L’Artisan Parfumeur

Mood Scent 4 : Duvet Day Perfumes

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Its Mood Scent 4 time again! Sam (I Scent You a Day), Megan (Megan in St. Maxime), Portia (Australian Perfume Junkies) and I write about a different  theme every month. This time we have chosen to post about our favorite Duvet Day Perfumes. Which perfumes do we reach for on our days off when we relax in bed or stay comfortably in our pyjamas all day? I have chosen 4 fragrances with comforting and relaxing notes of sandalwood, vanilla and Turkish apple tea.

1. Pierre Guillaume Paris 18 Cadjméré Eau de Parfum 

One of my absolute favorites Duvet Day perfumes is Pierre Guilaumes 18 Cadjméré. The comforting creamy sandalwood pairs extremely well with the light milky coconut creating a harmonious fragrance which makes you want to stay in bed or on the sofa all day in your pyjamas. A light touch of spices uplift it slightly.

Some say Cadjméré refers to the soft touch of Kashmir and mère” (mother in French). As the most important note sandalwood is often qualified as “maternal wood” due to its creamy and comforting qualities. I love to wear this fragrance when I want to slow down or before going to bed for its soothing effect.

Cadjméré includes notes of tangerine, aromatic sap, rosewood, Kenyan cypress resin, sandalwood, ambrette seed and vanilla.

2. L’Artisan Parfumeur Traversée du Bosphore Eau de Parfum 

The relaxing Traversée du Bosphore is a good choice for your occasional duvet day. It was inspired by a trip to Istanbul in 2010 by French perfumer Bertrand Duchaufour and opens with sweet Turkish apple tea and a pinch of cinnamon powder. The apple is slightly covered with sugar powder and softly baked in delicious browning butter. This is not a fresh crisp green apple more a sweet warm appetising apple desert. The Turkish apple tea note is mixed with Turkish delight, both very sweet at the beginning but never too candy like. It is just the right amount of sugar.

After a few minutes the scent of almonds appears. Comforting vanilla is the base of this fragrance with a little sweetness probably from the sugar powdered apple and Turkish Delight. Traversée du Bosphore is a wonderful little comforting tourist trip to Turkey with its sweet apple tea and turkish delight while remaining at home in your pyjamas.

Traversée du Bosphore includes notes of apple, pomegranate, tulip, iris, leather, saffron, Turkish delight accord, vanilla and musks.

3. Guerlain Shalimar 

Although Shalimar makes me feel like a movie star from the roaring twenties with natural glamour and sensual elegance I love to wear this at home for its comforting and relaxing effect. The balsamic properties of Vanilla sooth me and I love to wear this before going to bed. It’s a wonderful duvet day perfume and one I can’t live without honestly.

Shalimar notes include bergamot, rose and jasmine, opopanax, vanilla, iris and tonka bean.

4. Le Labo Labdanum 18 Eau de Parfum

More suited for our upcoming theme Sexy Duvet Day (no, just kidding here!) but, an honorable mention go to Le Labo Labdanum 18, created in 2006 by master perfumer Maurice Roucel. This cosy and warm powdery fragrance envelopes you like a soft cashmere blanket. Civet and castoreum add a sensual ‘dirty’ touch making it very seductive while still remaining incredibly confortable.

Labdanum 18 notes include labdanum, tonka beans, vanilla, castoreum, patchouli.

Have a look on the Sam’s blog I Scent You A Day, Megan’s  Megan in St. Maxime and Portia’s Australian Perfume Junkies to read their picks for duvet day perfumes.

What are your favourite duvet day choices on your day off? Did you like my choices?

Disclosure: all photographs were made by Esperessence

Mood Scent 4 Uplifting Perfumes

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Welcome to Mood Scent 4!

We are four perfume bloggers based in France, Holland, England and Wales who post on a different jointed subject every couple of months. This time we have chosen uplifting perfumes as we moving into the autumn and winter season. At the end of this article you will find links to the blogs of A Bottled Rose, I Scent You A Day and Megan in St. Maxime.

I really enjoyed choosing 5 uplifting fragrances for our joined project. The fragrances I choose were the joyful L’Artisan Parfumeur La Chasse aux Papillons Eau de Toilette, invigorating Frederic Malle Cologne Bigarade, contemporary British Heeley Oranges and Lemons, bright April Aromatics Ray Of Light and energising Hermes Eau D’Orange Verte.

1. L’Artisan Parfumeur La Chasse aux Papillons Eau de Toilette

Notes: Linden Blossom, Lemon Tree Blossom, Orange Blossom, Jasmine, Tuberose Perfumer: Anne Flipo Year: 1999

La Chasse aux Papillons (Chasing butterflies) is a happy, joyful, floral bouquet of white blossoms of orange, jasmine and tuberose with some green leaves and creamy coconut. It is one of my favorite uplifting fragrances and I gladly use the Eau de Toilette, the accompanying body lotion and shower gel on grey rainy days to cheer me up.

In a few words*: innocent, romantic, joyful, young and light, white

2. Frederic Malle Cologne Bigarade

Notes: Bitter Orange, Cardamon, Pepper, Hay, Cedar Wood Perfumer: Jean-Claude Ellena Year: 2001

In true Ellena style this cologne is stripped from any distractions* by leaving out the traditional cologne herbs lavender or rosemary and concentrating fully on the bitter orange essence in all it’s splendour. It’s incredibly energising and an excellent choice for a dull grey autumn or winter morning. I used the shower gel some years ago and loved it too.

In a few words: refreshing, invigorating, clean, casual chic

3. Heeley Oranges And Lemons Say The Bell’s Of … St.Clements

Notes: Oranges, Lemons, Bergamot, Mandarine, Neroli, Petitgrain, Earl Grey Tea, Ylang Ylang, Vetiver Perfumer: James Heeley Year: 2010

Together with La Chasse Aux Papillons a beautiful name for a fragrance. Oranges and Lemons was inspired by an old children’s rhyme from the 18th century. The Bell’s Of St. Clements refer to church bells which can still be found in the historic and financial centre of the City of London.

Oranges and Lemons starts as a contemporary cologne with bright bitter orange flowers (neroli) with their green leaves to change into a slightly sweeter orange lemonade. There is a right balance between the shiny bitter neroli and sweeter orange. Longevity on my skin is good for a cologne style fragrance as it lasts several hours. Unexpectedly the dry down was quite calming.  If the fragrance would have a color it would be vibrant orange.

In a few words: modern cologne, relaxed, contemporary British, colour of bright orange

4. April Aromatics Ray Of Light

Notes: Lime, Lemon, Pink Grapefruit, Orange, Bergamot, Galbanum, Mint, Vetiver, Tobacco. Perfumer: Tanja Bochnig Year: 2014

Ray of Light is an all natural fragrance made by Berlin based perfumer Tanja Bochnig. The fragrance opens with bright sunny bitter green citrus leaves which quickly change into warmer lightly sugared lemon followed by some sweeter orange and a mellow herbal tobacco base. The galbanum adds an overall green bitter scent to the whole fragrance. When smelling and experiencing this fragrance the colour that came to mind was vibrant yellow. I find it a very cheerful and encouraging fragrance. It’s dry down is quite relaxing as well. Ray of Light will work well on those dark days in winter to get you out of bed and running as it will your energy rapidly moving.

In a few words: cheerful, bright, sunny, vibrant yellow, encouraging

5. Hermes Eau D’Orange Verte, I reviewed this energising scent and the shower gel previously on my website.  If you like Frederic Malle Cologne Bigarade you will probably like this too. Eau d’Orange Verte is a cheaper alternative as it is often on sale at discount websites. I use it quite often to refresh in summer and uplift in winter time. You can read my article here.

Bottom line: my top 5 choices for uplifting fragrances were the joyful L’Artisan Parfumeur La Chasse aux Papillons Eau de Toilette, invigorating Frederic Malle Cologne Bigarade, contemporary English Heeley Oranges and Lemons, bright April Aromatics Ray Of Light and energising Hermes Eau D’Orange Verte.

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.  Go to their website to read their choices of uplifting fragrances. I am very curious to read which fragrances they choose!

Do you use fragrance to uplift you? If so, what are your favourite uplifting fragrances?

*in a few words was inspired by the excellent The Scented Hound website.

*read Clayton’s more elaborate and  interesting article about the making of Cologne Bigarade on What Men Should Smell Like

Disclosure: all photographs were made by me.

Slow down with scent: L’Artisan Parfumeur Traversee du Bospore

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Traversee du Bospore was inspired by a trip to Istanbul in 2010 by French perfumer Bertrand Duchaufour. The notes of sugared sweet apple, Turkish delight and very soft dusted powder, almonds and vanilla make it a rather original but well balanced easy to wear fragrance. To my surprise I found it to be very relaxing like a sunny beach holiday on a luxurious resort with nothing to do but read in the sun and enjoy the sound of the sea. I had several of those holidays years ago in Turkey and quite enjoyed them.

The fragrance opens with a sweet Turkish apple tea note dusted with a bit of cinnamon. I remember this tea being served in Turkish shops to tourists. The apple is slightly covered with powdery sugar and smells more like apple softly baked in butter with sugar than fresh green apple. The Turkish apple tea note is mixed with Turkish delight, a very sweet note as well. Both are quite original to use as top notes. What I really like about this fragrance is its originality by using these notes while still remaining very wearable.

Traversee du Bospore is the interpretation of Turkish (Eastern) scents by a Western perfumer which clearly shows he used notes he smelled as a visitor/tourist the Turkish delight, leather, apple tea. Bertrand Duchaufour did not notes more commonly used in an oriental fragrances by Western perfumers like Rose/Oud combinations, more ambery or resins notes.

While I recall reading online some people having problems with its sweetness to me it had the right amount. I get almond notes as well after some minutes although it is supposed to smell like pistachio nuts. The base smells of vanilla with some sweetness probably of the apple and Turkish Delight.

What does it do? I find the fragrance to be very relaxing and I use it to slow down or unwind. My bottle recently arrived but I have used it quite often as I really enjoy wearing it. I have to admit I bought this bottle without smelling it first and it was love at first sniff.

Notes: Apple, pomegranate, tulip, iris, leather, saffron, Turkish delight accord (rose and pistacchio), vanilla, musks.

Origin of sample: my own acquisition, tested on skin. Photograph: made by Esperessence

The title was inspired by photographer Christina Greve Slow down with stills Hashtag.

Have you smelled Traversee du Bospore? Do you like it?

 

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