December 4, 2017

Mood Scent 4: Our Favorite Night Out Perfumes

L'Esperessence 4160 Tuesdays, L'Occitane, MoodScent4 Project, Olfactive Studio Evening fragrances, Moroccan, Nigh Out 2 Comments

Welcome to our latest post of the Mood Scent 4 blogging project!

We are four perfume bloggers from France, The Netherlands, England and Wales who write about the same subject every couple of months. A selection of fragrances is chosen by us for a special mood or occasion. You will find all the links to the other blogs at the end of this article.

Rainy Day Perfumes, Wedding Guest Perfumes, Mainstream Perfumes, Uplifting Perfumes were our previous topics. This time it is: Night Out Perfumes!

I have chosen several fragrances to fit different occasions to go out, going out for cocktails with friends at a club or bar, having dinner at a restaurant or watching a play at the theatre. My fragrance choices are: 4160 Tuesdays Midnight in the Palace Garden, Olfactive Studio Still Life in Rio and Les Classiques de L’Occitane Ambre.

4160 Tuesdays Midnight in the Palace Garden – A Lush Oriental Dinner-

Midnight in the Palace Garden was created by Sarah McCartney and includes notes of Atlas cedarwood, skin notes, frangipani, jasmine and neroli, sandalwood, cedarwood, 20th century wood-like modern molecules, blood orange, vanilla and coffee.

With its notes of sweet orange fruit, sweet orange flowers, candied orange rind, vanilla and woody notes Midnight in the Palace Garden is an excellent fragrance to go out and have dinner at a Moroccan restaurant filled with embroidered cushions, coloured lights and divans. If you do not have such a Moroccan restaurant nearby, just close your eyes and let the fragrance transport you to one. Midnight reminds me of the beautiful Alhambra Nasrid palace in Granada, the most beautiful part of the Alhambra, once home to Moorish sultans and their wives.

Olfactive Studio Still Life in Rio – Going out for Cocktails-

Still Life in Rio was created by perfumer Dora Baghriche together with Céline Verleure. It includes notes of yuzu, ginger, mint, lemon, mandarin, peppers, coconut water, Brazilian Copaiba, accords of white leather and rum.

Like all Olfactive Studio fragrances the inspiration for the fragrance is a beautiful photograph. Still Life in Rio has more citrus notes (mandarin, lemon and the Japanese citrus fruit yuzu) than its older sister Still Life. Still Life in Rio is full of bright lively sparkles and an excellent fragrance to go out for cocktails. This fragrance will get you in a party mood immediately as it is very uplifting, no drugs or alcohol are needed!

Les Classiques de L’Occitane Ambre – A Night Out in the Theatre-

Les Classiques de L’Occitane Ambre (in short Ambre) was relaunched in 2016 and includes notes of bergamot, freesia, labdanum, ambre accord, musk, patchouli and vanilla.

The warm, resinous and rich Ambre is an excellent choice when going to a play in an old theatre with red velvet carpets and shining chrystal chandeliers. Although it might be wise not to overspray this classic fragrance and keep the scent close to yourself as it might be a bit overwhelming for other people. Ambre feels very comfortable, lush and luxurious especially with colder weather.

You can find Tara’s choices from A Bottled Rose, Megan’s from Megan in Sainte Máxime and Samantha’s from I Scent You A Day by clicking on the names of the websites. I am curious about their favourite Night Out fragrances, aren’t you?

Which fragrances do you choose for a night out?

January 15, 2016

4160 Tuesdays Midnight in the Palace Garden and Advent Calendar Review

L'Esperessence 4160 Tuesdays Advent Calendar, Alhambra, Atlas Cedarwood, Coffee, Floral Oriental, Jasmine, Neroli, Orange, Orange Blossom, Sarah McCartney, Vanilla 13 Comments

The 4160 Tuesdays Advent Calendar 2015
During the last advent Christmas period I tested 25 different fragrances made by 4160 Tuesdays London based perfumer Sarah McCartney. 4160 Tuesdays had offered an Advent box with a different daily fragrance for 75 pounds. Generous 2,5 ml edp or extrait sprays were wrapped in beautiful coloured envelopes. It was a joyful and playfull way to experience a large part of the 4160 Tuesdays perfume collection. I missed the surprise of opening a new envelop with a different fragrance and tweeting about it at end of the Advent Box on December 25th. Sarah McCartney reacted daily to the tweets which was quite nice as well.

Why writing about it now, after Christmas ?
At the beginning of December and the Advent period, I started blogging everyday about her fragrances but I needed more time to test her fragrances and not all were my personal taste. So I decided to test all of them and afterwards write about the ones I liked and enjoy, starting with Midnight in The Palace Garden (shortly: Midnight) from the Crimes of Passion series.

An honest remark about 4160 Tuesdays fragrances
Before I start with Midnight I have to be honest, most of the 4160 Tuesdays fragrance were not my personal taste. They were either too sweet or too edgy. But they are quite different from all other fragrances I have tried before. The perfume names at times are very funny and I love all the colors Sarah McCartney uses in her collection.

My Four 4160 Tuesdays Favorites
From the whole collection I liked four fragrances, Midnight in the Palace Garden, Centrepiece, Doe in the Snow and Paradox. I will start reviewing Midnight and might review the others another time.

Midnight in The Palace Garden Extrait Review
When I first scented Midnight, it reminded me of the Alhambra Palace in Granada. This could be due to its name or the accompanying story on the 4160 Tuesdays official website:

“Picture a moonlit courtyard, scented with white flowers and orange trees; there’s a fountain, a low table with coffee and sweets, a silk- upolstered divan and the scent of warm skin after a calm hot day.”

Notes: (from official 4160 Tuesdays website)
Atlas cedarwood and skin notes, frangipani, jasmine and neroli, sandalwood, cedarwood, 20th century wood-like modern molecules, blood orange, vanilla and coffee

Orange blossom in Jerez de la Frontera

Midnight starts off at my skin with very sweet oranges, as if you are drenched in oranges in a bath. Shortly afterwards sweet orange candies with a semi liquid orange filling and sweet flowery orange peel appear. To be followed after some minutes by beautiful orange blossom flowers. This is my favorite part of Midnight. After half an hour what remains are the sweets. I did not get any coffee only a slight tobacco idea note at the start. Midnight changes over time but not surprisingly. For a pure extrait, Midnight had some projection, giving the impression of an eau de parfum as more modern extraits do. It lasted about 4 to 5 hours on my skin.

Bottomline: I liked Midnight and I have to admit I like everything from the orange tree from its blossom, twigs, leaves to its fruit. But I wish Midnight was a tad less sweet. The orange blossom note in Midnight is beautiful. If you like orange or orange blossom fragrances give Midnight a try, if you don’t, stay away from it.

Did you try any 4160 Tuesdays fragrances? If so, which was your favorite?

Disclaimer: the Advent Calendar was bought by me

photographs: 1 and 2 : made by me, 4: made by Jerez de La Frontera

December 3, 2015

Perfume Review: 4160 Tuesdays Shazam!

L'Esperessence 4160 Tuesdays Amber, Atlas Cedarwood, Basil, Cardamom, Cocoa Absolute, Floral Spicy Amber, Frankincense, Juniper Berry, Orange, Oriental, Patchouli, Pink Peppercorn, Tangerine 4 Comments

I am really enjoying the 4160 Tuesdays scented advent calender. A generous 2,5 ml spray is beautifully wrapped in a differently coloured envelope every day. It looks like the colour of the envelope matches the fragrance. I like the perfumer’s eye for details. Sarah McCartney is the English perfumer of 4160 Tuesdays and Shazam! was created in 2013.

Today we are on Day 3 with an orange envelope and matching fragrance Shazam! Shazam! has a bright citrus tangerine note giving the impression of oranges.

I bought Shazam! this late summer as a 7-9 ml spray. It did not appeal to me then. But it was much warmer outside at the time. While retesting it now with colder weather, I really enjoy it. Especially the dry down.

The fragrance of Shazam! was inspired by the famous spice market in Marrakech. Shazam! starts off as a spicy oriental fragrance with a bright citrus note. The official note says tangerine. But it reminds me of sun-ripened oranges. Although I do not like spicy fragrances I find the spices in Shazam! to be very well balanced and not overwhelming. It would make an excellent body oil.

Shazam! gives me a more lineair impression than other oriental fragrances. Those tend to change more during time on the skin. Most of the ingredients of Shazam! are present from the beginning. There are not a lot of surprises, expect for the dry down, which is warm and comforting with uplifting elements, probably from the tangerine and pink pepper.

Bottom line: I like Shazam! and I am glad I restested with colder weather.

Try Shazam! If you like fragrances like Teo Cabanel Alahine or Dior Mitzah and fragrances with oranges.

Notes: (official 4160 Tuesdays website)

top notes: basil/tangerine/juniper berry

heart notes: atlas cedarwood/pink peppercorn/cardamom/frankincense

base notes: amber/patchouli/cocoa absolute

Photograph: made this weekend by Claudia Ros in Marrakech