L'Aromatica Chanteuse

Chanteuse - n. songstress. Often sings popular songs in a cabaret setting. 

Even before I've finished applying L'Aromatica Chanteuse from my sample vial its thick, oily wood notes fills the air around me. It's perfect for today. Outside the rain is coming down so heavily that I can barely see the city from my balcony and my usually warm apartment has a distinct chill. On days like this I love a thick, heavy scent that takes the edge off the cold.

L'Aromatica is owned by Loreto Remsing and can be found on Etsy (she was formerly selling under shop name Loreto). There are an interesting mix of scents on offer, mostly made with natural ingredients and she is (once again) offering custom perfume services - you can read about my experience with her custom perfumes here (please note prices quoted on that post were correct at the time of blogging and may have changed).

From the L'Aromatica Chanteuse Etsy listing

Chanteuse is described as "Part chypre, part floriental with a heavy dose of Woods, Florals, Spices, and Madagascar Vanilla...Rich, deep, mysterious and just a little smoky with a long dry-down."

Now, I'm no expert on chypre fragrances, however this is what I imagine they smell like. There is a deep greeness to Chanteuse, a thick, mossy scent that mingles with damp woods and a hint of patchouli. Straight from the bottle there is a light citrus note that fades very quickly on the skin and as Chanteuse dries down it becomes deeper.

There are flowers mixed into this forest-like centre, although they do feel a little lost amongst the woods and greenery. What they do add is a certain femininity, a hint of sweetness amongst the resin-y warmth of Chanteuse's other notes. Chanteuse has a slight headiness to it as well, the combination of spices, smoke and woods are just intoxicating.

I don't detect the Madagascar vanilla mentioned in the description, however I don't feel that Chanteuse is lacking because of this. It is absolutely a scent I would consider buying a full bottle of.

The 5ml oil current sell for $24USD and 1 oz EDT for $42USD. Please note that the EDTs are only available within the USA at this time, so Aussie customers will have to go with the perfume oil option. Samples are also available in the L'Aromatica Etsy store if you want to try them out first.

Gone but not forgotten...

'Discontinued' is somewhat of a dirty word for consumers in the cosmetics industry. It's the word that a woman hopes not to hear when she approaches the cosmetics counter, the remains of her favorite shade clinging to the edges the lipstick tube. With baited breath she waits only to hear the dreaded 'D' word.

With the lightening fast turn around on new releases, it certainly seems to be out with the old and in with the new. This can be so frustrating for consumers when they find the perfect product only to have it whisked away from them! The plethora of limited edition products only perpetuates this warp speed FIFO attack and we're left holding our empty treasures, hoping that the company might one day bring them back.

Fumes that should never have been discontinued...

• Mac Naked Honey - an absolute delight of a fragrance, all sticky honey and white florals. Mac released this as an LE and I'm clinging to my 20ml bottle as the last 1/4 slowly disappears.
• Cuir de Lancome (and the La Collection in general) - I can only assume these have all been axed as they're not available at any Lancome counter I've been to in Australia, nor are they on the Lancome website. A highly sophisticated bunch, particularly when compared with the rest of Lancome's current lineup. Cuir de Lancome is a particular treat in all it leather-y goodness!
• Donna Karan Gold - Gold, with all its lush, heavy lilies; was a stunning and ultra glamorous scent. Why, why why?!
• L'Occitane Honey & Lemon - this is seriously my ultimate comfort (when I'm at home, sick and in my uggs) scent. While it's not exactly a feat of perfume mastery it's a scent that I adore!

I think the fear of discontinuation and not being able to readily buy the scents I love is what stops me from delving too far into vintage fragrance!

Luckily, some of these scents are still available online. Thank god for the Internet!

What scents do you wish were still around?

Lush Gorilla Perfumes Orange Blossom

Further to my post last week about the ties between fragrance and emotion I’ve really taken more notice about the general emotional vibe that my scent’s have. Being a fairly emotional person myself, my collection really reflects the fact that my feelings are prone to shifting and changing depending on what is going on in my life.

I have my calm scents (Jo Malone Wild Bluebell and Missoni Acqua), my melancholy scents (Guerlain L’Heure Bleu), my comfort scents (Donna Karan Cashmere Mist and Ava Luxe Love’s True Bluish Light), my confident scents which are usually the same as the do-not-wear-in-confined-spaces scents (YSL Opium and Sonoma Scent Studio Vintage Rose.)

When I decided to wear my Gorilla Perfume (Lush Cosmetic’s fragrance brand) Orange Blossom perfume, I was immediately struck by its emotion: cheerfulness. It all but screams at you “I’m so happy I could do a cartwheel” and proceeds to make you feel as though you’ve stepped into a cartoon field of flowers and sunshine. This is extreme cheerfulness; it’s the base jumping of cheerful perfumes.

In this sweetness-and-light composition orange blossom and neroli are layered over a base of honey and wood. Lush Orange Blossom is sweet sweet sweet! The honey notes are sticky and deeply golden, giving the scent a richness that is very much needed. Without it, I feel that Orange Blossom may have felt thin and synthetic yet the honey gives this scent body and depth.

The honey notes are most prominent in the opening and earlier wear of Orange Blossom, as the scent develops they become more and more subtle as if melting into the other notes. As with many orange blossom or neroli scents there is a slight soapiness to Orange Blossom particularly as the scent moves past the honeyed opening.  It has a charming, freshly showered feel to it and is in keeping with its cheerful, innocent theme.

I imagine it would be difficult to wear Orange Blossom without a smile on your face and it feels like as though it should be accompanied by a Sooki Stackhouse-style sundress.

Something else that might make you more cheerful is the price. At a mere $18.95AUD for 9g (not exactly sure why they’re measured in grams instead of mls?) or $39.95AUD for 27g they’re definitely on the more affordable end of the fragrance spectrum. I’ll be repurchasing when my 9g bottle runs out and upgrading to the larger one! 

Elie Saab Le Parfum

Previously, I mentioned that a gorgeous bottle of Elie Saab Le Parfum found its way into my Christmas stocking last year. Released in 2011, I had the opportunity to first try Saab's first perfume while holidaying in the UK as it was not yet released in Australia. I immediately liked the cheery golden warmth and honeyed flowers of Le Parfum and made a mental note to investigate further once it made it to the Southern Hemisphere.

Le Parfum was created by Francis Kurkdjian, a very talented perfumer who has created many scents that I adore such as Acqua di Parma Iris Nobile, Juliette Has a Gun Lady Vengence, Narciso Rodriguez For Her and  Cologne Pour le Soir under his own perfume line: Maison Francis Kurkdjian. Having such a talented nose behind a designer released created quite a buzz in the perfume community, it inspired some hope that perhaps Le Parfum wouldn't be like a lot of the other churn-and-burn releases for the department store set.

Image source

While Le Parfum is certainly a departure from the masses of syrupy fruity florals hogging all the space in the perfume section of Myer, it's still very sweet! Le Parfum comes on strong initially, with a hearty burst of orange blossom demanding your attention up front. This full-throttle floral opening is like a burst of sunlight hitting you directly in the face, it blinds you momentarily from anything else that is going on.

 As the opening settles down, its golden warmth starts to diffuse giving off a gauzy sunset effect. Jasmine soon appears with a hint of rose and a heavy handed dose of honey. Here, Le Parfum is all warmth. It is deeper and richer than the opening would suggest, the combination of honey and flowers giving it a dense feel. I fear those who dislike sweet florals would find Le Parfum overwhelming.

I, however, bask in the glorious glow of Le Parfum. The thing I like about this scent is that it managed to be so utterly cheerful and optimistic without feeling like a cliche. Normally those overtly clean or 'happy' scents irritate me and my natural seriousness, but Le Parfum is infectious. It also feel womanly, unlike many other scents today which seem to be overtly and purposefully youthful. I can't say that Le Parfum is the most original scent that I have ever come across, nor is it challenging or particularly masterful. What it does, however, is capture a happy moment that one would want to live over and over and I doubt I could frown whilst wearing Le Parfum.

Perfume as a form of escapism

Growing up I was one of those annoying children always asking 'why?' Why do I have have to wear yucky pink tights to ballet class? Why does Ariel hate being a mermaid? Why do I need to learn maths?

As I got older the 'why' questions never went away - Why does university seem to matter so much to my Dad? Why do so many people smoke? Why do I often feel like no one understands me?

Thinking back, I probably should have studied psychology at university instead of business. Human behaviour and the thought process is nothing short of fascinating to me, I often find myself pondering why people are the way they are and how it affects the way they interact with one another. The reasons why we do things and why we become attached to things could fill my mind for hours.

As such, I'm prone to self-analysis and I wanted to write a post about one of the reasons why I love fragrance so much. Whereas many people view perfume as simple an 'addition' to their style or as 'just something you do' when you go out for dinner, I have a very different experience. Scent in general drives my emotions, it works as a trigger and I can use it to enhance or dispel anything that I am feeling.

When I'm feeling frazzled, overworked and out of my depth, a single spritz of a calm, green scent is all I need to feel revived and refreshed (particularly when a cup of tea isn't available!) When in need of some confidence I reach for powerful, strong scents to make me stand up a little straighter. Vanilla or honey scents are my best scents for unwinding or relaxing and citrus scents seem to give me a little extra sparkle. It might sound strange but a fragrance can totally transport me to another place. For me, it's a form of escapism.

In fact, at times where I have felt so blue that I just wanted to disappear, my spare room (where I house all my wonderful bottles of perfume) feels like another world. Fragrance is forgiving, it doesn't care if you've been late for work, if you've missed a deadline or if you've generally been cranky and unpleasant to your loved ones. It won't decided not to fit one day, it wont make you feel bad about the way you look or berate you for that extra TimTam. It will simply give you an opportunity to take a moment out of your day and experience something, allowing you to forget reality for a moment.

Agent Provocateur Strip - the ultimate Valentine's Day perfume

 If there’s one thing that never fails to appeal to me, it’s vintage or burlesque-inspired lingerie. In my mind (where my show-girl alter ego resides) it’s how I would love to dress every single day; wearing lacy stockings and garter belts under all manner of pretty, vintage dresses. Also, I want to live in a word where I can wear hats every day…but that’s another story.

On the topic of my love for all things old-school sexy, my fragrant tastes in this area run towards amber scents. I’m not sure what it is about amber but I find these warm scents to be incredibly attractive. There’s just something so inviting and sensual about them! A few of the amber scents that I love include (the recently purchased) Hermes Hermessence Ambre Narguilé and my old favourites Balmain Amber Gris and Estee Lauder Youth Dew Amber Nude.

Being that it’s Valentine’s Day I automatically wanted to wear something sexy, despite the fact that J and I don’t really celebrate Valentine’s Day other than writing a nice card or splitting a good bottle of red. I choose Agent Provocateur Strip to be my (aptly named) sexy scent for today and, in all its red fishnet-printed bottle glory, it feels just right for the occasion.

Strip was a limited edition release from the ultra-luxe Agent Provocateur line, whose scents are high up on my list of loves (check out my review of Eau Emotionelle) and it certainly fits in with their sensual aesthetic. Strip lacks the more vintage feel of the original Agent Provocateur, taking on a warm, floral oriental feel instead.

trip starts out a little dirty, some wonderful earthy notes mix with oily florals to make a delightfully naughty opening. In keeping with the whole image of Agent Provocateur, Strip feel slightly animalistic yet it never goes so far as to frighten off those who like their perfumes with minimal skank. Soon after the opening begins to quieten down, warm amber floods this fragrance turning it into a come hither scent.

Ultimately, Strip ends up being an enticing combination of amber, musk and woods which melts into the skin beautifully. It feels as though it was made to be worn in close contact, it becomes part of the skin rather than simply an enhancement. Despite the earthy opening, Strip is a bit of a people pleaser in the end and is, perhaps, less daring than the original Agent Provocateur fragrance. This doesn’t stop me wishing that Strip was not a limited release, as it certainly deserves more love.

Happy Valentine’s Day to all! Are you doing anything special for V’Day and what scent have you chosen? Please share in the comment section. 

Joint Blogging: Top 20 Best Selling Perfumes

As I mentioned in my last post, I’m joining Ari and a host of other bloggers in a joint blogging initiative to review the 20 Best Selling scents (US) from 2011. I’ll work my through as many as I can, although from looking at the list there is only one fragrance that I own in a full bottle size (Cashmere Mist) and only one more that I would consider purchasing full size (Chanel no.5) from first glance.

However, I’ll approach this with an open mind (except perhaps where it comes to the Beiber fragrance) and work my way through as many of the 20 as possible. To kick-off I’ll recap two scents from this list which I have already reviewed; one that I adore and another that I just can’t bring myself to love.

Donna Karan Cashmere Mist

Cashmere Mist is one of my long-time lovers as far as perfumes are concerned. I’ve been wearing this cosy scent for about 7 or 8 years now and have no intentions of stopping. I’ve previously described Cashmere Mist as the ‘fragrance equivalent of a fluffy white bathrobe’ and it’s definitely a scent I gravitate towards when I’m having a day (or night) at home. I like it best on damp skin, straight from a hot shower or bath where it seems to enhance the natural scent of clean skin.

The scent itself if very simple; a bare hint of white (slightly soapy) flowers layered over a creamy vanilla musk base. Cashmere Mist is a gentle scent, quietly sensual and private. For a scent that has been around for almost 20 years (it’ll reach the two decade mark in 2014) it still feels relevant. Read my original Cashmere Mist review here.

Chanel Coco Mademoiselle

Coco Mademoiselle has always felt like ‘the’ scent for young girls to buy, I know so many people who have it as their signature scent and buy bottle after bottle of this pretty peach liquid. But I just can’t love it…like? Yes, but certainly not love.

Coco Mademoiselle is not the sort of fragrance one wears if you want to smell natural and normally this doesn’t bother me (in fact I love many scents which smell reminiscent of cosmetics and other such things) but for some reason Coco Mademoiselle smells as though it’s trying too hard. It’s very floral but I can’t detect any of the individual flowers and it feels muddled to my nose.

Where I do enjoy Coco Mademoiselle is in the dry down; my skin really throws the vanilla and musk in this part of the fragrance. However, a nice vanilla musk dry down is not exactly difficult to come buy and there are many other scents which do this combination better. In fact, I remain confused as to why this scent is so popular. Perhaps it’s the great job that Chanel does at advertising and creating an ‘image’ around this scent…because I cannot link the widespread love to the scent itself.

Read my original Coco Mademoiselle review here.

What are your thoughts on these scents? Do you think they deserve a spot in the best sellers list?