Sexy Scents: 10 Corso Como

created with Ideogram AI and Adobe Photoshop.
I tried something different this time. Rather than my usual complicated request of exactly what I'd like to see generated (not that I have ever received what I requested, but sometimes it gets sorta close), I simply typed the list of notes for this scent and the word sexy. I added the perfume bottle and another hand to replace a rather large incense burner. Not bad.

10 Corso Como

Sandalwood, Incense, Oud, Resin, Geranium, Rose, Vetiver, Musk

10 Corso Como was one of the first samples I ordered from Luckyscent, back in the mid-00s. This was truly a love-at-first-sniff fragrance for me. Sadly, it wasn't for Mr Minx. He took one whiff and declared that it smelled like something that one of his uncles would wear. We liked this uncle, so I didn't see how it was a problem. But then I didn't want to wear something I thought smelled great but reminded hubby of a middle-aged male relative. 

I hung onto my sample and sniffed it once in a while, lamenting that I'd never own a bottle of it. Until I grew a pair and ordered it. Most of the time Mr Minx doesn't even notice what I'm wearing if it's not patchouli-heavy. (As soon as I take the cap off my bottle of Chanel Coromandel, he's grousing about "that patchouli stuff.") There's no patch in 10 Corso Como and I was certain that hubby wouldn't smell it at all if I wore it. After all, I am not an over-sprayer. (No judgement if you are, unless you are a "fragrance bro" who's into "beast mode" scents. I don't have energy for that.) 

So what does it smell like? Your mileage may vary, but I don't get any obvious floral notes, or any oud. What I do get is a ton of sandalwood, some incense, and musk. The sandalwood is not at all sweet or creamy, rather, it's more amber-y and somewhat leathery. There's an almost fizzy incense quality, and one of the sexiest musky drydowns I've ever smelled. I can't stop sniffing myself when I wear 10 Corso Como, and it's one of the few scents that I don't eventually become anosmic to during the day. (With my skin, I get a good 12 hours out of most scents--lucky me!) I don't actually feel sexy when I wear it, I just think the scent itself is quite alluring. 

10 Corso Como, which is both the brand's name and address as well as the scent's name, also put out a 10 Corso Como Uomo ten years after the original. That might indicate that the original fragrance was a feminine scent, but I disagree. It's totally unisex, but might also be considered to lean a little masculine. And I have no problem with wearing masculine scents, as long as it's not one of the many boring, same-same, designer frags sold at places like Macy's (which, IMNSHO, are not fit for man nor beast). 

-----------------------
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.

Smells Like Christmas, Part Two

Created by Ideogram AI, with Photoshop editing.

In my first post on this subject, I pontificated on both the fragrances that I already own that I wear around the holidays (but no other time of year), and the niche and indie scents that I found after googling "Christmas perfume." This time, I'm going to talk about some of the Fragrantica-recommended scents that are already in my collection. Though I was looking for perfumes that featured orange and spice and evergreens, like the Nest Holiday candle, I mostly received recs for fragrances that reminded other people of Christmas, whether or not they contained the notes I was seeking. 

These are all good suggestions--of course, since I own six of the ten, and I bought samples for the other four--but none hit the mark.

Owned

Cartier Must de Cartier 

Galbanum, Brazilian Rosewood, Aldehydes, Bergamot, Lemon, Green Mandarin, Peach, Pineapple, Leather, Carnation, Vetiver, Orris Root, Ylang-Ylang, Musk, Yellow Narcissus, Neroli, Rose, Jasmine, Orchid, Amber, Vanilla, Sandalwood, Tonka Bean, Civet, Vetiver

I never thought of this as a Christmastime scent, though it's definitely something I reach for in the winter months. Despite the galbanum note, this is not at all a green perfume. Nor is it flowery, despite the eight types of floral notes. Five kinds of fruits doesn't make this a sweet and fruity scent, either. So what is it? It's a leathery ambree that is also woody and fairly powdery, and long a favorite of mine. It reminds me of the scent of an old and well-used handbag, the kind with a rigid frame, short handle, and metal twist closure--my Mom would have called it a "pocketbook"--containing lipsticked tissues, spilled face powder, and Wrigley's spearmint gum wrappers among the loose change, scratched sunglasses, and worn wallet of wrinkled small bills. It's a nostalgic scent without being particularly old-fashioned, and reminds me not at all of Christmas. 

Frederic Malle Musc Ravageur 

Cinnamon, Cloves, Orris Root, Rose, Osmanthus, Musk, Vanilla, Tonka Bean, Amber, Sandalwood, Guaiac Wood, Cedar, Animal notes, Patchouli

Musc Ravageur is wild animal sex up against the dumpster behind a bakery that specializes in mince pies. It's sweet, spicy, and oh so dirty. The drydown is very vanilla-y, but still quite animalic. If I could layer this with something that smells of candied orange peel, I might come up with somewhat of an "after dark," raunchy, version of the scent I'm looking for. But Musc Ravageur, amazing as it is, doesn't cut it on its own.

L'Erbolario Méharées 

Cinnamon, Orange, Bergamot, Rose, Sandalwood, Guaiac Wood, Cedar, Patchouli, Amber, Vanilla, Musk

Méharées was recommended by more than one person on Fragrantica, and fortunately, I already had a bottle. The cinnamon-citrus opening gives Coca-Cola vibes, and the drydown is amber and woods. This is a really nice scent that smells much better on other people. On me, there's a weird antiseptic smell hiding in the depths, as if someone stuck a Band-aid on a stick of sandalwood. The late drydown, however, is a honeyed delight. Needless to say, this doesn't have what I'm looking for.

Serge Lutens 

Bapteme du Feu

Gingerbread, Tangerine, Woody Notes, Powdery Notes, Castoreum, Osmanthus

On paper, this scent sounds fairly Christmassy--it has the requisite citrus, spice, and woody notes. Unfortunately, the tangerine doesn't stand out as a citrus note on my skin. The gingerbread note is in the foreground, but I want it to be more cakey/sweet and not only about dry spices. 

Five O'Clock Au Gingembre 

Tea, Bergamot, Cinnamon, Woodsy Notes, Candied Ginger, Pepper, Honey, Amber, Cacao, Patchouli

Mr Minx and I have been wearing this fragrance every winter for years, and at no point have we thought it to smell anything like the Christmas holidays. It is delightfully woodsy and spicy, though not particularly ginger-y, with a clean patchouli drydown. This is so warm and cozy for the winter months, but not what I seek.

Zara Ebony Wood

Ebony, Cloves, Pink Pepper

Reviewed here. The clove note disappears fast, so no, this doesn't smell like Christmas. Plus, no orange or pine.

Sampled

Atkinsons Pirates' Grand Reserve

Rum, Cacao, Vanilla, Heliotrope, Jasmine, Virginia Cedar, Cardamom, Clary Sage, Broom, Geranium, Cashmeran, Patchouli, Musk, Moss

Rum and bandaids. That's what the opening smells like. Then the rum disappears, which is kinda disappointing for a fragrance that is named after a pirate's favorite adult beverage. (Yes, rum.) Again, I was hoping this would give me some sort of Christmas cake vibes, or even rum cake--figuring that there would be plenty of not only rum, but also cacao, vanilla, heliotrope, and cardamom. There's a subtle sweetness to this scent, but the bandaid smell is super strong. Overall, it's quite masculine, and definitely not what I'm looking for.

Farmacia SS. Annunziata Anniversary

Cinnamon, Orange Blossom, Tobacco, Clove, Leather, Nutmeg, Rose, Vanilla, Bran, Sandalwood, Saffron, Cedar

Spicy? Yes. Festive? Yes. What I'm looking for? No. But...Anniversary does immediately put me in mind of the holiday season. More specifically, a plate of warm-from-the-oven spice cookies drizzled with a bit of frosting. The first spicy sniff actually reminded me of cola, followed immediately by red hot cinnamon candies. Yes, the spice notes are loud and proud. The bran and vanilla are prominent as well (though definitely not as much as the shouty cinnamon). I let Mr Minx sniff it and he was immediately taken to a holiday shop. You know, those places that specialize in trees and ornaments and offer cinnamon-scented candles, potpourri, fireplace logs, and even garlands decorated with actual cinnamon sticks. 

Mancera Tonka Cola 

Cinnamon, Cherry, Sicilian Lemon, Nutmeg, Coca-Cola, Indonesian Patchouli Leaf, Orange Blossom, Tonka Bean, Vanilla, Benzoin, Labdanum

The opening of Méharées has that cola thing going on, and this whole fragrance is based on cola. Makes me wonder if the people who recommended these scents were only allowed to have soft drinks on special occasions, so the smell of Coke is the smell of Christmas. However, I find this scent far more about the tonka than the cola, though there's a nice cinnamony thing going on, too. I don't get the citrus, and the overall scent is more powdery than I'd expect. Quite nice, but not Christmas.

 

Milano Fragranze Panettone 

Bitter Orange, Ginger, Mandarin Orange, Carrot Seeds, Davana, Rum, Immortelle, Tagetes, Vanilla,  Buckwheat

I love me a panettone at Christmas! For the past few years, I've ordered one from Yummy Bazaar, a specialty food shop in South Jersey. Sometimes I get a pumpkin-filled panettone, but once in a while I buy a plain one (maybe this year I'll spring for a Dolce & Gabbana). Panettone has a very specific vanilla citrus flavor and aroma, and that's what I wanted from this perfume. Milano Fragranze Panettone does have a vanilla-citrus thing and the buckwheat note definitely gives baked-goods, but there's also something spicy (cinnamon, perhaps?) going on. While overall, this perfume is quite nice, it doesn't smell like actual panettone. So while it does have a citrus note, and spice, it's not really what I was looking for. BUT, if it actually smelled like panettone, I might buy it.

-----------------------
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.

Pistachio

A whole lotta Photoshop, a tiny bit of AI

The number of pistachio scents on the market right now is rather incredible. I have always loved the brat-green nuts and remember when they used red dye to hide the mottled markings created by the drying process on the naturally beige shells. There was no sneaking a pistachio snack in those days, as brightly stained fingers and lips were always a dead giveaway. 

Eating pistachios is as much about texture as it is about flavor. Pistachio nutmeats are generally rather small, about the size of a pinky nail. They are not hard or crisp, like an almond, pecan, walnut, or most any other nut, but give fairly easily under the pressure of a tooth. Maybe crunchy-tender is a good way to put it? Pistachios also have a thin woody membrane on the outside of the nutmeat that sometimes comes off when when the shell is removed...but mostly doesn't. Under this fine bark hides the glorious green color of the nut. The flavor of pistachios is a bit harder to pin down. They are both savory and vaguely sweet, buttery, green, and, well, nutty. They are one of my favorite nuts, and the idea of a pistachio-scented perfume turns me on. If only there was one that actually did smell of pistachio! 

D.S. & Durga Pistachio
Pistachio, Cardamom, More Pistachio, Roasted Almond, Even More Pistachio, Patchouli, Vanilla Creme

I am sitting here right now, absolutely drenched in D.S. & Durga Pistachio. I did a bit of an overspray this morning in order to really smell this stuff. It's a giant cloud hovering around me, full of honey and creamy vanilla. There's also a gorgeous whiff of patchouli, which, to be honest, is my favorite part of this fragrance and what puts it above all of the other pistachio fragrances I've smelled thus far. 

From my experience, pistachio perfumes tend to be quite sweet, and this one is no exception. I have a bowl of them next to me, and their smell is very distinct. While the nuts do have a light sweetness about them, they are also a little green, a little woody, a little savory. The flavor is all of that plus buttery-ness. A well-toasted almond might be the closest thing to a pistachio, but it's still worlds away. While D.S. & Durga Pistachio lists the nut in the top, middle, and base notes, I don't find that it smells particularly of pistachio, particularly in the first hour or so when a sticky honey-like note feels particularly in-my-face. This is why this fragrance needs such an assertive patchouli note: it cuts through the sweetness and stands in for the savory quality that pistachios possess. 

I have never smelled natural pistachio extract, or whatever natural or man-made pistachio notes are available to perfumers. Perhaps it is a bit like almond extract, which has a distinctive smell that is recognized as almond, but doesn't actually smell the way almond nutmeats smell. Or like cherry flavoring, which doesn't taste of actual cherries, but like cheap maraschino cocktail cherries (which taste rather like almond extract). We have been conditioned by years of cherry-flavored sweets like Lifesavers--and cocktail cherries--so we recognize that particular flavor as "cherry," but not actually cherry. The idea of cherry.

It's possible Pistachio smells like these perfumery ingredients, the idea of pistachio. I don't know. All I do know is that I do very much like this fragrance, whether or not it actually smells like the nut in question. My husband thinks it does, so what do I know? I'd say this fragrance smelled more like a bowl of rich vanilla French buttercream, drizzled with honey, and topped with a smattering of chopped nutmeats. And a good slug of earthy patchouli, which means it doesn't adhere to my definition of a "gourmand" fragrance, though some might categorize it thusly. No matter--I like it enough to have purchased a big bottle, and I plan to use it frequently during the cooler months.

-----------------------
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.

Smells Like Christmas, Part One

image created by Ideogram AI with help from Photoshop. I don't get why AI has no problem with making velvet drapes with fussy doodads hanging from them, a velvet tree skirt, and a fairly realistic tree, but couldn't make gingerbread man ornaments that didn't look like squids or scrotums or triceratops. I had to add them manually from another source.
Not sure why the oranges are so wrinkly, but good enough I guess.

I'm one of those people who swaps out fragrances seasonally. I like light citrussy scents in the warmer months, and richer fragrances in colder months. And at the holidays, I want to wear perfumes that smell like Christmas. Specifically, fragrances that smell like things I associate with the holiday-- gingerbread, nutmeg, chestnuts, mincemeat, orange and spices, pine trees--that sort of thing. 

I have a handful of scents I pull out every fall to wear between Thanksgiving and Christmas. Fendi Theorema smells like sweet gingerbread to me, with lots of cinnamon, nutmeg, and other spices, and a touch of candied peel. Theorema was discontinued a few years back, but I still have a bit left in my original bottle from 1998, and a backup. I also own Etat Libre d'Orange Noel au Balcon, a spicy orange blossom scent that I wear when I want something lighter than Theorema. Noel au Balcon is marketed as a holiday scent and it definitely has the citrus + spice vibe I crave during the holidays. 

The somewhat subversive Divin'Enfant is another ELDO fragrance that I wear in December, mostly because of the name that brings to mind the lyrics of a French Christmas carol, Il est né le divin enfant ("the divine child was born"). While it doesn't have what I consider traditional Christmas notes--it smells like a giant orange blossom-flavored marshmallow, a gimauve--I find that I enjoy this scent's candy sweetness at that time of year. And while it's sweet and innocent on top, there's also a little naughty tobacco, leather, and musk hiding under all the fluff. 

I also reach for Jacomo Art Collection 08 around Christmas. A deeply spicy tea scent, it also has creamy and dried fruit notes that give it a fruitcake/mincemeat vibe that I enjoy. Finally, last winter, I purchased M. Micallef Gourmet, a cozy chestnut/leather/incense fragrance that I'm going to test this Christmas, to see if it fits my holiday vibes. 

Those fragrances are all lovely, but what I really want to smell like is the Nest Holiday candle. The classic one that smells like mandarin oranges, cloves, cinnamon--and pine. The conifer note is missing from the scents I usually wear, and its what I want to smell at the holidays. Since I am having a hard time finding scents on my own, I decided to pose a question on the Fragrantica forum. I specifically mentioned wanting to smell like the Nest Holiday candle. What I received was a hodgepodge of suggestions ranging from Mancera Tonka Cola to Tom Ford Tobacco Vanille, from Britney Spears Hidden Fantasy to Kerosene Winter of 99, and from Serge Lutens Bapteme du Feu to a couple from Pineward Perfumes (Gluhwein and Ponderosa). There were also some oddballs like Tauer L'Air des Alps Suisses (fir and pine and nutmeg, but also lavender, thyme, basil, and lemon balm) and L'Air de Desert Marocain (um....), the Tom Ford cherry line, Elizabeth Taylor Diamonds & Rubies (so many flowers!). I own Bapteme du Feu, so need to give that another sniff, and multiple of the Hidden Fantasy reviews mention Christmas, so I may just have to try that one. None of the fragrances suggested, however, have orange AND spice AND pine. 

So does that fragrance exist?

I tried another tack. I did a simple google search for "perfumes that smell like Christmas," and under "popular products," I found Demeter Christmas in New York, which doesn't have the three notes I'm looking for but does have eggnog, chestnuts, and spices. That sounds pretty Christmassy, huh? And I also found an indie perfumer called Wicked Good that offers nearly 50 holiday-themed scents. I ordered six samples from them, including Merry & Bright, which has notes of Orange Peel, Cranberry, Cinnamon, Clove, Evergreen, & Pine and sounds exactly like what I'm looking for. I also tried two other holiday-themed fragrances, Fruitcake and Midnight Mass, because why not?

So how did I do? Not so good.

Wicked Good 

As a crafter myself, I love the idea of indie perfumes, but so many of them fall short of the mark. Or of my insanely high standards. Some creators are definitely, uh, creative, but it's rare to find one that uses really high-quality ingredients. It's not their fault--perfumery ingredients are pricey, and if one is going to offer dozens and sometimes hundreds of fragrances, that's quite the expensive inventory of ingredients. 

I think the folks behind Wicked Good might have some talent, but their raw materials let them down. I have synesthesia, mostly color-grapheme, but when I concentrate on smells, they have literal physical presence in my head. Well-made fragrances with pricey ingredients tend to smell very solid, rigid, and deep. And ones made with lesser ingredients are more diaphanous, unstable, and have a hollow core. Sorry, can't explain it better than that! I can sense that hollowness in some mass market/designer fragrances, which is why I can't wear many of them. And I definitely sense it in a lot of indie perfumes. 

Merry & Bright

Orange Peel, Cranberry, Cinnamon, Clove, Evergreen, Pine

This smells 100% like a Christmas candle, though not a Nest candle. The opening is heavy on the forest-y notes, and I get a bit of tartness from the cranberry. Then the cinnamon and clove come on strong and hijack the scent. The overall effect is Christmas candle + old fashioned ham studded with cloves. I'd probably appreciate this more as a room spray, because it's giving me childhood flashbacks to Christmas Eve. We always had baked ham for every major holiday, which Mom cooked the evening before so we could have it warm for dinner. We all loved the chewy ham skin, with its sweet glaze of pineapple and brown sugar, and every once in a while there'd be a mouthful with an unwelcome whole clove in it. 

The drydown is almost entirely clove with some cinnamon, and smells exactly like a big box craft store, Michael's or Jo Ann's, at holiday season. 

Fruitcake

Candied Fruits, Vanilla Extract, Churned Butter, Brown Sugar, Rum

Fruit cake anyone? Why in the world would anyone do something so cruel to cake? We're normally right there with you, but swear this is one you won't want to re-gift. A warm, mild cake layered with wonderful candied fruit top notes --cherries, mango, cranberries, currants, and orange soaked in rum. It's a fruity, sweet aroma that is sure to remind you of the holidays. 

This one is weird. It smells like no fruitcake I've ever eaten. It starts out rather dusty, as if the fruit has been sitting on a grocer's shelf for too long. There's also too much of a tropical vibe in the top notes, though I can definitely smell the weird "are these actually edible?" scent of plasticky candied cherries. But on top of the fruity smell is an odd metallic yet vegetal note, like freshly grated raw carrots or parsnips. I'm not sure what that is, but it doesn't belong here. Instead, there should be a nutty note, because what good fruitcake isn't also filled with walnuts, pecans, and/or almonds? The drydown, which isn't too sweet, might even be pretty nice if I could smell it over the WTF root vegetable note. And I do love a good carrot note--L'Artisan Parfumeur Fleur de Carotte is amazing, but then it was created by Olivia Giacobetti who was the nose behind so many of my favorite fragrances. This one had potential, but I think the inexpensive perfumery ingredients really lets it down.

Midnight Mass

Frankincense, Omumbiri Myrrh, Tonka Bean, Sandalwood

I grew up in the Catholic faith, so I know exactly what Midnight Mass smells like. Though some people say CdG Avignon smells like church incense, it doesn't smell like what I smelled most of my life. And neither does this. Midnight Mass smells like a fairly generic masculine-leaning fragrance, rather green with some woodiness. And that's about it. It's not bad at all, but it's not giving me any sort of church-y vibes, at midnight or any time of the day.

Demeter Christmas in New York

Milk, Marron Glace, Rum, Cinnamon, Red Apple, Nutmeg

The Scent: Christmas in New York is a special time in a special place. It took the genius of Demeter Fragrance Library to capture that special moment in time in scent. Egg Nog, Spices, Apples and roasting chestnuts, all the elements that are uniquely New York at Christmas-time. Christmas in New York: A unique olfactory experience, created by Demeter Fragrance Library.

I love New York at Christmastime. My experience is that the air at that time of year smells much the same as the rest of the year: a miasma of sewer, hot metal, garbage, and Le Labo Santal 33. If you're near Chinatown/Little Italy, add garlic. If you're in K-town early on a Sunday morning, there's also a soupçon of post-late night-karaoke vomit. And for much of the winter, the acrid and unmistakable smell of roasting chestnuts. I've definitely never smelled eggnog or apple. In any case, Demeter's idealized version of a New York Christmas definitely smells of the creamy nog, heavily laden with cinnamon. There's a warm toasty maple/nuts kinda thing in the opening, though it's certainly not roasted chestnuts (nor does it seem much like marrons glaces, the delicious French candied chestnuts), and rum, too, and a brief segue into apple. Christmas in New York--though not at all New York-y--is really quite good, and one of the rare Demeter scents that lasts more than 5 minutes. It might be worthwhile to buy the body lotion to layer underneath, to make it last even longer. 

Not what I was looking for, but worth adding to my collection.

Stay tuned for Part Two.

-----------------------
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.