#i can agree with warm spicy and woody and powdery

[boycannibal]

either fragnatica is lying or my nose is. to me this smells like pine sauna

[ariendiel]

What scents would each of the S2 boys wear? 😊

Ohhh, I love this! I got my fellow fragrance fanatic @amelia-w to help as well, and this is what we concluded would fit each of the boys well. I recommend having a sniff at some (not all), next time you’re somewhere they sell fragrance to see if you agree!

Bobby – Ultra Male (Jean Paul Gaultier)

Main accords: Vanilla, fruity, sweet, cinnamon, warm spicy, aromatic

Bobby probably doesn’t bother with a cologne or aftershave on the regular (working in a bakery gets sweaty, so a good deo is all he usually goes for), but will bring out his bottle of Ultra for special occasions. It’s described as fruity, sweet, loud, sexy, and playful, and although it could be unisex it definitely leans masculine. Like a masculine cotton candy, it dries down to a mix of pear, cinnamon, and vanilla that smells like it should be edible.

Gary – Boss Bottled (Hugo Boss)

Main accords: Woody, fruity, vanilla, warm spicy, cinnamon, powdery

Like Bobby, he probably doesn’t bother with cologne every day, but when he does use it he’s definitely a Boss man! Versatile, it’s become a bit of a classic with it’s use of apple and vanilla to add some freshness to the otherwise cozy and comfortable woody drydown. It’s generic, masculine, strong, and unobtrusive. Think of it like a masculine apple pie scent!

Henrik – Dirty (Lush)

Main accords: Aromatic, green, fresh spicy, lavender, mossy, herbal

He’s scandinavian, and scandi men like to take care of themselves - for Henrik that’s not just limited to his hair. This one is perfect for right after having had a shower, or just to freshen up. It’s unusal, but compelling, with a smell of spearmint leaves and lavender flowers, with a hint of medicinal wintergreen and herbs de Provence, with a creamy sandalwood in the drydown. It’s also been descirbed as the perfume equivalent of mouthwash (one of those from the hippie health food store that has ayurvedic herbs in it).

Ibrahim – Polo Blue (Ralph Lauren)

Main accords: Ozonic, aquatic, aromatic, fresh spicy, green, musky

If he got a girlfriend who cared he’d probably be happy to try something new, but our dear golfer is most definitely stuck on Polo Blue. It was probably the first perfume he bought, and he’s never moved on. It’s sporty and fresh, crisp and masculine, but also nothing special. It’s got a juicy citrus/cucumber opening, and settles quite nicely into something that can be described as a sophisticated shower gel.

Jakub – Lynx/Axe Africa

Main accords: Vanilla, citrus, amber, woody, aromatic, fresh spicy, powdery

Jakub probably thinks his favourite lynx body spray also works as deodorant and bathes in the stuff - preferably after a sesh at the gym - in addition to using it on his clothes. Loud and proud, you’ll smell Jakub before you see him, and Jakub smells like a teenage boy. Synthetic, bold, fresh, spicy, and crisp, we all know it, and fear it: Just like Jakub. He also thinks the packaging is cool, and enjoyed the old TV ads - it makes him feel more like a manly man.

Lucas – The Uncompromising Sohan (Penhaligon’s)

Main accords: Woody, oud, rose, warm spicy, animalic, aromatic, leather

A man of great - and expensive - taste, Lucas has a carefully curated collection which also includes Tom Ford Noir and/or Tom Ford Tobacco Vanille. But this is his favourite. Rich and deep, the rose and oud combination is seductive, with prominent smooth saffron that when combined makes for a sophisticated, smooth, sweaty, and sexy scent. This one is worn by a confident gentleman, and oozes “I’ve got my shit together” without being too much, and still it has a softness to it: Just like Lucas.

Noah – L'homme (YSL)

Main accords: Warm spicy, citrus, aromatic, fresh spicy, woody, fresh, vanilla

Noah wouldn’t want anything offensive or too bold, preferring something that sits close to the skin, and which is warm and comforting (you’ll have to get close to him to truly smell it). L’homme is classy, alluring, elegant, timeless and so so cozy. The tonka bean gives it some sweetness, with ginger and bergamot, a little spice and just enough musk giving it an aura of intimacy and soft masculinity. It also transfers to clothes, and you’ll want to steal his shirts after he’s worn this one!

Rocco – Nothing

Main accords: Sweat, food van, weed, mother nature

Rocco would never let anything as unnatural as cologne touch his skin, instead choosing to just smell like, well, himself. He’ll try to say he smells like “adventure”, “spirituality” or “like this one specific place in Moldova where I met this shaman who told me to follow the path of my soul”, but in reality he just smells like someone who hasn’t showered in too long and who lives in a van, with the addition of certain herbs.

[malodorousmalcontent]

Solstice Scents Review

Man, finally getting around to writing my thoughts on my First Ever Solstice Scents Order (or two, actually.) I've had all of these for around a month now, and just because of all the other smells i've had going on, haven't really gotten around to them. But i'm taking the time now. Checkin' 'em off my LIST.

I'll be going over my experience ordering from Solstice Scents, as well as the scents Foxcroft, Snowshoe Pass, Violet Mallow, Lace Draped Spectre, Riverside Hayride, Nightgown, White Fox, and Winter Dove. Let's do it to it.

ORDERING FROM SOLSTICE SCENTS

So, not gonna lie, I put off ordering from this house mostly because of their website. I'm a graphic designer, and a bit of a branding snob, and the look of the website, not even considering the purposefully rustic theme, just the way it's built, is a little bit... Dated. Not the worst crime imaginable, but actually navigating the site made it worse: having multiple pages for the different sizes of one scent would clutter pages, not having an easily findeable scent list for their seasonal collections (if it exists, I STILL haven't found it), not knowing what was Just Seasonal and what was GC because of how they'll do limited seasonal releases of GC scents in normally unavailable sizes or formats... It was all very confusing. Their photography is nice, though, I'll give them that. Goes with the general look of the brand well. (And that's not like, subtle shade - I know the difference between a purposefully down-to-earth design, and something lookin' dated. Their purposeful branding, in a general sense, is not dated.)

Placed my order. The drop-down list for available free samples was handy. I wish they mentioned that, if it's your first order, you can ask for an additional free sample - I only knew about that practice from a different review.

TAT was pretty dang fast - a couple days and it was coming my way. The greatest delight, aside from the scents themselves, was their packaging: It's fantastic. A far cry from my complaints about their website. Their designs look good, the cards that came with the order were lovely, I love the little CD-case-type thing that the samples come in, and when I later placed a second order for a 5ml of Winter Dove, I loved the box it came in, too. Love the scent names in that snappy handwriting... It was just, good. Was nice getting actual designed packaging, rather than just bottles wrapped in bubble wrap or in a plain box. Very professional. No leaks. No issues. A good, clean-cut order.

(Additionally, when I did my second order and Lace Draped Spectre was still available on their free sample dropdown, even though it was sold out and wasn't going to be restocked anymore for the season, they still honored it. Which. Hell yeah.)

Overall, very positive experiences! Onto the scents.

--

FOXCROFT (PERFUME OIL) || Decaying Leaves, Rich Black Soil, Dry Leaves, Fall Air, Woods, Chimney Smoke.

I put this on, and the very first note I get hit with, without even looking at the notes, is sweet smoke. The first time I ever tried this, that smoke straight-up went BBQ-y for the first five minutes of wear, but it doesn't do that anymore - it's just... Very strong woodsmoke with a hint of sweetness. The smoke fades after just a few minutes, and I start getting the other atmospheric notes: A woody note that smells fresh and sap-sticky, like a newly splintered evergreen branch; dry fall leaves that smell so realistic that I can picture picking them up and crunching them in my hand; the emptiness of cool fall air; and damp earth from a rainstorm that happened the other day. The smoke's still there, kind of encompassing everything, but it's much lighter now.

And... Looking at the notes, I guess that's literally everything that's in it! Dang. Talk about a scent being dead-on. On the dry-down, this takes on a warm, almost... Maple-y quality? Like slightly burnt maple leaves. I like it. It's really cozy.

This wears a bit close to the skin on me without actually being light, but lasts for a pretty long time - a few hours in and even after scrubbing it from my wrist with dish soap, i'm still smelling earth and decaying leaves.

tl;dr: a very realistic fall atmospheric with woody, dry leaf, and damp earth nuances and a nice swirl of smoke. Dries down to a maple-like sweetness.

RATING: 5/5. A really beautiful atmospheric. I'm not really interested in smelling like it, but it's objectively very well made.

--

SNOWSHOE PASS (PERFUME OIL) || White Amber, White Musk, Vanilla Accord, Peppermint Cream, Cold Winds.

Mmmm. Mmmm. This smells absolutely tasty. The vanilla accord is rich and exceptionally creamy, with a super true-to-life vanilla extract smell. The peppermint cream blends well with it - it's hard to detect, but gives a slight minty edge to the vanilla. My roommate, from a distance, says it smells like cooked brownies. I don't necessarily agree--it doesn't strike me as chocolatey in the least--but I could see how someone might think that. It might be thanks to the amber - i've noticed some ambers can read a bit chocolate-like.

Admittedly, the cold winds note is kinda gone at this point - it was very present when I first got the sample, but now, I don't really get anything that hits my nose as particularly chilly.

This wears pretty strongly on my wrist, doesn't fade quickly, and obviously has some good sillage if my roommate is smelling it from like, 3-4 feet away.

tl;dr: True to life foody, creamy, rich vanilla with a hint of mintiness.

RATING: 4/5. I wish the white amber and white musk were a bit more detectable to me, and that the cold wind note hadn't vanished. Even so, this is a really delicious, rich vanilla scent.

--

VIOLET MALLOW (PERFUME OIL) || Marshmallow Cream, Violet Flowers, Vanilla Bean, White Musk.

This one's easy. It smells ex act ly like a cabbage patch doll's face - that floral-vanilla slightly rubbery scent. Sometimes Solstice Scents' vanilla note will have a bit of that rubbery quality for me, and the violets in this, rather than just living on their own in their signature Purple Burp smell, blends well and amps up the cabbage patch kids smell. Which is great for me, because i've been dying for a perfume that smells like it - I actually asked for this one as my free sample because people had been saying it smells like that. And it does. Spot on.

Wears strong on my wrist, with sillage of like a foot or two when wet, then maybe 6 inches or so when dry.

tl;dr: Cabbage Patch doll!

RATING: 4/5. Kinda simple, but fills a very specific desire in me. I don't even know if i'll wear it that much, but I loooove just having this smell on hand whenever I wanna whiff it. Plus, even if the vanilla/marshmallow is a bit rubbery, I love a violet scent where the violets don't smell bad.

--

LACE DRAPED SPECTRE - REFORMULATED (PERFUME OIL) || Vanilla Musk, Spicy Pink Carnation, Pink Pepper, Rose, White Musk.

This... This grew on me so fast, and is now one of my favorite perfumes. Holy shit. This is just so, so good.

When I first tried it out, I took one whiff and went, 'oh! So THAT'S what a carnation smells like!' I was familiar with the smell of carnations, but had never really matched the smell to the flower, but this was so dead-on that there's really just no mistaking it. The connection was made instantly. It's a green, dewy, velvety, heady, smooth, non-powdery, lush-smelling flower, with just a hint of a spicy kick to it - which i'm sure is amped up by the pink pepper. The vanilla musk amps up that delicious carnation and makes the scent a bit humid and sweet. That's about all I can really, for-sure detect in this... But, god, I don't think it NEEDS anything else. It's SO GOOD.

Got HELLA sillage and HELLA longevity - I put this on and can smell it all day. God. I have two 1mls of it and I hope they last me 'til fall. Seriously, it's so good.

tl;dr: A fantastic, realistic carnation note, amped by vanilla musk and with a kick of pink pepper.

RATING: 6/5. This is a holy grail scent, bay-bee. I've had some good florals since, but this was the first good floral. This is the one that changed my mind about florals.

--

RIVERSIDE HAYRIDE (PERFUME OIL) || Moist Dirt, White Carnations, Fallen Leaves, Bare Branches, Hay & a Hint of Pressed Apples Carried on the Breeze from Corvin's Apple Orchard.

I put this on, and before I can even close the sample vial, I get hit with this wave of spiced, dried, tart apples - but that gets subtler after only 10, 15 minutes of wear. What I smell at the top at that point is a very subtle, velvety carnation - not nearly as lush as the carnation note in lace-draped, it's more like... If a bed of carnations was a few feet away. It also smells pretty wet, with a notable cool air note, and some damp green-ness. At this point, the apples are so subtle that they're at the bottom of the scent, just a soft sweetness with an edge of tart, very realistic for a dried apple scent, and I can't smell the spices anymore.

Sometimes I also pick up a weird sourness that isn't the apples, and almost smells... Milky? Like milk that's kinda nearing its expiry date and you're not really sure if it's bad or not. I don't get it all the time, and it's not bad enough to ruin the scent, but it's there. Looking at the notes, I think that sour smell is actually the hay.

On the dry-down, that hay gets stronger, and basically all i'm getting is the hay and maybe a hint of the apple. If you like hay, this would be good for you. The last note I can detect before it disappears is tart green apple. Despite not having a lot of sillage, apart from that first wave of apple, this wears VERY strongly on my wrist.

tl;dr: A velvety floral atmospheric with touches of cool air, green-ness, and an ample helping of dried apples, that dries down to strong hay and faint apple.

RATING: 3.5/5. Well made, but I could do without that strong hay note. I say. About a scent with 'hayride' in the name. Guess that's what I get.

--

NIGHTGOWN (PERFUME OIL) || Vanilla, White Chocolate, Tuberose & Tiare Flowers.

This is lovely - I actually like it more than I thought I would, since i'm really not into chocolate notes, even white chocolate, and white florals generally aren't my thing. But this blends beautifully: the tuberose and tiare are soft and delicate without smelling soapy or indolic like so many white florals can, and the white chocolate and vanilla round it out, balance the floral qualities, and give the scent some depth. It's really lovely - i've worn it to bed a couple times, so I guess the name 'nightgown' fits.

Dries down to stronger vanilla and realistic white chocolate with a light floral edge. Very elegant and creamy. Wears close to the skin for a few hours before it begins to fade.

tl;dr: Soft, delicate white flowers balanced by gentle, creamy sweet notes of white chocolate and vanilla, the latter taking over on the dry-down.

RATING: 5/5. Another one I probably won't wear a lot, but it's objectively beautiful. Solstice Scents REALLY can do no wrong with florals, i'm beginning to feel like.

--

WHITE FOX (PERFUME OIL) || Vanilla Musk, White Fur, Woods, Snow Laced With a Vein of Dirt.

So, reading reviews of White Fox, it seemed to be pretty hit or miss. Half the time, it was a beautiful vanilla scent with atmospheric notes; the other half, burning plastic. I wasn't sure what I would get, but I was willing to take the risk.

What I ultimately get is plasticky vanilla. Not the worst, but, uh, not the best, either. I get something very minty, too, even though peppermint isn't a note in this (maybe it's the woods note, some evergreens), and it makes that plasticky vanilla almost... Burning. Chemical-y. It mellows out some with wear, though: the burniness goes away, and the vanilla becomes less plastic (but not totally un-plastic) and more soft and fuzzy, so, decently wearable. The fur and dirt are distinguishable in this, too, and round out the sweet notes well.

Dries down to a subtle vanilla musk sitting underneath some really notable dirt, and finally, before it fades, become simply dirt and fur. Lasts for a good handful of hours, and has some good sillage while wet.

tl;dr: Burning plastic kinda medicinal smelling vanilla that mellows out to a softer, fuzzier vanilla, rounded out by dirt and fur.

RATING: 3/5. I'm honestly debating rating this a bit lower, because it starts out so bleh, but with wear it's okay. ...But just okay.

--

WINTER DOVE (PERFUME OIL) || Vanilla Crystals, Spicy Carnation, Nutmeg, Cream.

Man, this is such good shit. It's not LDS, but by god, it'll do.

For the first, like, 5 minutes, I get straight eggnog from the nutmeg and cream, and then it just becomes this beautiful, rich, creamy carnation note. The carnation's pretty spicy, but more than that, it's velvety, softly floral and green and fresh as hell. Smells real, as SS' carnation note tends to. The sugar crystals give this just a touch of sweetness, and honestly, I don't get the nutmeg as much after those first 5 minutes. It's a soft, rich, delicate scent - definitely would call this LDS' more feminine cousin. On the dry-down, the carnation fades, and the scent becomes much more creamy and foody-sweet without necessarily going back to eggnog.

Has a lot of sillage - i've gotten reports of other people smelling it real well when I walk past. (Notably, my sister said it smelled like a headshop, which kinda surprised me. I think it must'a been the spice in the carnation.) Lasts for a good handful of hours, too.

tl;dr: Eggnog, briefly, and then a sweet and creamy lush carnation scent, and then, on the drydown, creamy sweetness.

RATING: 5/5. Blind bought a 5ml for this because I didn't think I could live without Solstice Scents' carnation note, and I have no regrets.

--

So, final thoughts: I really, really love this house. Their florals are killer, their scents are rich and long-lasting, and at the very worst, they might go a little rubbery or maybe a little potpourri-ish, but there's nothing in this that was out-and-out awful or came across poorly made. Gonna be buying from them again, most definitely.

[toddrogersfl]

Yardley The Collection: jewel-inspired, contemporary scents

Yardley London are an iconic fragrance house, their heritage supposedly reaching all the way back to the reign of King Charles I, but The Great Fire of London in 1666 wiped out the records so we put the founding date at 1770. You can read far more whispers of this house’s fascinating history in The Scented Letter Magazine’s Best of British issue, but whatever the true date – we can all agree the name of Yardley has been around, like, forever. And instead of merely resting on that good name, it seems they’re ready to shake things up a little…

Showcasing a brand new collection of vibrantly contemporary, utterly wearable fragrances inspired by precious jewels, we were seriously impressed at their quality – learning at the launch that each fragrance has been composed by a prestigious perfumer – and with a with a seductive campaign fronted by ‘rock royalty’: one-to-watch, Tigerlily Taylor, daughter of Queen‘s drummer Roger Taylor.

The new style icon stars in an attitude-fuelled ultra-glam (and totally modern) film shot by world-famous photographer RANKIN (scroll down to watch it, below…) revealing Yardley London’s The Collection – perfumes aimed at bright young things of today who want to wear something unusual, but don’t want to pay the earth for the privilege! Priced within the reach of most people’s pockets, at £25 for 50ml eau de toilette, it means you can try the whole range without winning the lottery first.

So, let’s have a sniff…

Daisy Sapphire Developed for Yardley by renowned perfumer Juliette Karagueuzoglu (who’s the nose behind fragrances for L’Artisan Parfumeur, Coach, Jimmy Choo and Yves Saint Laurent among many more) this simply sparkles with a dewy fresh, green floral bouquet ‘inspired by the striking vibrancy of the yellow sapphire, with a burst of cheerful, energetic top notes of dewy green leaves and apple unravels into hyacinth and white rose at its heart, drying down to warm base notes of sandalwood and musk.’

Juliette says: ‘I created this fragrance from memories of how a field of daisies smell, an abundant nature through elegant green leafy notes, the freshness of the air and the dewy mornings through its petal notes of roses and hyacinth. I worked on balancing the freshness, vibrancy of the notes and their sensuality to create a fragrance as varied as life itself.’

Rosie Ruby Domitille Bertier‘s the perfumer, here (she created Viktor & Rolf Flowerbomb, with Olivier Polge and Carlos Benaïm, and fragrances for Thierry Mugler and Hugo Boss to name just a few!) ‘An edgy, head turning fragrance that exudes the beguiling beauty of the pink ruby stone with ripe fruity top notes of mandarin, pear, peach and cassis, folding into an assertive heart of pink pepper, peony, rose and orange flower water, balanced by a soft, warm base note of cedar wood, sandalwood and vanilla.’

Domitille says: ‘I wanted to create a unique and unforgettable scent that gives confidence to every woman from the first spritz. I am proud of the combination of peony and pink pepper – a beautiful blend of raw materials! The floral bouquet is textured with fruity and spicy facets, which bring a modern touch contrasted with a creamy woodiness of sandalwood. The fragrance becomes addictive and creates such a sensual trail.’

Poppy Diamond Juliette’s the nose for this one again, composing a ‘sophisticated, sparkling and uplifting sheer floral fragrance representing the brilliance and magnetism of the diamond with refreshing top notes of pear and bergamot, enveloped in a sweet, subtle note of honey with an elegant heart of rose, peony and lily of the valley, enhanced with a sensual base of cedar wood, sandalwood and vanilla.’

Juliette says: ‘I created this fragrance to express all the facets of a rose in a contemporary way. Rose is a very stimulating flower, always reinvented, always inspiring. Poppy Diamond has the brightness and brilliance of Damascenian roses in the Turkish fields, the light woody and subtle honey undertones for enhancement to give more power, femininity and sheer sensuality of one of the most captivating flowers.’

Lilac Amethyst ‘An addictive, intense and feminine floral woody fragrance, inspired by the irresistible beauty of the amethyst, blending pear, lemon and bergamot with basil in the top notes with a sensual heart of fig, peach, black pepper and heliotrope complemented by a warm, woody and spicy amber base.’ multifaceted floral woody fragrance inspired by the enchanting allure of the amethyst crystal. Exploring the trend for gender-free (anyone can wear them) floral woody scents, Nelly Hachem-Ruiz is the up-and-coming perfumer (best known so far for creating David Beckham Beyond), and here developed an intriguing blend of ‘fresh pear, lemon and bergamot with basil in the top note, leading into a sensual heart of fig, peach flower, spicy black pepper and powdery heliotrope, complemented by a skin soft, warm, woody amber base.’

Nelly says: ‘My goal for this fragrance was to create a memorable scent that fuses fresh and deeper sensual notes together in perfect harmony. This is a highly textured fragrance combining spices, herbs, florals and cologne notes around a heart of indulgent, creamy fig.’

Flora Jade Anne-Sophie Chapuis is the perfumer behind two of the Comme des Garçon ultra-trendy fragrances, and was chosen here to compose ‘a sophisticated chypre bouquet that celebrates a popular olfactory trend in fine fragrance. The name Jade also pays homage to Sea Jade, Yardley’s ground-breaking fragrance of the 60’s. Crisply green, this floral chypre ‘captures the bold, exuberant spirit of the jade gemstone. Fruity, aromatic green top notes of peach, bergamot and galbanum blend with an airy floral bouquet heart of rose, jasmine, ylang-ylang and orris, delicately wrapped up in base notes of patchouli, sandalwood and moss.’

Anne-Sophie says: ‘I love chypres, which I consider to be the most sensual and sexy olfactive family and the most sophisticated. I have created a modern crisp green fresh-floral chypre that captures the bold, exuberant spirit of the jade gemstone. I wanted to create something airy, delicate, with a natural, earthy bouquet.’

Yardley London The Collection, £25 for 50ml eau de toilette Buy them at boots.com

So now, with noses suitably primed, sit back and watch the brand new, so-stylish campaign, below. We think your only question should be which one you get first…

Written by Suzy Nightingale

The post Yardley The Collection: jewel-inspired, contemporary scents appeared first on The Perfume Society.

from The Perfume Society https://perfumesociety.org/yardley-new-fragrances-video/