August 28, 2015

Nicolaï Rose Oud Perfume Review

L'Esperessence Nicolaï, Parfums Calming, Chypre, Cypriol, Full Bottle Worthy, Job Interview, Office wear, oud, Patricia de Nicolai, Raspberry, Rose, Soliflore Rose, Soothing 12 Comments

Interestingly Patricia de Nicolaï made Rose Oud as a powerful very rich deep fragrance (see video) But Rose Oud wears very close to my skin. It is more the light stroke of a rose. Caresse in French. Caresse de Rose would have been a better title for the fragrance. I can only scent Rose Oud when I smell my wrist very closely, at less than 5 cm. Which is a pity but I reapply several times during the day. Longevity is not very good either. Very powerful rose perfumes on my skin are Guerlain Nahema edp and Maria Candida Gentile Cinabre.

Although I love rose fragrances I find it hard to find rose perfumes I wear regularly. They can either be too the linear like Jo Malone Red Roses, too uplifting like the spicy Amouage Epic or Majda Bekkali Mon Nom Est Rouge or too activating like Maria Candida Gentile Cinabre. I have found Rose Oud to be very appealing and wore it quite often last summer. Of all my rose fragrances, this is the one I used most.

Rose Oud could give an uncomplicated impression at first sniff. But I find it an interesting modern, elegant, radiant and subtle fragrance. You can wear it when you do not want others to smell your fragrance for example at your office or for a job interview.

What do I smell?

Personally I do not scent any oud in Rose Oud but some other male bloggers (Chemist in a Bottle and Geurengoeroe) say they do. At the beginning I get a fruity peach note probably due to the osmanthus. At the same time I get a lot of aldehydes the first few minutes adding lightness and brilliance. The aldehydes are not used in a retro vintage style like Antoine Lie in Rien Intense but in a more modern 21th century way. What remains afterwards is an oily fragrance according to Perfume Shrine due to Nargamotha/Cypriol*. I get a sweet raspberry/rose note as well which is very similar to the Oliver and Co Santalum scented candle.

What does it do ?

Rose Oud is very soothing for the heart. Especially when you are suffering from heartache or confronted with difficult emotional situations in your life and want some elevation of stress or anxiety in a soft and gentle way. I used it a lot when my mother was in the hospital last summer. Part of this soothing effect could be a result of the usage of cypriol or to the calming effect of the rose.

Which image do I get ?

I get the image of the fur of my cat, Rubio as caressing him has a similar calming effect on me as wearing Rose Oud.

Composition: (according to the official Nicolaï website)

Top note: raspberry, davana, osmanthus

Heart note: rose, lily of the valley

Base note: agarwood, patchouli , sandalwood, musk, amber

Fragrance family: according to Patricia de Nicolaï chypre due to the rose and patchouli absolute (I would say floral chypre with fruity accents due to the raspberry or fruity chypre, Michael Edwards classifies it as a rose soliflore which makes sense)

Sillage: 1/5

Longevity: 1/5

Fragrance: 4/5

Overall: 3,5/5

Origin of bottle: my own, Nicolaï is sold in The Netherlands by The Perfume Lounge and Parfumaria, both sell samples.

* Nagarmotha/Cypriol is a plant of the Cyperaceae family belonging to the papyrus family. Cypriol essential oil is harvested through steam distillation. Lotus Garden Botanicals states on its website that its fragrance has similarities with vetiver and oud. The essential oil is used in aromatherapy and is said to have an emotionally calming effect. According to an article of Swiss perfumer Andy Tauer most of the oud in perfumes are bases often made with Cypriol.

Give away: we are giving away a 2 ml sample of Rose Oud

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August 25, 2015

How to create a scent memory

L'Esperessence Customer Care, Jardins d'Ecrivains Full Bottle Worthy, Marie Antoinette Paris, Online Perfume Shopping, Place Vendome Wevelgem, Scented memories

Positive shopping experiences create scented memories and impact the joy of wearing a fragrance. From your experience with the sales assistent, the way the parcel was wrapped, the samples that were given and how you were treated.

Going to a beautiful shop, being helped by a kind sales assistent or owner of the shop to choose or sell you the fragrance will effect the pleasure of wearing a fragrance. This way you build a scented memory.

I keep this mind whenever I can when I am to buy a fragrance. If possible I prefer to go to a good looking shop, talk to the staff, have my parcel gift wrapped with added samples and bring it home. If this is not possible, I prefer to buy online at a store where I know unpacking a parcel is an wonderful experience on its own like Place Vendome in Wevelgem (Belgium).

I find it worthwhile to pay a little extra for a perfume in a shop or on postage when I know I will have a good buying experience.

My best perfume buying experience was at a small perfume shop in Paris, Marie Antoinette. Antonio de Figueiredo, the owner, took his time to show me all his fragrances. He listened carefully to my wishes and gave me some samples to try before buying. When we returned the next day to his shop he remembered what I liked. He suggested some new fragrances which I would enjoy. His suggestion was spot-on. Antonio de Figueiredo knew what he was selling and what his customer would like quite clearly. I bought Jardins D’Ecrivains George and enjoy it everytime I wear it. Not only do I like George for its scent but the whole buying experience as well.

You can build a scented memory when you buy online, though it is not entirely the same experience. But mailing with staff from an online store and unwrapping a parcel will build a scented memory. Afterwards it will have impact on the fragrance you are wearing.

So keep this in mind when you are about to buy your new fragrance in a shop or online. If you got an snappy e mail from a webshop owner or treated badly in a perfume shop, it does impact the joy you experience while wearing a fragrance. On some level you will always be reminded of this negative experience.

Bottomline: when buying a fragrance keep in mind that your buying experience impacts the joy of wearing a fragrance.

What was your best perfume shopping experience ever ? Tell us about it !

Photo: Antonio de Figueiredo in perfume shop Marie Antoinette, Paris

August 20, 2015

BOIS 1920 La Vaniglia Rapturous Labdanum, Le Voluttuose part 2

L'Esperessence BOIS 1920 Cistus Labdaniferus, Labdanum, Seduction, Sensual, Soft oriental, Vanilla 8 Comments

La Vaniglia is part of the Le Voluttuose (the Voluptuous) series from the Italian perfume brand BOIS 1920. The Voluptuous line consists of three scents: Notturno Fiorentino (reviewed before), Rosa di Filare and La Vaniglia. The line is dedicated to the mysterious and enigmatic world of women.

Unlike what its name might suggest La Vaniglia is all about Labdanum (Cistus Labdaniferus). Cistus Labdaniferus is obtained from the Cistus plant around The Mediterranean. It comes in absolute and oil. Cistus essential oil is obtained from the twigs and leaves of C. Labdaniferus. The Labdanum absolute comes from extraction from the resin.

I am quite in rapture about La Vaniglia. After applying the perfume it changes from liquid warm butter and some rum to dusty labdanum. In the beginning a pinch of spicy pepper can be scented, after which a mentholic mint becomes more prominent. Traces of labdanum are already present with some added dryness from vanilla. The vanilla is not prominent more a slightly bitter addition to the labdanum. There is an air of dryness and powderiness through the whole wear of La Vaniglia. The powderiness reminds me of the dustiness of small woolen carpets on tables in Catholic Churches.

My favorite part of La Vaniglia is the dry down, the dry and powdery labdanum mixed with some bitter vanilla which lasts for hours.

According to Susanne Fischer-Rizzi in her book Complete Aromatherapy Handbook Labdanum (Cistus Labdaniferus in latin) works erotisizing on a mental psychic level. I can imagine it does. It is a fragrance very suited to get into a sensual mood. La Vaniglia is a scent about seduction which can work at quite a deep level while wearing it.

Amazingly La Vaniglia has gotten little attention. It deserves much better !

Which fragrance brings you in a sensual mood ? What is your favorite seductive fragrance ?

Fragrance family: soft oriental

Official notes:

Top: Mandarin, Bergamot, Mint, Pepper

Head: Incense, Patchouli, Woods, Ginger

Base: Vanilla

Sillage: stays very close to the skin

Longevity: quite good, 6-8 hours

Origin of sample set: I bought a Le Voluttuose sample set online and now own a very pink bottle

Sources: Jennifer Peace Rhind, Listening to scent

Susanne Fischer-Rizzi Complete Aromatherapy Handbook

Side note about Labdanum and Cistus, Kafkaesque interestingly mentions in her latest perfume blog both Cistus Absolute and Labdanum Absolute. She says “many people and sites call Cistus “Labdanum” but AbdesSalaam finds a difference in aroma. Arctander has pages on the two, noting very technical differences in the type of plant species, geographic location, olfactory forms, and types of extraction.”

Painting made by Spanish and Andalucian painter Julio Romero de Torres, La Chiquita Piconera/The coal little girl, 1930