onsdag 30 december 2009

L'Artisan Parfumeur - Al Oudh


A lot of other perfume blogger state that 2009 have been the year of aoud/oudh. And yes, there is a lot of perfume houses that have made an oudh scent this year. Oudh is a very popular ingredient in arabic perfumes and oudh of highest quality is very expensive, and also, very rare. Oudh of highest class is the result of a tree naturally affected by a fungus causing noble rot, but now it is common to affect the trees with the fungus on purpose, giving a little less expensive oudh, but also not the highest grade oudh. for a western nose, oudh can be a challenge since it has a kind of sharp, strange, medical, smoky and hard scent.


Especially Montale is known for their arabian influensed perfumes and their use of oudh in perfumes. Montale´s Red Aoud become a favourite for me, but only after a short training period. Black Aoud is still not agreeable for me, I find it to sharp and watery at the same time (on me). So, even if oudh isn´t a spot on favourite note of mine, I still find it adventurous and interesting. One thing I hope to try next year is the so called attars, an arabic/oriental kind of perfume, often with oudh among the notes.


When trying perfumes with oudh for the first time, I felt a little lost. Oudh can be quite an overwhelming new acquaintance, like listening to music with a strange scale and foreign language, like being lost in the bazaar quarters of an ancient arabic city or like being in the middle of an eastern festival without having a clue of what they are celebrating.


With L'Artisan´s Al Oudh it feels like I´ve found a guide, a key, an attendant. But at first, I am a bit skeptical, and think they could as well have called it Al Cumin instead, because the top notes are overwhelmingly filled with cumin. It is nothing but cumin for the first minutes, and I got a little dissapointed.


After a while, the cumin wears off, and I welcome some sweetness, warmth and complexity. The oudh-note is also there, but kind of subdued. This is a much toned down oudh in compare with the oudh you can find in Montale´s perfumes. And after that cumin dominated top note, the oudh all of a sudden feels soft and comfy, but still with some oriental mystic. I think of Al Oudh as an excellent introduction to oudh, since it is so easy to like. But, the cumin is a turn off for me, thankfully it is shortlived.


For an L'Artisan scent I think Al Oudh has decent staying power, the base note melts down in my skin in a wonderful, soft and very comfy way, but also without any traces of adventures, mystery or oriental enigma. the base note is easy to like and very comfy, but unfortunatly also with lack of strong personality. A little like being guided to the well organised and beautiful hotel far away from the crowded, strange and totally mesmerizing bazaar. Do you want to get lost? Try another oudh scent. Do you like a a comfy introduction? Al Oudh is a great start!



Pic: vittlesvamp

tisdag 29 december 2009

Keyboard breakdown!

This computer is about 8 years old and have survived our big and not that computer-skilled family longer than what seem to be possible.


Right now it is obviously infected with some evil virus, again! I wasn´t supposed to end writing yesterday, but suddenly a lot of signs and letters changed places on the keyboard. Today it seem to work as normal again.


There was some perfumes left to mention.


BEST WOODY:
-M.Micallef´s Gaiac


BEST AQUATIC:
-Profumum Roma´s Aqua di Sale
-Profumi di Pantelleria´s Approdo
and
-Nicolas Danila´s Asian Gardens


Well, eveything isn´t just great all the time, ther is sad things happening with perfumes also, such as interesting and beautiful perfumes and even whole perfume lines dissapears. I will miss Ava Luxe´s beautiful perfumes, especially since I haven´t got the chanse to buy all the one´s I wanted to own before she decide to stop making perfumes. Anyway, several of Serena Ava Franco´s scents can be found at Ava Luxe´s Etsy-shop, but in perfume oil.


B Never Too Busy To Be Beautiful is also about to close down. I don´t know if LUSH will carry some of their perfumes in the future. I am glad that I´ve got purse sprays of 1000 Kisses Deep, Breath of God, Keep it Fluffy, Superworldunknown and others.

måndag 28 december 2009

Love, hate and in between


I have survived Christmas this year also. And it was a good Christmas, all the kids seem content even though the daughters had to wait a long time for their parcel from Japan. It was delivered to our door this morning, even though I only paid for air mail, but I guess the seller was a bit late with delivery, so he upgraded it.


No perfumes in Christmas present for me, but I gave some perfumes. Paco Rabannes Black XS for him and for her to my son and his girl friend. And among the things from Japan was two perfumes in tube to the daughters.


Well, even without perfumes in Christmas present I have sniffed quite many perfumes during 2009. I am not sure if I want to know how many. Do you know how many perfumes you tried during 2009.


LOVE AT FIRST SNIFF

-Parfumerie Generales Cadjmere
-Hilde Solianis Fraaagoolaa Saalaaata
-By Gilians Back to Black
-Korres Jasmine Pepper Gaiac Wood Passion Fruit
-M.Micallefs Gaiac
-Frapins Esprit de Fleurs
and
-Grossmiths Shem El Nessim



BIGGEST SURPRISES
-Aral Un des Sense
-Profumi di Pantellerias Approdo
-Linga Sharira
-Florascents Umami
-Missoni by Missoni
and
-Korres Jasmin Pepper Gaiac Wood Passion Fruit


BEST OLFACTORY TRIPS
-Nasomattos Black Afgano
-AbdesSalam Attar: Hindu Kush
Cale Fragranze di Autore: Assolo and Tepidarium


BEST PERFUME OILS
-Magickal Realism
-Moxie Beauty
-Smell Bent


DISSAPOINTMENTS
-Comme des Garcons Daphne
-Parfums d'Empires Wazamba
-L'Artisans Havana Vanille


BEST FLORAL
-Grossmiths Shem El Nessim
-Frapins Esprit de Fleurs


BEST ORIENTAL
-AbdesSalam Attars Hindu Kush
Montales Red Aoud



I would have made a longer list, but my key board started to write the wrong signs for some reason!!!





Pic Photos lumpen

tisdag 22 december 2009

Merry Christmas

Now is all Christmas presents bought (except of a parcel I am waiting for from Japan, but there is still time for it to arrive!) and food, candies, fruits and Christmas Must/ Christmas root beer(a sort of soft drink that is very common in Sweden during Christmas time).


The house is cleaned and decorated, even though when it comes to Christmas decorations I am quite minimalistic. With five kids I´ve think it is more important with Christmas presents for them then Christmas decorations.


But closely by, there is a family living that decorate their house with pretty much every kind of lights, mini-bulb strands and twinkling things. So whenever I feel like there isn´t enough Christmas at home I can go and look at their house together with half of the neighborhood. I guess our muslim neighbors think it looks really fascinating.


Well, well whatever you prefer in Christmas styling I want to wish you a really happy, fun, merry, cozy, scented and totally fabulous Christmas!


MERRY CHRISTMAS MERRY CHRISTMAS MERRY CHRISTMAS MERRY CHRISTMAS




Pic: White Christmas screen saver

måndag 21 december 2009

Cristobal Balenciaga - Cristobal


I don´t know what your comfort clothes are? But maybe a pair of training trousers and an old t-shirt? Or a pair of worn out jeans and a soft sweater? Maybe that old night gown that is so rugged you really should throw it? Or a soft dress, with socks and a cardigan?


I guess that very few that read my blog have a Balenciaga-dress as comfy clothes. I belive not even Nicole Kidman put her Balenciaga-dresses on when she want´s to feel comfy and soft at home. I am sure she also wears a pair of jeans and a t-shirt from time to time.


By coincidence I´ve got a bottle of Cristobal Balenciaga´s Cristobal in my care. And it smells soooooo good! Cristobal is creamy, warm, oriental perfection. There is no note pointing out or making more noise than the others, everything seem perfectly and seemlessly blended. There are flowers so olfactory beautiful I think of them like a single, big mix between them all-flower of unearthly beauty and heavenly scent. Pair it with the softest, creamiest sandalwood possible and sweet, full-bodied vanilla and just a hint of patchouli to add some depth, woodyness and actually, mystique.


Cristobal as a perfume is the counterpart of a perfect evening dress. Imagine a wonderful dress in heavy silk, in the colour you feel the most comfortable and beauty with, with decor and asseccoars that matches your style, your look and your temper just perfect, imagine an extremly skilled designer at your service, ready to do whatever you wish to make this dress just perfect for you. Like it would feel to wear that dress, it feels to wear Cristobal Balenciaga´s Cristobal. And I am rather convinced that is the closest I will ever come to wear such a dress. And you know what, it doesn´t even matter, since Cristobal manage to create the illusion of me being perfectly dressed when I hamstring around at home in my black jeans, tanktop and hood sweater.


Cristobal is luxurious, elegant, exclusive and smell of richness. At the same time it is easy to like and learn to know. There isn´t any strange edges or trips to olfactory borders. Longlasting and with magnificent sillage of course. Really likeable in every single way.


By the way, it isn´t only Christmas soon, 2009 is about to end as well, and I have start thinking about a kind of perfume top list... don´t miss it!




Pic: Nicole Kidman in a Balenciaga-dress

söndag 20 december 2009

Smell Bent



The one´s I´ve wrote about this far from Smell bent is the one´s I like the best, but there is several worth mentioning.


Blimey, limey is a fresh lime scent. And it is lime that smells like lime, without that soapy scent so usual when it comes to lime. The top note in Blimey, limey is clear and hightuned lime, soon to become more of a Key Lime Pie or Lime-Cheesecake scent. When the base note is all that is left, Blimey, limey smell of creamy white chocolate with some lime/lemon.


Sunshine is also a comfy citrus scent, but with company of a quite dirty musk. After a while it become a little bit weird on me, and I am unsure if I like it or not.


Lemon Cowboy is lemon and leather, and on me it´s mostly lemon, but on my husband it becomes a soft, fresh leathery scent. Much better on husband than on me.


Both my daughters love Elf Fulfilling Prophecy it is like the smell of oatmeal cookies and cinnamon and a little sawdust. Christmasy, spicy and warm, but I think it suits my daughters much better than me.


Little Miss Panda is another strange mix. A hightuned, very clear floral scent that soon got accompanied by a note of soil. Something in this scent reminds both me and the daughters of something in my parents cottage, but I haven´t yet figure out what. Nice, but odd.


Last and least liked, by me, Incensed. Starts off with a note of smoked sausage, so if you´re looking for something that reminds a little fo bacon, this might be it. When the smoked note wears off, there is a soft, sweet note of incensed left and it fails to make an impression on me.



Pic: brightestblue

lördag 19 december 2009

Smell Bent - Hungry, hungry hippies and Gelty Pleasures


It can be quite a challenge to make a true chocolate note in perfume. Even though I´m quite found of chocolate I don´t really have a chocolate scented favourite perfume. Maybe I am not so found of the idea walking around and smelling like chocolate or maybe there isn´t any chovlate scent just good enough.


Smell bent offers two choclate scented perfume oils, Hungry, hungry hippies and Gelty Pleasures.


They´ve got the chocolate in common, but a part from that they are quite different. Hungry, hungry hippies are supposed to smell like pot brownies with a little cassia and also, after a while the smell of nice, woody patchouli. I think of Hungry, hungry hippies like a dark, bitter, herby and woody chocolate scent. The youngest daughter think that it smells like chocolate and rhubarb pie, and actually the smell of rhubarb pie and hashish is quite similar, now when I´ve start thinking about it.


I recommend lovers of dark chocolate to try Hungry, hungry hippies, I guess this could be right up your alley.


Gelty Pleasures (limited edition) is an other sort of chocolate. Sweeter, creamier and more gourmand. This is a chocolate scent for lovers of smoth milk chocolate. Gelty Pleasures is milk choclate and amber, really, really delicious. Even though I like them both, I think that I prefer Gelty Pleasures, because it is so pure chocolaty.


I haven´t yet tried, but most of Smell Bents scenst are quite simple, so i think they will layer well with each other. Like Gelty Pleasures with blimey Limey for instant, I think it could be so jummy. I guess I´ve got something to do after Christmas if I get bored. :)





Pic: experience chocolate

torsdag 17 december 2009

Smell Bent - Hippie Holidaze

I think that I´ve died and come to hippie heaven. No, not really but not far from either. I´ve put on a drop of Smell Bent´s Hippie Holidaze. And it smells sooooooo incredible good!


Nothing strange. It is tangerine, patchouli and maple syrup. The tangerine note is one of the most true and genuin tangerine notes I´ve encountered. And this time of year I eat a lot of tangerines so I´ve got something to compare it with. Well, first of I smell like I´ve peeled a pile of tangerines and then the patchouli joins, and this is soft, gentle patchouli that accentuate the tangerine nicely, rather then dominate it. And it isn´t woody, brisk or herby patchouli, but instead soft, warm and velvety patchouli. I guess the maple syrup bring those qualities in front. Because the scent of maple syrup is hardly noticeable, I think it´s "only" contribute with sweetness, warmth and richness.


Of course Hippie Holidaze isn´t the most complicated scent I have encountered, but it might be one of the nicest, happiest and coziest. And that is what all of my family thinks as well, we have fight over the little sample. My husband vene had it on the Christmas party with the work AND his work mates asked him what fragrance he had! Usually he wear Musc Ravegeur at festive occations, so you might guess how good he thinks Hippie Holidaze smell.


Hippie Holidaze is a holiday special at Smell Bent, so if you like to smell it you better be quick, at least I will order a big bottle of it while there is time! It smells so good and it makes me and my whole family happy, and that isn´t so bad is it?


At first I only ordered 3 Smell Bent samples at Luckyscent, but they was so jummy that I´ve ordered most of the other perfume oils directly from Smell Bent, and I must confess that it is incredible nice to test them (even though i don´t like all of them as much).


By the way, it is snowing here, so much that it´s hard to open the front door. How is your pre-Christmas weather?



Pic: grand grrl,flickr

Smell Bent - Commando


For some reason I ordered some samples of perfume oils when i placed my last order at Luckyscent. OK, I´ve got a weak spot for perfume oils, but when thinking about what there is to chose from at Luckyscent, I even surprised myself by ordering perfume oils.


As you know, I also ordered samples from L'Artisan and Boaddicea, but... to be honest, the samples with perfume oils are the one´s I have appreciate the most. Three little samples of perfume oils from Smell Bent, here you find their homepage (and you can prder a sample pack with five samples for only 15 dollar) : http://www.smellbent.com/smell_bent_says_%22seasons_greetings%22.html


Over all, everything about Smell Bent is worth liking. The prices are really affordable, a bottle of 8 ml perfume oil for 20 dollar. Shipping (to Sweden) is also a nice surprise (4-5 dollar). And the bottles look so cute and can cher anyone up a cold winter day. And the scents... oooh, they are so cute, happy, fine and nice in every possible way. OK, maybe not the most complex scents, but sometimes it doesn´t have to be so complex!


If you like perfume oils, you have to pay a visit to Smell Bent. Or, you can also buy most of their scents through Luckyscent if that is feeling better. If you usually not that found of perfume oils, I still think you should give at least one little sample a try. If that doesn´t make your heart melt, I guess you´re really cold hearted. Please, please order just a small sample and become surprised! (No, I am not payed by Smell Bent to tell you this)


Right now I am wearing Smell Bents Commando on one of my wrists, and appearantly, commando means to be without underwear. I don´t know anything about such things, but I know that Commando is an interesting and well, yes... interesting perfume oil with musk. Commando is a mix between different kinds of musk, clean and dirty ones. I would call Commando for a musk on the rocks, since it is such a pure, unblenden musk scent. It is both warm and cold, clear and dirty, comfy and crispy and yes, really, really nice if you´re in to musk.


I suspect that different people bring forward different kinds of musk in Commando, on me it become quite soft, warm and a little animalic. But I can smell the clean, white musk as well. Commando is quite linear until the base note, when you can detect the tonka bean, giving it even more depth, warmth and a little green spicyness. Very nice. Very good. I would bury my nose in my wrist at this point.


Commando would probably do well as a base scent if you like to play with layering. It could give a little power to almost anything, since it is so neutral. It is in itself quite close to skin and discrete, but that is the point with musk. I belive that if you put on Commando and try to forget about it, you would belive that your skin have the most wonderful smell al by itself after about 7-8 hours!


Commando as a musk scent, isn´t really as magic as my musky favourites Mausc Koublai Khan from Serge Lutens or Musc Ravegeur from Frederic Malle, but I think it manage to get itself some room close to Ava Luxe´s Nude Musk though. This is a musk scent I would never to be without in my collection, and for that price i wouldn´t either!







Pic: flaeskdansen

onsdag 16 december 2009

We have a winner!


Congratulations to Clivia! Send me your adress to my mail: canyffakhan@hotmail.com

The quicker I´ve got it the bigger is the chanse that you get your little parcel before Christmas.

And to the rest of you I have to wish better luck next time.

måndag 14 december 2009

A special day and a Merry Christmas-draw


Today me and my husband are celebrating that we have been married for 20 years. Today will start with a walk with the dog and then some piece and quiet before the evening. We are going to a restaurant, maybe Indian? And then it´s off the the beautiful little town theatre with the youngest daughter on stage. And for wedding present I will have a bottle of Bois Farine (L'Artisan): Yes, I know I use to complain about L'Artisans lack of scent and staying power, but Bois Farine lasts pretty decent on me, even though it´s still discrete. I had to decide between some different perfumes, but I think Bois Farine is the one most different from the rest of my collection.


The Christmas is closing in more and more, and I thought that I would send a little present to ONE of my blog-readers. It is a sample pack with little this and that: 3,5 ml sample (more like a mini bottle) of Eau de Campagne, Sisley. A small (about 2 ml left) spray decant of Le Basier du Dragon, Cartier. A small sample box (1,2 ml) from Acqua di Parma consisting of: Arancia di Capri, Mandorlo di Sicilia, Cipresso di Toscana, Fico di Amalfi och Mirto do Panarea (I don´t know how much there is left in each sample). A spray sample(1,5 ml) of Ineke´s Field Notes from Paris in a cute little box. Two samples from Hilde Soliani, SAaliiiSssiiMO and Il Tuo Tulipano. And a small bottle about 2 ml with Arabian Gardens from Nicolas Danila. Maybe I will send some little surprise as well.


NOTE! All samples are used, some very lightly and some of them a little more. Some fo them are easy to find and some of them are a little more rare. I will send all the samples to one reader, no matter if it´s here at the swedish blog or the english. For international readers, don´t expect the parcel to arrive before Christmas, but for readers in Sweden I will try to post it on friday so it will reach you before Christmas. I will draw one lucky winner, here or at the english blog, tomorrow morning 9 o´clock (CET).


Good Luck!



Pic: mjcraftsdesign

söndag 13 december 2009

L'Artisan Parfumeur - Havana Vanille


When I was really small (4-5 years) I was during a period of time very afraid of invisible thieves. My parents of course tried to convince me that there wasn´t any invisible thieves or any other invisible humans. But I doubt what they said, how can someone know for sure when they are invisible?


Later on, there was a TV-show, "The Invisible Man" and this was a long time after I had been afraid of invisible thieves, but the theme still fascinated me. To become visible the invisible man wrapped himself up in clothes, hat and sunglasses.


Maybe that is what would make Havana Vanille to be a little more concrete? Of course, a perfume isn´t really invisible, rather scentless and a scentless perfume loses the point of being a perfume...?


No, of course Havana Vanille isn´t scentless, but it is so subtle and subdued it almost drive me insane! Because, the scent I can smell, is heavenly!


Havana Vanille is kind of an aquatic vanilla scent. In it´s subtle character it remind me of CdG 3, but while CdG 3 make me chase around in an imaginary jungle to find a rare flower, Havana Vanille rather make me float around in a waste ocean and chase after the luch tropical island where vanilla orchids grow and happy pirates drinks rhum and sings happy pirate songs.


But no, of course I never make it to that island. I have to seattle with paddle around in the water without any hope to smell the wonderful scent up close. In despair I have already used about half of my sample. I wonder how it would differ if I had a spray sample?


Havana Vainlle is impossible to catch, and when I try to sniff my wrist I smell less rather than more. It´s best when I´m not thinking about it and little whiffs of heavenly scent occurs now and then.


Everything about Havana Vanille is minimalistic.


During my post I had to walk the dog. It is snowing lightly outside and little whiffs of Havana Vanille mixed with the falling snow. It was like being in a fairy tale of vanilla smelling snow flakes. Swoon. :)




Pic: The Invisible, Movie Poster

Christmas preparations

I would have been happy to show you a pic of all the Swedish thins (ginger snaps, but not really) that me and the kids have baked today, but I can´t find the camera.


We have also baked saffron buns. It´s a Christmas tradition to bake, even though I´m not bake so many different kind of cookies and so on. Usually I stick with the thins and the buns, some years I do a kind of stars filled with plum jam and also some spicy bread.


Of course we have to had some Christmas candy as well, snaps (swedish hard toffee "knäck") and something filled with calories and chocolate like fudge or ice confect.


And the Christmas food, Christmas ham, meat balls, janssons delight, pickled herring, sausages and a little of this and that.


What is the mort important food or goodies for you at Christmas time?


Swedish Christmas food- and cakes and candies have a thing in common, the use of a lot of spices, which make the food smelling very, very good, and very, very much. So during this weekend my perfume use has been quite modest and also, quite surprising.


I´ve got a parcel with samples, among them some samples from famous L'Artisan (yes, Havanna Vanille among them) and maybe not as well-knowned, but still storied brand, Boadicea the Victorius, from which Michelle Obama have bought several perfumes.


I think it´s quite amazing that I can wear the same perfumes as USAs first lady (I wonder if she worn some of them during the Nobel price ceremony in Oslo?), but even more amazing is the fact that I´ve got these reputable perfume samples, and still I chose to drench me and the whole family with some perfume oils from a pretty much unknown company (at least compared to the other one´s).


Yes, I promise to write more about these ravishing perfume oils later, I just had to order more samples from that company, so you have to wait until I´ve tried them as well. And i sure hope they´ll be here fast!

torsdag 10 december 2009

Grossmith - Shem El Nessim


Finally! Yes, finally I´ve got to write about my big favourite among the Grossmith fragrances, Shem-El-Nessim.


The Nobel festivities is over for this time, appearantly the world was more excited about the Norwegian ceremony since Barack Obama got the Nobel Peace Price. But, anyway, the Swedish royalties was much better dressed than the Norwegian royalties.


In the pic above i think our Crown princess Victoria looks great, and to that outfit Shem-El-Nessim from Grossmith would wear perfectly. Overall I think that Shem-El-Nessim would do great on the Crown Princess, but until she realises that I can have until then.


Shem-El-Nessim is exactly my kind of scent. And I want more of it! It starts with a blast of slightly bitter citrus and loud flowers, to start with it is like a small explosion. Soon it lay to rest on my skin, if Hasu-No-Hana and Phul-Nana sparkles and shines, Shem-El-Nessim more of melts in to my skin in a wonderful way.


It´s the most discrete of them, but still, in long run, the one that manage to make the strongest impression. Don´t get me wrong, non of Grossmith fragrances are discrete. Compared to much else Shem-El-Nessim is a HUGE floral, but in comparision to her "sisters" the softest.


Originally created in 1906, about 7-8 years before my grand mothers was born, I belive they would have loved Shem-El-Nessim and still, I don´t think of it as dated at all. There is a youthful, happy touch in Shem-El-Nessim. It´s kind of light-hearted.


Pretty soon, Shem-El-Nessim become very powdery, soft, white powder with a wonderfully saturated scent of orris (iris) and some other flowers, i can smell the most delicate rose in there and a little hint of jasmine. If you usually don´t like podery perfumes, i guess Shem-El-Nessim isn´t anything for you. But if you do, Shem-El-Nessim is a must try! Shem-El-Nessim joins my absolute favourite powdery perfumes with ease. Iris Poudre is a little warmer and softer, Kenzo amour Le Parfum is a little sharper and heavier, Lounges Profanes is a bit more daring and modern, but Shem-El-Nessim could be the most luxurious and elegant of them.


Just like the other scents from Grossmith, Shem-El-Nessim has extreme staying power and a huge sillage. The base is creamy, warm, powdery perfection, with a hint of heliotrope giving a weak, but lovely cherry note. I think the heliotrope also contribute to the disctinct scent of make-up in Shem-El-Nessim, there is hints of lipstick in Shem-El-Nessim.


As you guess, I am totally pro-Shem-El-Nessim and now I know what perfume to wear on my childrens wedding, or at least on the closest one. This is my first choise as a wedding perfume from now on.




Pic: Swedish Crown princess Victoria

Grossmith - Phul Nana


We overslept this morning! And with one and a half hour also! Horrible and the youngest daughter became really upset and did n´t want to go to school at all. Maybe we should overslept a little more often so that the kids would get used to it? As far as I can remember this is the first time since we moved here (more than five years ago) that we overslept this bad. So now I sit here and it feels like nine o´clock but it´s really half past ten.


It was a reader of the blog that wondered what the names of Grossmith´s perfumes means, and that is quite interesting so; Hasu-No-Hana is "the scent of Japanese Lotus Lily". Phul-Nana means "Lovely flower" in hindi and Shem-El-Nessim is arabic for "smelling the breeze".


Today I´m going to introduce Phul-Nana for you. It was originally introduced 1891 and it is something quite uncommon, a bit of a fougére scent for ladies. Unfortunatly, Phul-Nana is the one of them that doesn´t suit me at all. It become very strong, stale and almost sour on my skin. Despite that I can still smell that Phul-Nana is a perfume with exquisist ingredienses and superior quality. On the right women it will probably become grand, majestic and refined. Among the Swedish royal ladies I think it´s only Queen Silvia that could pull it off.


Of the three scents from Grossmith Phul-Nana is the only I think of as dated, both Hasu-No-Hana and Shem-El-Nessim could be scents created by a gifted and dedicated perfumer today, but Phul-Nana smells like it has been around for a while, and since it has, I really think it´s ok.


Phul-Nana could very well become the most loved of them among perfume lovers that appreciate the magnificent, classic vintages.


Phul-Nana is a great feminine scent, with a lot of dark, dense base and I think my mother could like it, so maybe there´s where my sample end up?


Already in the opening Phul-Nana is quite bitter and herby. This stays through the whole scent, and the heart of geranium, tuberose and ylang ylang is well blended and no note seem to dominate on me.


When I am wearing Phul-Nana I feel like a little girl dressed up in my mothers most elegant clothes, her make-up and party shoes and wearing her most expensive perfume. Phul-Nana are remarkable longlasting and with great sillage.





Pic: Swedish Queen Silvia during Nobel Price Festivities 2007

tisdag 8 december 2009

Grossmith - Hasu No Hana


Once every year in a small kingdom far away in the Northern parts of Europe the Royal family host a magical event, a glorious feast and award the worlds leading scientists with a prestigious price, the Nobel price.


No, that´s not really true, it is the Swedish Nobel foundation that nominate the scientists that have serve the humanity the best during the years and it is the foundation that give out the award. Except of the price in literature, which is selected by the Swedish Academy society. But, the Swedish Royal family is a big and important part of the festivities taking place in Stockholm Cityhall the 10th of December every year, since 1901.


In Sweden, each year, there is a lot of talking about the Royal family´s outfits during the Nobel Festivities, mostly the ladies clothes of course. And they´re supposed to look like traditional royalty, not to old fashioned but not to daring either. There have been some complains about Princesse Madeleine´s decolletage, not only during the Nobel Price festivities.


I wonder what perfume the royal ladies use to wear during the Nobel-party? I sure hope they chose perfume with the same importance as the clothes. Well, if they´re unsure about what perfumes to wear I found something for them!


Grossmith, London is an old, beneficiate perfume house that have been of the track for several years, but now, Simon Brooke, great great grandson of founder John Grossmith has brought it back to life. With Roja Dove (world famous perfume professor and perfume expert) as mentor Grossnith now have re-created some of their classic perfumes; Hasu-No-Hana (originally created 1888), Phul-Nana (1891) and Shem-El-Nessim(1906).


The past days it is those interpretions of perfumes with more than a hundreds years of age I have been busy with. And honestly, only to read about the house Grossmith´s history and really trying to sink in to the perfumes make me feel reverent.


Of course I can´t judge how true to the original they are, but as I understand the original recepies are used, but with some modification accordning to modern laws such as how much of certain ingredience a perfume is allowed to have. In my opinion all the perfumes smells belivable, classic, elegant and timeless rather than old fashioned and dusty, which is a good thing.


Hasu-No-Hana is a voluptuous, warm, spicy and radiant floral bouquet scent. The opening is tsrong and powerful with huge sillage. I promise you won´t need much of it, a few sprays are just enough. In quality and richness I think Grossmith fragrances are similar to Amouage, there is no doubt about that high quality ingrediences are used.


Hasu-No-Hana is the oldest of the three scents, but I think it would fit Princess Madeleine (the youngest princess) really good. Hasu-No-Hana is a perfume for a women comfortable of being in the center of attention, a beautiful, confident but also a little conservative. Hasu-No-Hana is stunning, strong, glamorous, saturated and magnetic. In the heart of the scent, the rose is center piece, a strong, spicy and almost oriental rose. But, it´s the base note I like the most, it goes on forvere and ever, and it´s a soft, creamy miracle of subdued spices and almost gourmandlike qualities. A really gorgues scent, with sursrisingly modern character.


One spray on my wrist and one in the decolletage is enough to shine all night long with Hasu-No-Hana. And, the lasting power is excellent with Hasu-No-Hana, even a bath couldn´t take the scent of the basenote away, it still lasted hours on me. I think that the longvity on this and the others could be 24 hours or something like that!


I think Grossmith perfumes would be very interesting for people that like Amouage´s perfumes, the sense of quality and richness are the same, even though Grossmith scents feels more European than Amouage.


As you might figure, Hasu-No-Hana isn´t really a perfume for the office or whenever you feel like being a little cozy. No, Hasu-No-Hana is a perfume for festivities, weddings and if you like, a perfect scent if you would like to feel radiant and glowing an ordinary grey and rainy day in december somewhere in Sweden or anywhere else.


More about Grossmith you can find here: http://www.grossmithlondon.com/




Pic: Swedish Princess Madeleine

måndag 7 december 2009

A little this and that

I thought I would have a perfume to write about today, but sorry, you have to wait a little while. Anyway i am about to test some perfumes that are both interesting and a little different from what I usually like. Some associations I´ve got: majestic, radiant, elegant, klassic, timeless, large, expensive. Does it sound interesting? Yes, it is, but I have to learn to know them a little better first.


Otherwise it has been a hectic but nice weekend. The grand son had his 2 year party on saturday so we visited Örebro and have really fun at the Skojlandet (Fun Land, with slides, climibing frames, trampolines and other cool stuff), but guess if I have pain in strange places now?


Yesterday we finally manage to have the daughter in law on dinner. The pregnancy doesn´t show yet, but this week they are going and have an ultrasound so they will see their little baby for the first time. And the daughter in law wish for a 3D ultrasound in Christmas present, and I think it sounds really cool.


It´s the beginning of Christmas time and there sure is a lot of things, a part from perfumes, that smells really, really nice. For instant owen roasted root vegetables. I have to give you a recepie (and no, this is not going to become food blog, I promise).

Christmas smelling root vegetables (serves about 6)


1 kg carrots
1-2 swedish (!) turnips or swede (strange)
1 big parsnip
maybe (but not that important) 1 celeriac
Some potatoes


Peel the root veggies, leave the potato to last. Shred them in to small french fries size. Put some oil in a big owen pan and spread the veggies. Then spice them with one dash of ginger, one dash of cloves, and at least 3-4 dashes of cinnamon. Mix around a little. Put them in the middle of the owen, 225 C for about 40-50 minutes, stir them some times during preparation. Salt them a little when finnished.


This is simple, good, cheap, healthy and smell and tastes delicious. Serve the root vegetables to beefs, chicken and with some good sauce (but not to tasty).


This is so good, that I actually ate the left overs for breakfast!

torsdag 3 december 2009

Hilde Soliani - DoolciiisssiMO


Firts of all i want to apologize for misunderstanding Hilde Solianis name.


And when it comes to DoolciiisssiMO it is as good to surrender, since it is an extremly well made tobacco scent just as Bell'Antonio.


As I wrote yesterday, they´ve got some things in common. The central tobacco note seem to be the same in both of them and the lasting power and sillage is also great in both Bell'Antonio and DoolciiisssiMO. But, Bell'Antonio is sharper smokier and with notes of coffee while DoolciiisssiMO is a more soft, warm and sweet tobacco scent.


The scent of tobacco in DoolciiisssiMO make me think about old times tobacco commercial, when tobacco was considered sophisticated, modern and even healthy. DoolciiisssiMO has a happy, carefree and sunny character like an interprention of tobacco before cancer warnings and the danger with passive smoking.


DoolciiisssiMO is a tobacco fragrance with sweet, warm and golden gourmand character. Instead of notes of coffee, smoke and ashes there is notes of cherry and vanilla. Just shining through now and then and never dominating. Just as Bell'Antonio you can think of DoolciiisssiMO as quite a simple tobacco scent, but little by little I discover how the different notes plays in and out of each other in a very interesting way.


DoolciiisssiMO is more of an comfort scent than Bell'Antonio, it is perfcet to wrap yourself with now when the cold is here. Bell'Antonio has more atmosphere and I think it would be an excellent room scent as well. If I had to chose between them, I think I would go for DoolciiisssiMO as I find it to be a little closer to my taste then Bell'Antonio.

Pic: Vintage Lucky Strike ad

onsdag 2 december 2009

Hilde Solani - Bell'Antonio


Hilde Solani really know how to work tobacco scents. I do like bot Bell'Antonio and DoolciiisssiMO, but while DoolciiisssiMO smells immensly good and comfy, Bell'Antonio manage to evoke memories.


Bell'Antonio smells like real cigarettes and coffee. And reminds me of my dad. How many haven´t got a dad that both smoked and drinked coffee? Nowadays my father have quit smoking, but he still drink coffee.


At first I think of Bell'Antonio as quite a simple tobacco scent, but after a while I understand that it is more complex then I first thought. When smelling it up close I cen fell several aspects of tobacco, both the tobacco of an unlighted cigarette as well as the cigerette smoke, even the smell of ashtry can be found in it, even though kind of weak. Lingering around all this there is the note of really good, black italian coffee. Bell'Antonio is an unsweet almost besque scent on me, but still works very well with my skin chemistry. Intended for men, I think it is a must try for any women interested in genuin and true tobacco scents.


The coffee note weakens little by little and the tobacco note becomes softer, dryer and even a little sweeter without being sweet. The lasting power is great and the sillage is also great even though I have dabbed it I belive I smell like if I have smoke? If that´s a good or bad thing I supppose it´s up to you to decide.


Bell'Antonio is a belivable, genuin and masterly made tobacco scent. But I think I like DoolciiisssiMO just as much, it reminds of Bell'Antonio but is also a totally different type of tobacco.




Pic: Smoking cigarette

tisdag 1 december 2009

Hilde Solani - CiocoRosissimo


Rose scents aren´t always that easy to connect with. Among my absolute favourite perfumes there isn´t that many rose scents. But now I might have found another.


Hilde Solani´s CiocoRosissimo is something very interesting and nice, a rose and chocolate scent. Some of my favourite rose scents are gourmands, so CiocoRosissimo is right up my alley. CiocoRosissimo reminds a little of L'Artisan´s Safran Troublant, but of course with chocolate instead of safron.


The chocolate in CiocoRosissimo is a dark, saturated chocolate note, in style a bit similar to the chocolate note in Parfumerie Generale´s Musc Maori. But while I find Musc Maori to become a little suffocating and overly sweet after some time, CiocoRosissimo don´t behave the same way. No, it manage to balance the creamy, smoth note of chocolate with a little sharper note of rose in a tempting way.


Despite the balance between rose and chocolate, there is a little disturbance in CiocoRosissimo and that is a hint of soap in it. Still it smells mostly chocolate and rose, and the soap note is just barely noticeable, I even think it smells good. I do belive some skin chemistry can make the soap note stronger, so have that in mind.


With that said, I still like CiocoRosissimo, it is a soft, creamy, just enough sweet rose-chocolate scent. Do you like Safran Troublant or Musc Maori, then you probably also would like CiocoRosissimo.


It is longlasting and with good sillage. The base notes becomes soft, powdery and dominated by the rose scent, the chocolate and soap notes are almost gone.




Pic: Interrose.com.uk