Piment Brulant by L’Artisan Parfumeur
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Piment Brulant by L’Artisan Parfumeur

Hey there ULGers. Summer in the Northern Hemisphere so I’m going cooling yet cuddly. Yes I’m talking about another discontinued gem. Sorry, but also not sorry. It’s nice to reminisce, especially when the waves of new product keep crashing over us. Sometimes it’s nice to look back and remember the good things that are no longer. Available from 2002 to approximately 2012 Piment Brulant came out as a part of a trio of non sweet gourmands, Poivre Piquant and Safran Troublant, known as the Les Épices de la Passion (Spices of Passion) trilogy. They were all signed by the legend herself, Olivia Giacobetti. I feel like I could stop writing there and you’d already know how lovely, and forward thinking these scents were. No such luck, you’re getting a review.

Piment Brulant by L’Artisan Parfumeur 2002

Piment Brulant by L'Artisan Parfumeur

These were the offered featured accords:
Amber, cinnamon, musk, poppy, vanilla, dark chocolate, cacao, clove and chili pepper

The smell of fresh cut chili opens Piment Brulant! It’s about as real as you could hope and it jumps off my skin in the first minute or two like I’m in the kitchen. This first juicy moment doesn’t last long enough. Not even two minutes in and other spices start making their way to my noses attention. It’s too quick but these spices are like you’ve thrown them into the pan together and they are sizzling.

The vanilla and a very mocha smell of chocolate come in with a dusting of flour. There is still that green snap of the chili and spiciness that follows deep into the heart and on towards dry down.

All the major freaky gourmand fireworks happen in the first ten minutes, so just for you. This is not about going into the world making a statement. It’s like, WAKE UP and enjoy this magic because it’s fleeting. Then you get to wander around the world in a more traditional fragrance.

Piment Brulant becomes a lightly spicy green fragrance with warm undercurrents of amber sprinkled with mocha. It’s not boring but it’s not going to cause a riot either. At about the 30 minute mark it has noticeably softened and is very introverted. Just for you to smell, and those that get very close. By about three hours it becomes a wash of very lightly green amber and stays that way till it gently fades away.

What is a favourite discontinued L’Artisan Parfumeur fragrance you wish was still around?
Portia xx

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Saturday Question: When Did You Accumulate Most of Your Collection?

Based on the recurring statements from most of my readers, our days of actively acquiring perfumes are in the past. I rarely hear about new perfume loves from you these days. At the same time, the second often mentioned sentiment is that our collections, as they currently exist, will outlive us. This tells me that the number of perfumes you own is significant, especially compared with “civilians” (© Tara). So…

 

Saturday Question on Undina's Looking Glass

 

Saturday Question #303:

When Did You Accumulate Most of Your Collection?

Unless you have detailed records you can check, I’m asking about your impression. Can you pinpoint years (or maybe decades) during which you acquired the majority of perfumes you currently own? Or were you just a steady collector who kept adding approximately the same number of new bottles year after year?

My Answer

Even though I have a database where I record all types of information about my perfumes, it took me several years to start recording when and how perfumes were added to my collection. But while my numbers are not exact, they paint a clear enough picture: about 60% of all of my full bottles, travel bottles and ~10ml decants were added between 2010 and 2012. The years 2013 to 2021 were quite steady, at 3% to 6% per year. And after that, between my “no-buy” and my diminished interest in new perfumes, I added just a handful of bottles, mostly travel-sized ones. I haven’t bought a single bottle so far this year.

How about you?

 

When Did You Accumulate Most of Your Collection?

L’Esprit Libre by Divine Parfums
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L’Esprit Libre by Divine Parfums

Hi there Looking Glassers, You may recall that I’m trying to downsize my collection. It’s going very badly and the perfume room/office/dressing room is littered with boxes of perfumes that should have been sold, sent and out of the way. Sadly, letting go is harder than imagined. Last week is a case in point. My mate TinaG came over and after lunch we had a little sniffy. We smelled a recent survivor of the purge L’Artisan Glacialis Terra (a salty breeze ramble among greenery and bracken) and that led me to grab to others tangentially aligned in my mind: Parfum d’Empire Le Cri de la Lumier and today’s post Divine Parfums L’Esprit Libre. All were about to get the heave ho but resmelling them gave me a new and deep appreciation. GAH! So this is what I’m dealing with.

L’Esprit Libre by Divine Parfums 2021

L'Esprit Libre Divine Parfums

Divine gives these featured accords:
Top: Ozone, green notes, bergamot, green mandarine, peony, magnolia
Heart: Iris essence, talc, earth, butter of iris
Base: Musk, ambergris

The opening is crisp and green over a lovely juicy citrus. The feeling is a warm summer day and you’re sitting in the sunny garden smelling a very tart sparkling lemonade. It’s a lazy, calm and unhurried scent. Not a big beast mode but a lovely subtle murmur. Originally I had written L’Esprit Libre as uninspired and lackluster but nothing could be further from the truth. I needed to smell it again and really take note of how beautifully balanced it is.

The iris heart is neither doughy nor rooty. It has a feel of old fashioned body lotion. Yes, there is a little carrot seed and cardboard but only because I’m huffing at a one centimeter distance. From further it’s a creamy iris still surrounded by twinkles of citrus. As we head further into the heart it’s like the sun has gone behind a cloud. Not cold but cooler.

L'Esprit Libre Divine Parfums

For something so low key L’Esprit Libre has remarkable tenacity. The heart keeps beating for hours and hours. That coolness continues and becomes a breeze. I keep hoping that there’ll be a salty twang of the ambergris but it does not land. Shame.

I can’t work out why this has been aimed directly at women alone. L’Esprit Libre is unisex. My thought is that it could so easily become a signature scent for those that do such things. It’s so beautifully poised and would work in any situation, no matter how closely you are working or sitting.

I bought this bottle expecting something quite different and was let down. Now I understand what was trying to be said here. I’m impressed. Another bottle that will not be going on the chopping block. Damnit! but also YAY.

Portia xx

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Sunday Question: What’s in Your Perfume Rotation This Summer?

We’re officially over the hump: less of 2026 is left than has already passed. And for those of us who live in the Northern Hemisphere, summer is definitely in full swing. So, by now, I would expect we’ve all figured out our summer wardrobes, both clothes- and perfume-wise.

 

Saturday Question on Undina's Looking Glass

 

Sunday Question #302:

What’s in Your Perfume Rotation This Summer (or Winter, for Portia)?

Which perfumes are you wearing these days? Has the weather where you live influenced your choices? What’s the weather like where you are?

My Answer

So far, our summer is great: we haven’t had particularly hot weather (yet). It’s unmistakably summer, but it’s a pleasantly mellow one that doesn’t make you wish it to be over. A good testament to how cool (both literally and figuratively) it was is that I am still wearing Amouage perfumes, which previously were predominantly reserved to the Fall/Winter season.

On a lighter side, I finished my sample of Phaedon Oriental Mint. I thought it was such a great Summer perfume that I decided that I needed it in my collection. I found what I think were the last two bottles of that discontinued beauty – one in Canada (scentrique.com) and one in France. The Canadian site didn’t ship to the US (and their US site didn’t have that perfume), so I went with the French one, undeterred by the understandably high S&H. Unfortunately, several days later, they refunded my money because they didn’t have that perfume anymore. I shouldn’t have waited that long!

 

How about you?

 

What’s in Your Perfume Rotation This Summer?

Chemin D’Amande by Une Nuit Nomade 2025 NEW! NEW!
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Chemin D’Amande by Une Nuit Nomade 2025 NEW! NEW!

Hi there ULGers, Today I thought we could talk about an interesting niche brand that I fell madly in love with. Their Memory Motel was amazing, until it turned on me and started giving me headaches. SHAME! I was so bummed. Somehow its lush plastic amber and sweaty humanity stopped being fragrance and started being torture. Not so long ago, I was given two manufacturer boxed samples of their work. Une Nuit Nomade are the crew and today we are smelling Chemin D’Amande.

From Une Nuit Nomade: Long ago, before Portugal was Portugal, the Moorish king Ibn-Almundim ruled over Chelb in the Algarve. Returning victorious from conquest, he brought many captives, including Gilda, a beautiful queen from the northern lands. Though initially content, Gilda grew increasingly sorrowful, longing deeply for snow’s whiteness. Healers failed to cure her sadness until, advised by a mysterious woman, the king filled the valley with blooming almond trees. When Gilda saw the valley blanketed in white blossoms, her joy returned. Ever since, the Algarve remains the kingdom of almond blossoms, guardian of this ancient tale.

Chemin D’Amande by Une Nuit Nomade 2025

Chemin D'Amande by Une Nuit Nomade

Une Nuit Nomade gives these featured accords:
Almond • Wheat Absolute • Pure Jungle Essence Conscious Bourbon Vanilla

HA! That warm, sweet nutty opening is so glorious. It’s everything as advertised. I smell photorealistic Almond flour, the Wheatiness you get from Korean grain tea and that ridiculously multifaceted boozy darkness of Bourbon vanilla. The fragrance is thick and luscious. What a sensational opening.

As we head towards the heart there is a whisper of metallic mechanical or electrical zing. Oh, it’s so surprising and takes the scent from pure gourmand to fine fragrance. A beautiful frisson between the sweet gooeyness and something so industrial. Alongside that I get a spicy, dry… I want to say BarBQ crisp but I’m not sure if that translates internationally. Like the taste of a hard taco shell with freshly cut chili and HP Brown Sauce. WOW! Chemin D’Amande delivers so much more than a simple sweetness. Don’t get me wrong, the sweetness remains. This is all running concurrently.

Chemin D'Amande by Une Nuit Nomade 2025

Chemin D’Amande does not collapse in to a boring, tired trope of a base either. It remains interesting and so wearable. Over the boozy vanilla sweetness there is a labdanum rich amber throwing some darkness. The twang of electrical sparks and the dregs of grain tea with that dry crack of almond shells. This is so bloody good, I’m swooning right to the end. Imagine Ead d’Italie Morn to Dusk but more nuanced, more ride and more niche.

If Une Nuit Nomade did 10 or 15ml Travel Size one of them would be winging their way to me right now.

Did you get the chance to try Chemin D’Amande yet?
Portia xx

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Saturday Question: Jo Malone Brit Veggie Collection – Should We Even Bother?

Jo Malone (brand) has done it again – launched another quirky limited edition, the Brit Veggie Collection, that consists of three fragrances – Carrot Blossom, Velvety Butternut and Scarlet Beetroot – in unique, colorful bottles.

 

Saturday Question on Undina's Looking Glass

 

Saturday Question #301:

Jo Malone Brit Veggie Collection – Should We Even Bother?

Did you try these perfumes? Do you want to? Will you? What about the next new collection from the brand?

My Answer

Jo Malone was my “starter brand” (back when it still could be considered a niche brand). I still own and wear many of their creations. At least three of them will easily make it into my top 25 (and several more would not be far behind). Some of my favorites behave amazingly on my skin. Others are more fleeting, but I don’t mind reapplying them throughout the day. Every time I read about a new limited edition collection, my immediate reaction is: I should try it before it’s gone!

The last time I liked a new perfume from the brand was two years ago, when I briefly contemplated buying one (or three) bottles from their Mementos Collection. I didn’t buy any of the bottles (I haven’t even finished the set of samples yet!), and I don’t think I’ve ever regretted it. But still, it was a positive experience.

Since then, I’ve tried everything new I came across in stores, and I can barely remember even that I did, let alone the details of how those perfumes smelled (other than that I wasn’t impressed).

Today, the main goal of venturing into the local mall was to check out this new Brit Veggie Collection: even though I found the inspiration behind that collection odd, I thought it could be interesting and unusual. It wasn’t. The bottles were quite cute. The perfumes were so uninspiring, even on the first spray, that I wasn’t tempted to try any of them on my skin.

I am officially annoyed: there is no justification for releasing such boring perfumes in a line with 40+ current fragrances. $90 for 30 ml isn’t the highest price out there, but at that quality level, the lineup of brands available at Sephora beats these hands down. It could have been so much more interesting! Those bottles are new and unique; it’s not as though they needed to reuse an existing bottle size. They could have done smaller bottles for the same price with better ingredients and more interesting compositions – and they would sell out anyway. But they chose mediocrity. And I think that I shouldn’t even bother checking out this brand any longer. It’s sad.

Jo Malone Brit Veggie Collection

Jo Malone Brit Veggie Collection – Should We Even Bother?

Terre d’Hermes Intense by Hermès
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Terre d’Hermes Intense by Hermès

Hello my lovelies, Today I thought we could talk about EVERYONE wearing Made For Men fragrances. By now, in 2026 I know most of us have gender bended perfume and loved it. While in our local Hermès the other day, my mate Nick gave me a carded sample of this newly and asked me to have a sniff at my leisure. Which I did. This is an exciting reinterpretation of the OG JCE Terre d’Hermes. Here Christine Nagel has shorn it of the spikier elements and given that punch in the face a delicate, gourmand twist. It’s still an earthy ode to woody citrus but restrained. Sophisticated. Terre d’Hermes Intense floats my boat.

Can I also say how much I loved the OG. It was the first bottle Jin stole from my collection and wore it so well I haven’t taken it back. It would just be a let down now. So here is my chance to revisit and maybe get my own bottle of Terre d’Hermes Intense. It’s different enough that I’ll not feel sad and similar enough to scratch the itch.

Terre d’Hermes Intense by Hermes 2025

Terre d’Hermès Intense Hermes

Hermes gives these featured accords:
Wood, bergamot, lava

OOOHHH! Stripped bark-isk opening few seconds that grabbed my attention and disappeared into a very scratchy pepper and citrus. The citrus reminds me of the opening of Montale’s Aoud Lime, squeaky and a bit freaky.

Ten minutes in everything has come together cohesively. If I sniff real close I can smell licorice, the dirt laden, rooty dryness and having read about the coffee note, I’m thinking it smells more like a latte than coffee beans. This could be BECAUSE I read about it though.

Terre d’Hermes Intense Hermes Carded Sample

Deep dry down is those amber/woods that so many people complain of. I do get the problem when you’re in a fragrance hall or perfume convention. It’s an overwhelming miasma. In singularity, with the added warmth of humanity, and an added mineralic feel I’m good with it.

Unisex but leaning masculine. Longevity is off the charts but diffusion is not. It’s scalable but you’d have to spritz pretty hard to make Terre d’Hermes Intense objectionable.

Already available on the discounters starting around a US$1.50/ml and getting cheaper with size. So while not bargain, is very affordable.

Would you? Could you? Terre d’Hermes Intense?
Portia xx

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Saturday Question: Do You Throw Away Old Samples?

Years ago, when niche perfumes were hard to come by for testing and our collections were much smaller, samples were actively used, swapped or even sold. These days, I suspect they often stay in our collections to die. Unless you get rid of them sooner, of course.

 

Saturday Question on Undina's Looking Glass

 

Saturday Question #300:

Do You Throw Away Old Samples?

Do you check the ones you kept from time to time? Do you throw away evaporated or almost empty ones? Are you tempted to try them one last time before chucking them?

My Answer

At the onset of this hobby, I often went back to previously tested perfumes – to compare them to newer ones that reminded me of them, write single note exploration posts or just check whether my opinion of them had changed. So, for years, I kept all samples that came my way in the “library.” These days, after I’ve tried them once or twice, most of them just sit in the boxes, never to be sniffed again.

Today, I went through one of the boxes and discarded 17 samples that had evaporated since I last looked at them. That felt good: I have my recorded impressions from testing them, I never wanted to have more of those perfumes, and some of them have been limited editions or have been discontinued since, so there was no reason to keep them, even if they were still full. But even while doing that, I couldn’t bring myself to getting rid of a couple of vials that still had a smidge of perfume left in them. Now they sit on my desk next to my laptop, and I hope to try to get that last… not even a drop of juice tomorrow, so that I can dispose of them. And then next week I should try going through the next box. Maybe.

 

How about you?

 

Do You Throw Away Old Samples?

Bois d’Argent Esprit de Parfum by DIOR
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Bois d’Argent Esprit de Parfum by DIOR

Hi there Looking Glass crew, Bois d’Argent Esprit de Parfum is Francis Kurkdjian’s reimagining Annick Menardo’s 2004 blockbuster for a 2025 aesthetic. Francois Demarchy also had a go at it in 2018. Of the Esprit de Parfums released Bois d’Argent is the only one I thought about buying. Sadly though, my finances have been in such a state that the dropping of AU$880 for it was unconscionable. I did want some of my own though so bought a decant from Surrender To Chance.

Bois d’Argent Esprit de Parfum by DIOR 2025

Bois d'Argent Esprit de Parfum

DIOR gives these featured accords:
Vanilla, iris, ambroxan, ambergris, frankincense, honey

I know you are all heading to high heat up in the Northern Hemisphere but this is primarily cool woods. It is a real step up and a little across from the original.

Opening spritz is a moist, fresh breeze of rooty iris, tap water and some unnamed greenery that smells like an artemisia or wormwood. Pretty soon after it gets a swipe of honey and cool smoky incense. Like the already burned incense powder that’s left in the big urns after a day of worship.

The first noted note on most lists is vanilla. I don’t smell it at first. Maybe it’s subsumed by the big players.

At about the two hour mark I’m well into the dry down. Charred vanilla and ashes. It’s fabulously dark, much darker than the original. Overlaid over that amber woods we are so used to in modern perfumery. It and oudh are like the oakmoss of the 1900s. Ubiquitous. I can hear the current crop of perfume lovers screaming when they get found to be unusable due to health problems.

Bois d'Argent Esprit de Parfum

Unisex, moderate projection and sillage after the first hour. It does keep pumping that gritty darkness quietly for several more hours, in a very introverted way. I’ll happily use up this decant but have no further need for more.

Aside from the price, or if money was no object, does Bois d’Argent Esprit de Parfum read enticingly?
Portia xx

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Saturday Question: Would You Want To Restart Your Collection?

Before you start freaking out, hear me out. It’s not a sudden disaster scenario where you inadvertently lose everything you lovingly collected over the years. But imagine that all your perfumes, let’s say in 10 ml or larger format, magically moved to a different dimension: they’re all safe there and can be brought back, but don’t have to be. Now, you get a choice: you can wish any of them back or forfeit that bottle forever and receive money instead. The caveat for the first choice is that the bottle you’d be getting would be your current bottle (so, if it’s turned or is almost empty, you won’t benefit from this magical reset). Choosing money would also come with its own limitation: you would get the portion of the price you paid for that perfume proportional to the remaining quantity in your bottle (but in today’s money), and you could spend it only on something related to your perfume hobby. With all that said…

 

Saturday Question on Undina's Looking Glass

 

Saturday Question #299:

Would You Want To Restart Your Collection?

My Answer

I would! While I don’t dislike any of my perfumes and probably even like most of them, over the last couple of years I’ve noticed that I rarely feel that I love whatever I decide to wear. That increases my indecisiveness every time I try to choose a perfume, so sometimes I end up not applying anything at all for fear of putting on something I won’t enjoy. At the same time, I know myself too well: I won’t be able to voluntarily part with any perfume I previously welcomed in my collection. So that magical intervention might be the only way for me to get back to enjoying my perfumes every day.

How about you?

 

Would You Want To Restart Your Collection?