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torsdag 28 augusti 2014

Favorite Orizas

Picture: The crest of Oriza L.Legrand
Photo: PR Oriza L.Legrand
As mentioned before, as I like retrostyled fragrances, the fragrances of Oriza L.Legrand are among my best findings during the latest years. The Oriza fragrances are all wellblended, of a good quality and which to prefer is not a matter of uneven quality among the fragrances, it's just ones personal preferences. My top three favorite Orizas (so far) are:

Oeillet Louis XV "The Oriza Carnation"; powdery, tart light caranation
Rêve d'Ossian "The Oriza Amber"; balsamic, tender, comforting
Horizon "The Oriza Patchouli"; very well rounded patch, one of the best patchoulis on the market

But I also would be pleased to wear:

Relique D'Amour "The incense Oriza"; incense in the colder, green pine-y, sub-family
Déjà le Printemps "The green Oriza"; crispy, springtime bulbflowers
Jardins D'Armide "The powdery Oriza"; an esteemed member of the elegant ladylike, aldehydic family

For Mr Parfumista

Chypre Mousse "The chypre/fourgé Oriza" The best Oriza so far, very original, no smell alikes (from what I have smelled) expect Kerosene Creature which has some similar notes, but not as balanced as in Chypre Mousse.
Vetiver Royal Bourbon "The vetiver Oriza" One of the very best vetivers on the market.

Chypre Mousse is the favorite of the very picky Mr Parfumista followed by Royal Vetiver Bourbon.
Looking forward to the coming recontructions/recreations from this quality house.

The Orizia L.Legrand fragrances are available at Fragrance & Art as also the Oriza L.Legrand  webshop.

måndag 4 augusti 2014

Oriza L.Legrand -Vétiver Royal Bourbon

Picture: The great vetiver  Vétiver Royal Bourbon
Photo: PR Oriza L.Legrand (c) 
Vétiver Royal Bourbon is another sucessful reinterpretation/reconstruction of an old (1914) Oriza L.Legrand formula. As usual conducted by Oriza the co-owner, perfumer Hugo Lambert.

Vétiver Royal Bourbon starts with uplifting notes who complements the gingerfacet of vetiver and the impression is fizzy, sparkling almost gauzy. The imagined color is bright green. As Vétiver Royal Bourbon dries down, the darker, almost juicy-rooty-grassy aspects steps forward and the imagined color is medium green-grey in a velvet texture. A smooth, natural dry, spicyness also appears. When reaching the basenotes the multifacetted vetiverblend finds its stable foundation a slight smoky, boozy  base. Here an ambery brown has joined the imagined color of the fragrance.

Vétiver Royal Bourbon is an extraordinary vetiver. It's dense but not in a heavy or cloying way and it smells very natural as I imagine oils of the highest qualties of the vetiver grass are smelling. As mainingredient for the fragrance the finest and rarest vetiver from Réunion Island (Isle de Bourbon) also is used. Compared to the gold standard true vetiver "solivetiver" Les Nez Turtle Vetiver Excercise 1 by Isabelle Doyen, Vétiver Royal Bourbon is in the same leauge. Comparing the two, Vétiver Royal Bourbon is a more polite and civilized take on the natural smelleing vetiver,  comfortable chit-cating in the royal salons whereas Turtle is the the noble savage  the entering from the huge forest. Just as Turtle, Vétiver Royal Bourbon isn't as diluted as the bulk of vetiverfragrances avaible today, it feels like there are a higher concentration of the vetiveroil in both these excellent fragrances. Vétiver Royal Bourbon is a vetiver for lovers of the real thing, not the common, diluted versions of the note. A true gem.

Picture: The perfect match for Vétiver Royal Bourbon, 
the newly installed Bourbon (Borbón) king ,
HM King Felipe VI of Spain.
Photo borrowed from the net, photograph 
unknown. 
The review is based on wearings both by me and the vetiverconnoisseur Mr Parfumista, whos top vetiverfragrance of all times is the above mentioned Turtle Vetiver Excercise 1. Despite the similarities with the Turtle, Mr Parfumista is strongly considering adding Vétiver Royal Bourbon to his collection and that´'s a good rating as he very rarely buys a full bottle, the latest was by the best Oriza of them all, Chypre Mousse. Vétiver Royal Bourbon is classified as unisex and it is, even if I think it's leaning to the masculine side. Beeing a vetiver, the fragrance is exceptionally suitable for dressed up occassions but is also appropriate for office or as casual-chic. The longevity is good, about a day and the sillage is pleasantly present.

Rating: 5

Notes: Peppermint, thyme, vetiver, labdanum, iris, sandalwood, juniper, leather, styrax, immortelle, tobacco, oakmoss

lördag 28 december 2013

Best of 2013

Picture: Summer evening in Stockholm Archipelago 2013
Photo: Mr Parfumista (c)
2013 was another year with a flood of releases, many good and well constructed but too close to other perfumes too really catch my attention. The fragrances of the best of list are such that immidiately caught my attention and a "wow" feeling appeared.

For Her: Le Parfum Couture Denis Durand pour M.Micallef Already during my first wearing of this dark rosy, retro, skanky perfume I knew this would be the perfume of the year to me and it made it to the end.

For Him: Royal Vintage from M.Micallef fresh mangled, exquisite, linen tablecloths worthy a the Royal table. Notes of a just lit cigarette with hints of a minimalistic dry jasmine complements.

For Both: Oumma by Stéphane Lucas Humbert 777 a runner up tested the weekend before Christmas. A fragrance in a class of its own, balsamic resins, rose and a smooth expression of saffron and precious woods.

Close runner up's/ Honorable mentions: Oriza L.Legrand Chypre Mousse, Neela Vermiere Cretations Mohur Extrait, Andy Tauer PHI Rose the Kandahar, Robert Piguet Rose Perfection, Puredistance Black, By Kilian Playing with the Devil, Oliver Durbano Lapis Philosophorum and Aedes de Venustas Iris Nazarena.

2013 apperantly was a good year for Martine Micallef and her house nose Jean-Claude Astier, releasing special and wearable fragrances that stands out to me and make my jaded nose a bit excitetd. The sampling of Oumma was pure luck, random choosing from a sachet of Aus Liebe zum Duft samples. About all the fragranes which almost made it (I'm also almost sure I've forgot to mention some interesting releases): They are all very good and I or Mr Parfumista are delighted to wear them.

Which fragrance is your best of 2013?

torsdag 21 november 2013

Oriza L. Legrand - Chypre Mousse

Picture: The retro styled Oriza bottles are just awesome -
just as their content
Photo: PR Oriza L. Legrand (c)
One of the far best perfumelines I have discovered the latest years (thanks to P. at Fragrance & Art who has a truly refined taste for perfume) is the venerable french house Oriza L.Legrand. It started to produce powder for the whigs in the 18th century and perfumes later become a part of the business. During the 19th and beginning of the 20th century Oriza provided different royal courts with perfume and soaps. During the later years perfumer Hugo Lambert and his parter Franck Beleiche recreated the house, and have started to reconstructing the fragrances and soaps taking contemporary restrictions in to account. And the result is awesome, se my reviews earlier this year, Rêve d'Ossian, Relique d'Amour, Oeillet Louis XV and Déjà le Printemps.


From the description of Chypre Mousse, re-created by Hugo Lambert: "After the first rainfall in September nature exude scents of humus, peat and wetland. This is the time for a promenade in the woods to enjoy the freshness after the heat of summer." The original version (1914) of Chypre Mousse is said to be launched to the dandies of this world. My impressions are as follows:

Chypre Moussse starts with balmy and brisk green notes, in the first part of the fragrance I perceive more of the forest early in the spring (at least the swedish forest), just when the greenery buds and the moss is light green, young and fresh. The dominating note during the first half of Chypre Mousse is a fresh, natural smelling mint. The minty note is present during the whole dry down, even if it stays in the supporting background in the second half. In the first stages of the fragrance, a retrostyled leathernote is also present, its the dry, antique leather of book-binding. In the early stege the minty and green notes reminds me of Parfumerie Générale PG 11 Harmatan Noir  but without the salty/metallic almost bloody notes which are accompanying the mint in the latter. Chypre Mousse continues green and the green deepens, together with an almost animalic note, a bit in its later stages, and here the early autumn could be recognized. A beautiful note of fern is the protagonist on my skin in this stage. In the later middlenotes and in the base, there is an accord and impression that reminds me of Ava Luxe Chypre Noir if I remember correctly, could be Film Noir but without the cigarette smoke. Something which is striking with Chypre Mousse is the absence of flowers, I can't smell them anywhere. Despite that, Chypre Noir is fresh and balmy as a floral-green fragrance. In it's overall impression, but a tad brighter, Chypre Mousse reminds me of a favorite contemporary chypre, Parfumerie Générale PG 24 Papyrus de Ciane.
Picture: Fresh moss in spring
Photo: Mr Parfumista (c)
To me Chypre Mousse doesn't reach the dark, velvety, earthy, damp and often dirty depts of the old school chypres. Chypre Mousse to me is more of a ligther and brighter contemporary green/fourgé with some mossy elements which skilfully mixed, creates a retro feeling but in a sort of contemporary frame. An intriguing and fascinating fragrance even if almost linear in my testing.The fragrance is unisex but more masculine than  Déjà le Printemps which is a green, feminine floral fragrance. With Chypre Mousse the dandies and all other men has their own, green Oriza but it has to be clearified that Chypre Mousse (even if better on Mr Parfumista than on me) fits women as good, the fourgé notes are not harsh and masculine in style of traditional fourgé fragrances. Chypre Mousse has good longevity, unfragmented after 12h+, traces after 24h, and good sillage. 

Rating: 5

Notes: Wild mint, clary sage, wild fennel, green shoots, oakmoss, galbanum, angelica, fern, wild clover, mastic, violet leaves, vetiver, pine needles, mushroom, fresh humus, roasted chestnut, leather, labdanum, balms