jasmin des Anges.
Their website and Parfumo list green tea, osmanthus, white musk, jasmine sambac absolute and rose as the main notes. The green tea is prominent in the opening but recedes quickly. The rest of opening is jasmine and osmanthus, though musk and rose cannot be completely ruled out. The presence of green tea tempers the sweetness in the opening to a certain extent. There is not much progression in Osmanthus Interdite on my skin. It continues primarily as jasmine and osmanthus with hints of musk and rose. It is beautiful and airy. I cannot call it delicate because the osmanthus is a strong sweet, honeyed note.
Osmanthus Interdite shows excellent performance on my skin. I can smell the jasmine and osmanthus strongly on my skin even after 8 hours. The sillage is also very good, but it is not intense. It could work as an office perfume in small amounts, as green tea holds back the intense floral notes.
Dior Jasmin des Anges (Francois Demachy) is the obvious competitor to Osmanthus Interdite. Jasmin des Anges is a sweeter perfume, where the osmanthus plays a supporting role to jasmine. Though the osmanthus is more dominant in Osmanthus Interdite, the honey-like quality of osmanthus is more prominent in Dior. So, if you want a clean honey jasmine, go with Dior. If you like a more rounded osmanthus and jasmine, pick Osmanthus Interdite. Cost may also play a role in your decision, as Jasmin des Anges costs twice as much as Osmanthus Interdite ($220 and $110 for 50 ml respectively). I will pass on this perfume for now, as I already have Dior Jasmin des Anges.
Aromatic accords that end in powdery notes. Good but not great.
Exil is the second perfume that I own from the house of Jardins d'Écrivains. The glass bottles come in a leather sleeve, marketed nicely with literary references. The literary connections are not obvious to me, except in a very generic manner. The founder, owner and the sole perfumer for Jardins d'Écrivains is Anaïs Biguine. They have a single boutique in Le Marais in Paris, but they also sell through Jovoy Paris. I purchased a 50 ml bottle after testing a sample, both from Jovoy.
The perfumer lists eucalyptus, thyme, amber, clove, cedar, heliotrope and musk as the key notes on their website. As the olfactory pyramid signals, it is an aromatic and spicy fragrance that ends in a woody powdery dry down. Eucalyptus, thyme and clove are strong in the opening. The rest of the notes are revealed when these opening notes subside. There is some cedar in the base notes, but my nose says it is mostly powdery musk. Heliotrope also adds to the powdery feel in the base notes. Overall, it is a nice fragrance but nothing exceptional. It will work if you are looking for an aromatic scent that is not too expensive.
The performance in the opening hours is very good, though it is not a sillage monster. It shows good longevity for 4-6 hours, in line with the notes in the olfactory pyramid. It will work as an office perfume, albeit a little boring.
Though I have two full bottles, I am still unsure of the house of Jardins d'Écrivains. On initial testing, they smell good. But there is something formulaic in all their perfumes I have tested so far. Their marketing messaging with literary allusions are interesting, though uninformative and often unrelated to what you smell. It is not a bad deal for $70 for 50 ml from Jovoy, but $70 can fetch you many exceptional perfumes. I am afraid that I will have to force myself to use up my Jardins d'Écrivains perfumes.
The perfumer lists eucalyptus, thyme, amber, clove, cedar, heliotrope and musk as the key notes on their website. As the olfactory pyramid signals, it is an aromatic and spicy fragrance that ends in a woody powdery dry down. Eucalyptus, thyme and clove are strong in the opening. The rest of the notes are revealed when these opening notes subside. There is some cedar in the base notes, but my nose says it is mostly powdery musk. Heliotrope also adds to the powdery feel in the base notes. Overall, it is a nice fragrance but nothing exceptional. It will work if you are looking for an aromatic scent that is not too expensive.
The performance in the opening hours is very good, though it is not a sillage monster. It shows good longevity for 4-6 hours, in line with the notes in the olfactory pyramid. It will work as an office perfume, albeit a little boring.
Though I have two full bottles, I am still unsure of the house of Jardins d'Écrivains. On initial testing, they smell good. But there is something formulaic in all their perfumes I have tested so far. Their marketing messaging with literary allusions are interesting, though uninformative and often unrelated to what you smell. It is not a bad deal for $70 for 50 ml from Jovoy, but $70 can fetch you many exceptional perfumes. I am afraid that I will have to force myself to use up my Jardins d'Écrivains perfumes.
A playful creation, bringing you a feeling of sunshine all year long – just as the marketing says!
I liked Majouri Oriental Soul from Philippine Courtière, the first perfume I tried from this perfumer. It gave me the impetus to test a few others from her. I bought a 50 ml bottle of Bain de Midi after testing a sample first. Bain de Midi is straightforward fragrance with no pretensions. You get what is advertised. It is a sun-and-beach fragrance with coconut, and florals like tiaré and ylang-ylang, projecting a linear sunscreen-inspired personality. According to the perfumer, “a soft and playful creation, Bain de Midi brings you a feeling of sunshine all year long”. The bottle clearly tells you what it is, so there is no point in complaining that it smells like sunscreen.
I like Bain de Midi for its simple, uncomplicated formula. It starts with coconut and bergamot, though the bergamot is a weak shadow that just enhances the coconut. The opening notes don’t get much time on the stage as they immediately overwhelmed by the more boisterous tiaré and ylang-ylang. Though gardenia is listed as middle note, my olfactory memory is not strong enough to identify among the floral notes. Bain de Midi subsides into a delicious vanilla and musk, with nuances of coconut and florals still lingering. There is not much else to say about this perfume.
The performance is excellent on my skin with longevity up to 6-8 hours. When I say that it lasts eight hours, I mean that I can smell it on my skin. It is not a nuclear performance that stops traffic after even after eight hours. The sillage is very good, with the floral sunscreen smells dominating the wake.
I was happy to get Bain de Midi as I didn’t have any perfume that evokes beaches and warm sunshine in a light youthful air. It is inexpensive as 50 ml bottle cost me less than $50 from Jovoy Paris. If you are in the market for sunshine and beaches, Bain de Midi is a good choice.
I like Bain de Midi for its simple, uncomplicated formula. It starts with coconut and bergamot, though the bergamot is a weak shadow that just enhances the coconut. The opening notes don’t get much time on the stage as they immediately overwhelmed by the more boisterous tiaré and ylang-ylang. Though gardenia is listed as middle note, my olfactory memory is not strong enough to identify among the floral notes. Bain de Midi subsides into a delicious vanilla and musk, with nuances of coconut and florals still lingering. There is not much else to say about this perfume.
The performance is excellent on my skin with longevity up to 6-8 hours. When I say that it lasts eight hours, I mean that I can smell it on my skin. It is not a nuclear performance that stops traffic after even after eight hours. The sillage is very good, with the floral sunscreen smells dominating the wake.
I was happy to get Bain de Midi as I didn’t have any perfume that evokes beaches and warm sunshine in a light youthful air. It is inexpensive as 50 ml bottle cost me less than $50 from Jovoy Paris. If you are in the market for sunshine and beaches, Bain de Midi is a good choice.
An iconic perfume from Jean-Claude Ellena - timeless and universal
Terre d’Hermes EDT is an iconic classic perfume from Jean-Claude Ellena. Vetiver and cedar are the kings here, with all the other notes merely embellishing the facets. Hermes website describes it as a mineral woody fragrance. I think this is an apt description as the early citrus and pepper notes fade away quickly. This review is based on a 30 ml bottle of the EDT that I bought from a US discounter.
Parfumo and other websites list orange, grapefruit, black pepper, pink pepper, geranium leaf, flint, cedar, vetiver, patchouli and benzoin. This collection of notes exemplifies a major problem with our current method of describing notes. Listing the names do not indicate the relative contribution of each note to the overall body of the perfume. Needless to say, I do not detect half the notes listed here, though I cannot rule them out either. Hermes in its typical cryptic fashion lists only cedar, grapefruit and flint.
Terre d’Hermes opens with a citrus blast – more orange than grapefruit – that lasts a minute. The woody mineral notes, primarily vetiver and cedar take over almost immediately. Peppery notes are present in the early stages but soon disappear. There is a touch of flint in Terre d’Hermes, but it merely enhances the mineral side of this perfume. I do not get a lot of patchouli or benzoin, and the bottom notes remain woody for my nose. It is important to note that this is a perfume better enjoyed as a whole. Ellena does a great job of creating a unitary vibe in his perfumes.
Terre d’Hermes performs well on my skin for an EDT. It does not project across the room, nor is it intended to. I would have liked a bit more performance, but longevity is never a hallmark of Ellena perfumes. I have the Parfum also, but it is less exciting than the EDT and has different notes. This is the prototype of an elegant workplace perfume.
I have always felt that Ellena is a better writer than a perfumer. Most of his perfumes are underwhelming for me. But not this one. Terre d'Hermes EDT should be in every perfume collection. Fortunately for us, we can all enjoy it as the smaller size bottles are cheap, about $40 for a 30 ml bottle.
Parfumo and other websites list orange, grapefruit, black pepper, pink pepper, geranium leaf, flint, cedar, vetiver, patchouli and benzoin. This collection of notes exemplifies a major problem with our current method of describing notes. Listing the names do not indicate the relative contribution of each note to the overall body of the perfume. Needless to say, I do not detect half the notes listed here, though I cannot rule them out either. Hermes in its typical cryptic fashion lists only cedar, grapefruit and flint.
Terre d’Hermes opens with a citrus blast – more orange than grapefruit – that lasts a minute. The woody mineral notes, primarily vetiver and cedar take over almost immediately. Peppery notes are present in the early stages but soon disappear. There is a touch of flint in Terre d’Hermes, but it merely enhances the mineral side of this perfume. I do not get a lot of patchouli or benzoin, and the bottom notes remain woody for my nose. It is important to note that this is a perfume better enjoyed as a whole. Ellena does a great job of creating a unitary vibe in his perfumes.
Terre d’Hermes performs well on my skin for an EDT. It does not project across the room, nor is it intended to. I would have liked a bit more performance, but longevity is never a hallmark of Ellena perfumes. I have the Parfum also, but it is less exciting than the EDT and has different notes. This is the prototype of an elegant workplace perfume.
I have always felt that Ellena is a better writer than a perfumer. Most of his perfumes are underwhelming for me. But not this one. Terre d'Hermes EDT should be in every perfume collection. Fortunately for us, we can all enjoy it as the smaller size bottles are cheap, about $40 for a 30 ml bottle.
An aldehydic iris - expensive and underwhelming
This was my first foray into Lorga Parfums. Moroccon Iris was created by Isabelle Ferrand, about whom I know nothing, and little is reported on the web. The Moroccan name comes from the use of Moroccan cherry in the open. This is a sample from Jovoy that I tested on paper. It does not progress to testing on skin.
Moroccan Iris was a disappointing experience for me, considering its cost. The cherry listed in the top notes is too mild, but a very heavy aldehyde accord opens this perfume instead. It reminded me a bit of MDCI La Belle Helene. You may like Moroccan Iris, if you like syrupy aldehydes in your perfume. The heart notes are saturated by the harsh iris root accord from the bottom. The cinnamon and the floral notes – jasmine and violet – listed on Parfumo as the middle notes are ploughed under by the aldehyde and iris root. I do not smell any of these notes in any appreciable quantity. The cedar is perceptible in the bottom notes, when the aldehyde accord subsides. I cannot see any overall design for this perfume.
Moroccan Iris is too uninteresting for me to test on my skin. I have the beautiful, inexpensive Boucheron Iris de Syracuse to keep me company. If you are tempted by Moroccan Iris, please test at home seriously. I am no longer buying an expensive perfume that I am not fully committed to.
Moroccan Iris was a disappointing experience for me, considering its cost. The cherry listed in the top notes is too mild, but a very heavy aldehyde accord opens this perfume instead. It reminded me a bit of MDCI La Belle Helene. You may like Moroccan Iris, if you like syrupy aldehydes in your perfume. The heart notes are saturated by the harsh iris root accord from the bottom. The cinnamon and the floral notes – jasmine and violet – listed on Parfumo as the middle notes are ploughed under by the aldehyde and iris root. I do not smell any of these notes in any appreciable quantity. The cedar is perceptible in the bottom notes, when the aldehyde accord subsides. I cannot see any overall design for this perfume.
Moroccan Iris is too uninteresting for me to test on my skin. I have the beautiful, inexpensive Boucheron Iris de Syracuse to keep me company. If you are tempted by Moroccan Iris, please test at home seriously. I am no longer buying an expensive perfume that I am not fully committed to.
