Click the Read More to find out my full opinion on this fragrance from Aroma M
This fragrance I feel deserves to be tried at least once. From my testing, it is well designed and blended perfume that has structure, gradual development, and uniqueness that is often difficult to find in today's perfumery. This can be a great addition for the Autumn/cooler weather climates. Click the Read More to find out my full opinion on this fragrance from Aroma M
0 Comments
Briefly, Unsound is known for its festival that "presents and produces unconventional music and commissioned works". In 2015, Unsound decided to launch its Ephemera project - perfumed accords meet musical notes! That is the basis of Ephemera, a project born out of an idea to create a scented experience based on interpretation of specific musical compositions. Perfumer Geza Schoen and selected musicians such as Ben Frost, Tim Hecker, and Steve Goodman (aka Kode9) teamed up in this unique collaboration of creating music specifically to be used for inspiration. As such, three fragrances were created: Drone, Noise, and Bass. Unsound allows you to listen to sounds tracks that inspired each individual fragrance at their website. Below are my opinions of the the three fragrances that I was fortunate enjoy to test. All of these fragrances are gender neutral and can be enjoyed at any age. DRONE This was one was the most challenging to me. The particular notes are so well blended together that its really difficult to say that it smells of anything in particular that I am familiar with. The aroma itself is very interesting and mysterious. To me, simply, it opens ups with some sort of citrus and sweet fruit accord. The sweetness quickly fades and a prominent sour note appears, which I believe gives this scent character and personality. I pick up on some green apple feel, the fresh crisp variety. There a sense of cool breeze to the scent, a minty freshness type, I would classify this fragrance as a fresh and clean unisex scent that can easily be someones signature fragrance for year round use; maybe not so much for those living in climates with temperatures below 45F. I believe this would make a great office and casual use scent due to it being non-offensive. Projection and sillage is moderate, not overly loud but definitely noticeable within close proximity. Longevity I wished could've been slightly longer lasting but that can be remedied by carrying a small travel atomizer with you. Tim Hecker’s notion of Drone does not have any direct personal narrative, drawing instead on his imagining of “a speculative day-glow incense from rituals where long-form sound induces levitation.” For Geza Schoen, that translates into aldehydes and air notes, developing to fir and juniper, with a base of patchouli, ambergris, and vetiver. NOISE This is such a stunning leather scent that if I had to make a list of my top 10 favorite leather dominant fragrances, this one would be included in that list. Through the years, I tested many leather fragrances, each one with its own character and twist, some highly animalic while others are clean and soft. This particular leather I feel falls somewhere in the middle range. The leather note in here is very authentic smelling, instantly reminding me of a fine leather goods such a beautiful jacket, a women's purse, or the interior of a luxe car. It's such a beautiful note that wafts beautifully on the skin with each passing minute. The scent has volume and weight to it, with a touch of smokiness that I feel beautifully compliments and rounds the fragrance off. There may be hints of tobacco and dry fruits, but its very minimal. Projection and sillage on this one is amazing, I felt the fragrance all around me throughout the whole day which I appreciated very much. Longevity is excellent with this one, notably, after whole day it would still linger on the skin as if it was just sprayed an hour ago. I would highly recommend this to anyone looking for a Autumn/Winter/Fall fragrance, primarily for nighttime use - may not be appropriate for work use (especially office setting). Geza Schoen created the scent representing Noise inspired by way of Ben Frost’s deepest recesses of olfactory memories: catholic church holidays, Australian bushfire, moisture, and insect drones, among other stimuli. Those ideas Schoen connected with aldehydes, ozone, black pepper, saffron, and labdanum, to name a few. Note: Looking over the notes after, leather is not listed which surprised me. Very interesting! On my skin it definitely has a leather feel to it. BASS A boozy woody opening that surprised me! Although the boozy note dissipates quickly, the soft leathery background opens up and you get this dry woody aroma floating to the top slowly. This one plays on the skin, just as you think its a leather type of fragrance, the woody aspect emerges and establishes itself to the forefront; there is a hint of smokiness and sweet dry plums that I kinda like. The composition of this fragrance I feel is a little more reserved than the other two. Its much quieter and softer, very humble, elegant, and can be thought of as a person that knows who they are and what they want without broadcasting it to the whole world. Longevity, sillage, and projection are a little bit on the lower spectrum and I do wish it would be a little more louder. For Steve Goodman (aka Kode9), the idea of Bass connects with childhood memories triggered by the sound and the accompanying scent he remembers of a broken, burning vacuum cleaner. Geza Schoen translated this to a scent which opens with woodsmoke and rum notes, developing into leather, mastic, and tea notes, and finishing with castoreum and moss, among other scents. Of the three tested fragrances, if I had to choose my favorites, it would have to be DRONE and NOISE, with DRONE being strongly considered for a full bottle purchase. At the moment, Emphemora fragrances are only available in Europe. A 30ml will run you €80.00 EUR DISCLAIMER: The above review is based on my interpretation of the fragrances solely on my nose without the actual knowledge of notes prior to writing. Image source: Ephemera Review is based on samples provided by Unsound A perfect travel set/gift of the three fragrances (reasonably priced at €95.00 EUR) that can fit any gender or age group. Will definitely go on my to-buy-list!
I was able to get my hands on Le Jardin de Monsieur Li by Hermes which I completely was not aware that it has even been released. I am familiar with Jardin collection from Hermes and think Jean-Claude Ellena has done an excellent job in creating those fragrances. I have tested them briefly years ago and thought they were well composed for their simplicity. The running theme seems to be spring/summer, although if someone pushed the scent into more cooler weather it may work as well. Exceptionally unisex and wear reasonably well on skin, these creations offer well rounded variety for all sexes and most tastes. Le Jardin de Monsieur Li opens up with a sparking tart citrus and bursts on to the stage front and center, supported by what seems to be sweet tropical fruits, and some greenery accords. Overall, first stage is pleasant and unique enough that I believe can distinguish itself in this citrus genre. Progression of the scent is linear with a more dominant tart grapefruit accord enveloping the whole sweet aroma around itself. Projection is mild and I hoped it would have been slightly louder for this type of aroma, I do believe the people within arm length proximity would immediately notice this fine/elegant aroma. To say that this scent leans any gender would be a mistake, I would consider this scent unisex and believe it would work with most skin types. I highly recommend that you try this one for yourself. To me, it would be a worthy buy and can I would use it regularly for any occasion (its very versatile). Those who are not fans of sour or tart fragrances, may find themselves looking elsewhere in the Jardin collection for a scent that would be more appropriate to their taste. Via Hermes "I remembered the smell of ponds, the smell of jasmine, the smell of wet stones, of plum trees, kumquats and giant bamboos. It was all there, and in the ponds there were even carp steadily working towards their hundredth birthday." Notes: kumquat, jasmine and mint
The EDT bottle retails $97 and $135 for 50ml and 100ml respectively in US DISCLOSURE: The above opinion is based on the sample provided by Sephora Image source: Hermes One of my unexpected finds this year has been Mont Blanc's Emblem. After winning my bottle at my friends Carlos Brooklyn Fragrance Lover giveaway, I began my blind testing of this fragrance as usual. Without looking at his specific review or reading the notes/description, I began testing this fragrance. I was pleasantly surprised what I experienced. This fragrance to me is very bright, sweet, and woody. The initial burst of citrus which feels sparkly and refreshing which pays way to an overall undeniably sweet aroma that is supported by some sort of light woods. There is dryness to the scent but it is only detectable the closer you get to skin with your nose. My best comparison to the sweetness that is in this fragrance can be most related to Paco Rabanne One Million EDT. From my vague memory, I would say these two fragrances are in the same category/genre. For some reason, I do prefer this one over the One Million - there is a little more maturity in Emblem. The scent sits great on my skin with decent projection for first 2-3 hours and very slowly fades into a more closer sheer quality. There is not much progression or development, the scent remains more or less linear with the drydown resembling the sweetness that was once at its glory. The compliment factor is BIG on this fragrance. I received numerous very positive feedback when wearing this scent. One was from an elderly co-worker that complimented me and anothers were from my lady which also liked it a lot. All of the compliments were unsolicited. In my opinion, this fragrance worked great for casual office scent wear but can also be utilized for evening/party occasions. You will not have projection problems until after 2-3 hours which is important. This can easily be a morning to evening wear with about four sprays to the neck. My rating for this fragrance stands at overall 9/10 Note: After looking at the notes and description (below), after the testing, I would have to agree with their assessment and congratulate Mont Blanc for their perfect capture of elegance. Even though I didn't mention it in my review, through my testing I viewed this fragrance of higher quality and richness of notes.
Disclosure: The review was done based on the bottle won through Brooklyn Fragrance Lover giveaway I know a lot of guys out there are always looking to see which fragrances girls like or what they may think of a particular scent. In some cases I believe, these guys may feel awkward or embarrassed asking a girl on her opinion of a fragrance. I decided that I would help you with this issue by asking a girl (under age 30) myself what she thought of these fragrances. Keep in mind, all of the following scents were tested blindly without her knowing any prior knowledge of the name, notes, or price tag of the fragrance. Creed Original Santal - I decided to start with this fragrance first because I have read and came across mixed opinion on this particular scent from Creed. Personally, I don't have this fragrance in my collection yet, so I never really worn it outside, but I have done a lot of testing myself including with some of my friends. The general opinion was split with the guys but every time it was tested on a female they all liked it. When I put on the scent, it was an instantly liked. Described as very enjoyable and highly desirable. She even commented on the fact that it may even be unisex as she stated, "I wouldn't mind wearing it myself". She gave this fragrance an unique rating of 8.875/10
Tom Ford - Noir de Noir - To me this fragrance was a must buy. I just fell in love with its delicious aroma of roses dipped in chocolate. It is so sexy, unisex, and yummy. I didn't know what to expect at this point, her opinion on some of my favorite fragrances surprised me and I have always wondering what she would think about this one. I did not tell her any of the notes or my opinion of it prior to what she was about to tell me. She described this scent as being Summery, light, feminine, and something she would wear herself. As she kept going back to sniffing this fragrance on her arm, she told me that this ONE she feels would be BEST described as a person that has a sweet side that later transforms into naughty. WOW! Further more, she elaborated that when going out or meeting new people (or if she wanted to meet a new guy), she would wear this fragrance. She wants the first impression (of her scent) to smell sweet and as the night progress, her naughty side would be revealed. This fragrance she says captures that essence through its sweet aroma that hides the naughty nature under its veil. Rated 7/10 Dior - Ambre Nuit - The last one tested was this one from Dior. I picked it specifically because I was always curious about it myself of what a female may think of it. Even though I highly like it and think it smells very classy and regal, especially for night time it has remained on my to-buy-list until today. Upon application, she described the scent as best fitted for Spring weather. The scent overall was "okay" and did not stand out in any way. Her best scenario for wearing the fragrance would be for a person to wear for casual use. I was surprised and somewhat disappointing by this assessment and would test it more without her knowing what it is in the near future. I believe skin chemistry plays a big part in this and perhaps smelling this one on me after an hour or two would yield different opinion. Rated 6/10 I plan on doing further testing with other fragrances with her |
The mysteries journey of perfume discovery
Perfume has been an exciting ongoing learning process that I wish to share with others. I do not consider myself to be an expert in perfumery. All reviews and statements are my current views and opinions. Categories
All
Archives
October 2015
|