Serge Lutens La Religieuse

Posted on February 22, 2015 by Kafkaesque

“Snow” is a word that comes up quite a bit in Serge Lutens‘ descriptions for La Religieuse, his latest release that debuted in Paris at the start of February and one that is officially characterized as a jasmine fragrance. I think the word “snow” is absolutely accurate in describing the opening of the scent with its icy and “crystalline” aesthetic, but La Religieuse was hardly the jasmine soliflore that I expected. It was nothing like A La Nuit, Sarrasins, or any other jasmine soliflore that I’ve tried for that matter. Frankly, if I smelt it blindly, the word “jasmine” would be at the very end of my list of descriptors. Instead, the name “De Profundis” would come up within minutes, which might make some of you very happy indeed.

Source: wallpapers at hdw.eweb4.com

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État Libre d’Orange True Lust Rayon Violet De Ses Yeux

Posted on February 21, 2015 by Kafkaesque

État Libre d’Orange True Lust Rayon Violet De Ses Yeux must surely be in the running for one of the longest perfume titles around. I think it is also one of the most gobbledygook names with its mix of Franglais that essentially translates to the meaningless mish-mash of “True Lust [The] Violet Ray of Her Eyes.”

Source: Etat Libre website.

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État Libre d’Orange Dangerous Complicity

Posted on February 20, 2015 by Kafkaesque

Source: Etat Libre website.

Dangerous Complicity from État Libre d’Orange is a fragrance that would be more aptly named “Generic Simplicity,” in my opinion. In my experience, the company’s edgy or provocative names (and marketing) rarely match the scent in question, and Dangerous Complicity is no different. It’s a shame, because the perfume’s notes looked pretty damn spectacular.

The original company description for the scent was all about Adam and Eve: “By eating the forbidden fruit, complicity took on another dimension, and became dangerous. They lost their innocence and their paradise. The door was opened to carnal energy, they were liberated from restrictions, and they could now create their own version of Eden. That forbidden fruit became a one-way ticket to Etat Libre d’Orange.” Press release are frequently over the top but, in this case, for this particular scent, I find the description not only ridiculous but absolutely laughable. If my eyes rolled back in my head any more, they would fall out.

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Upcoming New Releases: Neela Vermeire Pichola

Posted on February 17, 2015 by Kafkaesque

Neela Vermeire will be adding a new fragrance to her line this Spring, an eau de parfum called Pichola (pronounced “Pitchola”). It was inspired by Lake Pichola in Udaipur, Rajasthan, scene of the stunning Lake Palace and location for the James Bond film, “Octopussy.”

The Lake Palace in Lake Pichola, Udaipur. Source: topindiatravel.com

Pichola is a floriental (or floral-oriental) created in conjunction with Neela Vermeire’s usual “nose,” Bertrand Duchaufour. The press release provides the following information and perfume notes:

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