Sample sessions: April
New fragrances from big names and a surprisingly good high street hit
I can’t quite believe we are at the end of April, and probably into the start of May by the time you read this. If you are reading this, thank you for doing so. It means a lot to have you here. This week’s fragrance installment contains reviews of some new releases, and some closing notes on a few to keep your eyes peeled for this month. I hope you enjoy.
Iris bleu by Armani/Privé (EDT), £125 for 50ml
An incredibly elegant iris styled as an interpretation of the colours of the Mediterranean sky and sea. Light and beautifully airy, it has a gorgeous powderiness that seems to sigh around you, and a touch of young jasmine— buds before the blooms. There is a nice, subtle woodiness that settles in tandem with the iris on the skin. Delicate but endearing, ideal for spring and something I would happily recommend to a bride-to-be. I know we shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, but the bottle is beguiling.
Akigala mandarino extrait by New Notes, £149 for 50ml
This isn’t new new, but it is new to me, and I really liked it. It is a wonderful take on mandarin, boasting a real marmalade-like juiciness, rich with amber, sweetened with florals and perfectly spiced. It begins fruity and bright, pairing mandarin with raspberry and apple and passionfruit— the latter really shines as it dances with the citrus. I then pick up a green-floral, which lends itelf to the spiced nuances of the scent, and soft jasmine. It then gets deeper, warmer, almost sensual, resting on amber and akigalawood. Indulgent, optimistic and enjoyable.
Mythe by COS, £75 for 100ml
This was my favourite of the four new COS fragrances. It combines ginger, bergamot, green cardamom, vetiver and wood violet, resulting in a modern, vibrant, vetiver-forward scent. You get the fresh, young cardamom straight away, with ginger and bergamot bringing a playful dynamic, diffusing together rather than fighting for the top spot (or screeching their way to it, as high street fragrances tend to do). Then the vetiver comes, boasting those earthy qualities but doing so in a really bright way, like a field at dawn rather than a burrow at dusk. It gets greener as it dries down, leaning further into the vetiver and dampening slightly, and I think it has something really captivating about it. A great unisex fragrance.
Auburn by COS, £75 for 100ml
More cardamom, but this time venturing into warmer territory, paired with cloves, coffee, amber and vanilla. As expected, this is a gourmand-floral evening scent that makes you say ‘ooh’ when you smell it. The chosen flower is ylang ylang, a rich, honeyed white flower that makes the ideal bedfellow for vanilla and resins (labdanum and cistus in this case). Sandalwood adds a little sophistication, amber and spices add richness, and it has a slight smokiness that balances out its sweetness. It isn’t unique, but it has a promising depth (each fragrance is formulated with 20% oil, a surprisingly high concentration) and something amorous about it. Ideal for autumn, winter and date night.
Cedrus intense by Chloe, part of the Atelier des Fleurs collection, £132 for 50ml
I loved this. It was unexpectedly orangey on opening (bergamot is the citrussy top note), radiant, warm and creamy too. It unfolds into a fresh, woody scent, utilising sandalwood and cedar that feel young and freshly cut, very clean. Vetiver arrives shortly after, drying it out to leave me with sandalwood, soft leather and a little smokiness too. It isn’t quite right for this warm weather, but it will be wonderful come autumn, and I know Chloe Atelier lovers will flock to it. If you are looking for a sweet and dignified vanilla, the Atelier des Fleurs vanilla planifolia (£115 for 50ml) is heavenly. Another one for brides-to-be.
Vanilla firenze by Gucci, part of The Alchemist’s Garden collection, £185 for 50ml
I have put off sampling this because I didn’t feel inspired to try another vanilla. But this is not another vanilla, and I am aghast it hasn’t been talked about more. It is so resinous and spicy, mouthwateringly sexy as opposed to making your mouth water for something sweet. It uses three types of vanilla: bourbon infusion, bourbon absolute and bourbon pure jungle essence, one of the highest quality vanillas available, each full of balsamic tonalities and varying textures. Iris butter, gorgeously sweet and creamy, is contrasted with peppery spices (black pepper, cardamom and carrot seed) that flicker constantly, but all perfectly in time. It is the resins that feel most alive, rupturing the scent with their golden tang, giving far more than a cupcake in a coffee shop. It worked well with my skin chemistry, but it will be better in autumn/winter for most. Definitely worth a try.
Osmanthus nectar by Gucci, part of The Alchemist’s Garden Collection, £185 for 50ml
Fantastically fruity, delicately floral, sweet as a peach, with a gentle woodiness to ground it all. Osmanthus flowers have a unique scent made up of peach, apricot and soft, creamy florals. Gucci exacerbates this with apricot and cardamom in the top notes and sandalwood at the base, all of which you pick up as the scent opens and settles, resulting in an expensive apricot jam that you want to (and can) slather on yourself. It has a sweet, delicate floral characteristic, like picked petals rather than a plush bouquet, and dries into an airy, slightly spicy, fruity fragrance. And another great dressing table bottle.
Eladaria by Creed, £165 for 30ml
Honestly, I wasn’t taken by this at first, but I have found myself returning to it a few times now, so much so, that I have nearly worked through my first sample vial and have a second waiting to go. It is a sensationally powdery (emphasis on powdery) rose, designed to evoke a paradisiacal garden at dawn, and achieving exactly that. It opens bright and pink, bergamot acting like the sun as it casts on fresh flowers in the morning: roses and peonies. The mists are captured perfectly in swathes of powdered musk, and the lingering chill that hangs in the air hangs in pink pepper and a very subtle white flower (lily of the valley). You only need a spray or two and it stays put on the skin, warming slightly but maintaining its powderiness. It is almost poetical, and very, very feminine.
Fortuitous Finley by Penhaligon’s, £245 for 75ml
Inviting us to ‘get lost in a labyrinth of leather and spice’ and to ‘find passion in pistachio and violet’, I was expecting something salty-sweet , titillating, punchy and provoking, but (sampled on paper) this didn’t quite hit the mark. It was unexpectedly quiet on opening, beginning as a spicy-green that felt as if it had been watered down, with a hint of herbaceousness and nod to pistachio. However, I went back to it after 5 or so minutes and found myself with a stronger, salty pistachio coupled with a generously soft suede and the warm spice of cardamom. Ah, I thought, this is the scent of the enigmatic, elusive lover they were talking about, and it is this which people will appreciate. It starts like an EDT, unfolds to something better, but might take a certain chemistry to unlock its full potential.
The fradar
One of favourite British brands, Miller Harris, have a new addition to their Stories Collection (one of my first bunch of reviews, here) incoming. Very few details yet, but you know I am thrilled already
Impadia by BDK Parfums, a rose gourmand inspired by a Rothko painting, combining mandarin, bergamot, pear, roses, orange flower, akigalawood, vanilla and sandalwood
Buongiorno by Acqua di Parma, capturing the ‘thrill of new beginnings in spring’ with spearmint, rosemary, basil, lavandin, mandarin, cedarwood and musks
Vetiveria by Ormonde Jayne, due to launch on May 8 as part of the Four Corners of the Earth Collection. Taking its cue from the islands of Indonesia and celebrating vetiver by combining it with lime, Timur pepper, sage, juniper berry, soft florals, moss, rockrose and tonka bean
Casa de Campo by Loewe, the latest in its Un Paseo Por Madrid collection, paying tribute to the city in bloom. Green mandarin, blood orange, artemisia, violet, lavender, musk and Loewe accord
Un été Francais by Celine, evoking the memory of a carefree afternoon in Saint-Tropez. Bergamot, petitgrain, neroli, gorse and vanilla
Aurner by Aesop, using magnolia leaf, Roman chamomile and woody cedar
Purple memoir by Floris London, a charming mix of lavender, bergamot, coriander, jasmine, sandalwood, vanilla and musk
Steam by Perfumer H— a scent of ‘clarity’ combining dewy plum, mandarin, coriander, grapefruit, steam of reseda, white magnolia, cedar, birch and green tea
Zara’s Cocoa collection, comprising Cocoa & Latte (white chocolate, Chantilly cream and suede), Cocoa Sunset (passion fruit, peach and dark chocolate), and Cocoa Bliss (milk chocolate, whipped cream and vanilla), which all start from £18
Amie ElizabethX
In sure this is the second time you’ve mentioned the Gucci osmanthus and I still have not tried it!! Your review makes it sound SO DELISH, I must try and get a sample!