Primel

This Eau de Toilette is evidently an ideal canvas for various sensations: for example, it smells "evil," "like death," "cold," "like a coniferous forest," and so on and so forth. A poem by Ludwig Uhland that I really like comes to mind with this scent:

Spring Rest

O do not lay me in the dark grave
Not beneath the green earth
If I am to be buried,
let me lie in the deep grass
In grass and flowers I like to lie
when a flute sounds from afar
and when high above
the bright spring clouds drift by

EN is not a scent for the carefree, who flutter from flower to flower like colorful butterflies and want to savor life with all its pleasures. EN radiates a calm seriousness, but I do not perceive it as "evil" at all. Its lack of emotion is interpreted as coldness, but it fits perfectly with centered and determined individuals who want to focus on the essentials, which ultimately cannot be found in worldly pleasures. It does not smell of a fir forest, but rather of thuja and slightly of cedar, reminding me a bit of "Féminité du Bois" by Serge Lutens, albeit very distantly. Dark green, spicy, earthy, and at the same time fresh, EN embodies a somehow "aesthetic death." Suffering and torment, the smell of illness, decay, and decomposition, yes, even grief are over. Now eternity begins and deep peace. Last but not least, the evergreens in the cemetery embody the hope of eternal life. The supposedly "evil" aspect likely comes from the toxic scent of thuja, but otherwise, deadly poisons also hold the chance for healing. Thuja is anti-inflammatory for rheumatism, yew (another evergreen) is often used in cancer treatments.

For me, EN is not a typical men's fragrance, but explicitly wearable by all genders, as it lacks aggressive masculinity as well as delicate femininity (or vice versa, to avoid falling into any clichés ;)

Conclusion: A fragrance that "transcends the ordinary" and is simply incredibly cool!

Louis XIV may well have been a clean man, as he enjoyed extensive baths with his various mistresses. Nevertheless, this powerful monarch was actually a poor fellow, a victim of the experimental zeal of his physicians. According to historical accounts, all of Louis's teeth were removed and, in addition, parts of his palate were taken out (without anesthesia!). The indication for such an operation in this case would be interesting to know, but it would significantly exceed the time frame of this review. That food ended up in places in the king's mouth where it shouldn't have been is self-evident (further details, and especially the smell, are best left unimagined!!).

But the Renaissance was over, the heyday of Rococo had set in, and personal hygiene was slowly improving again. Jean Desprez's Bal à Versailles likely aimed to capture the scents and aromas of the opulent, extravagant, luxurious life of Marie Antoinette, which he certainly succeeded in doing!

After a night of dancing, the legs and feet of Queen Marie Antoinette are vigorously massaged with rosemary oil, fragrant orange blossom tea and a heavy crystal bowl filled with vanilla macarons are placed in her boudoir à côté de la chaiselongue. A sharp-sweet scent spreads. Later, the dashing Axel von Fersen pays his respects to Her Majesty and presents his beloved with a lavish bouquet of roses, and in a delicate sandalwood box, sparkling jewelry. Later, a trip to the "Petit Trianon" is made, where the scent of the blooming gardens is heavily overshadowed by the powdery odor of the latest creation on the royal head. After strolling extensively among the lush blooming lilacs and delicate lily of the valley, it is time to return to the castle on this brilliantly sunny early summer day. On the way to Her Majesty's chambers, the royal entourage passes various remnants in all states of aggregation. This smell follows Marie Antoinette into her boudoir....

Here, my imagination ran wild, and this little scene is certainly not historically accurate ;)

For me, this scent is almost unbearable, yet a masterpiece. At first, the fragrance seems very masculine due to the herbs and citrus fruits, only later becoming soft and powdery. Unfortunately, the blooming garden is buried under a thick layer of powder, and to me, the flowers appear as if stitched onto a slowly fading tapestry....

The rest is history: civet of the worst kind, and that for hours! A small reminder of the missing sanitary facilities and the ubiquitous excrement in the Palace of Versailles :(

Et voilà, now I wash my hands again in innocence (and disinfect them thoroughly)!

Thank you very much for reading :)

A man can hardly go wrong if he delights his beloved on Valentine's Day with roses and chocolate. Although I am a fan of roses and not averse to chocolate, I must unfortunately decline this time. While the fragrance house Mancera has lovingly wrapped the high-quality bottle with a magnetic closure in the finest leather, this does not compensate for the more than questionable olfactory pleasure.

The scent starts with the promised chocolate, but (as described in previous reviews) it has a pronounced coffee note. While I do enjoy the smell of coffee beans or freshly brewed coffee, here it smells like cold coffee grounds. Unfortunately, it is impossible to tell from this whether the scent improves over time :)

Over time, the roses do make an appearance. If you are looking forward to the fresh scent of English garden roses, I must unfortunately disappoint you, as the rose smells very synthetic and reminds me of furniture polish.

The sillage is initially overwhelming, but then the scent becomes more subtle, yet still noticeable for several hours.

For me, this is quite a disappointing fragrance. And I have genuinely tried to like “Roses and Chocolate.” However, the chocolate note was significantly better executed in Mugler's “Angel.” I also do not perceive the roses as rosy at all
:(

It is certainly advisable to test the fragrance beforehand and to free oneself from any expectations. Then it might still appeal to you :)

I realize that very few here know Wysel Gyr. He was the Swiss counterpart to Karl Moik or Carolin Reiber, and “Öisi Musig” comparable to the “Musikantenstadl.” My mom, who actually despised folk music, repeatedly indulged in dreams, to my astonishment, in which she traveled to Kashmir with Wysel Gyr. Yodeling and flag waving? This idea made me quite uncomfortable. Why exactly Kashmir? Unfortunately, I will never find out.

Years later, I finally had the pleasure of experiencing “Kashmir” olfactorily: “Casmir” by Chopard. My then-colleague used this fragrance rather generously. At that time, the scents had not yet been reformulated, so I practically got a full blast of it every day! Should I subtly point out that the scent was too much, unbearably vanillic with undertones of slightly sour apricot baby food, giving me headaches? Not a chance! She had an extremely sensitive disposition :)
And we also had no social distancing rules back then! Fortunately, the collaboration didn’t last too long, and “Casmir” soon became a thing of the past.

Recently, I came across a practically full test bottle at a truly ridiculous price (I didn’t even know that Chopard was Swiss; to me, it was always “très français” :) Shouldn’t one seize the opportunity? Despite my aversion from long ago?
Well, the bottle was indeed beautiful. Probably inspired by a stupa (Buddhist structure).

But, what was that? The scent had matured excellently during my decades-long abstinence (or I was finally ready for this fragrance :)

The scent starts with the expected vanilla, but actually very nicely garnished with fresh fruit salad, coconut fortunately very subtle. This vanilla smells pleasant, not cloyingly sweet, as the woody notes skillfully prevent that. Over time, I perceive the scent as more floral. Beautiful jasmine makes itself known, as does the rose geranium. I don’t notice any lily of the valley. But somehow I find lily of the valley a bit out of place in oriental fragrances; I don’t know why! Over time, the scent alternates between woody-vanillic and then softly floral again. Later, one or another little fruit peeks through. Exciting :)

Conclusion: I am pleasantly surprised! Either this fragrance has been reformulated beyond recognition, or the overdose of this scent back then triggered my (actually unjustified) antipathy.

Thank you for reading about my confusions and musings with Casmir :)

Cleaning is boring. Cleaning up again because the cleaner I hired due to lack of time did a sloppy job is even more boring and also frustrating. Sometimes, however, mundane cleaning tasks have their perks, especially when you stumble upon perfume samples while tidying up :)

The opening of "Wow" unfolds as if a jumble of spices is tumbling out of a wooden cabinet. I smell cinnamon. Perhaps even a hint of clove?

Then nothing more….What? Is it already over?

Then the scent picks up again, the spices have discreetly retreated and a wonderfully sweet violet fragrance envelops me unobtrusively! Every now and then, the cinnamon peeks its head in the door. Is this really a men's fragrance?

Cardamom is listed in the fragrance pyramid. Hmm, interesting….to me, cardamom smells somehow different. Since I often spice my coffee with cardamom, I am quite familiar with it. To my surprise, there are actually no cinnamon or cloves in it… I must have misgrabbed in the cabinet… Oh well…

The violet is very dominant, but in a light and sweet way, most reminiscent of violet sorbet. I definitely perceive this violet as quite feminine. When the spices push their way back to the forefront, the scent becomes masculine again. Definitely wearable for all genders.

Vanilla and tonka provide the warm base, yet the scent is not overly sweet, but remains pleasant. Over time, I also notice the fir balsam, which I like less, as it begins to remind me of "Le Mâle" by Gaultier, although fortunately it lacks its intensity.

All in all, it is a pleasant and beautiful scent that certainly won't make a negative impression, as it is spicy yet still subtle.

This perfume is advertised with a black panther, which seems completely inappropriate to me, as the scent is too "tame" for that.

However, anyone looking for a gentle-spicy-floral fragrance for the upcoming Advent season, one that won't overwhelm their surroundings, could find happiness with "Wow."