That Violet Perfume Is So Purple-y

I love violet perfumes. The "love at first sight" flower...fitting. They are soft, simple and innocent. Why innocent? Hm, I'm not sure. Somehow I associate violet with babies or grandmothers, or candy, and all of those things are pretty darn sweet & innocent. They is an airy and fresh feel to violet perfumes that to my thinking makes them perfect for spring, as well as the intense heat of summer. Years ago I got a simple violet eau de toilette on summer holidays at the beach in St Jean de Luz in France, so perhaps that wonderful scent memory of hot sunny days sipping white wine while listening to the waves crash will forever cement the perfect summer day with the scent of violets for me. I just feel clean and fresh when I wear violet. 

Annick Goutal La Violette: It smells like sweet violet candies- soft and soapy, and stays close to the skin. The violet is somehow a "cool" flower so violet scents tend to be cooling and perfect for warm weather. They have a simple old fashioned feel to them and there is a rainy fresh garden feel that I just love.  I get decent longevity from almost all perfumes so while some complain that this does not last on them, on me it lasts a few hours. It is a simple soliflore but somehow so perfect and light. 

L'Artisan Parfumeur Verte Violette: This one is a bright purple violet. It's sparkling and vivid, like a handful of violettes covered in dew. The "Verte" in this (French for green) refers the green notes, which are supposed to be the leaves and stems. The neat thing about violet leaf is it is often used in men's fragrances, and it adds a unisex twist to the violet, which can often be very feminine smelling.  As well, L'Artisan added a touch of iris to this mix, which adds an earthy richness. Both sexes could easily wear this one and they would smell amazing. Love it. One of my favourite L'Artisans.

Guerlain Les Meteorites: Brace yourself for the sad panda- this gorgeous little gem is discontinued. Sorry. I don't usually like to write about products that are nearly impossible to find but I just can't talk about violets without mentioning this. Named after Guerlain's famous cosmetic powder of the same name, Les Meteorites is the scent of those gorgeous little powder balls we love so much. The neat thing about this violet scent is the warmth behind the flower. The yummy sweet Guerlinade makes up the base for the violet. Please read Monsieur Guerlain's perfect description of Guerlinade. He says it better than I ever could. Violet is a cool and fresh flower so adding the sweet sultry Guerlain magic recipe makes it a slightly sexy violet. Only Guerlain...

My House Smells Like An L'Artisan L'Ambre Candle

Scented candles are an obsession of mine. I was discussing this with my friend Dane the other night. We love perfumed candles because, unlike our perfume collections, we will use an entire candle up, right down to the wick. I am quite choosy with my candles, and have a preference for those with good "throw",  meaning their scent spreads out in the room/house. I love florals and resinous, incense-y scents, well actually I also love incense. The only one I burn is Nag Champa. I also love Papiers d'Armanie...environmental fragrance is a big thing with me.

L'Artisan Parfumeur, besides being one of my most favourite perfume houses, also makes my favourite candles. Most of them are so beautifully scented that even unlit, their gorgeous scent permeates the room. Their amber delight candle, Ambre, is one of those. It is a perfect woodsy, powdery sweet amber, and L'Artisan Parfumeur's L'Eau d'Ambre is the most beautiful amber perfume in the world. Seriously, try it. Perfect for men or women, it is irresistible. The candle is the same, and even now, sitting around 7 feet away from me, unlit, I can catch wafts of its beauty in the air. Its still crisp and springlike weather here and the Ambre is perfect. I even enjoy it in the summer. The sweet little L'Artisan votives are perfect for your bedside table and for travel as well.  I want my whole house to smell like L'Artisan Ambre and why I don't have any of the Ambre Boules yet is a mystery to me. The candles are not cheap but burn for hours and hours, and like I said, scent the room even when unlit. A necessary luxury, if you will.

Incense & amber makes me think of a gypsy...

Describing L'Artisan Parfumeur La Chasse aux Papillons Perfume is like Chasing Butterflies

One of my most favourite gentle floral perfumes for warmer days is L'Artisan Parfumeur La Chasse aux Papillons (Chasing Butterflies). It was launched in 1999, and is to me, a perfect representation of the perfume house of L'Artisan Parfumeur. Sheer, delicate and elegant, La Chasse is a summer day in a garden of tuberose, orange blossom, jasmine and lime blossom. It's tuberose for those who find Fracas just  Too Much and who find Jo Malone Orange Blossom just Too Little. The floral notes are beautifully balanced and never ever ever offend. It is delicate and gauzy, just like a butterfly, and if I close my eyes and sniff, I am in a garden on a hot sunny day. Maybe I love La Chasse because it reminds me of my most favourite kind of weather in the whole world? I swear I can even see blue skies when I wear it. There is the tiniest hint of soap in the dry down but nowhere near the soapy levels in, say, Prada Infusion Fleur d'Oranger, which I love, but in a OMG Soap! kind of way. There is no weird musk dry down and when La Chasse goes away it gently flutters away making you wish it would hang around a little longer. That is the one complaint most have with this perfume- that it is too fleeting. I don't have a problem with that, as I simply apply more. I'd rather miss a perfume than wish I could get. It. Off. Now.

It is one of L'Artisan's best sellers, and when I wear it I see why. I want to cover myself in it. I like that it simply smells pretty. It doesn't try to impress with weird trendy notes (oud- I am looking at you) or blow away the competition with killer sillage that fills the room. It just makes you smell pretty. When I wear this, I always get asked what perfume am I wearing. But, only by people who get close enough to smell it.  Which is the way it should be, in my opinion. I know it is unpopular in most perfume circles but honestly. If we all wore monster perfumes we would all be competing for air space and no one could enjoy anything. Don't wear perfume like yours is the only one that matters. Even strong perfumes can be judiciously applied. Share the air. Please.

This is a scent I'd love in my hair. Oscar Blandi has a jasmine shampoo but it is nowhere as pretty as La Chasse. For some reason the thought of a sitting in a butterfly garden, with a breeze blowing through my hair, wafting gentle, transparent and "sparkling" flower notes around me is just so romantic... I would like to go to there please. So today I will spritz some La Chasse aux Papillons, and walk in the sunshine. I am feeling pretty blessed these days. 

Beautiful Jasmines

Jasmine field in China

Jasmine is my favourite note in perfume and I am constantly searching for a simple, green jasmine that smells sweet and true. Jasmine scents (and other white florals such as orange blossom, gardenia, honeysuckle and lilac) can be tricky as they often contain indolic compounds- hard to explain although Bois de Jasmin does a superb job here- that need to be finely balanced in the dilution of the perfume. Indoles have a narcotic quality that can knock you over if they are too strong. There is also an odd, well, animalic quality to jasmine, a compound that shares a few molecules with horse sweat. I prefer a more gentle sparkling white floral. I know some people who wear animalic type scents beautifully; as I fully believe how we wear perfume is so individual. Our own body chemistry, skin type as well as personal preference of course, dictates what smells good on us. The many years I worked in the perfume industry did teach me a few things about what smells good on what people so I can often suggest or guess perfect perfumes for you if you tell me one or two of your favorites. But, I digress. Jasmine is what we are talking about today.

As time goes on I find myself liking simpler, gentler scents that I wore in the past. Oh, the 80s- remember Giorgio anyone? I would never have thought I would enjoy wearing soliflore scents (soliflores are fragrances replicating the scent of a single flower) as I really enjoy the development of a perfume. The top notes can sparkle and shine, then slowly warm to a lovely gently blooming heart note, and then later, a warm base note develops on my skin. I enjoy the journey a complex perfume takes me on. But lately, I find many contemporary scents are a mish mash of notes, all jammed together in a big crock pot with little or no evolution from top to base. I’m at the perfume counter, feeling overwhelmed by synthetic notes in various levels from tester to tester that after awhile, all smell the same. So lately I’ve taken to wearing simpler scents that I can layer myself, which I find much more satisfying. I can keep it simple if I like, then mix it up when I need something more interesting and complex.

Today I will suggest some of my favorite jasmine scents:

Keiko Mecheri Jasmine

Keiko Mecheri Jasmine: This is simple pretty jasmine. Slightly green and dewy, this one really feels like you are sticking your nose into a lush jasmine bush. It is a delicate scent with a touch of musk in the dry down. A hint of petit grain keep it from being sweeter, although I like sweet, this one is lovely and summery. Very nice and if you are a jasmine lover you should seek this out.

Creed Jasmal

Creed Jasmal: Jasmine and only jasmine. Very clear and green but in the end a little more than I want. Not sweet enough perhaps and too strong, even though it is a soliflore.  It has a watery quality to it that is difficult to describe. This one gets a lot of love though, so it is worth a try. A classic elegant and understated perfume, it was created for Natalie Wood in 1959. I love a perfume with provenance!

By Killian Love and Tears (Surrender)

By Kilian Love & Tears (Surrender): Ok this is not a gentle soliflore, this is JASMINE and lots of it. It is heady and lush, and the word “narcotic” applies here. Love & Tears is a sultry jasmine, and a heartbreaker too. There are other floral notes in here but they are beautifully blended. The odd addition of cypress in this one adds a tenacious green aspect that makes it “chewy” which is one of my favourite qualities in a perfume. That feeling of almost wanting to eat it. Yes, I am a crazy pefumista.

L'Artisan Parfumeur La Chasse aux Papillons

L’Artisan Parfumeur La Chasse aux Papillons: This one is not a soliflore at all, but it is quite gentle and deliciate and jasmine is the scent that rises above the others in this. Sparkling is another word I would use for this delightful perfume. I adore it and it has been a summer staple for me for years. It is like walking through a garden of jasmine on a hot summer day. There is a “honeyed” aspect to the flowers in this one and you can almost see the butterflies flying by when you wear it. If you have not tried this and you like white florals, please give it a try. [Note: there is an Extreme aka Eau de Parfum version of this which is lovely, but different for sure. There is a pink pepper note that, while pretty, is strong in this version, making it a whole other scent than the original]

Old style bottle

Chantecaille Le Jasmin:  An odd but pretty jasmine, this is one that challenges me a bit in the top note, which is weird and difficult to pinpoint. I think it may be the mimosa they use but I can’t be sure. I have a love/hate thing going on with the top as I tend to love a perfume that makes me think and puzzle a bit. It dries down to a simple pretty jasmine with a very clean musk base. Its lovely and wearable and very summery. I can see wearing Le Jasmin at a summer garden party with a pretty dress. Noting that this is an older bottle style. They have redone their perfume collection which is a pity.  Also a pity are the new perfume bottles they introduced. The old style bottles were elegant & simple with a heavy glass high quality feel. The new ones are a bit tacky and just don't have the same appeal.

The Different Company Jasmin de Nuit

The Different Company Jasmin de Nuit: This one is really beautiful. I wonder why I haven't got another bottle of this. Its sweet and gentle with a subtle dark aspect - the "Nuit" part. Some soft whispery spices on the top (cardamom and cinnamon) with some black currant added into the heart add a sweet almost edible feel to this beauty. Its a sexy jasmine I suppose, but not in a diva way at all. Love it.

Nuxe Huile Progidieuse

Nuxe Huile Prodigieuse: This is not a perfume nor does it seem to be officially jasmine scented but that matters not. It is simply gorgeous. I do get a gentle jasmine scent, similar to the jasmine that grows in my friend’s back yard in Florida. I adore this and this is the jasmine perfume I have always wanted. My only wish would be for it to be a) an actual perfume and b) stronger, but then it might not be as lovely as it is. It makes skin feel and look sublime, especially bare legs in the summer, and manages to be an oil that isn’t oily- a magical “dry oil”. But the scent is the winner here. Soft, gentle, with a hint of indole & green, this is my dream jasmine.

Jo Malone White Jasmine & Mint: Previously reviewed by me here

Love's Soft Jasmine

Love’s Soft Jasmine: Ok this is just for fun, but does anyone remember this one? I recently found an older bottle on ebay and was surprised at how pretty it was. It was as I remembered it, and it was funny how that scent took me back in time. It is a bit of a rubbery jasmine, which doesn’t necessarily mean fake, as there is a rubber aspect to white florals. It has the pretty powdery Love’s Baby Soft base and is about as inoffensive as you can get. It has a little more alcohol that I like in my perfumes so I spray my sheets and lightbulbs with this one. Soft, innocent and summery.

I have a few more soft jasmines I need to try. Annick Goutal Le Jasmin, the new Guerlain Acqua Allegoria Jasminora and Diptyque Olene and Child, both of which I tried years ago, when I didn't know how much I love jasmine so they are worth a re-sniff. What are your faves? I'd love recommendations.

The Understated Beauty of L'Artisan Parfumeur Vanilia

L’Artisan Parfumeur is the second niche line I fell for, when I sniffed their gorgeous fruity musk scent, Mure et Musc Extreme in 1998 while shopping in New York. There was something so transparent and “different” about the line,  and the scents seemed so odd compared to the standard commercial releases. The added novelty of shopping at Barney’s and just being in New York City no doubt shaped my impression of the line, and for that, I am grateful. I have beautiful associations with a beautiful perfume line.

I was already a full fledged perfume junkie and had an overflowing dresser full of bottles from almost all the mainstream lines. At the time I worked for an agent promoting new releases of many lines of perfumes from our humble Canadian Alfred Sung to all the Italian houses (D&G, Versace, Bulgari, Ungaro, etc) as well as Byblos, La Perla and some other more obscure but still mostly mainstream lines. I had OD’d on the 90s powerhouse scents like Mugler Angel, Chanel Allure & Christian Dior Dolce Vita after working in environments where they were being launched, meaning sprayed everywhere. All. The. Time. Mercilessly. To this day I can spot either one of those a mile away as they do not change on anyone’s skin (sorry to any fans, but they don’t) and maintain a screeching linear tone that makes me want to cut my nose off.

My first niche line was Annick Goutal. I had fallen for Annick Goutal probably in 1994 when my local Holt Renfrew (the smallest in Canada) had the line there for a very brief period. Serendipity I’d say, as they carry only the most popular lines due to limited space. Their popular and fresh Eau d'Hadrien (lemon, grapefruit, ylang ylang) became my daytime scent and the sultry Passion (tuberose, ylang, patchouli, vanilla etc) was my nighttime go-to. What I loved most about Annick Goutal was no one I knew had even heard of it. DING DING this was the clincher and soon having a unique perfume that no one else might be wearing became a Very Important Thing.

Back to L’Artisan Parfumeur. Dismissed by many hardcore perfumistas as too bland and mainstream (although a few of their recent releases have been interesting…) I still love this line. They were the first house to do a fig scent and their Premier Figuier is still one of the best creamy fig scents- it was my eldest daughter Emilie’s signature perfume for years. Which is why, as much as I love its green, creamy, powdery and slightly coconut-y scent I can never wear it as it just smells like her. Don’t you hate it when that happens? Funny how we can associate a scent with that person and it becomes impossible to mold it into anything or anyone else.

Vanilia is an older scent from the house having been released in 1978. Perhaps it smells a bit like the 70s where high quality ingredients were tossed into perfumes pell-mell, like a soup.  The notes given (or that I have compiled online) are simple- ylang ylang, vanilla bean, amber and sandalwood. There is a fruity note that perhaps comes from the ylang ylang with the vanilla making it almost foody- but it is never too sweet or cloying. It dries down with the amber & sandalwood adding an almost smoky resinous scent, that sits and warms on the skin never becoming cloying or saccharine. The smoke is barely hinted at before it goes and for that I am grateful as I am not a fan of smoky notes. Its more of a soft barely sweet incense. Vanilia is a bit of a shape shifter, one minute being a soft vanilla scent then becoming an amber-y floral. Some have complained that Vanilia is too soft and too ethereal and have wished for an Extreme or more intense version. I think that would take away from the whole point of this scent and I love it just the way it is.

Truly one of the oddest vanilla scents I was never quite sure if I liked it. I am not a fan of sugary sweet scents and, if you are looking for straight up vanilla scent, you may be disappointed by Vanilia. If you want to smell like cookie dough or cake, this is not the vanilla for you. This is a grown up vanilla with the smooth relaxed vibe I associate with the 70s. Think soft flowing hair, maybe Indian cotton dresses and long skirts and even YSL Safari jackets. Maybe some George Benson playing in the background while you mix drinks and get the fondue ready. The beautiful yet carefree style of Talitha Getty comes to mind and Vanilia to me smells like effortless bohemian luxury. Luxury is key because there is nothing hippie or head shop about this perfume. Vanilia is for the beautiful people, to wear when you are going skiing in Klosters, or dinner in Biarritz after surfing all day. It isn’t loud and doesn’t try to hard. Like you are wearing just a touch of make up, with your hair down and sporting a carefree attitude, in Vanilia you are enveloped in a soft cashmere wrap that is so fine it’s almost ethereal- you can barely feel it on your skin. 

News on the internet says Vanilia is discontinued but several retailers I know of have plenty of stock.  The manager at the L’Artisan Parfumeur boutique at Ogilvy in Montreal told me it was not discontinued, and, have it on their price list catalogue they so kindly send me from time to time. Yet, I have decided to get a back up bottle…just in case…

L'Artisan Parfumeur is available in Canada at boutiques, and they have a freestanding boutique within Ogilvy Department Store in Montreal.

Beautiful Russian Caravan Tea

I love tea scents but frankly have been a bit bored with them. After the green tea mania of the 90s nothing new or interesting in the tea genre has struck me as something I might want to wear. I do enjoy L’Artisan Parfumeur’s The Pour une Ete which is a gentle green tea with a barely there jasmine but never enough to own it. I have and love Jo Malone White Jasmine & Mint, a lovely powdery mint tea with a gentle jasmine, but I tend to wear it to bed more than anything.

A friend recently gave me a bottle of Christopher Brosius’s I Hate Perfume Russian Caravan Tea water perfume and perfume absolute. At first spritz I thought hmm, a lovely black tea scent, and went on about my day. It is the dry down of this Russian Caravan Tea that surprises and delights. And the fact that such a gentle, water based scent could last all day. By gentle I mean hardly any sillage, it wears very close to the skin but throughout the day little wafts of the scent of warm comforting steeped tea wrap around me like a silk scarf. This isn’t an herbal tea, or a green tea. It’s a rich black tea, steeped for a long time. It smells like a quality black tea that brings to mind the Russian Tea tradition. A cozy baroque room, tea served in beautiful podstakannik (silver holders for glasses) and maybe even some Russian Tea Cakes.

My mother’s family is Ukrainian and her mother brought a tea samovar exactly like the one above to Canada when they fled Communist Russia. It always seemed to grand & royal to me- of another time and place, the kind of thing used to serve tea in fairy tales. It had old Russian wiring so it was never used, which made it all the more mysterious. My grandfather was a palace guard in the Tsar’s army and I like to imagine the tea the Romanovs might have enjoyed in the palace, and the scents that might have been wafting around. Tea was an important occasion in the palace, and the Empress Alexandra had a love of fresh cut flowers. Maybe the combined scent of flowers and tea with some buttery tea cakes is the scent I imagine.

The notes from CB I Hate Perfume’s site say there are smoky notes but I can’t smell any smoke at all. Perhaps its so smooth it doesn’t smell lapsang souchong smoky which is good because that kind of smoky would not be a pleasant perfume. There are also notes of bergamot and the citrus is noticeable but so subtle and compliment the tea perfectly. And Russian Caravan Tea is very lovely, addictive almost. Interestingly it is not sweet, which is what ends up bothering me about most tea scents.  Perhaps the citrus balances the tea and adds another dimension in lieu of sweetness. Yet its not bitter either- its just right.


CB I Hate Perfume Russian Caravan Tea is available on their website or at Luckyscent   on their website. If you haven't tried CB I Hate Perfume, you might have fun navigating through his selection. He has a very interesting, often odd, take on perfume.