Green & Galbanum: 43 posts

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

There are days in the winter when one can smell spring. It comes surreptitiously, even if the ground is still covered with snow and the sun is concealed by thick white clouds. Yet, the fragrance of spring is unmistakable—fresh, wet, and earthy, bearing that violet intensity that marks the desire of living beings to cast off winter’s slumber. Remarkably, this dissonance of spring is captured by perfumer Germaine Cellier in Vent Vert, the perfume created for Pierre Balmain in 1947.

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

Who is Miss Dior? She is half Anna Karenina, half Brett Ashley. Created for Christian Dior Parfums, Miss Dior appears to be lady-like and soigné, and yet it hints at the worn darkness of leather saddles and the smoke of slender cigarettes. Although one can enjoy Miss Dior for what it is—a gorgeous classical chypre with a unique green freshness, I find that understanding its context heightens my appreciation for its heartbreaking beauty. Born in 1947, the fragrance carries connotations of the hunger for glamour, the austerity of war and the hopes for future. …

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

Though I normally look at flankers with disdain expecting yet another bland variation, the sequels to the classical Estée Lauder fragrances have been quite lovely. Youth Dew Amber Nude offered an interesting twist on the oriental ambery theme of the original Youth Dew. Pure White Linen is a crisp, musky veil, in contrast to the richer 1978 classic, White Linen. Beautiful Love is a modern take on Beautiful, a lush white floral underpinned by woods and iris.

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

For the past week I have been wearing and enjoying the three fragrances from Les Nez, a niche line established by designer René Schifferle: L’Antimatière, The Unicorn Spell and Let Me Play the Lion…   The bold interpretations and unusual harmonies of the compositions lend the line the cerebral and avant-garde quality, which does not come at the expense of wearability. Moreover, there are additional reasons to anticipate an interesting outcome from Les Nez. The perfumer behind the line, Isabelle Doyen has created such gems as Annick Goutal Sables, Grand Amour and Songes. Her work for Les Nez further explores the neo-classical elegance of her orchestrations, yet with a more assertive touch. The contrasts are made more pronounced, the dissonances explored further and the impact heightened. …

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

Wearing Jacomo Silences is like being caught in a moment before the rain, when the green sweetness of foliage becomes suspended in the wet humidity of air. The succulent green richness of Silences rendered via a classical combination of galbanum and hyacinth is foiled by the Hedione. This radiant lemony jasmine note threads the accords of the composition like pearls on a string, harmonizing the multifaceted arrangement. …

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