WHAT I SMELL: Chypre 21 opens with a lovely rosemary tinged bergamot that feels clean and zesty. The rosemary note adds a wonderfully different herbal twist to the opening of the perfume and is a lovely surprise. Quickly, a saffron note joins in along with a bitter sour neroli. The perfume is dry and rather woody, but quickly the perfume then moves to a light rose and patchouli. As it develops the perfume is still dry, but has moved to a more pretty demeanor which is tinged with florals. As the perfume continues to develop, the projection deepens and becomes more rounded but powdery. After around the 30 minute mark, the perfume arrives at it prettiest point; it’s soft, powdery and dry, floral and completely comforting.
As from the early 20th century onwards, the chypre accord has undoubtedly been regarded as the quintessential French perfume. Chypre 21 however, is a creation for the 21st century whereby the main ingredients of a classic chypre: Bergamot, rose, patchouli, sandalwood and oak moss have been reworked to create a contemporary, unisex fragrance. The scent leaves behind a wonderful, slightly nostalgic trail with a certain air of Parisian chic that would have been familiar to the likes of Jackie Onassis, Grace Kelly and of course the Duke and Duchess of Windsor.
Italian Bergamot . Rosemary . Petit Grain Neroli . Bulgarian Rose . Saffron Musk . Oak Moss . Patchouli . Sandalwood
WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME: A cozy kitten.
THREE ADJECTIVES THAT DESCRIBE CHYPRE 21: agreeable, comfortable, easy-going
WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT CHYPRE 21: Colognoisseur
BOTTOM LINE: If you are looking for a big dose of oak moss, you probably will be disappointed. Instead, Chypre 21 is a comforting perfume that starts off dry and powdery, but in the end turns into a nice and agreeable patchouli and musk. Chypre 21 is an easy wear.
WHAT I SMELL: Polianthes’ opening is soft and creamy and highlighted by a lightly spicy mentholated tuberose. There’s an underlying candied aspect from the tiare flower that adds a light spun sugar or cotton candy dimension to the perfume. After a few minutes, a woody note comes forward which decreases the light sweetness. Though full of projection, the perfume itself is not heavy nor dense. Instead, the perfume seems to hover above the skin. But as soon as I write that, I find a rather creamy buttery note comes forward that brings the perfume back to earth and what was light and ethereal now becomes a sheen of buttery vanilla tuberose with a curiously dry undertone. Here the perfume gracefully resides in its dry down. A rather lady-like, but secure, existence at that.
Polianthes Tuberose or in common name from Latin “Tuberosa” is the note that gives name to this perfume. “Sexy”, “heady”, “sultry”, “carnal” are the sorts of descriptions that are typically applied to tuberose perfumes, but in this case I add also “soft”, “reflective”, “independent”, “strong” like a complete woman is. All these peculiarities are in every woman and I tried to put all these facets in a single perfume. There is no sensuality without intelligence, there is no passion without strength, there is no love without independence… So the opulent white flowers of tuberose, thiaré, gardenia, jasmin match together with the solid notes of vetiver, sandalwood, teakwood…
BOTTOM LINE: Polianthes is the tuberose perfume for those who don’t want their tuberose to completely overwhelm or dominate. Instead it politely takes its place where it’s lovely presence is noticeable, without being overbearing.
Well, 2016 is finally upon us and today brings back the reality of going back to work after the holidays and all the festivities that have been enjoyed in the past month. The Scented Hound is not much for looking back at what “was,” but as an eternal optimist steers forward knowing that the year ahead is going to be the best ever. But before moving forward, we’ll take a little walk down memory lane at 2015, one last time!
The Best Perfumes of 2015 –
I, by no means, experienced the majority of new releases this past year. But instead, had the pleasure (or displeasure) of experiencing a small percentage of the new. As such, I’m not going to make any claims about what were the best new releases, but what I found to be my personal favorites of the year…
Puredistance WHITE: Undoubtedly this release was my favorite of the past year. The beautiful, warm and majestic florals have me craving this perfume almost on a daily basis. I cannot get enough of this radiant beauty. It easily is my favorite from the line and that says a lot, because the entire Puredistance line is magic.
Maison Francis Kurkdjian Aqua Vitae Forte: Aqua Vitae Forte is the second cousin to Puredistance WHITE. Very similar in its composition, Aqua Vitae Forte has more of a citrus zing which I found to be perfect for the hot summer months. Easy to wear and absolutely beautiful.
Blomma Cult by Room 1015: As many of you know, I tend to lean towards the more traditional when it comes to my perfume likes. Blomma Cult veers away from the trend with its rock star energy and dynamic creativity. In the end, the perfume purrs like a kitten, but the stage show getting there is one hell of a ride.
Although technically launched in 2014, I didn’t experience the following until 2015…
Neela Vermeire Creations Mohur Extrait: The original Mohur eau de parfum is incredible, but the extrait is like a satin and cashmere wrap of exquisite beauty. This is one of those perfumes that I wish that everyone could experience at least one time in their life.
Maria Candida Gentile Syconium: Maria Candida Gentile offers perfumes that either people love or hate…I find that there are very few in-betweens. Syconium I do believe is one of those perfumes that everyone can love. For myself, fig can sometimes be troublesome and overbearing, but with this creation, it’s a soft and creamy garden delight. And shout out to Maria Candida Gentile for offering smaller 15 ml amounts that don’t break anyone’s budget!
The Worst Perfumes of 2015 –
Juliette Has a Gun Gentlewoman: A nod to androgyny, this perfume is a basic citrus cologne that is a weak imitation of a man’s cologne. Boring, uninspired and pointless.
Bottega Veneta Eau de Parfum: What started off with promise and beauty turned into a cotton ball chemical bomb. I’m not one that promotes natural ingredients, but this ended up like a lab experiment on my skin.
My 2015 Reality –
2014 to me was the year of the big florals. That continued to a point in 2015. I found that the perfumes that I wore the most were traditional florals…my top 3 being Puredistance WHITE, Roja Parfums Risque (Creation-R in the US) and Caron Tubereuse. All three of these perfumes I found myself craving time and time again.
But as I say that, I also found that I was heading back to traditional male perfumes as well. This year, Roja Parfums Danger, Vetiver and Amouage Dia Man were worn at least once or twice a week to work. None of these perfumes are overly butch in their demeanor, but both are easy to wear and rather buttoned up.
Less is More –
When I was first introduced to this wonderful world of niche perfumery, I, like many wanted to purchase, purchase and purchase new perfumes. Around every corner there was a new perfume that was wanted and desired. However, over that past several years, I find that much of my collection is not being used. Additionally, some of the perfumes that I couldn’t live without have now turned on me (has this happened to anyone else?). Case in point, Amouage Fate Woman. Two hours after wearing the perfume, the dry and dusty base, creeps up through my nose to give me this blinding headache. I thought maybe it was just a fluke, but every time I wear it now, the same happens. Needless to say it is sitting neglected on my perfume tray.
As a result of not requiring a great deal of perfume and by wearing many of the perfumes multiple times a week, I found that I only purchased two perfumes this year; Roja Parfums Danger a 10 ml bottle of HMC at Coqui Coqui Perfumes in Mexico. I was wracking my brain wondering if I had missed something, but that is it! My wallet is extremely happy and so am I as I don’t need a large collection to make me love this industry.
Looking Ahead to 2016 –
I have to admit that I possibly have become a bit jaded when it comes to perfume. Even though there are a plethora of newly released perfumes that are beautiful and of which would be a great addition to any perfume collection, there seems to be only a few new releases that really stand out as exceptional. Maybe 2016 will buck that trend and we’ll find that 2016 is the year of the “exceptional perfume!”
WHAT I SMELL: Chypre 21 opens with a lovely rosemary tinged bergamot that feels clean and zesty. The rosemary note adds a wonderfully different herbal twist to the opening of the perfume and is a lovely surprise. Quickly, a saffron note joins in along with a bitter sour neroli. The perfume is dry and rather woody, but quickly the perfume then moves to a light rose and patchouli. As it develops the perfume is still dry, but has moved to a more pretty demeanor which is tinged with florals. As the perfume continues to develop, the projection deepens and becomes more rounded but powdery. After around the 30 minute mark, the perfume arrives at it prettiest point; it’s soft, powdery and dry, floral and completely comforting.
WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME: A cozy kitten.
The Scented Hound 