Andy Tauer - He's got style !

I have never met Andy Tauer . He seems like an elf , or a hobbit -a little magical sprite of a man who comes down out of the mountains with magic potions to annoint the lucky folk who wait for his blessing . Un Rose Chypree was a revelation , vintage Habanita for the modern romantic come to life in a rose garden , served with vanilla cream and kisses . I won a bottle - and shared it with many others and now it is gone , but that little treasure gave pleasure to many !

Andy's new bottle is simply amazing , and if you go to his website you can watch a short clip of the glass blowers at work , pouring each bottle , forming a work of geometrical sacred art . And the cobalt blue color ? Beautiful !

image of new bottle from Luckyscent
A long time ago , his creation Le Maroc Pour Elle came in a square bottle like mine shown below , at left . This is jasmine and incense and spice , dark and mysterious and full of longing .

Times change , Andy is recieving the accolades he deserves and he has put much thought into his evolving image !
And now I have a sample set of his fragrances , the ones that got away , that I never managed to sniff before :

Lonestar memories

L'Air du Desert Marocain

Incense extreme

Reverie Au jardin

Yes Andy ( can I call you Andy , Mr. Tauer ? ) has a style all his own . Opulent , anachronistic , quality naturals expertly blended with man-made accords , a dash of overdose here and there...I have not loved them all . Orange Star was a miss , much as I wanted to love it . After all I live in Florida , the land of oranges and the Sunshine State . What a great signature scent it would have been .

Anyway , today I am sniffing samples ...

Our air-conditioning broke down yesterday and it's 88 degrees in here . An auspicious day to try Incense Extreme don't you think ?

Blast of bitter orange leaves and silvery frankincense , which I love but The Captain has serious allergic reactions to ( luckily he is not at home ! ) . Soon the famous Orris whispers from behind the incense and oh wow , I may get over the fact I never got my hands on a bottle of Orris . Almost .

Longevity ?

I was so hot I took a shower and the incense and orris are still there on my arm...

Incense Extreme :

coriander , orange leaves , orris , frankincense , ambergris , cedar

Lucky for me , the cedar plays a background note , grounding the frankincense back to earth .

Really lovely , leaning toward masculine .

Reverie au Jardin - lavender , fir balm , galbanum , bergamot , rose , ambrette , frankincense , vetiver , orris , tonka , oakmoss , ambergris , cedar , sandalwood , vanilla

Sounds like vintage chypre territory doesn't it ? With a cross-over into cool fougere-ness... Now that I sniffed this I remember I have smelled it before . I didn't understand the lavender then .
But in the heat , this just sings , ringing and echoing like a bell in the Himalayas...not too green , nor too sweet . so perfectly balanced . Yet over time , the orris peeks out, then a touch of rose , bobbing their heads as if blown by a secret breeze . Beautiful !

Lonestar Memories - Geraniun , carrot seed , jasmine , birch tar , sage , cistus , cedar , myrrh , vetiver , tonka , sandalwood

I know intellectually there is alot of jasmine in this , but my nose refuses to go past the birch tar .

L'Air du Desert Marocain - bitter orange , lemon , bergamot , coriander , geranium bourbon , cistus , cedar , vanille , vetiver , ambergris , patchouli

There is alot of patchouli in this and it is instant love ! The citrus and spice are ticklish , but there is no mistaking that resinous thrum of cistus and cedar underneath . there is pepper in here , there has to be , it is HOT ! Surprisingly , it is the patchouli that dominates for me and that is a very good thing indeed !

I have to get ahold of a sample of the new Rose Vermeille , and Carrillon pour un Ange . On Andy's blog the other day , he announced Rose Chypree and Carilion will be released soon in their new 30 ml , five sided bottles...how exciting !

Yes Andy 's got style and aren't we lucky to have this magician in our midst...