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🌹Mood Scent 4 Roses, Roses, Roses!🌹🌹

It’s time for Mood Scent 4! Where Portia (on A Bottled Rose) , Samantha  (I Scent You A Day), Megan (Megan In Sainte Maxime) and I write about a different subject linking perfume to mood or occasion. This time we picked roses in perfumes. Powdery roses, fruity roses, roses with chocolate or spices, there are so many to choose from! I adore roses in perfumes, roses as flowers and own several rose centric fragrances. For this article I chose different kinds of roses in perfumes, tea roses, dark roses, powdery roses and wild ones.

Paul Smith Rose Eau de Parfum 

Paul Smith Rose is an elegant, sophisticated, natural smelling light pink rose scent. This eau de parfum smells very natural as if smelling a bouquet of recently picked small light pink roses. It reminds me of rose lemonade on a hot summer day too. Think of a fresh, light pink rose with shiny drops of dew on its petals and a light tea touch. After a few minutes Paul Smith Rose turns into a slightly warmer dark velvet rose.

Paul Smith Rose was created by perfumer Antoine Maisondieu and launched in 2006 at the famous Chelsea Flower Show in the UK. The scent reminds me of the discontinued Stella McCartney Stella Edp, a reasonable and affordable alternative for this fragrance. Paul Smith Rose is cheap as chips at discount stores and makes an excellent gift for lovers of rose scents.

Neela Vermeire Créations Mohur Eau de Parfum 

Mohur is a fragrance with many faces, changing continuously showing us different notes each time you smell your wrist; saffron, powdery rose, oud, creamy woody sandalwood, spicy refreshing cardamon, green stems and sweet milky notes. It feels like experiencing those kaleidoscope tubes we used to see as a child, where every time you turned the tube with beads and mirrors, very different shapes and colours appeared.

Surprisingly Mohur smells very lightly at the beginning but after a few hours it is at its best and very noticeable on skin. It took me time to fully appreciate Mohur as there are so many sides to this fragrance. Now it is one of my favourite spicy rose fragrances as it is such a special and distinctive scent.

Guerlain Nahéma Eau de Parfum / Extrait 

NahĂ©ma is a lush powdery rose, full of dark velvet rose petals, juicy peach on a warm smooth sandalwood, with a balsamic base of peru balsam and creamy not overly sweet vanilla. Wearing NahĂ©ma feels like walking in a bright red velvet long evening gown fit for an movie star. from the 1950’s ties.  It is bold, voluptuous and daring. I prefer the discontinued extrait/pure perfume to the eau de parfum which is still sold today. This version is worth a try as well and can be found at Guerlain counters in department stores or online. I haven’t been to department stores for some time so I am not sure if they still sell NahĂ©ma. The Eau de Parfum seems more powdery and not as filled with lush velvet rose petals.

NahĂ©ma was released in 1979 ahead of its time in the 1980’s ties when big and bold fragrances like Dior Poison and Yves Saint Laurent Paris were introduced. I wonder how long Guerlain/LVMH will be producing NahĂ©ma as it is so hard to find. It is one of my personal favourite rose fragrances and gets a lot of wear.

Editions de Parfums Frédéric Malle Une Rose 

Another fragrance which gets a lot of wear is Une Rose, created by perfumer Edouard Fléchier. He also made Dior Poison and Tendre Poison. Une Rose is a rose with thorns and darker boozy edges. A rose which has endured storms, heavy rains, winds and is still showing its beauty. It is not your usual light tea rose but an ancient breed grown to undergo hardships. Une Rose is beautiful at times, powdery and scented of rose jam but you can smell its rough green stems and torn leaves. A magnificent creation.

Editions de Parfums Frédéric Malle Rosa Rugosa Scented Candle  

Editions de Parfums Frédéric Malle Rosa Rugosa was created by perfumer Carlos Benaïm (also from Polo Ralph Lauren). This scent is sold as a scented candle, rubber incense set and large room spray.  Rosa Rugosa was inspired by the scent of the rosa rugosa flower. This is a wilder kind of rose bush which can usually be found in the dunes near the sea.  In The Netherlands they were planted next to roads or in parks as well. It seems they have grown out of fashion. The blossoming Rose flowers turns into little fruits which are the size of cherry tomatoes and can be used to make jam or syrup.

The burning Rosa Rugosa candle smells like leaving your window open and wafts of the blossoming Rosa Rugosa bushes enter your room leaving the room lightly scented of wild blossoming small rose flowers. Rosa Rugosa bushes grew abundantly in the Dutch village where I grew up near the sea and I have a fondness for these small fuchsia coloured pink wild roses with their green wrinkled prickly leaves. The rose underneath is not a Rosa Rugosa but another kind of Rose.

These are the rose fragrances I picked. Have a look on Samantha’s blog I Scent You A Day Megan’s blog  Megan in St. Maxime  and Portia on A Bottled Rose,  to read they choices too! It is always a joy to read their picks and see what they chose. Sometimes we choose the same fragrances which is a nice surprise as we don’t know in advance what we will pick.

Back to you Do you like rose perfumes? What are your favorite ones ?

Disclosure: All fragrances mentioned in this article were bought by me.  The Bottles or scented candles which are sold now, might be different from the ones shown on the photographs. The photographs were made by me and are an artistic expression. The aim of the photographs is to portray personal impressions of the fragrances.

Mood Scent 4 Zesty Citrus!

It is Mood Scent 4 time again!  Our monthly blogging project where Portia (on A Bottled Rose) , Samantha  (I Scent You A Day), Megan (Megan In Sainte Maxime) and I write about a different subject linking perfume to mood or occasion. This time we picked zesty citrus in perfumes: lemon, Japanese yuzu, mandarine, grapefruit. oranges, limes, you name it. They can all be very invigorating and uplifting which is one of the reasons I love them in perfume. They can be energizing on grey rainy days and refreshing on hot days. For this post I chose fragrances I own and enjoy wearing regularly, starting with Untiled L’Eau.

Marghiela Untitled L’Eau by Daniela Roche-Andrier (2011)

Untitled L’Eau is a refreshing unusual bitter cologne style scent and a flanker of the popular Marghiela Untitled. The use of buchu and lentisque (also called mastic) make this fragrance different from other scents in this category adding a modern touch. Buchu is a flowering plant originally from the Western Cape in South Africa. While Lentisque (also called mastic) is traditionally grown on the Greek island Chios. It is a precious resin obtained from the mastic tree and used in the Greek liqueur Mastika and Greek ice cream. Buchu and refreshing spearmint are used in Untitled L’Eau instead of the traditional herbal rosemary and lavender which make this fragrance more contemporary. After a few hours L’Eau leaves a combination of clean shaving cream and bitter herbs on the skin.

Untitled L’Eau feels like immersing yourself in an herbal cold bath on a very warm summer day, the sun is shining through a lightweight sheer white curtain in a 19th century Parisian apartment with high ceilings, the ancient bath tub has been filled with fragrant herbs, sweet mandarin and lemon. Mint leaves the skin tingling and refreshed in the July summer heat in the city. Untitled L’Eau is my personal favorite on warm summer days in Amsterdam as it is a very refreshing scent and feels like taking a cold shower, in a good way.

Notes include lemon, mandarin, galbanum, buchu, spearmint, orange blossom, lentisque, patchouli, frankincense and musk

April Aromatics Ray Of Light by Tanja Bochnig (2014)

Bright crisp lime and sweet vibrant lemon with bitter leaves of the lemon tree make Ray Of Light a very uplifting fragrance. It is a very encouraging and cheerful fragrance. Wearing Ray of Light feels like hearing a dear friend whispering cheerful words in your ear on those days you need help to get things done or get in a happy mood. Pure joy in a perfume bottle for those moments you could use something cheerful, which I can imagine, many of us could use at the moment.

Notes include lime, lemon, pink grapefruit, orange, bergamot, galbanum, mint, vetiver and tobacco.

Atelier Cologne Pomelo Paradis by Ralf Schwieger (2015)

Pomelo Paradis is an uplifting fragrant scent created by perfumer Ralf Schwieger (from Frederic Malle Lipstick Rose, Aedes de Venustas Iris Nazarena, several Atelier Cologne creations and Gallivants latest release Bukhara) In Pomelo Paradis peppery, radiant, juicy, tart and bitter grapefruit and sweet mandarin enhance the fresh heart of roses. The grapefruit is incredibly realistic with its acidic, bitter sweet and light sweaty touch. The fresh rose bouquet is lightened by a touch of refreshing green mint. Pomelo Paradis is a must try if you like grapefruit centred perfumes and very uplifting on grey rainy days. If you want to enhance the grapefruit in Pomelo Paradis even more, you could layer with Zarko Perfume pink molecule 090·09.

Notes include pink grapefruit, mandarin and black currant, orange blossom, mint and bulgarian rose, vetiver, amber accord and iris.

Atelier Des Ors Blanc Polychrome by Marie Salamagne (2020)

Blanc Polychrome smells like very bright juicy lemons and white recently washed cotton sheets drying on a sunny warm Mediterranean roof terrace. It is incredibly uplifting and summer like making you wish for carefree summers at the beach in Southern France or Spain. Unlike many other perfumes with citrus fruits as its leading stars, the sparkling lemon and sweeter mandarin last several hours on skin. The drydown is a very clean white musk.

Notes include mandarin, lemon, rhubarb, solar accord, petit grain, jasmine petals, fig leaf, lavender, Ambroxan, moss and musk.

Olfactive Studio Still Life by Dora Baghriche-Arnaud (2011)

Still Life is a sparkling, festive and very joyous scent which smells like a small group of young people having a party on an urban New York roof top on a hot sunny summer day. You can hear the buzzing sounds of the city and smell the citrus and boozy sweetened rum from the cocktails with a touch of spicy pepper. Still Life leaves the impression of salty particles on the skin after having a swim in the sea.

Notes include yuzu (Japanese citrus fruit), elemi, pepper (pink, black and Sichuan pepper) star anise, galbanum, dark rum, cedar and ambrox.

These are the 5 zesty citrus perfumes I picked. Have a look on Samantha’s blog I Scent You A Day Megan’s blog  Megan in St. Maxime  and Portia on A Bottled Rose,  to read they choices too! It is always a joy to read their picks and see what they have chosen.

Leave a comment, I love to read your zesty citrus perfumes!
What are your favorite citrus perfumes? Do you prefer lemons, limes or grapefruits in fragrances?

Disclosure: All fragrances or samples mentioned in this article were bought by me personally. Photographs were made by me as well and are an artistic expression. Bottles which are sold now, might be different from the ones shown on the photographs.

 

 

Mood Scent 4 Fabulous Fruits!

It is Mood Scent 4 time again!  Our monthly blogging project where Portia (on A Bottled Rose) , Samantha  (I Scent You A Day), Megan (Megan In Sainte Maxime) and I write about a different subject linking perfume to mood or occasion. This time we picked fabulous fruits: peaches, mangos, pears, blueberries, prunes, melons or prickly pears/cactus fruits (in case you were wondering about the fruits on the photograph). It was Portia’s idea to write about fruity fragrances this month and Sam came up with the title.

Personally I like perfumes with fruit but not fragrances which are only about fruit and I find them at times challenging. But I have several which I love and joyously wear, especially if they have some peach or mango notes. So we starting with green mango in Bombay Bling!

Neela Vermeire Creations Bombay Bling

Bombay Bling is an uplifting and joyful fragrance with delicious green mango, spicy lemony cardamon and a bouquet of flowers like creamy ylang ylang, gardenia, frangipani and tuberose. Created by perfumer Bertrand Duchaufour Bombay Bling embodies very different parts of modern, colourful, buzzing, spiritual and joyful India. Curious to know what joy smells like? Try Bombay Bling.

Notes include mango, lychee, blackcurrant, cardamom, cumin, cistus, Turkish rose, jasmine sambac, ylang-ylang, tuberose, frangipani, gardenia, patchouli, tobacco, sandalwood, cedar wood and vanilla.

Parfums MDCI Péché Cardinal

Parfums MDCI (MDCI) Peche Cardinal is a young, joyful and pretty fruity floral fragrance. Wearing Péché Cardinal makes you feel innocent and playful (again). It was released in 2008, means Cardinal Sin in French and was created by perfumer Amandine Clerc-Marie. Péché Cardinal is a special treat if you like tuberose, peach and coconut in a fragrance.

The tuberose flower is fresh and green at the start like its large stem and still innocent before showing us her more lush or even carnal side. Péché Cardinal can be slightly kaleidoscopic as she changes from a sweet peach liquor boozy drink to a creamy tuberose and a light coconut milk drink too.

Notes include peach, coconut, blackberry, black currant, artemisia, tuberose, plum, lily, musk, sandalwood, cedarwood Virginian.

Envoyage Perfumes Vents Ardants

Vents Ardents starts off with very ripe lush tropical fruits reminiscent of the smell of fruits sold in a fruit stall in the burning hot sun at a tropical beach. Fruits are slightly starting to decay in the heat but they are still good enough to eat. There is a thin line between very ripe fruits getting too cloying and just the right touch. But perfumer Shelley Waddington did an excellent job by staying on the right side of the line in this eau de cologne. Vents Ardents smells of boozy rum from the Caribbean as well, moving more into amber territory with sweet vanilla beans and balsamic resins.

Vents Ardents means ardent winds in French. It smells like a passionate love affair in the tropical heat on one of the exotic islands in the Caribbean. Vents Ardents was created to be used as a wedding scent (or wedding night?) to be paired with Nectars des ĂŽles thus creating a new fragrance by layering them together. What a wonderful idea for a wedding scent!

Notes include Blue Curacao, Wild Oranges, Bay Rum, Tropical Fruits, Tonka Beans, Heliotrope, Magnolia, French Narcissus, Amber , Mahogany, Tobacco, Oak, Driftwood, Vanilla, Balsams.

4160 Tuesdays Doe in The Snow

After visiting Modern India, the Maldives and Caribbean islands we are visiting the UK on a cold winter day with Doe in the Snow from perfumer Sarah McCartney. Doe in the Snow was originally created as a wedding scent for Lizzie Ostrom also known as Odette Toilette. Doe in the Snow smells like scenting fresh lemon from an expensive Italian cologne worn by a fellow traveler while waiting for the train on an ice cold polar windy train station on a crisp winter morning.

Notes include grapefruit, cedrat, yuzu, peach aldehyde, snow, cedarwood, rose, jasmine, oak, opoponax, oakmoss, leather, green tea absolute

Goutal Quel Amour!

This composition opens with fresh tart red currants. After some seconds, a very large pink bouquet of fragrant peonies enters the stage followed by red pomegranate jelly. Fancy pink petaled large roses and light powder join as well. They create a beautiful blend of sweet pink peonies, a touch of powdery rose, tart red summer currants and Middle Eastern pomegranate jelly. Although this fragrance has been discontinued it is still widely available online. Grab a bottle while you still can if you like romantic floral (fruity) fragrances.

Notes include red currant, pomegranate, peach, cherry, blueberry, peony, geranium and amber

These are the fabulous fruits perfumes I picked. Have a look on Samantha’s blog I Scent You A Day Megan’s blog  Megan in St. Maxime  and Portia on A Bottled Rose,  to read they choices too!

Leave a comment, I love to read your fabulous fruit perfumes!
What are your favorite fruit perfumes?

Disclosure: All fragrances or samples mentioned in this article were bought by me personally. Photographs were made by me as well and are an artistic expression. Bottles which are sold now, might be different from the ones shown on the photographs.