Spicy

BOIS 1920 Notturno Fiorentino Rose, where did you go ? Le Voluttuose collection (part 1)

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Bois 1920

After reviewing Neela Vermeire’s wonderful rose perfume Mohur edp I was inspired to smell other rose perfumes. Le Voluttuose collection by BOIS 1920 was announced as a collection based on rose (according to a BOIS press release) so I started smelling after buying a BOIS sample set.

BOIS 1920 is an Italian perfume brand which very surprisingly was founded in 1920. BOIS (BOttega Italiana Spigo) is pronounced boys. Le Voluttuose is a series of three perfumes and is based on the rose theme: Rosa di Filare formerly known as Kimono Rose, Notturno Fiorentino and La Vaniglia. All are dedicated to different aspects of the female world, sophistication, confidence, elegance and mystery.

The intention behind the perfumes: Rosa di Filare is elegant and feminine, Notturno Fiorentino is mysterious and La Vaniglia is soft with an eastern heart. Quite an interesting idea one would think but how did it turn out ?

Notturno Fiorentino will be reviewed first. The whole collection is said to be based on rose but where is the rose in the Notturno ? I smell a boozy spicy perfume, a bit like the Dutch People of the Labyrinths Luctor et Emergo, but very little rose. After the top notes fade you might smell a very light rose in the heart notes but this is still overpowered by the spicy notes. The drydown is more earthly with patchouli and woods, finishing off with tonka bean and vanilla. I actually quite like the drydown.

As a woman I did not find this perfume very mysterious or intriguing, just another variation on the spicy oriental theme. Men might think otherwise. I did find the whole idea to portrait different aspects of the female world interesting; sadly this perfume did not turn out intriguing. The press release said men will not forget the woman who wore this perfume. But will women themselves want to be remembered by this perfume ? This might be quite different for the other two perfumes La Vaniglia and Rosa di Filare. At first sniff Rosa di Filare was a promising rose perfume. To be continued….

If you like spicy oriental perfumes just stick to/ first try Armani Prive Cologne Ambre Soie, Serge Lutens Ambre Sultan or People of the Labyrinths Luctor et Emergo.

Notes according to First in Fragrance

Topnote: Bergamot, Black Pepper.

Heartnote: Jasmine, Turkish Rose, Black Currant

Basenote: Vanilla, White Musk, Tonka Bean, Cedarwood

Originally published: August 10, 2012

Photograph by Esperessence

Update: July 29, 2015

Maria Candida Gentile Cinabre

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imageSome perfumes should come with a warning as in a Thai restaurant saying how spicy it is.  If perfumes would come with 1, 2 or 3 peppers, referring to its spicyness, the eau de parfum Cinabre would have 3 peppers.

Cinabre is a spicy rose perfume made by Maria Candida Gentile in 2009. The combination of the rose with the black pepper in the beginning makes it very daring.  It gives the perfume a bite. This perfume is not a light tea rose but a strong powdery spicy hot rose. While wearing Cinabre, I feel daring and courageous. One would not think a rose perfume could do this.

Maria Candida Gentile is a female independent Italian perfumer with her own perfume house. She has developed 6 classic perfumes and 4 exclusive perfumes for her own line. All her perfumes are available online.

I have been wearing Cinabre for some days now and am struck by its beauty and originality. The bottle and perfume might look and smell very classic.  But the perfume has a very modern touch to it. Like a Burberry trench coat classic but modern at the same time.

At first I got a very powdery rose scent mixed with black pepper. After 15 to 20 minutes the pepper subdued and the scent became a light rose powdery perfume like smelling an expensive rose powdery soap. The soap scent subdues into a more creamy soft sweet rose after more or less an hour.

Notes according to the Maria Candida Gentile website are: black pepper, ginger, rose baies, Splendens rose, Moroccan Rose, benzoin, opoponax and vanilla. The perfume group is rich floral according to Michael Edwards.

The spicyness in this rose perfume brought to mind the image of being dressed completely in black and adding a very red bright scarf or wearing no makeup and adding red lipstick. Your complete image changes completely.

image

According the official website of Maria Candida Gentile Cinabre means dragon blood, a crimson red resin from the Dragon Blood tree. Dragon blood was used for alchemy, health cure, for violins in the 18th century and used as lipstick.  The dragon blood tree is quite rare nowadays and grows primarily on an exotic island, Socotra in the Indian Ocean and is part of Yemen. The label of the very classic Cinabre perfume bottle is crimson red. Beautiful. For rose lovers, this eau de parfum is a must try. If you like Guerlain Nahema or Caron Parfum Sacre, give Cinabre a try. You could see Cinabre as a very distant little foreign niece of Nahema.

Coco Chanel said that women should not smell like roses but I think that even Coco would not mind to this modern interpretation of a rose perfume.

Origin of bottle my own

1. Photograph made by Pierre Javelle and Akiko Ida (Miniam Food Creative)

2. Picture was made by Rene Gruau

3. Painting made by Henriette Hackenberg, www.henriette-hackenberg.nl A card from this painting is available on her website as well.

Originally published Octobre 2012

Updated and re edited: November 25th, 2014

The Maria Candida Gentile Collection consists now of:  the collection Flight of the Bumblebee with three fragrances which was introduced in 2014, 8 eau de parfum the latest being Noir Tropical, 4 pure perfumes and 2 home fragrances.