fragrance

Roxana Illuminated Perfumes Fleurish EDP Perfume Review

Roxana Illuminated Perfume

 

Roxana Illuminated Perfumes Fleurish is a natural perfume dedicated to night-blooming white flowers. Why go looking for inspiration when nature gives us something as lovely as jasmine?

Fleurish (isn’t that name great?) opens as a collision of white florals. It’s like a minty jasmine, banana-y ylang and juicy jackfruit. It’s a heady tropical floral that really does flourish on the skin. It starts to wear like pineapples and indolic jasmine with a hint of green. With wear, the full-bodied jasmine fades into a… Continue reading | 9 Comments

fragrance

Artemisia Ozymandias Natural EDP Perfume Review

Artemisia Ozymandias

Artemisia Ozymandias is a perfume inspired by Percy Bysshe Shelley’s poem, “Ozymandias, a poem referring to Ramses II. The perfume is meant to capture “the journey of time, from its lively beginnings to its earthly finale”. So, really this is a perfume inspired by power and decay.

Ozymandias opens with a bright, bitter, green citrus. With time, there’s a sweetness from hay-like broom. It’s not listed but I feel like this brightness is intensified by heady florals like a honeyed jasmine and crisp, green… Continue reading | 4 Comments

fragrance

CREED Bois du Portugal EDP Perfume Review

Creed Bois du Portugal

I talked my husband into wearing CREED Bois du Portugal and he hated it. He seriously whined like a little baby for hours over this one. He kept saying that it smelled of “stomach churning embalming fluid” and even used my most despised phrase in perfume speak: “old lady”. Sniffing it on him, it smelled wonderful. I really do not know what all the fuss was about. He later scrubbed it off the skin because it made him “nauseous”. Sometimes husbands just don’t understand… Continue reading | 5 Comments

fragrance

Esscentual Alchemy Hokkabaz Natural Perfume Review

Esscentual Alchemy Hokkabaz is a tribute to Guerlain’s Djedi, an epic Guerlain launched in 1926 that had a heavy Orientalist overtone. Now if you’re involved in the online perfume community, you quickly find out that Djedi is some sort of perfume unicorn, a mystical and magical thing that you can’t and won’t get your hands on. I mean, it does exist but I don’t have the finances or the time to hunt unicorns.

Hokkabaz is inspired by the 1920’s Orientalism obsession. And this makes sense. Djedi was most likely inspired by the unveiling of the wonders found… Continue reading | 9 Comments

fragrance, video reviews

Montale Red Aoud EDP Perfume Review

 

If you are looking for a starter Montale, try Red Aoud. This is obviously a Montale but tamer in comparison to the others. I don’t consider it a “starter oud” but I do consider it a “starter Montale”. It’s very much a Montale but quieter.

Montale Red Aoud EDP

At first with Red Aoud, I get suede and saffron sugar cookies with a hint of sweet lemon. And yes, there is a Montale Aoud but it’s turned down to tolerable. The saffron is a lovely accent in this… Continue reading | 5 Comments