Amber

Mood Scent 4 Jewels In The Crown Perfumes


It’s Mood Scent 4 time again! Our monthly blogging project where Portia, (on A Bottled Rose) , Samantha  (I Scent You A Day), Megan (Megan In St Maxime) and I write about a different subject linking perfume to mood or occasion. This time we picked jewels in the crown, those treasured perfumes we can never be without.

I hope you started the new year well with everything that is going on in the world and manage to keep (relatively) calm, safe and positive. Not to mention healthy! We are in our second lock down at the moment in The Netherlands, most shops are closed and celebrating Christmas with a few family members on a schedule who got to visit when which was a bit strange. But I was very glad to be able to visit some of my family members including my dad and sister.

Back to perfumes again. In this article I have included 5 favourites from my perfume collection which can still be bought online or in a shop, so you are able to try them too if you like, starting with glorious Amber/Oriental Serge Lutens Ambre Sultan. (Continue Reading After The Photograph)

Serge Lutens Ambre Sultan 

There are several perfumes I can’t be without and Serge Lutens Ambre Sultan is definitely one of them. Ambre Sultan is filled with warming benzoin, resinous labdanum, sweet vanilla, topped with spices and herbs found on the Marrakech souk (market). This warming fragrance gets a lot of wear during wintertime each year. Ambre Sultan is very well blended, not one specific note sticking out. If I could only have one amber fragrance it would be Ambre Sultan. Notes include coriander, amber accord, oregano, bay leaf, myrtle, angelica root, sandalwood, patchouli, benzoin and vanilla. Ambre Sultan is said to smell after the markets or souks in Marrakech, Serge Lutens Moroccan residence. (Continue Reading After The Photograph)

Hermes Caleche 

Soft, clean and floral Caleche is another elegant perfume jewel I can’t be without. Named after a special type of light carriage, Hermes Caleche invokes a feeling of Parisian sophistication with timeless classic brown satin dresses, expensive leather Hermes bags, exquisite hand sown silk scarves, pearl necklaces and the softest dark brown leather gloves. Caleche was created by master perfumer Guy Robert in 1961 as an elegant easy to wear refined fragrance.

It features notes of aldehydes, bergamot, mandarin, orange blossom, jasmine, lily of the valley, rose, gardenia, iris, ylang-ylang, oakmoss, sandalwood, cedarwood and vetiver. .(Continue Reading After The Photograph)Hermes Eau d’Orange Verte 

Another jewel in the crown is Hermes Eau d’Orange verte. Eau D’orange verte is an extraordinary uplifting scent adding sunshine and light to grey rainy days. True to its original name which was Hermes Eau de Cologne, Eau d’Orange Verte smells very much like a cologne focussing on freshly squeezed bitter orange tree leaves.

Hermes Eau d’Orange Verte was created in 1979 by French perfumer Francoise Caron. According to official Hermes training material Eau d’Orange Verte features notes of petit grain lemon, mandarin, bitter orange tree (bigadier) leaves and peppermint. Some online sources mention oakmoss and patchouli as well. This fragrance has been in my collection for 20 years, back in the days when I wore the same scent every day. (Continue Reading After The Photograph)

Guerlain Shalimar 

Guerlain Shalimar is one of the perfumes I can’t be without either. It is one of the perfumes which feel custom made to me and I reach for on many occasions. 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. Shalimar feels like one of those fragrances which suit any occasion or mood. (Continue Reading After The Photograph)

Dior Miss Dior original 

Miss Dior has many faces nowadays but I am referring to the perfume from 1947 which is now very well named Miss Dior Original. Created by perfumers Jean Carles and Paul Vacher this classic masterpiece is another jewel of the crown. It has probably been changed many times in the meantime.

Some people might find Miss Dior Original too nostalgic for their taste which I can relate to as this was created in the “New Look” period of Christian Dior, at the end of the 1940ties. I rather like this elegant perfume which feels like wearing a made to measure exquisite dress, impeccable red lipstick, a well powdered face, some black eyeliner and a stylish large designer hat.  Personally I am glad we don’t have to wear these dresses anymore but have the choice to wear what we like and still get a glimpse of this elegant period by scenting and wearing Miss Dior Original. A bit of nostalgia after all!

Notes include: Aldehydes, Galbanum, Clary Sage, Gardenia, Bergamot, Narcissus, Iris, Carnation, Lily of the Valley, Orris Root, Jasmine, Rose, Neroli, Oakmoss, Leather, Vetiver, Patchouli, Labdanum, Sandalwood and Amber accord. (Continue Reading After The Photograph)

These are my top 5 Jewels in the Crown picks. 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!

I Love To Hear From You
I hope you are able to share your favorite perfumes you can’t live without and let me know what you think of my choices too.

Disclosure: All photographs were made by me and are meant as creative expression. The perfumes on the photographs were all bought by me. Some fragrances are sold in other bottles now.

 

Mood Scent 4 Made For Me Perfumes

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.

Perfume Review: 4160 Tuesdays Shazam!

4160 Tuesdays Shazam!

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