L’Erbolario Meharees & Le Labo Labdanum 18

Posted on January 12, 2015 by Kafkaesque

People often search for affordable facsimiles or “dupes” of famous fragrances. In the case of Frederic Malle‘s Musc Ravageur, one name that comes up is Meharees from the Italian brand, L’Erbolario Lodi. It’s been called the “Musc Ravageur killer” for a fraction of the price, and it’s also mentioned in the context of Hermès‘ Ambre Narguilé as well. A more expensive niche name that comes up in relation to Musc Ravageur is Le Labo‘s Labdanum 18. I love both Musc Ravageur and a bargain, so I bought Meharees blindly, persuaded by the rave reviews and by the company’s description of camel rides through the Sahara and legendary oases filled with undulating date trees. I thought I’d review it in conjunction with Le Labo’s Labdanum 18 to show how they compare to the Malle.

Photo: George Steinmetz/Corbis. Source: spiegel.de

Continue reading →

L’Antichambre Le Chocolat Parfum (Le Chocolat Ambre)

Posted on December 16, 2014 by Kafkaesque

Source: luckyscent.com

Charles Schultz, the creator of Charlie Brown and Peanuts, once said “All you need is love. But a little chocolate now and then doesn’t hurt.” Le Chocolat might help as well. It is a pure parfum from the Belgian house of L’Antichambre, a boutique in Brussels that originally made only customized, bespoke creations. In 2013, its founder and nose, Anne Pascale, launched a line of parfums or extraits available to the public, one of which was Le Chocolat, though it was originally called Le Chocolat Ambre at the time. The name may have changed, but the scent supposedly remains the same.

According to Luckyscent, Le Chocolat’s notes are:

Lemon, jasmine, chocolate, amber, vanilla.

Source: kcchocolateschicago.com

Le Chocolat opens on my skin with delicious, rich, very expensive-smelling chocolate. It veers between something like a chocolate truffle, a chocolate mousse, a Mars bar with its caramel center, and Cadbury’s. If you’ve ever smelt Cadbury’s chocolate, you know that it has a certain aroma that is strong and simultaneously a bit milky. Le Chocolate, though, smells much more expensive than a mere Cadbury’s bar.

Continue reading →

MPG Ambre Precieux & Ambre Precieux Ultime

Posted on November 21, 2014 by Kafkaesque

Source: Pinterest via Uploaded. Original source or photographer unknown.

Sometimes, the simplest things can be the most comforting. Ambre Precieux from Maître Parfumeur et Gantier (or “MPG“) is one of those things for me. An instant love, a soothing blanket, an addictive scent with a narcotic hold on me from the very first moment that I tried it and that I keep turning to again and again. Caramel amber with creamy vanilla, smoky incense, and bits of toffee in a lusciously sweet, frothy mix that has been lightly dusted with spices — it’s like a perfume lover’s dream latte, only far better than anything Starbucks could ever put out. In fact, Ambre Precieux is so deeply comforting to me that I ordered a full bottle within moments of sniffing it, and I’ve gone through a rather alarming amount of it in just a short time. You know how people sometimes say that a fragrance makes them want to eat their arm? That is Ambre Precieux for me.

“Abstract streams of gold.” Photo: Jason Tockey. Site: jstimages.wordpress.com

So, when I heard that MPG was coming out with a deeper, richer version of the fragrance — an eau de parfum this time — called Ambre Precieux Ultime, I practically salivated on myself. I had to try it. Immediately. The fact that the Ultime is a limited-edition release and only 1000 bottles were made added to my sense of urgency.

Others felt the same way, too. Ambre Precieux is not only one of the benchmark fragrances in the genre, but a mainstay in many amber lovers’ collection. Such is the love that people feel for the original that several friends of mine rushed to get their hands on the new Ultime, buying full bottles blindly and without regard to the higher price. I didn’t succumb to that extent because I’m wary about blind buys in general — and I’m glad I waited. The two fragrances don’t diverge enormously, but there are some definite, noticeable differences that impact my views of each one. As a result, I thought it would useful to cover both fragrances simultaneously. Continue reading →