November 2, 2020

Mood Scent 4 Golden Oldies

L'Esperessence Hermes, Jean Patou, MoodScent4 Project, Puig Aldehydes, Floral Bouquet, Guy Robert, Henri Alméras, Jean Carles, Jean Kerleo, Lavender, Mini reviews, Soap 4 Comments

It is Mood Scent 4 Time again! Our monthly blogging project where Portia, (on A Bottled Rose) , Samantha (I Scent You A Day) and Megan (Megan In St Maxime) write about a different subject linking perfume to mood or occasion. This time we picked Golden Oldies, those classic perfumes we hold fond memories of and have been with us for some time. Or those iconic old school classics which are well worth to try.

This time Samantha is with us again fortunately, although she is in her second lockdown in Wales as is Megan in France. Luckily we are not in lockdown in The Netherlands but things are fairly restricted and restaurants/cafes are closed. Portia is lucky to be more free to go outside, living in Australia. These are exceptional times for many of us to navigate. Back to Golden Oldies again, starting with iconic Jean Patou Joy.

Jean Patou Joy

‘Joy is a floral bouquet based on a very rich accord of two natural notes: jasmine and rose.’ Jean Patou

According to Jean Kerleo, former in house perfumer of Jean Patou and Osmoteque founder, Joy was a simple combination of jasmine and rose. It combined the richness of Bulgarian Rose and jasmine from Grasse. These two materials were used to create a very rich floral bouquet. Joy was launched in 1930, one year after the stock market crash of 1929 to become an icon in modern perfumery.

Two years after acquiring Jean Patou in 2018, LVMH has sadly decided to discontinue all Jean Patou fragrances. This is not very surprising. As Dior (which is part of the LVMH) launched a perfume in 2018 called Joy. If you want to try Jean Patou Joy, 1000 or Sublime (another golden oldie love) grab a bottle from a discount store while you still can, otherwise you will have to visit the perfume archive Osmoteque in Versailles to smell one of these fragrances. I don’t know how these ‘newer’ versions smell though and if they were reformulated to be a shadow of their former selves.

Personally I haven’t worn Joy as much as I have Jean Patou Sublime. Joy feels like wearing a very precious dark brown long mink coat, rich and luxurious to be enjoyed in the past but not from this era any more. Sublime however was created in the late eighties by Jean Kerleo and is reminiscent of this period when I was a student just living in Amsterdam.

Hermes Caleche

Notes include aldehydes, bergamot, mandarin, orange blossom, jasmine, lily of the valley, rose, gardenia, iris, ylang-ylang, oakmoss, sandalwood, cedar, vetiver.

Named after a special type of light carriage, Hermes Caleche invokes a feeling of Parisian sophistication with classic silk dresses, expensive leather bags, beautiful handmade silk scarves and soft leather gloves. Created as an elegant easy to wear fragrance by Guy Robert, the newer Caleche which is now sold in the shops, has a become a more agressive aldehydic soap floral but still a refined fragrance. Soie de Caleche (the bottle on the photograph) was launched in 1992 and meant as a more easy to wear version to appeal to a younger audience. Both feel elegant and luxurious. Caleche was launched in 1961. As a little side note: Kelly Caleche is a completely different fragrance from Hermes.

Puig Aqua Lavanda Colonia

Notes include Lavender, Rosemary, Spike, Petitgrain, Bergamot, Clary Sage, Geranium, Musk, Tonka, Cedarwood and Moss

Aqua Lavanda (lavender water in Spanish) is very well known in Spain as many grew up with the soap bars and eau de cologne from this scent. Large plastic cologne bottles are sold in Spanish supermarkets (or online) for a song. Which doesn’t make the fragrance particularly attractive. One wouldn’t expect such a masterpiece to be sold at this price in these large plastic dishwasher like bottles. But no wonder Aqua Lavanda is such a fabulous fragrance. Aqua Lavanda was created by master perfumer Jean Carles!

These are my 3 picks for Golden Oldies Perfumes. 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 their choices too.

I Love To Hear From You
There have been some troubles with leaving comments before. I hope you are able to leave your choice for Golden Oldies fragrances. Those fragrances you love to revisit from long gone era.

Disclosure: all fragrances were bought by me and all photographs were made by me as well. The two ads were found online.

October 5, 2020

Mood Scent 4 Made For Me Perfumes

L'Esperessence Angela Flanders, April Aromatics, Guerlain, MoodScent4 Project Amber, Bergamot, Heliotrope, Tanja Bochnig 12 Comments

It is Mood Scent 4 Time again! Our monthly blogging project where Portia, (on A Bottled Rose) , Sam (I Scent You A Day) and Megan (Megan In St Maxime) write about a different subject linking perfume to mood or occasion. This time we picked Made For Me, those perfumes which suit us perfectly and feel as if they were made for us personally. Due to personal circumstances in the family Sam had to skip this month, my thoughts are with her and her family.

One of the Made For Me fragrances is Guerlain Shalimar. It is one of the perfumes which feel custom made, like a pair of shoes where the hard black rough leather took some months to get soft and comfortable as Shalimar took me several months to appreciate when I first started wearing it. Sparkling green Bergamot lemon. smooth floral Rose and Jasmine, seductive balsamic Opopanax, comforting Vanilla, powdery Iris and Tonka Bean make Shalimar very soothing and relaxing. Although Shalimar was made in 1925 it feels custom made for me and I like to wear vintage dry body oil in the evening before going to bed.

April Aromatics Ray Of Light is sunlight in a bottle on dark rainy days. Ray of Light feels custom made on those grey days as it ticks all the right boxes to uplift me with bright crisp green lime, sweet vibrant yellow lemon and bitter green accents reminiscent of the leaves of the lemon tree. These citrus fruits make this a very uplifting fragrance for those days when you could use some encouragement. Ray of Light is an all natural cheerful fragrance made by Berlin based perfumer Tanja Bochnig.

Angela Flanders Cashmere Noir is another fragrance which fits like a glove. It feels as if it was made especially for me as it contains all my favourite notes; sweet heliotrope, powdery iris, resinous tolu and warming strengthening cedar wood. Cashmere Noir is straightforward and feels like wearing a soft light grey comfortable cashmere sweater on colder autumn days.

These are my 3 picks for Made For Me Perfumes. Have a look on Megan’s blog Megan in St. Maxime and Portia on A Bottled Rose to read their choices. I hope Sam is able to write next month and wish her and her family well.

I Love To Hear From You
There have been some troubles with leaving comments before. I do hope you are able to leave your choice for Made For Me fragrances. Those perfumes which feel as if they were specifically made for you. I love to hear from you.

Disclosure: All photographs were made by me. The perfumes were bought by me as well. I was lucky to win an April Aromatics Sample set several years ago on a Facebook contest.

September 7, 2020

Mood Scent 4 Unsung Heroes Perfumes

L'Esperessence MoodScent4 Project, Nicolaï, Parfums, Ramon Monegal, Ruth Mastenbroek Chypre, Floral Bouquet, Jasmine, Patchouli, Tiare, Tuberose, watermelon, Ylang ylang 5 Comments

It is Mood Scent 4 time again! Where Portia (now on A Bottled Rose), Sam (I Scent You A Day) Megan (Megan In Sainte Maxime) and I write about a joined subject each month, linking fragrance to mood or occasion. This time we picked unsung heroes! Those brilliant perfumes which undeservingly don’t get the attention they deserve.

We have returned to the new normal in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. As some parts of town are too crowded mouth protection needs to be worn in certain streets, markets but not everywhere on the streets. Still a bit strange and getting used too. We were planning to go to Spain in this period but we are staying closer to home visiting the Southern part of The Netherlands, Limburg so I am a bit in a holiday mood for this article too. Back to Unsung Heroes again with Ruth Mastenbroek Amorosa!

Ruth Mastenbroek Amorosa Eau de Parfum – Zest For Italian Life!

Notes: Galbanum, Violet Leaf, Watermelon, Tuberose, Jasmine, Tiare, Ylang Ylang, Vetiver, Patchouli and Amber Year: 2012 Fragrance Family: Floral

Ruth Mastenbroek Amorosa is an unsung perfume hero which surprisingly hasn’t gotten much attention online. Ruth Mastenbroek is a long time perfumer, former president of the British Society of Perfumers and trained chemist. She started her own perfume brand in 2010 and has created fragrances for brands like Jo Malone (the famous grapefruit candle is her creation) before starting her own brand.

Amorosa was the second fragrance Ruth Mastenbroek launched for her brand. Meaning ‘a woman in love’ in Italian, Amorosa was inspired by her love for Italy. It is a luxurious and classic baroque floral fragrance. Full of abundant creamy flowers (tuberose, jasmine, ylang ylang and tiare), sweet juicy summer fruits, contrasting green fresh garden leaves with a surprising modern twist by the added refreshing watermelon note.

Ruth Mastenbroek created this fragrance celebrating life and happy time spent in her holiday home in green hilled Umbria, Italy. The innovative use of fizzy refreshing watermelon makes this a very interesting Eau de Parfum. It took me several wearings to appreciate the fresh aquatic note combined with the rich classic bouquet of flowers but it was definitely worth a wait. Amorosa is a must try for (White) Floral fragrance lovers looking for something slightly different and original. Wearing Amorosa adds a sparkle to the day and feeling of zest for life.

Ramon Monegal The Essentials Collection Mon Patchouly – Happy Ibiza Jasmine

Notes: Indonesian Patchouli, Oak moss absolute, Frankincense, Geranium bourbon, Egyptian jasmine and Amber accord. Year: 2009 Fragrance Family: Mossy Woods/Chypre

Mon Patchouly is another unsung heroes which undeservingly does not get a lot of attention. Although called My Patchouly this is more a fragrance for non patchouli lovers, as it is full of ethereal jasmine. This fragrance stays away from the usual wet earth scent the patchouli leaf is known for and focuses on its lesser known ethereal floral side. Mon Patchouly smells like little sweet sugared jasmine flowers dipped in bitter chocolate powder with some green piney frankincense. I get a gourmand touch as well of very light creamy coconut and whipped cream. This is not a night blossoming faecal* (smelling of excrements and found in small traces in indolic floral oils like jasmine absolute) jasmine but an innocent happy white jasmine flower.

Mon Patchouly is part of The Essentials Collection which was the first Collection to be launched in 2009 when Ramon Monegal started his own perfume brand after working for his family owned perfume and make up brand Myrurgia. The heavy perfume bottle is called Inkwell, not very practical but a beautiful design of Ramon Monegal nonetheless.

Nicolai Parfumeur Juste Un Reve – Cocktails On An Exclusive Tropical Island

Notes: peach, coconut, jasmine, ylang ylang, tuberose, sandalwood, vanilla Year: 1996 Fragrance Family: Floral Fruity

Juste Un Reve meaning just a dream in French, is another perfume which does not get a lot of attention. It is slightly reminiscent of tropical floral fragrances like Estée Lauder Bronze Goddess but more elegant plus added sweet fruits. If Bronze Goddess was a summer dress it would a short white cotton dress to go to the beach. Just Un Reve would be an elegant satin silk long dress to go for evening cocktails in an exclusive holiday resort on a tropical island.

Tuberose flowers and tropical lush ylang ylang are very well blended by perfumer Patricia de Nicolai with light coconut and sweet ripe velvety peach. Juste Un Reve makes an excellent summer holiday fragrance even if you are staying home. I have finished 2 bottles of this fragrance which only shows how much I love this.

Over To My Mood Scent 4 Pals
These are my 3 picks for Unsung Heroes. Have a look on Sam’s blog on I Scent You A Day, Megan’s Megan in St. Maxime and Portia on A Bottled Rose to read their surprising picks.

I Love To Hear From You
I hope you enjoyed my Unsung Heroe picks which are slightly holiday oriented as well. Hopefully you are able to stay safe, centered, positive and healthy with everything happening around us. Please leave your choices for unsung heroes in my comments or your thought on my choices. I love to hear from you!

Disclosure: all photographs were made by me. The jasmine flower (called Biznaga) on the second photograph was handmade and based on the floral tradition in Malaga, Southern Spain to make these flowers by hand. You can read more about the Biznaga here. The Amorosa bottle is an older model. The fragrance comes in other bottles now.