Some autumn favorites 2010

While the wind is amusing itself by blowing all the leaves from the trees and the rain is amusing itself by turning the same leaves to a brownish gunk I amuse myself by thinking about what fragarnces I´ve used most during this autumn (september-october that is).

Autumn is a perfect season for perfumes, maybe the only time of year when I don´t think about or longing for the perfumes I will wear next season. Then I don´t care about seasons and scents at all some days, it´s a question about mood.

It feels like a lot of things have happened since last autumn. I have "discovered" oakmoss and suddenly that note is in a lot of my favorite scents. Even scents with quite prominent oakmoss character! Safron, milky notes and a lot more perfumes with floral notes then last autumn is also among them.

Most of them all I think I´ve used Costume Nationals 21, I´ve got a big spray sample but it´s almost empty now and are waiting for a decant, which I hope arrive any day now! Anyway, I´ll need a big bottle of this eventually.

Super expensive and super wonderful Cuir Beluga has also been of much use, my little decant have not much left. Tonka Imperiale that I bought at the same time haven´t been used at all as much. I msut have more of Cuir Beluga, it´s worth every cent!

All different Poison-varietys have been used a lot (most maybe Pure Poison, but not so much Hypnotic Poison) My stash of Pure Poison was enhanced this week also!

And my vintage Zibeline, what a hit! This is pure comfort and also both elegant and classic, pure bliss.

I´ve also used La Sirena from Carthusia almost of the same reason as Zibeline, warm, comfy and very rich smelling.

My birtday present Shiloh has been of much use as well, not so much a comfort scent as a pick me up scent, perfect to use in the morning when it´s dark and gloomy outside. The basenote in this is to die for. I wonder if oakmoss is addictive?

24 Faubourg from Hermes is something I discovered just recently even though I have had it for a long while, now it has clicked.

Serge Lutens Un bois vanille and Muscs Koublai Khan I have used a lot also and as usual Frederic Malles Carnal Flower.

I´ve jts got a wished for sample of Paul & Joe´s Blanc and it seem promising. I also can´t stop using Andrea Maacks Sharp and now they are available at COW in Stockholm, I have to go there and watch them the next time I´m in Stockholm (which will be next weekend hopefully!).

I haven´t used L'Artisan´s Nuit de Tubereuse SO much, but I´ve thought about it a lot. Some L'Artisan scents seem to behave this way, I don´t think that I like them SO much, but still I can´t stop thinking about them. I know Nuit de Tubereuse becoming a little masculine on me, but hey, I don´t think I give a damn about it any more!

perfumes I used a lot last autumn, but not this: Borneo 1834, Le Labo Labdanum 18 and By Kilian´s Back to Black.

What have you been wearing this autumn? New faves? Old darlings? If you would recommend only one perfect autumn scent, which would it be?

Pic: Winter trees without leaves, layoutsparks.com

MCMC Fragrances - Hunter

Sometimes I "skip job". Yesterday I planned to write on the blog, but when I waked up I knew that I had to wear Ormonde Jayne´s Ormonde Woman. I couldn´t imagine wearing any other perfume right then. I don´t have any deadline when I blog, but I try to plan my work and have some control when to finnish it. But, from time to time I just have to wear the scents I like the most...

Otherwise I have the last days testing myself through MCMC Fragrances different scents, Noble, Maui, Maine, Hunter, Humanity and Garden. the last two are parts of charity project and a big part of the profit goes back to charity (50% and 100%). A part from that, MCMC Fragrances is a new indie perfume house, situated in Brooklyn, New York.

All the different scents are simple, bright and clean compositions. They manage to feel both old fashioned and eclectic modern at the same time. In comparision to more established perfume houses I find them a little similar to Annick Goutal and I´m sure they could attract about the sam audience.

Among the six scents I´ve tried, Hunter is my biggest fave. With notes of tobacco, vanilla and fir balsam that isn´t perhaps so surprising. When reading about it, it´s suggested to be worn with a flannel shirt and that is 100% true.

Hunter is that kind of soft comfort scent for indoor days in october or november. But it´s also a good companion on autumn forrest walks. Hunter, as the others, are a unisex-scent, and I think it´s really suitable for everyone looking for a not so complicated and cozy scent. With tobacco and vanilla, Hunter could be sweet, heavy and almost cloying, but it isn´t at all. Hunter gets a clear, almost transparent and vibrant pureness thanks to the fir. This feels lika quite an original blend, and in a very adorable way.

During it´s middle phase the tobacco become just a little smokey. The fir goes from fresh to slightly woody and resinious, but the development is very subtle and soft.

If some of Annick Goutal´s scents is like japanese haikus, MCMC Fragrances are more like love letters in the sand, they are evanescent, but honest and devout. In other words, they do have quite short longvity, with exception of Noble (The one least liked by me). Hunter remains on my skin after a few hours, but just suggested, the sillage wears of in some two hours.

To some this is not at all a good thing, while others are looking for discrete scents that are also unique and creative, if that is the case, I recommend all of MCMC Fragrances scents. Hunter is a must try, and Maine (with notes of rose, sage and seaweed) or Maui (ginger, star anise, frangipani and tuberose) are also original and pretty scents.

You can read more about MCMC Fragrances at theur home page

http://mcmcfragrances.com/Home.html

Pic: flickr.com

Acorelle - Wheat Almond and Amber Vanilla (Bio Cosmetics)

Like -probably- a lot of other women I´ve a somewhat complicated relation to clothes and shoes. When we get our dog I had about 15 or 20 pairs of not so practical but oh so beautiful high heeled shoes, but I didn´t had a single pair of sneakers. I had to borrow a pair that my son had outgrow. And when it was rainy I had to borrow my husbands big rubber boots.

Outer graments I had lots of, a bright red trenchcoat, leather and velvet jackets and even a wonderful red down jacket (that isn´t so much of use since the winters here are normally quite mild, with exception of last year). Other dog owners I met seem to have their wardrobe filled with comfy and practical outdoor clothes...

In my wardrobe there is a lot of clothes hagning that I´m hardly use, and that I´ve loose weight by running in and out with the dog makes the clothes not even fitting anymore.

So finally I have start to become a little more practical when it comes to clothes and shoes. Nowadays I´ve got not one pair of trousers in my wardrob e but 3 or 4 and I even got me two pairs of comfy sneakers for long walks. And I also have rubber boots my own size. I have cut two corsets into pieces and tried to make some necklaces of them and my red feather boa is hanging in a corner and looking lousy...

At 40+ I´ve realised that comfy and practical clothes are quite useful and yes... comfy. Oh well, middle age ta

kes us all eventually... Resistance IS futile and also a bit ridiculous I imagine.

A lot of different perfumes aren´t that fitting for casual wear, it´s in within the nature of perfumes to be somewhat luxurious and to spray on a lot of strong perfume becomes more and more controversial. Acorelle offers 100% natural products, among the products are some eau de parfums as well.

http://www.laboratoire-odysud.fr/

http://www.acorellebeauty.com/

Acorelle products are available both in Europe and USA.

Among their scents, two have captured me the most, Wheat Almond and Vanilla Amber, Wheat Almond is balancing and Vanilla Amber is dynamizing.

To me, Wheat Almond is most about comfort, it´s a scent to wrap yourself up in. Perfect this time of year, and a scent equivalent to a soft velour set. The scenst from Acorelle isn´t that complex, but they sure are refreshingly comfy and soft. Wheat Almond has a sweet, spritzy top note almost candylike, but that fades rather quick and leave a soft almond scent togheter with something that smells like floury wheat. And that is unbelivable nice and also quite unique. The texture of the scent reminds a little of Bois Farine even though they don´t smell alike. During heart and base there isn´t so much going on, it is soft, cuddly and with some soft woody notes and just a smallest dash of something fruity. The only negative about Wheat Almond is the somewhat poor lasting power, not over two hours on me.

Vanille Amber on the other hand has really nice lasting power for an all natural scent. Vanilla and amber has been made over and over again, but still Acorelle´s Vanille Amber seem to have found it´s own niche. I´m a lover of ambery scent, but still can I find them to be to sweet and almost cloying sometimes, or some amber scents has a dusty smell that thickles my throath. Vanilla Amber avoid all that, this is a vanilla amber scent that is soft, refreshing and light. If a lot of amber scents can feel like golden, thick and honeylike, Vanille Amber is like a glass of a sparkling golden refreshing drink. Really, this is kind of vanilla amber scent, for people not usually so found of vanilla and amber. Besides vanilla and amber, I can find some woody notes and a soft smokey scent also occur in the base. Vanilla Amber has better sillage then Wheat Almond, still this is a very discrete scent.

Both scents are intended for women, but I think they can be worn by men to. You may not turn to Acorelle scents if you´re looking for dramatic and splendid scents for evening wear, but if you´re looking for a snuggly comfort scent to spend the autumn/winter with I can recommend both Wheat Almond and Vanilla Amber.Wheat Almond is the more unique of them, but on me Vanilla Amber is the winner in the long run.

100% natural scents has become increasingly popular, what do you think about natural scents?

I have great respect for noses and perfume producers that chose to work with all natural ingridiences, but still I don´t have anything against some synthetics in my scents. Often this components make the scent last longer and there are so many new chemical notes with unique scent. At the same time there is to many bad put together 100% synthetic perfumes out there. If I had to chose between smelling like a syntetic strawberry soda mixed with hairspray or Wheat Almond or Vanilla Amber it´s really a very simple choise. :)

Pic: stefanpoon

Ines send me your address!

I´ll send the sample set of CnR Create Star Sing Scents for men to you, since no one else was interested.

Send your address to my mail. :)

What about the boxes?

For most of us perfume lovers the juice is the thing that matters. Some perfumistas don´t acre about the bottles at all, while some only collecting perfumes in purple or see through bottles.

Usually the bottles aren´t that important, but of course, a beautiful bottle is always a plus. Personally I kind of hide the not so good looking bottles or keep them in the back. But, after all, what is looking good and what´s not is a matter of taste.

You can also find perfume bottle collectors, people that don´t care about the scent, at least not that much. They want only the bottles and maybe try to collect everything from a certain brand or period.

Anyway, most people seem to forget about the boxes. Almost all our scents comes in an outer box. And, most boxes are made of cardboard or paper and a lot of them are being throwed away as soon as we have open it. If you after all is saving your box, that´s the one getting worned out first. So old perfume boxes in great shape must be quite rare? Still, I haven´t heard of anyone collecting them...!?

The pic above shows some of my perfume boxes, I keep them, even though I buy and swap a lot of perfumes that comes without box. The boxes is also a part of the wholeness, maybe the bottle is the first thing we noticed, but in most perfume stores the boxes are kept right behind. To come home with a new perfume and gently wrap of the cellophane and carefully open the box gives me a feeling of pure luxury. It´s something very special about a totally new fragrance and a new box. Still, we tend to forget about the boxes almost at once, still perfumes with boxes are more sought after then perfumes without...

When taking a look at the boxes, they can be as nicely designed as the bottles and they do tell us a lot about a´what we can find inside the box. You should hardly find a Serge Lutens kind of bottle in a Lolita lempicka box and the other way around. Maybe I should become the "worlds first" perfume box collector? Even though I´m convinced there must be some of them out there somewhere?

How do you feel about perfume boxes? Do you throw them? Do you save the most appealing/ luxury one´s? Do you keep them all? Maybe you´re one of them only buying perfumes that comes with a box? Maybe you even got a favorite box? Which?

Personally I like almost all kinds of boxes, the variety if a part of the charm I think. And the box tell us as much about the scent as the bottle...

Well, when I´m not thinking about perfume boxes, I´m about testing some scents from a French 100% natural brand, and at least one of them has become a wonderful autumn favorite. More about them soon.

Pic: Some of my perfume boxes

L'Artisan Parfumeur - Vanilia

When I was looking for pics with mothers and daughters looking like sisters, Madonna and her daughter Lourdes was a common hit. Sorry, but I can´t see that. In which way should they look like sisters? Firstly, they are´nt that similar looking, especially not since Madonna started to inject pig fat or whatever in her face. And, Madonna does look quite much older then her daughter, which of course is totally natural since she was about 40 when Lourdes was born. And yes, how many sisters do you know of that are 40 years apart? Anyone? I know Madonna is (was) a beautiful women, but she can be happy that I didn´t wrote that I think that she looks like Lourdes grandmother, oh well now I wrote that anyway.

This must really be a longshot, what has this with perfume to do? It isn´t that weird really (not for me at least). I´ve got a bottle of L'Artsian´s Vanilia, one of the oldest members of L'Artisan family. Vanilia was born 1978, and therefor has deserved to be called a classic. Last year another vanilla scent was born in L'Artsian famile, namely Havana Vanille. It´s said that Vanilia is done and will be replaced by Havana Vanille, but at least at COW in Stockholm, the two of them are sold side by side (anyone know about this, please tell me).

When I first tried Vanilia I was surprised by the similarity between it and Havana Vanille. This is where I start thinking about mothers and daughters, they are after all about 30 years apart. But they really are mother and daughter that could be sisters.

The rivalty between them must be a family problem. Will old faithful Vanilia have to leave the spotlight totally now when young, trendy Havana Vanille has make her entrance? Is the classic beauty of Vanila replaced by Havana Vanilles more youthful look? Does really Vanilla still work?

I say that Vanilia is a typical L'Artisan, light, sher but still interesting. Vanilia is also among the L'Artisan scents that have decent lasting power on me (about 4-5 hours). When I was trying Havana Vanille alst year in a beautiful snow fall I come to think about the scent of snow flakes falling and slowly melting on my tounge. This feeling I´ve got from Vanilia also, but it isn´t snowflakes but bright colored beautiful tropical flowers slowly raining from the sky. Somewhere in the outskirts of my attention a fire is burning letting of a soft smoky scent. The vanilla in Vanilia is kind of slippery, elusive and not very sweet.

I think Vanilia is still working, even though Havana Vanille feels a little more modern. The presence of vanilia is also stronger on me then Havana Vanille. Vanilia has a steadily present vanilla base, while the other notes showing from time to time (flowers, smoke nd in the base some woody notes). On me, Havana Vanille don´t have that kind of base, but is for long times very quiet and then eventually sends of a quiet little whiff...

Still, that little whiff I prefer in front of Vanilias a little monotone floralvanilla. But anyway, Vanilia is a really nice vanilla, easy to use for people prefering a non-foody vanilla. The sillage is also quite nice, something Havana Vanille can´t really brag about.

Do you have a weak spot for vanillas maybe you should invest in abottle of Vanilia before it´s to late and they´re start selling them at Ebay for 150 €.

As long as I have Vanilia I don´t need Havana Vanilla at least.

Soon I´ll be writing about some 100% natural scents and also talking a little about thinking "outside the box" or maybe even "inside the box"...

Pic: Madonna with her daughter Lourdes, x17online.com

About our perfume meeting.

Yesterday we had a perfume meeting again. We´re starting to be like a little gang, even though some that was on the last meeting couldn´t come to this one, but on the other hand some new gang members showed up this time.

It seem like most of us want´s to continue having this meeting a coupple of times per year. And I can assure you that we are a happy, mixed and easy going gang that meet during very relaxed circumstances.

Yesterday we squeezes in some hours of sniffing and testing at NK and at COW, and also we was invited to one of the participant´s for some coffee and a guided sightseeing at her impressive perfume collection.

Unfortunatly it´s a little difficult to manage everything we like to do on only a few hours. A suggestion about a perfume camp was mentioned, really cool, even though I think it´s kind of hard to have it for real. At least I think all of us could easily have different kinds of perfume activities for a week without getting bored, but maybe with a very exhausted olfactory sense.

There are some different suggestions on what to do on our next meeting.

Oh well, did I find any new favorites? Yeah, Byredo´s new M/Mink is really different and interesting, but of course needs some testing on it´s own before I can write a review. I also tried Bond No 9`s Success is a job in New York agaian, and it´s growing on me. Creed´s Love in Black was also promising. I also tried a lot of other scents.

Honestly, I can hardly wait for the next meeting.

A somewhat smaller drawing

On the Swedish blog I have a drawing for two big bottles of perfume from CnR Create. This is by far the most valuable drawing I´ve held on my blog. Unfortunatly you have to have a Swedish address to entering the contest for the bottles, but however my international readers wont be totally without a little price.

I have an untested sample set of all twelve male fragrances in the Star Sign perfumes line. If you´re interested to try out this well made and interesting line, please leave a comment and I´ll draw one lucky winner next friday 22/10.

If, however, you´re reading the English blog, but are a residence of Sweden or have an address in Sweden, you´re of course welcome to participate in the "big" contest. You do so by answering this question:

Where was the idea of making Star Sign perfumes born?

You can find the right answer here:

http://www.cnrcreate.com/wbc.php?sid=25885c0106f&tpl=start.html

But, for entering the sample drawing you don´t have to answer the question. Only leave a comment and I´ll draw one winner.

Good luck and a big thank you to Robert and Canisa at CnR Create.

Star Sign perfumes - Libra (male version)

If Capricorn was the first among the twelve male scents that catch my attention, Libra (24/9-23/10) could very well be the one winning in the long run. Not as directly catchy, charming or different, but still I noticed it quite fast.

Libra has notes of tuberose, violet, cardamom, cinnamon, tolu and vetiver among others. This gives a lovely dark, mysterious and all together wonderful violet scent. Sure, it is intended for men and I really like the idea of a violet fragrance for men, but why should we let the men have this wonderful violet all by them selves?

On me Libra become a mysterious, vibrant and dark violet with masculine elements, but without being too masculine. Almost kind of a gothic, melancholic type of scent. It is dry, severe and a little cold, which makes me think about old grey stone churches, little violets in the grey light of dawn, Victorian environments and a wistful piano concert. Yes, Libra seem to be a scent filled with emotions, and I think it´s very fitting to October born libras, since october (in my opinion) is a little melancholu month and libras supposedly are a emotional star sign.

No matter what you belive about astrology, Libra is a violet scent I love to return to, actually it remind me a little of another favorite violet, namely Ava Luxe´s Midnight Violet.

I do recommend Libra to anyone interested in astrology, but also to everyone usually liking violet in fragrances and are looking for a dark, mysterious and unisex violet. Libra could very well be the one you´re looking for!

Libra has good lasting power and medium sillage. Are you curious to find out more about Libra or maybe the other scents that CnR Create offers? Take a look here:

http://www.cnrcreate.com/wbc.php?sid=2419903971c&tpl=start.html

I have chosed to write about the two scent that captured me most, but that doesn´t mean the other one´s aren´t any interesting or good. But, after all this are scwents intended fpr men, and I don´t like to smell too masculine. Some of the scents didn´t suit me at all, Sagittarus and Aquarius for instant, but these could very well be the one´s most suitable for you. On my husband Taurus smells really good, masculine, warm and safe, while it don´t fit me at all, and well, yes my husband is born in taurus.

Don´t miss the drawing, coming up soon.

Pic: horoscopos

Star Sign perfumes - Capricorn (male version)

I have write this several times before, when I´m trying about ten different scents, it doesn´t really matters how good the brand is, usually I tend to really like one or two scents out of ten the best. And when I try Star Sign Perfumes (for men) there is one fragrances that manage to capture my interest at once, namely Capricorn (22/12-20/1).

Capricorn is that kind of scent that I would notice among any other ten-twelve scents. Capricorn is unique, but still easy to like and wear for both men (as intended) and women...

Among the other male scents from Star Sign perfumes, most of them are more obvious masculine, so of course this makes capricorn stand out even more. Capricorn has notes of citrus in the opening, followed by rosewood, caramel and patchouli and finnishing of with amber, musk, vanilla and incense. This notes makes a lively, warm and soft oriental scent with gourmand elements.

Capricorn manage to be creamy, sweet, woody and with a lingering smoky note in the background. A man that got this scent as agift should be more the contempt, maybe with exception of men with really conservative taste that prefer more traditionally masculine fragrances.

On me, Capricorn become a quite sweet scent, really gourmand, with some elements of incense and the amber is really nice with my skin chemistry making the scent glowing and filled with life. As this is intended for men I try it on my husband as well, and on him the scent is quite different, it isn´t at all as sweet, and the smoky note is hardly noticeable on him, instead the wood note is more prominent making it dryer and maybe more aromatic, among the animalic notes the musk dominates while the amber is falling behind. Very different then on me, but still Capricorn is a scent that both me and my husband can wear without any problem.

Capricorn is a warm and cozy scent, and I think it´s really fitting since it´s intended for people born in the darkest time of winter (at elast in teh Northern hemisphere). Capricorn is also both sensual and exciting, making it very nice for passion seakers.

I would love to try it on my youngest son, since he is born in capricorn, but he is not at all interested in perfumes... (maybe he´s not even a typical capricorn?)

Lasting power is good, at least 6-8 hours, and sillage is also good. I could recommend Capricorn to all kinds of people, not onlu male capricorns. If you´re looking for a slightly smoky oriental with gouramnd elements, this is a must try! It is really, really good and you get a lot for your money.

Amont he twelve scents intended for men Capricorn is my favorite, which isn´t that strange since it´s quite unisex, but I´ve also found some other really nice one´s that I can imagine myself wearing. I write more about them any day soon...

It´s maybe not that hard figuring out that the drawing I´ll have is about CnR Create, so I think it´s about time for you to learn alittle more about the brand:

http://www.cnrcreate.com/wbc.php?sid=241748a8b81&tpl=start.htm

Pic: free wallpaper

CnR Create - Star Sign Perfumes

As a perfume writer I have some contact with perfumers, perfume producers and press-people at different perfume houses. In common for those I´ve got good contact with is their entusiasm, kindness and joy. There isn´t any doubt about that this is people really burning for their company, fragrances and other people sharing their interests.

Often it´s easiest to have contact with people in small and/or new perfume companies. Of course for them it is really valuable to get mentioned on a blog, while the big one´s in the branch get their new releases mentioned on each and every perfume blog.

Robert Boehm and his co-worker Canisa is both that kind of friendly people burning for their company and for both perfumes and astrology. I have written about their brand before, but now they got something new to present, namely astrological perfumes for men.

I think it´s amazing to have two big interests and manage to combine them. The connection between astrology and perfumes are´nt that rare, but often we find it made by indie-perfumers in 5 ml bottles of perfume oil of different quality and sold on Etsy (and likes). Robert and his co-workers has chose a different path, they have fokused on high quality both when it comes to the actual scents and how the bottles and boxes are presented.

As an astrologist, Robert has ideas about how a fragrance for a certain star sign should be built up, but the actual perfume is created in Grasse by a trained perfumer. So the scents are made with fine ingrediences and a lot of skills, but however, not maybe that edgy or groundbreaking.

After all, astrology scents is a small niche. I think mostly people allready interested in astrology become interested in these kind of fragrances, but also, there is quite a lot of people with at least a common interest in astrology. Scents for different star sign is also a perfect gift or Christmas present, easy to chose, but still personal. For perfume lovers it might not be so obvious to turn to this kind of scents. We like to test "all" the scents and maybe we become a little confused when we realise that we like the scent supposed to match male capricorns when we are female virgos...

Still, when I evaluated the different scents for females, I was surprised by their quality and I really, really like the scent made for virgo (which is my star sign).

Now I´m testing the different scents for men and they´re all very well made and maybe even a little more interesting and edgy then the one´s for women. I´ve allready got two personal faves, one that is so nice on my husband, and one that I like very much for myself.

I will present the different scents soon and by the way, what is your star sign?

Pic: astrology homepage

Seem like my hotmail-account don´t work as it should. If someone want´s to contact me, please use my new e-mail address torebella at gmail dot com

On the Swedish blog I talk about the perfume meeting taking place in Stockholm this coming saturday, if someone english-speaking want´s to join, please leave a comment or contact me. We had som mych fun last time, and I´m really looking forward to it.

This time I´ll be alittle better prepared, I´ll bring a pen so I can write every perfume I try, and

I´m also wondering what clothes I shall chose since bulky sweaters and coats are so much in the way when testing fragrances...

Coming up on the blog is a drawing later this week or in the beginning of next week, I´ll write about some scents for my male readers, and there will be all natural scents ahead also and then -hopefully- I have some news to present all the way from sunny California...

And that family drama will also be reported eventually...

The autumn is here for real now, and it´s high time to start wearing a little stronger and heavier scents. I think about this autumns favorites and wonder which are your autumn faves? Do you have some old one´s that you never get tired on or have you discovered some new autumn lovelies?

My preferences has change quite much during this year, I realise some of last years autumn favorites aren´t that used this year, while some other scents that I didn´t really liked last year are being of use this year.

I´ll tell you more baout my autumn favorites also later on...

Pic: huntadeal.com

Christian Dior - Pure Poison

Before trying Dior´s Pure Poison I had some prejudice about it. I suspected that it was going to be a dissapointment, a member in the Poison-family created to satisfy the people looking for clean, pure and fresh scents. With other words, I thought I was going to get a Poison-member without any edge, depth or excitement.

Then of course, it is so much fun that my bad expectations wasn´t fullfilled. Oh well, Pure Poison is clean and clear, but in a intense, shining and utterly adorable way. In one way it reminds a little about Thierry Mugler´s Alien, with the same radiance, but softer and powdery.

Pure Poison is more quiet and even a little shy compared to the other Poison-varieties. Still it manages to make it´s way to the top position among the Poison´s for me, and that during a very short time also. To me, it´s easier top wear then the others, but still very concrete and with a great personality.

Despite it´s soft personlity there is also a dash of "poison" in it, there is a note hidden among the pale flower petals with a little tart note. It could be the smell of a delicate, sheer and deadly poisonous flower. As in several of the other Poison-scents, there is a feeling of deadly beauty in Pure Poison.

I´ve always pictured Hypnotic Poison as a white scent, the scent of powdery white poison, razor sharp paper, ice crystals, and the inner of a red apple or a bitter almond. Pure Poison is also a white scent, but the most fragile white, like almost transcluent petals on a small white flower with soft pink edges, the palest skin, the lightest blond hair and little beautiful poison mushrooms with pink gills.

Pure Poison, like the rest of the bunch, has good longvity, but the sillage is a little more discrete, especially during drydown with a delisious powdery note.

When I compared different Alien and Angel varieties by Mugler I also scaled them

http://perfumenerd.blogspot.com/2010/03/thierry-mugler-angel-liqueur-de-parfum.html

Here comes a scale for the different Poison´s

Hypnotic Poison (former fave) 6 of 10, but a 10 when I´m in the mood for it

Midnight Poison 7 of 10

Pure Poison 8 of 10

and

Poison 8 of 10

This isn´t a scale to take too serious, probably I´ll have a different view in a year or two.

And, someone MUST have tried Tendre Poison? How is it???

Pic: flickr.com

Christian Dior - Midnight Poison

When I first tried Dior´s Midnight Poison I didn´t find it that special. I had a mini bottle and when I got it, it was only some tiny drops left. I didn´t think it was anything wrong with it, but I didn´t love it either. I tried it from time to time and it failed to make an impression on me...

Or at least it failed until I put the very last drops on... Suddenly the scent somehow had magically changed, I realised I liked it and a lot. I even tried to squeze out some leftovers from the bottle without any success.

Now I have found another small bottle of Midnight Poison. But, honestly, this one is tricky. Some time when I wear it it smells rosy, a little patcholuli and vanilla, really good but not heavenly good. And some time when I wear it, it smells incredible jummy, rich, warm and deep. This magic happens about every other fourth time I wear it. The scent of rose turns almsot blackish red, the patchouli is deep, dark and magnetic, the vanilla gives a splendid sweetness with some mouthwatering cramel note. It has transformed to something magic, magnetic and sexy and I can´t hardly get my nose from my wrist.

I have other scents behaving this way to, and even if it is a big surprise every time, I would of course prefer them to smell the best possible way every time I chose to wear them.

Midnight Poison is a fitting name, this scent is made for late evenings, but rather in a sensual and romantic enviroment than a party. It´s an oriental scent, but in my opinion not really. Like a scent trying to get what is best from two different sources without succiding every time. There is something clean and pure in Midnight Poison, something reminding of menthol. This makes it a little to open, to clear to be a total convincing oriental. A little like Elizabet taylor above, as Cleopatra the Queen of Egypt, she is beautiful, sensual and gorgeous, but maybe not 100% the Queen of Egypt?

Midnight Poison kinds of stop half way to the Orient, but maybe that is just as good? There are a lot of scents with the full richness, sweetness and heavyness of the Oriental, but maybe not as many standing in the doorway? To me, Midnight Poison is kind of an oriental for people not really liking oriental scents.

Belonging to a cathegory of scent easy available, Midnight Poison together with most other Poison-scents from Christian Dior is among the very best you can find in almost any small town. Midnight Poison has great lasting power and on me, medium sillage (I don´t have a spray). It is really suitable for men also, some other day in some other mood I would have described it as a rose scent for men. It´s like a light-version of Montale´s Black Aoud.

Pic: Elizabeth Taylor in Cleopatra

Christian Dior - Poison

Now my parents have returned home to Boden. It has been a really nice week with good food and birthday parties, the dog turned two and my oldest daughter is turning 30. I´ll talk about having children almost as old as I am some other time...

As usual when I have a little break from writing I can´t wait to start writing again. Some time now I have tought about presenting and reviewing Christian Dior´s different Poison-fragrances and now it´s time for that. Hypnotic Poison is allready done:

http://perfumenerd.blogspot.com/2009/10/christian-dior-hypnotic-poison.html

I´ll start with original Poison and then I´ll write about Midnight Poison and Pure Poison as well, unfortunatly I haven´t get hold on any Tendre Poison. One of my blog readers wished that I would write more about "common" frags, and to that cathegory I count the Poison-scents.

Poison has been around a while, since 1985 actually, but I don´t have any old history with it. When it was launched I wasn´t that interested in perfumes and was contempt with my Opium. A littel later my brothers girlfriend had it, and I thought it smelled wonderful on her, but I wasn´t curious about it for myself, since I belived I only could wear oriental scents. I know better now, thankfully...

Anyway, now I do like Poison. Some readers may say that OK, then there is another tuberose scent that I like, but Poison isn´t that much about tuberose on me. It is blended so it become a wonderful, warm floral with elements of something berry, but also spicy and woody on my skin. These notes together smells like some kind of drink to me. A magic potion, an elixsir, an exciting bottle with strange contents that´s waiting to be drinken. Exactly like Alice above, I´m far to curious for my own good sometimes. I would of course also drink from a bottle with a sign on it "Drink Me", what if the result was that I become extremly tall or small or pink with green dots, if it smelled so good as Posion I would easily drink it anyway. Oh, and how exciting to wait and see the result...

For some reason I belive that Poison smells like apple juice. Some magic kind of apple juice, maybe if the evil stepmother in Snowwhite would offer Snowwhite juice instead of an apple, the juice would smell like this...

Yes, Poison takes me to fairytale land, it´s unbeatable if you want to escape the grey october feeling for some hours. Even though it is 25 years old I think it is modern, but also timeless, people in any age could wear this. It might work on men to, anyone out there that have tried it?

My Poison is in esprit de parfum in a small minibottle, so it can be quite different from edt or edp in spray. It has good, but not killer sillage and nice lasting power, about 7-8 hours.

Which is your fave among the Poisons? For a scent with so many flankers, I belive the flankers are quite good, at least the one´s I´ve tried.

Don´t miss some more Poison´s, and also some family drama, astrology and eventually some 100% natuarl scents. Both well knowned and others not so well knowned brands will show up...

Pic: Alice in Wonderland