Thanks to Arielle Shoshana, Washington DC’s welcomed answer to the niche perfume marketplace in the Nation’s Capital, we now have some fun events and offerings that weren’t available before. Just this past week, Arielle Shoshana sponsored a Cocktails with Carlos event featuring the founder of Arquiste perfumes, Carlos Huber. The event offered a chance for attendees to get to know the Arquiste line of perfumes directly from Carlos himself. As an added bonus, we were introduced to the two new perfumes in the line, Él and Ella which just launched this week. I do have a problem though, I can’t decide which is my favorite, Él, the masculine fougere which harks back to a 1970’s Acapulco with a sexy twist, or Ella which is a full on floral lovers perfume with just a hint of a dirty!! In either case, I can’t lose with either of these two fantastic new releases.
Carlos and The Scented Hound
The Scented Hound and Mark Behnke from Colognoisseur
A great time was had by all and Carlos is just as nice (and handsome) as all of you imagine.
Thanks to Ari and Arielle Shoshana for hosting this fun event!
I find it thrilling when classic perfume houses rise from the ashes and once again launch their legacy perfumes. These historical houses created luxury that few could afford in the day. Case in point, J. Lesquendieu’s new luxury line of French fragrances were inspired by an era when quality was valued above quantity, when fragrances were created for a discerning clientele. Lesquendieu, La Maison de Haute Parfumerie , founded in 1903 has returned to their roots to create this rare new line of fragrances continuing the legacy of the original founder, Joseph Lesquendieu, who believed “The quest for a true luxury product should have no boundaries.”
As part of this relaunch , J. Lesquendieu is reintroducing five perfumes under their original names: Bonne Fortune, a woody and spicy citrus perfume; Feu de Bengale, a vanilla floral perfume; Glorilis, a spicy floral perfume, Lilice, a powdery floral perfume (powdery, floral), and my favorite in the line, Lesquendieu le Parfum a spicy oriental.
Luxury in a bottle requires an equally luxurious bottle to house the perfume in. As such, each perfume comes in a hand crafted bottle requiring the work of eleven craftsman through the reknowned glassmaker Waltersperger. Although the company states that there are a limited or “modest” number of bottles that will be available, they don’t cite just how many that number is.
So what does my favorite in the line, Lesquendieu le Parfum smell like? Let’s take a look…
WHAT I SMELL: Lesquendieu opens with a flash of bergamot and then quickly moves to a smooth, velvety tea note that is tinged with a lightly spiced burnt ember. Subdued and calming, the perfume feels like it’s calculating its path forward to determine the best way to meld with your DNA to make the perfume exclusively yours. After a short while, the perfume begins to powder, the tea note retreats and a soft floral begins to appear with a lightly spiced iris that feels like its lifting upward as if through the soft motion of angel wings. But the powdery and light don’t remain in this heavenly state; instead, the perfume begins to warm and an ambered hue brings the perfume down to earth. The perfume has now become woody, but it still remains restrained and soft. At this point in the development, the perfume really retreats, leaving you wondering if that’s all there is. But after a short while, the powder begins to come back and a sweetened iris starts to radiate. The perfume is incredibly pretty, very sunny and bright. Finally, the perfume settles into the most beautiful powdered, yet lightly waxy ambered iris. It’s not sugared, but it’s just slightly sweetened to make it the perfect combination of pretty and fresh while still maintaining a classical sense of being.
A powdery floral fragrance pairing the nobility of Iris to the natural Italian essential oils of lemon and bergamot, resting on the more sensual base notes of amber and Virginian Cedar.
Top notes Bergamot, Tea, Birch Middle notes Jasmine, Tonka bean, Labdanum Base notes Amber, Cedar, Vanilla
WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME: The graceful elegance of a swan.
THREE WORDS THAT DESCRIBE LESQUENDIEU: delightful, positive, contented
WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT LESQUENDIEU: None found.
BOTTOM LINE: Lesquendieu is a beautifully composed classical scent. Smooth and refined yet incredibly refreshing, it’s a superb perfume that could fit either a man or a woman. Lesquendieu is most definitely luxury in a bottle.
Bone Rating: 4.5 out of possible 5 bones
Scent: Spicy Oriental
Classification: Unisex
Expense: $520 Euros for 75 ml eau de parfum
Sample provided by J. Lesquendieu. Opinion my own.
WHAT I SMELL: My first impression of Dilettante begins with a light earthy soil note mixed with a minty soapiness resting on top. Quickly, the earthy moves towards a green tinted orange blossom that at first is rather linear and flattened, but as it progresses becomes puffed liked a cloud with just the lightest of sweetness. The perfume at this point has a very carefree bounce about it. Dilettante is seemingly happy, at the same time it feels like its holding a secret and it’s not going to let you know why it’s in such a good mood, but there’s a reason for it…it’s just not telling! Soon a bit of mentholated tuberose comes to join the orange, but there’s only just a little to add just the right amount of texture and spice. The perfume then begins to deepen and expand. What was so much sun and fun now becomes contemplative. Here the perfume rests its feet under the late afternoon sun with a warm embrace of orange blossom met with an ambered hue and a buttery honeyed finish.
It is the sun shining on the rain and the rain falling on the sunshine…
Frances Hodgson Burnett
Inspired by such simple pleasures as a stroll through a luscious garden after a rain shower, Hiram Green’s latest perfume, Dilettante, is an enchanted and light-hearted celebration of summer.
Based on a triptych of orange flower, petitgrain and essential oil of orange, Dilettante is an all-natural fruity and floral eau de parfum that is fresh and sweet throughout.
Still Life with Orange Chair – Anne Redpath
WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME: Orange Blossom comfort.
THREE WORDS THAT DESCRIBE DILETTANTE: relaxing, reassuring, at-peace
BOTTOM LINE: Hiram Green does it again. The fact that he doesn’t rush the creation process with numerous and frequent releases is apparent as his perfumes are consistently well blended and full of depth. Dilettante is the perfect antidote for those hot, hazy quiet days of summer.
Thanks to Arielle Shoshana, Washington DC’s welcomed answer to the niche perfume marketplace in the Nation’s Capital, we now have some fun events and offerings that weren’t available before. Just this past week, Arielle Shoshana sponsored a Cocktails with Carlos event featuring the founder of Arquiste perfumes, Carlos Huber. The event offered a chance for attendees to get to know the Arquiste line of perfumes directly from Carlos himself. As an added bonus, we were introduced to the two new perfumes in the line, Él and Ella which just launched this week. I do have a problem though, I can’t decide which is my favorite, Él, the masculine fougere which harks back to a 1970’s Acapulco with a sexy twist, or Ella which is a full on floral lovers perfume with just a hint of a dirty!! In either case, I can’t lose with either of these two fantastic new releases.
The Scented Hound 