It's Raining in My Perfume: Miller Harris La Pluie

Miller Harris is a London niche perfumer who has quite a following worldwide. Their scents range from soft and elegant to challenging and interesting, meaning there really is something for everyone. I have liked a few, Jasmin Vert and Figue Amere being two that stand out in my memory. I am now enjoying one of their newer releases - Miller Harris La Pluie. Translated to "the rain" this lastest offering from Miller Harris perfumes is  what I would call a perfect warm weather perfume. La Pluie also won Best Niche Fragrance 2012 at the Cosmopolitan Fragrance Awards, which only made me want to try it more!

From the Miller Harris website:

"La Pluie eau de parfum conjures the inky blue-black of clouds heavy with rain and the heightened sense of expectancy before a thunderstorm, this fragrance is richly suggestive of tropical showers and the balmy climate of a far away island"

Well doesn't that sound lovely! It really does have a weight to it, but it is like the heaviness of water, not of perfume notes. It smells like walking through a warm rain surrounded by lots of greenery and flowers. The green and floral notes combine beautifully, into a impression of the air, rather than one specific flower. With perfumes like this, the list of notes is almost irrelevant. You certainly can get notes of white flowers, but just when you think "jasmine!" it becomes "orange blossom". And there is a humid aspect to these flowers, which I think comes from the cassie (acacia) which is a sweet yet 'foggy" scent, but also the green, watery & almost aquatic feel of mimosa. It dries down gently to a crisp vetiver note sweetened with a touch of vanilla, but maintains the watery feeling throughout the wearing. It is a soft scent, and would be a perfect choice for someone who likes their perfumes gentle and soft, but still interesting. It is lovely to smell the slow transition Miller Harris La Pluie makes on the skin, and then enjoy the soft kiss of rain-like scent that lingers on the skin. Verdict? Lovely.

On my radar right now: Miller Harris candles. I think La Pluie would be incredible as a scent wafting through the house, so calming and soothing.

I got my Miller Harris La Pluie from MIN New York, an amazing shop that ships anywhere & has excellent customer service- they will include samples of other things you might want to try with your order as well. You can also order from the Miller Harris UK website.

Summer Scents That Shine Like The Sun

Donatella's personal perfume collection - Elle DECOR

Versace has been making perfumes for years. I've loved and owned many Versace scents, and they have changed to suit the times. They started out strong & flashy in the 80s and have become kindler and gentler over time. They are softer now, but they have turned their bombastic design to their bottles. Two that always catch my eye are the stunning Bright Crystal & Yellow Diamond. They are gorgeous treasures that would look beautiful on any dressing table or vanity, and make you feel pretty just spraying them on. Only Versace could pull off such fun and playful flash!

Versace Bright Crystal came out in 2006 and is a lovely soft fruity floral scent. It is pretty and fresh and easy to wear, with yummy notes of pomegranate & yuzu, and gentle peony, magnolia and lotus. The soft musk base adds a clean almost soapy note to Bright Crystal, which makes sitting next to someone in this perfume a pleasant experience, as opposed to a choking or overwhelming one. If you enjoy a soft sheer floral perfume, Bright Crystal would be a great addition to your collection.

Versace Yellow Diamond, released in 2011, is a variation the Bright Crystal scent, but replace the red fruits with lemons, limes, neroli and pear sorbet. There is a sweet dessert note here but it is tempered wonderfully by the citrus. This is a perfect summer perfume and just sniffing my wrist makes me crave a tall frosted glass of lemonade. Add some amber & musks to warm up the base and you have a perfume that dries down to a lovely skin scent. 

Verdict? Two lovely Versace perfumes for summer, so you can choose. Or, you can choose both! The bottles would look perfect together and you could have a perfect summer perfume wardrobe to choose from!

Thanks to all who entered! The winner is DRTVrMoi!

Comment on this post, like us on Facebook & Twitter to be entered in a draw for two gorgeous 5ml minis  of eau de toilette of Bright Crystal & Yellow Diamond. Draw open to everyone, ending May 25th at 6pm. 

By Kilian Bamboo Harmony Is Ethereal Tea For Your Skin

By Kilian has released two new perfumes as part of their new Asian Tales line. It's a bit of a departure from their first two collections, which tend to be headier and richer. They are all beautiful in their own way, but certainly not for everyone. We all wear scent differently, and one person's lovely floral is another  ones suffocating nightmare. So for those of you that like some air and softness in their perfume, which I love too, you must check out By Kilian Asian Tales Bamboo Harmony and Water Calligraphy. 

Water Calligraphy- this is the packaging of By Kilian perfumes SWOON

From By Kilian, "Bamboo Harmony pays homage to Bamboo, considered by the “Men of Letters” as the symbol of human perfection. It is also the main component of their brush, the central element of calligraphy which, in Chinese culture, is the representation of Art and Beauty". That is sort of an esoteric and poetic descriptor for a perfume but By Kilian is not known for their pared down approach to creativity. I love that they put this much thought into a scent, and reading about this new line is as enchanting as their previous offerings.

So- the scent. Bamboo Harmony is a lovely white tea scent. There is a touch of citrus & orange blossom in the top notes, but only a touch. Then the white tea note blooms, and its made ever so gently floral with a bit of mimosa. It dries down to a delicate slightly warm skin scent with a little more sweetness from fig leaves, but never too sweet, thanks to their "Matè Essence" which adds a crisp green fresh note, which is unusual in the base of a perfume. This is perfect scent for warmer weather as well. It manages to balance the complexity of notes By Kilian and the amazing perfumer Calice Becker are known for, and make it an ethereal veil of soft, pretty perfume.Verdict: Lovely! 

By Kilian also has lacquered evening bags that echo the design of his perfume packaging- gorgeous

By Kilian is available online at their e-store, at MIN New York, Aedes, Luckyscent and several large department stores in the US, and at Holt Renfrew in Canada. Bamboo Harmony is $225 for a 50 refillable bottle. Travel sets with atomizer are around $70 but I don't know if Bamboo Harmony has a travel set out yet.

Gratuitous photo of Kilian Hennessy

Funny screen cap of what comes up when one Googles Kilian....oh, ladies.