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.

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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.