WHAT I SMELL: Venenum Kiss (poison kiss) opens with a saffron laden ripened fruit. The perfume is fleshy and thick, and it feels like fruit that’s ready to fall off the limb of a tree with the weight of the rotting juice. That’s not a bad thing, it’s just very narcotic and rather fermented. Or in other words, it is forbidden-fruit in the best sense of the word. Overall, the perfume is warm, radiant and seductive. And as the perfume develops, the rose and the sandalwood come forward with a soured and sharpened melding of forces. What once was more seductive and fruited, is now more of a poisoned arrow; still beautiful and seductive, but it feels more deadly. As the perfume continues to morph, the sharpened edges soften, but not by much as the vanilla base continues to provide a sweetened, oudish bounty of menace. And in the end, it’s all topped off with a bit of incense, making it all so very seductive.
VENENUM KISS, a sensual and sophisticated liquor with hints of candied apricot and vanilla.
The strong and intense feel of an electric night in the Orient… The women are wearing their evening perfume, in their wakes, a veritable storm of scents. Wherever you go at night, you succumb to this same hypnotic smell.
TOP: Neroli, Saffron, Nutmeg
HEART: Rose absolute, Davana, Amber
BASE: Vanilla, Styrax, Sandalwood
WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME: The sin of desire.
THREE ADJECTIVES THAT DESCRIBE VENENUM KISS: sinful, dangerous, fleshy
WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT VENENUM KISS: Colognoisseur
BOTTOM LINE: Venenum Kiss is named perfectly. The perfume is decadent, poisonous and it feels predatory and rather deadly. It also reminds me a bit of Armani Prive’ Cuir Noir, except that Venenum Kiss feels a lot more dangerous and over the top. Venenum Kiss is NOT an office scent and it would have to be worn on just the right occasion. Perfect when you want to bring out your deviled horns.
WHAT I SMELL: Constance opens with the most inviting deep mandarin floral combination; it’s gorgeous, big, beautiful and rather buttery…and it’s thick and juicy and completely rapturous…oh, I could keep on going! In a short time, the thick sheen of juice soon begins to thin and soften and the rather fruity opening moves to a light spice with jasmine at the heart. Constance remains incredibly pretty, but the big, and bold moves towards the more mysterious and exotic. Vanilla sets the tone moving forward, but with a light hand. The perfume is so incredibly warm and inviting and it feels as if it pulses off the skin as if it were an extension of one’s being. Additionally, a bit of labdanum adds just the right amount of amber like dimension keeping the vanilla in check. In the end, Constance is this intoxicating warm and exotic floral that’s spiced, lightly powdered and incensed. Constance is a head turner and absolutely beautiful.
…perfect for those who love fruity and spicy scents, jasmine, luxury woods and vanilla…
The year is 1927…Constance is vivacious, passionate and chic; effortlessly elegant in tailored blouses and trousers during the day, but at night she is the centre of attention in an Egyptian-inspired beaded dress, red lipstick and daring high heels …
Classification: Feminine, but I could see a man wearing this as well.
Expense: $120 for 50ml eau de parfum. Exclusively sold in the US by Indigo Perfumery.
QUENTIN
WHAT I SMELL: Quentinopens with a rather funky herbal tarragon and a cinnamon that mixed together is bold and smells a little off. This initial funk makes me wonder what kind of ride I’m in for. Soon enough, the herbal discordant opening starts to even out the rough edges and the mixture moves from the funkified to a more flattened woodiness and light leather. At this stage, the perfume is really dry and the leather is front and center and a woody vetiver takes its place next to it. In addition, a patchouli adds just a light sweetness to the perfume, but it chooses to stay in the background. For some time, there’s a noticeable petroleum smell, as if the leather was cured in oil and grease. But as the perfume develops, that starts to dissipate and a floral warmth takes its place. On paper, this smelled a great deal to me like Miss Dior. On my skin however, I am thinking not so much…that is until around 30 minutes into the wear. And that’s a good thing. Miss Dior rocks my world and it is about as masculine of a woman’s perfume as there is. As the perfume continues to develop, it becomes less Miss Dior and ends up in this petroleum fueled leather spiced musk. Quentin is a traditional scent fortified with just the right amount of daring.
…perfect for those who love assertive elegant woody scents, leather notes and musk…
The year is 1925… Quentin is charming, stylish and impeccably attired and is always impeccably attired in flamboyant style. You will often find him relaxing by day at the cricket drinking a fine Sauvignon blanc and at parties by night sipping champagne…
Top notes: Bergamot, Cinnamon Bark, Tarragon
Heart notes: Carnation, Geranium, Patchouli
Base notes: Moss, Leather, Sandalwood, Vetiver, Musk
WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME: The original Red Baron, Manfred von Richthofen.
THREE ADJECTIVES THAT DESCRIBE QUENTIN: bold, self-assured, headstrong
Expense: $120 for 50ml eau de parfum. Exclusively sold in the US by Indigo Perfumery.
WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT DECO LONDON PERFUMES: BGirl Rhapsody
BOTTOM LINE: The Deco London line beautifully captures the essence of traditional perfumery, but with a modern sensibility. As you can see, Constance is my favorite in the line, but the feminine floral essence of Millicent comes in a close second. For the men, Quentin has that modern edge that makes it unique, but Ernest is an incredible old school classic perfume. What a great start for a new perfume house. Welcome Deco London, you’ve made quite the splash!
WHAT I SMELL: Elephant & Roses opens softly with a wonderfully herbal thyme that is sweetened so slightly with osmanthus. The perfume is light, soft and reassuring and unique in that it doesn’t start off with an oft seen bergamot or citrus blast. After a few minutes, a warmth from the amber develops and it helps to push-off the herbal and floral notes, lifting them up from the ground and sending them flying towards the sky. The rose begins to come towards the center, but it’s a lightly earthy rose that is anything but sweet and it’s very tender in its existence. As tender as the perfume is, an anamalic note begins to appear to give the perfume some wonderful depth and a bit more of an exotic feel…which was already exotic from the beginning. A vetiver and musk note brings the perfume to a more linear base, but helps to keep the perfume, soft, comforting and lightly radiant.
A late afternoon, sitting at my desk, exercising to recreate an elephant smell, while writing my perfume formulae I had a kind of a vision, which merged the elephant’s image, its smell and a large field of roses, of an intense colour, almost fuchsia. Within this vision the elephants were running and, trampling on the roses, were dispersing a scent of flowers, mixed together with the strong smell of their bodies. Slowly – while I was weighing and smelling my formula – after trying it on my skin I realised that it was mine. I used the Turkish rose: this fragrance is derived from the blending of two different formulae, using the so called “dans le tiroir” method, by which I merged animal notes with skin and floral ones.
Name’s origin : The elephant comes from a remembrance of Indian and African colonies, and the rose is the British rose. An encounter between an elephant and the roses has got some British sense of humour. There is an assonance with London district Elephant & Castle.
Top notes: Thyme, Custus, Osmanthus
Heart notes: Rose, Jasmine, Grey Amber
Base notes: Java vetiver, Sandal wood, Animal accord
WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME: I can’t argue with the perfume’s name and inspiration, it makes for a lovely visual.
THREE ADJECTIVES THAT DESCRIBE ELEPHANT & ROSES: comforting, herbal-infused, personal
WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT ELEPHANT & ROSES: Colognoisseur
BOTTOM LINE: I am a big fan of Maria Candida Gentile perfumes. They are all distinctively hers and this perfume is no exception. Elephant & Roses is less of a “rose” perfume than and herbal floral arrangement and would be a good rose perfume for those who don’t want to smell like a fragrant bouquet of sweet roses.
WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME: The sin of desire.
The Scented Hound 