HS3

Not that I’ve posted anything for a few days, but it’ll be a few days longer! I’ll be back by next Monday and will start to post again once work settles down for December.

I tried it at Saks yesterday and while it was interesting and evolved quite a bit, it was a bit over the top and would be hard for me to pull off. It opened with a tart Juicy Fruit gum note that lasted for quite a while… I even had two other SAs there laughing when they made that connection. I took the card with me (along with a few other various scents that I’d sprayed on cards… all neatly separated of course), and left it in the car when I went back to work. Hours later, the car smelled strongly of it and it had overpowered the others, so kudos on tenacity and lasting power. It had dried to a sweet, almost powdery (I’m guessing from the amber note/accord) floral thing. It’s not bad, but I think it would be immediately cloying and a bit much to handle if slightly over applied or worn in humid heat.

I’ve done the hand sample a few times with Passion Boisée by the house of Frapin. Its notes lead me to think it would be right up my alley:

Tangerine, nutmeg, rum, oak moss, clove, leather, patchouli, cedarwood (courtesy of Luckyscent)

While it’s quite nice, it isn’t grabbing me like other scent with those notes. It opens very oddly – like freshly cut cedar with overtones of paint and fingernail polish. It’s pretty sharp and abrasive out of the gates which doesn’t bother me – it’s actually the most interesting part. It, however, dries relatively quickly into a cedar and nutmeg combo with the other notes hiding meekly behind. I think it would be perfectly suited for someone looking for a well made, close wearing cedar scent, but if you already have a couple that you love, you won’t find any surprises here. I would give it a 6/10 for my own tastes. I’d happily wear it if I had it, but wouldn’t buy it over any number of similar scents. I think an over application may be in order to try to discover some of those other notes.

Miller Harris L’Air de Rien

This is a fantastic, vanilla sweetened, ambery scent with just the right amount of “dirty” musk. It really evokes the 60s aura that it purports to do (the whole Jane Birkin thing). It’s completely addicting and hard to stop smelling when you put it on. The initial few minutes take a couple times to get to know, but once you do it’s hard not to love it and the dry down is a lovely dusty amber. There are ever so slight touches of potpourri and patchouli hiding in the background that just add to the complexity.

This is a perfect scent for evening moments spent close to someone you love. It evokes sensuality, comfort, and an inviting familiarity. It’s really quite nice once you get to know it. I owned a bottle for a while, but ended up parting ways with it. The first while is so jarringly animalic that I just couldn’t wrap my mind around it long enough to get past that.

Andy Tauer Incense Rosé

This started as a sharp scent with a considerable amount of complexity to it that I wasn’t sure if I was sold on. However, I wore it once and found something in it that I really liked. Then my girlfriend mentioned that she thought a rose and incense scent would be incredible… DING, I grabbed the rest of my sample and told her to try it. She fell in love with it, as did I. It’s now her favorite fragrance and I really do enjoy it. It’s intoxicating.

It shares the base of L’Air, but adds the jammy, sharp rose to the top with some more incense notes throughout. It’s really wonderfully crafted, has a perfect sillage that only informs but does not overwhelm, and is unlike anything else. It’s since become her “power fragrance” and will always bring me a smile and good memories.