Source: makmoda.com
Perfumes often seek to transport you to another place or time. In the case of Parfums de Nicolaï‘s Musc Monoi, the goal seems to be a tropical beach where a gentle breeze carries the smell of tropical flowers and the salty sea to cover your sun-kissed skin. To some extent, Musc Monoi accomplishes that goal, though not to the degree that I would have liked.
In my perpetual hunt for the perfect vanilla, I decided to try Guerlain‘s Shalimar Ode à La Vanille Sur La Route De Mexique. The very first “Shalimar Ode à La Vanille” was released in 2010, and was a gourmand, vanilla-centric flanker to the great Shalimar that was subsequently followed by another limited-edition gourmand version in 2012 called Ode à La Vanille Sur La Route De Madagascar. In 2013, the Mexique version was released, also in limited-edition, but this one is still easily found on a number of online retailers for a great, discounted price. It’s not my perfect vanilla by any means, but I can see why some people like the fragrance, especially those who struggle with the 1925 Shalimar original and dislike its dark, smoky, leathery, and animalic undertones.
Ode à La Vanille, Mexique Version bottle and box. Source: tatler.ru
Catherine Jeltes Painting, “Modern Brown Abstract Painting WinterScape.” Etsy Store, GalleryZooArt, linked within. (Click on photo.)
An ethereal spring bouquet of silvery iris and white flowers dusted with mimosa’s golden sweetness. Then, a lush, orchid-like, champaca vanilla infused with boozy, fruited liqueur and smoky guaiac. Finally, an extremely woody fragrance with masculine elements of burnt leaves, smokiness, and musk. That was the very surprising progression of Angélique, a chameleon scent that first filled me with visions of bridal white (and thoughts of how well it was named) before it astounded me by rapidly morphing into a completely different fragrance, one that was quite a pleasant surprise. In fact, at times, I was sniffing my wrist with much appreciation. Although the drydown changed things for me, there are parts of Angélique that can well be called “exquisite” or “beautifully lush.”This is a fragrance that is so evocative at times that I’ve just barely managed to stop myself from explaining its development solely in terms of a series of images. That said, please pay close attention to the photos in this review, particularly to the sharp changes in colour, style, mood, and background, as they reflect changes within the perfume itself.
“Romeo and Juliet,” by Sir Frank Dicksee. Source: caitaratartaglia.wordpress.com
Tobacco Rose is a rich, saturated, luxurious rose fragrance from Papillon Perfumery that would probably have inspired Shakespeare to write another dozen sonnets or plays. In Romeo and Juliet, he said “a rose by any other name smells as sweet,” arguing that names do not matter, only the essential nature of a thing. He’s right, but I don’t think that his philosophy always holds true for perfumes. Names do matter in the expectations that they create, and “Tobacco Rose” is no different. Yet, in this case, I find none of darkness that is suggested, and I think that the scent would appeal far more to a “Juliet” than to a “Romeo.” That said, if a particular Juliet were a really passionate rose fanatic, I suspect she might swoon far more over Tobacco Rose than any words spouted by a pimply Romeo.