Orange You Glad I Tried This?

It's not very often that I even try a men's cologne on myself. I don't fancy smelling like a guy. However, I have found some really great unisex fragrances by taking this risk. Hermes Eau d'Orange Verte is one of them. I need a full bottle of this immediately. Maybe my boyfriend and I can share it! A bit embarrassing, but I tried this because in the Gossip Girl book series (yes, I know that it's for the kids but I am a huge fan) the character of Blair Waldorf is described wearing this scent. It did not disappoint me and I can't stop sniffing my arm.

Notes: peppermint, lemon, sweet orange, mandarin, rose, neroli, jasmine, papaya, mango, patchouli, amber, musk and oakmoss.

This is a very clean scent, but not too soapy or watered down in any way. It is the perfect smell for a broiling and muggy summer day. Perfectly named, I feel as though I am standing in a Floridian grove of orange trees, the fruit just beginning to ripen in the sun. The neroli and jasmine heighten the effect of the oranges to make it a bit headier, and the bit of mint keeps everything outdoorsy feeling. On me the drydown is a strong patchouli/oakmoss combination, reminding me that this is in fact, a men's cologne, but never ruining my enjoyment of it.

I can see keeping a big bottle of Eau d'Orange Verte in the fridge every summer. I could splash it on after a long bike ride or day at the lake. Wearing this is possibly more refreshing than a Tanqueray.

Gothic Lolita

LOLITA LEMPICKA

Notes: anise seed, licorice, violet, ivy, cherries, iris, tonka bean, almod, vanilla, heliotrope, musk, vetiver

Today I tried out the much talked about Lolita Lempicka perfume, the original in her line. This is a love it or hate it scent, and on the first spray I thought "Holy licorice! Nasty." I cannot stand licorice, the smell makes me feel nauseous. Thankfully, the anise / licorice note began to dry down and fade a bit, and the most lovely notes of violet, ivy and almond emerged as the winners for most of the wear. At the end of the day I smelled faintly of vanilla tobacco.

Something about the smell of this perfume kept making me think of the movie Moulin Rouge, of the bohemians like Toulouse Lautrec with their dusty props and bottle of absinthe. Other times however, I would get a whiff and be reminded of the movie Interview With a Vampire, with the Old South cemeteries and ancient rituals cloaked in mystery. Another metaphor? If the gothic illustrator Edward Gorey were to have a scent, this would be it. There is something so dark and sad about Lolita Lempicka. Feminine, but not in a friendly girl next door or even a come hither seductress way. Last metaphor I promise, but I want to make sure you really get the idea. The "lost Lenore" that Edgar Alan Poe grieves in his poem "The Raven" probably wore this stuff.

My parting thought on LL is that I may one day purchase a bottle. It is fantastically evocative and I may need a good goth scent one day...you never know. The bottle itself is breathtakingly gorgeous. Right now however, I am going to focus on other fragrances and perhaps I will return to this when it isn't quite so popular and recognizable.

Looking Into the Iris

PRADA INFUSION d"IRIS

Notes: mandarin, orange blossom, iris, incense, benzoin, cedar.

Infusion d'Iris is a clean, powdery floral. The iris note is really nice, a soft dry woody iris. I didn't even think that irises had a scent until I smelled this and then my memories kicked in. There is a sharp note in the background that reminds me of pepper. The benzoin perhaps? Not sure. It brings back feelings of standing in my mother's flower garden after the rain, running through clean laundry on the line, and Johnson's baby powder.

This would be a superb fragrance for someone who worked at a job that brought them into close contact with others. It is so light and subtle, people won't think you are wearing perfume, they'll just think you smell great. I get a slight old-lady feeling from it, but let me explain that isn't necessarily a bad thing. Some old ladies smell lovely, and this is one of them. Infusion d'Iris is the classy old lady who still curls her hair and polishes her nails. She may be from another era, but her femininity is timeless.

Overall, a nice fragrance but just not for me. I had to bathe in this in order to smell enough to write this review. Maybe this would be better on me if I layered it over a light musk oil to give it more depth. I'm such a tart. I always want my perfumes to speak up.

Tricky Treats

I feel like the best perfumes are a little bit difficult. They have a weird note somewhere in their composition that not everyone can wear. Who wants to smell just like the next girl anyway? Not me. We all want to be unique. The following fragrances, if worn by the right person, will give you just that.

Mitsouko by Guerlain is an incredibly hard scent to wear. When I wear it I smell oakmoss, vetiver, peach and neroli. It's very woody and strange. It conjures up images of dusty attics filled with antique furniture and clothes. It also reminds me of rainy days in the woods, stepping on muddy leaves and fallen trees. A true chypre perfume. Wear this when you want to imagine yourself as a chic mysterious woman in Paris during the last golden days before World War II.

Ultraviolet by Paco Rabanne is a favorite of mine because it smells quite unlike any perfume I've ever sampled. It has that hard to define note in it that turns Play Doh-esque on many but smells exquisite on others. I read that pimiento is a top note in this so that could be what I'm smelling. However, most of the fragrance comes from the Japanese osmanthus flower. I smell apricot and grape bubble gum when I first spray it, but then it dries down into a remarkable aroma. Like violets, vanilla, and bergamot with black pepper. It is impossible to accurately describe Ultraviolet. Both funky and mysterious. The images this brings up for me are days from my childhood spent playing with a new doll.

Boudoir by Vivienne Westwood is possibly the most sexual perfume I've ever encountered. I had a sample once and was afraid to wear it outside the house for fear of sending the wrong message. It smells like a tumble in the sheets. A little drop goes a long way here. Powdered roses, vanilla pipe tobacco and an unmistakable sweat note are all present. Put this on when you feel 50% Victorian lady, 50% Wild West whore. It's terrific, but difficult.

The entire Demeter line falls into the "hard to wear, hard to love, might just be perfect" category. With names like Funeral Home, Laundromat, Earthworm, Salt Air, Riding Crop, Holy Water, Woodsmoke....you are certain to find something out of the ordinary. They really smell true to their names. Some of these concoctions might be better as a room spray than a scent to wear on your skin, but to each his own. Someday I may want to BE a gin and tonic and when that happens, Demeter has me covered.