Perfume Review: Jasmin & Bergamote (L'Occitane Collection De Grasse)

Target Gender: Female; Price Bracket (Aus): Medium (up to AU$100. Category: White Floral. L'Occitane is an independent brand.

I have a strong love-hate relationship with the Collection De Grasse scents from L'Occitane....love because the scents are absolutely gorgeous, and show mastery of perfumery by the creators. I'll come to the not-so-loved part later.

The entire lineup has the nose of Karine Dubreuil behind it. She has a few other scents of note, but the most prominent would probably be YSL's Vice Versa to her credit before this collection.

Jasmine & Bergamote was one of the first 4 scents launched in this collection (there's a fair few more now)...If the name wasn't enough of a giveaway, the packaging has enough white and yellow to give away the perfume's profile.

As the name would imply, the 2 dominant notes are Bergamot and Jasmine. It starts with a splash of citrus, the bergamot supported by what seems to be to be a more sour citrus...bergamot is a bitter citrus to me, so the sour citrus could be valencia orange probably...or maybe mandarin, as it isn't sweet like navel or valencia oranges.

And then...jasmine. That's that. Maybe a little powdery, oily wood at the very bottom, but jasmine is by far the most dominant note.

Now back to the love-hate I was talking about...the "hate" part of the relationship is because even though the perfumers at L'Occitane are good at creating these scents, the chemists at the company don't seem to be able to deliver when it comes to making the scents last. And this is the biggest issue with the scent...it just falls off a cliff, barely managing to make it to 3 hours on my wrist, and that is without facing any harsh soaps.

It isn't the only white floral to be like this, but even among white florals, it has weaker lasting power than the likes of J'Adore (Dior), or Jasmin Noir and Mon Jasmin Noir (both from Bvlgari). Note that I'm not penalising it for lack of projection here; white florals don't normally project far away from the wearer. The difference is, compared to its peers in white florals, Jasmin & Bergamote doesn't last as long either.

Ratings:
3.5/5...Subtle, neutral, unobtrusive, versatile. Decently priced, but lasting power could be better.

Prices:
RRP: AU$85 for 75ml (only size sold)

UVP: 75ml $1.13/ml
Click for more information on UVP

Stockists: L'Occitane stores, L'Occitane website, L'Occitane concession counters inside major department stores (not all).

Perfume Review: Spicebomb (Viktor & Rolf)

Target Gender: Male; Price Bracket (Aus): Medium (up to AU$125, $150 for special size). Category: Spicy. Viktor & Rolf is a brand of L'Oreal.

This review is applicable to both Spicebomb and Spicebomb Titanium Edition, as they are just different packages for the same product. Review based on wrist and card samples and owned retail bottle. Not applicable to Spicebomb Extreme and Spicebomb Eau Fraiche.

Flowerbomb is one of the most ubiquitous female floral scents around. So it's no surprise there's a male analogue from the makers. Viktor & Rolf seem to gravitate towards a quality rather than quantity mantra for their perfume lineup. So far I've seen in Australia the much-praised Flowerbomb in EDP and EDT, along with a couple of limited editions, plus Bonbon and Eau Mega. For men, after the demise of Antidote, there's Spicebomb and a couple of flankers (Spicebomb Extreme and Spicebomb Eau Fraiche).

The nose behind this scent is Olivier Polge, who is the mind/nose behind a long line of excellent perfumes. The bottle is quite attention-grabbing; Much like flowerbomb, the bottle is made to look like a hand grenade. Unlike Flowerbomb, which has a small cap on the pump, this scent has a locking collar that clips on to the neck of the pump.

Now for the notes...the top is citrusy with slight bitterness, and a bit of pungency. The sourness is very characteristic bergamot, and the bitterness might be grapefruit or pomelo.The pungent sharpness underneath is pepper to my nose. Not quite the pink pepper from YSL's Elle, but similar in character.

The middle is predominantly cinnamon with a hint of tobacco and overlapping pepper from the top. The sweet, earthy heat of cinnamon is unmistakeable. The bottom is tobacco. It's not as sweet as the tobacco in Armani Code, but the cinnamon from the middle hangs around to tame it.

This scent is particularly well suited to winter, although it wont be out of place in summer either. It might be a little too warm for the days it gets very hot though...it's not cumbersome, but it's not a scent that would tone down the feeling of heat on a scorching day.

As such, it is quite a strong scent. It has substantial projection, and a moderately complex note profile. Lasting power is very good; it generally sticks around for 6-odd hours on my wrists. For the note profile, lasting power and price, I think this scent is very good value. Get the 150ml bottle if you can, as it's priced exceptionally well.

Ratings:
4/5...Versatile, Long-lasting, well priced. Go easy on the pump though.

Prices:

RRP: AU$95 / AU$125 / AU$150 for 50ml / 90ml / 150ml

UVP: 50ml $1.9/ml, 90ml $1.39/ml, 150ml $1/ml

Click for more information on UVP

Stockists: Myer, David Jones, Priceline, Major chemists

Perfume Review: Christian Dior J'Adore (Eau De Parfum)

Target Gender: Female; Price Bracket (Aus): Medium-High (up to AU$180). Category: White Floral. Christian Dior is a subsidiary brand of LVMH.

This is not a review for J'Adore L'Or, J'Adore L'Absolu, J'Adore Voile De Parfum or J'Adore Eau De Toilette. Review based on wrist and card samples.

Disclosure: No affiliation with any brand or store. Bottle in pictures purchased at retail price.

J'Adore belongs to the family of scents that inevitably get thrown into the comparison and get thought about when their categories are spoken of. Much like Opium (YSL) is to orientals, Chanel No.5 is to aldehydic scents, J'Adore is to white florals. This is one of the gold-standard scents for white florals (Chanel Gardenia being the other one in my opinion).

J'Adore was first launched in 1999 (The EdP version). Since then, Dior/LVMH have released enough flankers to make J'Adore a designer house in itself (there's no less than five variations of this perfume after deletion of a few). The nose behind the scent is Calice Becker, her other notable works being Tommy Girl (Tommy Hilfiger), Lola (Marc Jacobs), DKNY Energy, and Beyond Paradise (Estee Lauder).

You could be forgiven for thinking for the first few minutes after spraying on this scent that it is a single-note jasmine soliflore (soliflores are fragrances based on only one major note). However, there's no mistaking this one for something like Essence Jasmine (Donna Karan) or Jasmin Rouge (Tom Ford). This is a white floral multi-note scent, and has a very proper 3-layer profile.

The top is pear and magnolia to my nose, pear in particular is very easy to pick. But right from the start, hints of jasmine are evident. The middle notes are where its reputation comes from: almost entirely white flowers. Jasmine (easily picked) and tuberose (I got to know what that is after YSL Manifesto) are the dominant notes, and go all the way down to the end of the scent. Dior say it has rose and freesia, but the jasmine tends to hide them. Not that it's a bad thing at all.

The base is slightly musky, but at its heart and soul, this scent is about jasmine, and the base still smells like a jasmine scent.

This is a subdued, elegant and very versatile scent. It's almost stereotypically feminine, and is one of the quintessential scents if you like white flowers, especially jasmine. It is not loud enough to distract others, and at least in my perception, doesn't have much of an intimate vibe. It might be a very "mature" scent if you compare it to Dior Addict or the younger ones from the Poison family, but nowhere even close to the likes of Opium EDP. It is a proper all-weather, all-occasion scent.

It doesn't project very far, as is quite expected from white florals (most wont go too far away from you), but it does last a fair while. Longevity on my wrist clocked in at about 5-8 hours, which is quite good. Generally, white florals are not as potent as red florals or spices, so I think it does well.

The bottle is gorgeous; I think the shape is a bit odd-looking though (it is based on the ancient Greek "amphora" vessels). The tall cap with a crystalline acetate top does look very pretty on a dresser. The squat glass bottle is weighted significantly towards its bottom to keep it stable.

It is a pricey perfume, and to top it, Dior generally dont participate in the seasonal discounting for perfumes. Some chemists do sell it at 20% or so less than Myer/DJs, but make sure you get it from a chain of good repute though.

Ratings:
3.9/5...Soft, versatile, long-lasting. Unobtrusive, but might be a bit too "mature" for some.

Prices:

RRP: AU$120/ AU$180 for 50ml / 100ml

UVP: 50ml $2.4/ml, 100ml $1.8/ml

Click for more information on UVP

This is a pricey scent. Shop around but make sure you buy from a reputed retailer. Expect to pay at least AU$150 for the 100ml at the minimum.

Stockists: Myer, David Jones, some pharmacies and chemists. 

Perfume Review: Flowerbomb (EDP) by Viktor and Rolf

Target Gender: Female; Price Bracket (Aus): High (up to AU$200+). Category: Sweet Floral. Viktor & Rolf is a brand of L'Oreal.

This is not a review for Flowerbomb Extreme (purple bottle), or Flowerbomb Rose Explosion. Review based on wrist and card samples.

Disclosure: No compensation or endorsement involved. Review based on wrist samples from department stores. I have no affiliation with any brand/store/label whatsoever.

100ml Retail bottle. 

Viktor & Rolf is perhaps not as well known among fashion houses as the Italians and French would be (V&R is Dutch). However, I am well familiar with some of their perfumes (Antidote and Spicebomb are both very good perfumes for men). While I havent had an opportunity to try the very new "Bonbon" as yet, Flowerbomb is a staple name for many females...and for good reason.

Flowerbomb is one of the key milestones for Oliver Polge (son of the the Chanel head perfumer Jacques Polge), and in this scent he partnered with the very talented Carlos Benaim and Domitille Berthier. Both Polge and Benaim are very talented perfumers with impressive portfolios, and here they haven't disappointed.

Flowerbomb is predominantly true to its name; it is a floral scent, but quite a sweet one. It has a varied and wide note profile, but it stays fairly pyramidal and doesn't have a huge deal of complexity to it. The "bomb" word in the name would imply something intensely floral, but here the name relates to its longevity and projection more than anything.

The top of the perfume is a sweetish citrus, very much like bergamot orange. Patchouli is faintly evident at the top too. Shortly afterwards, it becomes a sweet, intensely floral scent. Rose and Freesia are easy to pick up, and so is jasmine. There's also orchid, but being a relatively mild flower, it doesnt really power above the rest of the notes. Patchouli starts getting intense around the middle, and the base is a strong patchouli note with flowers still prominent. The patchouli isn't very cold like Elle (YSL) or Midnight Poison (Dior), probably toned and moderated with musk.

This isn't a very intimate scent, because of its potency and projection. That said, it is pleasant, and if you go easy on the trigger, it is not a bad choice for a night out. The EDT version is a fair bit softer but also smells quite different. I haven't really tried it much, so can't comment on it beyond the fact it's just softer.

Longevity is not an issue with this one. Two independent wrist samples from different bottles on different days both lasted over 9-11 hours. Another forearm sample lasted about 13 hours, so it's safe enough to say you'll get good longevity from this.

The bottle is shaped like an item usually associated with military ordnance (hence the b-word in the name), made of precision-cut glass. It's not as prominent as Elle (YSL)'s bottle would be, but it would look good on a dresser nonetheless.

Flowerbomb is priced high no matter where I looked. It is quite pricey (up to $3.3/ml, and the 100ml bottle is over AU$200), and discounts are not very easily found (although the independent chemists are a bit more flexible).

Ratings:
3.8/5...Potent, flowery, sweet, long-lasting, but pricey.

Prices:

RRP: 30ml AU$99, 50ml AU$159, 100ml AU$205

UVP: 30ml $3.3/ml, 50ml $3.18/ml, 100ml $2.05/ml

Click for more information on UVP

Pricey as it is, get the 100ml bottle if you can stretch to it. The smaller bottles are not good value at full price.

Stockists: Myer, David Jones, some pharmacies and chemists.

Double Review: Chanel Allure (Eau De Parfum and Parfum )

Target Gender: Female; Price Bracket (Aus): High ($200+). Category: Complex, semi-linear oriental vanilla/wood/fruit/floral combination.

Review based on wrist and card samples. Special thanks to a very nice sales assistant from Chanel at David Jones Melbourne for sampling the scent on wrist. This review does not consider Allure Sensuelle. Pricing information provided by Chanel Boutique Chadstone and Chanel at David Jones Melbourne CBD.

My first encounter with Chanel Allure was a test-like-forget affair. Forward a couple of years, and this time, while purchasing my bottle of Eau Extrême, I tried this little gem on a card and on my wrist. The card sample attracted my attention, but the wrist sample had me thinking "Surely it can't be that good?"...

Still apprehensive, I requested the lovely sales assistant at the Chanel counter to volunteer and spray some on her wrist. And this time I was bowled over. This scent is absolutely jaw-dropping, knee-weakening, divinely good. Yes, it's that good. In a break from my usual style of reviewing, I'll slam a little spoiler here: this is my favourite scent by a furlong.

Allure came out in 1996 as an EdT, and the Parfum and EdP followed in 1999. They're similar in terms of their overall feel, but not exactly the same fragrance in differing concentrations. Like most post-80s Chanel scents, this one is also a Jacques Polge creation, and a good reminder of his perfumery prowess. It is scents like Sycomore, Coromandel, 31 Rue Cambon, Beige and Allure that make stereotyopical, conformist creations like Chance forgiveable.

100ml EDP Bottle; The cap on the
retail bottle is orange.

This perfume can be defined in one word: complexity. This is a complex, multi-faceted scent that is very hard to shoe-horn into a distinct category. Even though it displays some element of note hierarchy, this perfume has no distinct top, mid or base proper. Allure has elements of bergamot, mandarin, peach, vanilla, jasmine, rose, magnolia, vetiver, cedar, orange blossom, lotus and peony.

None of the twelve notes except for peach and vanilla take the character of headline, mid or base note. Instead, they all play hide-and-seek for the life of the scent. I have come across complex scents before (L'Instant De Guerlain and Coco Mademoiselle for example) but Allure takes the meaning of complex linearity a bit literally...Mr. Polge has really outdone himself with this one.

At first spray (EdP), the opening is intense, and defiant of any attempts to define it as fruity, floral or woody. The opening has a citrusy undertone, with peach and the two woods (vetiver in particular) making their presence felt, and the citrusy notes discernible alongside. But the florals will be perceptible from time to time as well. The overall character keeps changing from perceptibly floral to properly woody to intense fruity, and any combinations of these.

As it sits on skin for a while, the peach gets fairly prominent, but vetiver and cedar are still perceptible. After about an hour or so, I thought of this scent as a very pleasant floral cocktail of rose, jasmine, magnolia and orange blossom (peony and lotus aren't too easily picked). But seconds later, I was reminded that the flowers were not there to reign, and peach, vetiver and cedar reared their heads again. And vanilla, which so far had been a mild, smoothing note showed up and made it almost a vanilla scent. This whole dance continues for the entire life of the scent.

Another couple of hours in, vanilla takes over from peach as the holding note, and the flowers, peach, the two citrus fruits (mandarin and bergamot), and the duo of woody notes (dry cedar and moist vetiver) again resurface strongly. There's no tango here, but a whole group performance of woods, bergamot and orange blossom on a vanilla stage. It could be said that Allure transforms from a fruity/floral/vetiver top to a woody/floral middle and a vanilla/wood/flower/fruit base.

I could keep describing the different permutations of notes this perfume exhibits over its life, but that is rather redundant. It would suffice to say that it shows characteristics of nearly everything in its note profile, throughout its life, and does so with aplomb. It doesn't get cloying, screechy or overpowering at any stage.

The Parfum is sold in the characteristic Chanel flacon with bevelled corners and a glass stopper. The EdP and EdT are sold in clear glass bottles that are thicker down the middle. The EdP and Parfum smell much the same; while the EdP is sharper and brighter, the Parfum sits closer to the skin and is softer and more sublime.

Longevity leaves no complaints behind: the EdP lasted about 13 hours, and the Parfum clocked a mind-boggling 27 hours on the back of my hand. Handwashes aside, the Parfum survived an assault from dishwashing detergent(!). The EdP projects to about a few feet for about an hour, then progressively gets closer and closer to skin till it gets to about 6-12 inches, where it stays till it dies out. The Parfum projects about 6-12 inches throughout.

This is a very feminine, very intimate and quite a suggestive scent due to both its notes and finely balanced sillage. It is very true to its name: it is Alluring.  It draws attention from just the right distance, and has enough complexity and mystery in it to keep someone interested in the wearer. It doesn't overpower, doesn't characterise by one note, and doesn't trail far enough to attract anyone other than someone the wearer intentionally goes close enough to. This is not a generic, safe gift; it's a suggestively romantic, intimate scent that should be used or gifted with caution.

Price(unfortunately) prevents this scent from getting straight 5s on the scorecard. Being unchanged for several years, Australian prices for Chanel's female perfumes are in real need of revision; they are simply too high for the exchange rates over the past few years. Prices for the Les Exclusifs lineup and most skincare released post-2010 are well aligned with other regions, but the "core" perfume range still retains a sizeable price gap compared to Chanel's European pricing.

Ratings:

EdP: 4.9/5...Incredibly complex, very well-balanced, warm and seductive vibe, excellent profile of projection, marathon longevity...this is seduction in a bottle. Price could be better though.

(Balance of notes 5, Projection 5, Longevity 5, Value 3.5, bonus points* 0.3)

Parfum: 4.8/5...Incredibly complex, perfectly balanced, soft and sublime aura of projection, warm, suggestive and seductive character, and absolutely the best longevity I've seen so far from any scent. Priced very poorly owing to lack of availability in 15ml and 30ml sizes.

(Balance of notes 5, Projection 5 Longevity 5, Value 3, bonus points* 0.3)

Prices (Australia RRP):

Eau De Parfum Spray Bottle: AU$116 / AU$159 / AU$234 for 35ml / 50ml / 100ml
Pure Parfum: AU$175ml for 7.5ml

UVP: EDP 35ml $3.31/ml, EDP 50ml $3.18/ml, EDP 100ml $2.34/ml, Pure Parfum $23.3/ml

Click for more information on UVP

The Parfum in this scent is priced very poorly on UVP terms; Pure Parfum concentrations of No.5 sell in larger sizes (AU$270/15ml and AU$436/30ml) which makes the 7.5ml bottle very pricey in comparison. EdP is priced the same as all female Chanel scents barring Coco Noir and the Les Exclusifs lineup. Coco Mademoiselle and No.5 also have 200ml bottles, but Allure tops out at 100ml.

Stockists: Chanel Fragrance and Beauty Boutiques, Chanel counters and Myer and David Jones, selected pharmacies. Chanel pricing is uniform across all authorised stockists, and no discounts are generally applicable. I haven't seen Allure being stocked by any independent retailers.

*Bonus points of 0.3 to each awarded under "subjective assessment" category.

Perfume Review: Chanel Coco Mademoiselle (Eau De Parfum)

This review is for the Eau De Parfum spray, not the dab-on Parfum version (Extrait De Parfum).

Target Gender: Female; Price Bracket (Aus): High ($200+). Category: Floral/Chypre.

Launched in 2001, Codo Mademoiselle is today one of the top-selling fragrances in the world (and the best-selling in the USA according to the very knowledgeable and very lovely Victoria Frolova from the Bois De Jasmin blog). This is another of Jacques Polge's scents, and a definite home run.

The first thing I'll get out of the way before I go into details of notes: this is not a proper flanker to the much older Coco from 1984, and it doesn't bear much resemblance to the much newer Coco Noir either.

The top of this scent is quite fruity to me. Orange is very discernible, and because of the number of fragrances using bergamot, I can pick up the now-familiar bergamot undertones quite easily. However, what I really like about the top notes of this scent is the inclusion of orange blossom. The orange blossom really calms down the sharpness of the orange fruit, and the bergamot gives it a nice rounded softness to go along. Overall, it's a lovely top with discernible orange notes. It's not a very warm top though; it has a slight coolness to it.

In a good scent, the top should end after the mids take over, and this one is no exception (fortunately). The middle has rose as its focal point, coupled with the soft, white scent of jasmine and the slight powderiness of ylang-ylang. There is some element of sweetness in the middle which neither rose nor jasmine carry in their own right. However, the sweetness-carrying mimose is incredibly hard to discern individually here, because the rose is quite strong, and the jasmine is also quite potent to prevent the rose from drowning it. The middle, as it settles, starts showing patchouli quite strongly, and there's creaminess that is very trade-mark vanilla.

The base of this scent is very complex. It's one of the most varied compositions I've come across, and the fine balance of bottom notes is what makes this scent so good. There's very easily discerned vanilla and tonka bean (the creaminess is hard to leave unnoticed), musk, and the damp woody/mossy feeling tell-tale of vetiver's presence. There's a little touch of warmth as well, which I think is amber. The orange blossom, with creamy vanilla and slightly sharp patochuli is a real master-stroke.

Taming patchouli is a difficult task; Midnight Poison (Dior) smacks you in the face with patchouli at the top even though it's supposed to be a middle note. In this scent, the patchouli is smothered just enough that it wont overpower other notes, but prevents any one note from running away with the flag. So what could have been a complete cacophony in unskilled hands is a very complex, well-composed dry-down that really rounds out an excellent fragrance.

Longevity of this scent is absolutely marathon. Samples on my hands/wrist lasted well past 12 hours on the forearm, and about 8-odd hours on the back of the hand, withstanding several hand-washes. On clothing this scent will outlast a whole day with ease. Projection is variable but doesn't fall too low on most people. I found it projects to a few feet away from the wearer, although a friend who tried it said it projected about arms' length away from her. It also has a peculiar tendency to be more perceptible to others than the wearer (perhaps the strength makes the wearers' nose go anosmic towards it quite quickly).

The bottle is the iconic Chanel flacon (same as No. 5) with soft shoulders, bevelled corners and the convex inwards bulge at the bottom. The cap resembes the cabouchon stoppers seen in the dab-on parfum bottles with its bevelled edges, but is made of frosted transluscent plastic. The fluid is coral in colour, and won't stain clothing unless sprayed from close range instead of being misted. Unfortunately, price is something that prevents this scent from reaching its potential in the scorecard.

This scent is hard to categorise. It is sensual and elegant, yet it is quite imposing if used with that intention. It is not cloying or sharp, and spending extended time periods with someone wearing this scent is unlikely to fatigue you. It is a versatile scent, but the potency of the EdP may make it a less than ideal choice for boardrooms. It can serve as an outgoing scent, a social one or an intimate one depending on how much is applied, and where. My recommendation: Absolute, unqualified.

Ratings:
4.5/5...Soft yet powerful, imposing yet sensual, classy, fresh and very elegant. Impressive longevity, well-balanced projection. Price could be more palatable though. Applied in the right balance, and in the right place, this one is hard to go wrong with.

(Balance of notes 5, Projection 4, Longevity 5, Value 3, rounded and adjusted to overall 4.5)

Prices:

RRP: AU$116 / AU$159 / AU$234 / AU$350 for 35ml / 50ml / 100ml / 200ml

UVP: 35ml $3.31/ml 50ml $3.18/ml, 100ml $2.34/ml, 200ml $1.75/ml

Click for more information on UVP

Chanel don't allow discounting. The maximum discount I've seen at some independent retailers is about 9%. Australian prices for Chanel are quite high; however, my exchange-adjusted price comparisons with UK and Europe yield a decent score for value. USA-based retailers sell the US-made version of the scent, which is a fair bit cheaper than the French-made version sold elsewhere.

Stockists: Myer, David Jones, some pharmacies. Chanel Beauty/Fragrance boutiques would be my go-to for Chanel products. However, my personal experience with Chanel at Myer Melbourne and David Jones Melbourne CBD has been good as well.

Perfume Review: Lancôme Magnifique (Eau De Parfum)

Target Gender: Female; Price Bracket (Aus): Medium-High ($150+). Category: Spicy/Woody Floral. Lancôme is a brand of L'Oreal.

Review based on wrist and card samples from retail bottles, and 5ml limited-distribution vials, all own acquisitions. Magnifique (the perfume) should not be confused with Genifique, which is a skincare product from the same brand.

Magnifique (Lancôme) was an accidental discovery for me, and a very good example of the adage that the best things are sometimes discovered by accident...the striking red box caught my eye during the closing down sale of PerfumeConnection in late 2011. The presence of this fragrance in the market was rather short-lived though; the last I saw of it was in the later part of 2012. It has since been replaced in the Lancôme lineup by La Ve Est Belle.

Magnifique was a creation of Olivier Cresp and Jacques Cavallier, a duo with some very notable scents to their credit (both individually and collaboratively) such as Elle (YSL) (which I have reviewed), Bvlgari Aqva, L'Eau De Issey, Midnight Poison, Stella, Armani Diamonds and a fair few more. Elle came out in 2007, and Magnifique followed shortly afterwards in 2008. While Elle is more youth-oriented, Magnifique went the way of a more mature yet fairly loud fragrance.

The 75ml (2.5oz) bottle

Magnifique, at very first spritz shows up warmth and spice. Saffron and caraway are the most prominent accords, but rose accompanies them and matches them for strength shortly after first contact with skin.  A little further down the track, there's the lightly spiced woody feeling from sandalwood, and the smoky herbal note of vetiver. The dry-down has a slightly dry, powdery but florally enhanced woodiness to it, and it will constantly remind you that this is meant to be a fragrance where flowers hold things together. While the spice and wood play roundabouts, the rose is essentially the focal point for this scent. It transitions from saffron/caraway plus rose to sandalwood, vetiver and rose as it settles down.

There is a small patch of time in the middle when the spices are transitioning to woods where the rose really gets prominent. At that stage, jasmine is also noticeable, but being a white flower, it is inherently soft, and in this fragrance will be discernible, but to a keener nose. The rose is much stronger and in combination with the wood and spice, and can veil the jasmine quite easily. Though not a solifore by any means, this is a fairly linear (but not flat) scent.

An easily picked aspect of this scent is its relative linearity. It doesn't have 3 well-defined stages of transition, instead following a 2-tone profile which changes moderately over its life. The classification I would give this scent is a warm, woody/spicy floral. This is a flowery fragrance, but not floral per se. And it's warm and spicy, but not oriental. It had a relatively niche position among the hordes of floral and spicy ones out there, one of the few to combine flower, wood and spice all in one pleasant concoction without being a pure example of any of them. It has element of flower, spice and wood in varying combinations over its life, but no drastic changes...the scent retains is nature from start to finish.

Longevity for this fragrance is good enough for me to use it as a benchmark. The first time I sprayed some on my wrist, it survived a tad more than 10 hours before I couldn't perceive it. Let alone surviving hand-washes, it survived an outright shower. It doesn't project very far away though; about a few feet for the first couple of hours, and then it stays within arms' length range for another few before spending the last couple of hours as a skin scent. I found that showering or washing hands changed it into a skin scent quicker, but it took its time in completely dissipating. This one is a resilient scent.

This is an elegant, romantic scent, and even though very potent, it is quite sensual. It will make its presence felt, but it's not over-powering or cloying, and has the comforting warmth of the spice with the rose that gives it a very elegant feel. The potency is handled well enough that it tones down over time, so spending time close to someone wearing the scent is unlikely to make you feel overpowered. It's a strong scent, but not in-your-face strong.

The bottle is sleek, but vivid. While not as standout as Elle's bottle (which in my personal opinion is the prettiest bottle in mainstream scents along with the Manifesto L'Elixir (YSL) and Angel (Thierry Mugler) flacons), it is still quite a looker.

Unfortunately, this scent is now discontinued in Australia (and pretty much all around the world). Lancôme have indicated that La Vie Est Belle and the upcoming Tresor L'Absolu will be their flagship duo. La Vie Est Belle in itself is a very nice fragrance, with marathon longevity and a projection that follows a very nice profile, but it remains a distinctly different scent. Magnifique used to cost AU$178 for the 75ml bottle. However, the lasting power and projection justified the cost somewhat, considering how some scents priced not much lower would struggle to last half as long.

Alternatives: There's no analogue of Magnifique that smells appreciably close to it. Rose D'Arabie (Armani Privé 1001 Nights Collection) is a spicy floral, with strong notes of rose but coupled with Oud. Flowerbomb Rose Explosion (Viktor & Rolf) is also a rose-based scent, but is very oriental and warm; while it does have saffron, amber and oud make it much warmer than Magnifique.

Ratings:
4.1/5...Somewhat unique in its combination of notes; exceptional longevity, excellent balance of projection over its life. This scent, true to its name, was Magnifique.

Prices:

AU$178 for 75ml ($2.37/ml)

Information on other sizes is no longer available; 

Click for more information on UVP

It was a pricey scent, but I feel little inclination to comment further on the pricing considering this scent has been off the market for a few months now. It is out of stock all over Australia, and Lancôme have indicated the discontinuation is total and permanent.

Stockists: Discontinued

Perfume Review: Armani Code (For Men) - Giorgio Armani

Target Gender: Male; Price Bracket (Aus): Medium-High ($130+).  Category: Spicy/Leathery. 

Giorgio Armani (beauty/fragrances) is a brand of L'Oreal.

Review based on wrist and card samples, and use on person from both sampling vials and retail bottles

Few perfumes for men would be so ubiquitous as Armani Code (formerly known as Black Code). Since launch in 2004, it remains one of the best-known perfumes for males, and looks well set to join the ranks of scents known well past their conception. With parent company L'Oreal's sharp marketing, its popularity is hardly a surprise.

The scent is formulated by Antoine Maisondieu (who also went on to design Armani Code Ultimate), Antoine Lie (Z Zegna, Versace Crystal Noir being his recent ones) and Clement Gavarry (behind the new Untold from Elizabeth Arden, Ambre and Tendre from Prada).

The opening of this scent is quite dark and somewhat mysterious. It opens with a medley of different notes, a good balance of sweetness, sourness and hints of leather. Leather is the holding note for this scent, and most other notes build on it. The top is predominantly citrus when it settles down, and is distinctly a mixture of sharpness and the tell-tale mild sourness of bergamot. The leather with a hint of spice keeps things warm though, and the scent doesn't go the way of cold citrus like its Code Sport sibling does.

The middle is spicy leather. The leather from the top stays put, and becomes more prominent. This is not unrefined, animalic leather but a finely tanned variety, peppered with star anise. The olive blossom is also very discernible, and the three stay in good balance. The tobacco is also quite easy to pick at this stage, although it's not a sharp, powdery tobacco but a creamy one.

The base solves the mystery of the creamy tobacco: tonka bean. The vanilla-like smoothness of tonka bean lends the tobacco and leather a hand of transition from the top. Leather and tobacco both remain key notes, but the tonka bean removes the pungency of the tobacco, making it smooth and mild. This one doesn't have the raw tobacco feel of Tobacco Vanille (Tom Ford) or as much tobacco as Burberry London for Men.

The perfume is an EdT, and longevity averages around 4-5 hours on my hand/wrist, which is by no means exceptional. Projection is moderate, initially sitting at around one and half arms' lengths and settling to about 6-12 inches in about an hour, then gradually trailing off.

I would rate this scent highly, but the price is a real sticking point. With a high price, and the competition running away with the longevity flag, I consider this reason enough to dock a fair chunk of scoring. Another couple of hours of lasting power is not an unreasonable expectation; a number of offerings from other houses offer much better longevity at similar, even lower prices. I think Armani have missed what would have been a master-stroke in this otherwise very good scent.

The bottle is nothing stand-out; it's the exact same design used in Armani Mania and all its iterations. There's nothing wrong with the design of the bottle per se, but it does show some sloppiness in not taking the effort to ensure some individuality between the Code and Mania lineups. 30ml, 50ml and 75ml sizes are sold in Australia; the 125ml flacon remains off the market here.

Recommended? With reservations. Good, balanced notes, but mediocre lasting power. As a blind buy? safe enough. Overall, a very well-balanced, safe scent. It has a moderately intimate vibe, and will do well as an evening/night scent. Not very loud, and not very stand-out, but quite sensual going by feedback from some females.

Alternatives:

Armani Code Ultimate(Armani) (AU$145/75ml) was a limited edition exclusive to David Jones, and even though it solved the longevity issue, its presence in the Australian market was (ironically) short-lived. Dior Homme Intense (AU$138/100ml) and Fahrenheit (Dior) (AU$115/100ml) are both distinct, long-lasting scents, especially the former. Chanel has a number of good male scents, priced generally at AU$132/100ml.

Ratings:

3.3/5...Good but not exceptional; safe, sensual and balanced. Barely acceptable longevity. Priced poorly in Australia at RRP levels. 

Prices:

RRP: AU$84/ AU$115 / AU$140 for 30ml / 50ml / 75ml

UVP: 30ml $2.8/ml, 50ml $2.3/ml, 80ml $1.87/ml

Click for more information on UVP

UVP is decent for the 75ml bottle, but the overall pricing in Australia remains high at RRP levels. I have observed the 75ml EDT in a set with a shower gel and after-shave balm for as low as AU$84 when on clearance, but I only use full RRP for calculating the UVP, since street price is not accurately predictable.

Stockists: Myer, David Jones, some pharmacies. Occasionally packs are sold, and discounted post-Christmas and after Fathers' Day. Discounts of up to 30-40% are not uncommon, and the "Code Sport" variant (reviewed separately) gets discounted more often. MyChemist and its sister stores often stock this scent and its variants, and pricing is substantially lower than RRP.

It is best to check the catalogues for a number of outlets before you buy.

Perfume Review: Guerlain L'Instant De Guerlain (Eau De Parfum)

Review based on wrist and card samples from tester bottles.

Target Gender: Female; Price Bracket (Aus): Medium-High ($180+). 
Type: Fruity/Floral/Musky/Creamy. Guerlain is a subsidiary brand of LVMH.

Guerlain has a very long history, having produced some timeless gems of the fragrance world. L'Instant De Guerlain (2003) is a relatively young one in the lineup compared to its stable-mates, and coming from the house that has masterpieces like Shalimar, Chamade, Habit Rouge, Mitsouko and L'Heure Bleue, it has a lot to live up to.

I was a bit apprehensive coming across a relatively recent Guerlain without the name of Jean-Paul Guerlain or Thierry Wasser behind it. Maurice Roucel isn't a name on too many scents but he has managed to pull off a stunner, and show that sensuality doesnt have to be stereotypical, but can be achieved with a finely balanced combination of otherwise ubiquitous notes.

The top opens with a fruity accord; there is some citrusy sourness, but the very characteristic sweetness of apple mellows it down. Vanilla and honey are immediately noticeable as undertones. The top is fruity, but the vanilla and honey, even though not very prominent at this stage, drop a hint or two that this fragrance might have a sensual, soft nature. Some musk is also noticeable if you go looking for it.

The 80ml (2.7oz) bottle

The middle is very discernibly floral, with magnolia being the most noticeable flower. The vanilla/honey combo start to strengthen at this stage, and the projection of the scent scales back. The real master-stroke is the number of notes together in perfect sync. At second whiff, I got very prominent, realistic jasmine and and then iris to go along with the magnolia, and a third sniff made me sense magnolia and ylang-ylang. There's also a slight powderiness to the scent , most likely the ylang-ylang.

The base is where this scent gets very sensual, very chic, and even more complex. The florals don't retain much presence except for the iris, and the vanilla/honey duo is joined by very sublime and natural musk, and the warmth of amber and benzoin. They're balanced well enough not to overpower each other, and are discernible individually. There is enough overlap between the notes to make this appear a fairly linear scent.

The lasting power on my skin was impressive; samples on the wrist and back of the hand lasted about 8 hours, and survived a good three handwashes(!). The scent doesn't radiate far beyond arms' length for much of its life. That said, this is a very concentrated scent, and overdosing can become too heady and cloying. The bottle is understated but chic; there's plenty of glass, and it's tinged a slight purple. The fluid is orange, but very subtly coloured and is unlikely to stain clothing unless sprayed from too close.

This is a thoroughly feminine scent, and a very sensual one. Its vibe is smooth, gentle, sweet, warm and mysterious. It lasts a long time, has a complex but well-balanced note profile, and doesn't radiate too far away from the wearer. There's a lot of elegance, and an aura of formality in this perfume. For the same reason, I'm not inclined to recommend this as a daytime scent. My recommendation: Absolute and unqualified. This is also fairly safe as a blind buy, but look elsewhere if you want to be noticed across the room. 

There's no particularly close analogue of L'Instant De Guerlain, although Manifesto (YSL) has a similarly creamy undertone all through, and a fruity top followed by a floral middle. However, it is quite distinct in itself, and doesn't mimic L'Instant for its overall profile. 

Ratings:
4.2/5...Mystery, femininity, sensuality in a bottle

Prices:

RRP: AU$116/ AU$150 / AU$185 for 30ml / 50ml / 80ml

UVP: 30ml $3.86/ml, 50ml $3/ml, 80ml $2.31/ml

Click for more information on UVP

As the UVPs show, the 30ml bottle is very pricey for the volume of liquid in it. The 50ml and 80ml dont differ by much, so my recommendation is hands down the 80ml bottle.

Stockists: Guerlain counters at Myer and David Jones. Myer started including Guerlain in sales this year due to change of wholesaler/distributor for Australia (Cosmax taking over from LVMH).

Perfume Review: Chanel Allure Homme Sport: Eau Extrême

A 100ml (3.4oz) flacon of Eau Extrême

Special thanks to Chanel Fragrance and Beauty Boutique at Chadstone (Melbourne). 

(Review based on wrist and card samples, and use on person from retail bottle and 10ml limited-distribution bottle)

Target Gender: Male; Price Bracket (Aus): Medium ($140+). Type: Citrus/Woody.

In the earlier days of my love affair with all things fragrance, I had tried a few Chanel scents on cards and didn't think much of them. However, a house of such repute wasn't going to be dismissed so easily, and indeed on second encounter with them, I consider this one of my favourite houses.

Allure Homme Sport: Eau Extrême, like most Chanel fragrances released after the early 80s, has been signed off by Jacques Polge as the perfumer, and he's done a bloody fine job with this one.

The first thing I would point out about this scent: The name is somewhat a misnomer. This is not exactly a "sporty" fragrance like Allure Homme Sport, and neither is it an "extreme" version of the latter. It opens like Allure Homme Sport, but settles down to something resembling the male version of Allure Sensuelle with its projection greatly magnified.  If I were to name it, it would be "Allure De La Nuit".

The opening note is a sharp, citrusy accord with mint. The notes pyramid lists orange, mint, sage and cypress. My perception of the citrus is quite prominent, held along nicely by the mint. The top is cold, fresh and sharp, and this is probably the closest this fragrance goes to being "Sporty".

The moment the citrus/mint combo mellow down a bit, tonka bean becomes quite noticeable, and from the mid onwards is the dominant note in the scent. The middle has a distinct pungency (pepper) that blends with the tonka bean shortly after showing up. The Tonka bean gets stronger towards the base, where supporting notes of wood and musk join in. The wood is a mixture of earthy and spicy (cedar and sandalwood as the bottle said in the boutique).

The woods play a supporting role; the tonka bean is by a distance the most dominant note, but it doesn't get sweet enough to be cloying or feminine. The musk is discernible but not a headline note. To me, this is a 2-layer rather than 3-layer scent. The tonka bean overlaps the pepper and wood/musk, which makes it a base note that transforms a bit rather than a distinct mid.

The concentration it's sold in is Eau De Toilette Concentré, which to me is little more than a synonym for an EdP. Longevity is excellent, and so is projection. Samples on my wrist and neck lasted on average about 7-8 hours, and it is noticeable from several feet away for the first few. The scent is versatile, but quite potent and will be perceptible on the wearer from a distance. And this is why I'm personally inclined to label this a night scent. "Easy on the trigger" is another thing to remember with this one.

The bottle is opaque grey, and the same shape as the rest of the Allure Homme range, which in turn is a more squat version of the Allure series (for women) bottle. The atomiser dispenses a well-balanced amount of liquid; it wont have you spraying a dozen times to get a decent dose, but will easily deliver an overdose at anything beyond 3 sprays for a scent of this potency.

As the name would have made it apparent, this one isn't intended to be an intimate, close-range scent. It smells very nice, but it is too strong to be worn when you'll be in very close proximity to someone for an extended period. I recommend it without much hesitation, but if close-range scents are your thing, you might prefer Allure Homme instead.

Ratings:
4.5/5...Interesting composition, well-suited for night-time wear; long-lasting, versatile, and priced well for a Chanel scent.

Prices:

RRP: AU$105 / AU$144 / AU$173 for 50ml / 100ml / 150ml (L/E)

UVP: 50ml $2.1/ml, 100ml $1.44/ml, 150ml $1.15/ml

Click for more information on UVP

Chanel does not allow discounting of their products, and doesn't run GWP offers either. 150ml or larger bottles are occasionally sold as limited editions, and are much cheaper in UVP terms.

Stockists: Myer, David Jones, Chanel Fashion and Fragrance Boutiques, some pharmacies.

Perfume Review: YvesSaintLaurent Elle (EdP and EdT double-review)

A 90ml (3oz) bottle of Elle.
Special thanks 
to MyBeautySpot
for image.

Review based on wrist and card samples from tester bottles.

Target Gender: Female; Price Bracket (Aus): Medium-High ($140+ for EDT, $160+ for EDP). Type: Floral/Fruity/Spicy. YSL Beauty is a brand of L'Oreal.

Elle (2007) (French for "She") is the brainchild of Olivier Cresp and Jacques Cavallier, who have an impressive portfolio of scents to their credit, both individually and collaboratively. Between them, they're responsible for fragrances like Magnifique (Lancome), the near-legendary Bvlgari Aqva (Bvlgari), L'Eau De Issey (Issey Miyake), and a fair few more. Obviously, my expectations were high approaching Elle.

(Special thanks to MyBeautySpot for permission to photograph the bottle on their premises, and providing a number of samples on card and wrist. Also, thanks to YSL at David Jones)

Elle (the EdP) opens with a burst of fresh fruit, which is quite mellow and not synthetic or very sweet. Right off the bat, the coldness of patchouli is evident, although the top is a nicely done medley of just a hint of citrus, and a white floral to go along with the lychee. Even though YSL says it's got peony, it's not very discernible. The most prominent notes at the top are Lychee and patchouli. Both the lychee and patchouli feel quite natural, and dont have the synthetic hippie-shop or candy-floss feel.

The middle is where it gets interesting. The patchouli gets a bit toned down, the pink pepper really shines here, and a mixture of florals starts becoming more obvious. There's hints of jasmine, the sweetness of rose, and the green, slightly peppery freesia which accentuates the pink pepper. The middle retains patchouli's cold undertone.

The base also retains patchouli, but gets somewhat musky. However this is not pure musk like what Parisienne L'Essentiel carries (the perfume pyramid says ambrette). The key feature of the base is vetiver though. The slightly smoky, musty and slightly damp woody feeling of a good vetiver note is quite a nice touch here. The base also gets a bit of dry wood in it. But I would reiterate...in between the dance that vetiver and ambrette do while holding hands around the wood, patchouli is still a definitive note.

The EdP and EdT are broadly similar, but they're not exact analogues of each other. The EdT has much less patchouli, the dominant notes being pink pepper and freesia instead. The top doesn't have much lychee either; it's a white floral (peony) with a hint of citrus. The middle gets easily discernible jasmine, and the bottom has noticeable muskiness and vetiver in it. The key difference to me between the two is the lessening of the patchouli, removal of the lychee, and more prominence for freesia and pink pepper.

Elle is not meant to be, and does not feel like an intimate scent. It doesn't have a suggestive vibe, and the ads made no effort to that effect either. The fluid is not vividly coloured, but excessive doses can get overwhelming because of the substantial amounts of patchouli, and the pepper and vetiver, which can get slightly cloying if over-done.

The EdP (90ml/3oz bottle)

Longevity and Projection/Sillage are both very good for the respective concentrations. Wrist samples of the EdP lasted about 7 hours on my hands, and the projection is well beyond arm's length. This is a strong scent, and will be quite noticeable when worn. The EdT took about 4-odd hours to wear off to a point where it was a skin scent, and projects to about arms' length.

The design of the bottle follows the very feminine, youthful design language, being  tall, vividly coloured and ornately decorated with a large golden plate with the YSL logo cut out.Visually, this fragrance has one of the prettiest bottles I've seen in a long time. 

My Recommendation? It's a very elegant, rather young fragrance, but at the same time it is sharp, loud and noticeable, especially the EdP. I recommend it whole-heartedly, but not as a blind buy. It is another scent I think should be given a proper test on skin before making the decision to buy. This is a versatile, all-weather, all-day scent, but not everyone will be able to pull this one off. 

The EdT (50ml/1.7oz bottle)

Ratings:

3.8/5 (EdP); Strong, fresh, long-lasting, versatile, but pricey, and not everyone can pull this one off. Gorgeous bottle design.
3.5/5 (EdT); Mild, versatile, and unobtrusive, but over-priced for the lasting power. Gorgeous bottle design.

Similarities:
Midnight Poison (Dior), Zen (Shiseido)

Prices:

EDT: AU$105 / AU$140 for 50ml / 90ml

EDP: AU$125 / AU$165 for 50ml / 90ml

Unitised Volumetric Price (UVP) (Click for more information):

EDT: 50ml $2.1/ml, 90ml $1.56/ml

EDP: 50ml $2.5/ml, 90ml $1.83/ml

Stockists: David Jones (official YSL stockist). Myer no longer seem to carry it, and availability is hit-and-miss at other outlets, especially for the 90ml bottles.