Santal Noir by DIOR
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Santal Noir by DIOR

Hi there ULGers, DIOR is one of my most collected brands. The Couturier range, now called La Collection Privée Christian Dior, has changed and evolved over time. Created by the DIOR in house perfumer at the time François Demachy. Francis Kurkdjian took the reins in 2021 and has done some interesting things. It was a surprise to me that though I own a bottle up till now I’ve not reviewed Santal Noir. The fragrance designed around Mr Christian Dior’s love for the colour black. As you can see, I rarely reach for it but when the mood strikes only Santal Noir will do.

I’m not buying any more large DIOR Collection bottles. They have changed the sizes and that shits me beyond words. Shrinkenomics in action. If I love something then I’m only buying the 40ml. Yes, it’s more expensive BUT then it won’t stand out like dogs balls as different to my 125ml and 250ml bottles. DIOR can suck it.

Santal Noir by DIOR 2018

Santal Noir by Dior

Cited featured accords:
Sandalwood, Leather, Woods, Rose, Ambrette

Opening gambit is scratchy dark woods, a little bit eucalyptus and very earthy. Pretty soon there is a jammy rose that peeks through and some smooth, sweet resins.

Not too long ago wait for a brand-new-shoe leather smell bubbling up. You know when you open the box at the store and pull out a never before touched shoe? You smell it and the mixture of leather, tanning materials, colours and finishes all greets you. It’s such a wonderful smell. Imagine you are smelling that smell but it’s in a dream. So not really but definitely in the same realm.

It’s not till all of these other notes have made their presentation that the dry yet creamy sandalwood of fragrance enters. It plays happily alongside the rest until it takes its moment to rise above. Yes, the rest of the backing chorus is still there but they have been overshadowed. It’s nice to have a sandalwood that is not buoyed by coconut, ylang or masses of vanilla. I do think there is a little amber hiding in the mix though.

Santal Noir by Dior

Is this a brand new look at sandalwood? No, we’ve smelled this kind of treatment before, especially in some of the 21st century niche and a few of the earlier masculine designers. It’s the backing players and the refined blend that makes Santal Noir stand head and shoulders above most others. I do like this dry, mainly unsweetened or tropicalised version of sandalwood. It’s restrained and solid.

Where do you stand on bottle changes mid run? Do you like the idea of a less flamboyant sandalwood?
Portia xx

Bulgari Man Wood Neroli
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Bulgari Man Wood Neroli

Hi there Looking Glassers. I’m surprised we’ve not talked about this fragrance. The Bulgari Man pillar is one of the designer sets that is constantly better than expected. They are nicely produced, smell pretty good plus plus and won’t break the bank. The OG was and is stunning. I bought this 15ml Wood Neroli for Jin as stocking filler one year but it didn’t get a lot of wear. Now it’s in my wardrobe and I’ve been giving it a red hot go this summer. Hoping to thunk it TBH. I do love the smaller size, most of the flankers are available in 15ml and it is a perfect size to throw in the bag for gym, office, travel etc.

Bulgari Man Wood Neroli 2019

Wood Neroli

Featured accords include:
Top: Neroli, Bergamot
Heart: Orange Blossom, Virginia Cedar, Cypriol Oil or Nagarmotha
Base: Woody Notes,White Musk, Ambergris, Amber, Leather

I’m not sure why this was not a heavily used perfume in Jin’s wardrobe. I remember we got spritzed at the mall just before C19 lockdown and him being in raptures. Even talking about it a few days later. It went on a list. Grabbed the 15ml so he could use it as a gym/swim after shower spritz. Nope. Almost never got used.

Wood Neroli

Don’t let the MAN fool you. Wood Neroli is a bright, citrus forward wood with a tinge of salty sea breeze that can be worn by anyone. As the Northern Hemisphere heads into warmer temperatures this could be a very affordable refreshing rest button. That’s how I use it. Available for very decent prices at the discounters. It’s not free but compared the ridiculous aspirational pricing of many designer perfumes right now, not outrageous. A solid gift for the non perfiumista male (except Jin, obvs.). I bought mine at FragranceNet.

Sound good?
Portia xx

 

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Saturday Question: What Perfumes Do You Reach for When Dealing With a Stressful Situation?

Stressful situations are an unavoidable part of life – whether they come from work, travel, health issues or everyday logistics. While perfume obviously can’t fix any of those problems, many of us still reach for certain scents when we want a bit of comfort, distraction or a small boost of confidence.

 

Saturday Question on Undina's Looking Glass

 

Saturday Question #293:

What Perfumes Do You Reach for When Dealing With a Stressful Situation?

Do you have some particular perfumes? Or is it a type of scents that you choose? Or does it not affect your choice?

My Answer

It’s not a theoretical question for me: because of a recent mishap with the fire sprinklers in a neighboring condo, we ended up with water damage in ours. Since that happened, I’ve been dealing with insurance adjusters, contractors and estimates, and preparing for the upcoming demolition (they constantly use that word!) of some of the walls and flooring.

None of this is dramatic in the grand scheme of things (at least yet), but it does involve a lot of phone calls, paperwork, waiting and generally feeling that things are a little out of your control. Plus, extremely loud fans running for 14+ hours per day.

So when my morning starts, I ask myself: “What do you feel like wearing?” And, surprisingly, after a couple of days, I realized that I was craving lavender. My “go-to” perfumes recently have been Serge Lutens Gris Clair, Guerlain Jicky (both EdP and extrait) and Parfums de Marly Darley – but I suspect I’ll go through more lavender-heavy perfumes before this ordeal is behind us.

 

How about you?

 

What Perfumes Do You Reach for When Dealing With a Stressful Situation?

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Saturday Question: What Was The Most Unpleasant Perfume You’ve Ever Smelled?

Most of my Saturday Questions are positive, so I hesitated for a while about whether I should even ask this one. I hope that nobody will feel too hurt if a perfume they love ends up on someone’s “can’t stand it” list – after all, we are all so different in our olfactory perception.

 

Saturday Question on Undina's Looking Glass

 

Saturday Question #292:

What Was The Most Unpleasant Perfume You’ve Ever Smelled?

Was it a “hate from the first sniff”? Did you put it on your skin? Was it a scrubber, or did you endure it through the development? Did you do it more than once?

My Answer

My knee-jerk reaction answer was Oriza L. Legrand‘s Chypre Mousse. But then I remembered that I’ve previously used that perfume while answering another SQ about the spookiest perfume I’ve ever tried. So I decided to search my daily use database for more offenders. One of the standard reactions that I can select to classify what I thought about perfumes I wore or tested is “I hated it” – that was the filter I used.

Interestingly, in 15 years of recording my reactions, only 23 perfumes have ever deserved that harsh option. And it was unexpectedly hard to decide which one of them to name the worst. I decided to go with the one that I dared to put on my skin 3 times, hoping to change my mind.

Serge Lutens Miel de Bois. Many years ago, when Lutens’s perfumes were both hard to get and highly cherished by perfumistas, I got a sample in a swap. I had read such high praise for that perfume that I expected it to be magical. It wasn’t. It was quite unpleasant on my skin. I wasn’t ready to accept that, and once the memory of the off-putting encounter softened a little, I would try it again. With the same result. After the third attempt 10 years ago, I finally conceded defeat and purged the sample so that I could not even think about subjecting myself to that torture again.

 

How about you?

 

What Was The Most Unpleasant Perfume You’ve Ever Smelled?

Mitsouko EdT by Guerlain
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Mitsouko EdT by Guerlain

Hi there ULGers, You may know that Shalimar is my ride or die perfume. It has been part of my life since childhood, Mum and a few of her girlfriends wore it. It still smells so good on and to me. Thing is, wearing Shalimar is a big deal and it takes a lot of attention. So what’s happened is that Mitsouko has become something much easier for me to wear. A Guerlain for all seasons. It’s less memory scent, less awe inspiring ride and much less distracting. Without making it less beautiful, tapestried or interesting. I can wear Mitsouko and go about my day. The reason you’re getting this post is because I just gave myself a lavish spritzing.

Mitsouko EdT by Guerlain

mitsouko

These are the commonly offered featured accords:
Top: Bergamot, Rose, Jasmine, Citruses
Heart: Peach, Ylang-Ylang, Lilac, Rose, Jasmine
Base: Oakmoss, Spices, Vetiver, Cinnamon, Amber

I’m writing to you from the past. Currently Jin, Anna Maria and her husband Johnny and I are on an adventure together. We are off to Singapore and Busan, South Korea. Yes, I’m hoping there will be updates once we return.

Mitsouko EdT! Jacques Guerlain’s 1919 masterpiece is a mind blowing, blowsy, retro hit of gorgeousness. Did you know it was the first fruity chypre? Its peach note, which I find smells like the lid of a tin of canned peaches, was groundbreaking at the time. While smelling dated AF it still smells brand new and bang up to date as well. Because it’s a style not worn by modern youth, it feels brand new, subversive and oh so elegant.

The fruits of Mitsouko are not lush and juicy but sharp, metallic and very sunshiny. In comparison to Shalimar’s regal overblown elegance Mitsouko is definitely the Princess Margaret of the family. I really don’t smell most of the noted parts, Mitsouko is her own scent. A glamorous melange of that not quite real peach, a bouquet and spices all drizzled over a labdanum rich amber and that lovely furry oakmoss.

The top and heart are lovely but what really makes me swoon is the dry down. Which lasts for hours and hours. That peach/amber/oakmoss meld, with all the bit players, combines to create such a harmonious beauty. It’s dry but fleshy, sparkling ands spicy yet furry, cuddly and scintillating.

Mitsouko EdT by Guerlain

I’m wearing a vintage version but even the modern bottle shown below holds a delectable scent. Not quite as fusty as mine, the modern is a clearer, sheerer, brighter concoction that feels slightly more in line with modern tastes. Though it still has the marvelous shape of the vintage.

I’m seriously glad we are in a new era of the art nouveau inverted heart bottle designed originally by Raymond Guerlain in 1912. It’s such an icon of perfumery and feels good in my hand.

Mitsouko EdT by Guerlain

Are you a Mitsouko fan?
Portia xx

 

 

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Saturday Question: What Was the Last Mainstream Perfume You Tried?

With shelves already full of niche bottles and cherished vintages (and with the market constantly flooded by new releases that often feel more prolific than original), it’s easy to lose interest in what’s happening in mainstream perfumery… Until one day you walk through a department store, pass a duty-free counter, or receive a sample with a purchase – and you just have to try it!

 

Saturday Question on Undina's Looking Glass

 

Saturday Question #291:

What Was the Last Mainstream Perfume You Tried?

Was it something you sought out intentionally, or did you just happen to come across it? Did you like it? Would you consider wearing it?

My Answer

I received a sample of Burberry Her Elixir de Parfum with a Sephora order. I didn’t request that sample, they just sent it instead of some beauty packet I chose during the checkout. If it weren’t for that, I wouldn’t have probably even notice it in the store. But since it was already there, I tested it. Twice. I didn’t like it. It’s cloyingly sweet in the opening, plasticky-fruity, quite artificial and not particularly tenacious… though that might not be a bad thing in this case. I wouldn’t want to wear it, but as a skin scent, it becomes tolerable about 90 minutes into its development. I wouldn’t mind a shower gel with that faint residual vanilla+sandalwood combo.

How about you?

 

What Was the Last Mainstream Perfume You Tried?

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NOTHING but APJ Scent Diary

Hi there ULG crew, I’m well behind this fortnight and really have come up dry. There are a couple of half finished posts that I’ll get to but honestly, my head is not in the game. I’ve started back writing the Australian Perfume Junkies Scent Diary. You might remember it from the 2010s? Each week I’d do a run down of my life with most of the perfumes worn. Throughout the Christmas break I was reminded of the series and went back to see what they were like. What a fantastic memory lane, it’s like journaling but to share. So many moments came flooding back. So I’ve spent the last week, or so, getting that up and running again.

Sorry there’s nothing today. It’s all on me. Of all the ball drops this feels like a pretty minor one. No one is dead from it and in 10 years no one will remember it.

I’ll be back again next fortnight with some perfumed adventure to share.
HUG
Portia xx

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Saturday Question: Are You Buying Any INeKE Perfumes Before They Are Gone Forever?

A couple of days ago, I received an email from INeKE Perfumer San Francisco with a subject “Last Call for Ineke Perfumes.” Ineke Ruhland, the owner of and the nose behind this niche brand, wrote the following:

Hello fragrant friends,

After 20 years of making perfumes, I’ve reached a new chapter in my life and will wind down my business over the next few months. As many of you know, I co-founded Ministry of Scent with Antonia Kohl in 2018. We sell niche and indie brands from around the world in our two San Francisco stores, as well as online at ministryofscent.com. This year we’ll also be opening a Perfumery Studio in San Francisco and selling raw materials to perfume makers online. We’ve been growing in leaps and bounds, and it’s more than a full-time job, so I’ll be focusing my efforts on Ministry of Scent.

She also mentioned that there were some remaining bottles of her perfumes produced in the last small batches, samples and sample packs for some of them. There is no sale going on, whatever is available can be purchased now. Some online retailers also have the remaining stock, but I’m sure it’ll disappear quickly once the brand closes.

 

Saturday Question on Undina's Looking Glass

 

Saturday Question #290:

Are You Buying Any INeKE Perfumes Before They Are Gone Forever?

Do you have any favorites from this brand? Will you miss any of them?

My Answer

When three years ago I featured the brand in my Brand Appreciation: INEKE post, I ended it saying that I was looking forward to their next letter – K. I am sad that it will never happen.

I have 3 favorite perfumes from the brand – Field Notes From Paris (its story is in the post linked above), Hothouse Flower (“H” for Hothouse Flower by Ineke) and Idyllwild (Light and Shadows: Ineke Idyllwild). I still have enough of FNFP and Hothouse Flower. My Idyllwild bottle is still 1/3 full, but if feels like not enough. I enjoy this perfume very much. Recently, before I learned the news of the brand’s closing, I wore Idyllwild and thought how great it was and how much I liked it. Besides, this perfume holds a special place in my heart because of the picture I took for the post (a shadow of Rusty “smelling” a shadow of Idyllwild).

Rusty and Ineke Idyllwild

Considering that, I wanted to get a backup bottle. It was sold out on the site, so I ordered a pack of 10 samples thinking that 15 ml in addition to what I have in my original bottle would be enough. And only after I started putting together this post, I thought of checking Ineke’s new enterprise – The Ministry Of Scent. They still have a bottle of Idyllwild. I wrote to the brand’s sales to see if I could cancel the samples order and buy a bottle instead. I hope they’ll agree, I’ll get that backup bottle.

 

How about you?

 

Are You Buying Any INeKE Perfumes Before They Are Gone Forever?

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Fifteen Years Through the Looking Glass

Fifteen years. It sounds significant. Undina’s Looking Glass has been quietly alive for a decade and a half. Over that time, I’ve shared thoughts on hundreds of perfumes, collected stories, and occasionally lost myself in pages and pages of notes that never quite became posts.

Anniversaries have a way of making time feel tangible, which led me to a small thought experiment that had been on my mind lately.

Many of my long-time readers come from the same generation as I do. So, chances are, my reference to a 40-year-old movie will not be entirely unfamiliar.

I was thinking about the Back to the Future trilogy. While the films are largely about trying to repair the past after it has been unintentionally altered by time travel, the second movie introduces a particularly tempting side effect: knowledge brought from the future, precise enough to be useful and dangerous enough to change everything. That’s where my thought experiment comes in. What if I could do something similar, but on a much smaller and harmless scale – and only perfume-related, so no early tsunami warnings or other world-saving abilities involved?

Back To The Future Car

The car from the movie (I took that photo at Universal Studios park, CA in 2000)

I could have followed the movie logic and traveled 30 years back, since I’ve loved perfumes for as long as I can remember. But that would have placed me well before I went down the proverbial rabbit hole, and I’m not sure that my almost-signature-scent self would have been receptive to any perfume-related advice, let alone able to act on it.

Fifteen years, on the other hand, seems like the perfect destination. I was enthusiastic, curious, and actively absorbing “perfume wisdom.” Advice given then wouldn’t have needed translation or years of patience before I could act on it.

The first thing I would tell myself is simple: some preferences never change, and tuberose will never become “my” note. This would have saved me countless hours of testing perfumes I would inevitably dislike.

Next, I’d give some guidance on how to approach samples: There will be more perfumes I dislike than like. I shouldn’t spend money trying to test a brand’s complete range unless I can do it for free. And I must not hoard samples of perfumes I dislike just to maintain a full set. I will never change from “dislike” to “love,” and they will quietly evaporate – or worse, I’ll retest them later and waste time rediscovering that I didn’t like them.

Perfume Samples

I’d also advise myself on “special occasion” perfumes. Many of the perfumes I’ll love will be naturally bold, loud statement pieces – that can’t be changed, and shouldn’t be. But there are only so many occasions to wear them, so if I really want to enjoy them, I should designate more occasions as “special.” Weekends or work-from-home days should be perfect for this.

Finally, as an “almanac moment,” I would tell myself to buy Tom Ford Violet Blond as soon as it appeared at any discount, not to wait for the best price, and Jo Malone Lotus Blossom & Water Lily, a limited edition that would never be reissued. And also… I would have probably whispered to myself to invest in liquid gold, vanilla, and sell those positions in 2018 once the price hit $442,000 per ton… No, I shouldn’t! Even in my small, harmless experiment, changing too much (and for profit!) feels like sneezing on a butterfly wing, and who knows what ripple that might set off. What if my meddling had gotten Duchaufour fired from L’Artisan Parfumeur, and suddenly Nuit de Tubereuse never existed? Oh, wait… maybe it wouldn’t have been that bad… But no. Best not.

* * *

Since my blogoversary fell on Saturday, I decided to combine it with my regular Saturday Question. Above was “My Answer.” Now it’s your turn.

If you had the same magical channel to your past self, what year would you choose, and what advice would you give?

Just remember: that one-way membrane can pass only perfume-related information.

Signorina by Salvatore Ferragamo
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Signorina by Salvatore Ferragamo

Hey there ULGers, Let’s go back to 2011. How is that suddenly 15 years ago?!? Salvatore Ferragamo brought out a new pillar fragrance that has now spawned many flankers but the original still remains available worldwide. At very reasonable prices in the discounters too. One of my girlfriends bought it blind last year and decided it definitely did not fit the scent profile she hoped. She passed it on and I thought we could share the joy. I remember this coming out. I loved the hefty bottle with the two tone grosgrain bow and golden ball cap. Super cool and yet also full of gravitas. A slightly clunky fit in my hand, can’t imagine how awkward for tiny hands, but it works fine for me.

Signorina by Salvatore Ferragamo 2011

Signorina Salvatore Ferragamo

Featured accords:
Top: Pink Pepper, Black Currant
Heart: Rose, Peony, Jasmine
Base: Panacotta, Musk, Patchouli

Zingy pink pepper, the scent of the early 20th century and the high pitched, sugar laden fruity screech of perfumeries dream of black currant are a sensational opening gambit. It’s bright, fun and almost sizzling. Not groundbreaking, even in 2011, but a joyous fizzy, fruity waft that smells exactly as I’d imagine a Signorina wafting out the door on the way to meet friends. We perfumistas probably eye rolled hard at how obvious it was. well, now, 15 years later it smells like a beautiful moment in time.

The bouquet in the heart is really just filler because that super sweet, lactonic musky base that smells like it tastes like a creme caramel but more robust and less slimy. The patchouli is shorn of all the earthy bits and has that very smooth 2010s quality, basically a little depth but definitely a backup player. My nose is smelling that sandalwood type creaminess that comes with vanilla.

Signorina by Salvatore Ferragamo

Signorina is definitely festive. Feminine but not SO girly that it precludes the dudes having a go. I’m thinking that it would be a seriously cool scent for a guy. Edible. Longevity and sillage are excellent. The first couple of hours I’m super fragrant and smiling at how lush I smell.

I’m not sure how much wear it will get around here but I definitely like it and will not be moving it on quite yet.

EDIT: Interestingly, I’ve left Signorina out on my desk over the last week after writing this post and it has become my first choice. It’s so easy to wear and very pretty. I’m going to wear it again this evening.

Would you wear? Did you wear, Signorina?
Portia xx