ParfumAholic

Once again, is this just a fragrance trying to lure you in with a provocative name? No, definitely not here, because rarely has a name suited a fragrance better.

The shameless seducer is a very smart type, ageless, good-looking, has impeccable manners, and immediately wraps you around his finger with his charm. The gaze from his blue eyes initially appears friendly, approachable, and harmless, but upon closer inspection, you can recognize deep abysses, shameless abysses…

Shameless is indeed a rather negatively connoted trait, which I find very unfortunate and see differently. Shamelessness can bring so much more enjoyment and experiences. Fortunately, I detached myself from this early on; my curiosity for many things was simply too great. Shamelessness can shift boundaries, dissolve unnecessary restrictions, and change one’s perspective. And just for the sake of clarity: We are definitely NOT referring to any illegal activities here!

The seducer starts his charm offensive positively and fresh, the aldehydes practically leap out and create a pleasant tingling sensation. From somewhere, mimosa wafts in and combines with your warmth in your perception to create a slightly sweaty note (caraway), which, however, is not unpleasant but rather naturally human.

The climax of seduction is delivered by finely powdered iris and feather-light musk, which carries a fine hint of animalic notes.

From this stage on, it becomes a very human, sexy fragrance for me, far from being vulgar, sketching an atmosphere of unrestricted and trusting devotion. Not a cheap, quick affair, but a matter of trust, experience, living, and enjoying. Can there be anything more beautiful?

For me, one of the most beautiful fragrance seductions I have had the pleasure of experiencing.

Many thanks to @ElAttarine for this more than extraordinary fragrance experience or rather fragrance seduction!

The Jil Sander boutiques are always a special place of tidiness and calm for me. Nothing to distract the eye, no unnecessary frills, the noble fabrics hang in rows along the bright walls, warm light invites you to linger. No hustle, no rummaging through piles of clothes. The spirit of the legendary guardian of aesthetics, the uncompromising nature in terms of design, presentation, and quality is still clearly felt even years after Jil Sander, the Queen of Less, has left.

So I was all the more excited to get to know the new fragrance line from the house in the store on Kö in Düsseldorf, which is meant to represent the style of the house.

The entire line is presented soberly, coolly, and unpretentiously in the center of the store. White bottles on a white background - this type of presentation is of course not surprising and I really like it.

Less appealing to me are the white lacquered metal covers, which leave room for interpretation, but are supposed to protect the (allegedly) mouth-blown bottles from light exposure. A plausible explanation, but I really don't like the implementation. More on that later.

My "objects of desire" were "Black Tea," "Coffea," "Earth," and "Smoke" (although I had already experienced Black Tea through a sharing).

Earth provides grounding. Roses and patchouli are dressed in a Neo-Chypre outfit made of aldehydes. However, I find the soapy quality here rather unpleasant, as it heavily dominates the roses and patchouli and is very scent-defining and even perceptible after hours. For me, it’s not a comforting soapiness of old days, but rather of an excited, somewhat exaggerated nature. A little less soapiness and instead more rose and patchouli would have been much more to my liking. But still, it's nice that even today, one dares to tackle the theme of Chypre at all.

Conclusion: Not my kind of Chypre, but it will certainly find its fans.

Now to the bottles: The glass bottles are quite nice to look at, round and with air bubbles in the glass. They fit well in the hand and the spray heads work flawlessly. Instead of the usual caps, white lacquered metal bells are placed over the bottles to protect the contents from light exposure. This makes sense, but the implementation doesn’t necessarily appeal to my taste, as it looks very "organic." I would be very interested to know what Jil Sander herself would say about this…. But as we know, taste is subjective.

Here’s an excerpt from the American Vogue with Lucie and Luke Meier, chief designers of Jil Sander, regarding the bottles:
Quote: "Of course, the bottles themselves are a statement. Made in collaboration with FormFantasma, each of the glass bottles is perfectly imperfect and is meant to show bubbles and other things that were once considered imperfections in the industry. 'We felt that this gives the bottles a lot of soul and adds a human touch to them,' says Luke. 'Packaging can be very industrial, and we wanted to make it artisanal.'
Instead of a closure, each bottle comes with a white porcelain bell that fits perfectly. It is incredibly satisfying to put it on and take it off. 'It felt very human to create this gesture of putting the cap back on after use,' says Lucie. It is also practical - sunlight can quickly spoil a fragrance, and the opaque cap prevents potential damage. 'We liked the natural colors of the bottle and the fragrance, so this was our solution.'
Formafantasma is a research-oriented design studio that examines the ecological, historical, political, and social forces shaping the design discipline today. Whether designing for a client or developing self-initiated projects, the studio always applies the same rigorous attention to context, processes, and details. Formafantasma's analytical character is reflected in careful visual results, products, and strategies." (End of quote)

All in all, I can say that the tested fragrances did not completely convince me. They are far from bad, but also not the big hit I had hoped for. In terms of quality, they are perfectly fine and certainly worth the €230 for 100ml. The design (apart from the strange "bells") is also acceptable, and the fact that they are refillable bottles fits with the sustainability mindset of our time. Only that the fragrances unfortunately will not remain sustainably in my memory.

The Jil Sander boutiques are always a special place of tidiness and tranquility for me. Nothing to distract the eye, no unnecessary frills, the noble fabrics hang in rows along the bright walls, warm light invites you to linger. No hustle, no rummaging through piles of clothes. The spirit of the legendary guardian of aesthetics, the uncompromising nature in terms of design, presentation, and quality is still clearly palpable even years after Jil Sander, the Queen of Less, has left.

So I was even more excited to get to know the new fragrance line from the house in the store on Königsallee in Düsseldorf, which is supposed to represent the style of the house.

The entire line is presented soberly, coolly, and unpretentiously in the center of the store. White bottles on a white background - this kind of presentation is of course not surprising and I really like it.

What I like less are the white lacquered metal covers, which leave room for interpretation, but are supposed to protect the (allegedly) mouth-blown bottles from light exposure. A plausible explanation, but the implementation is not to my liking at all. More on that later.

My "objects of desire" were "Black Tea," "Coffea," "Earth," and "Smoke" (where I had already gotten to know Black Tea through a sharing).

Smoke starts cool, smoky, and for my feeling with a hint of ash. The resin and juniper feel cool and aloof, which I don't initially like very much. Gradually, cedar joins in and, with its dry nature and very slight pencil notes, creates a softer impression. I find this unexpected shift from cool aloofness to warmer and more inviting very beautiful and harmonious.

Conclusion: Again, no overwhelming enthusiasm, but certainly also a candidate for a decant.

Now to the bottles: The glass bottles are quite nice to look at, round and with air bubbles in the glass. They fit well in the hand and the spray heads work flawlessly. Instead of the usual caps, white lacquered metal bells are placed over the bottles to protect the contents from light exposure. This makes sense, but the implementation does not necessarily appeal to my taste, as it looks very "organic." I would be very curious to know what Jil Sander herself would say about this... But as we know, taste is subjective.

Here is an excerpt from the American Vogue with the couple Lucie and Luke Meier, chief designers of Jil Sander, about the bottles:
Quote "Of course, the bottles themselves are a statement. Made in collaboration with Formafantasma, each of the glass bottles is perfectly imperfect and is meant to feature bubbles and other things that were once considered imperfections in the industry. 'We felt that this gives the bottles a lot of soul and adds a human touch,' says Luke. 'Packaging can be very industrial, and we wanted to make it artisanal.
Instead of a cap, each bottle comes with a white porcelain bell that fits perfectly. It is incredibly satisfying to put it on and take it off. 'It felt very human to create this gesture of putting the cap back on after use,' says Lucie. It is also practical - sunlight can quickly spoil a fragrance, and the opaque lid prevents possible damage. 'We liked the natural colors of the bottle and the fragrance, so this was our solution.
Formafantasma is a research-oriented design studio that examines the ecological, historical, political, and social forces that shape the design discipline today. Whether designing for a client or developing self-initiated projects, the studio always applies the same rigorous attention to context, processes, and details. Formafantasma's analytical character is reflected in careful visual results, products, and strategies." (End of quote)

All in all, I can say that the fragrances I tested did not completely convince me. They are far from bad, but also not the big hit I had hoped for. In terms of quality, they are perfectly fine and certainly worth the €230 for 100ml. The design (apart from the strange "bells") is also acceptable, and the fact that they are refillable bottles fits the sustainability thinking of our time. Only that the fragrances unfortunately will not remain sustainably in my memory.

The Jil Sander boutiques have always been a special place of tidiness and calm for me. Nothing to distract the eye, no unnecessary frills, the noble fabrics hang in neat rows along the bright walls, warm light invites you to linger. No hustle, no rummaging through piles of clothes. The spirit of the legendary guardian of aesthetics, the uncompromising nature in terms of design, presentation, and quality is still clearly palpable even years after Jil Sander, the Queen of Less, has left.

So I was all the more excited to get to know the new fragrance line from the house in the store on the Kö in Düsseldorf, which is supposed to represent the style of the house.

The entire line is presented soberly, coolly, and unpretentiously in the center of the store. White bottles on a white background - this type of presentation is of course not surprising and I really like it.

What I like less are the white lacquered metal covers that leave room for interpretation, but are supposed to protect the (allegedly) mouth-blown bottles from light exposure. A plausible explanation, but I don't really like the implementation. More on that later.

My "objects of desire" were "Black Tea," "Coffea," "Earth," and "Smoke" (where I had already gotten to know Black Tea through a sharing).

Coffea indeed starts with a kind of coffee note and reminds me of freshly brewed coffee and the atmosphere in a coffee roastery. Powdery iris (which somewhat reminds me of Dior's lipstick vibes) and absolutely flattering Peru balsam round off the coffee feeling super harmoniously. For me (of course) the star of the series, as the scent is very soft, and the powder is not too powdery or even overwhelming.

Conclusion: A beautiful, soft, and enveloping scent that makes me think a bit of cashmere & co. But even here, the "must-have desire" does not set in. However, it could certainly be a candidate for a decant.

Now to the bottles: The glass bottles are quite nice to look at, round and with air bubbles in the glass. They fit well in the hand and the spray heads work flawlessly. Instead of the usual caps, white lacquered metal bells are placed over the bottles to protect the contents from light exposure. This makes sense, but the implementation does not necessarily appeal to my taste, as it looks very "organic." I would be very curious to know what Jil Sander herself would say about this…. But as is well known, taste is subjective.

Here is an excerpt from the American Vogue featuring Lucie and Luke Meier, chief designers of Jil Sander, discussing the bottles:
Quote "Of course, the bottles themselves are a statement. Made in collaboration with FormFantasma, each of the glass bottles is perfectly imperfect and is meant to feature bubbles and other things that were once considered imperfections in the industry. 'We felt that this gives the bottles a lot of soul and adds a human touch,' says Luke. 'Packaging can be very industrial, and we wanted to craft it by hand.
Instead of a cap, each bottle comes with a white porcelain bell that fits perfectly. It is incredibly satisfying to put it on and take it off. 'It felt very human to create this gesture of putting the cap back on after use,' says Lucie. It is also practical - sunlight can quickly spoil a fragrance, and the opaque cap prevents possible damage. 'We liked the natural colors of the bottle and the fragrance, so this was our solution.
Formafantasma is a research-oriented design studio that examines the ecological, historical, political, and social forces that shape the design discipline today. Whether designing for a client or developing self-initiated projects, the studio always applies the same rigorous attention to context, processes, and details. Formafantasma's analytical character is reflected in careful visual outcomes, products, and strategies." (End quote)

All in all, I can say that the fragrances I tested did not completely convince me. They are far from bad, but also not the big hit I had hoped for. In terms of quality, they are perfectly fine and certainly worth the €230 for 100ml. The design (apart from the strange "bells") is also acceptable, and the fact that they are refillable bottles fits with the sustainability thinking of our time. Only that the scents unfortunately will not remain sustainably in my memory.

The Jil Sander boutiques are always a special place of tidiness and tranquility for me. Nothing that distracts the eye, no unnecessary frills, the noble fabrics hang in rows along the bright walls, warm light invites you to linger. No hustle, no rummaging through piles of clothes. The spirit of the legendary guardian of aesthetics, the uncompromising nature in terms of design, presentation, and quality is still clearly palpable even years after Jil Sander, the Queen of Less, has left.

So I was all the more excited to get to know the new fragrance line of the house in the store on Königsallee in Düsseldorf, which is supposed to represent the style of the house.

The entire line is presented soberly, coolly, and unpretentiously in the center of the store. White flacons on a white background - this kind of presentation is of course not surprising and I really like it.

What I like less are the white lacquered metal covers, which leave room for interpretation, but are supposed to protect the (allegedly) mouth-blown flacons from light exposure. A plausible explanation, but I personally do not like the implementation at all. More on that later.

My "objects of desire" were "Black Tea," "Coffea," "Earth," and "Smoke" (although I have already had the chance to experience Black Tea through a sharing).

Black Tea indeed starts with dark, spicy black tea. One could almost think they have the hot steam and aroma in a cup in front of them. Spicy cinnamon soon joins in. Fortunately, there is no "Christmas feeling" at all.
The tea notes gradually fade (without completely disappearing) and make way for the typical osmanthus notes, which now take over the fragrance and make it brighter.
However, I find that this gives the fragrance an almost too sweet direction (I consciously do not want to use the term sweetness here), which I think was unnecessary.
As strong as the fragrance starts, it also loses intensity in the course of the scent. It never becomes skin-close, and while it is still perceivable, it "blurs" a bit and appears slightly shapeless.

Conclusion: It’s okay, but from my perspective, there are definitely better tea interpretations with more character.

Now to the flacons: The glass flacons are quite nice to look at, round and with air bubbles in the glass. They fit well in the hand, and the spray heads work flawlessly. Instead of the usual caps, white lacquered metal bells are placed over the flacons to protect the contents from light exposure. This makes sense, but the implementation does not necessarily appeal to my taste, as it looks very "organic." I would be very curious to know what Jil Sander herself would say about this…. But as we know, taste is subjective.

Here’s an excerpt from the American Vogue featuring Lucie and Luke Meier, the chief designers of Jil Sander, discussing the flacons:
Quote: "Of course, the bottles themselves are a statement. Made in collaboration with FormFantasma, each of the glass flacons is perfectly imperfect and is meant to show bubbles and other things that were once considered imperfections in the industry. 'We felt that this gives the bottles a lot of soul and adds a human touch,' says Luke. 'Packaging can be very industrial, and we wanted to make it artisanal.
Instead of a cap, each bottle comes with a white porcelain bell that fits perfectly. It is incredibly satisfying to put it on and take it off. 'It felt very human to create this gesture of putting the cap back on after use,' says Lucie. It is also practical - sunlight can quickly spoil a fragrance, and the opaque cap prevents possible damage. 'We liked the natural colors of the bottle and the fragrance, so this was our solution.
Formafantasma is a research-oriented design studio that examines the ecological, historical, political, and social forces that shape the design discipline today. Whether designing for a client or developing self-initiated projects, the studio always applies the same rigorous attention to context, processes, and details. Formafantasma's analytical character is reflected in careful visual results, products, and strategies." (End of quote)

All in all, I can say that the tested fragrances did not completely convince me. They are far from bad, but also not the big hit I had hoped for. In terms of quality, they are perfectly fine and certainly worth the €230 for 100ml. The design (apart from the strange "bells") is also acceptable, and the fact that they are refillable flacons fits with the sustainability mindset of our time. Only, unfortunately, the fragrances will not remain sustainably in my memory.