smokingboot

I had one of my presents early. Alas, our Nakatomi Plaza advent calendar has gone awol, but we did have replacements to make up for it. I got R a collection of advent coffees and he got me this.

Each dated box has a teeny perfume sample in it.

Potions up to today:

Daisy - Marc Jacob
La Vie est Belle - Lancome
Gorgeous Jasmine - Gucci Flora
Code por Femme - Giorgio Armani
Eau De Soleil Blanc - Tom Ford
Light Blue - Dolce & Gabbana
La Belle - Jean Paul Gaultier
Vanilla Candy Rock Sugar 42 - Kayali
Chloe - Chloe
Flowerbomb - Victor & Rolf

So far all big hitters/best sellers, the only unfamiliar one being Vanilla Candy, which really does smell like vanilla candy, including an interesting bubble gum note. As yet nothing has that vibe of a demented chemist mixing homebrew in a vat, having said that, I do enjoy niche perfumery. Most of these are summer scents, and very well behaved; you could wear any of them to an office or a party without asphyxiating the people around you. They are all bearable.

The best for longevity so far is Light Blue, which makes no sense as it's an eau de toilette. it has such a dull name and composition, even the bottle is dull. But in fact, it's really pleasant, perfect for Summer on the Med.
I had forgotten how Code really suits me.
Got to give Daisy more of a go.

No to the suncream, Tom Ford's having a laugh.
As if to remind me that nothing compares to real flowers, Gucci Flora's Gorgeous Jasmine goes Blaaaaart and hurts my head.
Flowerbomb doesn't know what it is and neither do I.

Enjoying this gift!

Goth chum bought me extra samples from these guys:

"In the world of perfumery a void lies unoccupied. Those of us with a darker aesthetic find ourselves forsaken; our alternative spirits remain unrepresented in the realm of scent. While gothic clothing and cosmetics flourish, we realised there were no perfume houses embracing our subculture and thus the idea of Cursed was born.
And so it begins..
We embarked on a journey to craft mysterious scents and shape a fragrance house for those whose hearts dwell in the shadows. We delved deep into the alchemical depths of perfumery, experimenting with rare and mystical essences.
We craved substance and meaning. We sought inspiration in dark legends and stories of our own creation. Cursed perfumes are the embodiment of those macabre tales of love and loss. With our scents we invite you to embrace a fulfilling darkness that will resonate within your very soul."

Gad. What you get with your little sample is a story of dripping gothery as well as a list of the fragrance notes. The whole thing has the vibe of the Baba Studio Bohemian Gothic Tarot deck, which was at once marvellous and patently absurd. The Seven of Swords was my favourite for reaching peak Gilliam. https://www.aeclectic.net/tarot/cards/bohemian-gothic/

Anyway, the perfume samples.

Pretty as Poison is sour/black cherries, a really distinct identifiable note. Friend talked about how she could smell this on another friend as they boogied away at Slimelight. Frankly, if a perfume can sustain the horrors of that place, it's a keeper. Initio's Side Effect has a more balanced cherry note, but it's also more syrupy and you have to get past some rather odd top notes to get there, even though I like tobacco and rum. Also, Pretty as Poison's £79 for 100ml, Side Effect's £265 for 90ml.

Crystal Ritual? Awful name, awful story, but basically it's frosted strawberries with a touch of floral. Weirdly cheerful for a Goth Perfume House, but I like it. It's very nice everyday wear.

Moonstruck: A pleasant sorta-Jasmine based floral.

Vampiren Veil: Here's the legend you get with this one. On a stormy Transylvanian night, a weary traveller stands before imposing black iron gates. The overgrown path behind them winds towards a distant forgotten castle, its grandeur now shrouded in decay. With the storm's fury escalating and no shelter for miles, the traveller forsakes his instinct to leave, pushing the gate open. The wrought iron groans under his touch, protesting the intrusion. Walking down the neglected path, a sense of unease sets in, quickening his heartbeat and dampening his palms with dread. Yet, an intriguing aroma drifts from a distance, impossible to ignore, the traveller surrenders to its seductive allure.

He wanders the meandering paths of the courtyard. Above, a raven caws, its ominous cry piercing the air - a warning amidst the silence. Still the scent intensifies and persuades him to continue into the entrance hall. Aged portraits stare down at him as he explores the winding corridors.

Within the walls of the castle, an undying creature waits, silent and breathless with anticipation. A cruel smile stretches over her crimson lips as the traveller delves deeper into her domain.

A chill claws its way up the travellers spine as he pushes open the final creaking wooden door and finds the creature standing there, ethereal and poised in statuesque stillness. Her beauty, like a delicate mask, conceals her lethal nature and soullessness. In his final lucid moments, he grows drunk on her scent and hypnotised by her empty, blood-red eyes, stumbles into her waiting embrace, She gazes down upon her prey, her insatiable hunger demanding immediate relief.

To all those who wander this land, take this tale as a warning to beware the Vampiren Veil, a scent so alluring and deep. For those who wear it, never sleep.

Goth friend told me it reminded her of those sanitiser sprays one gets in public restrooms, and I had to agree with her. To all those who walk this land I strongly suggest staying out of the public loos just in case Toilet Vampire awaits. Still of the four, one miss, one pleasant enough and two very wearable, it's looking good for Cursed so far.

Lana Del Rey's Video Games. I cannot get rid of it, it's been like this for ages.

This is a strange song for me, I love it but tire of it quickly. And yet here it is over and over.

A dream the night before last, sofas and beds and maybe even buildings constructed in flower shapes, a huge bird of paradise plant big enough to be a viewing platform, a voice repeating 'Here come the people!' Emphasis on the first syllable of 'people' in a high pitched near-song. It repeated often, but the tune has faded away to be replaced by Lana again. Everything's been replaced by Lana for about four days. Very strange.

Bigger tester for Absolute Aphrodisiac because I like it enough to try more. The blurb goes: Absolute Aphrodisiac activates the carnal energies of animalic fragrance. It is a heady scent inviting white flowers and vanilla before overpowering with a rush of musk, amber, and castoreum.

'Chocolate cake!' Announced R as he walked into the room, 'delicious!'

I may have found the one.

Poets of Berlin, this one's cute. https://vilhelmparfumerie.com/en-gb/products/poet-of-berlin?srsltid=AfmBOoqec4NPdWnqaiAQqs94hbqS5tgx7PHDlIh0RSauubpdla1Pncws
Here's the blurb:
Berlin, a city that is alive with the same kinetic, magnetic energy that attracted David Bowie for a few formative, recuperative and prolific years in the Seventies. Perpetual creative movement embodied in a bold yaddayadda...

It's muffins. It's even possible to be specific about what kind of muffins; we're talking blueberry and lemon. What has this to do with the city, or radical artistry or Bowie's Berlin trilogy? Nothing AFAIK. At first, there's some green topnote, very elegant and hard to identify. Once that wears off it takes around 20 minutes for PoB to reveal itself as a lovely gourmand that stays close to the skin and can be worn anywhere, good for work, good for meeting chums, good for being pleasant without coming on too strong. Might be wasted in real heat, might be pointless at night, or at a festival, it's not sexy or compelling, but it's a very pleasant every day perfume being sold at a non-every day price. 250,00€ for 100 ml? Regretfully, I don't think so. To get that kind of money out of me would take something special, a muffin fit for Heroes... just for one day.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lXgkuM2NhYI

Note to self: takes a few hours to fade but when it does, it's a pleasant enough vanilla.

These are perfumes I thought were cologne styles suitable for hot climes. Turns out God of Fire applied in the heat stops being a dry mango scent pretty fast, and smells so like grilled fish on me I had to scrub it off. I gave it to my friend whose flat we stayed in becaise it undoubtedly smells a lot better on her, and doesn't turn into anything weird. Bleecker Street works, stays very floral, and doesn't change notes but its longevity is affected by the heat ever so slightly. Surprisingly Erba Pura works better in a Scottish Spring than a Maltese one, but it's just not that special, fizzy lemony maybe. In any case I wouldn't buy it because a perfume is a luxury experience and one pays a lot for it, so I expect the bottle to please me aesthetically. My dressing table demands magpie nonsense. All of these have slightly rubbishy looking bottles.

https://50-ml.co.uk/stephane-humbert-lucas-god-of-fire-eau-de-parfum

https://www.xerjoff.com/xerjoff-vibe-collection/10436-erba-pura-eau-de-parfum-100ml.html?srsltid=AfmBOooJbykqQ4O_9RSs3vyLAQ-7pB4sYXckR-Mu5Oi4N09ZJeKrWgxn

Nope, nope, Erba Pura's actually turning as I write this, citrus becoming indistinguishable from general dry fruitiness. Strike that one. Bleecker Street's the best on me, but the bottle looks like the Joker designed it.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Bond-Bleecker-Street-Parfum-Spray/dp/B00N5RLMLQ?th=1

Right. Time for work.

The first time I came across Black Afgano was in Selfridges. I was at one of the perfume main counters with other fanatics, wondering what all the fuss was about re Nasomatto and then along came this woman with her chums. They were all in burkas.

I recalled middle eastern friends, ladies who might be decorously swathed when going out, but beneath were queens of every gathering, removing outerwear to reveal sumptuous clothes and jewellery and such fragrance! They did not do any of this for men, even their husbands. I could not see it myself, but it wasn't my world. What struck me as frustrated vanity making up for lack of choice bothered them not one bit (and they told me so, laughing generously). They were not for the vulgar herd. They were for themselves and each other, all of us empresses and monarchs and goddesses together.

This lady reminded me of those times. She and her friends were looking at the Nasomatto, and she picked up Black Afgano and sprayed it on herself. Everyone around her went ooh, her friends fluttered, and those not of her posse turned to look at her in surprised admiration. She smiled at us all, knowing just how well the perfume suited. Personally, I feared that if I wore something like this, my fragrance would enter a room days before I did. But there was no getting past how uncompromisingly beautiful the top notes were on this lady's skin.

They have reconstructed Black Afgano and something delectable has been lost, but it's still lovely. The colour of the liquid is like light black ink. It smells the way one imagines cannabis and poppy and hashish would smell in a fantasy world, smoky and sultry. It also has notes that can seem gently acrid, like sweet sweat, which sounds disgusting, but those it suits it suits very well. Black Afgano lasts for ages and is just glorious in the cold. I would bet good money that this is perfectly gender neutral and wanted to test some on R, but he keeps running away.

Woke on Sunday with an itchy rash and faintly peeling skin at one of the lymph sites. Looks like sunburn. Common side-effect apparently. The earache - another common side effect - has been around for days and I've no idea how to get rid of it. Can't wander round all day pressing a pillow against my ear. Right now I'm taking pain killers every morning, very irritating.

Strange dream last night; a man captured me intending my murder. We were in a place similar to a graveyard, but more like ruins, grey stone remnants of buildings in the grass, crumbled walls one had to climb over. I could see it from above as well as from my own eye view. I think the man must have thought me stupefied because he seemed astonished when I ran towards people, and an old mate suddenly appeared with her phone and called the police. It was all very easy to deal with though I was terrified at first.

Because of Storm Eowyn, treatment was cancelled on Friday so I spoiled myself with just a dab of experiment utterly forbidden for most of this experience of operations and treatment; they barely accept me using soap and deodorant's a total no-no.

R wants me to create a spreadsheet of acceptable perfumes. I can start by listing testers he need not get again. Time to abandon hope of anything remarkable coming from Escentric Molecules, even if I find the bottles cute enough. 2023 he got me a sample of their Molecule O1, (https://smokingboot.dreamwidth.org/1063333.html) which is basically Iso E Super, a very well known note in perfume. Anyone who has ever worn Calvin Klein's Obsession or Eternity will know the smell even if not familiar with its name. It smells like cedar/wood shavings, but its super power is that Iso E Super is great for longevity. You spray this first, then on goes your actual perfume, and it lasts a lot longer as well as being slightly intensified.

This year he got me a sample of Molecule O1+ Iris. By 'Iris' they mean orris root which gives off a very powdery scent often treated to bring a touch of violets. Somehow the staying power of Iso E Super has just plain disappeared and this perfume has hopelessly weak staying power, especially given a price of £124 per 100 ml. However when I was clearing out the cafetiere I got some grains on my wrist and the combination with violets was delectable. So I'll keep an eye out for coffee/violet combos, see if they suit me.

I don't know enough about New York City to understand what Bleecker Street is famous for. (https://www.bondno9.com/bleecker-street.html?srsltid=AfmBOoqpQSUAZXE26a7WcFQO44PzASx9L8agjMXomn4Ur4F6lp0GZhBw)

What I do know is that this perfume, happy and pleasant though it is with its interesting combo of gasoline and treated jasmine plus fruity floral notes, is not worth between $295.00 - $440.00. Come on now. Also, the bottle is green and purple, designed in a way that makes me think of an artistic collusion between Aleister Crowley and the Joker.

Cute. But neh.

Edited to add; OK, credit where credit's due, this thing was still hanging on in there into evening, with very little change to the top notes. Impressive longevity, and what you smell at first is what you keep getting.

Trying to start work this morning, and very reluctant to do it. I put the Hubby's jeans on by mistake and am too tired to replace them. The Hubby has the answer (about the situation rather than the jeans. He's philosophical re the latter.)

'You're exhausted. You've been fighting cancer for 18 months, then you got this horrible lurgy for a month, you're still coughing, you are about to start radiotherapy, you have already been told you will be tired for weeks after, so if you edit this now you will come back to it later and say 'this isn't very good.' You are the worst patient in the world. What you should actually be doing is something relaxing like using your painting by numbers present.'

Wise and kind for sure. But I can't do the painting by numbers thing right now because the cleaner's in the kitchen where stands the only table large enough to spread out the picture.

I want to review something and am taking forever to read it for all the above reasons. A chapter a day finishes me. Ridiculous.

So back to Pointless Perfume Reviews! This time it's Absolute Aphrodisiac
(https://uk.initioparfums.com/products/absolute-aphrodisiac) one of those scents that seems to drive perfumistas mad. There was much stuff about musky bottoms and one controversial comment that likened it to spaghetti bolognaise. Clearly this person faces greater cooking challenges than even I do. Absolute Aphrodisiac is an almost simple vanilla fragrance, with just enough castoreum to keep it from cookie sweetness (though I like cookie sweetness too!) There's a bit of musk and amber, resulting in one of the least challenging perfumes imaginable. This is lovely for cold days. Not convinced about its longevity. But yes, gorgeous easy stuff.

Oof!

Well, if that couldn't shake me out of my maudlin moment, nothing could. I'm awake, alive, and clear on one matter if no other; it's time to give up with Frederick Malle. Portrait of a Lady is not as terrible as The Moon, which is the one nigh-on unused tester remaining from last year. I have never smelled any perfume equal to the horribleness of The Moon. My earlier depressing and now deleted post spoke of painful ghosts. Well, forget that stuff. Ghosts, if you're out there, you're in the clear as best I can manage. I learned during PTSD counselling that there's nothing like scent for creating this single space, here and now. It can ground you, lift you, distance you, envelope you, but this is the place and the space where every abstract fancy in your head must give way to its reality. For me smell is often more powerful than music. My mother told me that in my early childhood she had to train me out of lifting my nose to the wind and sniffing it, 'like a little puppy.'

I had Portrait of a Lady in 2022 and didn't hate it. Was I coming out of a Covid phase then? Am I now? What is this thing?

"Frederic Malle is a true perfume connoisseur and creator of the Editions de Parfums niche "fragrances without compromise" collection. His line consists of 19 amazing perfumes so far, all developed by, according to the Malle, the top ten noses of the world."

Top ten noses eh? Now there's an image.

"The collection expands in November with a new edition named Portrait of a Lady, [...] named after the novel by Henry James from the 1881. The perfume deals with rose note and spices in a new, modern way that varies between the oriental and chypre theme with patchouli, natural and intense, dominating the heart of the composition. Portrait of a Lady is a modern, elegant and unusual expression of the Victorian novel, its heroine, Isabel Archer, her fate and the quest for freedom. She smells of dark roses, mystical and intense."

Poor Isabel Archer! It's intense all right, smells like the stereotype of every Victorian boudoir, all closed windows and dark thick wallpaper into which blend these heavy roses along with talc and iris and violet and powder and probably the oiled heads of gentlemen leaning their bonces against antimacassars. If Isabel's 'quest for freedom' includes getting rid of Osmond, she just needs to smother the curtains and tablecloths in this stuff and he'd run. We'd all run.

The ghosts have run too. They stood no chance. This thing belts out its horror for seeming eternity.

So yes, Portrait of a Lady, great for exorcisms. Mary Magdalene had her seven devils, Frederik Malle his 10 noses. I am free of haunts and sorrow, but in growing need of Ibuprofen.

Black Phantom by Killian (https://www.bykilian.co.uk/product/19797/50809/perfume/black-phantom--memento-mori/the-cellars#/sku/115015) keep it for smell like a pirate day.

Rum and chocolate and coffee and almonds ('cyanide' in the descriptions, yo-ho-ho!) Maybe a bit of leather. The atmosphere it's trying to evoke is wonderfully expressed on the page: On turbulent seas, an inescapably transient pirate ship braves black waters, leagues deep in mystery. I am left wondering what an 'inescapably transient' vessel is like. Do they mean a ferry?

Anyway, this is fun, better on R than me, but still. Woeful longevity for the price, but the remnants are pleasant.

I am sticking to perfumes because people are already dismaying me and the year's not even a week old.

Scan this morning to see if oestrogen suppression is affecting my bones, trying to head off osteoporosis etc. The questionnaire is insane. Among other questions, it wants to know how much cheese I get through in a week, assuming a portion of cheese is 45g. How would I know? I put cheese on almost everything, and where there's no cheese there's probably milk or cream. Let none say I don't do my bit for the British dairy industry. There are separate questions for milk, tea and coffee with milk, other drinks with milk, milk puddings, and cereals, but I'm still stuck on contemplating the cheese questions. These include a separate category for lasagne, macaroni cheese, moussaka and pizza , and then a separate question for cottage cheese.

The other questions are daft too, with their assumption that I recall the details of everything that has every happened to me and every medication I have ever taken. Jeez, what are medical records for? Yes, this [insert minor catastrophe] and this and many others like it happened a long time ago. When? A long time ago. Any details? Sorta but not really. It was a long time ago.

On the theme of dairy, there's always Oajan by Perfumes De Marly
https://uk.parfums-de-marly.com/products/oajan?variant=40091603173561

This is my first encounter with Marly ('Parfums de Marly, the contemporary fragrances company, renews though its original concept the splendor of the XVIIIth century, when the greatest perfumes were created for King Louis XV in commemoration of the prestigious horse races.') Something something perfume court something something Arabian steeds, exclusivity, VIPs, chateaus. I am intrigued to see this marketing connection between Louis XV's perfumes and his steeds. Has it worked? Is there someone out there who wants to smell like a royal horse?

Anyhooo, Oajan starts off like one of those milk puddings or custard tarts with nutmeg/cinnamon on top and the hint of almond underneath, not too much sugar. It becomes a bit praline, and much later develops a soft vanilla and amber, alongside a mild latex note. If you like nuts, you may well like this. R disliked it and thought he detected a violet note, but there's none there. However, Oajan is stuffed with tonka bean which can be treated to smell like violets, so maybe he picked up on something I didn't. Good news is that it could be worn anywhere, its sillage is very well behaved, folk would need to be close to notice. Bad news, its longevity is average, especially for the price tag. Much niche perfume is delightful kidology. Over £200 to evoke a Jilly Cooper novel? I'd rather finish this stupid questionnaire.

2024 is the third year R has bought me samples of perfume to play with and here I go!

https://uk.initioparfums.com/products/side-effect

Side Effects top notes are weird. Tobacco and rum are listed, but at first I'm a bit what the hell is this? Still haven't worked out what's going on, the underlying buzziness of cinnamon being all I distinctly get. I wouldn't wear this on public transport within the first 20 minutes, but after that the dry-down is lovely. Anyone who likes cherry cough syrup would have no problems with this and it's not too sugary either. The longer it's on, the more elegant it becomes, its final hours dwindling to a classic amber treatment, utterly gorgeous. It's a fragrance for any time except the hottest weather, and sure, it could be worn at work or after it. Probably a bit wasted at a festival/gig. I sprayed it in the morning, was delighted, and resprayed it for watching Labyrinth just so's Jareth never forgets me, try as he might. My yuuuj pink cardi reeks of it. Still delicious.

Cherry notes are a thing. I can detect them here though they are not listed at all, so maybe it's just me. Tom Ford's brought out a line of cherry based perfumes, and they smell OK. No synthetic attempt can simulate fresh cherries, but then I've never found it to be a flavour that works well in yoghurts, cakes etc. Never had cherry pie. I had a cold cherry soup once at the Gay Hussar in Old Compton Street. It was scrumptious. Rest of the food was only average.

Side Effect's not average. I fall in love with it. Eventually.

Here comes the sun, theoretically, so it's time for me to open the summer testers Russ got me. Philosykos by Diptyque (https://www.diptyqueparis.com/en_uk/p/philosykos-eau-de-parfum-75ml-1.html) is based on fig, one of my favourite notes. It freshens my mind, cutting beautifully through the miasma of sickness and depression. Jo Malone's Wild Fig and Cassis used to do it for me but they discontinued that except as some kind of scented candle. Philosykos isn't as compelling but it's still pleasant. R doesn't really detect it when it is fresh on but by evening he could smell it on my clothes and it was warm, delightful even.

Diptyque's a funny brand; on occasion, its marketing far outstrips its product. I really wanted to like L'Ombre Dans l'Eau because the words are so evocative and forlorn; besides, it's hard not to be a bit curious about a scent reputed to be Billy Idol's favourite when he was on the pull. But for me it's just a thin cold green rose, and I forget if it was Do Son or Tam Dao that smelled like an attack of boiled sweets. I should test a few fig fragrances before buying because I never quite believe that Diptyque perfumes are the best for the money. But Philosykos is genial enough and good for my mind. It will do for now.

I started to write the below, and then work appeared. Here's the thing: never ever say 'it's done, it's finished' you just invoke the genies of here's some more. Suddenly there was a necessary conversation/interview with an erudite impassioned companion whose information is very pertinent. I have plenty to write up today, and I will give it all my concentration soon. But first, something else, something silly and unimportant; dressing tables.

I never cared about them as a child - the floor was my dressing table - but my mother always had one, some art deco creation, pretty and interesting yet neat. I never managed neat in my whole life.

The world is full of elegant dressing tables. Mine is... not elegant. But happy.

I can't help it, because I am basically nine years old, and still captivated by junk heaps that may be hiding something magical. As an actual 9 year old I would have swept all that stuff off and replaced it with books, but now I have real room for books. Not enough room, mind, but that's another story.

There's something new on my dressing table;

I've been wearing Oud for Greatness to help me write (it does make me feel livelier! Is there something to all that sacred geometry and divine oud mularky? Or does it just cheer me up and feel a bit more buzzed? ) Russ bought me some. The illuminati will be turning up for their bottle any minute!

There's so much absurdity that makes me smile.

I am at the stage where I should list my other perfume samples and discards so that R doesn't repeat buy samples.

Loves:
Noir de Noir: Lovely classic lady's perfume given a weirdass name,very nice amber note.
Lamar by Kajal; gorgeous, utterly beautiful silky rose/lily combo with tropical top. Taking remnamts to V&C.
Coffee Break by Maison Margiela - comforting coffee notes, nice for everyday wear/working in cooler months.
Philosykos by Diptyque - tried this before, lovely fig note! Only works in heat though, so taking it to V&C.
Mandarino di Amalfi - High summer perfume, taking tester to V&C.

Likes:
L'Air du Desert Marocain by Tauer - evokes the way it sounds. Retest.
Intense Cafe by Montale - Good for work, R likes. Retest.
Malik Al Motia by Areej Le Dore; Bit paint-strippery at first? Not sure I want a full bottle, but remnants are coming to V&C.
Gloam by Aesop - Lovely woody topnote, devolves to nice ordinary a bit fast
Alexandria II by Xerjoff; sometimes it works, sometimes it's only OK. Incense.

Weird
Opus II Silver Oud by Amouage - Fun but we're done.
Ganymede Extrait by Marc Antoine Barrois - Fennel.
Liquid Night by Lab on Fire - Nice crisp start then raw garden peas and mint.
Interlude Woman by Amouage - No, unless combined with Escentric Molecules 01, then like cake dough that's not too sweet. Nice.

Hates:
The Moon by Frederic Malle -Consistent; remains horrible whenever/wherever one wears it.
Ottoman Empire IV by Areej Le Dore - Massive thick powdery rose. R hates it.
Crimson Rocks by Amouage - Fearful horror.
Escentric Molecules 01 - Pencil shavings.
Gladiator Oud by Electimuss - weird scritchy geranium.

Special Mention: Russian Oud II by Areej Le Dore.
This has a lot of notes traditionally associated with male gendered perfumes, and it does make me think of men; it's musky, very faintly boozy, elements of tobacco and smoke, but it has a delicious line of chocolate in there somewhere. It doesn't smell like any man I actually know, more like some imagined burly masculine archetype, I wouldn't be surprised if this guy - bearded natch! - came to my door straight out of a Siberian winter, furs and all, up for partying but not trying to take it too far. On R's skin, this disappeared into smoke. On mine it stays, and though it feels like its made for cold weather, it's a rich delight on my skin huddled under a quilt.

But even I can't spend £399 on a 53 ml bottle of perfume for a duvet.

I had this last year, like it more this year. Not for hot weather, but nice treatment of different wood notes, amber and apple are coming out too. Quite impressed with the Lavender/Cinnamon combo, would have expected these to clash horribly. Not as much longevity as I would like, but still very elegant. One to note.

Having no luck with Amouage. Crimson Rocks is such a great name I want to love it, but it smells like old tempura batter or frying oil that's been used a lot. Either that sample's off or my skin reheeally hates it. Scrubbed it off after half an hour.

ISO E Super, also known as Tetramethyl acetyloctahydronaphthalene, OTNE, Timbersilk, and Amberlan, is one of the most commonly used aromachemicals in the world. If you've ever smelled Eternity by Calvin Klein, that underlying scent is what we are talking about. It's woody, amber-like, a bit sweet. It's basically faux cedar, no trees harmed.

But hats off to Escentric Molecules for making this note the basis of an immensely successful marketing campaign. Escentric Molecules 01 'celebrates the hyper-abstraction of ISO E Super'... what is a hyper-abstraction I wonder? Apparently this scent is something you may not notice yourself but that will delight others because of the way it reacts with your skin. However, as all perfumes react with your skin, this is like someone saying you are going to enjoy the soup they make because of its special down-the-throat pouriness. EM01 = pencil shavings for around £100 per 100 ml.

However, one claim that does get made by perfumistas is that this really works as a layering perfume, adding to sillage and longevity. Bored by it within 40 minutes, I decided to try it with another tester, a big hoofing monster, Amouage Interlude Woman.

I can't even properly identify the notes in AIW. It's a thing of glory and terror. There's amber, there's nuts, there's... look, I don't know. But it's probably safe to say that in the orchestra of perfumery, this thing's the tuba. Gotta respect it.

Anyhoo, sprayed on top of dull old EM01, the result was quickly gorgeous, like unbaked cake dough without being too sweet, plus the odd occasional slightly weird herbal blast. When it gave way - and it took a while, those reports were right - the result was a very pleasant incense scent that managed to stay away from non-descript smokiness. Impressive. But you're generally looking at upwards of £300 for AIW at 100 ml, so this combination hits £400 if one is using equal amounts. That's a plane ticket to somewhere excellent and anyway my heart rebels at the idea of funding Escentric Molecules' sheer BS. So nope.

I am nervous.

No need to be; the difficult issues are a while away yet, and though there's stuff to be done I can put it off. There's only one obligation later this evening, I need do very little but make a phone call or two, but I slept very badly and there are butterflies in my stomach.

This is such an unusual feeling I am wondering if perhaps I am not nervous but hungry. Nothing is happening, there's been no dream to perturb me, nothing is more wrong than yesterday or the day before. I noticed, however, that I am doing something which is an occasional fret sign from my childhood. I am singing or talking to myself in languages I don't know/unconsciously make up. I don't know what the phrases mean, obviously they don't mean anything. They could be just sounds like music, like la-la-la... only they are words in a sentence or phrase. It concerned me that I did this but it's never as crazy as it sounds, it's just glossolalia, some kind of early years comfort thing just as I used to write out make believe alphabets somewhere between runes, cuneiform, and Tolkein alphabets.

But it emphasises that I am not quite level, not quite OK. I am aware that my base mood has been gradually deteriorating since last week so this isn't out of nowhere. But the realisation that actually I am in a bad place has switched on suddenly. It is frustrating because I can't pinpoint a reason for it.

OK, so perfume, rescue me!

Again Montale Intense Cafe; Is neither intense nor cafe. A very nice top note though nothing that's recognisably coffee on my skin. It's a refined rose (again!) combined with some kind of addition that comes off as nut-like, elegant for the first hour then pleasant/inoffensive for the rest of the day. Maison Margiela's Coffee Break does the eponymous note far better, but they both come in at similar prices and Coffee Break's an eau de toilette so lasts nowhere near as long.

I have finished both these testers. Boo!

The day started ominously; I lost my father's ring.

In fairness, I had already seen the warnings. The ring was loosening on that finger from time to time. It seems most unfair. How come my fingers are thinning when the rest of me is doing the opposite? But of course, I never heed the warning til the bad thing happens, and sure enough I found myself facing that moment's dismay. After turning the house upside down I found the ring hidden in the folds of two drying up cloths bundled together in the kitchen, proof that housework is simply bad for me. The ring is sitting in a safe place now, while I work out which ring-guards to buy.

Because there are things to be looked at, some of which are tedious, others distressing and still others just frustrating, plus What We Do In The Shadows is itself shadow of what it was, I return to perfume. Oud!

Right now, everything's got oud in it. I wouldn't be surprised to find a ready meal citing oud as an ingredient. I have already dismissed 'Gladiator Oud' by Electimuss, have done with 'Silver Oud' by Amouage, but there are a fair few others in my Christmas sample selection. Yesterday I decided to brave the big one, Russian Oud II by Areej Le Doré.

A nice thread of dark chocolate note hit me straight away, not a touch of sweetness to it, lots of amber, tobacco and of course,that ubiquitous oud, only to eventually become smokey with an occasional touch of liquorice. It was...OK. The first ALD scent I have found a bit of a let down after the first blast. I insisted that R try some, and he wrinkled his nose at the top notes. 'It's like a French delicatessen' he said.
I told him to keep his eye on it throughout the day, tell me how it developed. He did so, eventually saying 'it's very nice now...' And it was. But this was 12 hours later!
'I'd have to spray it on the day before,' he laughed.
I admire a top note that hangs on in there, but you can't wander round smelling like meat and cheeses in order to have a nice pong on your wrists half a day in, especially if you're going to be on a plane. People will have things to say. Around £399 for 53 mls. Majestic but bonkers.

Ah but. Today I am wearing Oud for Greatness by Initio! So far I have only tried this and High Frequency from this brand, and both suit me. Oud for Greatness is a lavender/patchouli combo with enough oud to be recognisable, and that's kind of it. Not for hot days, but pleasant for everything else. Compared to Russian Oud II, it has a price that's less crazy* with a bottle that's more crazy, looking like it was designed by a member of the Illuminati. The write up's pretty memorable too;

The concept of "sacred geometry," the inspiration behind Oud For Greatness, is that the recurring symbols and motifs, including the sacred smell of oud, are so powerful and sacred that they are imbued with these hidden connections with the world in general, transcending the Material Plane to align those who smell it with the vibrations of the universe.
With Oud For Greatness, Initio harnesses that hidden source of power and offers a vibrant, sensual and richly spicy fragrance deeply imbued with oud from beginning to end to experience the true aroma of oud as a tonic for physical, emotional and spiritual health. Oud for Greatness is an incredibly complex elixir, both energetic and contemplative, narcotic and seductive.

I will of course, reveal if I find myself transcending the Material Plan in alignment with the vibrations of the Universe, but suspect that this is a lot to expect from a perfume.

*Not much less crazy mind; upwards of £237 for 90 ml.

Profile

smokingboot

Navigation

January 2026

S	M	T	W	T	F	S
				1	2	3
4	5	6	7	8	9	10
11	12	13	14	15	16	17
18	19	20	21	22	23	24
25	26	27	28	29	30	31

Syndicate

Page Summary

Active Entries

1: Not This Jug
2: The Gift Before The Last Gift of the Year
3: Christmas 2025, Sinners and Snooze
4: Merry Christmas
5: A Difficult Gift
6: The Busy Graveyard
7: Psychopaths, Werewolves, Yoga
8: The Batty Man Cat
9: Written For The One It Is Written For
10: The Potion Tree

Style Credit

Base style: Heads Up by momijizuakmori
Theme: A Brighter View by zaluzianskya and skylark_photos

Expand Cut Tags

No cut tags

Page generated Jan. 4th, 2026 04:32 am

Back to Bat Country

Entries tagged with perfume

The Potion Tree

Pointless Perfume Reviews: Cursed Gothery and the Toilet Vampire

Replaced By Lana

Pointless Perfume Reviews: Muffins

High Summer Perfumes

Pointless Perfume Reviews: Hashish

Small Stuff + Pointless Perfume Review: Parma Violets.

Pointless Perfume Review: Gasoline

Pointless Perfume Reviews for the knackered: Vanilla

The Power of Ten Noses Compels Thee

Pointless Perfume Review: Rum

Cheese, also pointless perfume review: Nuts

Pointless Perfume Review: Cherries

Philosykos

Dressing tables and what's on them

Alexandria II Xerjoff Again.

Nasty

Molecule Tales

Twitchy; also coffee fragrance reviews.

Meat, Cheeses, Oud