CoSTUME NATIONAL - 21

It has been a while between my bloggings, mostly because our computer have chrashed and I have to beg my son to use his computer. And since the schools have started and middle daughter is off to Markaryd I have started with the big autumn cleaning, which is fun but quite time consuming.

But, I´ve got a lot of wonderful and interesting perfumes to write about, actually I´ve got so many right now that it´s hard to know where to start.

Returning readers might remember that I tried a perfume at NK when we had our perfume meeting, a perfume that smelled wonderful, but that I couldn´t remember which it was. I suspected two scents, Laura Merciers Marrons Glaces and Costume National´s 21. I´ve tried Marrons Glavces a while ago, but even though it had some similarities to the one I searched for, I was almost certain that it wasn´t the one I was looking for.

Then I´ve ordered a sample of Costume National´s 21 and you can guess that I was so curious when I sprayed it on. But, uhu? Uhu uhu uhu? Nope, hmm.... I had to admit that the opening of 21 isn´t at all anything like the mysterious scent from NK. But, despite the differences I discovered that 21 was a really interesting scent.

Top notes of milk, amber and safron is soon to be followed by oakmoss and wonderful warm spices like clove and cinnamon. 21 smells both very good and a small, small part disturbing. The oakmoss is used with light hand, but I think that it gives such a nice twist to 21 and make it go from comfy gourmand to something different and unique. During this phase I like 21, but not 100% as I said, it has some weird elements. It is complex, both strong and soft at the same time. Very much gourmand, but at the same time woody, spicy and the oakmoss ledning it an almost smoky character. Over all I think Costume Nationals scents deserve much more attention, Scent Intense is a favorite of mine and now it seem 21 will go that way to.

About half an hour after applying the scent, I realsie I sniff my vrist obsessive, and yes... there we got it! The mysterious scent from NK! Yes, yeah yeah yeah, there it is! Still the warm, creamy, smoth and soft scent that I remember from NK is mixed with some harsh oakmoss and wood, but more and more the wonderful scent from NK is shining through. It proved to be the base note of 21 that stayed on my skin and in my memory that day!

And the base note remind me a lot of a Chilean drink called Colo de mono (monkey tail). A drink consisting of milk, coffee, spices and some liquer (rhum or preferable pisco). In Chile you drink this around Christmas and it´s really good. Of course it´s thanks to my sweet Chilean sister in law I come to know this drink. And Costume National´s 21 reminding of this drink with milk, cinnamon, clove and sweet, lush and creamy. No booze though, but we can pretend the oakmoss is some kind of booze?

21 has good if not marvellous lasting power, about 5-6 hous on me. The sillage is great, but not to much. The scent is both complex and challenging, but also very soft and comfy. The oakmoss makes it stay on the right side of sweetness and making 21 work even for people not usually found of sweet and gourmand kind of scents. 21 is also suitable for men and people in all ages. Shortly speaking, this is a little gem that must be tested! And while you´re at it, I suggest you try a glass of Colo de Mono also.

Serving 4: 4 big cups of strong coffee

1 cinnamon stick

4-5 cloves

seeds from a vanilla pod

2½ dl brown sugar

2½ dl boiled, whipped milk

1 tsk cinnamon

1 dl liquer (pisco, rhum or vodka)

What else is coming up on the blog? I will have a drwaing soon, don´t miss it. And I suggest you think a little about what you think when you hear the word Iceland. And of course there will be reviews, Annick Goutal´s Ninfeo Mio, Serge Lutens Bas de Soie and L'Artisan´s Nuit de Tubereuse among others. And I think something really, really vintage will show up here also soon. So, a little this and that, as usual.

stora koppar starkt kaffe

Pic: Colodemono