Sort of catching up

Gosh, it is already the 10th of January. Where does the time go? Before we know it, bloggers will be honing their best-of-2014 lists!

I don't think I have read a single perfume blog so far in 2014. It isn't for lack of wanting to, but there just isn't the time in my life at present. Work commitments are a bit hairy, to say the least, plus we have been focusing on family time, as my older daughter Hannah turns 7 next week, and we had her party last Sunday.

If you were expecting a proper perfume review from me, dream on. I have been wearing perfume on some days, but in the mad rush I more often than not haven't. Arrh!

This week I did go on a bit of an orange theme, but only by spraying four different perfumes on scent strips and having a good time comparing them all side by side, so to speak. The four in question were Atelier Cologne's Neroli, Serge Luten's Fleurs d'oranger and two of Francis Kurkdjian's, Aqua Universalis and Aqua Vitae.

Neroli smells fantastic in the top and middle notes, and then fades considerably, as to be expected with this style of perfume, but it is a lovely fragrance. It does what it says on the tin, but there are plenty of other good neroli perfumes out there that are very similar. 

Fleurs d'oranger is a powerful orange blossom fragrance, but overall far more of a white floral, with spices and cumin. It is bold, and certainly not a perfume that I would easily be able to pull off but I do like it a lot.

Aqua Universalis  and Aqua Vitae are both very much orange and musk. Universalis is the muskier of the two, and a bit more dry and woodsy. I think it smells amazing, and with this one I can very definitely see the link back to Kurkdjian's work with Gaultier's Le Male and Fleur de Male. Vitae is my least favourite of the four. It is a touch too sweet for my liking, and looking at the notes, I can see Tonka Bean and vanilla listed, which is no surprise.

Sundry bits and bobs

Wow, I can't believe another week has flown by and all of a sudden we're more than a quarter of the way through the year!

This week has been a mad rush of work, a bit of holiday, a mixed up routine and in between all that, some haphazard perfume spritzing. From that you might guess that it has been hard for me to find time to write on this blog, hence my first post of April.

This is a bit of a random, whatever-comes-to-mind sort of post, which is just typical of the week that was, I'm afraid. I can hardly remember what I wore. 

I know that today I've worn By Kilian's Amber Oud. I know it was recently shortlisted for a Fifi award(?) - I certainly saw it mentioned on Basenotes somewhere. It seems to be really popular but it doesn't work particularly well on my skin and is a touch too sweet for my liking. Having just typed that, I realise that this statement is slightly contradictory, because I love Back to Black, from the same house, and it is certainly sweet. 

Yesterday I wore Oolang Infini by Atelier Cologne. It is fairly simple, in a pared-down sort of way, but smells very good nevertheless. It would work well in warmer weather I think.

That's where things get hazy. I know I tried Serge Lutens' La Fille de Berlin for the first time and that will be the subject of a separate post at some point, I think. My initial impression is that I like it and as many people have mentioned to date, it falls somewhere between the more mysterious and dark Rose de Nuit and the brighter, more in-your-face rosiness of Sa Majeste La Rose. That's all the perfume I can recall this week folks.

It's a busy few days that lie ahead. My wife Wendy has her birthday on Sunday (and is running a half marathon on the same day for good measure) while my younger daughter Daisy turns four on Monday. I'm taking quite a bit of holiday next week and in fact will only be working one and a half days all told! That's something to look forward to, it must be said.

As is fitting for one from England, one must mention the weather of course! It may be the 5th of April already, but blimey, it ain't half cold still! The temperatures this week have been colder than what we would usually expect for December and January. It is beyond a joke now. Roll on spring proper, is all I can say...

Atelier Cologne

I first tried a couple of perfumes from the Atelier Cologne line about two years ago, namely Bois Blonds and Orange Sanguine. My initial impression was so-so. Nice, but a bit simple and fleeting. Since then, I gave Orange Sanguine away and put Bois Blonds to one side. Far more recently my friend Cymbaline gave me samples of Oolang Infini and Trefle Pur. I enjoyed both so much that I dug out my older sample of Bois Blonds and tried it again. These are my updated impressions of those I have tried:

Orange Sanguine 

Ok, this is simply my impression of what I thought of it at the time. I recall it smelling lovely and orangey in the opening and then fading quickly to leave me feeling a little disappointed, not by the smell, but the longevity. I recall the orange being blood orange, which I think is a bit sweeter and possibly more fragrant than the 'usual' orange we know so well?

Bois Blonds

As with Orange Sanguine, I recall being a little underwhelmed two years ago. It smelled good, but very soft and close to the skin. Two years later, I am detecting far more of the subtle beauties in Bois Blonds. It is woody, in an understated way, but suffused with a greenness that is more herbal and dusty/leafy (a bit like a bay wood, I would venture, in the late, dry summer). I'm tempted to say it is a little like Comme de Garcons Monocle Laurel, but actually a lot better.

Oolang Infini

A lovely tea scent with a nice citrus kick to start. It has something of the feel of Bois Blonds, being fairly subtle too, and a green tinge as well. The tea note is as good as anything I have encountered in the genre, but confess to not having tried that many tea perfumes, so I guess it is a matter of opinion.

Trefle Pur

Trefle Pur was the one that surprised me the most. It opens with a very citrus burst, quite simple and clean, then a lovely spring green freshness emerges. That is possibly the clover accord, but irrespective, it is uplifting and joyous. After that, Trefle Pur seemed to disappear from my skin, only to emerge a bit later with what to me is an earthy, dry and even smoky accord, which surprised me no end. The notes mention moss and patchouli, and this must be what I am getting. Whatever, it is a nice twist and very enjoyable. To me, Trefle Pur was the most complex of the four.

So, overall, a revisit of Bois Blonds was overdue and very rewarding. The Atelier line is growing on me. As I said earlier, the perfumes are not loud, with minimal sillage, but they have a quiet and sophisticated presence that is both uplifting and even zen-like and contemplative to me.

If you haven't tried Atelier colognes, I would highly recommend searching out a few samples.

Image credit - http://www.punmiris.com/ 

Atelier Cologne - Orange Sanguine & Bois Blonds

I recently received two samples from the Atelier Cologne line, Orange Sanguine and Bois Blonds. The notes for Orange Sanguine include blood orange, bitter orange, jasmine, geranium, amber woods, sandalwood and tonka beans. The opening and heart of Orange Sanguine and pure and uplifting, as realistic orange notes as you are likely to find. I find the smell was like the whole grove - fruit, leaves and blossoms galore. The fragrance is simply constructed and all I detected in addition to the fruits was some light wood notes. Jasmine, Geranium, amber, sandalwood, tonka bean - they all escaped me. Lasting power is average, but for a cologne, albeit a slightly higher concentration I gather, par for the course. I like Orange Sanguine - the opening in particular is gorgeous and perfect for the summer months, and slightly different to the usual citrus suspects to warrant at least sampling. This is perfectly unisex.

The notes for Bois Blonds include neroli, pink pepper, orange flower, incense, light woods, musk and vetiver. I'll be honest with you - this to my nose is a dead ringer for Solo Loewe. I honestly don't think I could tell the two apart were I to wear them side by side. Not that that is necessarily a bad thing. Just that if you happen to own one or the other, then there is no point in trying the other, in my opinion. As I already have a few samples of Solo Loewe, I was disappointed with Bois Blonds. It's essentially a slightly spicy (pink peppercorns - when will these go away?), slightly citrusy (neroli) and lightly woody (who knows) perfume that smells perfectly alright, without really knocking my socks off. It tends more towards the masculine, and anyone who has tried a multitude of men's perfumes with the ubiquitous pink pepper in it, paired with citrus, musk and light woods, will have a fairly good inkling of what to expect. Perhaps this is damning with faint praise. I'll be honest - there are far worse versions of this type of perfume around, but it doesn't show me anything original and had I known what to expect, I would have tried something else from the Atelier line.


Image credit - http://mescosmetiquesbio.com/