New Perfume Review Etat Libre D’Orange The Ghost in the Shell- Eau de Airlock

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So much of the perfume I receive is designed to be a pleasant companion. Which is why when the few provocateurs in perfumery choose to go a different direction it is welcome. One of the premiere creative directors practicing this type of creativity is Etienne de Swardt of Etat Libre D’Orange. There are many things to say about the 15 years and 45 perfumes overseen by him. One is the belief that perfume can challenge the way you see the less pleasant pieces of the world. He has balanced this collection between the utter confrontation of Secretions Magnfiques to the modern gourmand standard bearer of Like This to the idea of the scent of popcorn heralding the apocalypse in La Fin du Monde. From the moment I received the press release for Etat Libre D’Orange The Ghost in the Shell I was expecting something equally interesting.

Etienne de Swardt

M. de Swardt is inspired by both the Hyperion novels of Dan Simmons which were the basis for the Japanese Manga of Masamune Shirow where the name comes from. The Manga version focuses on a cyberpunk world of the near future following a law enforcement group as they do their job. Ghost in the Shell was one of the first crossover successes in the US ad Shirow-san’s art painted in equally vivid hues paired to the dialog. For the perfume he asked Shirow-san to assist in the creative direction. Julie Masse was the perfumer who would work with both.

Julie Masse

When I read the description, I was kind of hoping for a fragrance of chrome and electricity. When I read cyberpunk there is the scent of heated wiring and hot metal in my mind’s eye. When I sprayed it on I received a different vision. It made me think of the sci-fi concept of long-haul travelers exploring new planets. My imagination took me to the return of one of the explorers to the airlock as they re-entered their ship. The transition from sterile space suit back to the environment of the ship.

It begins as you break the seal on your helmet. The sharpness of aldehydes honed through tart fruits stings your nose on first breath. Mme Masse uses the synthetic Aqual and its slightly aquatic aldehydic profile along with a tart yuzu and the synthetic green apple of hexyl acetate. It marks the beginning of the transformation back to human.

As you peel the suit off the stretchy material clings to your skin. The scent of clean sweaty skin mixes with the jasmine soap you used. The material always has an odd scent of milk as you hang it to dry. Mme Masse uses jasmine as the floral focal point. It is in a higher concentration than my fanciful imagination intimates. What she does is give it an artificial sheen through Mugane along with some freshness. The set of skin musks and the milk accord slide pleasantly into the jasmine forming the heart accord.

As you pull on your regular clothing before re-entering the interior of the ship. The sweet scent of your body greets you. The base accord flows in a soft comforting construction of the slightly vanillic Vinyl Gaiacol, the dry musky woodiness of Orcanox, and the soft green of moss. With that you open the second door and walk into the ship.

The Ghost in the Shell has 10-12 hour longevity and average sillage.

While it wasn’t what I expected what I received was better. I enjoyed imagining the way a futuristic explorer might smell after an expedition. I didn’t get Eau de Cyberpunk. I got something like Eau de Airlock, which I found more engaging.

Disclosure: This review is based on a sample provided by Etat Libre D’Orange.

–Mark Behnke  

New Perfume Review Milano Fragranze Basilica, Brera, La Prima, and Diurno- The Highlights

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Whenever I’ve traveled, I have a travel guide in hand. Before I get to my destination, I have the plan of what attractions to see. They’re mostly the famous ones, the usual suspects, the highlights. Creative director Alessandro Brun also must give perfume lovers the highlights of Milan in his new fragrance line Milano Fragranze. I look at the remaining four perfumes I didn’t cover yesterday: Basilica, Brera, La Prima, and Diurno. The first three are composed by Violaine Collas and the last by Julie Masse.

Alessandro Brun

The churches of Milan are both historical and sacred. In Basilica Mme Collas leans more heavily on the latter. This is a classic church incense type of fragrance. It opens with herbal notes of thyme and rosemary wrapping themselves around the frankincense. Both sources of green roughen the smoothness of the resin. There are times incense feels like a silvery monolith. The herbs break that up a bit. It leads to a woody base of sandalwood and cedar. These represent the polished wood of the benches and the sturdiness of the rafters.

Violaine Collas

La Prima represents the singular highlight of Milan, the opera theater of La Scala. Even an opera dilettante like me had to visit. Sig. Brun envisioned a beautiful woman in the audience on an opening night. Mme Collas interpreted that as a woman who would wear a fragrance as smart as her clothing. This has an intricate interaction of ingredients especially in the early development. Cardamom, orange blossom, osmanthus, jasmine, and davana are the notes of the scale leading to an engaging aria. Each of those ingredients wax and wane in a delightful way for a long time. It comes to an end when a gentle animalic accord sweetened with vanilla signals the end.

The art galleries of Milan is another highlight. Brera imagines the dreamy concept of the paintings coming to life after closing. When you’re the first visitor of the morning the scent of their cavorting hangs in the air. This results in a powerful shaded rose from Mme Collas. She uses two sources to form an uber-rose effect. The glow of saffron and the heat of chili pepper adds some texture. Patchouli and labdanum provide some shadows among the rose petals.

Julie Masse

Mrs. C is a mosaic artist and her desire to visit them has taken me to some fantastic, unexpected places. On our first trip to Milan one of her highlights was to visit Albergo Diurno Venezia. This was the Art Deco designed place to be treated to a bath in a private bathing room. There was also a barber shop to get a shave. As we walked through, I felt as if the Lost Generation echoed through the now dilapidated structure. Diurno is inspired by this place which is now being renovated.

Diurno is my favorite of this debut collection. The reason comes from the first second. Mme Masse has fashioned a brilliant amaretto accord. So many perfume versions are syrupy sweet almond. She remembers that amaretto translates to “a little bitter”. This almond doesn’t ooze it bites. Some sage sharpens that. Lavender and geranium offer a floral contrast without blunting the bitterness. A suite of green notes from balsam, vetiver, and moss adds a terpenic bitter harmonic to the amaretto.

Sig. Brun has put together a beautiful tour of Milan. All he asks is for you to follow your nose.

Disclosure: this review is based on a sample set provided by Milano Fragranze.

–Mark Behnke

New Perfume Review Trussardi Eau de Parfum- Wake Up the Echoes

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Due to a generous reader I was able to experience the earliest days of Trussardi. From 1993-2004 the brand put out a series of perfumes which were taking advantage of the new freedom beginning to show up in modern perfumery. I suspect it was a little bit ahead of the curve as none of these perfumes were commercial successes. I think if they had been released a decade later, they would have been lauded instead of left behind. Over the years since, the brand went the other way producing more consumer-friendly fragrances which have seemingly had better sales. One of my readers asked if I had tried Trussardi Eau de Parfum (EDP).  I would get it in an envelope of samples a few days later. The correspondent was right this was new ground for the brand.

Violaine Collas

What is frustrating with perspective is to realize the Trussardi of the 90’s was artistically sound and chronologically adrift. What I realized as soon as I tried Trussardi EDP was this was a perfume firmly anchored in the current modern trends. Perfumers Violaine Collas and Julie Masse create an opaque summertime floral which is constructed of gauzy layers which add up to something substantial.

Julie Masse

The first layer is a sharply delineated neroli. The perfumers soften it with mandarin giving the citrusy parts of the flower some volume. A smart use of tomato leaf picks up that characteristic green in neroli with a slight vegetal twist. This is a like a white scarf with a silk screen of oranges and tomato vines.

The heart uses jasmine as the keynote. It is surrounded by the powder of lavender and the intensity of dahlia. It forms a deeper hued accord of flowers. The top accord settles right into it. Violet comes along to stitch it all together. It ends on a base of suede and patchouli which is way lighter than it sounds. The soft leather accord comes across in whispers. The patchouli also has a similar lighter presence. The earthy and animalic find a pleasant harmony.

Trussardi EDP has 10-12 hour longevity and average sillage.

I have not explicitly followed the most recent efforts from Trussardi but the ones I have tried still seemed safe to me. Trussardi EDP works its magic inside the current contemporary state of perfumery with panache. It just might be the harbinger of waking up the echoes of those glory days of the 90’s.

Disclosure: this review is based on a sample I purchased.

–Mark Behnke

New Perfume Review Shay & Blue Tallulah’s Camellia- Spring Floral Abstract

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One of the things I enjoy knowing is when a flower can’t be extracted into an essential oil. What that means is a creative team must create their own reality. When you have a scent from the real-life bloom it is easier to simulate that. What if the flower you want to emulate has no scent? What does a creative team decide? Shay & Blue Tallulah’s Camellia offers an answer to that.

From its founding in 2012 there has only been one creative team at Shay & Blue. Owner and creative director Dom de Vetta and perfumer Julie Masse. This is the twenty-fourth perfume they have made together. I think this kind of long-term association is to the advantage of an independent brand. Knowing where they have been allows them to decide where to go. It also lets them translate a flower that is purely visual into fragrance.

Julie Masse (l.) and Dom de Vetta

Camellia is a late season flowering shrub. It puts out deeply colored silky soft flowers. My grandmother had a few scattered among her gardenias. When she told me it had no scent, I stuck my nose inside a bloom to confirm it. What Mr. de Vetta and Ms. Masse do is use the balance they have made an attribute of the brand to create their own abstract of camellia.

What do they think represents the scent to go with the vision? The floral accord is primarily a combination of the spring-fresh qualities of lily and bluebell. Both have a gentle green facet. They both also have a chilliness to them which seems appropriate for a flower which is around in the colder months. This gentle accord is given a bit of depth through gardenia. A suite of light woods and some teas are what interact with the camellia accord over the life of the fragrance on my skin.

Tallulah’s Camellia has 10-12 hour longevity and average sillage.

To answer the question I posed at the start. According to this perfume camellia smells fresh which I can endorse. It fits my memory of them. Tallulah’s Camellia is the oddest of spring florals because it is an abstraction of the concept. A good one.

Disclosure: This review is based on a sample I purchased.

–Mark Behnke

New Perfume Review Goutal Le Temps des Reves- Summer Dreams

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As we enter the figurative final weekend of summer represented by Labor Day in the US it feels melancholy. The summer has always represented a time of free-spirited exploration. More than any other season it carries a hint of laughter with it. The first verse of Don Henley’s “The Boys of Summer” captures the loss of it, “Nobody on the road/Nobody on the beach/I fell it in the air/The summer’s out of reach”. This is where perfume steps in to save the day with a fragrance which captures the summer in a bottle. Goutal Le Temps des Reves does this nicely.

Camille Goutal

Camille Goutal has done an admirable job transitioning the venerable line for a new generation. She made the conscious decision to make perfume to appeal to a twentysomething European woman. For the last four years she has been more successful than most in achieving this. I have found the releases since this change to be of the kind of style within this trend that appeals to me. Le Temps des Reves continues this.

Mathieu Nardin

Perfumers Mathieu Nardin and Julie Masse were asked to design a perfume which captured their memories of summers in the South of France. It is composed of classic Mediterranean ingredients with one clever twist.

Julie Masse

The ingredient which they use as their keynote is orange blossom. Before it arrives the unique twist, I mention comes first. In the wine country of France there is a kind of green vegetal undergrowth called garrigue. The perfumers wanted to add an accord of that which is where this begins. Using bergamot and myrtle they form the kind of undergrowth you tramp through on the way to the orange grove. When you break through the scent of orange blossom is there to greet you. This is the joy of a sunny day as the mellow floral comes to greet you. Sandalwood represents the wood of the trees. A set of white musks then add the expansiveness to it all to find the transparency desired.

Le Temps des Reves has 8-10 hour longevity and average sillage.

This is my favorite of the recent transparent Goutal creations. It has a sunny disposition to spare which just says summer to me. In a few weeks when it seems the summer’s out of reach Le Temps de Reves will let me dream it is still here.

Disclosure: This review is based on a sample I purchased.

–Mark Behnke

New Perfume Review Shay & Blue Blackberry Woods- Fruity Done Right

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There are times when realization hits me like a facepalm right in the center of my forehead. It changes my perception of a brand along with my preferences. I have written many times about my lack of interest in perfumes which feature berries or non-citrus fruits. Most of the time it is because they appear at elevated amplitude which moves beyond my ability to enjoy them fully. When I received my sample of Shay & Blue Blackberry Woods I learned something about myself.

Dom de Vetta

Ever since Dom de Vetta founded Shay & Blue in 2012, he has created perfume with the same perfumer, Julie Masse. Blackberry Woods is their twenty-third fragrance together. I look forward to their new releases but until a few days ago I couldn’t tell you exactly why. Now I know. Blackberry Woods is another brilliant fruit-centered perfume from this brand. What is it that sets this apart from others? It is the balance they achieve. The fruit is not blaring it is part of a simple ensemble where Ms. Masse finds ways to make it shine.

Julie Masse

The blackberries are what greeted me straight away. This is not that thick jellied version. It is more like freshly picked berries right off the vine. Dew glistening in the nooks and crannies. This type of fruit carries a natural musk which Ms. Masse teases out. Neroli comes next and it also carries its own sparkling personality into the duet with blackberry. There is an uplifting quality here I usually don’t encounter in the typical fruity floral. The final piece is cypress. This is a clean sophisticated woody foundation that allows the blackberry and neroli to shine on for hours.

Blackberry Woods has 10-12 hour longevity and average sillage.

I don’t know why it took Blackberry Woods to realize what it is I liked about Shay & Blue. The facepalm moment happened when I looked at the group of blue bottles on my shelf all having names with some fruit In their name. The ones which I wanted to own are all fruity. Blackberry Woods will soon be joining them.

Disclosure: This review is based on a sample I purchased.

–Mark Behnke

New Perfume Review Armani Prive Musc Shamal- A New Breeze

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I love learning about new perfume ingredients. Once I encounter something, I look forward to it being used in a perfume. I had the opportunity to smell the ingredient Noreenal. It is an exclusive ingredient for the Mane perfumers to use. My chance to smell it came about through a discussion with a Mane chemist about the effect adding branching and double bonds to long chain aldehydes has. What Mane discovered is if you add both branching and a double bond you get an unusual scent profile for an aldehyde. It still has the effervescence typical of these molecules. In the case of Noreenal it adds a fresh citrus-like scent to it. This is like a stiff breeze from out of a citrus orchard. I expected to encounter it in a Mediterranean style perfume. Instead it is used as a nose-catching opening for a classical rose and musk perfume, Armani Prive Musc Shamal.

Julie Masse

It seems appropriate that the first perfume I am aware of to use Noreenal is named after a Middle Eastern wind, shamal. I wonder if perfumer Julie Masse was waiting for a brief which mentioned a fresh wind to add Noreenal to. It fits ideally in a perfume named Musc Shamal.

That Noreenal is where Musc Shamal opens. Mme Masse uses enough to capture the natural effect it is mimicking. The freshness fused on the kinetic energy of an aldehyde makes this compelling. Mme Masse amplifies the citrus quality to add to the desired effect. The breeze crashes into a floral heart of deep rose before the other ingredient on the label flows into sight. Mme Masse forms a mixture of musks capturing both fresh and animalic aspects. The cleaner musks reiterate the opening Noreenal breeze while the deeper musks combine with amber and vanilla for a warmer accord.

Musc Shamal has 12-14 hour longevity and average sillage.

My affection for Musc Shamal is due to the way Mme Masse unleashes a new breeze across a classical fragrance form.

Disclosure: this review is based on a sample supplied by Neiman-Marcus.

–Mark Behnke

New Perfume Review Shay & Blue White Peaches- Frozen Peaches

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When we moved to Poodlesvile I had some favorite fruits and some that were low on the list. One that was low on the list was peach. One thing living in an area surrounded by farms has taught me is that there isn’t just one kind of peach and the variety makes the difference. We have a huge peach orchard near the Colognoisseur Home Office. On a summer day I go over and grab a basket of what ever is ready. There is a point in the summer where there is a variety which is the ideal crisp refreshing fruit you want to bite into. If peach was low on my list when we moved here it has changed. Peach is a familiar ingredient in perfumery. One could even say it is too familiar. Which is why Shay & Blue White Peaches is such a nice change of pace.

Dom de Vetta

Shay & Blue has been one of those underappreciated perfume success stories. Founded in 2012 by Dom de Vetta he has overseen the production of a line of 22 perfumes working exclusively with a single perfumer, Julie Masse. If there is a consistent theme to the ones I enjoy most, is the creative team presents something I think I know in a new framing. Which is exactly what occurs in White Peaches. Peach is used as part of the classic peach chypres as well as a semi-gourmand peaches and cream; most of the time. In this case Mme Masse finds a refreshing chilly heart to the peach.

Julie Masse

That difference appears right from the start as this peach has that crisp snap to it that is unusual. Mme Masse underpins it with the support of narcissus to further keep things focused. Then in the heart she takes the herbal quality of elderflower and subsumes it into what she calls a “granita” accord. There is a hint of grape floating here along with the elderflower. This comes together like a frozen drink featuring St. Germain liqueur. It finishes with a gorgeous sliver birch wood foundation.

White Peaches has 10-12 hour longevity and average sillage.

Outside of citrus I tend to avoid the heavier fruits in warm weather. White Peaches is the antithesis of that as I will be reaching for it on the warmest days this summer. Probably on a trip to the orchard to pick up some real thing.

Disclosure: This review is based on a sample I purchased.

–Mark Behnke

New Perfume Review Shay & Blue Kings Wood- Szechuan Pineapple

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There are many things I believe contribute to the long-term success of an independent perfume brand. I write often that a clear creative vision shared with a single perfumer creates an aesthetic that becomes as recognizable as the bottle or the label. The lines which have all of that tend to be better. There is one brand which has all of that, but I wonder if there is another factor which might be missing; distribution.

Dom De Vetta

When I was working at CaFleureBon in 2012 we heard about a new English brand called Shay & Blue. Creatively directed by Dom De Vetta who started the brand after his time with Jo Malone. He also made the decision to work with an in-house perfumer, Julie Masse. They kept their goals modest working out of a boutique in London. It was always on my list of brands I expected would do well if it was more widely available. A couple years ago that became the case. What also happened was a creative uptick from a brand which I already admired for that. The most recent release keeps that roll going.

Julie Masse

Shay & Blue Kings Wood takes two of the most popular perfume ingredients of the last couple of years; Szechuan pepper and pineapple and shows them to their best effect. Mme Masse expertly finds new aspects of both to include in a modern evolution of fougere.

When I sprayed Kings Wood on I braced myself for the pineapple. It’s not my favorite ingredient. For the first minute or so the insipid sweetness I find unappealing was out in front. Then the Szechuan pepper I have found so versatile steps up and turns the pineapple in to something much more palatable. There is a kind of green herbal character to the Szechuan pepper. Mme Masse uses that to strip away the tropical fruit juice by overwriting it with that herbal-ness. That leaves an unripe tart fruit to represent the pineapple. It went from insipid to inspired in a flash. The Szechuan pepper accentuates the part of the pineapple I do like. This opening then nestles into a soft green fougere accord. It is a beautiful setting as the plush green picks up the green threads from the top notes. Making this a contemporary version of a fougere. The base accord is made up of oak and leather. Mme Masse uses a polished version of both wood and animalic effects.

Kings Wood has 12-14 hour longevity and average sillage.

There have been a lot of pineapple perfumes this year which have shown me that there is more to it as an ingredient than I thought. Kings Wood is right at the top of that list. I’m beginning to think it has more to do with the brand and the creative team than the ingredient. Kings Wood is ample proof of that hypothesis.

Disclosure: this review is based on a sample I purchased.

–Mark Behnke

New Perfume Review Shay & Blue Scarlet Lily- Intelligent Accord

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It is a great thing when a good European-based brand finds its way to the US. I always root for the good ones to have as much coverage as they can. The English brand Shay & Blue is one of these. Started by creative director Dom De Vetta five years ago it was a UK exclusive for a long time. Mr. De Vetta founded Shay & Blue after a tenure at Jo Malone London. As he started Shay & Blue he had the freedom to be a little more creative which has become one of the brand hallmarks. He has worked exclusively with perfumer Julie Masse developing an effective partnership which also helps define the Shay & Blue aesthetic. The latest release is Scarlet Lily.

Julie Masse and Dom De Vetta

Lily is a hard note to feature in fragrance; in its most prevalent version it can have a sterility to it. What gets forgotten is there are other versions of lily instead of the white version seen at weddings and funerals. There is a tawdry pink version called the Stargazer Lily which has a spicy core to it which imparts a bit more life into things. It is that one which is featured in Scarlet Lily.

Mme Masse opens Scarlet Lily floating on a watery lotus. It is a lovely choice as the aquatic nature is burned away by the spicy lily as it rises over the lotus like the sunrise. To keep the spicy heart out in front Mme Masses uses red pepper to provide an opaque piquancy. To buff the floral parts a bit of muguet and ylang-ylang provide support. All together it forms a lively spicy lily accord which is where Scarlet Lily lingers for hours before descending into the warm embrace of amber at the end.

Scarlet Lily has 8-10 hour longevity and average sillage.

Scarlet Lily is yet another reminder of the top-notch collection Mr. De Vetta is compiling here. They are all simple constructs but each carries more heft than their simplicity would imply. Scarlet Lily is another which shines by forming a compelling accord intelligently.

Disclosure : This review was based on a sample I purchased.

–Mark Behnke