L'Haleine des Dieux

Serge Lutens's Section d'Or has been, to say the least, controversial, due, largely, to the pricing. I think a lot of people have dismissed the line because of that, seeing it as some sort of soulless bid for the luxury market.  I have, now, three in the line.

Previously, I got L'Incendiare and Veilleur de Nuit plus a mini of Cannibale.  But when I first tried the line out, the standout to me was L'Haleine des Dieux (50 ml).  It took me up until now to finally get a bottle.  I haven't read many positive reviews of it (there are a few on Fragrantica). It just works very well on my skin.  It is very quiet and close to the skin.

Patty at Perfume Posse never tried this one, skipping it as it listed somewhere a pine note.  She was concerned it would be piney like Fille en Aiguilles or Chypre Rouge, which she didn't like (neither do I).  I really don't get the pine note at all here.  Some have compared it to Ambre Sultan, which I also dislike. I really don't get that either.  It doesn't have the herbal quality of Ambre Sultan.

Barneys lists the notes as amber, clary sage,  cashmeran and musk. Basenotes adds leather, cistus, pine balm, and vanilla, which seems about right.  More resinous-y than piney.

I also picked up a bell jar of Bornéo 1834.  I already have it in the 50 ml sprayer that was available briefly.  I've always wanted a bell jar of it, though.  Along with Muscs Koublaï Khän, I think the scent  really suits that presentation.  For some reason it just makes sense to me.

¡Ay, Hatshepsut!

I've been meaning to get a bottle of Charenton Macerations Eye, Hatshepsut (30 ml), so I did.  Don't love it as much as Christopher Street, but it's good. And affordable!  Not as off-putting as you'd expect.

I also picked up Bvlgari's Eau Parfumée au Thé Noir (75 ml).  It's ok.  Not exciting.  This and Bleu are my least favorite of the series.  My favorite is Rouge, and it's been discontinued. I've never been a fan of Vert, oddly.  Doesn't smell remotely like green tea, whereas Rouge certainly smells true-to-life.

Finally, I bought Montale's White Aoud (50 ml) blind. I don't know what to think.   The bottle is itty-bitty.  Those 100 ml bottles are like three times the size. And it's glazed.

Concrete

I went to Japan for two weeks back in the beginning of September, so put my buying on hold.  I meant to get a bottle of Hermès Cuir d'Ange, but I didn't.  There were also some Serge Lutens in duty free for about $100, though I already had most. Was going  to get Une Fille de Berlin, but, then, didn't.

So I've been back two weeks, back to work.  Have got a lot in those two weeks.

First and foremost, I got Comme de Garçons Concrete (80 ml).  There have been some complaints that it's not sandalwood and it's not petrichor..... well, I do think it is sandalwood.  Kind of a sweet one.  But better than a lot of recent sandalwoods out there.  I like it!  Nice variation on the standard pebble bottle, too, by having it made of actual concrete.

I also picked up bottle of Comme des Garçons Carnation (100 ml) from the Red Series. This is a pretty good carnation, not as clovey as usual.  This may be my favorite of what I have from the Red Series so far (I also have Harissa and Palisander).

I aso got yet another of L'Artisan Parfumeur's Mon Numéro series, Mon Numéro 4 (100 ml).  I certainly like it more than 3 and 9. I'll probably get more use of it.  Does lavender and leather make a barbershop scent?  I really don't think so.  I like it and will probably get use out of it.

On a whim, and after reading a positive review of it on Persolaise, I got a bottle of Reminiscence Oud (100 ml).  I've never really tried anything from Reminiscence before.  It's pretty nice.  Don't smell any oud at all, though.  Sadly, it doesn't come in the starry bottle.

Finally, I ordered a bottle back before I went to Japan of Serge Lutens De Profundis (75 ml).  I have yet to go pick it up.  Maybe today.  I've been busy and/or sleeping. By the time I wake up Barneys is closed.

Whew!  Also decants of Areej le Doré Siberian Musk (I guess I mentioned this before) and Oud Zen.  You, know? They're ok.  I don't think I needed full bottles.  I'm curious what they'll come out with in the future and am glad to have smelled natural musk.

Nuit de Bakélite

Well I went out and got a bottle of Naomi Goodsir Nuit de Bakélite (50ml). This is amazingly good. I sometimes feel weird wearing tuberose, but this works really well for me.  It may be my favorite new fragrance this year.

 I've since taken out my other tuberose scents to compare.  It may be my favorite.  I've since ordered a  10 ml travel size of Carnal Flower.  I don't think I'd ever go through a whole bottle. I may go through one of Nuit de Bakélite, though.

As a gift with purchase I got a 10 ml bottle of Memo Irish Leather  It's ok.

Attack of the Spectacular Bottles

I got a few things recently. Three of which have really nice bottles.

The first I got, and have been planning on getting for a while, is Bruno Fazzolari Feu Secret (30 ml). Parfum1 had it with a 20% discount.  It's really nice, although the last time I wore it it kind of reminded me of Flowerbomb, although they really don't share notes.

This is the least nicest bottle. Bruno Fazzolari has thankfully changed the sprayers on these and they work much better than they used to.

I got Jean Patou Chaldée (100 ml).  I had no idea what this would smell like but I really like it and will probably get a lot of wear out of it.  Doesn't smell too feminine to my nose, though it's marketed that way. Gorgeous bottle.  The photo doesn't do it justice.

Next, I got Cartier L'Envol (100 ml). The bottle is really nice and original, if fragile. Kinda reminds me of a giant Vitamin E capsule. I'll probably never use it enough to get a refill, though. I bought this blind based on the honey. It's nice, but not great. Fine for summer.

Last, I got UNUM Io Non Ho Mani Che Mi Accarezzino Il Volto (100 ml). I was excited to get this, as I had a sample which I was wearing the hell out of.  Definitely worth getting.  The bottle itself is not so spectacular, but the cap has the whole cossack thing going.

The material used reminds me of the material used on a Dishonest John puppet my sister had when we were growing up. Mine does't fall so nicely as the photo of the bottle.  I'm trying to play with it to make it look nicer, though.

Things I Failed to Post

I got Annick Goutal Rose Oud (75 ml) from Parfum1.  I don't see it on sale anywhere else in the US and the price wasn't bad.  Of the Goutal Ouds, I prefer 1001 Ouds. Rose Oud was somewhat less interesting, although I like it more than Vanille Charnelle.

Next, I got Diptyque Tam Dao, edt (50 ml).  As usual, I can't smell a thing. I've smelled it before, sometimes it smells of the lumber yard, sometimes a beautiful creamy sandalwood.  Most of the time, nothing.  I'm not sure why I bought it.  I'm not nuts about the edp version.

I also see that I failed to post that I got Oud Palao (75 ml), which is actually really nice. I got this a long time ago. Within the past six months.

I got that giant bottle of Jacques Fath Green Water reissue (200 ml).  It's ok.  Very lime.  

Finally, I got a 5 ml decant of Areej le Doré Siberian Musk instead of shelling out for a full bottle.  It uses actual deer musk legally sourced, they say.  So it's interesting in that respect.  It's very beautiful, but I'm not sure I'd like a full bottle.  I'm very curious to test their other fragrances. 

Repeat

I know I just got the Kilian Oud Harmony set, which included Pure Oud.  However, Notino had the full 50 ml bottle with the entire kit-and-kaboodle presentation on sale for about half price.  So, natch, I snatched it up.

I also got Hiram Green's Arbolé Arbolé (10 ml).  It's an ok patchouli.  I'm glad, though, that I didn't get the larger bottle.  10 ml will last me quite a bit.

Jicky

I ordered a bottle of Guerlain Jicky edp (100 ml). I've been meaning to get a bottle for a long time.  I never see the edp on sale anywhere, and suddenly everyone seems to have it.  Per the batch code, it was made last year.  Luca Turin, in The Little Book of Perfumes, says that 2011 version "seems punchier, more animalic, richer than the 2007 version."  It is really nice.  I'm glad I finally got it.

With Habit Rouge edp and Mitsouko, I'm finally getting some Guerlains I like.

Hype

Some things I got kinda recently.

I've been curious about it since I first read about it a couple of years ago,  and I rather liked Cadavre Exquis, which perfumer Antonio Gardoni worked on with Bruno Fazzolari, so I got a bottle of Bogue Maai (50 ml).

It's good, but I'm not quite so nuts about it as hype would have it.  I'll have to give it more time. Interesting creepy-crawler cap, though!

Reverting to my honey hunt, I also got a bottle of 4160 Tuesdays Dirty Honey (30 ml). As honeys go, it's ok.  While I keep typing "Dirty Hiney", well, not really.  I had high hopes for it, though.

Finally, I got Hermès Eau de Rhubarbe Écarlate (100 ml).  I loved CDG's Rhubarb and Aedes de Venustas's first perfume, but this one is a bit sour for me. Nice red!

Addendum:  I also got Frédéric Malle's iris hand cream, which smells great! I love Olivia Giacobetti and am glad to see something recent by her.  I suppose there are enough irises out there that it didn't warrant a perfume release.  It's a nice one, though.

Bois d'Encens

When I first started getting seriously into fragrance, people kept recommending to me Armani Code.  For some reason it never clicked.  I know Acqua di Gio is the men's bestseller, but it leaves me cold.

So it's kind of surprising to me that so far two in the Armani Privé line have made it into my collection.  They're a bit pricey and for a while unavailable. Last year I got Myrrhe Impériale.  I've been watching out for Bois d'Encens (100ml) for the past eight years, but never picked it up.  Boys in Basenotes used to claim that they were able to pick it up at Marshalls or TJ Maxx.  I was never so lucky.

Notino recently had it for basically half off so I finally got it.

It's a nice incense. I'm glad I was finally able to get it.

I also picked up a bunch of L'Artisans.... some for gifts later in the year.  For myself I got L'Été en Douce (100 ml).  Not really all that nuts about it.  I recently tried Glacialis Terra I kept thinking it reminded me of something.... and this is it!

I also got a tiny (5 ml) bottle of Providence Perfume Company Cocoa Tuberose.  It's ok.  Yet another Nestlé's Quik kind of scent. I smell  no tuberose. This bottle was, ml per ml, more expensive than an Amouage!

Never Say Never

Back a few years when the brand was being introduced in the US, Xerjoff very generously offered any Basenotes member who wanted a try a very hefty sampling of its perfumes. Perhaps I was overwhelmed by the sheer number of fragrances all at once, but really nothing stuck out. I was bored with what I smelled and annoyed with the price tag.

I ended up trading away the samples to a woman who couldn't believe her luck.  Since then I have pretty much ignored the brand, figuring I was not the market they had in mind. A segment of consumers will buy anything that costs a bomb, regardless of interest. Xerjoff has, despite my scorn, apparently thrived.

Last year, while I was on my honey hunt, the name Mamluk repeatedly came up as having a nice honey note to it. I, of course, looked the other way.

I finally ordered a sample come fall from Twisted Lily.  You know? It's not bad. I like that Patty at Perfume Posse co-opted March's fantasy perfume name Candy Ass in her review, although Mamluk is not nearly as skanky as I would like.  JTD at Scent Hurdle has an interesting review which reflects my attitude towards Xerjoff and the perfume.

As far as honey scents go, I probably didn't need it.  It is nowhere near the beauty of Miel de Bois.  Mamluk veers closer to Vilhelm Parfumerie's The Oud Affair. Nevertheless, when Notino offered a bottle for a fairly reasonable price, I snapped it up.

I think, in general, I will continue ignoring Xerjoff releases. I simply can't afford it. I may shell out for the Oud Stars Discovery Set if it ever comes available again, just because I've liked Mamluk as much as I do and I'm intrigued.

Some Kilian Ouds

I've been thinking about getting a full bottle of By Kilian Pure Oud for a while now.  Not really keen on shelling out $400, though.  So I saw there was an "Oud Harmony" sampler for much less, and I was able to get four scents, each 7.5 ml:  Pure Oud, Musk Oud, Incense Oud, and Rose Oud.  These should all last me a while.

Of the four, I only really like Pure and Rose.  If I finish this bit, I may get a refill of one or both.

Penhaligon's

I've had bad luck with Penhalgon's.  I loved Amaranthine.... but not on me. I ended up giving it away. Ditto Ostara.

The only scent I've ever liked by them was Elixir, which has been discontinued.

Still, I took the plunge and got two recent releases, which were on sale.  Bought them both blind.  As Sawira and Alizaren.

Well, they're both kind of forgettable. Musty smelling on me.  Of the two I probably prefer Alizaren, but I doubt either will get much wear.  Presents for my nephews?

Sweet Redemption

When this first came out there was a lot of love online.  I think Patty from Perfume Posse sent me a sample. And  you know? I really didn't like it much.  All I got was baby aspirin.

Anyway, I had a sample lying around since then (it was released in 2011). Maybe my ideas of orange and orange blossom have changed since then. I've developed love for Serge's Mandarine-Mandarin, Fendi Theorema. The sample was sitting in a tray where I watch TV and I just tried it one day and I've changed my mind!

So I got a bottle of By Kilian Sweet Redemption in the coffin and everything at a good price from Notino.

I've Gotta Stop

Okay, so the bag event.   I bought a bell jar of Muscs Koublaï Khän, which i have been meaning to buy for a while.  I do still have MKK in the spray bottle, but I feel it belongs in a bell jar.  Likewise, Bornéo 1834, which I will no doubt get the next bag event.

I also got L'Incendiaire (50ml).  Yes, I know I know, I just got Veilleurs de Nuit so TWO Section d'Or bottles in a month or so.  I did have over $100 in Barneys gift cards, so the damage wasn't quite so bad.

I won't be able to confess any of this on Now Smell This's quarterly confession.

I was, if it's any consolation, showered with both men's and women's bags and extras.

Contre Bombarde 32

I rodered, blind SAUF Contre Bombarde 32 (50 ml).  A very nice incense.  I saw it compared to UNUM LAVS.  While they are both incense, they are different.  The SAUF is less churchy, if you ask me.  Nice bottle!

I also ordered a small (10 ml) bottle of Hiram Green Dilettante.  If I go through this I'll get a full bottle.  Very nice and skanky orange blossom.

The bag event at Barneys is this week, so I suppose I'll be getting something there, if anything strikes my fancy.  I do have about $100 in gift cards to use.

Veilleur de Nuit

I went kind of nuts and got Serge Lutens Veilleur de Nuit (50 ml). It's a very understated chocolate floral.... Yes, I have buyer's remorse of a sort.  It is really nice, though.  'Nuff said.

It's Been a Bit

Sorry.... was having keyboard troubles for a while there.  Couldn't return.  I did buy a bunch of things, but, alas, they are lost to history on here.  Ha ha.

Recenlty, I got a mere three items.  First, I got L'Artisan Parfumeur Mon Numéro 3 (100 ml) because it's there.  It's ok.  Nothing remarkable.  Can't imagine someone paying big bucks for it as a bespoke fragrance.

Next, I got Comme des Garçons Series 2: Red Harissa (100 ml). Hmmmm.  Yet another Duchaufour..... Again, it's ok.  I think it's been discontinued.

Finally, I got Richard James Savile Row (50 ml).  Well, it's a fougère.  Nothing terribly great.  The way everyone on Basenotes raves about it.... Again, this may be a reformualtion.

I will try and stay current.