Both posts originally appeared on Sniffapalooza Magazine, which can still be read online at the address linked above.
Parfums MDCI is still around, still making fancy flaçons, but they also sell their fragrances in somewhat plain bottles. The price of these unembellished containers is still high at $250 for 75ml. The bust-topped bottles are 375€ ($408-ish), which is somewhat reasonable compared to the original price of $600. Clearly the tops are no longer crystal or Limoges, but a more pedestrian material. To be perfectly honest, as a perfume fan, I am just that--a fan of the juice. Though a pretty bottle is nice, I refuse to pay for something so non-essential to the fragrance experience. By Kilian fragrances originally came in fancy boxes that I suppose one could put jewelry in, or cigars, or whatever. But if I want a box, I'll buy one elsewhere. I don't need another piece of packaging to take up room in my house--and money out of my wallet. Likewise I don't want to shell out good money for a fancy doo-dad on top of the bottle. I won't even smell Floraiku scents. Their bottles are topped with a gorgeous purse spray and come in a fancy box, but also cost $350 for 50ml. I don't need to lust after anything that spendy. But I digress.
Bond No. 9 is also still around, and their prices have gone through the roof. Get this: when I asked a SA at the flagship 9 Bond Street boutique why their scents were so bloody expensive, she shrugged and said, "to create an air of exclusivity." Ah. Thank goodness for perfume discounters, though I haven't bought a Bond scent in 15 years.
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Parfums MDCI
by Kathy Patterson
According to the Parfums MDCI Web site, they are a small team of passionate perfumers who work by the concept that fine fragrance should be treated as art, not as a commodity. It is clear to see that the opulence of the Renaissance, with its tradition of incredible sculptural works, is the inspiration for their line. The magnificent flaçons in which their perfumes are sold are essentially glass columns, or pillars, as in classical architecture, that are topped with either a crystal or Limoges porcelain bust. They are in themselves works of art (hence the high price). But what of the scents housed within?
When I first dabbed on each of these fragrances, I thought, "these are not worth $600! There is absolutely nothing special about any of these." After sniffing them again, I still had that thought... but I did notice that the scents had changed almost dramatically into something far more special than my first perception led me to believe.
Ambre Topkapi (PB1)
Notes: bergamot, grapefruit, pineapple, melon, cinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg, ginger, basil, thyme, lavender, oak moss, vetiver, sandalwood, rosewood, leather, Darjeeling tea, amber, musk, vanilla, jasmine, violet
"Ick, a typical men's fragrance with citrus and lavender," was my first thought on this one. True, that's what it smells like at first, an anonymous drugstore aftershave. Then bam! Tangy pineapple! I sniffed again and detected herbs, then a floral quality, something a little powdery, a cross between sandalwood and violets. The barest hint of leather. And then the amber arrives along with a bit of musky vanilla. In the drydown, there is still a bit of a bright tangy note, the tea most likely, and a dash of the lavender, that keeps things lively. And then much further along, the amber takes center stage.
Although intended to be a masculine fragrance, I find this to be extremely unisex, and it is my favorite of the line.
Invasion Barbare (SB1)
Notes: grapefruit, bergamot, violet leaves, white thyme, cardamom, lavender, ginger, cedarwood, vanilla, musk
At first sniff, this one was the most interesting of the bunch. The opening is a bit of bergamot garnished with a healthy dose of cardamom. The scent is soft, almost powdery, and nearly gourmand in quality. Plenty of vanilla blends with lavender in the drydown, with a barely detectable woodsy base. Invasion Barbare is oddly named, as it is far from barbaric, nor is it invasive. It is in fact a very comforting scent, with a cuddly masculinity.
Promesse de l'Aube (FK1)
Notes: mandarin, lemon, ylang-ylang, jasmine, sandalwood, tonka bean, vanilla
This starts out with a burst of citrus and the hint of white flowers. There's also a very perceptible vanillaic sweetness, that makes the composition start off much like a very sophisticated lemon meringue pie. The ylang and jasmine are very subtle, which I appreciate, and the sandalwood lends a powderyness to the drydown.
Rose de Siwa (FK2)
Notes: lychee, peony, hawthorn, Moroccan and Turkish roses, violet, cedar, musk, vetiver
An almost boozy opening, heavy on the peony, with a slight tropical sweetness, transforming into a very dry rose with a little of the "cold cream" quality of YSL Paris. There's a wee bit of powdery violet adding a bit of sweetness to the end, with the cedar and vetiver playing very minor roles. This is a delightful rose scent, almost happy, yet with a grown-up seriousness.
Enlevement au Serail (FK3)
Notes: bergamot, mandarin, ylang-ylang, jasmine sambac, tuberose, rose, wallflower, patchouli, sandalwood, vanilla, vetiver
Perhaps one should wear this while listening to my favorite opera, Mozart's Abduction from the Seraglio although I do not think of ylang-ylang and tuberose when I think of a Turkish harem (which I will admit, is very seldom, if ever). Very much an elegant chypre fragrance (oakmoss or not) Enlevement opens up with lots of white flowers and a little bit of citrus. Soon the white flowers fade to allow a bit of rose to peek through with the sweetness of vanilla and a powdery sandalwood note. The slightly humid note of the tuberose persists through the drydown.
Bond No. 9 Reviews Brooklyn and Boca
Bond No. 9 Brooklyn
Notes: grapefruit, cardamom, cypress wood, geranium leaves, juniper berries, cedarwood, leather, guaiacwood
Brooklyn is the latest scent from New York’s Bond No. 9. Clean and rather light for a Bond creation, Brooklyn leans toward the masculine, but I would wear it in a heartbeat. It’s a dry scent that would be lovely in the heat of summer, starting off with a very nice fresh grapefruit note on a woodsy background. Moments after application, there’s an interesting greenness that reminds me of the tomato plants I grow on my back porch in the summer, with an added hint of spice from the juniper berries that somehow manage not to make me think of gin (and for which I am thankful!). But on my husband, the gin comes out right away as an accompaniment to the grapefruit.
For most of the early stages of Brooklyn, the dominant woodsy note is cedar; later it becomes the softer and sexier guaiacwood. Also later in the development of the scent we get a leather note that’s so light it’s practically transparent. The sweet spice of cardamom should be in the opening, though I detect it more in the drydown. However, that may be a trick of the basenotes, since they are less-dry and slightly sweeter than the opening.
Overall, Brooklyn is a welcome and refreshing addition to the Bond No. 9 stable and I look forward to wearing it in the warmer months.
Bond No. 9 Boca
Notes: lily of the valley, black currant, gardenia, freesia, hedione, amber, cedarwood, cardamom, musk
Bond ventures out of New York completely with its new limited edition scent Boca. There’s no mistaking it for anything but girly: it’s a rich fruity floral, starting out with a ton of black currant fruit on a background of floral-flavored candyfloss. The predominant floral note is gardenia, making for a heady jolt of white flowers that add their own sweetness to the blend. The currant is tenacious and lingers into the drydown where it is joined by musk and a bit of sweet spice that mellows the scent out a bit.
Boca isn’t a scent for wallflowers--it’s not shy in the least and I would bet it blooms wonderfully in the hot weather of Florida, where it is available exclusively at Saks Fifth Avenue stores in Boca Raton.
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Posted by theminx on Minxstinks
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