Here comes part 2 of the latest digest of my mini-reviews. For part 1, please click here.
Bamboo Rose from Aerin (2017)*
One of a trio of rose ‘colognes’ (which is probably supposed to mean that they’re relatively light rose scents). This one heads into white floral territory, combining the eponymous note with musks and jasmine. Very ‘4 o’clock tea on the verandah, darling’. And the size of the bottle means you don’t mind spraying the stuff quite liberally not just upon your person but into your surroundings as well.
AB Cashmere from Uèr Mì (Jean Jacques; 2014)*
Cooling, beige, sticky, dessert-like vanilla + osmanthus over LARGE musks. More about temperature than fabric. Humdrum.
WE Tweed from Uèr Mì (Jean Jacques; 2014)*
Curiously colourless amber, with an inky wetness at the top. Like tweed, seems to absorb light, but similarity ends there.
OH Denim from Uèr Mì (Phillipe Bousseton; 2014)*
Hmmm, denim is a gentle white floral? Shows how subjective this game is. Maybe it’s a cutesy, flower-embroidered jacket.
NO Suede from Uèr Mì (Antoine Lie; 2014)*
Antoine Lie revisits his own Tom Of Finland. Makes leather quieter, more floral, less fiery. Still uses huge saffron note.
DO Washi from Uèr Mì (Antoine Lie; 2015)*
Fairy liquid pumped through sickly bubble tea and Johnson’s baby shampoo. Some crass 80s woody-citruses for good measure.
Between Two Trees from Floraïku (Alienor Massenet; 2017)*
…was a guy who was too scared to stand out from the crowd. Cue: patchouli, vetivert, pepper & generic thinness.
Sleeping On The Roof from Floraïku (Alienor Massenet; 2017)*
Unexpected, gorgeous, slender lily of the valley, supported by fresh blossoms. Well-judged musks in base.
My Love Has The Colour Of The Night from Floraïku (Alienor Massenet; 2017)*
Almost an oil-slick-like effect of citrus and guaiac leads to gloomy, bitter, woody dullness.
Sound Of A Ricochet from Floraïku (Alienor Massenet; 2017)*
Bashful vanilla/amber, with some herbs; like the timid seventh cousin, twice removed, of Lutens’ Ambre Sultan.
My Shadow On The Wall from Floraïku (Alienor Massenet; 2017)*
Attempt to combine buttery mimosa with masculine ‘wood polish’ vibe. Interesting idea; pallid execution.
Psychoanalysis from Bella Freud (2017)*
Meant to represent a shrink’s leather armchair. If they can only afford this cheap plastic, find another shrink.
Verveine Utopie from Roger & Gallet (Juliette Karagueuzoglou; 2017)*
One of a series of a new series of ‘concentrated colognes’, this is a cuddly, citrus-tea composition, easy on the synapses.
Incense Kyoto from Comme Des Garcons (Bertrand Duchaufour; 2002)**
My favourite in the Incense range remains the masterful Avignon, but this one is worthy of praise too. While Avignon is concerned with dimly-lit interiors, Kyoto takes its central note into a secluded garden, where dawn sunlight falls onto a symmetrical rock formation. It’s also sweeter and less smoky, as though more interested in humans, unlike Avignon, which wants to converse with gods.
Eau De Guerlain from Guerlain (Jean-Paul Guerlain; 1974)**
Isn’t it wonderful when you re-discover a classic? I haven’t worn Eau De Guerlain for years, but it’s as cheek-suckingly beautiful as I remember it. If there was some sort of cocktail that combined lemon sherbets, champagne, mint, verbena and vanilla syrup, it would smell like this.
Theorema Uomo from Fendi (Jacques Cavallier; 2001)**
I think the top notes in my old bottle have gone awry, but I can still smell the geranium-pepper combo over the vetivert. Undemanding stuff, but not unattractive. Sometimes, this sort of ‘can’t be bothered’ casualness has a certain appeal.
Persolaise
* sample provided by the brand
** sample obtained by the author
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As usual, your comments are pithy, relatable, and say so much though you call them mini reviews. So enjoy reading your work. And, as they used to say about the comedian Jimmy Durante, (for other reasons), what a shnozz! Thanks!
That's so kind, thank you 🙂 Small can be beautiful, right?