Fragrance Junkie Central

[Mochapj]

I know there are a few of us on BT that are fragrance addicts, so I thought it would be nice to have a dedicated place where we can share our thoughts.

This is not to take away from the lovely What Are You Wearing Today, Fragrance Edition thread, but more a place to post longer reviews, chat about new brands or releases, and just shoot the breeze on anything good and smelly 🙂

For me, I recently acquired 2 new decants that I've been anxiously awaiting.  Ever since Lachaton mentioned that MMM was releasing a new scent called By The Fireplace I've been itching to get my hands on it.  My decant arrived yesterday, so I'm looking forward to marinating in it this weekend.  Secondly, I recently picked up a tiny sample of Shiseido Nombre Noir.  Supposedly it is one of the most expensive failures in perfume history - made by Serge Lutens for Shiseido back in the 80s.  Of course, with a backstory like that, I was dying to get a sniff 😄

What's new on your scent radar?  Do tell!

 

[Vmaster]

The last half of my Summer Haul. I did not include Bleu de Chanel Parfum, Ombré Leather 2018, and the three from Phlur: Hepcat, Moab, and Greylocke.

@IciclePop All that talk about Sinner, and today I just said "Why Not".

Bvlgari in the back row: Man in Black, Man Extreme, Bvlgari pour Homme, Au the Vert.

Front row: Giorgio of Beverly Hills pour Homme, Sinner, Santos de Cartier Concentre, and Acqua di Gio Profumo.

[laurakristie]

Vmaster it looks like you got a nice variety - I love Sinner - one of my favs. Thanks for your descriptions of Phlur - I have also been curious about them... 127 is a nice collection... I'm not quite there yet but probably have more than I need lol...don't feel embarrassed... fragrance is fun to collect and experience!

[pocketvenus]

Great haul, @Vmaster! I've read about Phlur - what do you think of them? I love how they list and explain each one of their ingredients on their website. I was curious about Siano, Hepcat and Greylocke. Does Greylocke smell a little like calone though? I can't bear that "aquatic" note!

[Vmaster]

@pocketvenus I picked those three from thread on basenotes, announcing the line. Greylock, Hepcat and Moab were the best of the bunch. Personally I would give each of the three 4/5 stars.

Here is a review of each, written by one of the prolific reviewers on BN that purchased a sample of each scent:

HANAMI - They say: "lush creaminess . . . radiates poise . . . melts into botanical composure and tranquility." I say: little fluffy clouds, pink cotton candy, beach suntan coconut oil, gone in an hour with the subtlest sweet white floral musk remaining. This accord has been used in hair care products for years now - a bad association for me. First time I smelled this coconutty, languid, vetiver note was in Paul Smith London created by Anoine Lie. Get that one if you can! - it's great, this - not so much. Hanami is synthetic in feel, with very thin depth - but it does create a mood that is light, happy and playful but ultimately very shallow. This was my least favorite. Feminine and very youthful to my nose. It is hard for me to imagine anyone who takes fragrance seriously would wear this but, who knows this might be the target audience. Rating 2/10.

HEPCAT - A smokey, musk light leather, gaiac wood, pepper, saffron, redwood aroma with a dusting of hot spice at opening. This fragrance smells a little along the lines of Ralph Lauren Red Cologne but Hepcat has no traditional topnotes so it floats off the skin as if in a fog from the back streets and slips in and out of awareness. Deep smokiness, soft wood, leather, a cool fog. This is a much lighter, more masculine and leather oriented version of CDG Sequoia. I would wear this scent because it does fit my persona and along with Moab is a pleasant and mysterious masculine statement in this group from Phlur. They say it has "woody oud and vetiver punctuated by a dash of saffron, dries down to deep earthiness and caramel smootheness." Hepcat smells really good, give it that, but the downside is it's very retiring, has little projection and almost no development so it is kind of thin and lifeless which you don't expect for a "hepcat." Like a dream of, or a memory, or a reproduction of what a nice warm fragrance might smell like, Hepcat is a pleasant recessive soft woods + leather with a nice down home feel. Rating 7/10.

SIANO - They describe it as a Bellini with a peppery aura that will adjust to your mood through the day. This is a light minimal fragrance with slight spice, tinge of citrus, vetiver and emits a ton of radiating projection. This is definitely a mood and background scent. It smells professional and proper while still being thin and minimal. No particular note jumps out at you here, but it is a clean, light, ozonic, green, yellow, damp and energizing and is a very proper fragrance. Truly unisex and very minimal. This could be a sig scent for a GAP fashion model - its very gender neutral, young, not too daring. Rating 6/10.

GREYLOCKE - Similar in radiating presence to Siano, but with a clean sharp green woods turn. Maybe laurel wood or fir, something wood that is very green and sappy as well. Very smoothe, reminds me of when waters are calm along the Maine coast in cool morning beeze. Also early morning in my garden under the trees, cool and green. A very easy to like fragrance with an energizing but narcotic relaxing green plants and woods quality. As the fragrance wears on it goes from natural green and watery to xerox copy of a photo of a natural setting. The green goes from natural to chalky and kind of hard. It loses its depth and naturalness quickly, but by the time this happens Greylocke will have blended with your body chemistry to tint you naturally in Greylocke's direction. This fragrance reminds a little of Dior Granville and Dior Vetiver combined. I am liking this scent very well. Rating 8/10.

MOAB - Dry wood, ginger, nutmeg, sandalwood, mint, saffron, gaiac. Very masculine and clean essences of incense, spice, soft naturalness. True to its image, Moab is a soft radiating masculine scent. As with the other Phlur fragrances it is highly blended with synthetic musks and is a radiating and soft pleasant scent. It is difficult to make out any single notes, but total blend is compelling. This does remind me of scene from the rugged western desert. One of my favorites from Phlur. Rating 7.5/10.

OLMSTED & VAUX - a very minimal crisp light woodiness. This scent admits to having "energizing citrus, shiso, and a trace of ginger . . . over bright clean confidence." That's a good description of it. Like Siano it is light and very minimal but there is a powerful radiance to it. This scent smells like bitters and clean vinyl pool toys. There is a synthetic, well cropped cleanliness here that I would expect to find in a crisp contemporary boutique hotel scenting their towels and linens. Ahh, very pleasant, then gone. Rating 7/10.

[pocketvenus]

@Vmaster, interesting read, thank you for pasting these detailed descriptions! I don't come across a lot of niche-sounding descriptions for natural and safe-synthetic perfumes.

[curlychiquita]

@Vmaster, that's a great scent haul!

[Vmaster]

@curlychiquita Thank you! 

I am embarrassed to say that this brings my collection up to 127.

Next haul will be December or January.

[Mochapj]

Looks like Serge Lutens has new packaging for the retired scents as well:

[Vmaster]

I just received Bleu de Chanel Parfum from Sephora. Apparently it was just recently released.

I absolutely hated Bleu de Chanel EdT due to it being a citrus bomb at its opening. The Parfum version uses lemon zest, which makes it more subdued and there is a lot more woody notes in there. I know it contains ISO E Super (synthetic woody note that you can find in Terre de Hermes) but I am really enjoying it. Projection is about an arm's length. 

[RaquelBT]

Hi @Vmaster,

I'm glad to hear that you're enjoying the new Bleu de Chanel Parfum! I haven't tested it out yet, but I need to soon! 🙂

Best Regards,

❤️ Raquel

[Vmaster]

@RaquelBT It being a parfum, it does not have much in projection (due to having less alcohol) but has good sillage in motion - and from what I have read, it is great for snuggling. Because it does not project well, it can be worn at work with no issues bothering others. They will smell you as you walk by. 

If you are looking for more projection, I would suggest the EdP version (Eau de Parfum). 

[pocketvenus]

@Vmaster, glad you are enjoying your new purchase! I know ISO-E Super bothers some people but I also do well by it

[pocketvenus]

An Luca Turin and Tania Sanchez's updated perfume guide is now available 🙂 The description below is from Amazon

In 2008, Turin and Sanchez up-ended the world of fragrance with their critically acclaimed Perfumes: The A–Z Guide, one of Amazon’s best books of the year, described by John Lanchester in the New Yorker as “ravishingly entertaining,” by India Knight in the Sunday Times (UK) as “one of the best books I have ever read,” by Hilary Mantel as “opinionated, knowledgeable, sharply written and surprisingly comprehensive … a purely enjoyable book,” and by Philip Hensher as "a work of the highest criticism, one which elevates writing about perfume to the best sort of writing about wine or rock music." Ten years later they bring their inimitably passionate, erudite perspective back to the hugely changed world of fragrance, to sort out which of over 1,200 new individual perfumes deserves celebration (and which condemnation).

The 2018 guide includes all new content, including
- “Ten Years Later,” looking back on the last decade of fragrance
- “The Shifting Shape of Fragrance 1918–2018”
- all new FAQ
- over 1,200 individual reviews: masculine and feminine, mainstream and arcane, from the latest Guerlains to a 5-star masterpiece by a small Malaysian firm
- an expanded glossary
- top 10 lists, this time including not just masculines and feminines but introverts and extroverts, the best retro, citrus, oud, and more

[Vmaster]

@pocketvenus Ha! I saw it on my Twitter feed and purchased the kindle version today when I was at lunch!

In case anyone is wondering who that is, Luca is from Athens, Greece and is a Biophysicist, TED lecturer and Perfume aficionado.

[pocketvenus]

@Vmaster, Nice! I do not shop at Amazon, but hope it will be released elsewhere soon 🙂 I enjoyed the first book and they're both entertaining writers.

[Vmaster]

@pocketvenus This is posted on Luca's website:

Currently available at all Amazon Kindle sites, including Amazon US Kindle, Amazon UK Kindle, Amazon Canada Kindle, Amazon Australia Kindle

Coming soon: Kobo, iBooks, Paperback edition

[pocketvenus]

@Vmaster, thanks! I'll probably pick up the paperback 🙂

[Vmaster]

@pocketvenus I have good news and bad news.

The good news is that it will be available in paperback really soon, as they are proofing the text and binding.

The bad news is that is that it will be available on Amazon...

Sorry.

[pocketvenus]

@Vmaster, oh! Is this self-published? That is really disappointing the paperback will only be distributed through Amazon but I see this book was not picked up by a major publisher and is perhaps self published. Thank you for letting me know!

[Mochapj]

Looks like Fougere Platine is also happening; described on the TF site as follows, but no notes listed IMPULSIVE. DEBONAIR. EXTRAVAGANT. FOUGERE PLATINE INHABITS THE EXHIBITIONIST AT HIS MOST BRILLIANT MISCHIEVOUS, INDULGENT AND INFINITELY EXHILARATING. OPULENT DOSES OF REFRESHING WOODS MAGNETIZE YOU LIKE THE SHINING GLEAM OF PLATINUM, OR A DEVILISH GRIN REPLAYING THE NIGHT BEFORE. ETA: I’ve seen quite a few early reviewers say this smells exactly like Vert D’encens, which seems odd given Vert d’encens is still in the private blend line, last I checked Clary Sage, Bergamot, Armoise Oil, Olibanum, Tobacco Leaf, Cedarwood

[pocketvenus]

@Mochapj, I smelled Fougere Platine on paper and don't think they are alike at all. VE is coniferous and resinous to me with a very smoky dry down. While I only smelled Platine on paper, there was no evergreen forest. Also, there is nothing about VE that resembles the aromatic nature of a fougere. Hm, I wish I’d kept the fragrance card instead of tossing it, maybe Platine gets incensey smoky in the dry down???