HS3

I’ve always liked finding real photos of bottles, rather than just the press release images or product shots that are doctored to look perfect. Those images make it hard to really see what the bottle looks like. A perfect case of that would be this Maîtres Tailleurs.

I always assumed it was more of a variation on the MPG bottles, but in fact, it’s completely different. From the product shots, I didn’t realize it had the flat sides and round front and back. You would also never realize how nicely constructed it is. The wooden cap has great texture and feel – there’s a great deal of heft to the bottle and things fit together nicely like they should. No shoddy Bond No. 9 style caps (I have 3 that the inner metal ring is loose and cames off), or caps that make you think you’ll break them to pull off either.

It has a good, full spray and the mechanism doesn’t seem like it’ll have any issues in the future with fizzling out or leaking (Creed! That’s you, here).

Gorgeous bottle – it has a great color to the glass and picks up different light and seems to color shift. Sometimes it’s blue, sometimes purple. I didn’t have much luck showing that here, but it’s quite nice in the hand. Incidentally, the liquid inside is just as nice – a crisp, modern take on a traditional EDC.

I generally don’t have much experience with reformations. Usually, the version I have is the version I know and enjoy. I have bottles that have batch differences, but they’re generally differences that I might notice because I’m me and obsess over little things, but they’re generally not noticed by others.

Well, I’ve finally really encountered a real, true reformulation. And I love both versions. I recently ordered a 90ml bottle of Route de Vetiver from Perfume Country. I even emailed after the order to confirm that it was in fact the 90ml size, which I was assured it was. I couldn’t wait. It arrived, and much to my dismay, UPS had treated it with as much love and care as a used diaper. The bottle’s cap had been broken into two and the nozzle had popped off with it, losing almost a quarter of the liquid inside. I was heartbroken. I emailed the company and received a quick apology back. They did the paperwork to submit the loss claim to UPS and within the hour, they told me my replacement was on my way.

In the meantime, my handywork (and the help of superglue) put the first bottle back together and it was functioning and on my shelf.
Today, the replacement came. I quickly opened it, holding any satisfaction at bay until I had the undamaged bottle in my hand. This time it was double wrapped in bubblewrap and packed tight with foam peanuts. I opened the box and pulled the (WHAT?) 100ml bottle out. I couldn’t be upset since I’d repaired what was left of the first bottle and doubted I’d be finishing two bottle of the rich, earthy vetiver anytime soon. I sprayed it on my elbow just for the pleasure and thought, hmm, something’s different. I grabbed the other bottle and sprayed the other elbow. YES, they’re totally different! Like, one has gritty, earthy vetiver root and the other (newer) is a slightly soapy, floral vetiver. I can draw similarities, but they’re different enough that I wouldn’t balk at the idea if someone told me they were two scents from two companies. Fortunately, I’m really digging both. One is the rich, austere vetiver root, and the other is a more modern twist with a floral touch that give much more versatility. It’s like two great scents for the price of one.

They’re only in their first 20 minutes now, so I’ll probably add some better thoughts here later (and pics too!).

Looks like I’ve managed to have two Nasomatto entries back to back. I swear, when I first tried the remaining dribbles out of a used Duro sample, I enjoyed it, but I didn’t think I would end up with my affinity for the line. I don’t even wear them that often, but I sure do enjoy sniffing them from the bottle. Perhaps I don’t want to see the dwarfed 30ml bottles lose any of their precious liquid. Yet, when I do wear them, I get a lot of good attention, and the GF loves them all (except for Absinth… she thinks it smells like dirt and unwashed bodies). Go figure.

Anyways, I recently made it through my vial of China White, and decided it needed to find a home on my shelves. I had full plans on calling my favorite SA at Barneys LV, but with her out on medical leave, I had to wait. Lucky for me, one popped up on eBay, and I snagged it for almost half the retail price. Thank you, Sir eBay.

It’s such a mesmorizing scent. I don’t know what heroine smells like, but if this is it, I suppose I can better understand the allure. It has a gorgeous leathery aura – for those familiar with Nasomatto, many of their scents have an incredible note that shimmers and teases, much like aldehydes, but a whole new take. The leather in this one reminds me of Tom Ford Tuscan Leather (that many have said smells of cocaine.. perhaps my nose has a problem?). It’s a dry, yet powdery style of leather. There is a gorgeous floral note, almost creamy in nature like that in Costume National 21, combined with the scent of the lining of a smoker’s leather coat.

This one is, as they say, strangely addicting. It’s complex, strange, and completely wearable. My kind of scent.

I really wasn’t sure what I was getting into the first time I tried it. I was lucky enough for someone to send me a sample they’d parted ways with. I didn’t have any preconceptions of what it would smell like, but I thoroughly enjoyed what I got. It’s a really lovely super dry patchouli with dusty earth, camphor and grasses as a backdrop. Think sensual without using the usual suspects of vanilla or sandalwood as a cloak or to make it overly rich. It leans more to the masculine side than feminine for patchoulis, but it’s by no means an overpowering scent. It remains a light aura of a scent on the skin as opposed to a powerhouse patchouli scent. I’ve tried plenty of patchouli scents, and where most rely on a richer, more oriental base, this stays crisp without those overbearing, heavy notes you usually associate with patchouli. It makes uses of tobacco notes and hay to support its lead players. Like many of the Nasomattos, there is a signature note that is hard to describe, but is strangely addictive.

It’s a parfum extrait, but it’s not an in-your-face type. I originally wrote it off as having less than stellar lengevity, but I was mistaken after a few wears. It wears closely and doesn’t have a huge, lingering sillage which I think works perfectly for this and sets it apart from other patchouli heavy scents. However, I can still easily detect it with a fluff of the shirt 10 hours later.

Chanel (Jacques Polge & Christopher Sheldrake) did it right with this one. This is in the top 5 scents I smelled in 2008.

I would describe it overall as a rich, yet accessible take on patchouli and chocolate. However, there are just so many wonderful aspects all along the way that make it as wonderful as it is. The opening has the peppery tart spray of bitter orange peel with a sweet chocolate undertone. The spices are gritty and light, not ones to hit the back of your throat.. A wonderful patchouli that you wouldn’t necessarily identify unless you knew to look for it emerges with just the slightest powdery feathering. It settles into a rich, warm leathery scent that still retains some of its top notes punch and even has a comforting, classic feel to it. I don’t know many classic Chanels, but the dry down makes me think of a complex scent with such depth a company like this would have produced.

This is really a masterpiece for me. I knew I would end up buying it within minutes of sampling it. I took a sample and wore it that night and the next day and bought a bottle the next afternoon. The bottle is gorgeous and the base of the box doubles as a Chanel stand for the bottle. The packaging is top notch – even the cap is magnetically polarized so that the Chanel logo is horizontal when you put the cap on.

Be sure you love anything you buy from Les Exclusifs line… you’re getting a jug of it. The price may seem daunting at first, but when you account for how much you’re actually getting, it’s no more expensive than any other standard designer scent.

Huge A+ from me.