M. Micallef Note Vanillée

I could write tomes on the joys of discovering new, unique and magnificent lines of perfume. In the midst of an arduous, taxing, and draining day, to rummage through my poorly organized samples and find something as exquisite as M. Micallef Les Notes is like a ray of light upon a dark storm. And the storm clouds lifted considerably when I tested this incredibly gorgeous vanilla fragrance: Note Vanillée. "Oh my!" is all I can utter as I fan myself and ponder how to get my hands on more of this beauty.

As my love of perfume has solidified, I find myself searching for "perfects." The perfect musk, the perfect amber, the perfect citrus ... you get the picture. As elusive as the Holy Grail, perfects don't come along very often and many times are replaced with a new release. My dears, I believe we have in our midst the perfect vanilla. Walk on by L'Artisan Vanilia, Serge Lutens Un Bois Vanille, L'Aromarine Vanille, and (dare I say!) Il Profumo Vanille Bourbon, as lovely as all of them are in their own right. Note Vanillée strikes the perfect balance between rich, sweet, sensual and boozy. I would be remiss if I did not list the text on M. Micallef's website. It is as follows:

"The new Perfume of Parfums M. Micallef is like a symphony of a grand perfume orchestra.
At first there are the Mandarin’s and Hesperide.The heart note is based on Jasmine and valuable Flowers. These will create the very special Perfume Note of this Scent.
Santal, Amber, Bourbon-Vanilla, Cognac and Rum will round off the whole composition.
A new Masterpiece is born."

One sniff of my wrist and I am transported to the most decadent of bakeries, my grandmother's kitchen, a cozy lit fire on a cold evening and a hot cup of tea after a long day of snow skiing. I mention all of these images not for their olfactory qualities, but for their soothe-the-soul qualities. Note Vanillée is a comfort scent on the grandest of scales. I have always found vanilla to be comforting with its rich sweetness. Note Vanillée is so beautifully composed that it creates its own melody, without need for other notes. It lacks the smokey/woodsy qualities of several of its contemporaries. Rather the combination of citrus, jasmine, amber and rum create a lush, boozy scent that I find utterly irrestistable.

M. Micallef Note Vanillée is available here. A 75mL bottle retails for 117€ and 150mL bottle retails for 156€.

Image source: mmicallef.com, kitsixteen.co.uk

M. Micallef Les Notes

For my next few reviews, I have decided to feature the three newest scents from M. Micallef, Les Notes. Rather than lump them all into one piece, which is too time consuming and ultimately detracts from each scent's beauty, I will write short snippets on each over the course of the next week. Stay tuned for today's feature - Note Vanillée.

Image source: mmicallef.com

Perfume for the Occasion: Holiday Parties

With Halloween just around the corner, dinner parties, casual get-togethers, wine tastings, cookie bake-offs and formal corporate holiday parties will be upon us very quickly as well. When Divina of Fragrance Bouquet and I were discussing the occasion of the month, this topic seemed like a great idea to both of us. How do you pick a fragrance appropriate to wear for these occasions?

I did some research on my own by polling a few perfumistas. Much to my surprise, I found answers to run the gamut. "It depends upon the weather" was a very popular answer. Okay, elusive enough considering October, November and December weather varies throughout the world. Here, they are arguably the most beautiful months of the year with sunny days and cool nights, very light jacket required. That coupled with personal preferences make brainstorming a hard and fast list nearly impossible. Still, I offer a few suggestions based upon my own preferences and those of others.

Dinner parties

Semi-formal to casual affairs in a friend or associate's home. Because the focus is food and drink, a fragrance with less sillage is optimum unless your scent matches the menu, akin to Chandler Burr's opulent evenings. Light, low sillage florals or delicate gourmand fragrances work best in these situations. I have chosen a few that suffice from various fragrance families, depending upon your preferences:

• Frederic Malle Le Parfum de Thérèse - For a more formal party where you want to be noticed. An uplifting, cool, clean and very French fragrance. With a nutmeg note, perfect for the holidays!
  
  
• Guerlain Chant d'Aròmes - An understated and beautifully composed chypre that will not overwhelm you or those around you.
  
  
• L'Artisan Parfumeur Jour de Fête (new formulation) - A holiday tradition in my home since I can remember is to make candied almonds and pecans and display them throughout the kitchen and dining room in holiday decorated bowls. It creates a warm atmosphere and a sweet, nutty scent. This fragrance reminds me of the savory snack. A soft, bitter almond based gourmand with vanilla.
  
  
• Maitre Parfumeur et Gantier Soie Rouge - A surprisingly quiet skin scent featuring carnation, pepper and fruit. Short staying power for me, so make sure to spritz just before the party.
  
  
• Miller Harris Coeur d'Eté - Another slight whisper of a scent; light and delicate gourmand floral.
  
  
• Serge Lutens Rousse - A "well behaved" cinnamon scent that will serve only to augment the spicy dishes and sweet desserts you will devour.
  
  

Cookie Parties

No other scent comes close to Parfumerie General Un Crime Exotique for this category. It smells of the most scrumptious, fresh out of the oven gingerbread cookies. Enjoy!

Update (10/9/07): Thanks to Divina, I add Etro Heliotrope for this occasion. Delightfully sweet, nostalgic and comforting, Heliotrope will only augment a festive home filled with the delicious aroma of warm cookies.

Corporate or more formal Holiday Parties

Classic, opulent and sparkling scents are deemed most appropriate for these events. While you do not want to offend other party-goers, you certainly want to make a good olfactory impression. The scents from my collection that always deliver are:

• Chanel No. 5 Parfum or EDP - For those who can wear this, it is an incredibly soft, stunning fragrance. Classic and sparkling enough for any black dress.
  
  
• Escada Collection - Simply gorgeous, surprisingly subtle gourmand oriental.
  
  
• Frederic Malle Carnal Flower - The most refined tuberose scent I own. If you have not yet tried it and you like creamy tuberose, you must give Carnal Flower a whirl. Its refinement and stunning beauty make it a perfect choice for an event!
  
  
• Jean Paul Gaultier Classique - A floriental with pizazz and come-hither qualities. A mainstay in my collection and a fantastic choice for winter events.

Enjoy your upcoming events, from the very casual to the formal. A general rule of thumb that will always serve you is to match the description of your scent to the description of the evening. And if your description is any less than captivating, why waste your precious time attending?

Fresh New Look!

For the Love of Perfume has a fresh new look! As a result of a strange white box at the top of my previous template, I played around with settings in an effort to remove it. In the process, I discovered this template which I find much easier to read and more appealing overall. Look for "Perfume for the Occasion" to be posted on Monday. Both Divina and I have come up with a great topic, sure to please! Have a fabulous, fragrant weekend!

Gianni Campagna Vento Canale

Why didn't I smell this swoon-worthy creation before I devised my Fall Top 5? This one could be entrusted with the honor of holy grail for Fall! I am infatuated with this scent from an elite Italian designer. A few facts regarding its loveliness. Vento Canale is:

• Italian (like my husband)


• Reminiscent of Sicily (where I spent a portion of my honeymoon)


• Warm, slightly spicy, cozy and creamy (all qualities that I adore in scent)


• Artistic (need I say more?)


• Neither masculine nor feminine (so I can share with Mr. TMH and we'll both smell amazing)
  

The appeal to the sensibilities of one fiery Irish woman endures and yet I know that I am not alone in my adoration of this scent. A long thread on the MakeupAlley perfume board confirms, Vento Canale has many of us scrambling to find more.

So who is Gianni Campagna? He is a tailor turned designer who received his inspiration from watching classic Hollywood films at the Taormina, Sicily film festival. He desired to create similarities to the images he saw on the big screen - actors in fashionable suits and jackets. He has turned that vision into success and now designs clothing that attracts many celebrities including Pierce Brosnan and Sharon Stone. Read more here.

Now, let us discuss the scent. Firstly, the notes are admirable and mysterious. They include the following:

• Head: caribbean rum, clary sage, carrot seeds, davana
• Heart: cedar, lily
• Base: curry herb, ambra, tobacco, musk, honey, raspberry, vanilla, cacao, pine balm, vetiver

With a boozy, intoxicating beginning no doubt underscored by rum, Vento Canale vaguely reminds me of Escada Collection with all its oozing warmth. However, as the scent progresses similarities elude me. A soft tobacco/honey accord is showcased through the second stage of the scent's development and while it is sweet, it is far from overwhelming. Wading through the other plentiful notes, pure spiced cocoa becomes prominent at the base, reminding one of a sweet, hot drink on a cool day. The effect envelops the wearer,
like the breezes that caressed me as I gazed at the soft waves of the Mediterranean Sea along the coast of Sicily. No doubt about it, this is a comfort scent and one that I will wear repeatedly to reminisce on carefree warm days browsing the market, lounging at the beach, enjoying Italian folk music and breathing the fresh, salty air. Closer to home, it will soothe and comfort, ground and refocus my energy during the hectic, planning and activity-filled days of fall and winter.

Gianni Campagna Vento Canale is truly exclusive, only available here that I know of. Hopefully some savvy U.S. retailers will stock it soon. Without even seeing the bottle design, I gladly deem it full-bottle worthy.

My own images of the Mediterranean Sea, off the coast of Taormina, Sicily

Fall Top 5

In another effort to collaborate, Divina of Fragrance Bouquet and I have come up with our respective top five fragrances for Fall 2007. Personally, I have thought long and hard about this since we decided to feature our lists. It is not easy for me to narrow down any detail of perfume to just five. However, after much deliberation, I do believe I have a list of the fragrances I will wear the most this Fall. Without further ado, from last to first, here we go:

5. Unfortunately, I couldn't decide between two. Therefore at number five we have a tie between Hilary Duff With Love and Bond No. 9 West Side. Both are sexy yet fun, for my not-to-be-taken-so-seriously moods, when driving with the windows down and singing at the top of my lungs sound good. On second thought, that might remove the sexy aspect of things. Nevertheless, both are boozy, sweet and light-hearted. With Love is a flirty combination of sweetness merging with spice, featuring notes of mangosteen, spices and amber while West Side combines rose, ylang-ylang, peony, vanilla and amber.

4. Cristiano Fissore Cashmere For Women. There is something so intoxicating about this scent. It smells of spiced apricots on my skin and while I will admit it can morph into a slightly soapy-clean number, I adore it. Nothing beats its remnants on a plush, soft sweater at the end of the day. This is my work and day scent for Fall.

3. 10 Corso Como. Mysterious, resinous, yet somewhat transparent, this sandalwood oud combination that leaves many longing for more, or just something different, sings to me. It sings of dimly lit dark rooms, opulent clothing, soft voices and luminescent bare skin.

I find it extremely classy, not overwhelming at all, a "get closer to me" fragrance for evening and dressier affairs. When layered with Eskandar Sandalwood Body Milk or another sandalwood lotion, its exotic charms are exaggerated.

2. Cartier Le Baiser du Dragon Parfum. A bold, sexy and golden warm scent that must be experienced in the perfume formulation to truly appreciate its masterful and exquisite combination of notes. From amaretto to neroli, cedar to amber and many other interesting scents in between, Le Baiser boasts a powerful, luxurious fragrance reminding me of golden silk. When I want to feel all woman, this is the scent I choose.

And, my number one fragrance for Fall ... drumroll please ....

1. Chanel Coromondel. A warm, spicy fragrance that must be applied lightly - one of the few variations on patchouli I can wear. Since my first review, I have purchased a full bottle which I split with several fragrance friends. It is everything I wanted Shalimar to be and then some. A few light-handed spritzes and I am in fragance heaven for a full 12 hours. Coromondel was launched this year as part of Les Exclusifs collection, and while they are all wonderful scents, it is most certainly the most fitting for Fall due to its spicy complexity. I find it much fuller, richer and multi-faceted than mass marketed department store scents in the same category (Angel, Prada, Coco, etc.) I will be wearing Coromondel with my favorite cashmere sweaters for a long night out with my husband.

There you have it my friends. I would love to hear your lists!

Chandler Burr in O Magazine

This month's O magazine features a fantastic article by Chandler Burr, fragrance critic for The New York Times. ("If Perfume Be the Food of Love..." O October 2007: 187-190.) Thanks to a friend near and dear to my heart who knows of my obsession with perfume, I received a copy of this incredible piece of writing and creativity. Mr. Burr discusses the genre of gourmand fragrances which have become so popular as of late. However, he takes it a step further than simply exploring some fabulous gourmand scents. He enlists the help of the Carlyle hotel's executive chef to create a menu to accompany each featured scent for seventeen guests.

He highlights several fragrances that I have tried and quite a few that I haven't. The way in which he describes them and their accompanying segments of a six-course meal literally brings each fragrance to life. I cannot think of a better pairing - perfume and food. In fact, using terms like "delectable" or "scrumptious" when I describe scents is a habit for me. Although I search for other adjectives, those to describe food seem so fitting for gourmand notes.

A few fragrances Mr. Burr's descriptions have me salivating over (he!):

• Eau de Gingembre by Roger & Gallet. "I've seen people gasp on smelling this perfume-a balance of sharp and smooth, tart and crisply sweet." Bring it on.



• Hermès Ambre Narguilé. "...Smells like caramel and subtle, nutty banana." Really? If I had known that I would have tried it a long time ago. The fancy name threw me.



• The Different Company Sel de Vétiver. "It is an unearthly perfume, deep and cool and liquidly dark as the water in a stone well at midnight." Wow!



• Estée Lauder Pleasures Delight. "The scent of a fruit salad ... with a sea-air freshness that lightens the fruit and makes it deliciously refreshing." Interesting and worth investigating.

I would have thoroughly enjoyed the pineapple tarte tatin paired with L'Artisan Perfumeur Ananas Fizz or Tom Ford Black Orchid with a vanilla-rum milkshake. Better yet, Missoni with a sweet, warm, dark brownie. Fabulous dah-ling! Oh, to be included in that gathering. A girl can dream, can't she?

Image of May issue of O magazine courtesy of ethnicexpressions.net

Happy Fall!

It is official! The season that I love most is here. Time to roll out the cozier, more intense fragrances, wear warmer clothes and prepare for the holidays. Enjoy the cooler temperatures and indulge in your favorite hot drink today.

Image courtesy of slimeland.com

Random Collection Selection: Alfred Dunhill Desire For Women

Every once in a while I grab a bottle from my plentiful collection that has collected some dust. Today was the day that I casually grabbed Dunhill Desire. After a few spritzes and my own delighted reaction I am reminded why I initially purchased this full bottle. It is most certainly a market sleeper. But in my book, this fragrance deserves far more attention than it gets.

The following comes from epinions.com, "Introduced in 2001 by Alfred Dunhill, Desire For Women is meant for refined yet unconventional women who will be seduced by its warm and lingering amber end note." Seduced indeed. With fleeting topnotes of orange flower and bergamot, the warmer, enticing notes of sandalwood, vanilla, amber and caramel headline this fragrance. How appropriate that I subconsciously chose such a sweet, indulgent fragrance now that Fall is officially here.
While this fragrance is undeniably sweet, it is light enough to appeal to most. Unlike the candied sweetness of Aquolina Pink Sugar, Desire offers scintillant sweetness wrapped in warmth. It elicits carnal reactions in the opposite sex, making its name quite appropriate. Finally, it manages to last the entire day on my skin, giving it extra va-va voom and earning its title as full-bottle worthy for my collection. I highly recommend giving this fragrance a whirl for the fall and winter days ahead. And at its price point, that should not be too difficult. Although it will not earn a title for most masterfully created, unique fragrance, the bottle design and the warm, creaminess of the juice may "seduce" many. With the fashion trend of creating fragrances and songs together (Prince's 3121), I love that one of my favorite songs by U2 matches this scent as well.
Alfred Dunhill Desire For Women has been discontinued in major department stores but can be found on shopping.com, fragranceX.com and 1stperfume.com for less than $50. Also check your local Marshall's or TJ Maxx for deeper discounts.

Video courtesy of youtube.com

CB I Hate Perfume: Memory of Kindness

I abolutely adore the creative philosophy of this perfumer. Christopher Brosius eloquently states "scent is life." He attempts with each of his fragrances to capture a moment in time, as a photographer does with his camera. This artistic, earthy perfumer explains our sense of smell as one of the most complicated and misunderstood senses, as powerful as it is complex - perhaps one of the reasons I derive great pleasure from its development. I always have been up for a challenge!

But I digress. Let's get back to Mr. Brosius and this fantastic line. CB I Hate Perfume fragrances are water and oil based scents, lacking the typical alcohol and synthetic-based formulas of the plethora of commercially available perfumes.

Memory of Kindness is his ode to his warm, gentle aunt and her vegetable garden. If you are not touched by the scent (which would surprise me), you will most certainly be touched by his story of the fragrance, which you may read here. True to CB's philosophy of recreating life experiences through fragrance, Memory of Kindness captures the story quite beautifully and perfectly.

At first the scent bursts forth all greenery and earth, wet soil and rawness. It softens considerably after a few minutes, and what remains most certainly transports me to a lovely vegetable garden on a crisp, sunny day. Fresh air, fresh herbs, fresh vegetables. Who knew their combination could be so wearable and so uplifting? With an equally palatable base smelling faintly of celery to be specific and more fresh greens with fresh air to be general, I find this scent surprisingly good, one that would serve as great aromatherapy on a stressful day. It also breaks the barriers of what we typically consider perfume, and just smells darn good. There is nothing that I can compare this scent to, other than to again reference the moving, reflective story behind it. Masterfully done, Mr. Brosius.

CB I Hate Perfume Memory of Kindness can be found at luckyscent.com. A list of independent retailers can also be found at CBIHatePerfume. The water formulation is available in a 100mL bottle for $60 and the absolute is sold in a 15mL vial for $60.

Images courtesy of luckyscent and sd1new.net

b-Glowing sale

A quick, friendly public service announcement: b-Glowing.com's annual clearance sale is on with 25%-75% savings on Comptoir Sud Pacifique, Demeter, L'Aromarine and more cosmetics and skincare brands. Check it out here.


Image courtesy of stocklayouts.com

Forget Me Not: Guerlain L'Heure Bleue

To begin our new feature, Forget Me Not, I was compelled to choose a fragrance from a house with captivating history, one that has influenced the perfume industry for years and conjures thousands of images worldwide when its name is uttered. That house is none other than Guerlain.

According to Wikipedia, the beginning of Guerlain dates to 1828 "when Pierre-François Pascal Guerlain opened his perfume store on 42, rue de Rivoli in Paris. As both the founder and first perfumer of the house, Pierre-François composed and manufactured custom fragrances with the help of his two sons, Aimé and Gabriel. Through continued success and the patronage of members in high society, Guerlain opened its flagship store at 15, rue de la Paix in 1840, and put its mark on the Parisian fashion scene." Since handed down four generations, Guerlain continues to influence the perfume industry across the globe. It remains one of only two long-standing houses, the other Caron, solely devoted to the production of perfume. Today, Guerlain boasts a luxurious cosmetic and skincare line as well.

The ethereal, cool and powdery L'Heure Bleue has been in production since 1912, around the time that my great-grandmother was a young woman. It was the year the great Titanic sank, the United States invaded Honduras, and New Mexico and Arizona were admitted as US states.

Current fashions highlighted the feminine hourglass by way of a corseted waist. Also popular were very large hats which were often adorned with feathers. Paris, the city of Guerlain, was the fashion mecca of the world.

Created by Jacques Guerlain to mimic candies and cakes found in old apothecary shops, L'Heure Bleue has lingered as a distinguished classic for nearly a century. It means literally "The Blue Hour", suggesting elusive, uncertain twilight. Touted as a "melancholy" scent, I find nothing sad about it other than the events of 1912. Rather its soft, powdery, masterfully blended combination speaks of vintage beauty, a delicate powdering of the nose followed by a precise application of lipstick on a stunning woman. Its subtle, semi-oriental scent even reminds me of the smell of my grandmother's makeup.

While its notes include neroli and aniseed at the top, carnation and iris in the beautiful heart and vanilla at the base, they merge together so gorgeously that they extinguish emphasis of one over another. Rather, like an Impressionistic painting that lacks outlines, their glorious harmony must be experienced up close to be appreciated. Cool as a silk scarf, soft as a light dusting of powder and a delicate breeze, yet sweet as a violet flavored confection, L'Heure Bleue is most certainly a feminine, timeless stunner. For women favoring subtle, slightly sweet and even less spicy fragrances, this classic scent long touted by many fragrance aficionados must be tried.

I have reviewed the Eau de Toilette formulation, which of the three available is the most subtle and powdery. I look forward to experiencing the sweeter and more intense Parfum.

Be sure to visit Fragrance Bouquet for her Forget Me Not selection.

Guerlain L'Heure Bleue can be found at Neiman Marcus and other department stores. It is also widely available on fragrance websites. A 1 oz. bottle of Parfum retails for $300 and the other concentrations, including Eau de Parfum, Eau de Toilette and lotion are significantly less.

Images courtesy of pnmiris.com, vintageblues. and cs.nthu.edu.tw