fruity floral

Perfume Chat Room, November 28
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Perfume Chat Room, November 28

Welcome to the weekly Perfume Chat Room, perfumistas! I envision this chat room as a weekly drop-in spot online, where readers may ask questions, suggest fragrances, tell others their SOTD, comment on new releases or old favorites, and respond to each other. The perennial theme is fragrance, but we can interpret that broadly. This is meant to be a kind space, so please try not to give or take offense, and let’s all agree to disagree when opinions differ. In fragrance as in life, your mileage may vary! YMMV.

Today is Friday, November 28, and we’ve had a lovely Thanksgiving. I can’t believe November is almost over, since Thanksgiving fell so late this year.

Turkey-shaped bottle of cologne by Avon
Avon Wild Turkey cologne, just for fun!

I was so full after yesterday’s feast that I didn’t feel hungry until this afternoon— and we ate yesterday in the mid-afternoon! The house was fragrant with the scents of herbs, chutney, roast turkey, etc. And I did wear my new Shalimar l’Essence. Tomorrow we fly to Seville, Spain — do you have any recommendations for perfumeries? A little perfume tourism is always fun. I’m looking forward also to the Christmas decorations and markets. We’ve visited Seville once before, but just for two nights, so I’m excited to see more of the city (including, of course, the Real Alcazar, which we visited last time).

I have another new fragrance on my hand, but this one isn’t mine — my daughters went out shopping for Black Friday, and my older daughter (the one who loves Ginger Biscuit) bought herself the recent release from Victoria’s Secret: Bombshell Soirée. It’s very pretty, a fruity floral with a warm, woody base. Nothing earth-shattering, but very nicely done. And she’s delighted with it, which is what really matters! It will smell great on her.

Please share any suggestions for Seville, and anything you’d like to share about Thanksgiving, Black Friday, or November.

Scented Advent, December 18
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Scented Advent, December 18

Advent SOTD today is Regime des Fleurs’ Glass Blooms. I like it a lot so far, but it doesn’t really suit the winter holiday season, as a light, summery floral! But that’s how Advent surprises work — one doesn’t know what one will get. This particular scent was created for the brand by perfumer Mathieu Nardin, who works for the fragrance company Mane and who has created a very wide range of scents for many brands. Perhaps most notably, he has created several for Miller Harris from 2015 to present, as well as the many he has created for Regime des Fleurs and other niche brands. The brand’s website lists these notes for Glass Blooms: Riesling grape, muguet, tea rose, peony, ylang ylang Nossi-bé, sandalwood, tonka bean absolute, ambrette and musk. If, like me, you are wondering what is “Nossi-bé”, it is the name of an island in Madagascar.

Right away, I smell the Riesling grape accord, and it is delightful. It’s not “grapey” at all, in the sense of that artificial purple, Nehi soda, grape smell and flavor. It is light and sparkling, floral but also fruity without being sweet. And of course, as regular readers here know, I love a good muguet! I wouldn’t say that muguet is dominant here, but there’s a green-and-white floral freshness to the opening of Glass Blooms that I can attribute to it. Because white wine grapes often bear the aromas of other fruits, I can also smell pears, apples, and a bit of light cherry. Really, the opening of Glass Blooms is pretty, floral like a Riesling wine’s bouquet, and charming.

Glass of white wine with flowers and fruit
White wine bouquet; image from Wine Enthusiast.

The fruitiness fades a bit and the more traditionally floral notes emerge, with peony leading the way. This is a fragrance I will enjoy in the summertime, which is also when I prefer to drink most white wines. I actually don’t drink much Riesling, as so many kinds are too sweet for my taste, but last summer on a visit to Asheville, we went to the Biltmore winery and had an outstanding Riesling there. It was light and refreshing but drier than what I think of as the “usual” Riesling. Glass Blooms reminds me of that. And it’s a fitting analogy, since the Biltmore Estate is famous for its gardens and glasshouses full of flowers.

I wouldn’t say this is a very complex fragrance, but that opening is lovely, and it does have a nice progression from fruits to florals to a soft, warm, lightly musky base. “Light” is the mot du jour with regard to Glass Blooms; it floats off the skin. This would be very suitable for a workplace or most occasions; it won’t meet your needs if what you want is a va-va-voom, sensual powerhouse. There is no spice accord in it at all, which is fine by me; I like spices in scents but I don’t have to have them all the time. I’ll be looking for something a bit spicier and more winterish later today, but in the meantime, I’m enjoying Glass Blooms!

Do you ever smell wine accords in fragrances? Have you tried this or any of the others in from Regime des Fleurs?

Thunking Thursday: My Burberry
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Thunking Thursday: My Burberry

This week’s sample thunk is My Burberry, created by Francis Kurkdjian. It is a pretty, fruity floral scent, very suitable for spring and summer. It doesn’t wow me, but it doesn’t offend either. I should confess that fruity florals just aren’t my thing — not surprising, since I am well out of the age range that fragrance companies are trying to attract with such scents. Here are some of the perfumer’s thoughts on this one: he wanted to evoke “the feeling of the light of London: clouds, wetness, rain, flowers.” The main floral notes are roses and freesia, “which is a little bit spicy and adds brightness. Then geranium leaves, which give an herbal, almost minty, vibrancy to the perfume. Then from the back note, there are patchouli leaves and quince—a fruit that is between a pear and an apple. Very British. It is not fruity, fruity. It is fruity floral. Then on top you have linen and bergamot.”

My Burberry is nice, but I have more interesting fragrances to wear. It would probably make a nice gift for a young woman who likes the trim image of a modern Burberry trench coat and its youthful classic style. I won’t be needing a full bottle for myself, though. Thunk!

Featured image from http://www.us.burberry.com