Au Delà ー Narcisse des Montagnes

On 22 March, I received an email from Bruno Fazzolari announcing the availability of 50 bottles of Au Delà ー Narcisse des Montagnes once more.  I immediately ordered one.  It arrived on 26 March, and languished in my building's office manager's office until yesterday, when I was finally able to retrieve it. As we speak, there are only four left for sale. Allegedly, this will be the last time Fazzolari will offer the perfume "in this formulation", whatever that means.

I had meant to get a bottle last time it was available (last fall), but dithered around so much until they were all gone.

Anyway, it's beautiful and I'm glad I got it.

New Things

I'm a big fan of Etat Libre d'Orange Rien, so I thought I'd pick up a bottle of Rien Intense Incense (100 ml).  Having gotten the bottle, I agree that it is not significantly different from the original, except in the top notes.  The incense is indeed intensified, and there is less skank than would be desired.

They probably should have called it something else, considering they have been mixing some of their scents to make new ones recently. Still, I'm glad I own it.

I also got a bottle of Rochas Tocade (100 ml), which really may not be me. But it was only $20 or so. I have a love-hate (mostly hate) relationship with Maurice Roucel's fragrances (although I could probably nap all day in that mustache he used to sport).  Off the top of my head, I'm not super happy with Rochas Man or Musc Ravageur, but love KenzoAir and KenzoAir Intense. Tocade seems nice, if sweet.  Not particulary feminine.  It's been around for years so probably has been reformulated.

The current version is an eau de toilette.  Somewhere I have a sample (purchased at Rei Rien - remember them? She had great inventory) of Tocade in either eau de parfum or parfum,  I wonder why they don't make those any more.  I recall it being quite beautiful.  I'll have to search for it later.

Continuing my honey hunt, I got Demeter Honey (30 ml) to go with the Beeswax.  Again, not expecting a lot, but it seems more honey than the Beeswax was.

Equinox!

Honey Hush

I stayed in Nagoya for the last three weeks of February.  While there, I ordered a bottle of Ginestet Botrytis (100 ml), despite my initial misgivings, in my quest for yet more honey. To be honest, I really haven't had time to test it very much, but it was not what I was expecting.  Certainly not oversweet, from what I can tell, but rather heavy (despite being an edt), and not particularly honey-like.  Again, I'll have to try it more later.  Not all that girly, though.

I also got a 3 ml bottle of Madini Oils Musk Gazelle,  Again, I've not had much time to spend with it.

Barneys is having their spring bag event. Patty was texting me as my flight taxied on the runway at O'Hare, and told me to pre-order so that I could get the man bag.  So I ordered a bell jar of Serge Lutens Tubéreuse Criminelle (75 ml). It really doesn't seem overly tuberosey, and I think I will be able to pull it off, especially dabbed.

Last month, Gaia at the Non Blonde wrote in a post that Miel de Bois had been reformulated, and that the new one didn't cut it.  Ever since, I have been on the lookout for an old bottle of it (it was originally released in 2005, and, I think, was changed to the exclusive line and reformulated in 2010).

While at Barneys last week, I was talking with the sales assistants, and one of them had an old export line bottle (50 ml). Turns out, she really hates it.  I already have a bell jar of it, and really love that version. She out of the blue said she would give her bottle to me! I offered to trade it for my Vaporisateur Tout Noir with 30 ml of Fourreau Noir, which I had received as a giveaway from the Serge Lutens site (the other 30 ml I gave to my sister Janet for Christmas.  I already have a bell jar of Fourreau Noir). So, yesterday, when the bag event had officially started and I could pick up my Tubéreuse Criminelle, we exchanged perfumes.  I am so happy about this you just don't know!

The 50 ml bottle (which the batch code on it dates to 2006) and bell jar juice definitely are different! I have only sprayed the export line version and only dabbed the bell jar version.  Therefore, a true comparison would have them applied in the same manner.  I'll do this at another date.  I had too much stuff on that I was trying yesterday.  I kinda sorta have a date tonight (some young'un who lives a few blocks south wants to meet me after he is done with work), so won't be doing the comparisons today.  (UPDATE:  young'un cancelled!) The sprayed MdB is still going strong on my arm 12 hours later and definitely is more acrid than the newer version.  I do think I love them both and glad I was able to get this!!!

The man bag from the bag event was really generous this time out.  Included was a 50 ml (?) bottle of Ulrich Lang Nightscape, which I still haven't tried. I was able to get samples of Frédéric Malle Monsieur. and The Night, which I guess I can order for $800 for 50 ml! We shall see!!

I did order a bottle of Demeter Beeswax, which still hasn't arrived. I'm not expecting a whole lot from it. But it was cheap.

UPDATE:  Beeswax arrived today (14 March), after a weird mixup with my mailing address.  Not great, but certainly better than that horrible Tokyomilk thing.