Snickerdoodles! That, in a nutshell, is the essence of the new perfume, Dries Van Noten par Frederic Malle (often shortened to just “Dries Van Noten”), from the the luxury fragrance house Editions de Parfums Frederic Malle. It is one of the most respected haute-niche lines in the world and was founded in 2000 by Frederic Malle, a man who has luxury perfume in his blood. His grandfather founded Christian Dior Perfumes, and his mother later worked as an Art Director for the same perfume house.
Dries Van Noten (left) with Frederic Malle (right).
Recently, Mr. Malle decided to shift his focus from collaborating with perfumers to working with fashion designers. The first designer he chose for this new line would be Dries Van Noten whose eponymous fragrance was created by Bruno Jovanovic and released in early March 2013. According to Grain de Musc, the perfume is Malle’s own loose interpretation of Dries Van Noten’s aesthetic and not the designer’s own creation as rendered by Bruno Jovanovic. In other words, inspired by — not “made by” — Dries Van Noten. The Frederic Malle website supports that conclusion in its concise description of the scent:
Small sized bottle of Dries Van Noten par Frederic Malle.
A perfume built around natural sandalwood, chosen for its softness and its character, and the fact that it is simultaneously exotic and evocative of the tradition of great classic perfumes. This very short formula made of very precious materials, generates a sober but distinct sensuality. It is, in my eyes, a fair parallel to Dries van Noten’s world.
Fragrantica categorizes Dries Van Noten Par Frederic Malle as a woody Oriental and lists its notes as follows:
sandalwood, guaiac wood, tonka bean, vanilla, saffron, jasmine, musk, bergamot, lemon, nutmeg, cloves, patchouli, woody notes and peru balsam.
Source: Fragrantica
There was a lot of fuss in the blogosphere about the perfume not only because it was a departure from Malle’s traditional focus but, also, because Dries van Noten involved the use of sustainable Mysore sandalwood. As the Perfume Shrine explained back in January,
it’s also an innovation on the formula front, as the new Malle perfume is touted to be inclusive of a new, natural Indian sandalwood from a sustainable source. Indian sandalwood, for those who didn’t know, had essentially been eradicated from perfumery in the last 20 years or so, due to concerns and regulations on the sustainability of the Mysore sandalwood. The news therefore is a leap of hope for the industry in general and sure to create a real peak of interest in the heart of every perfume fan out there.
Large-sized 3.4 oz bottle.
All that is absolutely wonderful, particularly for those (like myself) who adore true Mysore sandalwood, but sandalwood isn’t at the heart of this perfume. No, it’s cookies. To be very specific, the American cookie (or “biscuit,” as the British term it) called “Snickerdoodles.” Americans will know immediately the precise smell which that name invokes but, for others, here is a brief summation from Wikipedia:
A snickerdoodle is a type of cookie made with butter or oil, sugar, and flour rolled in cinnamon sugar. Eggs may also sometimes be used as an ingredient, with cream of tartar and baking soda added to leaven the dough. Snickerdoodles are characterized by a cracked surface and can be crisp or soft depending on preference.
Snickerdoodles are often referred to as “sugar cookies”. However, traditional sugar cookies are often rolled in white sugar whereas snickerdoodles are rolled in a mixture of white sugar and cinnamon.
The thick, yellow-brown, very buttery, very doughy, cinnamon-sugar cookie is exactly what Dries van Noten smells like — only with nutmeg replacing the cinnamon. The opening on my skin is as simple as that, though there is a definite subtext of flour that sometimes verges into the raw dough batter territory. There are creamy, milky notes, both of vanilla and something resembling almonds at times. The whole thing is wrapped up in a cloud of nutmeg, dancing around like the sugar spice fairy. It’s never bitter or pungent, but, instead, sweetened. The sandalwood is similarly sugared, and seems nothing like vintage or real Mysore sandalwood. There is a definite creamy fluffiness to the scent which is surprisingly light in feel. It’s almost as if the sometimes heavy, doughy sugar cookies have been turned into gauzy air.
About ten minutes in, woody notes start to appear — light, white, and quietly smoky. The notes add a dryness to the scent and ensure that the perfume is never cloying, excessively sweet, or cheap-smelling. As time passes, but especially at the thirty minute benchmark, the woods start to turn much smokier. The guaiac wood is starting to make itself noticed with its strong note of burning leaves or burning paper. I love the smell in its more unusual twist on traditional “smoke,” especially as it’s never acrid, sharp or bitter. I think it adds a much-needed dryness to the extremely sweet, fluffy cookie-aspect of the fragrance.
There is also the start of a faint muskiness from the jasmine. The latter is not perceptible as a floral note, in and of itself, at first. It’s far from indolic, heavy, or sour, so those who fear the note need not worry. But the jasmine gives rise to something very puzzling: one part of my arm starts to smell almost solely of sweet, slightly musky jasmine, while the rest of it smells of snickerdoodles, smoking paper, nutmeg and vanilla. It’s as though there is a No Man’s Land inlet of territory where the jasmine is evident, but nowhere else. And it remains that way for a good two hours. No blending, no merging, no jasmine elsewhere — ever. I find it the oddest thing!
For the next six hours, the majority of my arm (minus that one No Man’s Land) smells of Snickerdoodles to varying degrees, but with small subtexts of other notes. At first, the nutmeg is much more pronounced; then it becomes the guaiac and other wood tonalities; after a while, it’s the dough and flour which become the main subtext; and, then, vanilla and sandalwood. But the core essence of nutmeg sugarcookie never changes. At first, I find it delightful and cozy, and then, frankly, I become very tired and bored of it.
Snickerdoodle dough. Source: FindingTimeForCooking.com
By the time the creamy (but definitely sweetened) sandalwood rolls around, the linearity has driven me a little mad. Particularly as the final dry-down is still mostly flour, yeasty dough, sugar and vanilla. To be fair, I’m not really one for food scents to begin with and, despite the early dry, woody and spiced elements, the needle definitely veers into the “gourmand” category here. Fragrantica can classify this as a “woody oriental” as much as they want; to me, sugar cookies=foody desserts=gourmand fragrances. Period.
I find the fragrance to be a surprising scent to come out of Frederic Malle. This is a lot more what I imagined Jo Malone’s recent “Sugar and Spice” collection to be like. Well, if it were, you know, actual fragrance that was both good, of high-quality, and long-lasting. (Yes, yes, I know, “Meow.”) As a whole, I think Dries Van Noten is not as distinctive as many of Malle’s usual fragrances are, and I suspect that is why a few people seem to have a slight tone of disappointment underlying their generally positive reviews. Or perhaps that is merely my interpretation of the initial test reactions on a Basenotes thread, along with Grain de Musc’s assessment of the perfume.
In Denyse Beaulieu’s case, she had originally expected a scent that evoked a Flemish vegetal garden, but found instead a “speculoos” cookie (which is, I am assuming, a Belgian version of a Snickerdoodle):
When I learned he was partnering with Frédéric Malle I immediately though of Van Noten’s 60-acre garden near Antwerp and envisioned a vegetal, unconventionally floral scent. [¶] I envisioned a landscape instead of a portrait. Frédéric Malle headed straight for a warm, well-ordered Flemish interior with a plate of cookies. Dries Van Noten is a very delicate woody gourmand, folding a cinnamon and clove-sprinkled, vanillic speculoos cookie accord into milky-smoky Mysore sandalwood[i]. To conjure the toasted, nutty, yeasty cookie dough, Malle remembered that sulfurol, more commonly used in food aromas, was also resorted to by Grasse perfumers to boost sandalwood (the material was featured in the odd, yeasty-milkyLe Feu d’Issey). Patchouli coeur (i.e. divested of its musty/camphor notes), methyl ionone and musk set the blend between woody and cosmetic accords. Jasmine absolute is listed, but not legible per se to my nose; the patchouli is fairly prominent.
I don’t smell any patchouli, but the rest is dead on. Victoria at Bois de Jasmin seems to have had a completely experience from both of us, however, with much more floral notes:
Dries Van Noten’s perfume is smooth like melted chocolate and rich like whipped cream, but you won’t smell of Belgian waffles topped with cherries, or anything edible for that matter. The fragrance uses Indian sandalwood*, and it smells simply decadent–rosy, creamy, warm and opulent. Add to this a lush jasmine note, and I’m in Rajasthan, rather than Antwerp, but this is a wonderful fantasy in itself.
The sweetness of vanilla and toasted almond is balanced out by the citrus and earthy violet notes. The hint of something savory is an accent that shouldn’t work but does. The first impression of Dries Van Noten when I spray it on my skin is a classical oriental a la Guerlain Shalimar, where citrus is used to cool down the rich woods and vanilla. But as I wear it longer, it becomes more floral and musky. The perfume reminds me more of the violet tinged woods of Serge Lutens Bois de Violette than of caramelized sandalwoods like Lutens’s Santal de Mysore or Guerlain Samsara.
Violets? Hm. Not on my end. No Shalimar-like citrus, either.
Where I do agree with both ladies is the extremely minimal projection of the perfume. However, there seems to be a little bit of a twist where that is concerned. At first, Denyse of Grain de Musc “found its sillage surprisingly introverted despite several spritzes.” Later, she discovered that maybe it vanished only to her own nose! And she wasn’t alone in that. As she explains:
After discussing Dries Van Noten with other French bloggers and perfume lovers who’d tested it, it seems that while the wearer stops being able to perceive the fragrance after a while except in whiffs, other people smell it quite well.
We agreed we’d noticed this occurring with a few sandalwood and iris accords (there is no iris in DVN but there are ionones) like Cartier L’Heure Promise, Tom Ford Santal Blush and Diptyque Volutes. Other people can smell them just fine on us while we feel the fragrance has all but vanished.
Could there be some type of anosmia or “de-sensitization” at play?
Victoria of Bois de Jasmin also found it had “minimal” projection, while some people on a perfume group I frequent have simply said that the scent vanished entirely after an incredibly brief period of time. In short, it’s definitely something to take into consideration, given the cost of the perfume, and to test it for yourself!
The early consensus from those who’ve tried it is that Dries Van Noten is an incredibly cozy and comforting scent. I think that is very true, if you like gourmand fragrances. But those who aren’t so keen on smelling like food may not be that enamoured. It is one reason why I’m not a huge fan. Another is that I find both its sweetness and its linearity to be, ultimately, a bit too much for my personal tastes — especially for the price. The perfume starts at $185 for a 1.7 oz/50 ml bottle, with the larger bottle retailing for $265. Even if you buy the set of 3 travel-sized minis, it’s still $125 to smell like a Snickerdoodle and yeasty, sugar dough.
Nonetheless, I have no doubt that this will be an enormously popular fragrance, particularly amongst those who enjoy dessert scents with an occasional dry, woody undertone. The gushing I’ve already seen on some sites seems to support that. Plus, the light sillage and good longevity (about 9.5 hours on my perfume-consuming skin) make it ideal for those who want something airy, lightweight and cozy. It’s also suitable for the office, though I personally would not wear it in a very conservative work environment. (Can one be taken seriously if one smells of Snickerdoodles?)
To mangle the famous quote from the great Judi Dench, “if cookies be your perfume of love… spray on.”
A big pass on this one for me. I haven’t tried but one or two Frederic Malle scents, but I wasn’t bowled over. I’d like to explore the offerings of the line more, but would like to try something that makes me feel something more than ambivalence.
Although Frederic Malle won’t be weeping just because I don’t want to try it – as you mention, it is getting tons of attention, and I, too, am sure it will be flying off the shelves! For someone with a sweet tooth such as I have, I’m surprised I don’t like dessert fragrances, but alas…
I think the fact that you do, in fact, bake so much may explain why you don’t want to smell of desserts! As for Malle, I want to try his Brigarade (which a friend of mine calls Brigadoon. LOL!). Which Malles have you tried and which left you feeling a bit ambivalent? I think L’Eau d’Hiver was one, but the other?
I think that might be it – it never smells like the “real deal” to me, because I love the smell of freshly baked goods in general. Also, it seems sort of like a taunt – even if it were done well. “Here’s the smell of a freshly baked, soft, and warm-from-the-oven cookie. But you can’t taste it! Just smell!” That sounds like my version of Hell. LOL.
As for Malle, the one I can think of is Eau d’Hiver, but I could have sworn I tried another. Maybe not, and it’s just been the one. I will have to dig through my samples to see. Maybe I have another that I haven’t tried. God, my memory sucks! I shudder to think that it will be in 40 years!
It sounds yummy, but that’s a lot of money for me. I do love vanilla, though.
A lot of money for a dessert scent, I agree, though the $125 travel minis at 30 ml total make it slightly more approachable for those who really love gourmand fragrances. 🙂
You know we’ve gone off the deep end when $125 for an ounce of liquid seems “more approachable.” Heh. 🙂
ROFL. I thought of that when I hit “Reply” and just winced a little at myself. But I suppose that, for those who really adore a particular Malle scent, $125 for 1 oz is a lot better than not having anything because $185 or $265 is just too, too much. For myself, none of the Malles that I’ve tried thus far would warrant the latter numbers. Or, even the former, actually. Like you, I’m still waiting for true love with his line.
Price is so relative, but $125 is clearly better than $185 or *YELP!* $265. But honestly, when you’re ready to shell out that kind of cash, the hunt for getting something you *really love* is so worth it. At $40/bottle I’m willing to settle for less sometimes, but at $125 or $205 or whatever, I demand perfection! 🙂
I was gonna say… maybe for a certain value of “approachable.”*g*
It is DEFINITELY all relative when it comes that sort of price! And, for me personally, far too high for this sort of scent. 🙂
Wow, you’re VERY fast! Didn’t we just both get our samples? I don’t know how Snickerdoodles smells or tastes but the pictures look delicious.
After wearing Dries Van Noten for one whole day I say it’s not a perfume for me. I get it as overly sweet.
I’m fast because I don’t sleep! LOL! It’s hard to know what a European comparison to Snickerdoodles might be, other than the “speculoos” mentioned by Grain de Musc, but imagine the most sugared, buttery biscuit you can find, then cover it with nutmeg (in this case, though cinnamon for the original). As for the perfume, I agree: too sweet! But for those who actually love dessert scents, this may be not-so-sweet for them due to the woody and smoky notes in the early stages. I think it may all be relative on the spectrum to a person’s usual tastes but I can’t see either you or me wearing this.
I don’t like gourmands in general, there are exceptions, but this one is not an exception. Will pass on that… and so the sample to the swapping box goes.
Was the Guerlain gourmande which you loved so much one of the few exceptions? I can’t recall the name right now. And yes, my sample of this is definitely going to be sent on to someone else.
Yes, the Guerlain (Iris Ganache) is one of the exceptions.
Now, GO TO BED. OK?
Iso E Super? Do you think this heavier molcule is responsible for the vanishing act? Your nose tires of the molecule and can not smell it while others can. All very interesting but not sure if I want to be a cookie wafter. A little unfair to comment really until I smell it. It sounds clever rather than wearable.
I don’t know about ISO E Super; I think we’d have to wait for Undina to try the scent as she seems to have a great nose for detecting that molecule. I know she loves it in perfume, but I’m not as experienced in finding it. On me, the perfume didn’t vanish or become imperceptible at all!
I hope you get the chance to try it and let me know what you think, Jordan. Personally, sugar cookie is not the scent I imagine on you!
I have recently acquired Dries Van Noten sample and have worn it 3 times already. I must admit I wasn`t a fan of it in the beginning. I`m not a big gourmand lover but I appreciate a good “dessert” scent once in a while 🙂 I should add that I`m strangely drawn to DVN… Its maybe the comfort feeling that I get from it or the “cookie/woody” notes that are not overly sweet to me. It lasts on my skin for everrrr! But the sillage should have been slightly better. But on the other hand maybe this scent should be enjoyed in the intimate settings….
Enjoyed the review, Kafka. I should add that I`m a fan of Frederic Malle house and I like Dries Van Noten as a fashion designer a lot!
I’m so glad you found it deliciously cozy and not too sweet! And it does last for ages and ages, doesn’t it? I was quite surprised at the length of time it lasted on me given just how voracious my skin can be. So, do you think the scent fits the image of Dries Van Noten himself? And do you think you’ll succumb to a full bottle or perhaps the travel set of minis?
I will definitely get a decant of DVN to enjoy it on occasion. I cant see myself wearing it all the time, but I quite enjoy its gourmandish qualities. It fits perfectly Dries Van Noten`s style in my oppinion.
I’ve never had a snickerdoodle, but I’m quietly hopeful I might like this. I would draw the line at a goo-goo cluster, mind, and if it is as dull as a Lorna Doone I’m also out.
A Goo-Goo cluster?? ROFL. That sounds hilarious!! I must look that up and see what it is. Okay, a quick Google search shows something with a lot of chocolate and nuts. No, I think you’re safe. Malle’s DvN won’t be anything like that! I’ve had a Lorna Doone biscuit/cookie, though not in ages, and I think that one is pure butter shortbread. So you’re safe on that account as well. You know, I think you may like the Dries Van Noten, despite its gourmand qualities, simply because it is extremely airy and light. No heavy Guerlain-like SDV qualities with this one.
Gourmand, you say? Sign me up! Snickerdoodles, yumm! I’ll skip a sample and go for a decant – score 1 lemming for Kafka!
In the rare occasion that we’re “allowed” to get an afternoon snack brought in for a meeting, our caterer’s choices include a selection of sweets – brownies, chocolate chip cookies, oatmeal & raisin cookies AND Snickerdoodles. Guess which one I usually have on my plate?
YAYYYYYYYYYY for my first, real lemming from you! I had no idea you loved Snickerdoodles in particular, but you may be amused to know that, when testing the perfume and writing my review, there were two people constantly on my mind: a friend of mine, Vicki, and you. This perfume was custom made for both of you, down to the T. They should just have skipped the name entirely and labeled it “Hajusuuri’s Ideal Scent” and “Vicki’s Little Heaven.” 😀
I definitely urge you to skip the mini sample and go straight for a decant. Seriously, don’t even bother wasting your time on anything else but a 5 ml decant at the very least.
Oh gosh, I feel so honored that I was top of mind when you were writing this review!
In my haste to hit send, I forgot to comment on speculoos – to me it IS the Belgian equivalent of Snickerdoodle with 2.5 exceptions:
1- it has ginger
1- the sweetness comes from caramel rather than sugar bits
.5 – the speculoos I had from a bakery in Brussels was harder and drier whereas the Snickerdoodles I’ve had were just a tad bit softer and more moist (and the texture of either one really is a matter of baker’s preference). I am on the hunt for speculoos spread ever since I had a taste of it 3 weeks ago from a Guest Restaurant in our cafeteria.
Come to think of it — I can make speculoos out of DVN by layering on my JM Ginger Biscuit Cologne 🙂
Thank you for an extremely helpful description of Speculoos, Haju (do you mind if I abbreviate your name? Does it have any particular meaning?). I think your description of the differences will be very useful for those non-Americans who have no idea what a Snickerdoodle smells like. Definitely no ginger in the Frederic Malle, and a lot more sugar than in a Speculoos, it sounds like.
You know, I bet you really *could* make a Speculoos scent by layering the Jo Malone Ginger Biscuit with the Malle. You’ve basically given the olfactory version of a baking recipe there. LOL! 🙂
When I fell into the rabbit hole, I wanted to use a shortish screen name that sounded unusual but also related to scents, perfumes, etc. Through the magic of google translate, I landed on “haju suuri” which is “smell great” in Finnish. It amuses me to no end that i picked a name that, in its own weird way, is very similar to “harajuku”. Given the etymology of the screen name, I think sticking to hajusuuri would probably work best because I don’t want to just smell, I want to smell great. 🙂
Got it! I shan’t abbreviate. 🙂 Thank you for the explanation. I found it fascinating. You know, Finnish would have been the absolute last language I would have thought of. LOL.
Hajusuuri, I’ve been wondering about your nickname for a while, because it naturally sticks out to a Finn like me. I’m not saying that a screen name is the most serious business in the world, but the “haju suuri” translation is a very clumsy one. Roughly differentiating the most appropriate Finnish alternatives for the word great when describing a smell: hyvä=good, ihana=lovely (and maybe also “suurenmoinen” from googletranslate’s options, although that would be quite a grand statement). Haju= a smell. Tuoksu= a smell, but with a bit more positive sound to it. Tuoksu can also be used as a word for “a perfume”, although the “official” word for perfume is “hajuvesi” (smell-water).
To smell great = haista/tuoksua hyvältä/ihanalta, a great smell = hyvä/ihana haju/tuoksu.
Suuri mostly means great as in “something big” or like “Alexander The Great”., and it isn’t really used to describe something that smells. And if it was, it would be “suuri haju” (a big smell).
Having said all this, I urge you to keep the funny screen name! 🙂
Mikael – thank you for the language lesson. I read this on the train on my way home and couldn’t help laughing out loud! Yes, I will keep the screen name, even at the risk of it having a possible meaning of The Big Stink given than haju is a not so positive word for smell.
Mmm snickerdoodles:) Love to eat em’!
Gourmand scents are really big over here with tweens/teens… who love to bathe themselves in it. I can appreciate the scent from a distant ( and in my tummy ) but it would drive me crazy to smell like that all day long!
We two are close in our perfume tastes. Snickerdoodles are delicious to eat, but to smell of it for hours? For $185 or $125?? I simply can’t do it. : Yet, I know this perfume is going to completely fly off the shelves.
Agreed! That just baffles me!
Guess what came in the mail yesterday…partial shipment order from stc and sure enough Chergui was in there.***happy dance** I just took a quick whiff of it and my first thought was ” oh, me like”. Going to wear it tonight:) I’ll let you know what I think but so far so good! Excited! Does that make me sad?lol!
btw this is one of my fur babies–> http://instagram.com/p/W7ex_eziDP/
MORE photos of the furbabies!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I love his/her colouring. Gorgeous! And those speckled ears….. it reminds me a little of an Aussie shepherd!
Oh, I’m so, sooooooooo glad that Chergui may fall in the positive camp! And no, honey, it makes you far from sad to be excited about having something new, fun and (from first sniff) positive to wear tonight. I got my full bottle this week and the dark mahogany juice was so beautiful. I bought mine on sale for $75, almost 50% off, so if you like it, tell me later in the Chergui thread and I’ll dig up the link for you. (If you write there, people who see the review and are contemplating the perfume may be swayed by yet another positive vote for it.) What else came in the initial StC batch? Any of the goodies for your mother?
That’s Hershey – she part daschund & basset hound. And my other is Pita she’s springer/dalmatian mix –> http://instagram.com/p/Tpe5aMTiB3/ they’ll never forgive for this pic! lol
The other two samples that came – Dior escape a portifino & Guerlain aqua allegoria mandarine-basilic for my mom. Still waiting on 8 more 🙂
I’ll post my thoughts about Chergui on that thread later tonight. I’m wearing it again today!!
Hahahaha, those poor furrybabies! No, I don’t think they’ll forgive you for sharing the photo any time soon, but I loved it! It brought a huge smile to my face! And they’re both absolutely lovely, Jackie. Adorable!! xoxox
Dear Kafka
Thank you for your very direct and descriptive review (it seems others have been too diplomatic) that tells The Dandy everything he needs to know about this one.
Sweet, biscuit-like, vanilla gourmand more notable for it’s ingredients than it’s outcome.
I’ll pass.
Yours ever
The Perfumed Dandy
My dear Dandy,
It seems you share my reluctance to smell of food or of very sweet desserts. I’m glad I could be of some help. By the way, I highly recommend Snickerdoodles. For eating…. 😉
Best,
Kafka
Dearest Kafka
If I ever come across a Snickerdoodle I shall be sure to give it a try, though I fear that half my problem with “heady desert fragrances” is that I’m not really much of a sweet tooth even when it comes to eating.
There are a couple fragrances I make exception for Kenzo’s Jungle l’Elephant I find inexplicably entrancing, likewise Guerlain’s Instant Extreme for men which has enough body to seem to make it more that merely a corn syrup explosion.
Beyond these too, my confectioner’s perfume cupboard is empty.
Yours ever
The Perfumed Dandy
My sweet tooth varies, from time to time, but, in general, sweets are not my addiction in food-terms. Bread, on the other hand….. If I were ever forbidden to eat bread, I would starve to death! 😉 Bread and cheese, or even bread and butter, are some of my favorite things in life. Good french cheese…. mmmm. Of course, I don’t want to smell of THAT either! Nor of Nutella, which I confess to a certain weakness for, or pizza, one of my favorite things. (The bread-and-cheese aspect again.)
I’m trying to think of what sweet perfumes I may own. I do have Guerlain’s L’Instant (regular version), but I rarely wear it because of the sweetness. I think that’s about it. Hermès Elixir de Merveilles is one of my favorite fragrances but it is hardly gourmand, despite its utterly bi-polar character and orange caramel notes. It’s dryer, salty, resinous and woody, and never feels like dessert. It is probably the sweetest thing I own.
I have the sense that you’re a chypre man at heart, no?
Dear Kafka
Bread. My goodness, my downfall.
I would be sylph like if it were not for the bakers’ savouries.
Back to the bottled delights.
Ah yes a good chypre, something with leather, but also the greens and, well, frankly, florals – though these must be flower like and not too sweet.
You see, this is why I don’t miss gourmands, there so much else out there!
Yours ever
The Perfumed Dandy
Dear Kafka!
Thank you from my wallet for this wonderful review: since I really dislike Snickerdoodles now I will definitely wait for a chance to sniff this one without paying for a sample (before I was tempted to buy one).
You’re very welcome, my dear. 🙂 I had wondered if you might like this, since I have the vague memory of you owning or liking some Guerlain scents that are quite sweet. I guess it’s the actual aspect of Snickerdoodles themselves, especially with their rather doughy feel, which is the issue. That’s replicated alllllllllllllll too well here, so if you hate Snickerdoodles, I would definitely agree with your decision to stop by Barney’s for a free sniff. 🙂
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Dead-on accurate with the snickerdoodles. I have to say that I am quite lucky in that this one actually created a nice snickerdoodly cloud around me that lasted for much longer than I anticipated. Will have to do more testing to see if it is fb-worthy, but I think it has the potential to be one of those great gourmand workhorses in my collection. My money-is-no-object collection 😉
It really IS Snickerdoodles in a bottle, isn’t it? LOL! Great to hear about the sillage not being a problem for you!! I didn’t have problems with it either, but some seem to have had extremely diff. experiences with the whole thing suddenly vanishing.
I have to say, I actually snorted and laughed out loud at your ironic “My money-is-no-object collection. ;)” You and me both, sister, you and me both!
My money-is-no-object collection would be obscene! And climate/humidity/temperature controlled 🙂
I did spring for a decant of Vicki’s Little….oops, DVN. L’Artisan’s Bois Farine lasted 5 minutes on me literally and the other milky cozy fragrances haven’t taken on me ( sour milk anyone? No way). If
do like Snickerdoodles and SDV needs some company in my cozy fragrance collection
L’Artisan’s Bois Farine lasted FIVE minutes on you????!?!? Good God! You don’t even have my sort of problematic skin, so heaven knows what it would do if *I* tried it! *blink*
I’m glad you got yourself a decant of the Dries van Noten. It’s so very you. The only question now is: how long will you last until you want a full bottle? 😉 So, is it Snickerdoodles on your skin too? And how long does it last?
I have yet to get that decant but eagerly await it. And I am seriously wondering if my skin sponges juice up as well. I adore TF Noir et Noir and Tobacco Vanille but they were completely gone in 1/2 an hour! I wonder if I would have better luck spraying vs dabbing? Yet the Bath and Body Works Enchanted Orchid from this morning is still there.Yes I’m weird.
Perfumes without synthetics will never last as those cheapies which are filled with synthetics. So, that fully explains the Bath & Body Works issue. LOL. That said, 30 minutes for Tom Ford’s Private Line?????!?!?! And for those two in particular??!! *gasps* That’s…. that’s…. mind-boggling. I’m actually a bit speechless. I truly don’t know what to say. O__O
I got a generous sample of this from Barneys. I tried it twice and Boo Hisss I did not like it. Perhaps it’s the combination of jasmine and cloves…a burnt plastic smell and sharp. I’ll stick to eating Snickerdoodles instead of wearing it.
Ouch! It sounds terrible on you! I bet it was the nutmeg, not cloves, that smelled sharp and a little acrid on you, esp. in conjunction with the other notes. I’m kinda sad though that you didn’t like it — for YOUR sake — since I know how much you love both gourmand scents in general and Snickerdoodles. (You did think it smelled of Snickerdoodles, at least, right?) I know you had very high hopes for this one. 🙁 At least you managed to get a sample for free before shelling out for a decant, but still, how disappointing!
I bought a sample of this and it was literally quite startlingly horrible. GIven the ‘mildness’ of the reviews I was really not expecting this but as soon as I sprayed it I was overwhelmed by a shrieking loud sweetish monotonous note that masked anything else. It made me feel literally nauseous. Later I became curious about this and researching reviews online I did find one other person seems to have had this response (on Frangrantica). This made me feel less weird and I was so intrigued I sprayed this on paper and put it to one side. Even two weeks later I could still pick up this intensely unpleasant note from the other side of the room. I picked the paper up and by this stage I could now get some sense of the underlying theme but picking it up was a mistake since my skin, or body heat reactivated this smell. By now it was much reduced but it was still really unpleasant. I’ve been trying to work out what it can have been as something in this is obviously huge red flag for me. So far, no idea…..
Must be the “sandalwood” that they used. It’s certainly sweetish and monotonous.
I’m guessing you mean a fake sandalwood note not the real thing.I have not had a problem with this note in say Tam Dao and
I love the sandalwood in Amouage’s sandal attar (though I know this is not mysore sandalwood and I know what you mean about green and buttermilky) and I get nothing like this from anything else I have tried with ‘sandalwood’ (like cdc wonderwood)…. oh well, I just hope it doesn’t jump out at me in anything else.
thanks for the suggestion.
Perhaps it’s that cookie note and the materials that have gone into recreating that accord which are the problem? If so, then you’re probably unlikely to run into the problem with other sandalwood fragrances and are safe. 🙂
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