Full Bottle Worthy

Laboratorio Olfattivo Salina

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Salina
Laboratoria Olfattivo (LO) is a not very well known Italian brand which deserves much more attention. It was founded in 2009. Many of its fragrances are worth a try. It’s price (30 ml/40 euro and 100 ml/100 euro) are quite reasonable compared to prices from other perfume houses and some of its scents are fabulous. I also like the modern design of their bottles and packaging. My personal favorites are Kashnoir, Decou-Vert and Salina. Perfumers Cecile Zarokian and Pierre Guillaume have made fragrances for LO. Last year LO introduced 30 mls spray bottles, which can only be applauded.

Salina is a small Italian island in the Mediterranean Sea, north of Sicily. The word salina means salt lake. Salt lakes were used on the island for the production of salt by evaporating sea water salt was produced. In certain parts in the world salt is still produced this way. The island was the inspiration for the eau de parfum.

Salina Eau de Parfum evokes the scent of salty skin after a dip in the sea at a secluded warm sandy beach. The herbaceous wormwood and lavender giving the impression of a natural beach with low bushes where one can retreat in the shadow under some pine trees. It is a fairly modern and invigorating scent. At times it is almost as if I get a whiff of chlorine, which adds a contemporary and clean touch to the fragrance.

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Reviews on fragantica, basenotes and from some bloggers are very mixed. Some found Salina horrible and too intrusive. I like Salina and own a 100 mls full bottle. But I can imagine people finding it too  aggresive especially its chlorine note. Personally Salina reminds me of visits with my parents and their friends to a solitary Mediterranean natural beach in Southern Spain. A beautiful quiet place to swim and sun. I only use Salina when I crave for the beach on a very warm day and I am not able to go. It cleanses me like sea salt and water do. In other days it can be too intrusive for me as well. I would recommend to sample before you buy.

Have you tried fragrances from Laboratorio Olfattivo? If so, which one is your favorite?

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Notes: (according to official website)
Top: Lemon Peel, Marine Salt, Pine Needles
Heart: Hot Sand, Myrtle, Wormwood, Marine Spurts, Lavender
Base: Vanilla, White Musk, Cedar

Release: 2013

Perfumer: David Maruitte ( who also made Heeley Menthe Fraiche, the re edition of Le Galion Whip and Especially for Gentleman)

Family: Marine/Aquatic

Origin of bottle/sample: own acquisition

All photographs were made by me.

 

Parfum d’Empire Yuzu Fou Energize !

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Yuzu Fou

With this rainy weather and summer leaving us, you might be in need of a burst of some new fresh energy.

Every time I scent Parfum d´Empire Yuzu Fou I feel refreshed and energized. This still amazes me every time I scent it. It gives me the same feeling as Dior Eau Sauvage but energizes me even more. Starting with a very fresh sour citrus, Yuzu Fou develops into a greener flowery scent. I imagine very green bamboo but this is my own imagination.

Yuzu is a Asian citrus fruit used in the Asian kitchen and in perfumes as well from time to time. If you like lemon, lime and other citrus scents this is something you ought to try. If you do not like citrus you will probably don’t like Yuzu Fou.

What is your favorite energizing perfume ?

Painting: The new energy arrives by Henriette Hackenberg,

First published: august 31, 2012 re edited: september 4, 2015

Nicolaï Rose Oud Perfume Review

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Photograph: Esperessence

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/anxiety in a soft and gentle way. 

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

  1. Subscribe to our website if you already are you can skip this
  2. Leave a comment telling us what scent relaxes you or soothes your heart
  3. Draw will close september 3, at 12.00 PM Parisian Time
  4. We will contact the winner by mail, announce it on our website and on twitter, if you are the winner please check your mail and other folder
  5. Worldwide draw

 

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