Happy May Day! Mini Reviews of Five Muguet Perfumes

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May Day originated in Northern Europe as a celebration to welcome summer and the growing season and was associated with Flora, the Roman goddess of flowers. As Europe became predominantly Christian the holiday lost its pagan associations and became a more secular celebration. The maypole is one tradition commonly linked to the holiday, but a charming custom for those of us that love perfume is the offering of muguet, or lily of the valley, on May 1. The custom dates back to 1561 when King Charles IX of France was given a sprig of lily of the valley for good luck. The King continued this tradition in the following years by offering the flower to the ladies of his court on May Day. The tradition was reinterpreted in the early 20th century, and the giving of posies of lily of the valley or other spring flowers, often as a secret gift, became a way to show appreciation or admiration.

If I could script my life on my terms I would now be reviewing my bottle of the new Guerlain Muguet May 1st introduction for 2016. Look at this beautiful bottle. I've lusted after each and every one for the past few years but this one is quite different. A jewelry store created a silver filigree design of lily of the valley to mark the ten year anniversary of the Guerlain May 1st limited edition bottles. There are only 2148 exclusive bottles (I'd love to know the significance of that number?).  But unfortunately I do not have any of this juice so I will review what my local Singapore department stores had available for my perusal. 

Annick Goutal Le Muguet 

This starts with a very green lily of the valley note. It is pretty representation of the flower but it doesn't last long on my skin. It changes and becomes a little sour on me and sometimes has a plastic smell. It fades rather quickly. This is a fail on my skin.

Christian Dior Diorissimo

I remember spraying this on in the 1980's when I was first becoming interested in perfume, and the world literally stood still for a moment...it was that gorgeous. I know a lot of bloggers have written excellently researched pieces about what changed and why it did. And it's not that Diorissimo is bad. It's a good representation of a lovely lily of the valley, and after a harsh opening which quickly disapates, I like it. It's just not the masterpiece I remember and I find that hard to forgive.

Crabtree & Evelyn Lily 

Umm, where's the lily?

Penhaligon's Lily of the Valley

This was nice, if unremarkable. It smells like lily of the valley and it was pretty tenacious on my skin. I found it prettier than most I tried, but I'm beginning to think that muguet is just not for me.

Muguet En Fleurs Yves Rocher

This is a very light spring sprinkling of lily of the valley. It's transparency is part of it's delicate charm. It is very light and disappears very quickly but it's cheap as chips and Yves Rocher is constantly having sales. If I can't have my $600-plus bottle of Guerlain Muguet Limited Edition 2016, I'm thinking this one might suit me just find. It doesn't last long but I can in good conscience shower my body with a spray every hour or so. It's a simple, uncomplicated green lily of the valley scent.

I think you can't fight your body chemistry and I believe lily of the valley may not be my note so you may have happier results with these perfumes. As for me, I think I would rather be gifted on May Day with a bundle of real live lily of the valley!

Top photo from Google. Bottle of Guerlain Muguet from Guerlain.com.

Imaginary Authors, Part Three

Today is the last in a three-part series of reviews of perfumes in the Imaginary Authors line.  It does not include some of the more recent entries, just the ones I've been able to sample. The two reviewed today are the most gourmand leaning of the ones I've tried. Both perfumes are well done and they are my favorites from the brand.

Yesterday's Haze

I enjoy fig perfumes. They are malleable and perfumers can emphasize various characteristics of the fruit, even though fig itself is a distinctive smell. Fig can smell sweet without coming across as a sugary mess. The green note gives fig a clean smell, not unlike the feeling you get with lavender but it lacks the sterility you sometimes find with lavender. Some perfumers emphasize coconut notes which takes fig in a tropical direction. Any one of these facets can be amped up so that there is a surprising amount of diversity in fig perfumes.

Yesterday's Haze seems to get everything right. It is a touch gourmand in that the fig smells ripe and succulent but it is not so gourmand that it treads into fig cake territory. There is the green feeling that is inherent in fig perfumes but it does not overpower. When the green note in fig perfumes is strong the scent can take on an austere air to me. Here the green just tempers the sweet. I get no coconut in this fig. Coconut is not necessarily a bad thing, but for me it does segregate a scent into beach territory and mainly wearable in summer. While wearing Yesterday's Haze I kept lifting my wrist to my nose. It is very delicious.  

On first spray the scent is soft and hazy. The fig comes out first but it is gauzy. Listed notes are fig, iris, cream tonka, tree bark, walnut bitters, and orchard dust. The tonka is very nice and gives the effect of warmth and a balmy lassitude.

“Just as sunsets are more beautiful on hazy days so, too, are the memories of yesterday.  -Lenora Blumberg

The pseudo novel, Yesterday's Haze, imagined by perfumer Josh Meyer, is reminiscent of a novel like The Postman Always Rings Twice. An orchard farmer in the San Joaquin Valley discovers his wife has been having a decades long affair with a cropduster and tragedy ensues. The perfume does have a bit of an alluring and hypnotic effect with its luscious fig and vanilla-like cream. Yesterday's Haze it my favorite of the perfumes I've tested so far in the Imaginary Authors line.

Memoirs Of A Trespasser

The backstory for this perfume concerns the writer Philip Sava, whose exotic travels spawned many famous novels. The author has retreated into hiding on his ranch in Madagascar to avoid fans and publicity.

“Who needs love when there is still cognac in the glass?” -Philip Sava

Notes  in Memoirs Of A Trespasser are Madagascar vanilla, guaiacwood, myrhh, benzoin, resin, ambrette seed, and oak barrels. This is the vanilla entry to the Imaginary Authors line. The opening is pure vanilla but almost immediately the perfume goes darker with the addition of guaicwood. I love vanilla, even sweet gourmand vanilla, but it can have the effect of making me crave cupcakes!  So I love getting my hit of vanilla without the sugar shot. The addition of myrrh and benzoin make Memories Of A Trespasser even creamier without veering into sweetness. Ambrette seed is ued to add a richness, both sweet and nutty to the fragrance, as well as give a cognac smell. 

This perfume reminds me a little of Serge Luten Bois de Vanille, but if SLBdeV  is the guy at the bar commanding everyone's attention through loud talk and showy demeanor, Memories Of A Trespasser is the nice guy sitting at the end of the bar who is more interested in getting to know you than in trying to impress . This is a nice mellow vanilla that would be great on a guy, but I love wood and resin notes so I also love it on myself. The fact that it is more woody than sweet makes it a great pick for males, but if you're like me and don't fancy overly sweet vanilla perfumes, give Memoirs Of A Trespasser a try.

These two are the most gourmand leaning fragrances in the line of the ones I've been able to try and both are very well done and enjoyable to wear. To read the other reviews see Part One and Part Two.

Top painting vintage Al Parker. Bottom photo vintage travel poster on Google. Samples my own.

Imaginary Authors, Part Two

The scents I'm reviewing today are the ones I consider the "manly" ones. I don't shy away from wearing some men's scents but I would consider these Imaginary Authors perfumes on the more masculine end of the spectrum. 

Cape Heartache

“If you are looking for the pieces of a broken heart, you might try rifling through the twigs and needles on the forest floor.” - Philip Sava

Picture a cabin with smoke curling from the chimney in the depths of a dark forest, somewhere in the Pacific Northwest. This is the inspiration for Cape Heartache. Its list of notes are indicative of a woodland stroll; fir, pine, hemlock. But there is one note on the list that is out of context: strawberry. The first time I tried Cape Heartache I smelled the forest with the pine needles and firs. The smoke smoldered softly in the background like a campfire burning low but I never smelled anything remotely resembling a strawberry. Skin can be fickle, though, so I thought I'd give it another try. This time I smelled the whole cabin in the woods scene but I also got the faint whiff of strawberry. On my skin it is very quiet and gives the fragrance a slight lift or lightness, but the note flits in and out. I don't know if this is a big strawberry note on others but on my skin it is a background note, just adding a creaminess to the pine and fir notes which take precedence. The notes are interesting in that they seem to appear, disappear, then reappear; first woody notes taking center stage, then the smoke, and then the interesting berry note. I enjoy this more every time I wear it. I find it likable and an unexpected combination of notes. 

The Cobra and the Canary

This perfume starts out dark and woody and the smell reminds me of vetiver, but as this note is not indicated I believe it may be how I am interpreting the hay and orris. The Cobra and the Canary smells dry, a little muddled, and earthy on my skin in the opening stages. About thirty minutes in the lemon note brings a brightness to the scent.

“We were driving faster than dammit, headed due west for a place called Anywhere But Here.” - James Spundt

Notes of leather and tobacco flower add a softness and slight sweetness as the formula settles into the skin. A note of "asphalt" is listed and contributes to the story of two farm boys who take a road trip to California, zipping past the hay fields on the country back roads in a fabulous antique roadster. The perfume actually lives up to the story line with the smell of hay, old leather car seats, and the hot pavement spooling a ribbon like path to the big world beyond the border of  their little town. About an hour into the wear the harsh opening has totally disappeared and the scent is smooth and warm as a sunny day in the country.

Bull's Blood

Josh makes the statement on his website that he views "scent as art and art as provocation." The scent Bull's Blood provoked one of the most extreme reactions I've ever had to a perfume, so in that regard he achieved his purpose!

“A man who has killed is a man who knows passion.” - Devante Valéreo

Have you ever tried a perfume that left you feeling deeply unsettled? Here is a podcast for you science geeks that discusses what makes scent memories so emotionally evocative. Often the memories are pleasant flashbacks to childhood; I've experienced a few of those. This was the first time that the memory was a dark one. When I first smelled Bull's Blood its opening was cold, metallic, brash, a bit astringent, and yes, there was a slight metallic ting reminiscent of blood. I had a visceral feeling of dread, then suddenly my mind flashed to an incident in my childhood that I had not thought of in decades. I was at my church on Wednesday night for children's choir practice. For some forgotten reason I stayed later and was alone, going down a dark cement stairwell. I tripped at the top and literally bumped down each step on my chin, leaving a smear of blood staining the steps from top to bottom. I remember the acrid smell of the blood, the warmth of it down my dress front, and the awfulness of my face glimpsed in the mirror  when I went to grab some paper towels to stench the flow and clean up the mess. (My Mama trained me well!) The memory was so strong that I've been unable to try the perfume again, even though I very much doubt I would have a repeat reaction! This is why I say Imaginary Authors perfumes did provoke an extreme reaction in me, even if it was not perhaps the expected reaction.

All this is not to say that the scent smells bad in any way. The imaginary novel is a lurid tale of seduction set in the world of the Spanish bullfights.  Bull's Blood accurately dipicts the dusty arena, the fierce, sweaty, animalic smell of the angry bull,  home rolled cigars, and a floral rose note drifting from the ladies in the stands. The rose is pretty much subdued by the dust, dirt, and animal fur. Floating above all of this is the disturbing (for me) smell reminiscent of blood. Josh calls it Bulls Blood and why not? He has certainly created that effect. Is this a perfume that I personally could ever wear? Never, it leaves me feeling very uncomfortable. But as an art concept it is a fascinating journey into the artistic mind and creativity of Josh Meyer.  If you read reviews on Fragrantica there are extreme reactions, positive and negative, to this perfume, so even though my reaction would not be common, it does seem the most provocative of the line. 

Notes listed are patchouli, rose, costus root, tobacco, black musk, and Bull's Blood, a veritable witch's brew. The patchouli is a particularly dirty fetid one, probably made more animalic by costus root, which can simulate fur or hair. Although Josh has created the bull fighting arena and performance with this perfume,  I could imagine another story concept that might fit the notes equally well. Imagine a vampire who has just risen from his moldy grave and goes in search of his first victim, the dirt still clinging to his cape.  A real Halloween scent! This really fired up my imagination!

To read other reviews see Part One and Part Three.

Painting above by John Zaccheo and can be purchased at paintingandframe.com. Samples my own.

Imaginary Authors, Part One

Imaginary Authors was founded in 2012 by perfumer Josh Meyer and created quite a stir in fragrance-land with its unique narrative approach. These pseudo books have a vintage vibe, as if riffing from The Great Gatsby or The Grapes of Wrath, and the fictitious authors have an interesting backstory. A perfume is built around each story and as an avid reader and perfume lover I was SO the demographic to fall for the whole Imaginary Authors concept.  The descriptions of the various authors and books were so catchy that one would like to believe they might really exist.  Olafactif and Perfume Polytechnic did great interviews with Josh when he first hung his shingle on the web. I highly recommend reading them for more information on an interesting perfumer and how he got his start. In Josh's own words:

"Imaginary Authors is born from the concept of scent as art and art as provocation. Like a good book, these scents are meant to inspire you. In these bottles are layered narratives that are sure to generate stirring conversation, fragrances that might be capable of changing the course of your own personal story. the hope is that they not only invigorate and intoxicate, but also take you to new places." 

I'm all about the journey, so for me it's easy to fall for Josh's world of Imaginary Authors.

Falling Into the Sea

When I first apply Falling Into the Sea  I get a burst of pickle! Then it's gone so quickly I'm not sure it was there. Their is a slight ozonic feel. This is a summer beach scent but to me it doesn't speak of manicured sand beaches, tanning beds with navy and white striped cushions in neat tailored lines, and the smell of Bain de Soleil wafting on the breeze. This feel like an actual beach you come across on a hot drive from Naples to Pompei. Pulling your convertible to the side of the road you hike down the hill of scrub bush and lemon trees to a deserted beach for a refreshing dip. There is a slight sourness wafting in the air, as the tide washes in seaweed and a piece of driftwood to the hot golden beach. The smell of jasmine blossoms from a distant shrub cast a diaphanous veil, floating in the warm salt air.

“Caught in the undertow of his salty lemon lips I caught myself drifting helplessly into a soundless summer unconsciousness.” -Nica Gala

Listed notes are lemon, bergamont, grapefruit, lychee, tropical flowers, and warm sand. I don't really smell the bergamont and grapefruit very much. The lychee is the note which is giving it a piquant, sometimes slightly sour smell. The tropical flowers are jasmin centric to my nose. While this perfume has some notes in common with other beach perfumes, it feels more original like this beach is a wilder, undiscovered place.

Violet Disguise

“Invigorated by the reckless blooms of spring she took to the street like a blossom on the breeze.” - Lenora Blumberg

Violet scents are tricky for me and I don't seek out this note in perfume. Violet notes come to my skin to die, so in the opening all I get is a muted dusty floral with a plum note, nothing very distinctive. About fifteen minutes in I begin to be able to distinguish the violet and plum. This violet is not the powdery violet I am most accustomed to and it morphs into a pleasant floral. An hour into wearing the perfume the bottom notes of amber and balsam, two notes that love my skin as much as violet hates it, are now joining the party and have pretty much put violet and plum on the sidelines. The amber and balsam smell very nice and I like this stage of  wear. 

Listed notes are plum, violet, dried fruits, balsam, amber, evening air, and the month of May!

The Soft Lawn

“They hopped the fence of the Governor’s Mansion, laid side by side on the cool grass tennis court, and invented constellations until the sunrise usurped their astral empire.” -Claude LeCoq

The Soft Lawn is a green scent of sorts, but not a dark green galbanum powerhouse. This pale green scent opens with linden blossom which imparts a refreshing and slightly sweet presence.  Laurel and ivy leaves make a soft green bed to support the linden. Vetiver gives a slight woodiness to the perfume as it develops. After about an hour the perfume stays fairly linear--a soft green with the slightly woody heart (which translates into the clay tennis courts of the vignette). This is cheerful and unassuming fragrance and like many in the line, very original. It captures a softer side of green.

Listed notes are linden blossom, laurel and ivy leaves, vetiver, oakmoss, fresh tennis balls, and clay court.

To read reviews of other perfumes in the line see Part Two and Part Three.

Top photo National Geographic, bottom photo vintage Life cover. Perfume samples my own.

Prada Infusions: Part Two

I reviewed my favorites of the new Prada Infusions here.   In today's post I will talk about the other new additions or revisions to the Prada Infusion line of perfumes. Infusion d'Iris was the original perfume that launched this line and it has been very successful. In this revamp of the Infusions, Infusion d'Iris has been reintroduced and I hope they haven't changed the formula as I loved it in it's original form. I have tried the new one and I can't detect a difference, but my bottle of the original formula is back in Texas so until I can compare the old and new versions I cannot absolutely satisfy myself that there is no change. Infusion d'Iris is a beautiful perfume and my favorite of the line.

Infusion de Fleur d'Oranger

I didn't try the 2009 limited edition when it came out so I don't know if there has been a substantial change in the formula, now that it has been added to their permanent line. I was not that excited about trying this because I already have so many other orange blossom fragrances in my collection, but after living in Fleur d'Oranger for a day I may have changed my mind.

The fragrance goes on in a diaphanous shower of orange blossom. Background characters include touches of jasmine sambac, tuberose, and just a slight touch of neroli which shows no soapy character on my skin.  The scent is light and realistic, and it really gives the sense of a lovely orange  blossom scented breeze.. Somehow perfumer Daniela Andrier manages to keep the scent sheer and ethereal while maintaining the tenacity of the fragrance, and this is what distinguishes it from my other orange blossoms. The orange blossom perfumes that I own tend to be powerhouses like Elie Saab, and though they are very beautiful, this one has a delicacy that is very appealing. I can see this being a lovely bridal perfume.

Infusion d'Iris Cedre

Out of all the new Infusion perfumes this is the only one that feels like a flanker. There is an orange note momentarily in the opening. The listed note is neroli but it came across as mandarin to me. Very quickly there is woody cedar, next comes the iris, then after further development the benzoin gives it a darker balsamic feel. The perfume has a similarity to Infusion d'Iris but the cedar makes it much woodier and it doesn't have the suede like smoothness.  The longer it sits on my skin the more I can see the similarities in the two perfumes. I like Infusion d'Iris Cedre but I prefer the original Infusion d'Iris. This one also faded more quickly on me.

Infusion de Vetiver

The limited edition of this scent was introduced in 2010. It features vetiver, ginger, neroli, bergamot, and supposedly rose, though I never smell it.  When I tried it Infusion d'Vetiver I smelled traces of smoke or tobacco, perhaps from the vetiver. It smells very fresh and leans a little masculine. It is nice but doesn't feel very different or original compared to the others in the line, however that's just personal taste talking. If you love vetiver it may be fabulous on you.

I sampled these at Tangs Singapore. The photo is from the Prada website.

Fragrant Almond Cookies

Yesterday's post on Prada Infusion d'Amonde left me craving my favorite almond cookies. The perfume has such a yummy almond smell that nothing would satisfy but a bite or three of this almondy dough and a few of these cookies. They smell nice and each bite will give you an almond burst.

Fragrant Almond Cookies

Cookies:

1 cup butter

3/4 cup sugar

2 teaspoons almond extract

2 cups flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

Icing:

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1 teaspoon almond flavoring

1 Tablespoon water

Chopped almonds

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Prepare a cookie sheet with parchment paper or grease lightly. 

In a bowl mix butter, sugar, and almond extract. In a separate bowl combine flour, baking powder, and salt. Slowly add the mixed dry ingredients to the butter/sugar mixture in large spoonfuls.

Roll small balls of dough and place on cookie sheet. Flatten slightly with the bottom of a glass. Bake 7 minutes. Take out slightly earlier if they start to brown at all. They should not be brown, even on the edges. Let sit on the pan until cool.

Mix the icing ingredients together. Adjust consistency if needed by adding slightly more sugar or water. Drizzle across the top of the cookies. Top with chopped almonds.

Hint: If you don't eat these immediately, refrigerate them. They are good straight out of the refrigerator.

I have gained a new admiration for the bloggers who have the beautiful food photographs. It's not easy! Trust me, these taste better than my picture looks.

Prada Infusion d'Oeillet and Infusion d'Amande

The luxury Italian brand of Prada announced last year that it would be making the Infusion fragrance collection a permanent part of the line, revising their former limited edition status.  They planned to reintroduce some of the previous and presumably more successful scents, and in addition would be adding three new scents to the line. After the announcement, the perfumes were not immediately available. This was done purposely to build anticipation, in what the industry terms "a slow launch". As best I could tell, the perfumes were initially only available in some European markets and those launches began last May. Here in Singapore I got my first glimpse of the bottles about two months ago at Tangs department store, and I just noticed that they now are on the Saks Fifth Avenue website in the USA. I love Prada Infusion d'Iris so I was eagerly anticipating these new perfumes. I've been a bit disappointed with some of the past offerings; I had high hopes for Tubereuse, the limited edition for 2010, but it didn't live up to my expectations. Perhaps I was just judging each new entry by the standard set by Infusion d'Iris, the original entry to the line in 2007 which I think is a classic in the making. Infusion d'Iris, Infusion de Vetiver, and Infusion de Fleur d'Oranger have been reintroduced. There are three new perfumes added to the collection: Infusion d'Iris Cedre, Infusion d'Oeillet, and Infusion d'Amande. Today I will be talking about my two favorites from the new introductions: Infusion d'Oeillet and Infusion d'Amande.

Infusion d'Oeillet

Carnation has a reputation of being a fuddy duddy sort of scent, old fashioned and a bit boring, but the flower has recently gotten some attention from perfumers and after years of dormancy there have been a sprinkling of new introductions featuring the note. I wanted to see how Prada would lighten and enliven carnation to make it fit the transparency and delicacy which are the trademarks of the Infusion line. 

The initial spray is full on fresh carnation. I find carnation to be a happy scent.  It gives me the same feeling of crisp clean freshness that I get from lavender, although the notes don't resemble at all. Next up are the cloves and they add quite a bit of spice. I get the smell of carnation, cloves and a bit of pepper for around an hour, then it starts becoming a bit deeper with the floral less defined. Patchouli and sandalwood take the carnation to a deeper place but it is very softly done. The juice in this bottle is a pretty translucent pink, and that pretty much signifies how the carnation presents itself. Although the initial spray has presence, it is overall a quiet refined scent. The carnation may start out a red watercolor rendering but Prada introduces a transparency, as if a brush loaded with water swiped the red flower and dilutes the color to a paler pink.  I appreciate carnation and I like the softness of this perfume so it may turn into a buy for me. Although the scent is lightly done I still think you would need to have some appreciation for carnation to enjoy this perfume.

Prada Amande

My first impression of Prada Amande is the bitter almond note. Almond is a funny note for me. I occasionally like it but more often than not I can't abide it, so I had no expectation that I would like this perfume. But within moments of application  it becomes a delectable doughy almond batter of fluffy goodness. Heliotrope gives a soft powdery smell to perfumes, and favored combinations include almond and tonka bean, both of which are found in this perfume. There may be a touch of iris but I don't see the note listed. The sensation is almond, creamy tonka and a light floral. It feels simple and linear but I can't stop smelling my arm. The description makes it sound heavily gourmand but it is not. Of course the almond gives it a foody feel but it is pretty, unique, and displays a light transparency. 

The weightlessness of Prada Amande makes this feel suitable for approaching warm weather but I can also picture this fragrance feeling perfect around Christmas, when perfumes reminiscent of the smells of the season seem so right. For me, Prada Amande is a big win for the Infusion line; it perfectly fits the style but offers an ingredient not so commonly available in perfumes. I think the Prada publicity shots pictured here also do a good job of displaying the feel of the perfumes. They feature pale pretty bottles, watery images and soft florals, which is a good summary of what the Infusion line offers

Apologies, I can't figure out how to get accent marks to work so the perfume names are lacking the proper lettering.

Photos from the Prada website.