Nofretete

The fragrance begins warm, slightly floral, earthy and powdery. Those who concentrate may recognize the iris root in the beginning. Soon a severe note appears like ink or how very artificial cedar, but quickly merges with the background to a sticking plaster chord, fortunately only so weak that it does not become unpleasant. Next, you get the impression that a cigar box has been opened some distance away. Finally, Eau Dadà finds his way to a subtle earthy-woody mood with a powdery undertone, probably Labdanum with a tame oud. This way, the fragrance is released after only four to five hours.

A look at the list of ingredients shows the typical ingredients of a heavy Oriental with clearly distinguishable scents, but in my case only those aspects appear which are similar: I cannot really identify anything. Does that even have to be? No, it doesn't make the scent any worse - it's just unexpected, especially by the name.

Eau Dadà doesn't look like a perfume to me, it has a more subliminal effect. As if it only wanted to create a pleasant frame, but not in the sense of fragrance lamp wellness or a beautiful living ambience, rather a mood inside, a feeling like in an old wood-panelled library with soft light. Rustle of paper, gentle movements, calm breath, silence. A retreat.

I already like the scent, but it doesn't suit my nature. I prefer perfumes that attract more attention, that create an exciting narrative and that connect with me rather than just being there.

From the beginning Perfumus captivates with an abundance of impressions: citric, spicy, herbaceous and slightly bitter. With the wonderfully clear citrus note, perhaps bergamot, lemon and grapefruit, the bitter herbs of Artemisia and the ethereal spice of rosemary and caraway appear immediately, followed a little later by lavender.

The citrus notes pass away, the other notes remain, and the lavender moves to the centre, closely interwoven with similar and complementary notes. Patchouli emphasizes the earthy and resinous aspects of lavender, and the bitter-green impression may be enhanced by galbanum, angelica and myrrh. Later, the fragrance is enhanced by iris - blossom as well as root - also somewhat powdery and floral, supported by clear jasmine and perhaps some cyclamen.

Towards the end, the lavender and the delicate flowers recede into the background. With a harmonious blend of mainly vetiver, olibanum and oakmoss, the perfume retains its bitter-tart, spicy and resinous character until the end.

What an excellently composed fragrance: multifarious, but never overloaded. Rosemary, lavender and patchouli clearly stand out from the components of the aromatic Fougere, and the citrus and floral accompanying elements blend in perfectly. The aftershave is as expressive, radiant and durable as an eau de toilette and is therefore completely sufficient for a scent of a day or evening.

An average 1980s fragrance pyramid, black-red-gold screaming and fake-jugendstily packaged, the merchandising product for a global restaurant chain - you can safely ignore that, can't you? Not at all, this perfume is surprisingly good!

Immediately Maxim's reveals itself as a dark chypre with lush oak moss and bitter forest honey. It is warm and spicy, at the beginning a little tangy-fresh with bergamot and a distinctive combination of mint and hyacinth.

Then a finely tuned bouquet of flowers appears. For a while the rose is in the foreground here, but not large-flowered and bright, rather inconspicuous. Gradually bright notes such as orange blossom, mimosa and broom can be recognized and dark notes such as carnation and narcissus. After several hours, the rose sinks into a rich flower base. Later, soft amber gives the perfume an oriental feel, and with a powdery touch, it finishes pleasantly.

The backbone of this perfume is the combination of an incredibly strong oakmoss note with tangy, spicy honey. This keynote, which is present from the first to the last second, is most beautiful when it contrasts with the rose in the middle phase.

This perfume is recommended to all who like chypres and florientals - provided they also like moss, so: a lot of moss!

A vintage copy was tested. I don't know whether all the flacons still on the market were produced before 2010. This women's fragrance is no longer produced and has been replaced by three new fragrances. The same applies to the men's line.

A little cedar, a little green pepper, a little incense. Vetiver? Nobody here. Later: lots of incense, a bit of Labdanum, lots of dark wood. Vetiver? I might. Even later: a lot of dark wood. Vetiver? So honestly, no.

How am I supposed to write a comment with it? It's not gonna work. When I like incense so much. I smell a lot of that. And I like vetiver as much as I do. But I smell almost nothing of that here.

Second try. Sprayed on. Again only this weak incense wood breath on the skin. It's nice, kind of. One hour after spraying I walk through a long narrow hallway with little traffic and ventilation, an hour later I come back and smell the perfume over a distance of ten meters! I left a chemtrail completely unsuspecting. Frankincense in the forest, like after a begging procession. And my sleeve still smells for days like oily heavy dark wood with resin beads, boring and oppressive. It even seems to get stronger all the time.

Is this perfume just a failure on my skin? Either way, I don't feel nuanced enough, too rigid, too lifeless - too synthetic. There are more beautiful vetiver scents. Which one that I can wear without leaving any territorial scent stamps.

(Because of the batch discussions: Manufacturer sample from Le Labo booth, Berlin department store, Sept 2018)

Right at the beginning a concentrated floral scent - spicy, almost peppery, with a darkened freshness. The coffee note is not recognizable as such: no obtrusively acidic powdered coffee or brandish cheap espresso that steamed against you. It only smells gently of the finest coffee beans, which, slowly roasted at a low temperature, unfold a broad spectrum of aromas that reach into the floral. The coffee is not used here for a gourmand effect, but takes over the function of rounding off the scent and limiting its depth

The molasses-sweet bouquet of flowers is densely woven, but reveals individual notes. In the centre stands broom, heavy with nectar, beguiling and somewhat soapy, reinforced by sweet mimosa, powdery heliotrope, narcotic orange blossom and spicy coriander seeds. Over time, the fragrance becomes lighter and brighter, as if the individual flowers rise from the coffee ground and form a light layer above them, which limits the fragrance upwards.

Later, the amber tinted with vanilla and resins rises and the fragrance becomes softer. At the same time, it is as if the flowers are sinking into him. Thus the amber does not appear dimly diffuse, but until the end wonderfully alive.

Popy Moreni is a concise and harmoniously composed floral valley. Although the fragrance is very spicy and quite sweet, it is not unpleasant at all, on the contrary. Both characteristics are dosed in such a way that they are balanced and nevertheless create a tension between themselves: the perfumer Martin Gras has managed this masterfully. By the way, he created some well-known works like "Lapidus pour Homme", "Boudoir" for Vivienne Westwood as well as "1881 pour Homme" for Nino Cerruti.

It is a pity that the perfume, like the entire brand, has fallen into oblivion. I was curious about Popy Moreni's other fragrances, including creations by Bernard Ellena and Sophie Labbé

The bottle is an early work by Thierry de Baschmakoff and was used for all the perfumes in the line right up to the last. Its shape, a collar (with a stylized thimble, needle and thread as a clasp), was the theme of a collection and the name of a solo exhibition by fashion designer Annalisa Moreni the year before the perfume was launched.

Those interested in fashion can take a look at the presentation of the collection from the year after here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=beiu-7p35pE