Browsing through my box of samples started early, on board the ship to the island of Leros. It was a ten hour voyage and a perfect opportunity to go through the stuff that I have accumulated in my early days in Perfumeland. So I am just picking things randomly and revisiting indiscriminately.
Odori Zafferano (Enzo Galardi): classic rose opening, then saffron, which is as classic a combination as it gets. There is a texture of icing sugar. This one is oscillating strangely from rose to saffron and then back to rose. In the deep drydown rose stays on skin mixed with violet. The effect is like sticking your nose in a box that contained candied violets.
Odori Iris (Enzo Galardi): weird little iris! The simplicity of Hermes Hiris meats the earthiness of Iris Silver Mist with a side of potato and a sprinkle of cheese. Very transparent. Wearable because of its transparency. Shares with Zafferano the same icing sugar texture. Morphs into a “now you smell me, now you don’t” sweet lipsticky thing that brings to mind Rahat Loukoum, and I like it without really knowing why… Bit of rose and violet remind me very much of MP&G Fleur d’Iris
Miller Harris, Terre d’Iris (Lyn Harris): lemon and orange blossoms. Definitely no earth, no iris to the point of thinking this just a mislabeled vial. Minty iris follows but still I wouldn’t call this an iris-centric fragrance. Then lavender. Very beautiful, very diaphanous but not insubstantial, but very disappointing if you are looking for iris. The delicate esperidic flowers linger on skin. Such a wonderful orange blossom fragrance…. Why on earth did they call it Terre d’Iris??? I really cannot be certain this isn’t a mislabeled vial….
Guerlain, Jicky (Aimé Guerlain): my travel companion says: rubber, autostick membrane, oil. I say: this is the granddad of Habit Rouge. The same sticky sweet and citrusy opening. Smells very chemical. It reminds me of how sticky sweet and caustic Boisé Vanillé is in the opening. I would be doing it an injustice saying more here.
Miller Harris, Vetiver Bourbon (Lyn Harris): my travel companion says: honey, lavender, tobacco, something burnt. I agree. Smokey, herbal vetiver
Miller Harris, Fleur de Sel (Lyn Harris): it is really amazing how something so wearable and conventional can convey such unconventional notes: salt, soda, chalk. I am sorry but I cannot get any closer to notes with this one. It doesn’t smell weird or Comme des Garçons -ish! So comforting. It smells also like the new notebooks we bought every September for school. Lynn Harris has a masterpiece here. It is a 5 star creation. I don’t know if I want to own a bottle but I am so happy to have experienced this minimalism for beginners fragrance.
Eau d’Italie, Baume du Doge (Bertrand Duchaufourd): cocoa with cloves, cinnamon carnation and rose peeking through. It becomes abstractly floral as it progresses. A very bright, sparkling, almost aldehydic clove scent. Seriously intoxicating. The Other exclamated: “ice cream!!!” and I agree, this can be very easily duplicated into an ice cream flavor: some bitter chocolate, some strawberry, clove, nutmeg, cinnamon and a touch of lavender. Fresa y chocolate but nothing like you could imagine. After al it is a Duchaufourd creation!
Neil Morris, Gardenia for men (Neil Morris): a very good attempt at gardenia. The opening smells of unripe cantaloupe. Then I get the smell of garden fresh parsley stalk cracking between my fingers. Intensely green. Gardenia is hinted through the floral elements. A very cool and comfortable gardenia for men and women
Guerlain, Mouchoir de Monsieur (Jacques Guerlain): Jicky with a nice dollop of civet. I like this more than I liked it when I first smelt it. I would be doing it an injustice saying more here.
To be continued…
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Memory Of Scent 
Haven’t tried any but Jicky that doesn’t work for me either.
I hope you have with you something you actually love otherwise you’ll end up hating all of the samples you’re forced to try 🙂
I am fine in that department and grateful for it 🙂
For most Guerlains I either like the opening or the drydown. And if course it is a pleasure ti follow their development. But a bit too aloof for my tastes
Hey Mike,
Eau d’Italie, Baume du Doge never heard of it but now am wanting to meet it. Sounds awesome,
Portia xx
Hey, it’s Christos Portia! 🙂
Eau d’Italie is a brand of perfumes commissioned to Duchaufour by the owners of an Italian hotel. To me they are the best creations of Duchaufour. All beautiful but more dense than his usual style. Really worth trying.
Thank you Christos. I’ll look them up.
Oh how glorious! You are on your way to Leros and all that time to smell wonderful things. I really need to wrap my nostrils around Jicky someday. Have a great time on your holiday.
It so hard to do a “quick sniff of a Guerlain…. Dense, full of nuances, developing. I give up!
LOL…well at least you are having fun I hope.
Have a wonderful stay at Leros, Christos!!!
I am back unfortunately… Leaving soon again though to make the most of my summer work break!