Powdery Perfumes, Beautiful & Comforting.

I love powdery scents. They are comforting, and harken back to simple sweet times. I always loved the scent of baby powder and wore it when I was a pre teen as a sweet "perfume", along with my Love's Baby Soft. I have also used J&J Baby Lotion, for its light moisturizing and soft powdery scent. My daughters use it sometimes and it takes me back to when they were babies. I recall giving them little massages with baby oil after their baths, and giving them a light dusting of baby powder to keep heat rash at bay in hot weather. So who wouldn't associate that scent with sweetness and innocence? I still like the scent of Love's Baby Soft, and it was the first perfume I got for both my daughters when they were old enough to spritz on their own perfume like "grown-ups".

Powdery scents have been around forever and are either baby/talcum powder-y, or a little more adult and more cosmetic or "face powder" powdery. Some notes contribute to a powdery scent- floral notes like violet, iris, heliotropin and rose are often powdery, and resins like amber have a sweet powdery feel, and even white musks. Certain soapy scents can be powdery, and my favourite powdery scents are also "clean" smelling. Notes like amber can warm and sweeten a clean scent, making it less cold and detergent-y. As with any category of perfumes I review, there are usually MANY that don't make the list. I either think of them later, or just pare it down to a few in the interest of brevity. But I also love to hear your ideas and faves, as this is the best way for me to find new and wonderful perfumes to try! Yes, we are all enablers ;)

So here is my list, such as it is....

Lorenzo Villoresi Teinte de Neige The name of the Villoresi perfume means "the colour of snow"- quite poetic really. This one is a powder bomb, and is so concentrated that a little goes a long on my skin. The notes listed include jasmine, rose, tonka "powdery notes" (duh) heliotrope and musk. I am not sure what amps the powder up in this but it is magical. I really like the way Teinte de Neige is a dry powdery perfume and not overly sweet. I get baby powder but some reviewers get face powder. Perhaps they are smelling more of the floral notes than I can detect. I think the musks in this perfume can read stronger for some, meaning the florals melt into the background a little more. This is the case for me. But there is something very soothing about this perfume, giving one the sense of being pampered, bathed and powdered, making it wonderful for hot weather. Yet, it also has a warm and cozy sense which makes it a lovely shape shifter for cool weather, like a cashmere wrap. Gorgeous, and really the Grande Dame of powdery perfumes- if you like this category, this one is a must-sniff.

Il Profumi de Fireze Talco Delicato Just as the name would suggest, this one is a soft and delicate powder scent. It has the musk, vanilla of Teinte de Neiges but no floral notes, and has added some spices (just spices, nothing specific..) which give it a slightly sweeter and less "dry" feel that the Villoresi scent. The musk is sweet and innocent, and I pick out a J&J Baby Shampoo vibe- the same one I get from Jovan Musk. I think I find this a bit easier to wear than Teinte de Neige but to be fair, they are pretty different, but if you found TdN too "much" and still want a powder perfume, you really should try Talco Delicato. No violety face powder here, just soft and innocent clean fresh-out-of- the-bath powder. If you enjoy sweet simple scents and also like white musks, this one is a must try. The dry down on this just gets softer and lovelier. Very pretty.

Guerlain Vol de Nuit I am always afraid to throw a classic Guerlain into the mix due to the reformulation issue. So, lets just stick to current versions, and in this case, the eau de toilette. The notes include bergamot, jasmine, galbanum, woods, vanilla, iris and amber. So this would be in the face powder category, and in the most elegant and delicate of ways. It never gets too sweet and wears very softly on the skin. There are some "spices" in there, and with the woodsy notes you get an effect that could really be a masculine or feminine. This is a cool weather favourite of mine, and the sweet vanilla-amber dry down is really quite sexy. So yes, Vol de Nuit not a baby powder powdery perfume, and it has the classic Guerlinade base that makes you very happy this is not a modern fruity floral. No one does perfume like Guerlain and I am reminded of their genius every time I wear one. I've said that I could live happily with only Guerlain and Chanel perfumes for the rest of my days but I suppose I'm happy I don't have to. Vol de Nuit is like a creamy velvet powder perfume, and one I often like to wear to bed. I love getting a hit of it on my sheets when I get into bed the next night as well. Beautiful. Added bonus: this Christmas, Guerlain is releasing Vol de Nuit as a softly shimmering scented powder in a teal green bottle:

I must own this. Must. Own. Swooning.

L'Artisan L'Eau d'Ambre This is my hands down favourite amber scent, and one of my faves from the L'Artisan line. There is the L'Eau and also an Extreme version (which is sort of the eau de parfum version) but neither one is actually "extreme" and it is a very soft and powdery scent. It is quite interesting, and includes notes of rose, cardamom, geranium, vanilla, sandalwood and amber. The geranium adds an interesting aspect that perhaps contributes to the dry sense of this perfume. It is a soft sweet powder that wears very close to the skin. It is dry and warm and again, easily a unisex scent. If you are an amber fan, you must try this one. In my opinion it is one of the most beautiful amber scents on the market. It melts into your skin as the day goes by and is really quite sexy. L'Artisan has Ambre scents in their home line too. I do not suggest sniffing them unless your wallet is wide open. The Ambre candles are simple the most gorgeous candles I've tried. You do not even have to light them to enjoy the scent, but when you do, the throw is amazing and your whole home will smell divine. And then, there are the Ambre Boules....finely carved vented terracotta balls that contain an amber scented resin (refills available) that are nothing less than swoonworthy.

They radiate amber deliciousness throughout the home and simply look gorgeous. They are, to me, the ultimate ambient perfume for the home.

Bill Blass Nude Ok this is an odd one, but a lovely one. Nude has been discontinued for years but is still available for a song online (like, under $35 kind of song) and is well worth it. Nude is a skin scent with a blast of sinus clearing aldehydes in the top notes that makes you go "SKIN SCENT? HUH?". As soon as they disappear, which is quickly, you are soon left with a soft powdery sweet perfume that smells like pretty sweet soft skin. I would call this one Love's Grown Up Lady Soft, as the woodsy base notes elevate this from girly to grown up in a fabulous way. The vetiver and sandalwood combination is really different. I wouldn't call this unisex but nor is it especially "girly". It is different, and lovely. A beautiful review for Nude by a perfumista on Basenotes described it so wonderfully. She said her family and friends always thought that she just smelled wonderful, herself, and never guessed it was her perfume they were smelling until she switched it. And the perfume was Bill Blass Nude. It was that review that convinced me to buy it, unsniffed, and I have not regretted it. Another compliment getter, Nude is easy to wear and always makes me feel pretty.

Abdul Kareem Baby Powder Oil From the sublime to the ridiculous- that's just how I roll. As much as I love the fabulous artistic Italian perfumers takes on powder, sometimes I just want to smell like, well, baby powder. AK has managed to recreate the scent of J&J Baby Powder perfectly in their Baby Powder Oil perfume. It lasts for hours and hours on the skin, and smells perfectly powdery and pretty. I wear this one to bed a lot, and also layer it with floral and woody perfumes for a sweet powdery foil. It is low on the sillage scale and is one of my huggable perfumes, ie one has to get close to smell it. It is simple and pure and every powder lover should own it. I have heard it is being discontinued so get it now while you can. At around $15 for a 15ml bottle its worth it- very concentrated, and a little goes a long way.

Tiger Beat magazine ad from the 70s. How was this ever ok? Oy.

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.