Favorite Scents That Nobody Has Heard About: Zenadora

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Zenadora Eau de Parfum

Raspberry, Rose, Elemi, Guaiac Wood, Incense, Patchouli, Benzoin, Labdanum, Myrrh

Zenadora is so obscure, there are zero reviews on Fragrantica, and just one on Basenotes. Parfumo.com has a listing with three user ratings that give it an average score of 7.7 out of 10, but no reviews. The scent was released in either 2005 or 2006; I would imagine that someone besides me and the three Parfumo users had to have purchased it! After a little more digging on the google, I found that Zenadora seems to be available for purchase on Russian-language websites. Except for the following excerpt from a feature on niche perfumes in WWD, there is zip, zilch, nothing else to be found.

ZENADORA

Launch: 2005

Founder: Frederic and Laurence Lipzyc

Parent company: Majina Fragrances, of Paris.

Distribution: 50 doors, in France, Belgium, Spain, Italy, Switzerland, Saudi Arabia and the U.S.

The lineup: 19 skus.

Claim to fame: Frederic, who directed a transport company, and Laurence, who was a psychotherapist, decided to create the fragrance brand called Zenadora as a combination of the words “Zen” and “adore.” Zenadora’s first offering was a line of scented candles, but the collection now includes six ambient fragrances and four scent concentrates for the home. In May, the brand introduced its first fine fragrance, a woody Oriental, called Zenadora L’Eau de Parfum. Another collection of candles bows in August, and the next scent is due out in May.

Price: 69 euros, or $87, for a 100-ml. eau de parfum spray.

$87 in 2006 was rather pricey, even for 100ml. And I'm pretty sure I didn't pay anything near that price. I bought mine at Beautyhabit.com, mostly likely 2008-ish, and probably on clearance. I'm not sure why I bought it, as the listed notes are not something that would ordinarily attract me. Zenadora is what I'd call an old-fashioned fragrance, a rather heavy and rich floral ambree, what used to be known as an "Oriental" scent. It wouldn't have been out of place sitting on a shelf next to bottles of Youth Dew, Tabu, and Revlon Ultima, or worn with shoulder pads and big 80s hair. It's very woody and resinous, a bit leathery, and has an almost church-y thing going on under the sweet-tartness of raspberry and rose. It's a cool scent, rather than a cozy one. At least, that is how it smells on my skin. On a test strip, the scent is more floral with much less fruit, and it's less resinous as well. In fact, the fragrance almost seems lighter on the tester. However, if applied judiciously, Zenadora isn't at all overwhelming. It takes an hour or two, but it settles nicely close to the skin--but then, I'm not an oversprayer. YMMV. 

But it's not like you're going to purchase a bottle anytime soon. Unless you want to fork over 11480 Ukrainian hryvnia ($277.47)

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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.

A Favorite: Profumum Roma Battito D'Ali

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Profumum Roma Battito D'Ali 

African Orange Flower, Myrrh, Vanilla, Cacao

Back in the years BC (that is, Before COVID), I was a semi-regular attendee of New York Fashion Week. One bitterly cold morning in February of 2016, I had some time to kill before I headed to Project Runway Season 5 winner Leanne Marshall's show. I decided to pop into Osswald, then in its original location on West Broadway. A vivacious young fragrance fanatic assisted me in my tour of the store, making recommendations and eventually selling me a bottle of Indult Reve en Cuir. While I loved Reve, the fragrance that truly stole my heart was Profumum Roma Battito D'Ali. The only reason I can think of for purchasing one over the other was that Battito was a bit more expensive than Reve--on the slippery slope toward $300--definitely out of my budget at the time (and still is!). 

I spent at least an hour in Osswald that morning, partly because it was so damn cold and I really didn't want to go back outside. But mostly because I was having fun. The sales associate and I not only had a love of fragrance in common, but also food. She, too, planned on attending the Summer Fancy Food Show, and we exchanged contact information so we could meet up at the show. In the meantime, she sent me on my way with my purchase and at least one sample of Battito D'Ali. 

Over the next couple years, that SA--Daisy Bow, now my good friend and favorite NY dining companion--slipped me several more samples of Battito, until I took the plunge and snagged a bottle on sale. It was still expensive, but when I realized that I spent far more cumulatively buying bottles of more reasonably priced fragrances that I didn't like as well, it seemed like a steal. (I really do need to get into the habit of buying what I love, not what I just like.)

So what does Battito D'Ali smell like? I can sum it up in two words: Sexy Bubblegum. 

I find the scent to be extremely well-blended; I have difficulty picking out individual notes. On my skin, it's absolutely linear, starting as a fluffy orange blossomish-vanilla cloud and ending as a fluffy orange blossomish-vanilla cloud. However, I wouldn't say this was definitely an orange blossom scent or a vanilla scent. The boundaries between the notes are so blurred as to be nonexistent. Somehow there's also the vaguest impression of spice in there too, perhaps clove? which is what gives me the overall sensation of bubble gum. I don't want to give the wrong impression here--there's nothing Bubblicious about Battito D'Ali. This is a very expensive gourmet Italian bubble gum favored by sultry and beautiful people who float rather than walk while wearing only the most diaphanous clothing hand-sewn by angels. Appropriate, as the name means "beating of wings." It's sweet, but not like a pop-star fragrance. It's not cloying in the least. And it's by no means innocent. I feel positively edible when I wear this perfume. 

If I were forced to pick a "signature scent," Battito D'Ali would definitely be in the running. 

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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.

All-Year Scents

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As I've mentioned in past posts, I wear my fragrances seasonally. In the warmer months I gravitate towards sharp citrus and light floral scents that cut through the heat. In the colder months, I turn to cozy ambery and vanilla-forward fragrances. The thought of wearing vanilla in the summer makes me gag a little; bright citrus in winter give me a bit of an unwelcome chill. But I do own a couple of scents that I can wear pretty much any time of year. None of them are 12-month scents, exactly--well, they might be, but I have so many perfumes that I really don't need to wear any one of them as comfortably in July as I can in January. But for those oddball too-warm-for-a-coat days that occasionally pop up in December or March, or the less-humid, high-pressure, dry summer days when the morning air is practically chilly, these scents do it all. 

Beauty Pie Angelique's Letters

Bergamot, Lemon, Tobacco, Cinnamon, Clove, Jasmine, Cedar, Musk, Vanilla 

This is one weird scent. Despite the spices, musk, and vanilla, this is earthy and green. The lemon and tobacco and maybe the spices merge into an almost bitter, turpenic, galbanum that reminds me a little of the opening of Must de Cartier, though when sniffed up close, it's definitely more lemon oil-esque. That lemony/green note lasts and lasts into the drydown and beyond, while supported by a musky warmth. The super lemon top with the warmth below make this fragrance perfect to wear in both warm and cold weather.

Bamford Gray

Vetiver, Sandalwood, Patchouli, Orange

Despite the name, Gray is an uplifting, almost effervescent scent. There's a bright vetiver and a light, non-dirty patchouli, with a hint of orange. But my nose also detects spice, something akin to clove, which makes this scent almost a watercolor version of a spicy ambree like Opium. It's fantastic on a rainy day in any season and a damn shame it was discontinued. 

D. S. & Durga Lady Greystock

Violet, Orris, Amber

I'd categorize this scent as a "modern chypre," and like most chypre fragrances, it's somehow simultaneously cool and warm. Its dry woodiness helps cut the heat in summer; the amber and patchouli base lends an overall warmth to the fragrance. Like Gray, above, it was discontinued, but I have enough backup bottles to get me through the next few years. 

Hue by Hayley Kiyoko 

Watermelon, Freesia, Blood Orange, Litchi, Rose, Magnolia, Peony, Musk, Cacao

Normally, I'd read that list of notes and run screaming. Too fruity! Too floral! Probably best for girls much much younger than my own almost-60 self! But it was 2020 when I first met this scent. We had been locked down for months and the rare joyful experiences I had came from participating in online Sniffapalooza events via Zoom. Most of these "master classes" were with perfume companies like Penhaligon's and The Harmonist, but this one in particular was all about Hue, a new celebrity scent. I had never heard of singer/songwriter/actress Hayley Kiyoko; had I not been at this event I still wouldn't know who she was. In any case, I guess she's big enough to warrant a scent of her own. And despite being a fruity floral, it's neither overtly fruity or particularly sweet. Rather, Hue is a somewhat watery rose/peony fragrance--I say "watery" rather than "aquatic," as there's no seaweed/mineral/calone/salt thing going on, just the convergence of watermelon and freesia. The drydown is warm and musky, and the cacao note is rather creamy, like white chocolate. I find this perfume to be light enough to wear in the spring and summer, but also warming enough for the cooler months. As someone who's not the biggest fan of rose fragrances, I find this one suprisingly...great.

Naxos Apothecary Yria

Bergamot, Pink pepper, Cereal, Rose, Jasmine, Benzoin, Patchouli 

I purchased this one in April during Sniffapalooza Spring Fling. The bright pink pepper note grabbed me immediately, and the unusual and somewhat cozy cereal note (like a bowl of Wheatabix) hooked me. I also love the bit of patch in the drydown, which keeps me sniffing down my blouse all day. I wore this in the Spring and Summer both this year, and it was the first thing I grabbed when the weather suddenly cooled down at the end of August. I'm not sure if I'll wear this in the absolute dead of winter, when snow is on the ground and the winds are howling, but I think it will be a welcome change from my usual cozy vanillas on those odd warm days in December and March. 

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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.