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Vol de Nuit

Vol de Nuit makes me think about the heroic women of the WWII era, namely my dear grandmother. It is her signature perfume for over 50 years, ever since my grandfather took her to the Guerlain boutique in Champs Elysees, where it was chosen for her by the fragrance consultant, as it complemented her independent and adventurous personality. The scent of Vol de Nuit dry down seem to kindly linger around her and in her home. Like a truly well fitted signature scent, it never occurred to me it could be a perfume, it is like her second skin and complements her beautifully.

I also associate it with the desert-dwelling heroine from The English Patient, Katherine, and the lost pilot in “The Little Prince”. Vol de Nuit sends a feeling of brave loneliness and secret stories that may never be told.

Once the propeller on the bottle settles down enough for you to unleash the scent, it shouts of freedom. Freedom that leads to unknown adventures, risks and perhaps even pain. Green galbanum, sage and bergamot are hint to the Chypre quality of this marvelous perfume. A a multi faceted olfactory adventure awaits you, and you'll need your courage and faith…

The green rush fades rather quickly, smoothing itself gradually into an almost powdery combination of jonquil and cedar wood, mellowed and warmed by powdery musk and the Guerlainade – orris root, tonka bean and vanilla. That is what makes the narcissus notes not so heady and overwhelming (reassuringly, this perfume is neither too floral nor overly sweet, maintaining an adventurous sophistication).

The smooth, somewhat powdery heart gradually evolves into a more sophisticated Woody-Chypre accord, based on Labdanum and Oakmoss and a noble Agarwood note that lends a somewhat sweet, somewhat sour undertone that is not unlike Mitsouko’s vetiver and agarwood base, but is richer and sweeter.

Than there is the next phase of heart notes – which is definitely the inspiration for Chant d’Aromes in my opinion, as it smells exactly like this lovely, bittersweet autumnal-spring-like perfume: the fresh white floral notes (honeysuckle, gardenia, narcissus) over a woody-light musky-chypre base, floral and deeply warm at once, fresh and young and at the same time thoughtful and deep.

The dry down echoes the earlier impression of the heart accord: woody and musky, with some amber-vanilla sweetness in the tradition of Guerlain (Which somewhat reminds me of Shalimar - only that Shalimar is a perfume worn to seduce, where as in Vol de Nuit the seduction is a lot more subtle, unintentional if you will – the seduction of others is only a side effect of one’s confidence and quiet mystique.

Like Shalimar, the Vol de Nuit dry down is somewhat resembling a natural skin scent (which is my own personal weakness...), only more dry, woody and powdery. Shalimar is ambery while Vol de Nuit is muskier.

Vol de Nuit is rich, complex, mysterious… A perfume of refinement and an understated, passionate approach to life. It should be worn with dignity and self-worth. In my mind it symbolizes independence and individuality in its most truthful meaning – facing adversity all by yourself, while maintaining your integrity and remembering who you are.

Top notes; Galbanum, Bergamot, Sage
Heart notes: Jonquil, Jasmine, Orris Root, Cedar wood, Musk
Base notes: Tonka Bean, Vanilla, Oakmoss, Cedar wood, Agarwood, Labdanum, Oakmoss, Vetive

p.s. I couldn't possibly stress enough how important it is to find and wear this in the parfum. It's difficult but well worth the effort. The Eau de Toilette simply doesn’t cut it. And I feel this is true for Shalimar and l'Heure Bleue as well. Mitsouko is the one perfume from Jacques Guerlain’s “Grand Quartet” that I like in any shape, form or concentration.

Pen Pal

(Noun) "A person with whom one becomes friendly by exchanging letters, esp. someone in a foreign country whom one has never met." (Apple Dictionary)

Soon after advertising my first “classified ad” sweet letters started arriving in the mail from different parts of the country, from girls my age who also liked nature, music and reading. They were all so sweet and friendly, but they were more real than imaginary friends. Except that I never got to meet them in person.
The letters usually had a faint background of pastel coloured images – of dogs with over sized heads and sad eyes, flowers and little girls in pink dresses. Some were really special, and I could tell even before I opened the letter – they had a tender scent of roses and sweet dreams that drifted beyond the sealed envelope.
Today, fancy stationaries and fountain pens are replaced by electronic mail, discussion groups and perfume swaps (it's called evolution). Yesterday I got a sample of Poussiere de Rose by Les Parfums de Rosine from Jill, and instantly I was reminded of the dreamy days of letters… I recognized the scent as soon as I opened the vial, but once placed on the skin, the powdery, sweetly spiced rosy, powdery, peachy scent blossomed and made me feel like a letter that wants to be read…




Après l'Ondée

Rain shower may leave a trail of scent behind, or may draw an invisible curtain hanging in the air; suddenly brightening the spirits and reviviving the thirsty plants and soil. Suddenly, one becomes aware of the possibility of other realities, of luscious greens and patience and calm. After the first rain in the dry lands, the earth releases a special scent emitted by the myriads of organisms inhabiting the upper layer of the soil – a musty and clean scent of wet earth. However, in places blessed with rain all year around, those scents are less than evident except for those times when the earth had enough time to dry and lust for water.

When I first heard of Après l'Ondée, I was longing to try it and could not find a trace of it anywhere until a few years later. However, I was so fascinated by the idea of it, that I immediately set to design a perfume as an homage to the scent after the first rain in my home village. The result was Rainforest – ironically a scent that is more similar to the rainforests of the West Coast, the exile in which rain bares no precious values. Nevertheless, it gives on the feeling of a veil that have been lifted after the first rain to reveal life and hope, while also portraying the wild greenness of the West Coast rainforests.

Après l'Ondée paints a completely different post-rain olfaction scenery, one that was for the most part foreign to me, until I traveled to countries where rain showers appear uninvited in the midst of summer, shuttering the delicate and fluffy blossoms of tiny purple flowers. Après l'Ondée is shy and quiet, like the cyclamen flowers hiding in the hollows of grey rocks, as if to escape the raging thunder storm.

The cool and distant powderiness of orris and violet is soft and obscure, warmed by anise and carnation, and underlined with a quiet resonance of jasmine and subtle vanillic accord – like a dreamy summer-stroll along the dusty paths of a flower garden that suddenly was given away to a gently showering overcast, a reminder of the intimate closeness between beauty and melancholy.

Top notes:
Bergamot, Aniseed

Heart notes:
Violet flower, Jasmine, Rose, Carnation

Base notes:
Iris roots, Vanilla, Heliotrope

Private Collection

Strange, mysterious and elegant, Private Collection is a perfume of rare beauty and originality. Although I liked the EDP very much, I find the parfum far superior, and this is the version I chose to review here.

The opening notes are impossible to pass by without notice: green and strange. Galbanum, freshly cut grass and twigs, along with a hint of beetle-like scent, slightly apple-y notes, flying like fireflies in the summer above wedged watermelons specked with black seeds.

An elegant crisp white floral heart complements the green notes with orange blossom absolute, neroli and rose and a tad of jasmine and lily of the valley. Underneath it all there is a warm and soft undercurrent of oakmoss and sandalwood.

This is an exceptional perfume with a frosty aura of crisp elegance - just as the bottle so beautifully portrays. It’s cutting edge yet classy. It comprises of an interesting counterpoint of a distant, well preserved beauty and a warm and loving personality that is very approachable. It’s the combination of elegant florals, childhood-invoking, playful green notes along with more grown-up, warm, mossy and woody notes that make this perfume’s personality so well rounded and lovable.

Top notes: Galbanum, Freshly cut grass
Heart notes: Orange Blossom Absolute, Neroli, Rose, Jasmine, Lilly of the Valley
Base notes: Oakmoss, Sandalwood

For a different view of Private Collection, visit The Scented Salamnder and read Marie-Hélène Wagner's review from February 5th 2007.

Photo: Cyclamen leaves in Clil

Youth Dew

With its dark juice and dense composition, the name Youth Dew seems a bit out of place - unless the dew drop smells of civet, and adorns a wild narcissus in the middle of winter. The opening of Youth Dew reminds me tightly knotted woolen yarn, soft, warm and inviting - yet you can’t find the end/beginning and start knitting yet!
As it settles on the skin, it starts opening up, one bit at a time. As the citrus wears off and the spices soften by woody undercurrent, bit by bit the floral heart starts to emerge until reaching a peak – where narcissus and ylang ylang dance to the indolic rhythm of the civet base – sexual to a degree that borders on the impolite, so you need to hold on with self-conviction and dignity. But even the luscious of flowers decompose and return to earth, this time made of muddy puddle of earthy patchouli and vetiver which gradually softens and mellows until finally reaching a delicate dry down phase that is vanillic and surprisingly reminiscent of Chanel no. 5.

This is the review for the pure parfum – a limited edition in a beautiful, frosted flacon with a delicate frosted flower stopper, filled with the almost black juice this leaves an unforgettable impression!
I find Youth Dew to be very suitable for winter, and can’t imagine wearing it in any other season and being able to keep my olfactory bulb intact. The indolic heart and the earthy base surprisingly reminds me of sticking my nose into a narcissus, inhaling the scent that smells so delicate from afar, and so deadly from nearby; inhaling it along with the some rare raindrops that clang to the petals; All this after spending the whole afternoon jumping in puddles after the rain stopped

Top notes: Citrus and Spices
Heart notes: Narcissus, Ylang Ylang, Cloves, Rose
Base notes: Civet, Patchouli, Vetiver, Vanilla
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