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

Olivia Giacobetti’s fragrances have a distinct voice—clarity contrasted with darkness. The aura of her creations is a haze over the rising morning sun, radiance shining delicately through the mist. Préparation Parfumée is not an exception in this respect. Created in 2001 in collaboration with interior designer Andrée Putman, Olivia Giacobetti’s fragrance joining the divide between masculine and feminine perfumes captures perfectly a scent of sunbleached wood. A touch of crisp sweetness is provided by a modest ornamentation by water lily, while the top notes are a whirlwind of the black pepper.  Transparent and minimalist quality of the fragrance should in no way be interpreted as anything promising boredom, because one simply cannot be bored while basking in its misty, yet bright glow.

Painting (click to enlarge): Mermaids (Rusalki, Based on Night in May by Nikolai Gogol) by Ivan Kramskoy, 1871. Oil on canvass. The Tretyakov Gallery collection, Moscow, Russia. www.abcgallery.com.

There are some powerful odors that can pass 

Out of the stoppard flagon; even glass 

To them is porous. Oft when some old box

Brought from the East is opened and the locks

And hinges creak and cry; or in a press

In some deserted house, where the sharp stress

Of odors old and dusty fills the brain;

An ancient flask is brought to light again

And forth the ghosts of long-dead odors creep.

When opening a perfume bottle and receiving a jolt that lifts some recollection from the depth of memory, I often think of Charles Baudelaire’s The Flask. The word perfume derives from Latin: per means through, fumum signifies smoke. Through the smoke of incense offerings to the gods… Through the mist of time, the past comes back in veils of images long lost under the layers of information the brain processes on daily basis. Three percent of our genes are devoted to olfaction, which is an impressive number. According to my neuroscience textbook (Nicholls et al., 2001), “odors are detected in a patch of about 100,000 olfactory receptor neurons whose axons project through a thin portion of the frontal skull to the olfactory bulb.” In comparison to visual and auditory receptors (four and one, respectively), the number of olfactory receptors is much higher, about 1,000. Moreover, unlike other receptors, they are continuously replaced….

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

The scent of osmanthus, a fragrant olive originating from China, is a scent of apricots crushed with jasmine soap in a leather purse. It alternates between fruity and spicy, delicate and opulent. Ormonde Jayne Osmanthus, on the other hand, is sharp and citrusy. The top notes create a burst of green grapefruit, immediately followed by a floral accord. The progression to the heart and then to the base is without much delay, and I would say that Osmanthus is less complex than other Ormonde Jayne’s fragrances.  Citrus notes are wont to disappear rapidly, however in this case, pomello persists even in the drydown, leaving a hint of freshness as it meets the smooth embrace of cedar. The crystalline effect of the top notes is reinforced by the soft muskiness, creating an uncomplicated crisp fruity scent with a slightly woody accord.

Notes: Pomello, davana, pimento; osmanthus absolute, water lily and jasmine sambac; cedarwood, labdanum resin, musk and vetiver.

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

Ormonde Jayne Ta’if is an oriental still life with roses amid Persian sweetmeats and fruit—ripe peaches dripping honeyed juice, opal colored melons, saffron halwah, semolina pastries stuffed with walnuts and dates, orange blossom sherbet.  It straddles the line between gourmand and sensual.  Within its heart, Ta’if hides a delicate spring-like freshness of white flowers, jasmine and orange blossom, with some freesia sweetness.  This airy accord paired with the medicinal note of saffron is exactly what lifts Ta’if out of a sentimental domain of many rose fragrances. Make no mistake, however, this is a rich blend.  A small amount, and it seduces; too much, and you are guaranteed to be a cause of headache for those around you.

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