New Discoveries of old formulations

Though I have not been blogging regularly , I always search out new things to sniff . Finding creative ways to acquire samples and decants is challenging . My large garden , chickens , ducks , fruit trees , honey bees ( and all the chores that entails ) keep me busy , entertained ( you can't believe how hilarious ducks are...) and satisfied . The pantry shelves are full of garden produce . But going shopping at Barney's in Seattle ? Out of my price range . Lucky me though , I have friends in perfume places and they send me stuff . And I send them stuff .
My favorite fragrances are chypres , and it took me years to figure this out . Years spent smelling everything . But the advent of computers changed everything , access to information unending . I am a chypre girl through and through . When somone sends me a vintage chypre that I have never smelled - well you know the feeling if you are reading perfume blogs .
Some vintage chypres I discovered over the summer just blew me away !
Cardin de Cardin - the first fragrance from the house of Pierre Cardin, launched in 1976.
notes :
top -citrus, aldehydes, bergamot, clove and cumin.
heart - roses, ylang-ylang and jasmine oak and cedar.
base  - amber, civet, musk, labdanum, moss, sandalwood and vetiver
 Thank you Brian Pera for sending me a little of this . It is all gone now , and I am hoping for more...



Sinan by Jean-Marc Sinan - launched in 1984.
 notes:
top - coriander, bergamot, brazilian rosewood, aldehydes and green notes
heart - carnation, iris, jasmine, geranium, ylang-ylang, rose and lily-of-the-valley
base - vetiver, musk, patchouli, oak moss, amber and incense.
Another from Brian , searching for more of this  .



Armani for her by Giorgio Armani( original sometimes called Black ) -  launched in 1982.
notes :
top - aldehydes, pineapple, mint, galbanum, marigold and bergamot; middle notes are cyclamen, tuberose, orchid, orris root, jasmine, lily-of-the-valley, rose and narcissus; base notes are sandalwood, tonka bean, amber, musk, benzoin, oakmoss and cedar.
Melissa sent me a decant , and I loved it so much I swapped for her bottle . This is more oriental than chypre , a heavy hitter that I love to wear to bed , as I can still smell it in the morning . A perfect rainy day scent for fall . Like today , it's raining as it should in the NW . 100% chance of rain for the next 12 hours , 100% chance I will be wearing Armani for her .



Azzaro Couture 2008   ( re-orchestration of original Azzaro from 1975 )
absolutes of: mimose, May rose, iris, ambrette seed and galbanum . Again , Brian the enabler . I dislike this recreation of the original Azzaro , which I loved - a delicate white bouquet ( see below ) .

From Fragrantica : Azzaro by Azzaro launched in 1975. Top notes are aldehydes, gardenia and fruity notes; middle notes are orris root, jasmine, ylang-ylang and rose; base notes are amber, patchouli, oakmoss, vetiver, benzoin and styrax. I have a mini bottle of this which I adore , it is very
feminine and light hearted , I don't get the base notes at all .


Others scents I will be writing about in the near future -

Guerlain Chamade , Rosarium Blends Pan # 1 , a limited edition , Bogue Maai , and a new release coming soon from AbdesSallam Attar centered around orris and his most expensive creation to date . Stay tuned !
 

Providence Perfume Co. Moss Gown

The joy of fragrance is  in it's complexity and mystery - the deciphering , the remembering , the contemplation and finally the wearing . Moss Gown is all of these and more . It is rich and fruity ( not sweet nor bright but dark and decaying fruit ! ) It is woody and mossy and mysterious , complex and deep , earthy rich resinous , intellectual . It was love at first sniff  and yet after I got to know her , I did not love her for awhile . The cedar was too much , and I was upset that the boronia and coffee flower was overshadowed by the regal cedar . ( I consider cedar sacred . It is strong and assertive enough to take over a fragrance . ) After experimenting a little , I decanted some from my bottle and find that dabbing rather than spraying shows off the floralcy and suppresses the pronounced cedar a little .
The notes in this fragrance are rare and expensive . Coffee flower is one of the richest , fruitiest essences I have ever smelled , and here it is just luscious ! Boronia too is lush and fruity and together they are decadent and dark . Lifting this pair into the sun is a dusty dry sunflower and a moist young chamomile . Dark and light play like a lilting melody , trees swaying creating dappled sun and shade .
Yet it never strays too far from the earth , as moss IS earth , moist and dark and green and tranquil . Reclining on a soft bed of moss to sleep , to dream , this is perfume and all it was meant to be .

Top notes are sunflower, mimosa, cedar and chamomile; middle notes are boronia, rose, coffee blossom, narcissus, lilac and violet leaf; base notes are cedarmoss, sandalwood and white cedar extract.
 

Rosarium Blends The Rosarium - THE ROSE !!

Rosarium Blends

Alchemical Concoctions to Enliven the Senses

 

Catamara contacted me a few weeks ago , asking if I would like samples of some of her creations . Though I had never heard of her , of course I jumped at the chance to smell some independent creations .
From the website "Rosarium Blends makes their own ritual incense blends, essential oil blends, and natural perfumes using the finest herbs, woods, resins and essential oils. All formulations are original recipes and the result of extensive historical research, practical experimentation and magical studies.

Each incense, oil, and perfume is blended and charged during specific lunar phases, astrological transits, and correspondences. Thus formulated with intention to enhance the charm’s potency, enliven the senses, and increase the heightened awareness they are designed to awaken. "

OK , yes , please...and she did not disappoint ! I was smitten with four samples , but my favorite of all is this rose , The Rosarium .
This is the rose you found in the garden , and plucked at it's zenith in the early sunshine , fresh and just barely dripping with dew . You carried it with you as you wandered and the sun warmed your back . You seek out the shade of a large tree , and lie down in the cool grass to press the blossom to your nose , and dream .
Notes given are two - rose and styrax . This creation speaks to me in whispers , makes me happy , yet contemplative , yearning for more . I know there is more - Resins , grasses , herbs . The rose is here is so realistic , fresh and dewy - silky without being metallic , slightly sweet without being jammy , full blown with a background of stems and leaves , a hay like softness of grass under your feet . Perfection !

Ask AbdesSalaam Day 2

Thank you for the lively and wonderful conversation yesterday !

If you didn't get a chance to ask your question , AbdesSalaam is with us again today and ready to answer .

Good Day AbdesSalaam and welcome back !

I got so many e-mails thanking you for answering our questions yesterday .

We left off our discussion with olfactory psychology . I have a serious aversion to vetiver , and though I do not know the reason , is it possible to " de-sensitize " , that is reprogram a response to certain aromas ? ( similar to behavior modification )

Ask AbdesSalaamAttar - La Via del Profumo

image via Basenotes

Good Morning Everybody ! This is an interview/Q & A session I had with D. Dubrana of La Via Del Profumo in 2010 . I am reprinting it here today for his benefit .

The day has arrived , the appointed hour is here . Dominique Dubrana aka AbdesSalaamAttar is here with us and waiting to answer your questions !!

Good Day AbdesSalaam and Welcome to WAFT . I am beginning to understand the role aromatherapy/healing/psychology plays in your creations and I know our readers would love to hear more about the process of creating personalized fragrances . But first , maybe just a little background or history .

Can you remember the first fragrance you ever created , and why ?

( Remember readers : refresh your page frequently to keep up with the comments )

Vero Kern ROZY

I am so so so looking forward to this one . You will be the first to know when I get my little decant .

Names I Can't Remember.....

Is there a limit to the length of perfume names ?

Obviously not .

Why doesn't someone name a new release Taumatawhakatangihangakoauauotamateapokaiwhenuakitanatahu ?

Wikipedia cites this as the longest place name on Earth . It means hill in Maori .

So be it .

An even longer version, Taumata-whakatangihanga-koauau-o-Tamatea-haumai-tawhiti-ure-haea-turi-pukaka-piki-maunga-horo-nuku-pokai-whenua-ki-tana-tahu, has 105 letters and means The hill of the flute playing by Tamatea — who was blown hither from afar, had a slit penis, grazed his knees climbing mountains, fell on the earth, and encircled the land — to his beloved .
ho-kay then .

Long Fragrance names , write these down...
A Lab on Fire L'Anonyme ou OP-1475-A
Giorgio Armani Acqua di Gio for Men  Acqua for Life Edition
Lolita Lempicka Midnight Couture Black Eau de Minuit
Shiseido Majolica Majorca Majoromantica
Van Cleef & Arpels Precious Oud No. 04855AM

Thierry Mugler has released a limited edition collection and the names are quite long , although not THAT long , in comparison .

Collection Le Goût du Parfum:


Angel Eau de Parfum sublimée de Poudre de Cacao Amer

Alien Eau de Parfum sublimée de Caramel au Beurre Salé

Womanity Eau de Parfum sublimée de Chutney de Figues

A Men Eau de Parfum sublimée d'un Concentré de Piments Rouges

Got it ?

I respect Octavian over at 1000Fragrances , and if he raves about a fragrance - I SMELL IT , and he raves about the new Angel Eau de Parfum sublimée de Poudre de Cacao Amer . So I am on a mission to get ahold of some , I love good chocolate and have always wished to find a creamy , milky , gourmand chocolate scent that works . I'll keep you posted .

Any fragrance names that you can't remember ?