Author: Undina

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Mind Games: My First Decant – Jeux de Peau

When I first read on NST the description of the upcoming release of Serge Lutens Jeux de Peau, the idea of this perfume was very appealing and romantic: bread, childhood, memories… But even though buying bread was one of my chores when I was little, the memories that surfaced weren’t related to that. What I remembered was how my friends and I would buy bread, still warm, from drivers of delivery trucks. I have no idea if they had any authority to do so (I would think not) but the bread that we ate with dirty hands after running and playing outside for several hours was one of the tastiest treats. And a huge part of the attraction was that bread’s smell. That was what I remembered when I read about Jeux de Peau. I wasn’t compelled to run for testing it immediately but I put it on my “to try” list.

I’ve read many positive reviews of the perfume (see links to some of them below) but then I came across a review that… Ok, not only I cannot find it any more but I do not remember what exactly it said. I do remember a picture of waffles with either honey or some syrup on them (*if you recognize that vague description, please share the link!). The image was so vivid, it contradicted memories I conjured and it was a little off-putting.

Dive in to keep reading…

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New Year Resolutions: April

Wore one of my favorites at least a couple of times a week – check.

I’ve decided to change which fragrances I count towards the notes and brands statistics: I will exclude those that I tried for the first time not to skew the picture of the notes/seasons correlation.

Quick April stats:

Top notes in April* Different perfumes worn/tested: 60 (1 less than in the previous month)
* Favorite perfumes worn: 14 (-7)
* Perfumes I tried for the first time: 26 (-1)
* Perfume house I wore most often: Jo Malone (I wore it on 5 different occasions)
* Perfume house I tested the most: Annick Goutal (for the first weeklong test drive )
* Most popular notes: top – (not counting bergamot) rose and pink pepper; middle – rose and jasmine; base – musk, vanilla and sandalwood.

Image: my own

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Four Wonders of Hermès

For many years perfumes from the Hermès house were completely out of the sphere of my interest. I tried some of them on several occasions but didn’t find them attractive. Then one day I smelled Rocabar and it became my favorite men perfume for years. I never wore it myself but I loved it on my vSO. Because of that affection for Rocabar I decided to give Hermès another chance (not that it was begging for it). Unexpectedly I discovered that I grew fond of Un Jardin sur le Nil. If I were to name my favorite perfumes (and I still plan to do it in the nearest feature) Un Jardins sur le Nil would not probably make it into my Top N list. But my bottle has less than a quarter left in it and as it gets warmer I catch myself thinking about it more and more often.

Over the years I approached both Un Jardin en Méditerranée and Un Jardin apres la Mousson again and again and consistently didn’t like them. I do not know why I kept trying: with most other fragrances I give up after a very limited number of attempts, but with these two I was insistent. A month ago I sprayed Un Jardin en Méditerranée on a blotter and liked it. I’m still building up the courage to test it on skin: I do not have that perfume’s sample at home but every time I come by it in a store I’m either wearing something else or have other plans that do not involve having access to hot water and soap (in case the experiment doesn’t go well). But I will get to it eventually. Un Jardin apres la Mousson still leaves me absolutely cold.

Garden on the rooftopThe newest Jean-Claude Ellena’s creation for the Gardens series started for me as an idea: I read an article on the upcoming release and liked the mental picture I formed in response to that news. I should admit that Paris wasn’t in that picture. For some reason garden on the rooftop in my mind is strongly associated with New York. An apple note in Un Jardin sur le Toit’s description made this association even stronger (an apple – Big Apple – NY) but at the same time it made me wary of how this note would be crafted into the perfume (Big Apple – Be Delicious – Ugh!).

Dive in to keep reading…

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WTD, Episode 1.7: Songes by Annick Goutal

TiareSonges – created in 2005, notes include Frangipani, Tiare flower, Sambac jasmine absolute, ylang-ylang absolute, olibanum, French vanilla absolute, sandalwood, amber. Opening flower notes in this perfume do not appeal to me: they aren’t unpleasant but rather are not pleasant. But then from the moment when a jasmine starts blooming and until vanilla-sandalwood base completely melts into my wrist it’s a pleasant skin scent.

Sillage: very light (2 out of 5); tenacity: poor (2 hours).

Read review at I Smell Therefore I Am .

If you do not know but are curious how to pronounce some of those (absolutely unpronounceable, in my opinion) names in French, check it at the Frag Name of the Day Archives.

After reading Olfactoria’s Travels’ review of Ambre Fétiche and especially Dee’s comment in the discussion “It’s the mink coat in a closet full of sundresses” I’m determined to try it. Also I want to re-try Mandragore Pourpre (see review at eyeliner on a cat ) and Ninfeo Mio, which I previously tried, didn’t like and disposed of the sample… just to find it interesting again when tried (on a blotter) in the store.

Any other suggestions? Am I missing anything really worth trying from this line?

Image: my own

See all episodes:

Weeklong Test Drives, Season 1: Annick Goutal
WTD, Episode 1.1: Eau d’Hadrien by Annick Goutal
WTD, Episode 1.2: Grand Amor by Annick Goutal
WTD, Episode 1.3: Le Mimosa by Annick Goutal
WTD, Episode 1.4: Heure Exquise by Annick Goutal
WTD, Episode 1.5: Neroli by Annick Goutal
WTD, Episode 1.6: Petite Cherie by Annick Goutal

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WTD, Episode 1.6: Petite Cherie by Annick Goutal

Annick Goutal Petite CheriePetite Cherie – created in 1998, notes include pear, peach, musky rose, fresh cut grass, vanilla. I tried Petite Cherie soon after it was released and immediately liked it. After I went through my sample and realized that I still liked the perfume and wanted more, I bought a small bottle of EDT online. It was a mistake: on my skin most Annick Goutal’s EdTs stay for maybe 30 minutes (not that I have a much better results with EdPs but still). After that first bottle I bought another one (that time an EdP version), and then – another one… Petite Cherie is one of my all time favorites. It smells very pleasant on my skin. It’s not a perfume I would wear to a party or any other occasion where I want to make an entrance but it is beautiful, fresh and at the same time elegant enough not to be out of place on a tropical vacation or in a busy boardroom. For years I liked the perfume and didn’t know it had a pear note in it – I do not smell it. I know now that it’s there, but I still cannot smell it. I do not smell peach as well, which is maybe not bad if to think of how much I do not like Annick Goutal’s take on a peach in Le Mimosa.

To address perfume’s fleetingness I recently bought a matching body cream. It doesn’t help much. But now I enjoy both – the cream and the perfume.

Sillage: medium (3 out of 5); tenacity: poor (2 hours).

Image: my own

See all episodes:

Weeklong Test Drives, Season 1: Annick Goutal
WTD, Episode 1.1: Eau d’Hadrien by Annick Goutal
WTD, Episode 1.2: Grand Amor by Annick Goutal
WTD, Episode 1.3: Le Mimosa by Annick Goutal
WTD, Episode 1.4: Heure Exquise by Annick Goutal
WTD, Episode 1.5: Neroli by Annick Goutal
WTD, Episode 1.7: Songes by Annick Goutal

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WTD, Episode 1.5: Neroli by Annick Goutal

 

Orrange blossom
Photo: Ellen Levy Finch

Neroli – created in 2003, notes include Orange blossom absolute, neroli essence, petitgrain Paraguay essence, cypress essence, cedar essence. I think it’s a nice, non-offensive perfume that plays very safely on all the notes it’s made of. I cannot find a reason not to like it. But by the same token I cannot find a reason to love it. I wouldn’t mind wearing it in summer if I just happen to get a bottle but I do not plan on actively seeking it.

Sillage: light (3 out of 5); tenacity: fair (3 hours).

See all episodes:

Weeklong Test Drives, Season 1: Annick Goutal
WTD, Episode 1.1: Eau d’Hadrien by Annick Goutal
WTD, Episode 1.2: Grand Amor by Annick Goutal
WTD, Episode 1.3: Le Mimosa by Annick Goutal
WTD, Episode 1.4: Heure Exquise by Annick Goutal
WTD, Episode 1.6: Petite Cherie by Annick Goutal
WTD, Episode 1.7: Songes by Annick Goutal

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WTD, Episode 1.4: Heure Exquise by Annick Goutal

 

Iris flower

Heure Exquise – created in 1984, notes include Florentine iris, Turkish rose, Mysore sandalwood, a hint of vanilla. The only distinct note I can smell in this perfume is vanilla, the rest are blended really nicely together and I loved how it smells on my skin. It’s a very soft, warm and intimate scent. And, in my mind, extremely beautiful. I wish it stayed longer in its strong(er) phase but I could catch a whiff of it 5-6 hours after the application. I’m seriously considering putting it on my “to buy” list.

Sillage: light (3 out of 5); tenacity: fair (3 hours).

Read also a review from I Smell Therefore I Am.

Image: my own

See all episodes:

Weeklong Test Drives, Season 1: Annick Goutal
WTD, Episode 1.1: Eau d’Hadrien by Annick Goutal
WTD, Episode 1.2: Grand Amor by Annick Goutal
WTD, Episode 1.3: Le Mimosa by Annick Goutal
WTD, Episode 1.5: Neroli by Annick Goutal
WTD, Episode 1.6: Petite Cherie by Annick Goutal
WTD, Episode 1.7: Songes by Annick Goutal

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WTD, Episode 1.3: Le Mimosa by Annick Goutal

Le Mimosa – created in 2011, notes include mimosa absolute from Grasse, peach, anise, Florentine iris, white musk. Even though I strongly disliked this perfume during my search for a perfect mimosa scent (see links to other reviews in that post) I decided to give it the last try before getting rid of the remaining sample. I still can smell mostly a peach. And it is still nauseating. But since this time I knew what to expect I could tolerate it better. I should mention once again: I’m really sorry I do not like this perfume, I wanted to – because of the cute ribbon, because of one of my favorite flowers, because of Annick Goutal and my hope to find another scent in her line to love. Oh well…

Sillage: light (3 out of 5); tenacity: good (4 hours).

Image: my own

(as always, feel free to share a link to your blog if you’ve written on the topic before)

See all episodes:

Weeklong Test Drives, Season 1: Annick Goutal
WTD, Episode 1.1: Eau d’Hadrien by Annick Goutal
WTD, Episode 1.2: Grand Amor by Annick Goutal
WTD, Episode 1.4: Heure Exquise by Annick Goutal
WTD, Episode 1.5: Neroli by Annick Goutal
WTD, Episode 1.6: Petite Cherie by Annick Goutal
WTD, Episode 1.7: Songes by Annick Goutal

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WTD, Episode 1.2: Grand Amor by Annick Goutal

Grand AmorGrand Amor – created in 1997, notes include white lily, hyacinth, honeysuckle, hint of Turkish rose, jasmine, base notes of amber, vanilla and myrrh, musky notes. If anything is grand about this perfume it is my disappointment. I wanted to like it (“the perfume of the serene passion Annick experienced with her husband…” – romantic, isn’t it?). But this is one more love-related perfume from Annick Goutal that just doesn’t work for me (another one was Quel Amour! – it was so bad on my skin that I gave away my sample and do not plan on trying it again ever but I read that others enjoyed it so it might be just my chemistry). Once applied Grand Amor stays noticeable for the whole 15 minutes – which isn’t bad taking into the account that I do not like the opening notes: it smells green, powdery and, for the lack of a better description, dusty at the same time. After that it becomes a relatively pleasant skin scent that quietly dies in the next couple of hours.

Sillage: very light (2 out of 5); tenacity: poor (2 hours).

For a more positive spin on this perfume read reviews from I Smell Therefore I Am and Perfume Shrine.

Image: my own

(as always, feel free to share a link to your blog if you’ve written on the topic before)

See all episodes:

Weeklong Test Drives, Season 1: Annick Goutal
WTD, Episode 1.1: Eau d’Hadrien by Annick Goutal
WTD, Episode 1.3: Le Mimosa by Annick Goutal
WTD, Episode 1.4: Heure Exquise by Annick Goutal
WTD, Episode 1.5: Neroli by Annick Goutal
WTD, Episode 1.6: Petite Cherie by Annick Goutal
WTD, Episode 1.7: Songes by Annick Goutal

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WTD, Episode 1.1: Eau d’Hadrien by Annick Goutal

 
Eau d’Hadrien – created in 1981, notes include Sicilian lemon, citron, grapefruit, green mandarin, cypress, aldehyde notes, ylang-ylang and cypress). When I was a child, my friends and I liked chasing and catching butterflies. Cabbage White (Pieris brassicae) was one of the most common butterflies where I lived. No matter how careful you would try to touch those delicate wings some pigment would always end up on your fingers. And from this particular butterfly my fingers always smelled lemony. Eau d’Hadrien scent reminds me of those carefree summer days, bruised knees and weightless wings flapping in my domed palms.
Photo : Bresson Thomas

Robin at NST had an update posted to her earlier review for Eau d’Hadrien referring to the alleged reformulation of the perfume in 2009. I compared two samples – a new one from the store and an older one that I got many years ago. I cannot smell the difference. If there was a reformulation indeed it must be the best one I encountered so far*.

In summer I might occasionally reach for the small bottle of Eau d’Hadrien EdT, which I got as a part of some other purchase, but I do not see it as a full bottle in my collection in future.

Sillage: light (3 out of 5); tenacity: good (4 hours).

(as always, feel free to share a link to your blog if you’ve written on the topic before)

* Update: Thanks to Robin I found an interview with Isabelle Doyen (at Grain de Musc) where she says: 

“But we haven’t touched L’Eau d’Hadrien! All we did, and that may have confused some people, was to increase the concentration a bit to satisfy those who thought it was too fleeting. We didn’t want to touch the formula, so we just increased the concentration by one or two per cent. But that was at least four years ago!”

See all episodes:

Weeklong Test Drives, Season 1: Annick Goutal
WTD, Episode 1.2: Grand Amor by Annick Goutal
WTD, Episode 1.3: Le Mimosa by Annick Goutal
WTD, Episode 1.4: Heure Exquise by Annick Goutal
WTD, Episode 1.5: Neroli by Annick Goutal
WTD, Episode 1.6: Petite Cherie by Annick Goutal
WTD, Episode 1.7: Songes by Annick Goutal