HS3

I decided to give this one a test this morning as I was heading out the door and put a single shot of it on the back of my hand to enjoy throughout the morning. At first sniff from the bottle (really nice bottles – photos of the set coming soon!) and initial application, it is a nice light summery floral citrus that didn’t really seem to hold any surprises. It has an uplifting white floral opening (listed notes are lotus flower, magnolia, jasmine, olive blooms) with a hint of bergamot and a spike of tart citrus… the description on the Xerjoff site really is spot on. It’s really quite pleasant, but didn’t come across as earth shattering or new.

However, this scent has huge evolution. On my drive to work, it has already begun progressing through a variety of notes and new players were emerging. I was getting what seemed like a chili pepper note and the olive blooms were really coming out as the other initial florals fell back. A few hours into it, that chili pepper note begins to fall back and you’re left with a very fresh osmanthus and citrus. I’m not sure if the Olive Blooms listed in the notes is of the osmanthus variety, but I’m definitely perceiving it that way. I also smell orange blossoms, similar to how they’re treated in By Kilian’s Prelude to Love. It’s extra “clean” smelling – most likely attributable to the choice in musk aroma-chemicals in the base. If smelled up close, you’ll be able to detect just the slightest of creamy undertones that is quite nice and helps to bring it together.Very nice.

Overall, it’s probably my least favorite of the Casamorati series, but I really like the other three. It’s certainly well made and something to put on your sample list if you love bright citrus floral scents that aren’t too feminine… I think it could easily be worn by a man. Actually, the longer it sits on my skin, the more I like it. I’ll definitely give this one a full wear soon.

Check out Sorcery of Scent for Dimitri’s thought on it from a while back.

UPDATE A WHILE LATER – I’m really warming up to this one. After a while on my skin, I’m really liking it.

I recently got a sample of this in the mail (thanks Nathan!) and finally got a chance to give it attention. It’s made by natural perfumer Dawn Spencer Hurwitz and is an oil. It is from 2002 as a holiday release. Here are the notes and description from her site:

An ancient aroma of sacred incense…the Holy Smoke of the Midnight Mass rises with a blessing for the coming year.
Top notes: Bergamot
Middle notes: Mastic, Oppopanax, Sandalwood
Base notes: Brown Oakmoss, Frankincense (Olibanum), True Arabian Myrrh

I really thought it would be a dry, churchy thing, but what I got was a warm, enveloping scent that opened with the tartness of bergamot and warmth of oppopanax and slowly developed over the entire day. If you’ve ever had a hot toddy, that’s exactly what this reminded me of for most of the morning. It develops well throughout its life, with pops of frankincense taking turns with a sweet sandalwood. A full 12 hours later, it was still quite detectable but evolved fully from what it had started out as in the morning. That’s incredible with it being a natural perfume. I’d highly recommend giving this a try if you’re looking for an introspective, warm fragrance – I can totally see this as a perfect scent by a fire at Christmas (and any other time of the year, for that matter).

The first time I had a chance to try Guerlain’s Les Voyages Olfactifs was at EPCOT last year. It was the first time we’d been to a Guerlain boutique and it was fascinating to have a big table full of all the Paris and boutique exclusives. All three from Les Voyages Olfactifs are Guerlain through and through, with the signature Guerlainade and touch of powdery sweetness in the top. They come in enormous 8.3 oz bottles, with screw cap and additional atomizer. I would personally prefer these bottles to have a better integrated atomizer since I keep them with the atomizer on and the great, brushed screw cap off.

Paris – New York is supposed to smell like Manhattan at Christmas time. I’ve never been to Manhattan, but if it smells like this, it must be a marvelous place. It opens with a slightly perfumey, candied note that lingers in the air with a hint of tart mandarin and bergamot. As it dries and throughout the day, you’ll catch wisps of vanilla, cardamom, cedar, and hints of orange blossom. It lasts a full day and then some, and projects in just the right way. It lets its presence be know, but does not announce it loudly. The dry down is gorgeous – a light floral over cedar and vanilla with hints of cinnamon.

Rose Chyprée – it’s incredible. Rose Chyprée is from Andy’s new Mémorables line – and it evokes memories. There’s something about it that’s comforting and familiar. It’s something that once you smell it, you want to keep smelling it, nose glued to it. The GF can’t get enough of it… for her, it makes her think of her horses back home in Arizona. It brings her memories of the desert, hay, flowers, and the scent of a horse, glistening with sweat, along with its worn leather saddle.

It truly is something special… all of Andy’s perfumes are hand made and packaged by him. He is really quite the talented perfumer. (Andy, quit the day job already!) This one has a pound of rose petals steam distilled in each bottle. That’s incredible. It is a small 15ml bottle, but it’s potent and a couple shots are all you need. Andy’s description from his website:

I stuck a regular 1ml sample vial here just to show scale… it’s a tiny little thing.