Perfumes

[uppercase]

http://tauerperfumes.com/blog/2016/10/0 ... of-things/

Andy Tauer, the niche Swiss perfumer, maker of the classic L'Air du Desert Marocain, among other perfumes, wrote a very interesting post on the economics of perfume from his perspective.

I suppose that the financial considerations are similar to those also faced by other creatives in clothing.

And this Tauer article was brought to my attention by the now defunct blog of the very well known perfume writer - Luca Turin.

https://perfumesilove.com/

[Dr T]

Hermes now do a superb travel bottle, quite small and protected by rubber. This comes as a set, the other part being an easy to use refill bottle. At the moment the only perfume offered for travel is Terre D"Hermes which is my favorite anyway.Its not easy to find but very practical.

[davidhuh]

Andy Tauer, the niche Swiss perfumer, maker of the classic L'Air du Desert Marocain, among other perfumes,

Tauer is phantastic stuff. I particularly like his Lonesome Rider.

Cheers, David

[uppercase]

Bought a few perfumes in France recently which I couldn't find easily elsewhere.
Derby by guerlain as well as their eau de coq.
Great.
I pretty much now stick to the big three quality perfumers : guerlain, Chanel, Hermes.

The niche and "challenging" are interesting for a while and fun to try, but I find my tastes pretty much run to the traditional.

I did try L'Air and liked it very much. It does remind me of morocco.

But bought instead Timbuktu. Let me try smelling like some other place. Mistake.

Who wants to smell like unwashed humanity in sweltering heat selling in a souq?

I'll wear Timbuktu next time I visit Mali.

[culverwood]

I have added Penhaligon's Castile to my rotation. It is a clean perfume as ever for me with a touch of neroli and is suitable for wearing to work.

[Luca]

That's been my staple for years. I find it is finely balanced between freshness and richness.

[uppercase]

^^^
That's a nice succinct way to describe a perfume and sounds like something I would be looking for. I'll have to give it a try.

[uppercase]

For the perfume aficionados out there :

I'd like to try the Floris and Penhaligon range. And anything else essentially British.

Give me your top pick.

Personally , little experience other than Hammam. Which I enjoyed and finished.

Looking for a clean, rich perfume to wear daily, everywhere.

I note Castile is a favorite here.

Others??

Let me know.

[couch]

Penhaligon's now has a very large line with great variation in quality, in my view. Not sure whether any of these will meet your criteria, but here are some notes on a few:

- Quercus: introduced '96, very clean citrus opening with a passing floral heart (some lily-of-the-valley) and some oakmoss, musk and amber, but basically a crisp, balanced lemon-lime cologne. I wore it for years in summer heat--it's a crisp white shirt on clean skin after a sunny day on the water or tennis court kind of scent. Lasts well for me. Unfortunately, in London at least, it has found its way into the soap dispensers at several high-end washrooms—not what one wants to evoke. I now wear Voyage d'Hermes (which is lighter and cooler) in its place. But every now and then I will have a spritz of the last of the Quercus, just to recapture the feeling of some wonderful sun-bleached days. EDT.

- Alizarin: New last year, this is one of the most complex formulations in the line. It's a leathery, spicy oud. There are others out there in this vein; it's a bit reminiscent of Bel Ami, a truly great perfume that's just too hot and intense on me. Alizarin, however, works well on my skin. The floral notes (narcissus, mimosa, iris) are well integrated, recessive, and not at all sweet. I expect to wear this sophisticated leather a lot in cold weather this winter. EdP

- Endymion: 2003. This is a chameleon scent that seems to vary dramatically with skin chemistry. Try a bit and see how you respond. In general, a honeyed coffee, lavender, and mellow wood framework, with a light citrus and spice airiness on opening. Some find it too light without much longevity; on me the amber in the drydown left the balance too rich and almost cloying. I bought mine back in 2004, so it may have been reformulated since I last tried any. The label is certainly different now. EdC

If you liked Hammam Bouquet you might sample the new Savoy Steam. The EdC and EdP are quite different; the cologne is cleaner and crisper (as you'd expect) and the rose is more noticeable in the EdP.

And of course Blenheim Bouquet is the other classic of the house as you probably know; citrus and pine with a bit of pepper, not much persistence. Clean, serious, bracing, then understated. Churchill etc. One suspects the 1902 formulation may have had more richness than today's regulated one.

This brings up an interesting question. After Brexit, assuming it concludes, I wonder whether any British perfume houses might rebelliously restore some of the ingredients now proscribed by EU regs, or whether the EU is too big a market for them to ignore, so they will continue to observe the proscriptions voluntarily. Does anyone have any advance intelligence?

[bond_and_beyond]

For the perfume aficionados out there :

I'd like to try the Floris and Penhaligon range. And anything else essentially British.

Give me your top pick.

Personally , little experience other than Hammam. Which I enjoyed and finished.

Looking for a clean, rich perfume to wear daily, everywhere.

I note Castile is a favorite here.

Others??

Let me know.

For me, it's all Floris Santal. I've used it everyday for the past seven or so years. Distinct, but not old mannish as some of their other offerings can be.

BB

[rodes]

Bond,
Beyond and Bond, you don't use Floris 89? I'm crushed.

[bond_and_beyond]

Bond,
Beyond and Bond, you don't use Floris 89? I'm crushed.

I know, the Bond reference is what made me discover Floris in the first place, but alas it smelled too much like Old Spice for me..

BB

[rodes]

BB, With your reference to Old Spice, I could not help but be reminded of the classic and clever claim, "If your Grandfather hadn't worn it, you wouldn't exist." Surely true for me.

[bond_and_beyond]

BB, With your reference to Old Spice, I could not help but be reminded of the classic and clever claim, "If your Grandfather hadn't worn it, you wouldn't exist." Surely true for me.

Indeed, and my maternal grandfather DID wear it every day!

BB

[uppercase]

Couch - great run down and descriptions!

Since we're talking perfumes, just a general question here…I'm not even sure how to phrase it , but how does one know if a perfume is a "quality" perfume?

Is it the cost and rarity of the ingredients? The balance of synthetic and natural ingredients? Is it the reputation of the nose?

For example, I think Chanel has its own flower fields …?

Are the old, and new, English houses quality perfumes ? Floris, Penhaligon are small and old and illustrious. Also Trumper, DR Harris, Czech & Speake all have lines …. ??

But they are just on the periphery of my experience.

Anyway, … just curious.