WHAT I SMELL: Iniezione di Morfina (Injection of Morphine) opens up light and ethereal, yet somehow deep in floral warmth. It’s full-bodied, but very close to the skin in the beginning and the mysterious florals are blended with the lightest of vanilla. After five minutes, the scent feels like it’s fading from my skin; it’s there, but the projection is so muted and subtle. There is something completely intoxicating about the perfume as it wraps it light tendrils around me as it begins to grow. It’ also quite sexy without being overtly so. After 10 minutes, the projection is still close to the skin, but a light soapiness reveals itself, but like the rest of the creation, it too is muted. Soon the soap exits and a powder enters. That, combined with a floral sweetness dries out the perfume. I find Iniezione di Morfina intoxicating and strangely hypnotic. After 30 minutes, the perfume introduces a light puttiness that wraps itself around the florals. After some more time, the vanilla and labdanum come to the front to blanket you in their morphine inspired lullaby.
L’Elisir based Opium is the source of inspiration. Paracelsus called it Laudanum which means praise. Established quickly addictive and habit forming. Charismatic and enterprising. A debut with white and delicate Jasmine and Lily of the Valley from which bloom Rose Petals and a touch of Iris. The bouquet clear and elegant finishes in White Musk and sensual vanilla.
Notes: Iris, Rose, Jasmin, Lily of the Valley, White Musk, Vanilla
WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME: A Victorian angel.
THREE ADJECTIVES THAT DESCRIBE INIEZIONE DI MORFINA: unique, intriguing, genuine
WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT INIEZIONE DI MORFINA: CaFleureBon
BOTTOM LINE: I have not been intrigued by a perfume in a long time. The opening with this perfume is like a dream and I wish it would have stayed in that realm through its entire life. The drydown is comforting, but makes me long for the top notes. This may be a full bottle for me, but I think I need a few more sample injections before I commit to this incredible morphine.
WHAT I SMELL: Copal Azur’s opening is wonderfully spicy, yet sparkling, like sunshine evaporating the moistness of the early day. A salty note is mixed with a fresh pine, but the pine is not a cool weather northwest pine, but a warmer pine that feels like it’s grounded to the windswept Caribbean shore. There’s a distinct patchouli note which is woody and light and after around 15 minutes, a creamy sweetness enters all the while an incense radiates from above. Around the 30 minute mark, the fragrance lightens to a radiant incense with the pine, patchouli and tonka breezily anchoring the shore below. Overall, there is a brightness about Copal Azur that’s extremely appealing. In addition, the perfume is full of positive energy and inner warmth. Copal Azur is a magical Mayan beauty.
Mayan incense, rising from age-old temples. Lashes of sea spray and whiffs of the jungle where the jaguar lurks… Copal Azur exhales the lush, spiritual vibes of sacred Tulum.
The Muse: Copal, the Mayan incense
The vibrant hues of the Mayan Riviera filter through milky, pine-scented wreaths of burning resin. Blue, for the Caribbean Sea and the limpid depth of the cenotes, the subterranean fresh-water pools that riddle Yucatan: a cool breeze of ozonic and salty notes. Green, for the lush Mexican jungles: a flash of cardamom glinting in the moist, woody undergrowth of patchouli and myrrh. White, for the purest quality of copal and the pristine beaches of Tulum: a lick of almond-scented tonka bean smoothed into creamy notes. Amber for the Jaguar God of Terrestrial Fire – the fire that burns the sacred copal… Hypnotic, spiritual and forceful, Copal Azur might well indeed open the “Gate to Heaven”.
WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME: The magic of Tulum, Mexico.
THREE ADJECTIVES THAT DESCRIBE COPAL AZUR: positive, sun-touched, energized
BOTTOM LINE: I guess it’s fitting after just returning from the Yucatan on vacation to complete a review on a fragrance that was inspired by a Mayan incense. What I love about this fragrance is that as an incense perfume, the incense is subtle, like it’s lightly whipping over the cliffs of Tulum (in other words, an incense perfume for those who typically aren’t incense perfume lovers). Copal Azur is a lovely addition to the Aedes de Venutas collection of perfumes which are each unique and wonderful in very different ways. I can’t wait to see what their next release will be!
INTOXICATED – WHAT I SMELL: Intoxicatedopens with a boozy burnt coffee note that is sweet, yet flattened. It feels like it’s been sprinkled with dry nutmeg and it has a rather marshmallow thickness consistency about it. It makes me want to fire up my espresso machine, because this would make for a nice after dinner drink to go with a hot cup of coffee. As Intoxicated starts to develop, it becomes a bit nuttier, richer and it begins to rise and jump off the skin, growing with projection each minute. There’s a nice herbal quality that rests like a haze on top the layered fragrance and a bit of sweet and light caramel emerges giving it more dimension. As time progresses, the light booziness retreats, but the roasted coffee and nuttiness remains. After around a half and hour, a light vetiver appears, bringing just a bit of sharpness into the mix. As it keeps developing, it turns from the gourmand to a more woody creation. But the great thing about the by Kilian fragrances is that they are so supremely finished and silky smooth so that the different variations in the fragrance make the notes hard to define and pin down.
WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME: The most luxurious S’more with a lightly sweet refined cocoa’d chocolate with the finest of graham crackers. And when you’ve finished eating the lovely concoction, the warm, sweet and fired remains of the treat linger in the air.
THREE ADJECTIVES THAT DESCRIBE INTOXICATED: smooth, delicious, suave
LIGHT MY FIRE – WHAT I SMELL: Light My Fire opens with this dry hay like tobacco and honey. Quickly, a cumin notes comes in along with the patchouli. It’s dry and a bit sour. The honey isn’t thick, but more like a dried and crackled glaze over the hay. It’s rather comforting to me, as it’s a bit dusty too…as if the perfume has been stored in an old barn. Along with the honey, there seems to creep out a bit of a brown sugar note. There’s a tender sweetness about the fragrance that’s very muted which I find quite nice and heart-warming. After around 10 minutes, a putty note appears giving Light My Fire a bit of thickness. At this point, the initial hay that brought in the dryness begins to be filled instead with a more woody note which isn’t quite as devoid of moisture, but it’s still rather dry. Light My Fire doesn’t transform all that much, but it’s such a nice and relaxing fragrance, the kind that’s good for soothing one’s soul. Don’t get me wrong though, as relaxing as this is, there is still some power and projection behind it.
Light My Fire Notes: cumin, hay, patchouli, vetiver, honey, vanilla and tobacco
Late Day, Late Summer – Jan Schmuckal
WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME: A late summer day, where the ground is rather dry as you lay under a big tree while the sun streams all around you.
THREE ADJECTIVES THAT DESCRIBE LIGHT MY FIRE: peaceful, contented, contemplative
SMOKE FOR THE SOUL – WHAT I SMELL: Smoke for the Soul opens big with this warmed eucalyptus topped by a nutty tobacco. It’s quite thick and a bit chewy and somewhat burnt around the edges. After a bit, it begins to dry and it becomes more burnt, like the sticks of wood are actually firing up on your skin. A birch note begins to appear almost as if the already flaky bark is falling off of the perfume exposing a more sharpened cannabis note that’s quite pungent and sour. The fragrance then dries out and becomes pure wood. However, the wood continues its slow burn with a slight smoky and sharp finish sitting above a vetiver base.
Smoke for the Soul Notes: eucalyptus, grapefruit, tobacco, mate, birch, cashmirwood, cannabis and cardamom
burnt twigs
WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME: burnt twigs
THREE ADJECTIVES THAT DESCRIBE SMOKE FOR THE SOUL: crackling, aromatic, burnt
BOTTOM LINE: With the by Kilian name, you’re getting luxury not only in a scent, but also in the packaging. This new collection is no exception as each perfume comes in a case designed to look like a luxurious cigar holder. Intoxicated and Light my Fire are really smooth, refined and perfectly finished and live up to the by Kilian brand. Smoke for the Soul plays “which one of these is not like the others” with the other two. It’s nice, but it just doesn’t feel like it fits into the mix. In any case, overall, a very nice collection.
Expense: $270 for 50ml Eau de Parfum (each sold separately)
WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME: A Victorian angel.
The Scented Hound 