Author: The Candy Perfume Boy

Barely There – Hermès Santal Massoïa Perfume Review

Santal Massoïa

I am a great admirer of Jean-Claude Ellena, I find his ‘minimalist’ style of perfumery intriguing, and I think he has done some great scents for Hermès’ (there is a ‘but’ coming) but I have to admit that I struggle slightly with the Hermessence Collection. I know that this confession may serve as some form of perfume heresy but I can’t help it. It’s not that I actively dislike the collection at all, I just find the ‘barely there’ approach frustrating and I’ve only come across one or two that I really like. That said, any new Jean-Claude Ellena fragrance is worth a sniff and I can appreciate his style (and talent) without being madly in love with it.

The Hermessence Collection, which Hermès describes as “A collection of olfactory poems, with sobriety and intensity, which freely explore new facets of emotion.” [1] is a line of fragrant watercolours, of which Santal Massoïa is the latest addition. Like others in the collection, Santal Massoïa is a light, transparent interpretation of one of perfumery’s most glorious ingredients – sandalwood.

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The Candy Perfume Boy’s Party Season Scent Guide

Lady Gaga

Lady Gaga’s got the drinks, but does she have the right scent to match that party outfit?

Tis the season to be jolly, or completely merry, or if you’re British – absolutely trashed. The best thing about the holiday season is the many soirées, parties (office or otherwise), dinners and gatherings that we all inevitably get invited to, and for me this is the fun part, because after all the holidays are about seeing friends & family and having fun.

I don’t know about you, but when I’m going out I sometimes spend more time thinking about the fragrance I’m going to wear rather than the clothes. I very often find myself trying to match my fragrance to the outfit that I am wearing as well as the occasion. As far as I am concerned, there is nothing worse than not being able to find something that matches , but fear ye not – The Candy Perfume Boys is here to help you pick the perfect scent for the party season.

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Something to Remember – Mona di Orio Tribute & Tubéreuse Perfume Review

Mona di Orio

Mona di Orio
1969-2011

The news of the death of Mona di Orio on Friday was both shocking and incredibly sad, it marked a great loss for the perfume industry and for all within the perfume-loving community. Mona di Orio was an exceptionally talented perfumer, and from all accounts a truly wonderful person, I did not know her personally, nor did I ever have the chance to meet her, I have however, gained a huge sense of enjoyment through her fragrances and I am extremely thankful for her contribution to the perfume industry. The Les Nombres d’Or collection is nothing short of a triumph and her legacy will live on through her perfumes. My thoughts are with her friends, family and co-workers at this very difficult time

I had originally scheduled a review of Tubéreuse for the end of next week, but in light of the recent events I thought it would be fitting to reschedule it and include it here, as a tribute to Mona di Orio’s extraordinary talent.

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Cock-a-Doodle-Doo – Jean Paul Gaultier Kokorico Perfume Review

Kokorico

I’m not entirely sure why, but ever since the news of Kokorico started hitting the Blogosphere I have been absolutely desperate to try it. Perhaps it’s the fact that Jean Paul Gaultier, despite being somewhat over-exposed, is a solid line of well-made fragrances or, perhaps it’s the fact that I’m a sucker for a quirky bottle, and Kokorico’s bottle is definitely full of quirk. Whatever the reason, I was very glad when esteemed perfume blogger Persolaise gifted me a sample of Kokorico to try.

Kokorico (isn’t the name fun to say?!) is the latest masculine release by Jean Paul Gaultier and it has big shoes to fill. Following in the footsteps of such a colossal bestseller as Gaultier’s Le Mâle is no mean feat, and after the discontinuation of Gaultier’s second masculine release Fleur du Mâle, the pressure is on for the brand to have a success.

This latest addition to the Jean Paul Gaultier line is composed by the olfactory dream team of Annick Menardo (Lolita Lempicka, Hypnotic Poison and Bvlgari Black) and Olivier Cresp (Angel, Kenzo Amour and Juniper Sling)  and is described as “a powerful and explosive aphrodisiac, emphasising woody and cocoa notes” [2] and the name ‘Kokorico’ comes from the french name for the rooster’s cry, their version of ‘Cock-a-Doodle-Doo’. Everything about the marketing of this fragrance; the bright red ‘graffiti’, the pushed up feathers and the confident strutting of Jon Kortajarena in the tv/print ad screams cockiness and masculine confidence, I’m just not entirely sure the fragrance is on board with the idea.

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A Throwback Rose – Tauer Perfumes Une Rose Chyprée Perfume Review

Retro Rose

“Une Rose Chyprée is a fragrant time capsule that transports you back to a sepia-toned past.”

I am continuing this week’s rose theme with a review of yet another rose fragrance from Andy Tauer. Following Andy’s Master Class on Roses, I discussed the divinely edible Une Rose Vermeille, now it’s time for me to focus on the wonderfully retro Une Rose Chyprée.

Une Rose Chyprée is like no other modern perfume, it is a fragrant time capsule which transports you back to a sepia-toned past, when perfume was bold and perfumers didn’t shy away from deep, rich mossy notes with a masculine edge. Andy Tauer describes Une Rose Chyprée as a “modern vintage perfume” [1] and that is exactly what he delivers, a throwback rose chypre with a modern twist.

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A Rose Good Enough to Eat – Tauer Perfumes Une Rose Vermeille Perfume Review

Rose Macarons

“Macarons – Om, nom, nom.”

Following Andy Tauer’s Rose Master Class at Les Senteurs on Thursday I have had roses on the brain. Well, to be precise I have had Andy Tauer’s rose fragrances on my brain, so this week, it makes sense for me to write about two Tauer fragrances that I have been meaning to review for quite some time – Une Rose Vermeille and Une Rose Chyprée. Seeing as I am renowned for having quite a sweet tooth and being a sucker for anything rose flavoured, I will start with Une Rose Vermeille.

Une Rose Vermeille was released in 2010 and is the second addition to Andy Tauer’s ‘Homages’ line, which also houses Une Rose Chyprée and Carillon Pour un Ange. It is described as a ‘Gourmand Rose’ and is, in my opinion, the most delicious fragrance I have ever tried – it is a rose good enough to eat.

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“I Invite You to Trust Your Nose” – A Master Class on Roses With Andy Tauer at Les Senteurs

Andy Tauer

“I invite you to trust your nose” was just one of the many perfumed pearls of wisdom offered by Andy Tauer at Thursday’s rose master class held at Les Senteurs brand new store in London. Of course, an invitation to an evening with Andy Tauer at London’s premiere perfume stop was definitely not to be missed and the event offered a fascinating insight into the world of Tauer and roses.

Andy Tauer, as I’m sure you all know, is an independent perfumer from Switzerland with a natural flair for creating beautiful and thought-provoking pieces of scented art. If there is one particular ingredient/note that makes me think of Tauer perfumes it is rose, and Andy has created three exceptional rose-centric fragrances (the polar-opposites Une Rose Chyprée & Une Rose Vermeille and the wonderful Incense Rosé ) and rose is a staple note in most of the line. So, who better to hold a rose master class than Andy Tauer?

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Blown From Polar Fur – Mona di Orio Musc Perfume Review

Kate Bush

This week I have been listening to the new Kate Bush album ’50 Words for Snow’, a striking and beautiful conceptual piece centred around falling snow. Kate Bush is a dab hand at creating a landscape with her music and in my mind these landscapes have been reflected in two of the Mona di Orio’s creations from the Les Nombres d’Or collection. Oud is the golden, shimmering sunset depicted in Kate’s conceptual piece ‘A Sky of Honey’ from the album ‘Aerial’ and Musc is the eerily quiet snow covered landscape depicted in ’50 Words for Snow’.

On the album’s title track, Kate encourages Stephen Fry to cite 50 words for snow (it sounds absolutely bonkers, as you would expect from Ms Bush, but it works), some of the words are real, some are made up and they become completely ridiculous & fantastical as the song progresses (‘Faloop’njoompoola’ anyone?). My favourite of these snowy terms is No 47 ‘Blown From Polar Fur’ (honourable mentions go to ‘Wenceslas Air’ and ‘Bad for Trains’) and it perfectly reflects the snowy nature of Musc.

Musc is part of Mona di Orio’s Les Nombres d’Or (The Golden Numbers) collection which refers to the golden ratio, a mathematical theory of proportion that is showcased in the collection via fragrances centred around a single note, masterfully accentuated by other ingredients.

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Procrastinating With Perfume – Histoires de Parfums Tubéreuse Trilogy Perfume Reviews

Tubéreuse Trilogy

Finally after lots of hard work, late nights and multiple cups of tea (Lavender Earl Grey if you’re interested) the dreaded University assignments have been completed and I can spend some time on the writing that I enjoy!
 
Thankfully the kindness of fellow perfumistas will always get you through any situation and thanks to the lovely Ines of All I am – a redhead, who after reading my Guide to Tuberose, insisted that I tried a number of other tuberoses, I have had the opportunity to distract myself from my work with perfume. My ability to procrastinate is rather impressive, in fact it is so impressive I had to include it within the title of this post.
 
Anyway, on to Histoires de Parfums! Included in my sample care package of tuberoses (and a few other goodies) was all three fragrances in the Histoires de Parfums Tubéreuse Trilogy. Now, as you all know I’m a sucker for tuberose so the idea of a trilogy was rather exciting to me, so imagine my surprise when, upon trying all three I discovered that none of the scents were particularly tuberose-centric at all. That’s right, these three tuberoses aren’t really tuberoses, a fact that would be disappointing to me if they weren’t so good, tuberose or no tuberose.