I do, I do, I do Heart Les Carrottes!

Love them.

Also it, the perfume Olivia Giacobetti created for Honore des Pres.

From the odd, bitter rooty vegetal opening, to the iris reveal, to the cozy drydown which sometimes reads as a fairly simply buttery iris, and occasional as a sort of mildly dense sweetened carrot souffle, the kind of thing you could serve either along with a meal or afterward for dessert.

In chatting with other folks about this one, I am noticing that a) a lot of people found it, well, odd, b) a few people looked askance at me when I called it an iris scent, especially a "buttery" iris one, and c) Vamp a NY is still getting a LOT of love.  Followed in second by I <3 Coco.

Fine.  Go hang with the big bombs, the dense chewy things.  I'm going to hang back here, keeping a low profile, but totally enjoying snarfling every stage of I ❤ Les Carrottes.


photo, as usual, the result of the author's mischief
Signature on carry out sleeve presumably that of Ms. Giacobetti, and a welcome surprise

Keep the wood, hold the sweet: 10 CC Uomo

Through the miracle that is decanting and sharing, I have a portion of the new 10 Corso Como Uomo.  That would be 10 Corso Como for Men, you know.  Though when you read through the release materials, there seems to be a little back and forth, dithering, playing both sides, on whether this is "for men" or "the 'next' Corso Como."

I'd call it "10 Corso Como for those of you who find the original too sweet."

Personally, I'm doing a little happy dance.  I have to be in Just The Right Mood to handle syrupy sweetness in my perfume, and I've a tendency to be willing to interpret "sweet" as "syrupy sweet."  Not immortelle maple syrup sweet (though that would be a sub-category of what I'm talking about).  No, I mean sweet that has body, like simple syrup, that stuff I'm always cooking up for the bar.  And recipes in general, of course.  That stuff that you make by boiling water and sugar.  Go heavy on the sugar, and add a touch of corn syrup for viscosity.  THAT's what can happen to the "sweet" in perfume for me.  Heck, I sometimes find that in DK Black Cashmere.  So I'm going to guess that I'm a sweetness amplifier.

No matter.  10 Corso Como Uomo can handle that.  Sort it out to the farther reaches, with YSL Nu, but not quite THAT dry.

And color me happy.

I've run it through paces twice so far.  First day was warm, summer warm with lots o' humidity.  And I must have been doing my sweet amp thing, because I found a pleasant underlying tone of sweet, like you get when you slap sandalwood and make it shimmy a bit.  (You know how sandalwood is; that gorgeous element of sweetness is there all along, and it seems like all you have to do is agitate it bit to bring it right to the fore.)  Today, it's cooler, low 70's, and rainy, and it is drier, playing all like cedarwood.  I can only find the sense of sweetness if I snarfle with my nose assertively pressed to my skin.  Which, okay, I admit I've done a few times, and just did again, because hey, that's nice, too.

That's your Uomo for you.

***
Hot tip!

In the aisles at Target, I found a shower gel in the men's aisle.  Brand name, Everyman Jack.  (Sense a knock off here?)  They had two options on the shelf:  citrus, and cedarwood.

I'm telling you, the cedarwood is more than serviceable.

And would be a logical layering option to reinforce the 10 CC Uomo.  So go buy a bottle.  $5.  Now, with the money you've saved, buy some more perfume.

See?  I provide service to readers and the general economy alike.




image from the 10 Corso Como website, which will also give you the notes in top/middle/bottom form. 

Dreamy Morpher : Lieu de Reves

Bless thee, Bottom, bless thee; thou art translated
                                          A Midsummer Night's Dream  (III-i)


Hijinks made an ass out of Bottom.  Well, out of his top.  Bottom's head was transformed into that of a donkey.

Bottom was a morpher, you could say.  So is Lieu de Reves.

It's late at night now, and for the past few hours, Lieu de Reves has been a comfortable skin scent, a gently sweet amber that lays very close to the skin.  In the afternoon, it went on like L'Heure Bleu gently impregnated with a mixed floral bouquet.

I've worn it a few times now, and I can say this about Lieu de Reves: I did not have to learn a new note, decide if I enjoyed being slapped, or pay attention through a dazzling technical riff.  I just liked it.  And that, my friends, is a happy place.  I appreciate that it is there, and that I can visit.  And I will.

Midsummer approaches.  I love this time of year, and feel a kinship with the summer solstice in many ways.  I'll always remember "finding" Lieu de Reves at this time of year.  But I can see this as a perfect scent any time of year for two purposes:

• One, just to smell good.  In a mildly floral/wafts of PlayDo/morphs into an easy amber kind of way.
• Two, to use as an alternate to L'Heure Bleu, one of the very few perfumes I can wear to bed--something I don't do very often, FYI.  In fact, LHB has always been The One for calming at night.  Lieu de Reves would work in that capacity not only because of the reminiscence to L'Heure Bleu, but because when it gets to the Bottom (as it were), I'm going to like it there.  The drydown not only wouldn't disturb my sleep, it would support pleasant dreams.

Come to think of it, I could wear it during the day for pleasant daydreams.


Lasting power is right on the Michigan mitten, between Lakes Huron and Superior.  At 5-6 hours, closer to the sunrise side.

One review, one Who Knew?

REVIEW
actually, just an impression
I was driving down the road last week, grooving on music, the scenery, and my first round with Parfumerie Generale's Papyrus de Cyane.  And while there's more going on in this one then I am about to suggest, I have to admit I got fixated on a particular idea hiding in one of my scent impressions.  I had to drive a few miles to put my finger on it...it reminded me of...AH!

Impregnate one

with a weaving of

(galbanum).


Ever played with a new pinky ball?  It's got a smell somewhere between rubber and leather.  I totally imagined a pinky ball with many, many veins of galbanum at the surface and underneath.

Cool.

****

WHO KNEW?
About a year ago, one of my side and small addictions was a game on The Evil Empire Social Network called "ChainRxn."  Colorful little bubbles slowly bouncing around in a box.  If one hits a second, you get 2x points, if ball two hits a third, 3x, if the third hits a fourth, 4x, etc.  Sure, I tried to top my high score.  Numerous times.  But what really drew me in was the pleasant semi-chime sound each colored circle made, different tones which I recall as corresponding to color (but might not have).  The more "connections" were happening at once, the more tones at once.

Imagine my surprise when I finally tried out an iPod app I downloaded a few months ago, called "Bloom."  What I knew was it was going to display some sort of color show on the screen.  I thought it would be correlated to music I was playing.  Not.

The app creates its own sound, whether per its choosing, or your direction.  Guess how you "select" the tones?  Through a menu palette which has choices that include "neroli," "labdanum," "orris," "benzoin," and "tolu."  Whaaaa???  I go back to the beginning.  Look at the credits.  Surprise! and yet, it makes perfect sense:  Brian Eno is one of the co-creators.  Brian Eno, of popular music fame (his own and as an engineer), interesting thinker, and longtime fan of fragrance and perfume.

Sheesh.  Right under my nose, and I didn't know.

And there it sits, as I write this, soothing me.  Silly thing.  (Listens...) I'm back.  Oh, yeah, right; I liked ChainRxn for the same reason in the end.  I liked the show, the pictures + sound, in a kind of not-complicated way.

I'm in orris mode at the moment, should you be wondering.

Have a great weekend.

images both lifted from the interwebs; gazoodles of the same Pinky Ball image on various websites; the galbanum plant is from Sophy.

Michelle, Ma Bell Ringer.

File this under "I'm Trying."

Michelle, by Balenciaga.  Torpedoed by...no, it's not the fruit compote...for though that can go one way or the other for me...and I *want* to say it's the aldehydes, which are there, but pesky...gosh, I know people I often nod in agreement like this...but what IS that thing that won't get out of my nose?  That keeps interrupting me whenever I try to pay attention to any other part, and says ME, MEEE, and flavors both isolated elements and the whole?

I'm not having a good time here.  I'm trying.

Ackergh.  What in the world?

Get out of my nose!!! What are you???  I'm supposed to be finding tuberose in here!!!!*

Oh.  Helg tells me.  Its...bug spray.  Gosh, I love Helg.  Golly, but I don't get "tempered and tamed."  Maybe Muse in Wooden Shoes will end up taking mine.  She likes it loud.


*Terry Pratchett quote: "Five exclamation points, the sure sign of an insane mind."  Clearly, Michelle has driven me one mark shy of being committed.

Smoke, but no Fire : Mecca Balsam

It's very nice, mind you.  Stir two parts pine (either your Wazamba or your Filles en Aiguilles will do), add in one part incense.  Lovely drydown.

But...

I have this.  Without the incense.  With my Wazamba.  I think I'll try a little layering.

If you have none of these...yet...it is worth trying.  I'm just saying...my goal these days is to reduce spending.

Listen to people be happy about it.  Remember, it's not that I *don't* like it; I just don't need to go there.
Scent Hive
Perfume Shrine
Perfume Posse

Angelique Noire

You know that subset of cooking that involves turning fruit into a prepared dessert?  You  amp it up various degress by stewing it or steeping it, in a process that involves sweetening, vanilla, and various amounts and/or types of spices and/or additional flavorings?

Okay, take the angelica flower and turn it into a dessert that way.  The stewed with vanilla way, not the candied angelica root path.  I think I’m learning why I like greens and galbanum so much...many reviewers mention a sharp bergamot, or herbal, or green opening on this.  Me, I get the element of herbal waft an angelica plant offers, but nothing “sharp.”  It’s in clear focus, yes, no blurring on the lens, but it doesn’t pierce the back of my nose or bite my tongue.  It is just the aperitif that offers clarity before settling into an unabashed sweet (but not cloying) treat.  The more time that goes on, the more almonds and amber take over, but always melded with vanilla.

Wait!  I’ve got it!  Angelique Noire, SAT-style:  

ginger root : ginger chew 

as

angelica plant : angelique noire

As plenty before me have noted, not much “noire” about it.  (Excepting my personal peccadillo of enjoying a truffle--dark chocolate, not mushroom--of an evening...)  Goes firmly in the “happy comfort” category for me.

images:  fruit compote, dorisgoat on the "dorisandjillycook" blog (recipe for peach, cherry, and apple compote also at that link); candied ginger pieces, author

Quick hits: J'ai Ose, 10 Corso Como

In which I violate my own rule and make snap judgements.  

I put on the J'ai Ose, and feel like I'm not done until a Band-Aid goes over it. What *is* that note?  Bactine?

On the other arm, 10 Corso Como is all "aw, come snorfle."  Sandalwood peeking through a not too sweet viscous cirrus cloud, just over my skin.

****
If I stopped now, it would have been done.  J'ai Ose would have been scrubbed, 10 Corso Como would have been entered in the "try to trade for some" list.  But already J'ai Ose is morphing, settling down into something...is that woody? wth?  Meanwhile, 10 Corso Como is staying true to its (initial) fashion...

****
Now J'ai has gone undercover, very very low key...poor 10 Corso now seems loud...these simultaneous runs can be tough on the participants.

I'm not done, but it seems like J'ai is going to win the second date award, while 10 Corso becomes a back pocket "sure if you find it cheap snap it up because it's a comfort scent but you'll get tired of too much of it." Life is so unfair.  I don't even know if I *like* J'ai, but I'll come back.  Meanwhile, 10 Corso continues to do what it promised...and is set aside.

Must return to each, separately, for another experience, and a fuller treatment.

Byredo "Blanche"

It's really nice. I sprayed it in the store, found myself wanting to huff it, took a sample home. (Quick PSA for carrying your own vials: It's worth it.) Sprayed it at home on me. It's really nice.

But you know what kind of "smells good"? Yummy clean clothes. It's what I'd want my laundry to smell like. And, in fact, I think I've gotten this out of other laundry products. Not quite as well done in those, perhaps, and with no hint of development...yes, the Byredo has a hint of development...but still. I like it as a smell. I just don't think I like it as a perfume.

Time will tell if I am an unperceiving rube. Could be. If you wear it, you will smell good.