WHAT I SMELL: No. 12 opens with a soft, buttery bergamot that’s infused with citrus and lightly sweetened florals that go on smooth as silk. From first spritz the perfume is elegance personified as there’s nothing sharp as the now lightly warmed florals seem to infuse into your being as if the perfume isn’t just resting on your skin, but becomes part of it. The ylang-ylang is front and center initially, but hints of rose peek through every now and then. After some time, the perfume withdraws a bit, making it rather quiet as a slightly metallic rose makes its way in replacing the ylang-ylang as the center of attention. The perfume still retains its buttery and silky finish as it starts to become warmer and grows in projection. After some more time, the butter makes way for the powder which makes the florals all that more feminine. Continuing on, No. 12 deepens and warms with a lightly weighted mix of amber and softened sandalwood. Overall the perfume is seamless in its development and its infusion of ingredients. As such, I’m not sure I’m giving it justice with my description. So in the end, the best way to describe No. 12 is to envision a beauty descending slowly down a grand staircase at the start of the magnificent ball. You can’t help but turn your head and take in the radiant grace and warmth of her spirit. Let the festivities begin!
From the Puredistance website:
A grand perfume that wraps around you like a cashmere veil… A perfume like no other, in many ways timeless and hard to describe with words. No.12 perfectly embodies the DNA of Puredistance: timelessly beautiful, elegant and very distinctive in character
Top Notes: Bergamot oil, Mandarin oil, Cardamom oil, Coriander oil, Ylang Ylang oil, Narcissus abs
Middle Notes: Jasmin abs, Rose oil, Geranium oil, Lily of the Valley, Orange Blossom, Osmanthus abs, Orris Butter, Heliotrope, Hedione HC
Base Notes: Vetyver, Sandalwood oil, Patchouli oil, Oak moss, Tonka, Ambrette note, Ambroxan, Vanilla, Musks.
Lady in waiting of Empress Alexandra Feodorovna (wife on Nicholas I) by Gavril Yakovlev, 1850′s.
WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME: Royal blue.
THREE WORDS THAT DESCRIBE No. 12: grand, graceful, classic, warm, inviting, rapturous…ok, so that’s more than three words, but I probably could add another 20 and in the end it wraps up to just one word…gorgeous.
WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT No. 12: The Plum Girl, PerfuManiac, CaFleureBon
BOTTOM LINE: No. 12 is the last entry into the Puredistance Magnificent XII collection of perfumes. And what a way to seal off an already amazing set of fragrances. With No. 12, perfumer Nathalie Feisthauer has created a classic that harkens back to the day when perfumes were created that were simple in their beauty while also being fantastically grand. I have always stated that White was my favorite perfume in the Puredistance collection, but I am thinking that No. 12 may have just changed my mind. No worries though as I can love them both!
- Bone Rating: 5 out of possible 5 bones
- Nose: Nathalie Feisthauer
- Classification: Leans feminine
- Expense: Starting at 175 Euros for 17ml parfum extrait (25% perfume oil).
WHAT I SMELL: Allure Homme opens with a fresh and intoxicating herbal mandarin and lavender that is peppered with hints of brown sugar. It goes on sexy, invigorating and completely approachable. The perfume soon mellows a bit from its’ exciting entrance, but it remains delightfully confident in it’s persona. As the perfume continues to settle, the tonka and a light vanilla are the radiant center and help to create a smooth and creamy aura that begins to radiate ever so subtly. After some time, the perfume matures a bit with a buzzing pepper coming into play along with a soft, but sweetened patchouli. Allure is neither for the young or the old, but for any man who just wants to smell clean and fresh…and just fantastic.
WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME: Allure Homme is aptly named. But I can’t help but call this fragrance a “go-getter” as there’s some real positive energy in the perfume and that when you wear it, it makes you feel as if you really can accomplish anything.
WHAT I SMELL: Eterniris opens with a soft suede that’s lightly sugared and slightly creamy as the iris makes its way in with a buttery finish. It’s incredibly soothing, yet full of life. An herbal tone adds a dimension that moves the perfume towards the forest as a cedarwood follows right behind the mixture of herbs. At this point, the perfume begins to warm and radiate and deepen. As the journey towards the forest continues, the perfume moves more to the chypre with a dry powder that pushes the perfume off of the skin. The perfume is unique, absolutely intoxicating and a rather stunning forcefield of a perfume because it seems to wrap you up in its enticing elixir. After quite some time, a quiet and subdued rose pulses occasionally from the middle of the fragrance adding a floral note as the iris seems to be cocooned in the middle of the wood. But lily of the valley is the floral center that keeps the perfume in the pretty with it’s soft and demure persona. Much later, a light smoky incense oud begins to line the bottom of the wood. Ever so soft, it provides the perfect base for the beautiful florals making Eterniris a serenely beautiful creation.
WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME: An ancient wooden boat that has been infused with the smells of years of the selling of herbs, spices and flowers.
The Scented Hound 