In the past I’ve created holiday shopping suggestions for perfume, perfume related items and just some other fun random things thrown into the mix. And every year, coming up with gift suggestions becomes harder, partly because of living in Mexico and being away from shopping in person. But mostly as I get older I don’t actively seek out the new and exciting because I’m not the target market and because at this stage in my life getting a lot of presents just doesn’t matter. OK, so now I’m sounding like Scrooge. Far from it. I do have wishes and wants, but they are fewer and farther in between. So this year, my suggestions are comprised of a listing of perfumes that I think are amazing and of which I obsess over because they are what my perfumes dreams are made of. Some are in my collection and some I hope to be in my collection in the near future. So here we go…
Click on each title for the full review.
Hera by Papillon PerfumesHera is a perfume that I have completely obsessed about since first sniff. It’s a new fragrance with the soul of a vintage perfume and it’s absolute perfection.
No. 12 by Puredistance Perfumes
Puredistance can do no wrong as far as I’m concerned. Their collection of 12 perfumes consists of modern classics that deliver incredible beauty to the wearer. To me, their crowning glory was the introduction of No. 12 which is so absolutely breathtaking that it’s the one perfume that I reach for every time I need something special and spectacular to wear.
Shalini by Shalini ParfumsOnce again, the house of Shalini along with Maurice Roucel has created a collection of perfumes that stand out above the rest. However, the original Shalini to me is the best of the lot. It’s quiet beauty makes my heart sing every time I wear it. To me, it’s absolutely unique and absolutely beautiful.
Chanel BoyWhen I first wore Boy, I really liked it. But as time wore on, I found it to be a wonderfully easy fougere to love. It’s lavender heart isn’t too bold which makes this a perfect perfume to wear on any occasion. Boy has fallen into my “I don’t know what to wear today, so I’ll wear something that is a perfect fit every time” group of perfumes. To me, Chanel makes some of the best clean and fresh scents that are excellent for every day wear.
Enslaved by Roja ParfumsUnfortunately, I found out that Enslaved has been discontinued by Roja Parfums. This modern take on Molinard’s Habinita is big, bold, thick and heady and completely rapturous. I do believe there are still bottles to be found out there and if I was not living in Mexico I would buy myself another since I have just a few drops left in my bottle.
And for those of you who love vintage perfumes (you can find them all on eBay and Etsy and the current formulations can be found via other sources)…
Caron Narcisse BlancI have had this perfume in my collection for years, but for some reason it has once again become an obsession and I wear it constantly. It’s thick, creamy and completely joyous and you can’t help but love it. Narcisse Blanc seems to fall to the wayside of it’s more famous sister Narcisse Noir, but this brighter narcissus fragrance is to me, a much easier wear.
Ysatis by GivenchyThe 1980s are alive and well in this over-the-top beauty. You can’t help not be noticed when you’re wearing it. I don’t really wear it out, but sometimes when I’m sitting around the house it transports me back to a time when big perfume, big hair and big shoulders were the norm. This is one time that bigger is indeed better.
Magie Noire by LancomeRich, creamy, big and unique, Magie Noire is a special perfume in a category all by itself. It’s a haunting perfume that is pure magic.
Happy Holidays to you all. May all your perfume dreams come true!
WHAT I SMELL: Fleur Japonais opens with a soft milky magnolia that is quickly greeted by lilting cherry blossoms that are seemingly caressed by a light breeze. The perfume is intoxicating in that it’s full of body, yet light in presence. But there’s also a hidden strength in the blossoms in that their beauty is full of passion and power with the promise of rebirth. As the perfume develops, the soft and beautiful florals even out in consistency creating for a blanket that’s silky smooth. And along with that beautiful blanket is just the right amount of light incense that dreamily floats above the blossoms. Here, Fleur Japonais feels as if it is creating a passage to an ancient Japanese temple. In the end, a light powder with the incense and a soft sandalwood residing underneath, makes you feel as if you’re walking along a quiet path laden with freshly fallen pedals; pink above and pink below. Beyond gorgeous.
WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME: Dreaming in a sea of pink.
PARADIS PROVENCE – WHAT I SMELL: Paradis Provence opens with a sparkling, yet slightly salty thyme and lavender along with what I found to be just a hint of sweet caramel. Almost right from first spritz, the perfume seems to lift off the skin as if it’s ascending towards the sky. With this airy quality, it’s as if it’s a sheet that has been hanging on the clothesline, soaked in the sun and infused with the herbaceous thyme and lavender from nearby fields. In the most quiet of ways, there’s an orange blossom note that rests within the perfume which helps to temper the stronger aspects of the lavender, making its’ persona softer, while still buzzing with energy Additionally, the perfume also has an interesting textured quality to it, as if it has been painted on with a soft and powdered dry brush. Overall, Paradis Provence has a very calming presence (as I write this, I’m sitting in the dark without electricity as a tropical storm charges through…thanks to Paradis Provence, no worries). Paradis Provence doesn’t change much beyond this point which is a good thing as the perfume rests in this powdery herbal and lightly woody heaven that is quiet, intimate and grounded in positive energy.
WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME: Inner peace.
IRIS LUMIÈRE – WHAT I SMELL: Iris Lumière graces the skin with a soft, cottony muguet tinged with the slightest of moistened leaves and tempered galbanum. The perfume is tender and quiet; as if you laid your head on an exquisite pillow which is cool to the skin and surrounded by soft and lilting violet and muguet caressing your head with lullaby whispers. There’s a light earthiness that rests under the tender florals and a dry wood that keeps the perfume just out of the clouds. The opening of the perfume lasts a very long time and the development moves oh so slowly which is just as well as the innocent florals are in a place that begs not to be left. When Iris Lumière decides to walk along the garden path, the green begins to grow and the lightest wisp of frankincense lifts gracefully with each quiet step along the way. Here, Iris Lumière moves from the delicate innocence of the muguet and to a more mature orris root and it begins to warm ever so slightly as it begins to pulsate off of the skin in a lightly woody timbre.
WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME: Self assurance.
The Scented Hound 