Ineke- Gilded Lily

There are several things worth noting about Ineke Ruhland's newest perfume, Gilded Lily. It's described as a fruity chypre, but just as Elena of Perfume Shrine commented earlier today, Gilded Lily doesn't seem to have much  in common with either the chypres of yore (if you want a true homage to the classics get the divine Mata Hari by Dawn Spencer Hurwitz), or with the modern ones. There's something in the way the perfume develops that might be the ghost of a chypre, but honestly, this label might be doing this lovely creation a disservice.

Then there's the issue of the gilded lily. I'm not the biggest fan of lily perfumes in general because they are just too big and floral and I'm just not the soliflore type. But there's no overwhelming feeling of petals and pollen here, no forced femininity (I actually find Gilded Lily to be perfectly unisex) and absolutely no gilding. Which leads us to my last point- Ineke has shown us here that one can compose a minimalist perfume that is not watery or boring. Gilded Lily doesn't suffer from the unbearable lightness of most minimalist perfumes (yes, I'm giving the stinkeye to Jean-Claude Elena and his followers). It's streamlined and almost stark- even the pale fruity opening doesn't bite or tries to take over- and I admit I'm having a hard time noticing where the pineapple and rhubarb come into play. It's more like a dried and slightly sweetened pink grapefruit rind. Later it becomes all about an abstract floral and pale woods, the cleanest (but not neutered) patchouli base with a tinge of pale green (I guess that's what was left of oakmoss in modern perfumery) and an overall quiet elegance.

If you spray enough, Gilded Lily will remain on skin for about 6-8 hours. You can actually really go to town with this one because it's relatively quiet and doesn't try to intrude on anyone's personal space. I would easily recommend this for what is called "office-wear" and for anyone who wants to be eased into indie perfumes but is having a hard time dealing with more assertive compositions.

I've come to really enjoy Ineke's style and Gilded Lily is no exception. The thing is that wearing it reminds me of sitting on my cherry-red sofa in my somewhat quirkily decorated living room while reading an interior design magazine dedicated to urban minimalism. I love looking at photos of city apartments with windows that take up a wall or two, stark white furniture with dove grey accents, glass, metal and a kitchen that appears to never ever be used for actual cooking. There are usually modern-cut crystal vases with a single lily or orchid in them providing the only splash of color in the room. It's gorgeous, enviable and utterly not me. But sometimes it's fun to pretend.

Gilded Lily by Ineke ($88, 2.5oz) is available from BeautyHabit and ineke.com. The 7 piece sample set ($25) is highly recommended. This review was based on a press sample provided by the company.

Art: Stargazer Lily by Declan McCullagh

Ineke- Field Notes From Paris

 Ineke Rühland's Field Notes From Paris, unlike the city for which it's named, has a quiet beauty that sneaks up on you and takes you by a complete surprise. Its originality is in the treatment of the ubiquitous orange blossom note. Even if you think you've seen every possible variation- from the grand white florals that pair it with jasmine, tuberose and/or rose (the original Chloe, Vero Kern's Rubj, Joy),  to the cumin laden Fleurs d'Oranger (Serge Lutens), This 2009 Ineke creation has something new to offer.

Field Notes From Paris starts as a somewhat dry and introverted floral- no feathery boas here. The tobacco flower and tobacco leaf are making the fragrance easy to wear for men just as well as for women (see Kevin's review on NST). It's so understated and mellow at first that ones you catch that whiff of the beautiful core it suddenly takes your breath away. There's a beautiful transition towards a woody vanilla drydown while still maintaining some of the floral character, so Field Notes never becomes too thick or dark. The one promised note that manages to fully escape me is the leather. I don't get any and dearly wish I did, but even so, Ineke has fully captured my heart with this beauty.

Field Notes From Paris ($88, 2.5oz) and the rest of Ineke's perfumes are available from beautyhabit.com as well as directly from ineke.com. The sample set is highly recommended.

Art: Dmitri Danish- Cafe in Paris

Chemical Bonding by Ineke

Chemical Bonding plays games with the sniffer from the very beginning. First comes the name, which might make one think about weird industrial notes, sterile labs and maybe a solemn and somber atmosphere inside grey walls. Then you spray it and get such a strong blast of lemon you want to make sure you didn't misread the label on this perfume.

The brightness is the main element in Ineke's Chemical Bonding. When the sharp citrus notes calms down you find yourself sitting in an open and airy breakfast room early on a weekend morning. The place is airy and the sunlight fills it through the open window. You're having lemon tea while looking outside, taking in the scenery and smelling the fresh cut flowers and mixed berries from the handmade white ceramic vase and bowl on the table.

Just as you think Chemical Bonding is a lighthearted fruity floral that is all about freshness, you start smelling the human element. The ambery musk makes you aware of your skin- the warmth of the sun as it caresses you, what it feels like to be touched, the dense and velvety texture and its smell.

You're ready to start your day.

Chemical Bonding ($88, 75 ml EDP) is the third fragrance by San Francisco based artisan Ineke Ruhland. It's available from beautyhabit and Liberty London, as well as directly from the perfumer's website (ineke.com). I bought the sample set of all 6 scents from this line ($25 at the stores mentioned above).

Art: Lemon Tea by Susan Asworth