Excellent Secret Books

A few "secret" reads I have thoroughly enjoyed recently:

• Secret of Scent, Luca Turin - nonfiction - A biochemist delves into the history of perfume and our sense of smell. Extremely interesting, thought provoking, humorous and scientific.


• The Secret, Rhonda Byrne - nonfiction - Discover the power of the Law of Attraction and how it can change your life. Learn how to focus your thoughts to attract to you those things that you desire.

Annick Goutal Les Nuits d'Hadrien

Created in 2003 to be worn by men and women alike, Annick Goutal Les Nuits d’Hadrien remains one of the most consistent scents in my collection. I always enjoy it from start to finish. For me to say “always” about a scent is nothing to take lightly, for I recycle my samples and decants like a child eats candy. You could say I have a mild case of attention deficit when it comes to fragrance. Therefore, consistently enjoying a scent for years remains an accomplishment in my book and speaks of a marvelously composed fragrance. To continue with my use of absolutes, Les Nuits d’Hadrien is never offensive and always refreshing.

The first burst of fragrance screams green basil and lemon rinds, fresh and bitter at the same time, not quite edible but very refreshing, like a mist of lemon water on a squelching, hot day. Characterizing the heart of the fragrance and warming it up significantly, cumin makes its appearance shortly after the refreshing citrus burst. Other heart notes include cypress and juniper, explaining why I never quite feel as if I’m wearing perfume with this one. Rather, I feel as if I am walking around with a self-attached herbal mister to exhilarate and restore my energy – perfect for the oppressively hot climate where I reside. To balance and soften the aromatic stimulation, vanilla, amber and white musk offer an exquisite dry down which lasts on my skin for the remainder of the day.

Les Nuits d’Hadrien reminds me of a day at the spa. I imagine wrapping myself up in a cozy robe and slippers, sipping cucumber and lemon water and flipping through fashion magazines while waiting for a long session with a professional masseuse. After my massage, I get dressed in a brightly colored bikini, apply suntan lotion and relax by the pool for the remainder of the day. Just when I feel that I am getting too warm from the heat of the sun, I dive into the cool, crisp water for a swim. Finally, after achieving total relaxation, I take a warm shower and don a playful summer dress with flip flops to go to the park on my way home.

This fragrance achieves the perfect balance of refreshing and warm, aromatic and soft, and sweet and spicy. Despite its name and reference to nightfall, it is perfect for daytime wear. I consider it not only bottle worthy but barrel worthy and I reserve it for those days when work and activity require a respite. I find it entirely worth the wait … always …

Annick Goutal Les Nuits d'Hadrien can be found online at beauty.com and in stores at Neiman Marcus. A 1.7 oz. EDT retails for $72 online.

Image sources: aussieperfumes.com and themarkersclub.com

Work

Dear readers, most of you know perfume is my passion, not my occupation. Tuesday through Thursday of this week my occupation is monopolizing my time. At least it allows me to reward myself with a new scent! I’ll have to postpone some reviews for later in the week and this weekend. Please stay tuned. I plan to review some fabulous spring scents, including Annick Goutal Les Nuits d’Hadrien and The Different Company Un Parfum d’Ailleurs & Fleurs. In the meantime, thanks for your support and have a great few days.

Keiko Mecheri Myrrhe & Merveilles

With spring and warmer weather upon us, I realize that I may be bold in speaking about a fragrance containing myrrh, however I am so moved by this stellar bouquet I must discuss it. Thanks to the lovely, generous woman who gifted me with this sample, I am thoroughly enjoying its nuances today.

The Beverly Hills based house of Keiko Mecheri is considered exquisite and unique, and her Eaux des Parfums refined, unusual and original. Until now, my favorite of her collection has been Osmanthus, a delicate soli-floral. I had not heard of her Oriental collection although I had tried, without luck, the ever so popular member of Les Orientales, Loukhoum. Myrrhe & Merveilles, another Les Orientales, contains notes of, you guessed it … myrrh … followed by hesperides, jasmine, white almond, balsamic notes, and powdery musk. Although myrrh is somewhat pronounced just after spraying, it does not headline the experience. Therefore, I am confused by the comparisons I have read to Serge Lutens La Myrrhe since I do not find the two resembling each other at all. Instead, what I have found in Myrrhe & Merveilles is an incredibly soft, billowy cushion of a scent, redolent of baby’s skin, cotton throws and the scent of earth after a light rain shower.

The entire composition is slightly heavy so I will not keep it in rotation for summer. The almonds render it faintly sweet but balsam and musk maintain sweetness to just a whisper. Gourmand fragrances historically have caused some wrinkling of my nose in disdain. I find this one, with its abundance of almonds, quite palatable yet I would not categorize Myrrhe & Merveilles as gourmand. Come to think of it, I am having difficulty categorizing it at all. Nonetheless, for a cozy day at home resting and preparing food, Myrrhe & Merveilles is quite perfectly comfy. I imagine this fragrance to be popular among those favoring unique, soft skin scents.

Keiko Mecheri Myrrhe & Merveilles is available on Amazon.com and NeimanMarcus.com. A 2.5 oz. bottle retails for $80.

Image sources: parfumsalon.ru and www-spielwaren.de

Perfume Tip #2

Application

Believe it or not, no magic formula exists for applying fragrances. My personal opinion is to apply wherever you feel comfortable. I usually spritz on my wrists and the back of my neck. When wearing fragrance oils, I rub the oil between my palms and then run my palms through my hair. A handy trick for applying a scent you think may be too strong for your environment is to spritz behind your knees. To extend wearing time of any fragrance, purchase the bath and body products that accompany it and use them. Layering may temporarily strengthen the scent, however over time it will soften and last. If the scent you love does not carry bath and body products, as in very exclusive fragrances, decant some of the fragrance into a small atomizer to carry with you. You can purchase atomizers at Sephora and other beauty stores. I adore the following website: www.accessoriesforfragrances.com. Their customer service is fantastic and you will find just about everything you need there for decanting. Spritz whenever you feel you need freshening. Finally, my personal belief is that if I can smell myself without putting my nose to my wrist, others are probably well aware of my scent. Please try to be responsible with spritzing so you don't overwhelm those around you. In my opinion, subtlety is bliss.

Image source: matthewling.typepad.com

Parfums Andre Gas Ensoleille Moi

Expansive secluded beaches, white sand, blue skies, crashing waves, warm temperatures and suntan oil - all of the images I anticipated conjuring through this fragrance. Created by Mathilde Laurent, the nose of Guerlain for ten years and now the nose of Cartier, Ensoleille Moi is described as sunshine in a bottle and a "sunny floral". This fragrance was designed to be a more sophisticated monoi oil, a widely available suntan oil in Europe featuring the Tahitian Tiare flower. I adore the Tiare flower and other scents created in its honor such as Comptoir Sud Pacifique's Aloha Tiare and Montale Intense Tiare. The tiare flower's true scent can be described as hypnotic, sweet, heavy and indeed tropical.

While the initial burst of tiare, a little citrus and a slight hint of coconut is pleasurable enough, its promise of more sunshine and beaches is broken as the fragrance dries. What I am left with is a dusty, earthy smelling tiare, as if the flower itself has disintegrated into dust and blown away, or worse yet, has been buried by the earth from which it grew. Ensoleille Moi possesses none of the headiness or intensity of other tiare fragrances. I imagine those liking "barely there" scents could enjoy this, but for my tastes, the fragrance is simply too short-lived and undetectable. Unfortunately, it remains a disappointment in my book.
Top notes: Bergamot, tiare
Heart: Ylang-ylang, coconut
Base: Vanilla, white musk

Parfums Andre Gas Ensoleille Moi is available at beautyhabit.com. A 50mL bottle retails for $65.

Image source: www.mimifroufrou.com

Satellite Padparadscha

Named after a rare orange-pink sapphire, Satellite Padparadscha accompanied me during my day of air travel to see my grandmother. As I grabbed the sample bag to stash into my purse on my way out, I thought, “I hope this is a gem.” How appropriate that statement proved and how incredibly ironic Padparadscha is the fragrance I chose - ironic because I have many samples to choose from. This rare beauty exemplifies the gorgeous soul of my grandmother.

Simultaneously woodsy, comforting and soft, the fragrance begins with a burst of juniper berry, pepper and cedar. I am reminded of walking into a cedar closet. Ideally it would be in my grandmother’s home but she never had the means for one. If she had, she most certainly would have enjoyed and reveled in the absolute luxury of it. Her spirit is so joyful and child-like, extremely appreciative of the tiniest bit of beauty and luxury. The softness of this fragrance is enhanced by jasmine, like my grandmother’s warm arms that served to love and comfort me through nearly every major moment in my young life, at least every moment she could. The best of the comfort remains in the woodsy dry down, containing notes of cedar, sandalwood and amber, conjuring for me a warm hug, a soft cookie and a sweet home.

Perhaps most appropriate is Beautyhabit’s description of Padparadscha, “a fragrance that brings to mind … exotic destinations, secret gardens – and the beauty and strength of the feminine.” Exotic destinations? My grandmother adores traveling and has had the pleasure of exploring Paris and the French countryside with her French sister-in-law, as well as the beauty and exquisite landscape of Greece. Never one to shun an opportunity to explore or learn something new, I imagine she has oft thought of other exotic destinations. Her love of gardening, birds and flowers is clearly demonstrated by her sanctuary of a back yard, complete with various bird baths, flower beds and wind chimes. Her tulips are in bloom now and she's waiting for irises and lillies.

Most importantly, my grandmother’s internal strength and beauty as well as her external beauty emanates from her being. I could write novels of her inner strength, her glowing personality, her natural ageless beauty and her ability to see the good in even the worst of situations. She will always represent a strength and beauty to which I aspire and an exquisite combination of curiosity and love of all living things. In just a few short hours, I will be with her, and Padparadscha will be my fragrance.

Satellite Padparadscha is available at beautyhabit.com and luckyscent.com. A 100mL bottle retails for $75.

Image source: luckyscent.com

Airplanes

Me, my beautiful grandmother and my gorgeous mother.

Family illness calls me to board a plane headed back to my hometown for several days. I will post when I can. Thank goodness for air travel, I can be at my beloved grandmother's side quickly. For those of you who pray, please do so for her. She has inspired my love of beautiful things.

Susanne Lang Lotus Blossom

Susanne Lang has dedicated herself to creating perfumes which represent women’s beauty and uniqueness. She aspires to subtle beauty with her scents and describes it as “an elusive quality that often lives in the veils of a woman’s presence, but also within the lingering aura of her absence” -how elegantly stated. Therefore, it is no wonder “elegant” is the word I would use to describe each scent she has created.

From her layering wardrobe, today’s pick is Lotus Blossom 41. With delicate notes of pink lotus, ginger lily, Tahitian gardenia, yellow freesia and peach blossom, the fragrance opens with a lovely bouquet. The notes dance around one another rapidly, without one standing on its own, creating a fresh, breezy fragrance that could be worn to work or to a night on the town. The scent remains fairly linear after it dries, maintaining that same delicate balance from start to finish. Because the scent lacks a deep and grounding base note, it remains somewhat transparent. And yet, transparency makes it the charming, light and feminine scent it aspires to be.

Susanne Lang suggests layering her fragrances, and just for kicks I decided to layer Lotus Blossom per her suggestion with the earthy Tamboti Wood 61. This combination is wonderfully divine, as the cedar and sandalwood provide an ample foundation for Lotus Blossom to shine. It produces a deeper yet still luminous, feminine scent. For those favoring woodsy scents but looking for a great springtime fragrance, Lotus Blossom over Tamboti Wood must be tried!

Susanne Lang Lotus Blossom and Tamboti Wood are available at fragrancesandmore.biz and luckyscent.com. A 30mL bottle retails for $50.
Images source: luckyscent.com

Hermes Un Jardin Sur Le Nil

I adore the name the name of this fragrance. It instantly calms me when I say it. Meaning literally “A garden on the Nile”, Un Jardin Sur Le Nil was inspired by mangos from the Nubian region of Egypt, located along the Nile River. The Nile has been a source of fertility and prosperity for this region since ancient times. It is no wonder the fragrance named to memorialize the area is a wonderful masterpiece.

The fragrance begins with a bitter burst of citrus – to my nose grapefruit – followed by lime and leading to the listed note, green mango. Less sweet than tangy, these notes refresh and revitalize. Once the tangy bitterness fades, a green, fresh fragrance remains, like crushed stems drizzled with lemon juice. Although the notes listed are green mango, lotus flower, aromatic rushes (??), incense, and sycamore wood, I detect only green with some very light wood. This illustrious combination remains on my skin for the remainder of the day - quite impressive for an EDT.

I purchased a decant from a great seller on e-b@y and it is quickly dwindling to the last few drops. I find this fragrance so balmy that I subconsciously grab it every time the thermometer rises or I wear green. Others must feel refreshed as well since this beauty is complimented repeatedly. No wonder Hermes Un Jardin Sur Le Nil was my choice for St. Patrick’s Day weekend!

Hermes Un Jardin Sur Le Nil is widely available online and at upscale department stores. At unlimitedperfumes.com, for example, a 3.3 oz. EDT spray retails for $49.95.

Image sources: unlimitedperfumes.com, thecookscottage.typepad.com

Happy St. Patrick's Day

In honor of one of my favorite days of the year, I am wearing Hermes Un Jardin Sur Le Nil, a very green scent. Review is on its way! What green scent are you sporting today? May the luck of the Irish be with you today and every day.

Geir Ness Laila

Produced by Geir Ness, a Norwegian fragrance model turned perfumer, Laila captures the essence of fresh mountain wildflowers of Norway. Mr. Ness’s story is truly inspiring, for he poured his heart and soul into creating this fragrance to appropriately represent his country and his mother. In fact, the fragrance takes his mother’s namesake with her signature silk screened on the bottle.

The notes, according to www.luckyscent.com include Norwegian lilies, hints of watermelon and Norwegian snowflower. Having never smelled Norwegian lilies or Norwegian sunflower, I am reluctant to comment on those. “A hint of watermelon” seems quite accurate since the scent is not overly sweet or juicy, but watermelon is there nonetheless. The effect is fresh and soft, like newly laundered sheets dried by pure spring air.

Laila would be appropriate for a first date, an afternoon tea or an outdoor party. Mr. TMH says it smells like the fourth of July! What an American connotation for a Norwegian fragrance but I’ll take it. The fourth of July implies outdoor parties, lounging in wicker chairs, and eating fresh watermelon for certain. What a perfect fit for such a breezy, innocently feminine fragrance. I would add some flowers in my hair to accompany Laila on my skin, fourth of July or not.

Laila is available at www.fragrancesandmore.biz and luckyscent.com. A 1.7 oz. bottle retails for $49 and the line includes many accessories, such as candles, hand and body cream and deodorant.

Image source: static.flickr.com, Norwegian lily