Cardamom: 14 posts

Tom Ford Private Blend Jasmin Rouge : Fragrance Review

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Jasminer

Star rating: 5 stars–outstanding/potential classic, 4 stars–very good, 3 stars–adequate, 2 stars–disappointing, 1 star–poor.

A few years ago, Jasmin Rouge would have had me rushing immediately to the perfume store. The idea of a jasmine laced with spices and enrobed in ambers and woods would have been so appealing that I doubt I would have followed the sensible rule of never buying blindly. Yet, today Tom Ford Jasmin Rouge arrives at a moment when there are already several excellent jasmine dominated compositions on the market so it has plenty of competition. It is an elegant composition, but given its luxurious pricing, I would prefer more surprise and character.

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Hermes Un Jardin Apres La Mousson : Perfume Review

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Hermes_jardins

Star rating: 5 stars–outstanding/potential classic, 4 stars–very good, 3 stars–adequate, 2 stars–disappointing, 1 star–poor.

The new Hermès fragrance Un Jardin Après La Mousson (Garden After Monsoon) was among my most anticipated launches this spring, simply because Jean-Claude Ellena, Hermès’ in-house perfumer, drew inspiration from Kerala, my favorite region in India. And my first stay in India coincided with the long-awaited beginning of the monsoon. As the first few drops of rain fell on the dusty streets of New Delhi, the stifling dryness of the air was cleared, the dust settled and the stone facades of the grand Mogul mausoleums took on a mesmerizing sheen. I sat in the courtyard of my friend’s apartment building surrounded by the smell of wet jasmine and ate the most luscious mangoes I’ve tried. It was pure bliss.

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Ralph Lauren Polo Double Black : Perfume Review

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Ralphlaurendouble_black

Star rating: 5 stars–outstanding/potential classic, 4 stars–very good, 3 stars–adequate, 2 stars–disappointing, 1 star–poor.

The exclusive Guerlain fragrance Nuit d’Amour turned out to be a fairly predictable floral oriental, but nothing could have prepared me for the new Ralph Lauren masculine, a sensual and unconventional offering. In part, this is due to the fact that I began my exploration of the Ralph Lauren line only recently, discovering the legendary Polo and Lauren as well as the gardenia petal softness of Ralph Lauren Blue. The masculine fragrances from the line have always struck me as quintessentially American, portraying the clean shaven and casually clad ideal frequently appearing in Lauren’s menswear ads. Polo Double Black likewise maintains the same laidback aura, yet its seductive oriental twist lends the fragrance a certain unexpected allure.

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Ormonde Jayne Woman : Perfume Review

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Lovers mogul art

Star rating: 5 stars–outstanding/potential classic, 4 stars–very good, 3 stars–adequate, 2 stars–disappointing, 1 star–poor.

Beauty borders on tangible and intangible. It is not one thing or another, itself being a combination of parts, some of which are slightly odd. The difference between pretty and beautiful is in the juxtaposition of  strange elements with expected ones. In Ormonde Jayne Woman, it is a bitter resinous note of black hemlock, folded into the cardamom and sandalwood laced composition. The combination of spicy vibrancy and sultry sweetness lends Ormonde Woman a memorable character. The warmth of amber provides a brocaded background for the interplay of woody and sweet notes.

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