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

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

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!

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

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

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