L'Artisan Parfumeur- Coeur de Vétiver Sacré

Heard last month at Barneys:
The husband: don't I already have all the vetivers I'll ever need?
Me: You tell me.
Him (spraying, sniffing and inhaling Coeur de Vétiver Sacré): Apparently not. I'll take it.

So much for the three tests before buying rule. But this is a vetiver and an unusual one at that. We both fell in love with this new L'Artisan Parfumeur fragrance. The husband likes the depth and the fact it's unlike any of the other vetiver in his/our collection. I've found out that I love wearing Coeur de Vétiver Sacré as a meditative perfume or while driving.  There's a state where your body and the conscious alert part of your mind are focused on one task while your imagination and thoughts are elsewhere.

Coeur de Vétiver Sacré starts as a spicy black tea scent. Not chai, really, as it's not creamy, just a strong black tea with saffron and ginger . Then there's the stewed fruit accord, not quite Lutens-like as there's no cumin and far less sweetness, but it's all dried dates and figs in an aromatic liquid reminding me of faraway markets where colorful and exotic sights, sounds and smells are entwined.

It takes quite a while before the vetiver even appears. I wondered at first why they named the perfume after it. But there it was all of a sudden, in all its grassy warmth with a smooth incense as its sidekick, making for a sweet(ish) dry-down.

Coeur de Vétiver Sacré is a significant departure from most L'Artisan perfumes we've seen recently. The perfumer, Karine Vinchon, brought a new point of view to the line by creating a darker, thicker, more demanding perfume. I love it for its warmth and ability to transform and change on skin. There's a serene and atmospheric feeling to CdVS, making it perfect on a fall day. Of course, not everyone feels this way. Dane from Pere de Pierre was decidedly unimpressed, but he's bordering on being my evil scent twin. For me, CdVS hits all the right spots, something very few L'Artisans have done lately.

Coeur de Vétiver Sacré by L'Artisan Parfumeur ($135, 100ml) is exclusive to Barneys, at least for now.

Photo by Walde Huth, 1953,  from dhm.de

L’Artisan Parfumeur- Ananas Fizz

It took me several years and countless of samples to start enjoying Ananas Fizz by L’Artisan Parfumeur. I couldn't get past the pineapple and its friends, the rum and coconut milk notes. I don't want pink paper umbrellas in my perfume, and even though I could recognize that Ananas Fizz was not your typical Pina Colada scent, it still had all that happy pineapple. I couldn't deal.

Sometimes, though, the stars and nose align right and you suddenly smell the magic, or at least the perfume story the perfumer meant you to feel. I don't know how or when it happened, but one day I was sniffing some L'artisan samples and absentmindedly applied Ananas Fizz and it was there- not just the tropical fruit (diluted in citrus juice), but also the green notes and dry wood, with only a hint of sweetness. It's a lot more wearable than I ever thought and actually has a kick- not just the fizz, but also the type you usually get from a chypre. I'm not sure i can explain it through the official notes, as there's no oakmoss, patchouli or labdanum listed. The recognizable notes to me, other than pineapple, are lemon, bergamot, a hint of coconut and cedar. It's not exactly a recipe for a chypre, and yet it feels exactly right.

There's something very sheer and gauze-like about Ananas Fizz. It's like looking at a tropical scene through a veil or a light fog. The colors aren't very vibrant and won't make you start dancing or doing the Hippy Hippy Shake*. It's the contrasts between the initial expectations and the actual scent development that make this scent interesting and enjoyable for me. The official carded L'Artisan samples are doing this perfume (and most of the others) a disservice. Dabbing a drop here and there isn't the best way to wear Ananas Fizz. I transferred several samples into small spray vial and that made a huge difference in terms of longevity and sillage. It makes the scent feel a lot more substantial without compromising its lightness.

Ananas Fizz is still available from some L'Artisan retailers (Barneys, Luckyscent, Blue Mercury), but it has been removed from the L’Artisan Parfumeur website (artisanparfumeur.us), and we all know what that means.

*The Hippy Hippy Shake:

L’Artisan Parfumeur- Premier Figuier Extrême

I'm sure this happens to you occasionally: You hear some very familiar music playing in another room, another floor or even from a car passing by. It's too far away for every note to actually reach your ear, but you know the song so well that you "hear" the missing pieces- your mind is stepping up and filling the gaps.

I'm still dealing with a raging head cold and my nose is (maybe) working at 25% capacity . But I can't go through my day without perfume, so I'm turning to the cornerstones of my wardrobe and wear the ones I can smell with my memory just as well as with a functioning schnoz. I start the morning with vintage Chanel No. 5 in eau de cologne, but as the day progresses I turn to something sweeter and softer, but still one I would recognize anywhere- Premier Figuier Extrême by L’Artisan Parfumeur.

Premier Figuier Extrême can be a bit misleading. Yes, it's a sweet milky fig over a creamy sandalwood base. But the reason I love it so much (besides my fig obsession, that is) is the way it juxtaposes the shade of a fig tree that grows beside a cool running stream- it's green and blue, very refreshing after walking a few miles on a hot summer day and reaching that hidden sanctuary. Then you have the smooth warmth of wood and coconut milk like a satisfying and comforting dessert, an inviting rustic kitchen where you sit at a slightly worn down hand-made table and getting a whiff of the fresh figs in the blue and yellow bowl.

Premier Figuier Extrême ($115, 1.7 oz EDP) is available from the L’Artisan Parfumeur boutique at Henri Bendel in NYC and from the company's website, artisanparfumeur.us . I bought my bottles years ago at the (now defunct) free-standing SoHo L'Artisan boutique in NYC.

Art: Fig Leaves by Yvonne Ayoub.

Méchant Loup by L'Artisan Parfumeur

Méchant Loup by L'Artisan is a seducer. It lures you in with sweet promises of honey and hazelnuts toasted just enough. It doesn't have any of the popular mainstream opening notes- nothing fresh, green or citrusy here. It's all heart.

While a hazelnut, honey and wood perfume could have easily turn into the land of praline and become another one of those "eat me" mall scents, this isn't the case. In fact, Méchant Loup is generally regarded as a masculine scent. And indeed, once the initial notes calm down and retreat, you are left with a very woody and quite dark fragrance. It's very smooth though not quite creamy, and surprisingly chilly- like touching the bark of a tree in an old forest, so thick that sunshine doesn't reach through the thick intertwined treetops.

Does evil lurk in that ancient forest? After all, Méchant Loup means 'bad wolf'. It's the temptation, I think, to get closer and closer to the source of the sweetness and discover its true face. A man wearing it is quite irresistible. I wear it for that smooth honeyed core as well as for the coolness of the wood. I spray it liberally so the EDT lasts for at least ten hours on my skin, and while it doesn't make me feel like a she-wolf I can't help but sniff myself often.

Méchant Loup ($95, 1.7 oz) is available from Henri Bendel,  L'Artisan Parfumeur boutiques (where they still exist. The freestanding ones in NYC have all closed), Barneys and Aedes in NYC and Blue Mercury stores. Most of them also sell online. I bought my bottle a few years ago, probably from Aedes.

Image: Little Red Riding Hood and the Big Bad Wolf by Richard Hermann Eschke.

L'Artisan Parfumeur Havana Vanille- First Impression

Perfume obsession is a funny thing. One day after I bought a bottle of a fragrance so unique it makes my entire collection seem almost silly* and for a few minutes even entertain the concept of a signature scent, I got to try the new L'Artisan Parfumeur Havana Vanille and was reminded why I'm so in love with many perfumes.

Havana Vanille is what I wanted Hermes Vanille Gallant to be. It's an almost understated, non-cupcake, well-rounded vanilla scent. Robin on NST has compared it to Guerlain's Spiritueuse Double Vanilla, and she is right. But SDV is too much booze on my skin, and it sadly takes away from the smoky vanilla. Havana Vanille has a beautiful tobacco note, leafy and smooth, which keeps the scent from going the yummy foody way. It's far less sweet than Tom Ford's Tobacco Vanille which I love, but must admit is more honey-tobacco than vanilla and isn't as sophisticated as this L'Artisan creation.

The rum here is mostly in the top notes and then it clears the way to a warm dry vanilla. It's satisfying and comforting without the feel of a guilty pleasure. It's easy to wear without being low brow, and it doesn't smell cheap. One would never be mistaken for wearing a body spray from the mall while having this on.

I can't wear L'Artisan's other vanilla scent, Vanilia, because after the beautiful first 20 minutes I get a weird chemical burnt sugar and a dead orchid note that on a bad day turns my stomach. There's nothing of this sort in Havana Vanille, which makes it an ideal scent for fall.

Havana Vanille will be officially launcehd in October.

*I promise to talk about this perfume soon. In the meantime, you're invited to try and figure out what it is. The first person to guess correctly will receive a sample of the fragrance. If he or she would want it, that is. Just to make this clear: Not Havana Vanille.

Image: Homemade Bourbon Vanilla by ayankeeinasouthernkitchen.com

Sniffed Around Town

(For the 2008 Perfume Retrospective, please see yesterday's post)

I've been revisiting a few previously-sniffed scents at the usual NYC haunts. These are not full reviews as I haven't (yet?) bothered with samples and full wearing under different circumstances, unless noted. Just impressions.

Chanel Beige- (part of the Les Exclusifs range and only available from Saks flagship in the city). The first time I tried it, I commented that it just doesn't go with my hair. It was too floral, too Chanel, too Upper East Side. Totally not me. It's still isn't, but I sort of get it now. Apparently, Muffy Sloan-McPrep has been skipping some Junior League meetings because she's having steamy randezvous with her tennis instructor. And she's invested in some killer shoes.

Champaca Absolute (Tom Ford Private Blend)- I didn't expect to like this one. A biggish floral with some fruit in it (plum?) is not my normal thing. But like many of the other ones in the line, it melds with my skin and becomes smooth and musky (in a good way). It doesn't screech or does weird gestures, so while I probably don't need to have it (unlike Tobacco Vanille and Purple Patchouli), I would wear it happily if the stork drops it at my door (what? storks bring the oddest things to this house).

Fleur de Liane (L'Artisan Parfumeur)- I really shouldn't have bothered with this one, as it's everything I hate. A sheer green aquatic with more than a hint of melon. I don't always assign colors to scents, but this one is a poisonous, radioactive aqua. While Fleur de Liane is a Bertrand Duchaufour creation, I can practically hear Jean Claude Ellena cackling behind the scene.

Aedes de Venustas Eau de Parfum (created by L'Artisan)- Another Duchaufour, this time a pretty nice one. On my skin and to my nose it's cool, clean incense, very similar to Heeley Cardinal and CdG Avignon. I liked it better as a room spray or on my husband, though he was not impressed.

Amouage Lyric For Women- Yes, please.
Gorgeous, sexy, rosy, spicy, woodsy. Lasts forever. It's the very late drydown that I'm not yet sure about. It loses some of the mouthwatering quality for more wood. Still beautiful, though.

Carnation (Mona Di Orio)- I think I can live without it, after all. This one must be tested and re-tested on skin, as what you get on a scent strip would lead you to pull a Luca Turin and hate hate hate it. My skin loves it, most of the time. Occasionally it turns into something boring and bland like a low-grade musk. Other times it's lovely.

Dans tes Bras (Frederic Malle)- Either they tinkered with the formula since I first smelled the tester in June (long before it was released, so everything's possible), or my skin really does a number on this. The sprayed card I got in Paris retained its powdery scent for days, while on my skin (and practically everyone else's) things have mellowed down considerably and it's not that heavy on heliotrope, either. I've been known to kill violets, so maybe it was to be expected. In any case, Dans tes Bras is a pleasant skin scents, suffers from longevity issues and a mushroomy accord, and smells a lot better in the open air than indoors. Like, but don't love.

Oriental Brulant (Guerlain)- The only one out of the three Elixirs I like. The problem? My skin makes it very very sweet. Even Isaac, the cutest SA at Saks 5th Avenue had to comment on this. The drydown is so Shalimar-like (just without the interesting parts) when I wear it that it's more than a little redundant, especially at $250 per bottle.

White Patchouli (Tom Ford)- No can do. The rose-jasmine combo in the middle turns sour on my skin every time I try.

Sycomore (Chanel)- The one Exclusif that might just force me to break my resolve against family-sized bottles and actually buy one. It's a beautiful, smoky vetiver with an ethereal quality that keeps it from becoming too butch (not that it ever stopped me before. I can't keep away from the Blond's Vetiver Extraordinaire, Route de Vetiver or his Guerlain). Want.


Photo of Saks 5th Avenue: Voted Off The Island

It's not you, it's me: L'Artisan Mure et Musc, Grès Cabaret

Before I've learned about anosmia, I thought either my skin was making certain perfumes evaporate upon contact, or the fragrance makers were playing the Emperor's New Clothes trick on me. Only, it wasn't the emperor who was naked. It's my nose, which has a completely blind spot when it comes to certain musks. Not all of them, mind you. I get a musky drydown in many popular scents (Valentino V Absolu, several of the Bonds and others), and have no problem smelling and enjoying Serge Lutens Clair de Musc, a beautiful, coy gem of a fragrance that I never expected to enjoy as much as I do.

L'Artisan Parfumeur Mure et Musc, both the regular and the extreme versions, are the best examples for my anosmia. The EdT starts sharp, soapy and mildly unpleasant. Even the blackberry isn't recognizable to my nose. I can't say I'm sorry to see it all gone without a trace within 10 minutes. The berries are much more prominent in the EdP (the extreme fragrance). It's sweet but still soapy. I couldn't confirm it, but my nose insists there's a touch of white flowers, possibly lilies somewhere behind the fruit, but that's about it. It's much longer lasting than the original, especially when sprayed, with an almost sickening sweetness. My bottom line is: Berries, lily of the valley and a non-existent base do not bode well for me and my nose.


Another scent which gives me a hard time is Parfums Grès Cabaret. I can't say for sure if it's my skin swallowing and destroying most of the notes or a nose thing again (the base is supposedly musky), but as far as I'm concerned, the lovely bottle holds nothing but a pale rose soap. Pleasant, harmless, very clean but far from exciting or interesting. I really wanted to love this perfume. It was supposed to be very sexy, as the corset bottle hints. The semantic field of cabaret associations and images are dark, moody, dangerous, glitzy and sexual. I know several people who swear by this fragrance, but once it meets me, other than a pale chyper-like kick at the top, it folds the notes head-to-tail, and leaves me with nothing but a floral and demure disappointment. If what I'm smelling is true, this scent can be worn by a young girl as well as by her schoolmarmish great aunt. Then again, it might just be my nose.

L'Artisan Piment Brulant

Today was another muggy day, requiring the kind of scent that cuts through the humidity and makes one feel alive and fresh. Or, at least, less icky.

My choice was Piment Brûlant from L'Artisan Parfumeur. It's an unusual scent with its sharp bite of hot red peppers at the top. Not a mainstream note, for sure, as it can be quite scary. After all, who wants to smell like salsa? The peppery notes are very foody, the red pepper is all there, skin and seeds, fresh, sharp and unmistakeable. I was almost put off by it the first time I tried it on. But, just when I thought it was too much something that goes into a ratatouille and too little a scent that goes on my neck, the capsicum began withdrawing and was replaced with something airy and floral.

The official notes promise chocolate, but it's not dark or rich. Just a note that smooths and rounds the fruity notes. The red pepper doesn't go away. Sometimes it's touched with chocolate, sometimes it's more floral. When I like it, it's a fun, fresh scent with an unexpected edge. But sometimes the pepper fruitiness is too much and I wonder if that's a real perfume or something I'd rather roast and make into a topping for bruschetta.

Where are the clowns? L'Artisan Dzing!

I'm not sure if it's my nose or body chemistry that are among the funkiest you could imagine, but this I know: They work in mysterious way.

Consider my holiest of grails: I wear all of the Tauers easily, year round. Including that smoke and leather manly scent, Lonestar Memories (and its precious little brother, Orris). Or the Lutens: concept fragrances or not, I wear them and they make sense on my skin, including that public enemy, Miel de Bois. Or Cartier's Le Baiser du Dragon, a fragrance that I remember reading in one of the blogs (apologies for not remembering which one) that it was suited for a Joan Crawford type of woman (That one made me feel great).

Also, just look at the list of perfumes I can't wear because my skin makes them ugly. I'm not even talking about popular but controversial ones like Angel or Prada. Both Light Blue (D&G) and Cashmere Mist turn sour on me. I don't mind, really. But not being able to find a Montale that doesn't smell rancid on me, or having Bois de Armenie reject me after the first 30 minutes was insulting.

I think I've made my point.

Here's another example: Reviews of L'Artisan's Dzing! are downright scary. They all talk about an animalic note, a serious fecal funk, wet fur and dirty beasts. Lions and tigers and bears galore. Read all the other blogs for explanations and elaborations on the circus theme that inspired this scent (for real!). In this case, thefunk is lost on me, and I don't know if I should be thankful or sorry.


I have no idea what they all are smelling. I have a house full of cats. I deal with feline waste management on a daily basis and sniff fur all the time. That's not the juice in my bottle. On my skin, it starts with rich brown leather. It reminds me the smell of an outdoor market that I visited in Florence many years ago. Then come roasted candied peanuts, the kind they sell on the streets of Manhattan. There's something a little burnt but addictive in the smell. And vanilla. All the time, the leather is still there, peeping under the sweetness that my skin plays up and makes stronger and stronger.

On the blond, it's much more masculine. The vanilla is almost hidden behind an assertive leather. There's something nutty there, as well, but not so much street candy, somehow fresher. I'm not sure which one of us smells better wearing Dzing!, but we're both fascinated with this scent. So much so, that I did something I hardly ever do: Bought the big, 3.4 oz bottle.

According to Ina from Aromascope, who is in the know, Dzing! is being gradually phased out, though it's still widely available at all the usual places. My crazy fantasy is that they'd replace it with an extreme version. That would be something.

edit: Apparently, Dzing was NOT discontinued and even the smaller 1.7 oz bottles weren't really phased out. It was just a matter of repackaging. The circus is still in town.


(photos in order of appearance: Joan Crawford, my cat, Peter, and a 3.4 oz bottle of Dzing!)

Could Have... Would Have- L'Artisan Bois Farine

I have a weird relationship with Bois Farine from L'Artisan. I've almost purchased a full bottle several times, both in store and online, but every time I stop and question myself. First, there's the usual L'Artisan issue of having to spray a substantial amount just to get the fragrance to stick for more than twenty minutes. Then comes the perfume itself.

I'm not getting the promised fennel seeds in the opening. For me it always starts with the flowery flour. It's one of the most curious notes I've come across. It's gourmand, for sure, like a flour-dusted sweet dough. The sweetness is subtle and milky, like a memory from childhood that I can't quite place. The floral part isn't heady. It's blended with milk and flour, not too feminine, though I doubt most men would be interested.

It's a comforting scent, but yet carries itself in a very prim and proper way. It remains fully clothed and never disintegrates into flannel PJs like many other comfort scents can go. There's something familiar in the pastry kitchen part, but the soft and smooth woody finish keeps a distance.

The problem is, that it's not me. Maybe it's the "me" that I could have been, had I been born in Europe, where both my parents are originally from. Maybe it's the person I would have been had I not have a sarcastic edge. A different education. Different desires and interests. Just like me, only softer.

Maybe if I bought a full bottle and wore it often I would be that other person. But I don't think that I want to.

All Fragrances, Great and Small

Despite the lack of fragrance posts lately, I've been sampling and testing quite a bit, and adding several new ones to my ever-growing wish list.

L'Artisan Perfumeur- Premier Figuier Extreme: I love it, and it's no big surprise, as fig (or fig leaf) is one of my favorite notes. I've always been a fan of the Fig Leaf and Cassis line from The Thymes, but their cologne is exactly that- a very weak and flat juice and not an EdP. They really disappointed me when they discontinued their environmental oil, which I used in my lamp rings almost daily. But here, at last, is the real thing: deep, warm, rich but keeps its green freshness. It's both comforting and sexy, has a dark edge to it but very wearable. The gorgeous limited edition bottle in the picture can be found at Aedes. The regular bottle is available from Luckyscents, and I also spotted it at my local C.O. Bigelow in Paramus.

L'artisan Perfumeur-Dzonkha: This could be described as Premier Figuier's complete opposite. But I still love it. There's nothing comforting about its serious presence. It's a calm, confident, stony-faced scent, aware of its beauty and accomplishments. For me, it doesn't evoke a Bhutanese fortress (not really surprising, as I've never been there or seen one), but it makes me think of Midtown Manhattan on a cloudy grey day. Steel, skyscrapers and the concrete pavements. Either way, it's complex, cold and very unisex. Like many scents of this kind, I liked it better on my husband than on myself. However, he has found it a bit too bitter to wear comfortably.
A far better review of Dzonkha by Greeneyes can be found here.

Yosh- Winter Rose: This isn't a masterpiece. The reason I feel it needs to be stated is the fact that an 8 ml bottle of this perfume oil is sold for $200, which puts it right there with the most expensive of the JAR line (about $800 for 30 ml for Bolt of Lightning). However, this isn't a JAR creation. It's not as complex, interesting and well-blended and it doesn't give you the otherworldly impression that Mr. Rosenthal's work does. Don't get me wrong: It's a really nice one. It's rosy and spicy, and on my skin the cardamon was very dominant (I think I also detected a hint of saffron, though it's not a listed note). I like cardamon in chai, in rice, and apparently, I also like wearing it. But I don't adore it that much. It's a limited edition, only 250 bottles are available at Luckyscent.

Il Profumo- Encens Epice: I really loved this one. Not all incense fragrances work this well for me (I can't stand CdG's Zagorsk or the original Regina Harris). But this one has a lot to offer when it comes to spice and wood. Coriander seeds, cypress and a drydown of blond tobacco are making it smell rich and honeyed, cozy but with enough character to keep things interesting. It's a great cold weather scent, in my opinion, and can probably be worn by both men and women, though I used every drop of my sample without testing it on my husband. I tested the EdP, but when I get a full bottle I'll probably go with the oil.

Tocca Perfume- Florence, Stella and Touch: Tocca's famous candles had many people eagerly waiting for the personal fragrance version. I don't use candles (a result of allergies and a house full of cats), so I wasn't familiar with the scents, only with their reputation. I was especially curious about Stella and its orange flowery goodness. I sniffed the bottle a couple of months ago and nearly bought it based on that. I'm very glad that I didn't. On the skin it becomes a very sweet orange confection. March from Perfume Posse described it as an upscale nouvelle cuisine orange creamsicle, and I agree. It's dessert-like until the drydown that is all musk and reminds me a lot of Valentino V Absolu. Nice enough, but doesn't rock my world.
Neither did Touch, with its fruity-floral boring composition that turned into a heady white floral and not in a good way. But the worst was Florence. March blames it on the cabbage rose note, but what made it into a horrible scrubber as far as I'm concerned, was the bathroom-worthy jasmine. It was horrible and hard to wash off. Florence has clung to my skin like nothing else in my memory and required lots of hot water, soap and hand cream until it was finally gone. I kept sniffing my wrist in panic that a trace of it might still be there.
If you must, both Sephora and Bergdorf sell them, as well as Luckyscents (link above).

Robert Piguet- Fracas: This fragrance doesn't really belong on the list, as it's a classic one from 1948. Also, I've sniffed it a couple of times in the past, so it wasn't really new to me. However, last week I decided to test it, so it is worth talking about.
The reason I avoided it for so long was my original impression that it smelled just like Chloe, my mom's favorite fragrance of all time. Through all the years of living in the same house as countless Chloe bottles, I've never once actually tried it. It was my mother's signature scent and so identified with her that I couldn't (and still can't) even think of giving it a try. However, two things have happened in recent years. My mother started to venture out of this tuberose comfort zone and Chloe had been demoted and degraded into a drugstore EdT (the original EdP in the milky glass bottle has been discontinued).
This is why my wrist has found itself sprayed with Fracas. And, I was right, It does smell just like the old Chloe, only with more depth and richness. It's a similar white floral combination (the infamous tuberose, orange, lily of the valley, jasmine, gardenia and a musky finish. It's pretty, but I can't be objective or adequately describe it. Also, I can't wear it. It smells like my mother.

Anat Fritz-Anat Fritz: This is a new one, created by a knitwear designer who is based in Berlin. As far as I know, here in the U.S. the fragrance is a Luckyscent exclusive. It's a typical cold-weather scent that starts with a distinct lavender note that doesn't completely go away even as the scent wears on. It is joined by vetiver and woods to create a very clean and dry experience. It can be easily worn by men as to my nose it lacks any of the traditional feminine notes and it isn't seductive or flirty in any way. But it is very pleasant, interesting and caused me to bring my wrist to my nose many times during the EdP long wear. But, it's true beauty is revealed when it's lightly sprayed on sweaters and coats. I think I need a bottle just to keep in my closet and make my clothes smell divine. The fact that I also like wearing it is simply a bonus.

Stay With Me

Another good thing that I have to say about Tom Ford's Black Orchid is its long staying power. It holds its own for 6-8 hours, and a soft vanilla trace stays on the skin even longer. That's a very good thing in my book. I was never shy about fragrance. I don't use body splashes or any watered down scented products. I want the real thing, and I want to be able to smell it all day, and if possible- if you get close enough to me, you'l be able to smell it as well. This is why I'm terribly annoyed with serious perfumes that do not last.

There are two houses famous for lack of staying power. Annick Goutal is one, though I'm getting the feeling that it's not a universal problem with these scents, except for poor Hadrien. I love both versions (Eau d'Hadrien and Le Nuit d'Hadrien), and while the latter ambery nature keeps it around for much longer, it could still be improved. The original EdH is as flighty as it is wonderful. I wish they'd come with an improved version.
I'm quite happy with the other Goutals I'm using. Grand Amour lasts nicely and Quel Amour! stays all day and well into the evening. No complaints there.

The other infamous maker is L'Artisan Parfumeur. It starts with the fact that the majority of their scents only come as an EDT. Why? I don't buy the faux French snobbery about how a good perfume needs to be subtle and barely there. Tell that to Serge Lutens (or any of the other big names. They are all very distinct. And they last). I only tried one of the EDP that they do offer (La Chasse aux Papillons Extreme) and while it smelled nice, I wasn't too impressed with its staying power, either.

That said, I actually like their scents. Very much so. Especially the more masculine ones, and have even fallen in love with Mechant Loup. I don't get the hazelnut notes that some mention, but there is something deep and laced with honey, without being too sweet. It feels like wearing something velvety in forest green and burgundy. It even stays on the skin long enough to justify buying a bottle (which I will share with my husband). But if only it was an EDP... That would have been so perfect.

Fragrance Notes

A few short notes about perfumes I tried and/or retried recently:

• L'Artisan Parfumeur-La Chasse Aux Papillons extreme
  This whole extreme and absolu thing is bothering me. It seems that first, the companies are releasing mild, wimpy versions with no staying power of their scents. The fragrance might be nice enough, customers are buying, and then buying again once the extreme version is out. In many of the cases I tried, the extreme version still doesn't have the best staying power. This is one of them. Floral, nice, but quickly disappears. I wore it for two days (had to reapply several times) trying to remember what it reminded me of. I knew it was something from my long lost youth, probably even something my sister used to wear. After two days it finally came to me: An old Max Factor fragrance called La Jardin. I haven't smelled it in 20 years, so I might be wrong, but I'm pretty sure it's very similar.
• Kenzo Summer
  I was taken aback at the first whiff, because the top notes smelled to me like a cheap, powdery handcream. After a minute or two it settled into a pleasant, powdery floral. It's not my thing, but I can see how it would smell very nice on others. It also faded quickly. I need more warmth, spice and lasting power.
• Apparition by Emanuel Ungaro
  Apparently, there's a lack of fruity floral fragrances. This is why every designer and cosmetic company feel the need to come up with a fragrance or two or three that smell like berry jelly. Seriously, this was nothing but raspberry on my skin and stayed for hours and hours. Until I could take it no longer and washed it off. The only surprise here is the level of unoriginality.
• Roberto Cavalli (the original one by the designer)
  I tried it before and wasn't impressed. Its top and heart notes still reminds me too much of another fragrance that I can't recall. This time I didn't wash it after an hour and let it do its thing. The fruity note is still too strong for me and too disticnt in the sillage. I like the part that's close to the skin- definitely more wood and amber, and quite pleasant- very similar to V Absolu. It has an incredible staying power- I'm at 10 hours and still counting. If only it didn't have this disturbing fruit note...
• Idole by Lubin
  I love this one, probably because it smells very much like Donna Karan's Black Cashmere. It has the same boozy opening of rum, and the dry down is a similar combination of spice and wood. Black Cashmere seems to have a better staying power on my skin.