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Hothouse Flower

Flower Parade by yoshiko314
Flower Parade, a photo by yoshiko314 on Flickr.

Ineke's newest addition to her perfume abecadry is Hothouse Flower, which will launch in fall 2012. Inspired by gardenia's finicky and demanding growing conditions, and even more so by its luscious perfume, Ineke brought a plant into her lab in order to study its unique personality and facets.

Gardenia is more known for being a heady, tropical floral (often paired with tuberose, to create a very loud effect (i.e.: Fracas, Carnal Flower, Private Collection Tuberose Gardenia, etc.), or more of a sultry interpretation, where its salicilates are paired with darker, lingering notes (Velvet Gardenia, Cruel Gardenia, Vintage Gardenia with Cardamom & Myrrh). Hothouse Flower takes a path that is neither loud nor sultry. Ineke did here what she knows best: craft a beautiful, pretty gardenia that is easily wearable and adorable - but perhaps too pretty for a dark-person like myself.

The top notes are light and etheral, with hints of green crushed leaves and tea. It quickly unfolds into the more fruity aspects, reminiscent of butter and hints of pink bubblegum, as if the gardenia princess wakes up from a salicylic nap, and gives you a naughty wink to remind us of her lineage (Fracas et al) - than rolls to the other side, waiting for her customary breakfast-in-bed to appear.

The wake up calls arrives soon enough, with cool, dewy leaves and the green. Brisk yet resinous notes of galbanum, cypress and frankincense emerge, and take the edge of whatever you might have thought was too flowery.

Hothouse Flower is rather light for the big floral that it represents. It is very long lasting, however, with lingering light floral notes and clean musk and hints of greenery, not unlike the dryout of Balmy Days and Sundays.

Notes (according to Ineke's press release) include rather unusual pairings for gardenia: earl grey tea, green foliage, cypress, absinthe, gardenia, galbanum, fig, frankincense, guaiacwood, musk and corn silk.

* If you purchased a full bottle from Ineke's website in the past, you will receive a sample of Hothouse Flower in the mail in mid/late August. All the more reason for you to get your favourite scent now! And if you're unfamiliar with the line, order their deluxe sample collection, which will also entitle you to a Hothouse Flower sample once they come out in August!

Private Collection Tuberose Gardenia


White Beauty, originally uploaded by tropicaLiving.

Private Collection Tuberose Gardenia delivers what its name promises and does it well. The execution of this grand floral is surprisingly tame and not in the least obnoxious. Although I can’t say its lacking sillage, it is definitely quieter than most of Estee Lauder fragrances not to mention many other tuberose-themed perfumes.

Tuberose Gardenia remains polished and soft like a white novak purse that’s inevitably saturated with it’s owner’s perfume. Inside the purse you’ll find very few accessories - just what’s necessary for that particular outing. In this case: tuberose and gardenia accords underlined by a woody vanilla base (which halfway through the journey brings to mind the overall impression of Songes). If Fracas is the point beyond which everything is too loud, Private Collection Tuberose Gardenia marks the point on the same spectrum beyond which tuberose starts to whisper.

While Fracas makes me think of other things (disturbingly intoxicating and unrecognizable flowers at night), Tuberose Gardenia leaves me just comfortably pampered with buttery, creamy tuberose and gardenia. There is none of the greenness or complexity you can find in Fracas and which makes it so intriguing as it bounces between gasoline, white flowers, rubber and greenery until it settles down into a creamy tuberose. Private Collection Tuberose Gardenia is straightforward and shows all its card right from the start: it reminds me more of tuberose floral wax than anything else, with its velvety, pampering tuberose headiness. Private Collection Tuberose Gardenia seems to give us what we need in this day and age (aside from the very long name to type over an over again - a trend that I hope would come to an end one of these days!): it brings a simple pleasure just like a much needed vacation.

Mental Notes: l'Écume des Jours, Gardenia, Lily


Gigi, originally uploaded by Ayala Moriel.

My parfum de jour is l'Écume des Jours. Some spilled as I was filling up purse roll-ons with the perfume oil. Some spilled on the table and that was the best use I could think of, so it wasn't quite intentional so to speak. Which is sometimes the best way to introduce scent into one's day.
I'm surprised at how indolic it is in the oil concentration, on my skin. The pink lotus is really coming through beautifully underlined with those salty seaweed notes. The alcohol version shows more of the boronia in my opinion.

I also visited several flower shops today, mainly in search for a descent gardenia plant with some flowers for my Gigi photoshoot, and found only a couple that are sort of in bloom. The scent is beautiful. And so was the scent of lily of the valley that I decided to postpone buying till tomorrow so they stay fresh and lively for the weekend.

Mental Notes: l'Écume des Jours, Gardenia, Lily


Gigi, originally uploaded by Ayala Moriel.

My parfum de jour is l'Écume des Jours. Some spilled as I was filling up purse roll-ons with the perfume oil. Some spilled on the table and that was the best use I could think of, so it wasn't quite intentional so to speak. Which is sometimes the best way to introduce scent into one's day.
I'm surprised at how indolic it is in the oil concentration, on my skin. The pink lotus is really coming through beautifully underlined with those salty seaweed notes. The alcohol version shows more of the boronia in my opinion.

I also visited several flower shops today, mainly in search for a descent gardenia plant with some flowers for my Gigi photoshoot, and found only a couple that are sort of in bloom. The scent is beautiful. And so was the scent of lily of the valley that I decided to postpone buying till tomorrow so they stay fresh and lively for the weekend.
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