WHAT I SMELL: Faune’s opening is sweet with a sugared bergamot and lavender in addition to a minty green, almost toothpaste freshness. There’s also a light spice, mixed with the soapy lavender. The projection is big and bright and it sparkles with a beautiful sweetened herbal radiance. As the perfume develops, the brightness calms and becomes dryer and more woody. Still radiant, the early sparkles retires to a classic patchouli and lavender, with hints of lightly creamed vanilla.
Top notes are coriander, lavender, mandarin orange, juniper and bergamot; middle notes are pepper, anise and geranium; base notes are sandalwood, amber, patchouli, musk, vanilla, oakmoss and cedar.
1920’s Australian mugshot
WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME: A well-groomed 1920’s mobster…looking good and smelling good.
THREE WORDS THAT DESCRIBE FAUNE: jaunty, fresh, approachable
WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT FAUNE: None to be found, except for comments on Fragrantica.
BOTTOM LINE: Faune is a no-nonsense, easy to wear, clean and fresh perfume for men that could be worn on any occasion. It’s light enough to wear to work, but it would also work well for a night on the town. Faune is perfect when you don’t want to overthink what your perfume choice of the day should be.
WHAT I SMELL: Still Life in Rio opens up like a basket of minty, citrus freshness. It’s delightful and feels incredibly bountiful. Quickly, the fresh moves to a more tropical with a creamy and buttery coconut taking over as if swathed with a butter knife over the perfume. The perfume is thickened without being heavy and it feels like it has been baked by the hot sun which pulls out a rather sweaty and salty element. At this point, the perfume is very subtle and unobtrusive and without a great deal of projection, so it feels as if it’s part of the sweat of your body. Slow to develop, after some time, a light rum note is added to the tropical coconut. The perfume then gracefully completes its journey very quietly, as if the tropical salty sweat of the day is like a lingering memory of the perfect day in Rio.
Exotic and luminous, Still Life in Rio is a new and unique scent that opens with yuzu, ginger, mint and lemon essence. It blossoms and heats up with a blend of peppers, Jamaican hot peppers and coconut water, finishing with rum and Brazilian Copaiba essences.
TOP NOTES: Yuzu, ginger, mint, lemon, mandarin
HEART NOTES: Jamaican hot peppers, pink pepper, black pepper, coconut water
BASE NOTES: Rum, Brazilian Copaiba, Accord of White Leather
WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME: The concept behind the brand:
“OLFACTIVE STUDIO IS AN ENCOUNTER BETWEEN CONTEMPORARY ARTISTIC PHOTOGRAPHY AND PERFUMERY; BETWEEN THE EYE AND THE NOSE THIS IS THE FIRST TIME EVER THAT PERFUMERS HAVE TEAMED UP WITH PHOTOGRAPHERS TO DRAW INSPIRATION FROM THEIR OEUVRES. THEY SENSE THE IMAGES TO CAPTURE THEIR ESSENCE.”
This is an inspiration that I can feel akin to as my reviews always accommodate my association with a visual. I’m not going to mess with adding any additional visual to the perfume, so I’ll stick with the actual inspiration, the photograph Still Life in Rio by Flávio Veloso.
THREE WORDS THAT DESCRIBE STILL LIFE IN RIO: calming, tropical, easy
BOTTOM LINE: There’s something about the perfume that is just so incredibly easy. When you wear it, you don’t feel like there’s a need to rush or be in a hurry. The visual inspiration is stunning and you can just imagine how wonderful looking over this city in all it’s beauty could be on a hot, humid and steamy morning.
If you like to shop around and explore estate sales, you know that every once in a blue moon you’ll run across one that is truly special. Recently, I found a sale that mentioned a large collection of perfumes, but didn’t have pictures or brand names listed. I took a chance. As it turns out, the woman of the house was a former sales representative for Escada and Annick Goutal so there was quite the collection. No one at the sale was interested in the perfumes, so I snatched up a collection of 3 100 ml perfumes, a couple of fragrance brand candles and 12 mini perfumes for $90. One of those perfumes was a full 100 ml bottle of Hermes 24, Faubourg eau de toilette. Whereas some of the perfumes there were multiple in stock, the Hermès was the only one. I had to snatch it up. By the way, the next week, I noted that they moved the remaining bottles of perfumes that didn’t sell to another sale that was in walking distance from my house. Of course I had to go back! I managed to pick up two 125 ml tester bottles of Annick Goutal EdTs, Passion and Heure Exquise for $5 each! How could I say no to such bargains?!
Now before I get into my review, I should note that I did purchase a bottle of 24, Faubourg EDP a couple of years ago. As much of a fan as I am of white floral perfumes, I found the eau de parfum version much to cloying and heavy for my tastes. So buying the EdT was a gamble. Let’s see if it payed off…
WHAT I SMELL: 24, Faubourg opens with a vibrant, bright, a rather sugared ylang ylang which quickly moves to a warmer pulsating rapturous collection of florals which are seamless in their blending. After a short time, an ambered warmth sets base for a rounded bouquet dusted with oak moss and a spiced jasmine begins to dominate. There’s not much progression in 24, Faubourg, but in the end, the perfume resides in a pared down “big” floral heaven. 24 Faubourg is a striking beauty that falls into the big floral category like Ysatis and 1000. But 24 Faubourg is one of those perfumes that doesn’t play second fiddle to anyone.
A novel composed by Maurice Roucel in 1995, 24, Faubourg is an invitation to travel, with the sun as its destination. A sparkle of white flowers in the top notes, the radiance of a floral heart enveloped in irises, woods and mystery, while vanilla and ambergris set the tone for the sillage.
WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME: A woman of refinement; Princess Grace in her later years.
THREE WORDS THAT DESCRIBE 24, FAUBOURG: radiant, warm, in-control
BOTTOM LINE: Whereas the eau de parfum version of 24, Faubourg was just too heavy for me, the eau de toilette version fits just right. I absolutely am in love with this floral beauty. This will be a mainstay in my collection for years to come!
WHAT I SMELL: Faune’s opening is sweet with a sugared bergamot and lavender in addition to a minty green, almost toothpaste freshness. There’s also a light spice, mixed with the soapy lavender. The projection is big and bright and it sparkles with a beautiful sweetened herbal radiance. As the perfume develops, the brightness calms and becomes dryer and more woody. Still radiant, the early sparkles retires to a classic patchouli and lavender, with hints of lightly creamed vanilla.
The Scented Hound 