Sample mania and a giveaway

Oh dear. I post one of these little laments from time to time - sample storage hell. Like a lot of you, I have accumulated a seriously large collection of samples, and try as I might, I can't seem to stay on top of them. Yesterday I cleared out all the samples from my desk drawers at work and was shocked to discover a great many more than I first thought I had. I ended up hauling home two shopping bags' worth! Now, that is just the tip of the iceberg, as I have far more than this at home. Looking at the corner of my bedroom, I have boxes, bags and storage drawers full of samples.

A couple of months ago I started cataloguing my samples, but lost the will at the 300 mark, knowing I had plenty more to go. What also complicated matters is that since then, I have given samples away, lent some to others to try and received plenty more. Now, I am not saying that I don't like collecting samples, don't get me wrong, but I do struggle to keep on top.

So, onto crunch time. I'd be interested to hear from anyone who has similar problems, or has solved such problem, and would also be interested to find out what storage and cataloguing solutions you have! And to top it all, I will randomly select a comment to win samples of the following Serge Lutens:

• Chergui
• Sa Majeste La Rose
• Gris Clair
• Feminite du bois
• Fleurs d'oranger
• Vitriol d'oeillet
• Arabie

I will also throw in two Annick Goutal samples, Passion and Le Mimosa, as well as a sample of the recently released Dueto Parfums, Lady Cool. Just ensure you provide me with a valid email address and I will contact the winner - comments open until midnight, UK time, on Wednesday 4 July.

Scent of the day - Parfumerie Generale Harmatan Noir

Today was an awfully humid, sticky, yucky day in Kent, England. Call me a grouch - I always complain about the weather here. Harmatan Noir seemed like an ideal scent to beat the humid horrors of a Thursday.

I've had a sample of Harmatan Noir for a long time and have always quite liked it, so was surprised at the number of negative reviews of the fragrance. I should say that I am not a huge fan of mint in perfume. Even some very good mint focused perfumes like Frederic Malle's Geranium Pour Monsieur and Cartier Roadster have me on the fence. 

Harmatan Noir opens with a very sweet shot of mint, too sweet, but it gets cut very quickly by a light smokiness and what smells like incense to me, before mellowing out into a green-and-mint tea with a touch of musk.

The Harmattan is a dry and dusty trade wind that blows from the Sahara and affects mainly West Africa. Smelling Harmatan Noir, it strikes me as neither very dry nor dusty (it's dangerous to think too literally, I know) and, thinking about it, not very dark either. So the name is a misnomer to me. If anything, I find Harmatan Noir to be quite a fresh and uplifting perfume, perfect as a pick me up for the sort of humid and warm weather I experienced today.

Guerlain Habit Rouge

I mentioned a couple of weeks ago that I had bought a bottle of Habit Rouge in a sale. The notes are extensive and include lemon, lime, bitter orange, mandarin, bergamot, rosewood, cinnamon, patchouli, pimento, basil, cedar, carnation, lavender, vanilla, amber, leather, benzoin, labdanum, olibanum and sandalwood.

Looking at these notes, it is no surprise then that Habit Rouge strikes me as the masculine counterpart to Shalimar, sharing notes like lemon, bergamot, vanilla and benzoin in particular. This is most evident in the early stages of development, when the zing and spiciness of the lemon and bergamot combine with the sweeter vanilla, a stage when Habit Rouge is at its most dandy. As it dries down, the more leathery and resinous facets come into play, but I detect the same structure throughout.

I chose Habit Rouge over Vetiver (I had been debating which to buy) primarily because I like it, of course, but also because it smells like no other perfume on the market. I understand that Habit Rouge has been reformulated, and also comes in a number of different concentrations or formulations. My bottle is the eau de toilette and smells very similar to how I recall it from a few years ago. The only change, possibly, is that the earlier version I smelled was a touch animalic, while the current version is a bit 'dustier' and drier.

While Habit Rouge is more masculine than Shalimar, I think it is perfectly wearable by a woman. In fact, I suspect there are probably a good few men out there who wouldn't wear it for fear of it not being masculine enough, but perhaps that is a bit presumptuous of me. One thing is clear however, and that is that I have no regret in buying one of the great classic men's Guerlain fragrances.

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

Parfum d'Empire Azemour

Yesterday I wore Parfum d'Empire's Azemour again. My initial impressions of it, back in February can be found here. 

I still think Azemour is a very decent perfume, but find that my skin seems to eat it up very quickly. The initial half an hour is wonderful, with the oily, fragrant orange oil full of zing and zest. However, after that it dies down to a very muted, lightly spiced skin scent, at least on me. I've recently read reviews commenting on the cumin facet of this perfume and while I do detect some spice, including a touch of cumin, it is by no means a cumin-fest on me. Having said that, I have a high tolerance for cumin and love cumin-heavy perfumes such as Declaration and Kingdom, so perhaps it is just me.

What I need is an Azemour Intense, me thinks...

A midsummer night's nightmare

The 20th of June was the summer solstice in the northern hemisphere. Forget about new-age druids dancing around Stonehenge, the bright rays of sun skimming the horizon. Forget about elfin characters and pixies gliding through verdant glades. Instead, if you live in the UK, the midsummer night's dream turns swiftly into the midsummer night's nightmare, as the wind howls across the land, threatening to tear up trees in full leaf and rain floods southern villages and summer music festivals. That's Britain for you.

Now that I've vented my spleen, frustrated at our lack of summer, I don't have anything more exciting to say, other than today I wore no perfume at all. It happens occasionally, especially when work hits its peak and for some reason, I can't bear to wear anything when I'm in a bad mood.

The good news is that I am not really in such a bad mood. It's Friday night and and at least we have a weekend to enjoy!

Scent of the day - Teo Cabanel Alahine

Teo Cabanel Alahine is a gem of a perfume, a sample of which I received kind courtesy of Cymbaline. 

I've read quite a few reviews of Alahine in the past and most describe it as a cozy, feminine amber-and-ylang perfume. I have to say that while it does possess warmth from the oriental-style amber, it does have a resinous 'tang' to it that is almost incense-like at times. I think it is a wonderfully balanced perfume.

I don't know what it is about Alahine, but it possesses something that reminds me (but nothing really alike) of Serge Lutens' Feminite Du Bois, but with less cedar-plum facets and more ylang-ylang and resins. There is something common to both though and I can't quite place it.

While Alahine is feminine, I have to say that I feel I have no difficulty in managing to wear this. At no point do I feel self-conscious. Today was a cooler, rainier day in England and Alahine felt very well suited to such a day. I see it as more of a cooler weather fragrance.

Scents of the day - DS & Durga Petitgrain and The Different Company Sel De Vetiver

Today was one of those rare days in England - a warm sunny day. I needed cheering up this morning, so sprayed Sel de Vetiver on one wrist and DS & Durga Petitgrain on the other. 

I've reviewed both these beauties before, so don't aim to say much here, except that I think Sel de Vetiver is an absolute modern classic. One of my all-time favourites. On a warm, slightly humid day, it sings and hums along, feeling refreshing without ever smelling like a hackneyed marine scent from the nineties.

DS & Durga Petitgrain hits it out of the park as well. It is a citrus scent that has excellent longevity and lasting power. Another thing I love about it is that the petitgrain smell lasts for the duration - it does moderate of course, but it still manages to retain an element of that zingy, slightly bitter petitgrain smell, lightly sweetened and rounded off with woods. Gorgeous.