Floral Street

Created with the aid of Adobe Firefly AI and Photoshop

The prices of Floral Street fragrances--back when I first purchased their discovery sets--were so reasonable, I felt I could afford to love several of them. (They are more expensive now.) My memory of the time was that I was disappointed by every one. They're all pretty "safe," and non-groundbreaking, several reminding me of shampoo. On a scale of awful to stupendous, they score a solid "meh." 

One of the problems I have with this line is that in several instances the scents don't match their names. And not for any particular reason. It's as if a name-generating program was used and applied to the scents at random. London Poppy (Neroli, Orange Blossom, Florida Orange, Sicilian Lemon, Apricot Blossom, Jasmine Sambac, Sunflower Accord, Marine Accord, Cedarwood, Hinoki) for example, smells neither of London nor of poppies, though it does seem generic enough to put me to sleep. Its bright opening takes me to the 1970s and the many drugstore scents I tried as a kid. Nice enough, I suppose, but not particularly special. However, it would be fine for a young girl's first fragrance. Black Lotus (Saffron, Rose, Rose de Mai, Patchouli, Pink Pepper, Musk, Black Violet, Black Cherry, Papyrus, Jasmine) is a black rose, on the stem, with sharp thorns. Sadly, that goes all powdery, with a touch of sweetness underneath. The lotus represents purity, strength, and rebirth, none of which can be found in this fragrance. Neon Rose (Pear, Galbanum, Bergamot, Cassis Kir, Apple Blossom, Sichuan Pepper, Cyclamen, Juniper Berry, Jasmine, Angelica, White Cedarwood, Peach Nectar, Crisp Amber) is allegedly a "reimagined rose" that contains no actual rose notes. To me, it smells of pears and white musk with some other floral-y things going on, which isn't a bad thing. But never would I call this a rose scent. There's also something vaguely cheese-y in the drydown, like spoiled milk. Chypre Sublime (Incense, Pink Pepper, Wild geranium, Damask Rose Absolute, Midnight Violets, Patchouli, Labdanum, Benzoin, Olibanum) smells of dusty old roses and not at all like any sort of chypre I've ever smelled, sublime or otherwise. Electric Rhubarb (English Rhubarb, Australian Sandalwood, Island Gardenia, Frangipani, Jasmine Sambac) I smell nothing tart in this fragrance. Certainly not rhubarb. It's a pleasant beachy scent that's about as far from electric as one can get. 

(I feel like I'm summoning my inner Luca Turin here, though I can't quite bring myself to be as unapologetically mean.)

Arizona Bloom

Balinese Coconut, Madagascan Black Pepper, Oak Moss, Salted Musks, Jasmine Petals, Fig leaves, Cashmere Woods

While Arizona is not all desert--there are some wooded and grassland areas--it is certainly not the natural home of either coconut or figs (though no doubt some jackwad is wasting precious water attempting to grow both on a golf course somewhere). So why anyone would think naming this somewhat beachy scent with no discernible floral notes "Arizona Bloom" is beyond me. It's pleasant enough, without a lot of obvious fig (not my favorite note). It's more of a vaguely salty wood scent than anything, though I can also smell the coconut. 

Iris Goddess 

Violet, Red Chilli Pepper, Lemon Zest, Lemon, Iris, Powdery Notes, Suede, Red Fruits, Carrot Seeds, Musk, Black Vanilla Husk, Patchouli

This one actually does smell of creamy iris with a pleasant musk and patchouli background. There's a bit of sweetness from the fruits and the barest whiff of violet; the suede is more of a sensation than a scent. Not bad, but then I do tend to favor iris scents. 

 

Wild Vanilla Orchid

Vanilla Bean, Cashmeran, Ambroxan, Cassis, Lemon, Vanilla Blossom, Bamboo, Jasmine, Sandalwood, Patchouli Fraction, Red Orchid

Ok, this one definitely smells of vanilla. It's somewhat sweet--as most vanillas are--a little powdery, a little fruity. The fruitiness--almost tropical, like guava or pineapple-- I think, makes it smell rather youthful, so even though this fragrance might be considered cozy, it stops short of being sexy. Gen Zers might disagree with me, and that's fine...they can write their own damn blogs. (Or post 6 words and a pic on Instagram and call themselves a blogger.) I also think that the tropical fruitiness of this one might be nice layered with Arizona Bloom, for the coconut. Though two wrongs don't make a right.

Wonderland Peony

Blackcurrant, Pink Pepper, Sicilian Lemon, Pink Berries, Pink Guava, Violet, Peony Accord, Raspberry Flower, Vanilla Bean, Pink Cotton Candy, Cedarwood

With all the pink ingredients in the list of notes (taken from the Floral Street site), I am almost afraid to put this on my skin, in case I turn into Barbie. Thankfully, there's enough tartness between the blackcurrant and lemon that all the sugar doesn't become unbearable. Wonderland Peony smells like all of the stuff in Sephora sprayed at the same time: sweetly generic.

Ylang Ylang Espresso 

Sichuan Pepper, Rose, Tangerine, Ylang-Ylang, Patchouli, Tiramisu, Jasmine, Coffee, Cacao, Whipped Cream, Guaiac Wood

Right off the bat, I get heavily creamed and sugared coffee, floral notes, but also cigarette smoke. That coffee note disappears pretty quickly, replaced by a fruity tartness. It's like trying to enjoy coffee and an apricot tart at an outdoor cafe, but the fug from the woman chain smoking at the table next to yours is wafting into your face. It's an interesting scent, I'll give it that, but the coffee note is so fleeting, it should be called Ylang Ylang Expresso.

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Posted by theminx on Minxstinks
Note: this post is my opinion. I am not affiliated with the companies mentioned in this post or any other companies.

Blind Buy: Beauty Pie Element 79

created with the help of Adobe Firefly AI and Photoshop. 
Firefly forgot what an iris looks like. Forget asking it for an orange blossom.

Beauty Pie Element 79

‎Pink Pepper, Peach, Fig Leaves, ‎Milky Fig, Orris, Orange Flowers, ‎Patchouli, Sandalwood, Vanilla

As soon as I heard that La Botanista 001 was available for purchase, I high-tailed (high-fingered?) it to the BeautyPie web site and put it my cart along with a couple other things I was running low on. I spotted Element 79 in the fragrance section and despite not liking fig notes very much, I bought it as well. The remaining notes--orris, orange flower, pink pepper, patch, sandalwood, vanilla--are among my very favorites, so I thought this scent couldn't possibly displease me. There was, however, the case of the peach note, which I've not had all that much luck with. It is apparently in Chopard Casmir, which I have adored for decades. I've gone through at least 5 bottles since it was introduced in 1992. But peach is also a hallmark of the classic Guerlain Mitsouko, a mossy chypre. Let's just say that I have never felt grown-up enough to wear that one. Peach can also be found in L'Artisan Parfumeur À Fleur de Pêche, a newer chypre with classic bones, a fragrance that I just straight up do not like. There's something stomach-heaving about that synthetic peach that smells more of gummy candies than the actual fruit. Despite the potential issues I might have with some of the notes--and I'm not normally a gambler--I took a chance on Element 79.

The peach note in Element 79 is right up front, and it's a tad more realistic and fresh. It's accompanied by a green quality, which I am going to say is the fig, though the usual dry coconutty fig thing is totally absent on my skin. (Good.) Then Element 79 gets weird, because there's also something oddly medicinal, reminding me of the eucalyptus/menthol/camphor vibe of Vicks VapoRub. My Mom used to rub that on my chest when I had a cold, to help me breathe, before she determined that Ben-Gay--a wintergreen-scented monstrosity she applied to a cloth and wrapped around my dainty throat--was better. (I have had a life-long aversion to wintergreen since.) It takes a long time to get to the patchouli/sandalwood/vanilla drydown, but it's nice, more vanilla than anything. I kinda wish it had more patch in it, but I can always layer this with Obvious Un Patchouli, Les Nereides Patchouli Antique, or Diptyque Tempo. Sometimes I think I detect incense but I'm probably hallucinating. 

The name of this fragrance refers to gold, which is the 79th element on the Periodic Table. And yes, there is a richness to this scent that could be described as golden, and a sweetness, so I will avoid it on super hot days, but I can probably also wear this in the fall and maybe even into the winter. 

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Posted by theminx on Minxstinks
Note: this post is my opinion. I am not affiliated with the companies mentioned in this post or any other companies.

Ffern Summer 24

artwork by Ffern artist Claire Basler

Ffern, out of Somerset, UK, puts out one scent per quarter for subscribers only, delivered on the solstice/equinox. Seems a little gimmicky, and I'm susceptible to gimmicks (see Scentcraft.AI and Snif Slice Society). I had ignored the occasional ad for Ffern that popped up in my social media feeds, but when an entire episode of the On the Scent Podcast featured their fragrances, I could no longer help myself. Part of me thought "how can it hurt? I'll likely be on the waiting list for months!" That part was wrong, when 10 days later I received a text saying I was now on the roster and would be receiving my first bottle, Summer 24, post-haste. A little over a week later, I had it in my hands. 

Ffern packages their products with nice little extras. There was a sample to try before opening the bottle; if I didn't like the scent, I could return it. There was also a small clay medallion decorated with a sun motif to spritz with Summer 24 and use as a diffuser or to scent linens, a folded information sheet that had a lovely poster by artist Claire Basler on the reverse, and two herbal teabags. Additionally, all of the packaging elements are 100% biodegradable (and the bottle is recyclable). The web site has a seasonal fragrance-related short film to watch, information about the perfumers François Robert and Elodie Durand, and an interview with Basler. It's all visually stimulating and interesting. But what about the fragrance?

I love it.

Ffern Summer 24

Lemon Rind, Pink Peppercorn, Grapefruit Rind, Green Mandarin Rind, Olibanum, Fennel Seed, Blood Orange Rind, Bay Leaf, Neroli, Bergamot Rind, Coriander Seed, Nutmeg, Patchouli, Red Champaca Flower, Red Cedar, Vetiver, Benzoin Siam, Brown-eyed Rock Rose, Hay

This is a lovely herbal fragrance, redolent of citrus rinds that have been left to dry in the summer sun, the aromatic scent of bay leaves and anise-y fennel, and subtle floral and spice notes. The bay is very prominent in the opening, evoking classic masculine bay rhum aftershave while still remaining quite unisex. The citrus is somewhat dusty, as if the dried rinds had been pounded into a powder, and the fennel vibe is strong, the whole of it giving hot Tuscan summer. Though, when I don't have nose stuck to my wrist, the fragrance that wafts about me gives an impression of dried ginger root. And the next day, the smell left on my shirt is all green herbs. 

Because there was such a generous sample included in the package, I didn't even bother to test this on the included testing strips, it went directly onto my wrist. I loved it almost immediately; sadly Mr Minx did not. He smells mostly pepper and spices, which he prefers with a warm vanilla or amber base. But he generally doesn't seem to smell what I'm wearing, so I will be wearing this one all Summer 2024 and beyond.

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Posted by theminx on Minxstinks
Note: this post is my opinion. I am not affiliated with the companies mentioned in this post or any other companies.

Summer Favorites

bins filled with citrus, vanilla beans, and twigs, generated by Adobe Firefly AI

I'm one of those people who has one fragrance wardrobe for warm weather and a completely different one for cold. After all, I wouldn't wear shorts and flip flops in the winter or a coat in the summer. When temperatures hit the mid-60s, suddenly cozy vanilla and amber perfumes can feel stifling; when it's super hot, they make me gag. It's not that I don't like them anymore, it's just that they feel very wrong. I have a similar reaction with light citrusy scents in the winter, though rather than making me physically ill, I merely feel naked. 

I own over 200 different scents, which I store in sealed bins in a dark, climate-controlled, room. When the seasons change, I pull out 30 or so to wear in the coming months. With so many frags to choose from, those 30 can change from year to year, meaning I might not wear some of my perfumes at all some years. Others, however, are favorites that I can't live without, so they always find their way into my seasonal selection. 

Armani Prive Orangerie Venise

Bitter Orange, Citruses, Bergamot, Neroli, Agathosma, Ambroxan, Cedar, Moss

This was one of those rare love-at-first-sniff must-buy-now occasions for me. I was about to leave the Beauty Floor at Bergdorf's and spotted a display of this scent by the up escalator. I will smell anything with the word "orange" in the name, so I gave myself a spritz and left the building. I couldn't stop sniffing myself the rest of the day, so I went back and bought a bottle. It wasn't cheap, but I knew I wasn't likely to find this at a perfume discounter anytime soon. I'd say this is a modern chypre fragrance, with a lot of moss to compensate for the ton of citrus. It's gorgeous on me, and perfect for hot weather.

Carthusia Mediterraneo 

Lemon, Bergamot, Mint, Eucalyptus, Red Thyme, Litsea Cubeba, Sicilian Mandarin, Wildflowers, Jasmine, Cardamom, White Musk

Lemon and mint are a pretty perfect summertime beat-the-heat combo. They work as flavors and as aromas. While Mediterraneo has lots of other ingredients, it's really all about the lemon and mint. It's fairly long lasting on my skin, too, which I think is probably thanks to the white musk drydown. Summer in a bottle. 

Caudalie The des Vignes

Tea, African Orange Flower, Jasmine, Grapes, Neroli, Ginger, Musk, Woodsy Notes, Honey

This was a blind buy. I didn't think I could go wrong with this one, though the honey note might have turned out to be too strong. The des Vignes is somewhat in the same school of thought as D&G Light Blue and Moschino I Love Love, a fresh and sparkly citrus/fruit/transparent woods thing, but with orange flower instead of citrus. It's light, pretty, and uplifting.

Chanel Cristalle Eau Verte

Amalfi Lemon, Bergamot, Neroli, Magnolia, Jasmine, Iris, Musk

Cristalle Eau Verte is my all-time favorite summer scent. I can wear it every day without getting tired of it. The opening is so joyful and bright, citrussy but also green. I can't pick out the specific floral notes, but they give the fragrance some staying power, and the musk makes the whole thing summertime sexy. It's fabulous. 

D.S. & Durga Lady Greystock

Violet, Orris, Amber

This Anthropologie collab is one of those scents that was so good at first spritz, I spent the rest of the evening sniffing my arm. Despite violet being listed as a note, it's nowhere to be found in this dry and woody scent that must also have patchouli in it. Perfect for most seasons, I love it most in the summer when it really helps cut the heat. They discontinued the frag soon after I bought my first bottle, so I contacted D.S. & Durga to see if there were any bottles hanging around the warehouse. There were, so I bought three. I just started my third bottle and have one full one left. Lucky me. 

Estee Lauder Azuree Soleil Eau Fraiche Skinscent

Mandarin Orange, Sicilian Bergamot, Gardenia, Magnolia, Myrrh, Orange Blossom, Jasmine, Coconut, Caramel, Sandalwood, Amber, Vetiver

The precursor to EL's Bronze Goddess, Azuree Soleil smells like sweet summers of my youth. Read more about it on this post.

Guerlain La Cologne du Parfumeur

African Orange Flower, Amalfi Lemon, Citruses, Rosemary, Lavender, Mint, White Musk

Another love-at-first-sniff...clearly there's a theme with my summer faves! I met this one at a Sniffapalooza breakfast event at Bergdorf's in 2010 where it was introduced to a small group of fragrance fanatics. As soon as the event was over, I hightailed it to the Guerlain counter and handed over my credit card. While Cologne du Parfumeur does have the usual cologne citrus thing going on, it also has a lovely herbal twist without being overtly herby, and the bonus of a white musk drydown. I just love this one.

Hermes Eau des Merveilles

Orange, Elemi, Lemon, Amber, Pepper, Pink Pepper, Violet, Fir, Cedar, Madagascar Vetiver, Oakmoss, Benzoin

I was on a trip to NY with my Dad when I met this one. I can't remember what shop we visited, but there was a Hermes counter and we did some sampling. He smelled of some nightmarish cumin monster the rest of the day, while I wafted this dry and salty ambergris scent. Unlike others mentioned here, I waited a while before making a purchase. This is so good on those ferociously hot days in July and August.

Hermes Hiris

Iris, Coriander, Carnation, Amber, Iris, Neroli, Rose, Cedar, Almond Tree, Honey, Vanilla

I sniffed this one at Bergdorf's and bought it on the spot. (Maybe it's the magic of Bergdorf's that compels me to buy so many things immediately?) It's hard to believe that there are so many notes in this fragrance, because all I get is cold, nearly metallic, iris, with the barest cold cream thing going on with it. 

Maison Francis Kurkdjian Cologne Pour le Matin

Bergamot, Lavender, Thyme, Amalfi Lemon, African Orange Flower

For whatever reason, this beaut smells like purple Jujubes to me. The little semi-gummy/semi-hard candy pellets, not the fruit. Purple is violet, not lavender, flavored, so I have to think that it's the combination of lavender/thyme/citrus that causes that effect. I'm so glad I bought the big bottle, as this fragrance has been discontinued. 

Ode Verde

Cut Grass, Herbaceous Basil, Green Olive, Tomato Leaf

Olive oil purveyors McEvoy Ranch have a beauty line that once upon a time included perfume.  It's fantastically green and herbaceous, and while it does smell of  basil and tomato leaf, I think it really smells like parsley. I misplaced my bottle for a while, but am happy to say I found it again and have been wearing it during the recent hot spell we've been having.

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Posted by theminx on Minxstinks
Note: this post is my opinion. I am not affiliated with the companies mentioned in this post or any other companies.