Voleur de Roses by Michel Almairac for L`Artisan Parfumeur 1993

Hello Happy Huffers,

Just yesterday my mate Michael was at a perfume sale in Sydney and I got the call, “they have some L’Artisan on sale mate. Not a lot left and some is sprayed is there anything you want?” What a question! So there are a couple of L’Artisans that often go in the shopping basket but get ousted for other beauties at checkout time. Does anyone else do that? Fill your basket and then go back through deleting till it’s how much you want to spend? This L’Artisan has been on my want list for a long time, I love how it smells but even the name is lovely and sinuous like a line in a poem,

Voleur de Roses by L`Artisan Parfumeur 1993

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured notes in one line:
Patchouli, rose, plum

Perfume is a funny thing, everyone gets a different piece of the fragrance pie and what can smell naughty and indecent to one can ofdten smell pastel and washed out to another. Recently I put on the Facebook board FFF that I was wearing Voleur de Roses, “Currently wafting the gentle wash of Voleur de Roses by L`Artisan Parfumeur. It’s so tasteful and nice, I feel like a very good boy.” This sums up my experience with the fragrance perfectly. I get the softest, prettiest aqua tint style wash of fragrance. It is a lovely plummy rose as if you were standing inside the house with roses scent being blown in by the breeze, yes that soft. There is so much air between the notes and it sits so close to my body after an hour that it can surprise me when it huffs up my shirt later in the day because I forget I’m wearing it.

When I first spritz Voleur de Roses it smells like it might be going down the SJP Lovely road but it quickly diverts to this soft fruity rose with a super clean patchouli and a very laundry musky cuddliness. I wonder if we use something different in our laundry that other countries don’t because what I’m getting is clean, the idea of clean and airy space. Pretty linear after the initial rush it does stay around for about 4-5 hours but not in a big way.

Photo Stolen Tracie Hall Flickr

Thinking about who or where I could imagine Voleur de Roses being worn? Totally unisex and it smells amazing on my BFF Kath, though both my Aunties turned their noses well up at it on them while liking it very much on me, and soft enough but unusual enough to help you stand out quietly (funny but Now Smell This has the same idea but better expressed) and it could be a terrific date night fragrance, I’ll let you know on that score. Definitely sheer enough to be office friendly, even in the most frag phobic work spaces but it will give the message that you are quietly, and wonderfully, different from the many department store fragrance wearers.

Photo Stolen T.Kiya Flickr

Further reading: Bois de Jasmine and Now Smell This
Parfum1 has $145/100ml
Beauty Encounter has $145/100ml
Surrender To Chance starts at $4/ml

How does Voleur de Roses smell on you?
See you tomorrow,
Portia x

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Les Nombre’s D’Or: Vanille by Mona Di Orio 2011

Hey there Niche Nerds,

Don’t forget to enter our Anya’s Garden Giveaway <<<<<JUMP

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Petitgrain, clove, rum, bitter orange
Heart: Vetiver, sandalwood, guaiac wood, ylang-ylang
Base: Amber, tonka bean, vanille, tolu balsam, leather, musk

The box and bottle are the first things you notice about Vanille. They are both so beautiful, sturdy, hefty and both also have a feeling that the creator is fueled by an ascetic of simple, elegant, design and longevity, this lovely glass brick and lid is completed by the useless but interesting, and intrinsic to its look of utter completeness, wire cage and ring pull. I find myself reaching for the joy of the box and bottle as much as I do for the juice inside, which is no less lovely, complete, designed and created.

Photo Stolen Mona di Orio

Before doing this review I had not looked at a note list except in passing in preparation for my purchase after going through a decant at light speed. When I saw a nearly full bottle being sold very reasonably on facebook I jumped on it. Since its arrival it has had the second most skin time of any fragrance in my wardrobe and I reach for it even more often without spritzing, just to enjoy its whole beauty. So it was quite a surprise to come back now and find that loads of people are talking about the amazing top note of bitter orange, which I now completely get. Ha ha ha the joke is on me, I had NO IDEA. My nose gave me only the spicy, fizzy, citrus like clove and some booze on a sweet vanilla and amber. I knew there was much more and the smokiness, earth and woods were more like the dying embers of a BarBQ for me than specifics. I felt the darkness, soared with the sensual ylang and dug down into the grounding vetiver without knowing what or why, Vanille is beyond lovely. It’s interesting, full of twists and turns that unexpectedly jump somewhere new but through it all I find it wearable, unchallenging, accessible and comfortable.

Photo Stolen TheCoastNZ

Surprisingly Vanille is becoming my comfortable jeans and favourite hoody. I have sometimes said a fragrance feels like a hug, this is a bear hug under a blanket with the one you love on a rainy day where you have cancelled all plans and have oodles of yummy leftovers and an endless supply of delicious teas, coffee and hot chocolate, and LOADS of Ferrero Rocher. I can wear it to slum, dine, relax, go out and stay home sniffing the story. I urge you to try Vanille and then come tell me if you enjoyed it. It’s pretty enough to gift a non perfumista and intriguing enough to keep a hard core perfumista entertained for hours.

EXTRA: I did a side by side throw down of Vanille MdO and Vanille Absolument L’Artisan the other day. The MdO is more interesting and has a better journey but the L’Artisan is warm amber, vanilla and booze all the way through, it’s richer, grander and sticks like glue in a very linear progression. Of the two I still find MdO a more relaxed and comfortable fit but L’Artisan has done an excellent job if you are thinking about grabbing it before it disappears forever.

Photo Stolen WikiMedia

Further reading: Olfactoria’s Travels takes us beautifully through the scent and Scents Of Self talks of Mona di Orio.
Parfum1 has $230/100ml (and I tell you to join their mailing list for the 20% Discount coupons that come every so often)
Surrender To Chance starts at $7/ml

Have you tried the Mona di Orio scents? Which did you like? Do you have a favourite vanilla other than this? I love them and want to know more.

See you tomorrow,
Portia xx

Tea for Two by L’artisan: A Beauty Habit Love Story

Heya Ladies and Gents,

Long before I tried this little pretty I was reading about it, Tania Sanchez gives it three grudging stars and writes, “Probably a better room fragrance than a personal perfume and, judged as an attempt at modernising the Oriental genre, completely trounced by Fendi’s … Theorema. Still, not bad.” in Perfumes, The Guide: so clearly she missed something that so many others love, and for a while I also missed its beauty. I had a couple of samples that got used but I wasn’t madly crazy for it. Then Undina from Undina’sLookingGlass sent me a generous decant in a spritz bottle and everybody’s love for it suddenly became clear. It is fresh and deep and nuanced, mysterious, glamorous and very beautiful. WOW!! What? DISCONTINUED!!!!

Isn’t it the same dreadful story we read, hear, find out at the counter. Here is my APJ post on Tea for Two written last year. Clearly, in my mind anyway, Tea for Two was either unable to be produced due to new IFRA regs or it was a crap seller, either way I was saddened and have been seriously eeking out my decant ever since. In truth trying not to bemoan its lack, or even think about having a bottle. Some things aren’t meant to be, right?

Tea for Two by Olivia Giacobetti for L’artisan Parfumeur: A Love Story

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives the featured accords as:
Top: Bergamot, star anise, tea
Heart: Cinnamon, ginger, spices, gingerbread
Base: Honey, vanilla, leather, tobacco

Then something extraordinary happened while in LA at Scentsation. It was lunch time at BeautyHabit and most of the crew were off having the fabulous tacos and chips and OMG SO YUMMY!! Then someone mentioned that there was a Tea for Two Tester still in the tester section, off like a brides nighty was I. Spritz, Spritz AAAAAHHHH. This stuff is magic! Smoky, rich, resinous and milky spiced tea wafting gloriously, so I did the unthinkable.

Approaching one of the lovely sisters who run BeautyHabit, “Hi, you know this is discontinued, don’t you?”….. “Even if they bring it back they will definitely have to reformulate it to be industry approved now.”…. “Would you consider SELLING me this tester please?”….. “I understand that you don’t sell testers but this is a special case, discontinued, unrereleasable as is and one of my FAVOURITES!!”….. “No, you’re right. I understand. I know, sure. No worries, if you EVER decide to sell it please keep me in mind. You know I want to buy it, yes?”……. “Ok, thanks” Well, I tried, unsuccessfully but at least I could not worry that I hadn’t tried.

So we shopped, I purchased a Sarah Horowitz Parfum and an i Profumi di Firenze that I will write about later. Everyone had lunch and we got on the bus, laughing and talking about what a super day it was. Everyone received a gift from BeautyHabit and mine was the Pineider (one of my new fave brands) Estratto di Colonia. They even gave away a Serge Lutens BELL JAR!! These were serious prizes for amazed perfumistas! As the bus pulled out there was a bustle, rush and knocking on the door from outside.

The BeautyHabit girls had decided to GIFT me the Tea for Two!!!!!

Though I made light of it at the time I was and am deeply touched by their gift. I have worn Tea for Two quite a lot since acquiring it from BeautyHabit and it has not disappointed. It is the most worn so far since I got it and not just because it is a super killer scent but every time I spritz I think of the amazing time we all had a the Perfume Posse Scentsation.

So please, do me a favour. Next time you are thinking of an online shopping spree for anything fragrance or beauty related, try BeautyHabit(<<<JUMP) because they have an excellent selection, are fun, sexy, generous and ship to the world: and they went out of their way to put a super duper smile on my already smiling face.

See you tomorrow,
Portia xx

Leaving for India! What fragrances did I pack?

Hey Crew,

It’s time to pack bags and jet off again.I have written and sent all my Trivias to the girls. There are some REALLY curly Q&A this time ladies. The APJ family has worked overtime to make sure all their contributions are ready to launch while I’m gone, they’ve all been edited and pictures, notes and all the frills have been added and linked. THANK YOU GUYS!! My clothes are all washed, the beds are changed, food has been bought, prepared and frozen and I am almost ready to go. The plane leaves at 10.15 and I am writing to you from 2pm. How organised is that? Normally I’m throwing crap in my bags as we should be leaving.

This trip I know there wont be much fragrance shopping like in Europe or LA sop I’ve decided to do a decant set for my travels 5ml & 8ml. It’s always so hard to choose and today is no exception. So what made the cut?

Ava Luxe Tuberose Diabolique Parfum
Caron Royal Bain de Caron
L’Artisan Parfumeur Cote d’Amour
Iunx Splash Forte Friction de Iunx
Jean Paul Gaultier Fleur de Male
Tauer L’Air Du Desert Marocain

I am also taking from Neela Vermeire Creations a bottle of Bombay Bling. How could I not? And a Vintage Chanel No 5 Parfum.

So I just watched this video below and I’m crying like a baby, its been nearly three years since I’ve been back to India am I’m so excited to get back and see my buddy and his family and the magic that is India. I can almost smell it it’s so real in this little Incredible India ad. I can’t believe I’m going back……

See you tomorrow!!
Portia xxx

All photos stolen from the Incredible India Campaigns

Safran Troublant by L’Artisan Parfumeur 2002

Hello Fellow Fume Heads,

Sometimes I read other people’s reviews and I am swept away by their incredible love, moment, articulateness or sheer joy at a perfume. It’s like the love is transferred by osmosis through their excitement. Safran Troublant is a case in point, I read a terrific post and could almost smell the fragrance while reading, at that same time I was ordering some splits from my favourite split enabler, Ruth K on FFF, and wondered if she had a bottle lying around that she would like to share 5ml of. Oh yes she did, in its old packaging and everything. YIPPEE!

Fragrantica has Bertrand Duchaufour and BaseNotes has Olivia Giacobetti responsible for creating Safran Troublant. Mystery!!

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords in one line:
Passion flower, sandalwood, red rose, vanilla, saffron, sugar and ginger.

What a terrific scent. It is so calm, collected and unpushy. When I wear Safran Troublant it encases me is a glorious and interesting magic that is sweet and delicious without being particularly edible, though foody it is. Does that make sense? The spicy rose, ginger and vanilla are what I smell most through the whole life of the fragrance but I think the saffron is just not a note I’m familiar enough with to really understand how it fits here. Sometimes people mention that there is a clean plastic-ish smell to it, well I often find that in roses too, are they the same? Is it a particular molecule that gives me this reaction? Dunno gang but I love it.

Photo Stolen EdibleCrafts

Some of the bloggers have called this a comfort scent, a warm blanket to wrap yourself in on a cool day but I find it much more aloof than that. It’s a cool Autumn day filled with rain here in Sydney and I am not feeling the warm wrap effect at all. Sweet, yes, warm, no. Rather a cool sweetness, a green sweetness, Safran Troublant feels like an expensive sweetness that relies on sophistication and prior knowledge to enjoy it fully. Like Bach, so pretty and intricate to listen to but when you start to study him it becomes a math equation, a geometric vision in sound. L’Artisan is often like that for me. Very pretty and wearable by almost everyone till you start to try and dissect what it is you love and it is so far out of my knowledge realms that all I can do is go back to, “I really enjoy how I feel when I wear it.” Curiously, I smell it for hours and hours but the people around me say it’s too faint to discern, interesting huh?

Photo Stolen LayoutSparks

You will not skunk your colleagues or dinner guests even if you, like me, spritz with abandon. Safran Troublant is an introverted perfumistas scent, not that you are unsmellable but it flies under the radar.

Further reading GrainDeMusc and the reason I got my hands on some Safran Troublant was the recent post at Kafkaesque
L’Artisan Parfumeur has 100ml/$145
Libertine Perfumes in Australia has 100ml/$169 including postage in Australia. Good deal!
SurrenderToChance starts at $4/ml

Has it ever happened for you? Read a review and can’t help but buy the fragrance? Which fragrances have you done it for and are you happy with your purchase?
Till tomorrow we wish you only good,
Portia xx

Coeur de Vetiver Sacre by L’Artisan Parfumeur 2010 and Be Nice!

Hello Everyone,

Sometimes when I read or see things on other people’s blogs or around the internet I then want to share them with you all. From one of my daily blog indulgences Sadie&Daisy here is just one of those things. Sadie&Daisy is a quick look blog, every day they pick a theme and post three photos. Sometimes it’s their photos and sometimes they use found pictures. Every day they are interesting. Sorry, no fragrance stuff today.

Coeur de Vetiver Sacre by L’Artisan Parfumeur 2010

Oh OK, I’m wearing an enormous couple of spritzes of L’Artisan Parfumeur’s Coeur de Vetiver Sacre over the fading embers of Lalique EdT which I have been using lately to finish my decant. I wish they had not discontinued Coeur de Vetiver Sacre but Thank Goodness TSO Jin picked up 100ml while we were in Paris at Galleries Lafayette for only 35 Euro because they are discontinuing. EXCELLENT SCORE!!

Karine Vinchon Spehner created L’Artisan Parfumeur’s Coeur de Vetiver Sacre in 2010 and it can’t have been a super seller for it to already be going to bye byes. Their line reads that it was hoped that three major accords would be produced through the fragrance lifespan, sparkling, spicy and smoky. That’s pretty much how it works and I love it, especially when Jin wears it. Great scent for him.

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords in one line:
Bergamot, orange, black tea, pepper, ginger, coriander, saffron, dates, dried apricot, incense, osmanthus, rose, iris, vanilla, vetiver, tarragon, sandalwood, white cedar, guaiac wood, amber, tonka , labdanum, castoreum and musk.

Till tomorrow, please read this sign and take heed.

Love,
Portia xx

Photo Stolen Sadie&Daisy

Cote d’Amour by Celine Ellena for L’Artisan Parfumeur 2009

Hello lovelies,

Do you ever go and check out SurrenderToChance Daily Chance Specials? I try and have a quick squiz a couple of times a week because sometimes you can grab a bargain on things that slipped under your radar, were too expensive originally, you wanted but forgot or were always in your wish list. Here is one such find that I read about when it was released, was interested, didn’t get immediately, forgot. Same old story, with thousands of fragrance releases each year some really excellent stuff is bound to get swamped by bigger advertising budgets.

Cote d’Amour by L’Artisan Parfumeur

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Salt flower, green tangerine, pink grapefruit
Heart: Dune immortal flower, rosemary, cypress, gorse blossom, rose, broom, heather
Base: Laburnum, maritime pine, floated wood.

Super Luxe Spa is how I would describe Cote d’Amour. There is a beachy, seaside, relaxed ambience about it that instantly brings a smile and sigh of contentment. The salty and sweet/acidic citrus opening warms into a light, dry, breezy floral on my skin alongside a herbaceous bouquet with a little old fashioned suntan lotion thrown in for good measure. The fresh vanilla dry down happens around 3-4 hours and is so unusual in itself with whispers of the green woodsy notes and salt shimmering against each other in the background. Then Cote d’Amour leaves me with a very faint salt skin tang for another hour or so before I completely lose it.

Photo Stolen MasterLife

An card carrying, certified, eco friendly, natural and organic perfume! WOW! There is another on L’Artisan’s lists L’Eau de Jatamansi that is more Natural-In-Your-Face smelling but until I read on the net that this was a natural fragrance I had no idea, for a L’Artisan this gets quite a long life span too. Cote d’Amour is interesting, unusual and pretty while maintaining a completely unisex wearability, if I were a one perfume per season type of person this could very easily be my summer choice, or to remind me of the scents of beachside summer holidays. I think you could happily wear Cote d’Amour anywhere, including close office work unless they are severely fragrance phobic.

Sadly it seems that they have discontinued Cote d’Amour on the L’Artisan website but it’s still available very reasonably at some discounters online.

Photo Stolen IndependantVoyager

Further reading KatiePuckrikSmells
eGlobalBeauty has 250ml/$145 including shipping
SurrenderToChance starts at 1ml/$3

Did you try Cote d’Amour? What do you think about eco friendly fragrance?

Having survived the end of the Mayan calendar I wonder what kinds of change we can all expect? I’m hoping that schools, hospitals, libraries and universities will be given more than enough money every year and that all spending on warmongering will cease due to lack of interest and need. I doesn’t hurt to put it out there.
See you tomorrow.
Portia xx

Tea For Two by Olivia Giacobetti for L’Artisan Parfumeur 2000

Hiya Stink Monkeys!!

,I have been reading about Tea For Two on blogs, trying it irregularly and when it was discontinued there was wailing, tearing of hair and gnashing of teeth by perfumistas all over this lovely globe. I have tried it a few times, a spritz here or a dab there, and never been enamoured by it. Not that I didn’t like it, I did. There just seemed to be so many other fragrances that I was more charmed or captivated by. Perfumes that I NEEDED to own a bottle or large decant of and thought that life without would be unbearable, you know, general frag hag drill. So when the lovely Undina, from Undina’sLookingGlass, sent a generous sample with some other stuff recently T42 got shunted aside in preference for things more top of mind, till yesterday and now today.

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives the featured accords as:
Top: Bergamot, star anise, tea
Heart: Cinnamon, ginger, spices, gingerbread
Base: Honey, vanilla, leather, tobacco

I love the fresh yet warm opening where the bergamot shimmers over the anise which is warm and breathy and surprisingly sweet, like the gingerbread is already there warm from the oven, and the honey and vanilla seem to be floating around nearby also. This fragrance is what I think of when I think of a gourmand, my mouth has been watering since I sprayed earlier in the day and I want cookies and cakes so bad. Not to mention a hot steaming cup of tea. Back in a moment….

Photo Stolen dorisday.net

Don’t get me wrong, though this is sweet the tea holds everything in check so it doesn’t become annoying or sickly. Olivia Giacobetti has walked a very fine line and I know the notes don’t say it but I have something very white flowers going on too, maybe orange blossom (just read in BoisDeJasmin that it is! Fist Punch! Woo Hoo!), that buttery warm human scent plays background for the first couple of hours when Tea For Two is strongest on my skin. The smoky tar laden tea so spicy and strong is just given the lightest touch of cream and then the leather comes rolling in, across and through softly but decisively to give heft and depth to the lovely cuddly sweet vanilla and tobacco. Then somewhere between 4-6 hours, depending on the day etc, my skin eats all remnants of having worn fragrance at all.

Photo Stolen huntington.org

Not a sillage monster but you are definitely fragrant and do leave a lovely bright trail behind you that lasts a touch more that a moment, just enough time to tantalise, though this is more a warm comfort scent than a come hither and get you summa this. Perfectly acceptable to wear anywhere except frag phobic offices, even when spritzed with abandon.

BoiseDeJasmin for further reading and PerfumeSmellingThings does a hilarious husband and wife take, must read!
eGlobalBeauty has 100ml delivered $135
SurrenderToChance starts at 1ml/$4

So thank you Undina from Undina’sLookingGlass for another MUST OWN fragrance, you are an enchantress and and enabler and I thank you from the bottom of my heart for making me go back and retry Tea For Two.

What are you wafting? Is there tea in it? Do you have a favourite Tea-centric fragrance? Share with us in the comments please.

Till tomorrow we wish you the good stuff you wish for yourselves and a moment of magic,
Love,
Portia xx

Piment Brulant By Bertrand Duchaufour for L’Artisan Parfumeur 2002

Hey Perfume Junkies,

It feels like it’s not a week without a L’Artisan Parfumeur review. Today we are looking at an extremely discreet fragrance from their range, it starts out super fireworks but very quickly becomes an alluring skin scent, just enough to make you smell better than ever but not enough to pick unless you are very, very close. It’s like a reward for getting that close.

Photo Stolen L’Artisan Parfumeur

The L’Artisan Parfumeur site says:
Piment Brûlant was inspired by the Aztec drink of xocotatl, the bitter cocoa and chili drink beloved of the warrior king Montezuma. He was reputed to drink fifty cups a day. This is an aphrodisiac blend of cocoa, vanilla, clove and poppy all tempered with the fire and bite of chili. Surprisingly green and fresh on the skin, this wonderful study in contrasts brings the skin alive.

Photo Stolen flavors.me/marchudgins

Fragrantica gives these featured notes/accords all in a line:
Amber, cinnamon, musk, poppy, vanilla, dark chocolate, cacao, clove and chili pepper

What do I smell? I love the opening of Piment Brulant, it’s like that first cut into a Bell Pepper, we call it Capsicum in Australia, a fresh green, wet and herbaceous smell. This lasts about 10-20 minutes depending on the day but is gradually joined by spicy chocolate, not a sweet chocolate, nor an edible one yet, but an unrefined cocoa-ish will be chocolate. It’s almost like the fragrance is fighting itself with a very treble capsicum and this dark undertone. As the fragrance lives on my skin the two separate shades move together as the amber & vanilla weave their way through to the top of the pile making it all smell extremely good but not bakery style, did I mention that up super close you get the cinnamon but less so from far away.

Now at about the 1 hour point the whole fragrance kind of eats itself and becomes so close to the skin that it’s almost undetectable unless you are close or you stick your head in your top and breathe deep. This stage lasts indefinitely, I can never tell when it has truly gone but TSO Jin has still been able to smell traces the morning after if I wear 5 spritzes.

Photo Stolen L’Artisan Parfumeur

I love the freshness, the sprightly, springy, gorgeousness of Piment Brulant that is absolutely guaranteed to lift my mood. It fits well with warm weather but will also sit pretty on you in cool. Not too strong for work as long as there is no ANTI PERFUME LEAGUE there and I love to wear it for dinner and date night.

If you’re looking for other reviews NowSmellThis and EauMG
eGlobalBeauty has 50ml/$93 or 100ml/$131 including worldwide delivery!
SurrenderToChance has decants from $4/ml

What do you love in the world of spicy green fragrances? Does chocolate do it for you? Could you see yourself in this dizzying mixture? Where would you wear it?
I want to take a moment to thank you for your continued support, it means a lot to all of us at APJ that you have chosen to become part of our fragrance family, see you tomorrow,

Portia xx

Seville a l’Aube by Bertrand Duchaufour for L Artisan Parfumeur 2012

Hey Fume Freaks,

Today I have finally had a moment to give to a fragrance hugely anticipated. I was worried because the build up has been so extraordinary that I felt dwarfed by the sheer weight of prose already directed at it, about it, a book was written of the creation of it and the moment it was inspired by. What could I add? Then I was lucky enough to win a sample from the author of the book The Perfume Lover and scent muse for this fragrance, Denyse Beaulieu of Grain de Musc. I feel it would be churlish to not at least give my fumbling impressions and add to the well deserved clamour surrounding another L’Artisan Parfumeur and Bertrand Duchaufour masterpiece.

Photo Stolen L’Artisan Parfumeur

Fragrantica gives these notes:
Top: Petit grain, olive blossom
Heart: Lavender, orange blossom, beeswax, tobacco
Base: Benzoin, olibanum (frakincense)

What do I small? The opening is green, but a warm woody green that in a short while sings with orange and beeswax that already resonates with the frankincense and benzoin. The lavenders create an interesting, almost manly, depth and the whole manages to stay fresh and herbaceous throughout. The orange blossom and tobacco, I think, meld at some points to smell like there is another person with you. It’s uncanny, I keep expecting a hug from behind.Having read the novel I can see the progression but I would love this fragrance even had I not. I smell like sexy, holy, oranges!

Photo Stolen BookDepository

The staying power is excellent, I wake up with subtle but recognisable wafts of orange and soft vanilla after wearing for dinner and 8 hours of sleep. The sillage is good but not extreme. I was able to eat dinner without it interfering with my palette but TSO Jin could smell it and liked it.

CandyPerfumeBoy, NowSmellThis, BoisDeJasmin, all do amazing reviews filled with stories and information I can only hint at.
LuckyScent sells 100ml for $165 and ships worldwide
BookDepository sells The Perfume Lover book around $20 including delivery worldwide!

Besides the fact that this is a wonderful fragrance, I love that a blogger’s dream has come true in so many ways. Published book, worked with one of the world’s most respected and loved perfumers, was the muse for a fragrance and is now traveling doing book and fragrance talks and launches. It doesn’t get much better than that.

Please do try it and tell me how you liked Seville a l’Aube by L’Artisan Parfumeurs,

Portia xx