Some of My Older Reviews, Part 1

I wrote for Sniffapalooza Magazine back in the '00s, which I enjoyed immensely. Apart from blogging, I hadn't done any professional writing, and this was a lovely way to practice the craft. One of the perks of being a fragrance journalist is receiving free samples, both full bottles and samples. I miss that the most. 

Both posts originally appeared on Sniffapalooza Magazine, which can still be read online at the address linked above.

----------------------------------------

Tom Ford Black Orchid Voile de Fleur

Contrary to popular belief, Tom Ford is not the Antichrist.  He’s a man who has embraced one of the best and simplest marketing principles: sex sells.  Oh, you know it baby.  You hue and cry over the ads for Tom Ford for Men featuring the human equivalent of a blow-up doll, but admit that you made a mental note to give the scent a sniff next time you were in Bergdorf’s.  I know I did.  And the news that Ford wanted Estée Lauder to make his fragrance, Black Orchid, smell “like a man’s crotch” certainly got some attention, didn’t it.  And you were curious.  (An aside: who would want to walk around smelling like a man’s crotch?  And, who would find that smell appealing?  If it smells – it’s not clean.  Hi!  Take a shower and then maybe we’ll talk.) And you breathed a sigh of relief when it didn’t. 

Tom Ford has talent.  He’s smart.  And he’s not afraid of a little controversy.  That’s sexy.

His new scent Black Orchid Voile de Fleur takes pretty much the same basic notes of the original Black Orchid and turns the floral notes up to 11.  The opening is boozy and somewhat intoxicating, with sweet juicy plums and strong floral notes.  They are white flowers, as listed, but they blend together to form black velvet, deep and rich and sexy.  The black truffle note (that of course doesn’t really smell of black truffle, which has garlicky, cheesy undertones within its fungal depths) of the original is present but toned-down.  And the base, like that of the original, is spicy woods, but with a smaller jolt of vanilla.

Although it’s been years since I’ve worn it, Voile de Fleur reminds me a lot of Coco.  It’s a rich floriental that has a definite presence to it, and should probably not be sprayed on with abandon, lest it asphyxiate someone.  While it is called “voile,” don’t mistake this for a light fragrance.  It’s deep and lush and perfect for nighttime and cooler weather.

Tom Ford Black Orchid Voile de Fleur notes:

black truffle, ylang ylang, bergamot, blackcurrant, honeysuckle, gardenia, spicy lily, black orchid,

black plum, black pepper, lotus wood, succulent fruit, warm milk, cinnamon, vanilla tears, patchouli,

balsam, sandalwood.

Two Fragrances by Olivier Durbano

As a jeweler myself, I am somewhat fascinated by the recent wave of jewelers-cum-perfumers: Joel Arthur Rosenthal's JAR line, Solange Azagury-Partridge's Stoned, and now Olivier Durbano.

Seven fragrances are planned for his unique Bijoux de Pierres Poèmes (Perfumes of Stones Poems), each one unearthing fragments of buried memories and emotions, the scents themselves linking to precious or primitive stones -- contemporary talismans to offer to a world in search of pureness, harmony and serenity. (Luckyscent.com) Two have so far been released: Amethyst and Rock Crystal. I had the opportunity to sniff them briefly on paper strips at the Spring Sniffapalooza. After obtaining samples, I was able to judge them on my skin.

Rock Crystal

Notes: orange, pepper, coriander, cardamom, cumin, olibanum, benzoin,

myrrh, cistus, sandalwood, cedar, vetiver, everlasting flower, oakmoss, musk

Rock Crystal is a very crisply dry incense scent, with a nice dose of pepper and a variety of other spices--coriander and cumin being most obvious to my nose. The cumin does not possess the b.o. quality that is often associated with that note; it merely brings an aromatic warmth to the scent. The opening of this fragrance reminds me of the somewhat acrid characteristics of English pipe tobacco, yet in a pleasant way. It also has a church-like aura about it; although it has many notes, it also possesses an austerity.

The drydown is a bit less dry than the opening, with sandalwood taking over for the cumin, causing the incense of the West to lean a little more to the East.  I think Rock Crystal is a very well-crafted and subtle fragrance that should be especially well-appreciated by those who enjoy the Comme des Garçons line of incense scents.

Amethyst

Notes: bergamot, pepper, grape, raspberry, incense, palisander wood,

jasmine, orris, vegetable amber, sandalwood, musk, vanilla

Amethyst, despite its name, isn't a "purple" scent for me. It starts out fruity, like a bowl of fresh tart raspberries with a dose of black pepper so hearty it's almost sneeze-worthy. Beneath the pepper note, the raspberry moves aside to make room for a lovely palisander and incense combo flavored with a dry

vanillaic orris. The drydown exhibits touches of sandalwood and musk, and the dusty pepper quality eventually fades away quite a bit to reveal the bowl of fruit once again.  Ok, maybe this scent is a pale lavender sort of purple, like that of a cape amethyst, but not the lush and rich royal purple that one

conjures in the mind when seeing the word "amethyst."

Like Rock Crystal, Amethyst reminds me of a Comme des Garçons scent, perhaps a bit like Guerilla 2, although less sweet and a bit softer. It's a lovely close-to-the-skin scent that will find admirers, no matter the hue.

-----------------------
Posted by theminx on Minxstinks