New launches: thoughts and opinion(s)

After a hectic couple of weeks and a short but more than welcomed and enjoyed to the fullest vacation I'm back to wearing fragrance and testing new launches. This two past weeks have been dedicated mostly to four recent launches: Le Pavillon D`Or by Dusita, Musc Moschus by Rania J., Cuir Soyeux by Francesca Bianchi for Perfume Lounge and Stairway to Heaven by Jul et Mad Paris. 

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Ninth in the line after Mélodie de L`Amour, Oudh Infini, Issara, Le Sillage Blanc, La Douceur de Siam, Lalita, Erawan and Splendiris, Le Pavillon D `Or is "Inspired by a very human quest for happiness and inner peace, … , evokes the sheer joy of serene self- confidence and peace of mind." 

I'd say that Le Pavillon D `Or is the shiest of its brothers and sisters. Intimate and quiet. It lives it all on the inside. It's dry, dusty and woody. On skin it comes all together as a compact fragrance that slowly develops with each stage without showcasing many changes.

Built as an unostentatious cage for heliotrope, Le Pavillon D `Or`s bars are bitter woods with a green, aromatic core and earthy tonalities. Traces of smoke cross in the space between embracing sofly the almond-like heliotropin and mingling in it gets absorbed in the hazy vanillic woods. 

Uncomplicated, but beautifully blended.

On paper it seems to be a bit more interesting than on skin, passing through its different phases and changing from smoky to woody to floral and aromatic to bitter and back to woody.

Notes: mint, honeysuckle, boronia, frankincense, thyme, vanilla, oakwood, sandalwood. 

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A brand for which i developed a profound respect and admiration over the years  - Rania J. launched earlier this year Mosc Moschus. Unlike Rania`s earlier offerings - unique and complex fragrances that are usually rough on the edges and dirty (skanky) or animalic dominated - Mosc Moschus follows the current perfume industry traces and falls into what it seems is a trend among many niche brands nowadays - the approach to the general public or mass-appeal oriented fragrances that are not precisely original. 

"Musc Moschus combines a base of white musk with blackcurrant, vanilla and sandalwood to bring you a sweet aroma of warmth and sensuality. A skin scent."

Musc Moschus is sweet. I'm not into cotton candy if it isn't the real deal - stick and sticked-to-the-face included. Maltol. I'm slowly coming to awareness that none fragrance that centers on Maltol will ever work for me, especially when some tangy blackcurrant and vanillin are added to the sugar mix bomb that glues to skin like a proper Cyanoacrylate. 

For those loving their sweet to be sickly sweet look no further - this might be your dream fragrance. 

Notes: Bergamot, blackcurrant, sandalwood, iris, vanilla, musk. 

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Perfume Lounge, a niche perfume boutique in Amsterdam celebrated its tenth years anniversary on the 26th of October by launching two bespoke fragrances in a limited number of bottles - Cuir Soyeux by Francesca Bianchi and Il Dieci by Bogue (Antonio Gardoni). 

"Cuir Soyeux is the result of close cooperation between Francesca and the Perfume Lounge team. Italian craftsmanship and femininity met Dutch passion and professionalism in a limited-edition. The fragrance is based on the personal favorite notes of both Phine and Tanja: leather and iris."

Picture taken by my friend Marina. Thanks! 

For those familiar with Francesca`s work, blindfolded, you'd tell from the first contact of particles that this fragrance is created by her without even being aware she's the perfumer behind.

Cuir Soyeux`s heart, built around Francesca`s special powdery accord, is bridged with labdanum and, unlike her strong - castoreum dominated leather, a soft suede accord. Everything is connected like a chain of intended notes instead of steel although magnolias lie between. (See what i did here? Loved the movie!) A touch of indols to the mellow and slightly oily suede. I'm not sure what gives this oily quality that I've noticed in several of her offerings, but it adds a distinctive aroma to the fragrance. Labdanum sins of spreading its resinous sweetness and tobacco tonalities over Cuir Soyeux, which doesn't shy away and turns the glove on the musk side. A duel of powers that seems to last until an end that doesn't come precipitated. Still lasts to this very moment, as i am writing.
Needless to say, a bottle was ordered on the spot, ha! 

Notes: iris, magnolia, narcissus, heliotropin, labdanum, leather, musk. 

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Stairway to Heaven by Jul et Mad. Now, I'm not 100% on how i feel about this Cécile Zarokian creation, to be honest. I mean - Maltol, again. Low dosage this time, it's true, but, but,... did i mentioned 8 kind of musks (or so they say and i am no one to argue against it)?

I get specks of spun sugar blended and disguised so well into the rest of the powdery "cleanness" that it makes me forget it are even there. I imagine a cloud would smell like this. A two faced floating mass of condensed water colored in white and pink. I don't like pink. Love the white. See where my confusion is coming from? 

Metallic clean. I was raised in an Eastern (ex) communist county. You haven't smelled clean (white mountain`s snow) if you haven't lived a winter's - 25°/-30°C cold. Eyeballs iced. Fear of brain freezing due to frenetic inhaling/exhaling. Low pressured lungs. Water running through nose like a Renaissance fountain stopping right before the upper lip in form of a not-so-professional ice sculpture.  

Love the emotion of that particular feeling of willingness and freedom to walk into the white. That is Stairway to Heaven to me. Clean, hurtlingly clean. Airy.

Pink - my personal Kryptonite - the mix of red berries, cashmeran, ambroxan, a certain type of white musk (that seems pink) and a not-listed drop of Maltol. Sweet. Disturbing. 

But, have you read my mumblings about white? You'd think i wouldn't get fooled by the pink… Weeeell… 

Ambiguous, i know. That reflects my feelings towards it. 

Notes: Aldehydes, Bergamot, Sweet Orange, Bulgarian Rose, Orris Butter, Red Berries, Heliotrope, 8 White Musks, Vanilla, Patchouli, Ambroxan, Cashmeran, Incense (oliban), Dynamone (gunpowder note). 

All the samples were generously gifted by the brands, my opinions were not.

Eagerly waiting for the next round.