Chocolate: 25 posts

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

There are a few conventional wisdoms that one can cite in regards to fragrance, and the one that comes to mind immediately is the oversaturation of the market. The releases are becoming more and more frequent, with the shelf life growing shorter and shorter. Each release entails significant sunk costs, therefore it is not surprising that most of the big companies choose to play safe, researching the fragrances through focus groups and other market testing methods. Safe choices indeed abound, and it is difficult to say anything of interest on them. In the masculine market, it is even more difficult to be daring, because there are more rules of what defines a commercial masculine fragrance. Therefore, encountering Christian Dior Dior Homme, a fragrance intended for the wide audience rather than the niche fragrance consumers and introduced with little market research, is rather heartening.

Continue reading →

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

Rose petals floating on water is the aspect of S-Perfume 100% Love that lends it a serene and wistful quality. Luminous accords are arranged like delicate patterns on Japanese silk, their translucence evoking a gentle touch. The composition captures the moment when one loses oneself in a reverie of perfect contentment. If this sensation could be bottled, 100% Love comes close.

100% Love was created by Sophia Grojsman, the nose behind fragrances like Jaipur by Boucheron, Eternity by Calvin Klein, Paris by Yves Saint Laurent, and Trésor by Lancôme. 100% Love is a fascinating fragrance in terms of the development of Grojsman’s artistic vision, whose earlier creations have been revolutionary in terms of their structure, where most of the formula was made up of only a few ingredients, with carefully chosen accents ornamenting the composition. In case of Trésor, four materials comprise 80% of the formula. The result is a panoramic, rather than a sequential composition, unfolding like a fan. …

Continue reading →

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

Armani Prive Ambre Soie conjures a sensation of bittersweet chocolate melting on the skin, as the composition warms up after the initial scattering of sweet and earthy anise notes. It alternates between hot velvety and dry powdery aspects, underscored by cinnamony sweetness.

Created by Christine Nagel in 2004 for Giorgio Armani’s exclusive collection Armani Prive, the composition presents several facets at once. Its sheer darkness is juxtaposed with spice dusted flower petals, without being evident whether one is feeling a sweet bite of clove or peppery warmth of carnation. Creamy, almost lactonic note smoothes sharp spicy edges into a soft mélange. However, there is an element of candy-like sweetness that strikes me as somewhat stilted, lending an opaque quality to the middle notes. It lightens as time goes on, losing the candy-like simplicity and revealing a chocolate touched by incense aspect of benzoin.

Continue reading →

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

Nelly Rodi is a French forecasting agency, focusing on fashion consulting and analysis of fashion trends. For its 20th anniversary, the company commissioned eight perfumes from several noses, providing them with ample budget to exercise their creativity, limited only by the genre. The first set from Scent Factory is oriental, with fragrances in eau de parfum concentration including such traditional notes as cinnamon, saffron, incense, rose and cardamom. Having sampled all eight, I would characterize them as fairly minimalistic takes on an oriental theme, with varying results.  However, as fragrance highlights a particular note, I would imagine that many of them would layer well.

Parfum 1: Incense
Created Alexis Dadier of Mane, Incense is a swirl of sweet spices folded into resinous smooth foil of frankincense. This is my favorite of the first four fragrances, due to its interesting rendition of incense. Although Armani Privé Bois d’Encens stands as unrivaled incense in my mind, Nelly Rodi Incense is a beautiful composition. The pairing of frankincense with nutmeg results in an almost floral chord of carnation petals caught in the wave of resinous sweetness. Supported by dark vanillic notes and cinnamon dusted sandalwood, the composition has a dusky richness that I find very alluring.

Continue reading →

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

Serge Lutens Borneo 1834 proves once again that the genius of  Serge Lutens and Chris Sheldrake lies in the interpretations of particular notes by exaggerating their qualities and ornamenting them in such a way as to reveal the most unexpected and arresting element. By way of example, the odd camphorous note serving as a prelude for the sensual floral heart of Tubéreuse Criminelle is a note present in tuberose absolute, a hot rubbery darkness that suffuses white floral opulence. Smooth cinnamony sweetness of Cèdre intensified by tuberose recalls a caramelized floral note present in certain types of cedarwood oils, particular Himalayan cedar.

Borneo 1834 takes the sweet winey effervescence of patchouli and layers it with silkiness of chocolate and darkness of resinous woods. The top notes shock like vapors from a glass of rum. The hot wind that stuns senses upon the first inhale whips up a scintillating cloud of patchouli, which settles slowly in swirling patterns—one moment, it is a sweet golden (not earthy) patchouli, the next, it is a dark balsamic resin. The intoxicating warmth is interspersed with sweet incense smoke, which segues into the bitter chocolate. It is not a sweet luscious gourmand note of chocolate that made Angel a success, but a dark mélange of cocoa powder, bits of rubber and rosewood dust. The end result is a composition of remarkable contrasts—weightless darkness, smoky sweetness and eerie sensuality of patchouli.

Borneo 1834 is a newest Salons du Palais Royal exclusive fragrance. Wax samples of this fragrance seem to be more representative of the drydown. However, the best aspect of the fragrance is a fascinating interplay between almost palpable gradations of heat, which are revealed best in the liquid perfume. The notes include Indonesian patchouli, white flowers, cardamom, camphor, cistus, galbanum, cannabis resin, cocoa accord. The name refers to the place and the year marking the period when patchouli first entered the West.

Photo: Borneo 1834 limited edition bottle from Serge Lutens’ fan site (thank you, C!).