WHAT I SMELL: An Air of Despair opens with a warmed cedar and a wonderfully peppered saffron as well a white musk linen that sits right underneath the spiced wood. It’s quite close to the skin and slightly mysterious. In a short while, the perfume does begin to grow and project as it becomes more blended. After some more time there’s a slight rubbery consistency that comes forward, but for the most part, the perfume lives in this cedar box wrapped up in a dry gauzy musk.
When Vivian Gwyn’s parents mysteriously disappear one month before her eighteenth birthday it foils an elaborate plan she had to kill them herself. In her search for clues as to their whereabouts she finds an elegant mink coat and a safe full of valuables in her mother’s cedar closet. Keeping the coat but selling everything else, she embarks on a glamorous adventure that takes her from the small Tennessee town where she grew up to luxurious penthouses in Manhattan, runways in Milan, and finally the castle in Switzerland from which she learns she is a descendant. No expense is spared in Viv’s valiant quest to shake the sadness that plagued her upbringing and she quickly learns it’s not riches that bring happiness but happiness that brings riches.
NOTES: Cedar, Saffron, Musk & Sadness
WHEN TO WEAR: Embrace your summertime sadness. An Air of Despair will lift you up inside while keeping the outward despondency that makes you so desirable in tact. @allbaddays #eternallybummed
WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME: The official perfume of Twin Peak’s Laura Palmer.
THREE ADJECTIVES THAT DESCRIBE AN AIR OF DESPAIR: Northwestern, boxy, singular
BOTTOM LINE: Josh Meyer’s limited summer release makes you feel that fall is just around the corner and that the cool, bleak rain stained sky will soon be upon us. I guess An Air of Despair actually is the perfect name isn’t it?!
WHAT I SMELL: Whip has a wonderfully bright citrus opening. It sparkles, is lightly spicy and overall zesty, and is warmed with a light lavender which gives it a very classical feel. I love it when a citrus fragrance can make you feel like you’re wearing a starched white shirt when you may just be wearing a t-shirt. Whip does just that. After around 10 minutes, the zesty opening starts to calm, and the citrus begins to meld with the delicate florals which are incredibly pretty. There’s a heavy dose of galbanum which is mixed with an oak moss; creating a radiant haze of powdered freshness. After around 30 minutes, the perfume is met with a very light leather which tames the green of the perfume and which makes the final stage smooth as silk. Whip is uncomplicated, fresh and easy to wear and is perfect for when you are dressing up, or dressing down.
1953: Queen Elizabeth II was crowned Queen at the age of 27 while New York celebrated the opening of the Guggenheim Museum and Audrey Hepburn starred in “Roman Holiday”. Le Galion launched Whip, a fresh and young fragrance, especially refreshing in the summer. Originally created for men, women also grabbed hold of it quickly.
A return to its origins; to freshness, tone and distinction for this timeless Cologne fragrance; a fragrance that suits both men and women. Although in classic fresh and citrus fragrance territory,Whip exudes a certain modernity, It opens on a very citrusy note, created by the marriage of lemons from Verdelli and Calabrian bergamot. Tarragon, lavender and cardamom provide the aromatic notes. The heart of the fragrance is worked around floral notes such as jasmine, violet and a hint of iris, all accentuated by the powerful woody notes of galbanum. The background is softened and warmed with heady notes of oak moss, patchouli and vetiver grass oil. Leather notes give this fragrance its huge personality.
Head notes | Verdelli Citrus, Calabrian Bergamot, Tarragon, Lavander, Cardamom
Heart notes | Jasmine, Violet, Iris, Galbanum
Base notes | Oak Moss, Vetiver, Patchouli, Leather Notes
The Croquet Game, Edouard Manet – 1873
WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME: A beautiful bucolic day, perfect for a game of croquet.
THREE ADJECTIVES THAT DESCRIBE WHIP: clean, neat, classic
Expense: 140 Euros for 100 ml Eau de Parfum from the Le Galion website
WHAT I SMELL: Special for Gentlemen opens with a beautiful warmed luxurious lavender, tinged with citrus and bergamot. There’s a lovely powdered amber which is highlighted by a pulsating cinnamon, but it’s so incredibly subtle as it mixes with the amber and labdanum. After around 15 minutes, a slightly soured edge appears along with a powdered vanilla and oak moss. The perfume is reverant, solid and masculine but not in a beefy or heavy-handed way. In the end, you are left with a warmed, slightly soured vanillaed perfume that is proper; but very sensual at its core. Very sexy.
1947: The Marshall Plan was launched. The French people dreamt of luxury and escape. Roger Vivier invented the stiletto heel, Christian Dior launched the New Look and Miss Dior, and Le Galion created Special for Gentlemen, a masculine fragrance, distinguished and refined; a fragrance to wear at all times. Discreet, refreshing, yet lingering, it is like no other. It is a luxury fragrance for men.
A tribute to the legacy of expertise, excellence and “savoir-vivre”. True to the spirit of Paul Vacher in the re-issue of this classic and elegant fragrance. A masculine fragrance, reviving the ancient traditions of the art of perfumery, using noble materials.
A beautiful Oriental Amber fragrance that opens on fresh and aromatic notes. Subtle notes of lavender and lemon are accompanied by a touch of woody galbanum. A balsamic note of cinnamon brings softness to the blend. This lasting woody amber fragrance is achieved by generously combining amber, cistus labdanum and patchouli. Finally, soft balsamic notes and a slightly animalised note lend this sensual fragrance lots of sensuality – a marriage of vanilla, opoponax and castoreum.
Head notes | Bergamot, Citrus, Lavender, Galbanum
Heart notes | Cinammon, Amber, Cistus Labdanum, Patchouli
Base notes | Oak Moss, Vanilla, Castoreum, Opoponax
WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME: Henry Cavill in the upcoming release “The Man from U.N.C.L.E.”; sexy, daring and dashing
THREE ADJECTIVES THAT DESCRIBE SPECIAL FOR GENTLEMEN: handsome, confident, controlled
Expense: 140 Euros for 100 ml Eau de Parfum from the Le Galion website
BOTTOM LINE: I love seeing the resurrection of these classic perfume houses. There’s a very straightforward elegance about each of the reissued perfumes which feel classic, but not historic, so you don’t feel as if you’re wearing a worn out version of your mother or father’s old wardrobe. As much as I like both of these perfumes, I have to admit that Le Galion’s Iris is probably my favorite from the reissued perfumes. Clean, light and pretty, it’s an iris that doesn’t drag you down in the dirt, but instead makes you feel like you’re floating on an iris cloud. Welcome back Le Galion!
What’s more perfect for the beginning of the dog days of summer, than to review a perfume named Summer??!
WHAT I SMELL: Summer opens with a dash of fresh cilantro which is soon met with a muted grapefruit. The perfume feels like it’s comprised of the perfect ingredients for creating a wonderful citrus based salsa. But there is also an undertone of the perfume which reminds me so much of playing along the white sheets hanging on the line as a child (much to the chagrin of my mother!) As the perfume progresses, the cilantro recedes and the mixture of light citrus feels weighted under a layer of fresh rain water. It’s sunny, without being bright, but instead a clean musk and the most subtle of grass note which helps to generate a freshness. After around 10 minutes, the projection begins to grow, but the scent doesn’t transform or change that much except for the orange blossom which begins to take over as the prominent note over the grapefruit which adds just a hint of sour to this fresh-faced composition.
SUMMER unisex fragrance features notes of cilantro, grapefruit, jasmine, orange blossom and grass. Each small batch is hand blended in the hills of Glassell Park, Los Angeles.
WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME: The wonderful smell of sun-kissed fresh laundered sheets on a clothesline.
THREE ADJECTIVES THAT DESCRIBE SUMMER: sunny, clean, fresh
BOTTOM LINE: Summer delivers on its name. The perfume projects big, but it refrains from feeling large. Summer maybe be the perfect perfume all year long…just right for the hot summer days, but also in the middle of winter when you just want to retreat to your own personal summer day.
WHAT I SMELL: An Air of Despair opens with a warmed cedar and a wonderfully peppered saffron as well a white musk linen that sits right underneath the spiced wood. It’s quite close to the skin and slightly mysterious. In a short while, the perfume does begin to grow and project as it becomes more blended. After some more time there’s a slight rubbery consistency that comes forward, but for the most part, the perfume lives in this cedar box wrapped up in a dry gauzy musk.
WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME: The official perfume of Twin Peak’s Laura Palmer.
The Scented Hound 