RaniJuli

In the Indian pre-Himalayas, on a wooded ridge, lies a beautiful hotel. Just the name invites you to dream: “Wildflower Hall”

The current building was erected on the site of an old mansion of the same name, and it combines the charm of a bygone era with all modern comforts.
Upon entering the cozy foyer, the scent of polished cedar wood envelops you. Through the floor-to-ceiling windows opposite, the view opens up over the adjacent valley, which is almost always shrouded in a delicate blue mist.

In the middle of the room stands a table with intricate carvings, which can only be found in nearby Kashmir - and on the table, a large silver vase with a white lily arrangement draws the eye.

As a welcome, guests are served black tea with ginger and buttery pastries with pistachios.
The steam rises from the fine porcelain cup, mingling with the scents of lilies and cedar.

The beginning of some nostalgia-filled days at the foot of the highest mountain range in the world…

This image arose in my mind when I had the chance to smell Stash Eau de Parfum Elixir for the first time.
Hard to believe that it is a celebrity fragrance!

There is nothing generic or girlish here, nothing that shouts “Sweet!” or “Everybody’s Darling.”
Stash is woody & warm, smoky & edgy. I believe I can catch a hint of white flowers, cardamom & ginger. A subtle lacquer note resonates, making the fragrance even more interesting. It lasts a good 7 hours on my skin and develops a gourmand note in the drydown that evokes roasted pistachios rather than caramel or cotton candy.

Stash Eau de Parfum Elixir feels elegant without being pompous and is suitable for anyone who enjoys atmospheric compositions.

I am absolutely thrilled!

Francesca Bianchi's fragrances were (and are) my ticket into a new world.

A year ago, in the midst of a dreary Corona autumn, I ordered a discovery set on a happy impulse...and after the first sniff of these olfactory masterpieces, I was never quite the same again.
Sounds dramatic? :) Maybe! But Francesca's scents evoke exactly that in me - strong emotions.

I call her, someone I have of course never met in my life, "Francesca" as if we were good acquaintances. Because her creations awaken in me the feeling that there is a person behind them who shares my view of the world and who can teach me quite a bit in this regard.

Someone who confronts the dark sides of life, even welcomes them, and simultaneously celebrates life with a lot of dedication.
Who is not afraid to show herself deeply human - and precisely because of that radiates incredible strength.
Who delights in sharpening her intellect and considers sensuality an essential part of life.
Who does not confuse vulnerability with weakness.
Who seeks experiences that do not stay on the surface but go under the skin. Under my Skin...

"Under my Skin" is the most sincere scent I have ever smelled.
Sincerely human.

It does not smell to me like a perfume, but like a beloved body. Both my own and that of another person.
It radiates sensuality, but not in the sense of brutal eroticism - rather in the sense of a moment full of calm and intimacy. Alone or together.
A moment in which the world around does not exist and one feels safe enough to take off all masks.
The quiet lying next to each other afterwards.
The tender feeling into one's own body.
The acceptance that this body has flaws and certainly does not meet all the ideals of a constantly self-optimizing society. That it looks different, feels different, and indeed also smells different.
Warm, familiar,

This little olfactory masterpiece reminds me, in its complexity, of a concert where you lean back and enjoy the goosebump moments that arise from the interplay of different voices and instruments.

In the case of "Under my Skin," I would say: The central "instrument" is the animalic note, which arises from a combination of castoreum and iris butter, and is softened by lavender, honey, Peru and tolu balsam. Rarely have deeply erotic and softly clean notes complemented each other so wonderfully for my nose.

The longevity of this extrait is absolutely unbeatable on my skin.
When I apply the scent to my pulse points in the morning, I can still smell it very clearly late in the evening. And when I spray it in the evening, it accompanies me into a night full of promises. Promises of experiences that truly touch you in every sense of the word. That go under the skin.

Under my Skin.

Actually, when testing this fragrance, I expected something completely different - namely a dry sandalwood scent with a spicy note. Mature, sophisticated - just Guerlain.
Due to the name "Santal Royal," one might forgive me this initial mistake ;)

What wafted towards me after the first spray from my wrist was anything but dry and minimalistically sophisticated. It was opulent, dark, and sweet. It made the neon-lit perfume shelves around me sink into the hot sand of an Arabian desert...

Forgive me this somewhat unoriginal association - but in my mental perfume library, "Santal Royal" opens the thick, gold-embossed, leather-bound book of beloved tales from 1001 Nights. It is the genie from "Aladdin and the Magic Lamp," who grants wishes and can take us to faraway lands or dream worlds in the blink of an eye. For example, to the fictional desert city of Agrabah...

Here, in the narrow alleys between the seemingly fortress-like houses, I open my eyes after a deep, indulgent sniff of "Santal Royal."
It is already dusk, the heat of the day has subsided, and the houses on the left and right still radiate a bit of the merciless temperatures from the previous day. Nevertheless, doors are now opening everywhere - the residents of the houses venture back outside to buy last-minute ingredients for the upcoming dinner or to smoke a hookah in the tea house around the corner.

From one of the doors steps a tall woman and waves me over.
She gestures for me to come in, into the interior of the house... for I am immediately recognizable as a stranger, and in her eyes, that makes me a guest who must never be sent out into the night without hospitality and a roof over my head.

Behind the low door made of dark wood opens a little world of its own.
The house has several floors, all opening onto a beautiful courtyard with surrounding galleries. It forms the heart of the house. Tiled with mosaic tiles in shades of blue and green, which enhance the impression of coolness inside the house and contrast beautifully with the clay-red walls and the cascading purple flowers climbing them. Low daybeds made of heavy old wood with delicate carvings and comfortable cushions invite you to rest. In the middle of the courtyard, a fountain gently splashes.

On a low table in front of one of the daybeds sits a large silver bowl filled with powdered sugar-dusted Lokum - the jelly-like sweet that can be found in many bazaars here, flavored with rosewater and nuts. From somewhere, the promising scent of freshly roasted mocha wafts in and mingles with the fruity tobacco of a hookah that glimmers on one of the upper galleries.

I feel incredibly comfortable and take a deep breath again: The deep dark scent of eagle wood, the sweet rose fragrance of the sweets, the hint of mocha and freshly lit peach tobacco. Along with a diffuse scent reminiscent of warm milk with honey and cinnamon, which conveys a sense of security and seems to say: "Come to rest - you are here, for this night, at home!"

So I am almost a little disappointed when I open my eyes again and find myself back in my local perfumery. But only "almost."
For although "Santal Royal" does not strike me as a sandalwood scent but rather as a lush rose/oud fragrance, I am in love. This is partly due to the aforementioned and elusive note that I can only compare to a hint of warm milk, giving the scent something incredibly cozy that complements the otherwise dominant dark sensuality perfectly.
The longevity and sillage of the fragrance are also fantastic.
I perceive the scent around me for 8 hours, and in the first 3 hours, it is also noticeable to others - so far exclusively positively.

"Santal Royal" accompanied me home that day - and promises to take me on many dream journeys to Agrabah.

"J'ose" is a phenomenon for me.

I discovered it a few days ago when I entered a perfume shop with the vague search criteria of "unisex, unusual, suitable for everyday use."
What was hidden behind these blurry points was, however, much more complex: I was actually looking for a scent that inspires courage. The kind of courage that helps one make unconventional decisions. And yes, I believe that a fragrance can assist in this. Because it quietly reminds you throughout the day that you have made a promise to yourself.

Usually, I prefer to browse in perfume shops alone, as it allows me to quietly reflect on what a scent evokes in me. But on that day, a consultant greeted me so kindly and unobtrusively that I shared my almost hopelessly superficial criteria with her. She - an older woman with very short blonde hair, striking glasses, and a charmingly ironic smile - briefly assessed me and led me to the shelf with the fragrances from Eisenberg Paris. A house I had not known until then. She picked up a simple bottle that, due to its minimalist design, somehow appeared elegant - and said: "One of my favorites. J'ose - that means: I dare!"

Our eyes met briefly before I sniffed the paper strip she held out to me. A wonderful scent. Fresh yet warm, unusual, light, complex - and somehow familiar.

Objectively speaking - if one can even say that about fragrances - J'ose is certainly not a "WOW" scent that demands attention loudly or catapults you mentally into a specific situation. But it has an oscillating aura that is anything but ordinary and is firmly anchored in the present. This shimmering effect probably stems from an unusual combination of notes: mint and mocha, lavender and vanilla, warm amber and cool moss. I was fascinated.

Unfortunately, the scent did not last very long on my skin: after about 4 hours, I could only smell it very faintly. However, on my favorite cashmere scarf, which the friendly saleswoman generously sprayed, it has made itself comfortable. And so, for days, a hint of "J'ose" has been wafting into my nose.

And this hint then audibly whispers: "Come on, you promised yourself: Dare something!"

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Addition:
Following a friend's tip, I found a great layering combination that significantly extends the longevity of "J'ose" and even adds an additional, very pleasant facet to the scent on my skin.
From now on, I spray "Molecule 02" as a base before the wonderful daring companion from Eisenberg Paris comes into play. This way, it accompanies me for at least 6 hours in a well-perceptible manner, and then for another 2 as a warm, cozy skin scent.

What a fragrance!

The first time I smelled it was on a trip. In a Baltic capital, surrounded by beautiful Art Nouveau buildings, just before dusk. The whole atmosphere invited one to dream of another time...
If you imagined away the street signs and scattered advertisements, the scene could have been from the late 19th century.

And that is exactly where Moonlight Patchouli transports me.
To a glamorous metropolis during the Belle Époque. Elegant boulevards bathed in warm light from very modern gas lamps of that time.
The rattling sound of horse-drawn carriages bringing passengers in expensive evening attire to theater performances or opera nights.
The ladies in shimmering silk dresses with narrow corseted waists; on their heads, sophisticated hats; in their small handbags, an ivory or mother-of-pearl fan for the upcoming evening indoors.
Upon arrival, the gallant companions help them disembark, as the laced shoes with heels and leather soles offer little support.

In the foyer of the opera house, an entering couple is greeted by a loud buzz of voices and warm candlelight, which breaks in the floor-to-ceiling mirrors and lush gilding.

In no time, a glass of champagne is pressed into the hands of the two newcomers. The young woman's gaze searches for the large double door at the far end of the spacious foyer - it stands open, revealing a moonlit courtyard with beautiful rose arrangements.
Discreetly, she guides her partner through the large room, greeting acquaintances here and there, until they reach the door. A cool refreshing breeze sweeps in, bringing the scent of lush dark roses and smoldering pipe tobacco. An older gentleman, in a uniform suggesting higher military rank, has escaped the clamor and heat of the room into the silence of the courtyard. The scent of his pipe mingles with the aroma of fine suede gloves and that of elegant wooden parquet, regularly maintained with beeswax.
The atmosphere in the room sparkles like the cool champagne in the glasses: Tonight, a celebrated singer is performing in a new role, about which scandalous things have been heard...

This little microcosm is what "Moonlight Patchouli" transports me to.
Finest suede, dark rose, and woody undertones create a scent impression that is among the most elegant I have ever smelled.
And all of this comes with a beautiful sillage and a longevity of at least 7 hours.

My new favorite for autumn!