WHAT I SMELL: Chypre Mousse opens with a moistened mushroomed note mixed with dirt and earth. There’s an undercurrent of mint, but overall the earthiness reigns as it smells like you just unearthed the fresh moss from the forest. After around five minutes the greener aspects of Chypre Mousse move aside for a dryer sage and oak moss, yet there still remains an undercurrent of mint and it’s moving more towards spearmint. The fragrance starts to dull (when I mean dull, I don’t mean that it’s boring, I mean that it begins to flatten) and moves toward a layer of minty earth that is being dried by peaks of the sun. After around 20 minute or so, a slight tobacco note comes into play adding to the drying effect. Moving along, the tobacco note seems to become a bit sweeter and a bit more balmy and at this point the fragrance begins to hug your skin. In the end Chypre Mousse becomes a faintly mintish and rather herbaceous earthy fragrance that has some surprising longevity and projection.
BOTTOM LINE: I could not wait to get my hands on this when the wonderful Kafkaseque sent me a sample. I am a sucker for a chypre and I knew that I would love this too. How surprised I was when I found this to be interesting, but not something that I would ever wear. In fact, after putting some on and starting my review, I went to the gym and found that the fragrance mixed my body heat magnified the medicinal qualities of the fragrance almost making me nauseous. I was trying to figure out what was in the composition that was bothering me the most and I found that here is a tinge of a “Ben Gay” in Chypre Mousse that really is off-putting. I will say thought that I LOVE that bottle!
WHAT I SMELL: Ecstasy opens with a honeyed pine, quickly followed by a nice hefty patchouli that has a top coat of rose. It’s a bit spicy and rather golden. After around five minutes, the pine which disappeared quickly before, comes back to the front. However, this time the pine is more pine fir, meaning that it’s more woody like that of a fresh-cut Christmas tree. Then after a couple more minutes in comes a warmer sandalwood. Ecstasy seems to have a great deal a movement to it which I rather like. After around the 15 minute mark, Ecstasy adds an almost sweet oudish tinge to the mix, but I think it’s just the pine that is playing some tricks on my nose…or just maybe just the pine and tonka bean combination that feels that way. After a few more minutes, add a little tobacco to the mix as the fragrance now smells like sweet pipe tobacco. It’s all rather intoxicating. In the end, Ecstasy dries down to a sweetened dried wood that reminds me somewhat of the drydown of Cuir Noir by Armani Prive’.
The most intense journey into the “sacred fire”of the soul, in search of total authenticity in the suspended gravity of absolute beauty. It is an encompassing, mystical fragrance: original and with a strong personality. This fragrance was created the day of the death of Padre Evelino, in a kind of creative delirium inspired by the power of eternal and surreal feelings. The emotion and transformation of these moments are captured in an indelible and cathartic memory describing the sudden spiritual transition from boyhood to manhood. It is a fragrance which strikes you immediately and completely, with the same force as a punch in the face. This is thanks to the powerful, rich top notes of frankincense; immediately after, though, it slowly opens in a loving embrace and inner awareness to the chanting of white floral notes, the mystic power of Bakhoor, and fine wood. At that moment, you sense the power of the timeless love of someone dear, a love that merges with our soul in a religion of memory that gives a new sense of security and eternal strength. Your ego merges with the great cosmic one. In your soul there is “click” as in an instant you open up to the full dimension of being “grown up”.
Top notes: pine, spruce, stone powder
Middle notes: incense, patchouli, rose, violet
Base notes: sandalwood, amber, cistrose, tonka, forest land, ancient wood
WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME: A cozy cabin in the middle of the woods.
THREE ADJECTIVES THAT DESCRIBE ECSTASY: woody, comforting, content
WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT ECSTASY: I only found a couple of comments on Fragrantica.
Bone Rating: 3.5 out of 5 possible bones
Scent: Oriental Woody
Classification: Unisex
Expense: $125 – 145 for 100ml Parfum Extrait
WHITE FIRE
WHAT I SMELL: White Fire opens with bergamot and a somewhat artificial green that almost smells to me like I was smelling wax florals sprayed with a faux scent. Soon enough some jasmine comes in with some clean linen smelling musk. And there it sits.
The silence of the snow; its dazzling white brought alive and sparkling by the flickering flames. The good,clean fragrance is simple and silvery, like the carefree laughter of a child, and innocent and gentle as a loving caress. The high elevation campfire on a glacier in the Italian Alps; one phase of an adventurous and arduous ascent to the summit of Mount Cevedale; the excitement of waking up at sunrise to the wild and immense silence of the Dolomites. The crisp clean air, the energising fresh smell of snow, the intoxicating oxygen, and the dampened smell of fire on ice, all in the glow of the first light of dawn. This fragrance embodies the unique power and beauty of nature, crystal clear in our eyes, hearts, and our most intimate olfactory memories.
Top notes: green leaves, fresh ice, oxygen
Middle notes: Chinese jasmine, fern, white amber
Base notes: sandalwood, amber, musk
WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME: Clean sheets that have been hanging to dry on a clothesline.
THREE ADJECTIVES THAT DESCRIBE WHITE FIRE: musky, clean, safe
WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT WHITE FIRE: I only found a couple of comments on Fragrantica.
Bone Rating: 2.5 out of 5 possible bones
Scent: Woody Aquatic
Classification: Unisex
Expense: $125 – 145 for 100ml Parfum Extrait
BOTTOM LINE: Ecstasy was a pleasant surprise. I liked it, but found in the end that the drydown became a bit tedious, but for many that probably won’t be the case. Funny, I was expecting something named Ecstasy to be over the top and outrageous, but instead it turned out to be a comfort scent. As for White Fire…nice, but boring. The prices are pretty good for extraits though!
I don’t get Jo Malone. I never did. Every time I walk by the Jo Malone counter at Nordstrom I just continue to walk on by. I can’t tell if it’s the bottles, the labels or the fact that they just look linen clean and rather boring. In any case, I was glad when the wonderful Undina sent me a couple of samples so that I could give this line a try. I hope I can test this without a prejudiced view but with an open mind. We’ll see…
WHAT I SMELL: Wild Bluebell opens with astringent aldehydes that burned by nose… uh, oh…my first impression is “bathtastic.” In this case it’s not because it smells soapy, but instead because it smells like something that should be used as bath beads or bath oil or some other “in the tub” kind of product. What Wild Bluebell smells exactly like is …Lily of the Valley. So much so that I’m not sure why this isn’t called Lily of the Valley instead. It’s kind of sweet, kind of leafy green and very clean. Thankfully, there is a nice light musk base that gives this fragrance some needed depth.
Wild Bluebell notes from Fragrantica:
Top notes: bluebell and cloves Heart: lily of the valley, jasmine, rose hip Base: white amber and musk
WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME: bath products
THREE ADJECTIVES THAT DESCRIBE WILD BLUEBELL: girlish, simple, clean
BOTTOM LINE: Not my thing. I like women’s perfume, but this seems very fresh face girlish to me. It’s safe, a bit dull and just too clean. Jo Malone recommends that you try layering their fragrances. Since I also received a sample of Orange Blossom, I decided to give this layering a go ahead. Surprisingly Wild Bluebell actually improved with the layering, but not enough to get me to change my mind. Sorry Undina, I know you love Jo Malone and please don’t think that I’m not grateful for the samples, I am. This just means that there will be much more Jo Malone for you. 😉
WHAT I SMELL: Chypre Mousse opens with a moistened mushroomed note mixed with dirt and earth. There’s an undercurrent of mint, but overall the earthiness reigns as it smells like you just unearthed the fresh moss from the forest. After around five minutes the greener aspects of Chypre Mousse move aside for a dryer sage and oak moss, yet there still remains an undercurrent of mint and it’s moving more towards spearmint. The fragrance starts to dull (when I mean dull, I don’t mean that it’s boring, I mean that it begins to flatten) and moves toward a layer of minty earth that is being dried by peaks of the sun. After around 20 minute or so, a slight tobacco note comes into play adding to the drying effect. Moving along, the tobacco note seems to become a bit sweeter and a bit more balmy and at this point the fragrance begins to hug your skin. In the end Chypre Mousse becomes a faintly mintish and rather herbaceous earthy fragrance that has some surprising longevity and projection.
The Scented Hound 