The Cult of Gluttony: Parfums Viktoria Minya HEDONIST

I don't know about you, but I've always been a denizen in the cozy realm of excess. Maybe it's because I'm a Gen-Xer, or perhaps genetics, but I was certainly the result of a perfect storm.

For this group post, I chose the theme of The Seven Deadly Sins for me and my fellow bloggers, which quite honestly, is a topic that's always a lot of fun to meander through. I had to choose Gluttony, which led to the necessity of looking back over my lifetime so far and calculating the damage. Come to think of it, I see a few threads of Vanity to add more color to my story (as if it needs it).

An imaginative, richly nuanced fragrance called Hedonist emerged this year from Parfums Viktoria Minya, a new name on the scene. What makes the scent hedonistic? Well, I don't think it's the scent, exactly. It's where your mind goes once you've drawn it in a few times-- dangerous breaths that self-modify from long and deep to staccato. There is a tenuous balance present at all times, it's like watching a Slinky flip over itself again and again horizontally, and just when you think you've caught the perfect moment of jasmine and orange blossom, the kinetic flow changes; something nutty and rich pokes through and forces you to rethink it all. But the main emotion is always the same: insatiable hunger; a desire for more. The bottle presentation is equally opulent and rich (see below), and even the perfumer herself is an incredibly beautiful woman. So, yes, more of everything! Ripe fruits hint at impending decay, but it's all so sexy and maddening that you must relent-- this is limbo, luxury style. Hedonist has left a strong impression on me, and if I could bathe in it daily, you know that I would. It's sheer magic.

notes list: Rum, bergamot, peach, osmanthus absolute, orange flower absolute, jasmine absolute, tobacco, vanilla, cedarwood, vetiver

Hedonist is available for sale in the US at Luckyscent.com, a 45ml bottle is $195.

 

My attitude and experiences regarding excess in its familiar forms has always tied into the arts and pop culture, and Josh Homme of Queens of the Stone Age has long been a favorite icon of debauchery. Here are the ingredients that equal one Joshua Homme:
top notes of scanty inhibitions (if any), excessive talent and intelligence, heart is prone to overindulgence, justified swagger and base notes of self-loathing and self-awareness.
Homme's facile charm cloaks worlds of hurt and sickness, danger and pleasure beneath. It's the kind of truly self-deprecating, vain destructiveness that could only exist for our generation. The will and desire to cast it all into oblivion with copious amounts of whatever-- that's the quandary, the symptom and most definitely the solution.




"I got bruises and hickeys, stitches and scars
Got my own theme music, it plays wherever I are"
-from "Smooth Sailing", off Queens of the Stone Age's newest album, ...Like Clockwork

So how does perfume really tie into all of this? Well, if you're reading this, you probably experience at least some of the same lust and debauched habits with perfume as I do. In my head, when I listen to music and when I enjoy perfume, I lose myself in rapid-fire thoughts that spit out words and images. I try to document them. I try to tell the stories that are born from my comprehension of the art- stories that could not exist without consuming my fill of everything I desire. Maybe sin is part of my DNA, but shame is something I don't entertain. Those are the purest, truest moments of my life, and I treasure them.

Please visit my blogging partners and see how they mash up their perfumes and sins of choice:
Persolaise
Olfactoria's Travels
Fragrant Moments
The Candy Perfume Boy

Moody Rouge: Exploring mood and perfume with Rouge Bunny Rouge Fragrant Confections [a group blog]

One of the things I love about the little blogging group I'm a part of is that when it's each of our turns to choose the theme for the given post, there's always room for personal interpretation of the task. The lovely Birgit (Olfactoria's Travels) chose the theme this quarter-- and loosely, the task equates to choosing perfumes to enhance (or change) a mood. To my mind, this is a huge part of how we perfume-obsessed folks are hard-wired. Fragrance is a tool we can use to self-diagnose and self-medicate: pile it on or pare it down, move laterally or in circles-- it's what sets the tone for the day or evening. I also utilize music and fashion in similar ways. Whether I choose to push forward into reality or perpetuate fantasy is another consideration, as my moods are apt to change on a dime, which is one reason why I need a large collection of perfumes. The other reasons I really can't justify with any kind of viable logic, unfortunately.

I've become completely charmed by Rouge Bunny Rouge's initial perfume trio, consisting of Vespers, Chatoyant and Lilt. They are like girls I know and love. They're models and they're beautiful and full of easy, unaffected quirkiness and prone to spontaneous fits of joy/anger/sadness-- whatever the drama du jour may bring. Each girl/fragrance is quite different from the next, but you really must meet them in a group. Rouge Bunny Rouge calls their fragrances "Fragrant Confections", and there is a very charming enchanted garden theme (an extensive one, which falls in line with the brand's already well-wrought whimsical vibe) attached to it. I must admit that my attention can only be held for a few seconds when it comes to the marketing back stories-- I'm just a straight-up juice hound. These fragrances speak for themselves, which is what everyone hopes for: the perfumer, the brand, and the wearer. The gorgeous artwork that accompanies each fragrance is one of the coolest aspects of the entire collection (see illustrations below).

Vespers is the most youthful of the trio. Innocence is its strongest force, backed by the kind of self-confidence that is inherent in only a few, and exhibited humbly in even fewer. This composition is largely based on muguet, rose and a tart pop of green apple. It's a bubbly, decidedly un-serious yet tenacious floral fragrance and has the appeal of freshly-scrubbed beauty. The drydown features a somewhat predictable combination of sandalwood, vanilla, cedarwood and musk, however, that rose and muguet combo will stick with you to the bitter end. Lovers of warm floral fragrance-lovers will want this one for spring and summer.
[perfumer: Sonia Constant]

Vespers

What Vespers would wear

Lilt is the edgy, funny girl. Her fragrance brief might state that she would like something that technically is a perfume to be worn, but that it shouldn't necessarily smell like one. It should smell like fig leaves and twigs being crunched under a pair of Balenciaga studded combat boots. Insanely verdant, an overdose of all the things you liked best about Premier Figuer and Philosykos, but GREENER. Not a grain of sugar in sight, but definitely a wink and a smile. This girl reminds me of the graphic novel character Death, who is undeniably goth, but has a cheerful affect about her. She may be Death, but she appreciates what it means to live, breathe, love and steal moments filled with curiosity and reverence. Other notes include peach, cocoa, violet, vetiver and musk, but once you get a hit of that green GREEN stuff, you won't want to move past it. Once you do though, it becomes the sticky, ripe fruit that its verdant beginnings promised us. Weird, beautiful, unforgettable.
[perfumer: Shyamala Maisondieu]

Lilt

Death-- from the comics & graphic novel by Neil Gaiman

The first time Rouge Bunny Rouge sent me samples, they had all leaked and there was nothing left in the atomizers. I smelled the remnants of one perfume more than the others, and whichever one it was, I needed more of it as soon as possible. Enter Chatoyant. Its opening is all sparkling citrus with a bit of pepper, and after about 10 seconds, everything starts to groove together. I love it when that happens. Enter a deceivingly light floral heart of orchid, jasmine, rose and muguet. The base consists of sandalwood, cedarwood, musk and vanilla. Pretty similar to Miss Vespers, don't you think? Chatoyant is a very different animal. Her sartorial style dictates that she strategically highlight at least one body part at all times-- she's Jessica Rabbit; she's Angelina Jolie in the black dress with the slit practically up to her hip. Chatoyant is sex, maybe too much of it, barely contained and concealed. The effect of each note rising up to meet the others is one of  sensory rapture- and experiencing the full effect of the drydown adds another element of complicated emotion to this hot mess of a girl you just can't stay away from. The journey ends with surprising warmth and wisdom.
[perfumer: Franc Deleamont]

Chatoyant

Chatoyant brings to mind this vintage Schiaparelli Shocking ad

So now that you've gotten to know these distinct personalities and their many moods, it's worth mentioning that wearing all three fragrances at once DOES actually work quite well. That's because this is a very well-designed collection, and I wouldn't believe for a second that anything here was a happy accident. Major props go to RBR creative director Alexandra de Monfort and all three perfumers for making a memorable first collection. This brand is officially on my radar.

Each 50ml EDP bottle is $129 and is available in the US at Beautyhabit.com.
[I should also mention that I'm in love with my Rouge Bunny Rouge lip gloss and eye shadow as well-- highly recommended]

For more explorations of the connections we make between mood and fragrance, visit my partners-in-crime:
Olfactoria
Persolaise
Fragrant Moments
Candy Perfume Boy

[perfume samples provided by Rouge Bunny Rouge for my consideration]

The Best of 2012: Fragrance

2012 was a fabulous year for fragrance, and I didn't even get to try half of all the launches that I wanted to. I took great pains to create this list in order for it to reflect the scents that have made the biggest impact on me in various ways this past year. Some have become an indispensable part of my daily life, others so precious that I'll only break them out once in awhile, and a couple that I think are profoundly interesting but that I might not wear much myself. In any case, they are all noteworthy, and they are listed below in no particular order.



Neela Vermeire Trayee
Neela Vermeire Creations kicked off the year in perfume in a very attention-grabbing way with the launch of her initial trio: Trayee, Mohur and Bombay Bling. While all three are beautiful, for my tastes, Trayee is one of the best perfumes I have ever smelled and is in a class of its own. Intended to represent the Vedic era of ancient Indian history, it definitely inspires in me what could definitely be considered spiritual bliss. Green cardamom pods, milky, cinnamon-spiked rice and a ganja accord are just a few of the highlights which add up to the sum of this truly enchanting, wholly unique perfume.

Ramon Monegal Cuirelle
I have worn Cuirelle more than any other perfume in the past year due to its versatility and perfect, genderless beauty. Its bright, positively charged shock of Somalian incense, leather and traditional floral heart notes never fails to lift my spirits. Everyone I know who has tried it has been taken in by its inviting, spiced, cashmere-like warmth. This is one perfume I don't intend to ever go without if I can help it.

Phaedon Grisens
This fragrance brandishes its sandalwood in a very intoxicating way, combining it with incense notes (yes, more incense, and there's more to come). This is a divine perfume that is so wildly attractive, it borders on an addiction for me. If you are a true lover of sandalwood and lament its scarcity as I do, buy Grisens. I'm not certain whether the sandalwood is the result of aromachemicals or not, but I don't care, and you won't either. Trust me.

Maria Candida Gentile Lady Day
The impossible has happened. I've found a gardenia-based perfume that I love. Why has Lady Day broken through a wall where other gardenias have feared to merely approach? It's because of its fresh angle. What Sheldrake did for tuberose with Tuberose Criminelle is what Italian artisan perfumer Maria Candida Gentile has done for gardenia. It's not for those looking for a traditionally pretty floral perfume-- Lady Day's appeal lies in its camphorous growl and its sharp, leafy edge. Maria has taken certain fresh facets of the flower (still firmly planted in the ground) and exaggerated them to stunning effect. A beautiful tribute, just as unique as its namesake, Billie Holiday.

By Kilian Amber Oud
Amber Oud is the most recent addition to Kilian Hennessy's Arabian Nights Collection, and it stands out from the crowd. The words "Amber" and "oud" hardly begin to describe the transcendent nature of this perfume. It begs to be explained in Aramaic or Sanskrit, neither of which I can touch. It reminds me of  a beautiful, dark-haired man or woman of ancient royal lineage, resplendent in earth-toned silks and adorned with a diadem made of burnished gold, pale topaz and sapphires. Not of this world, yet somehow, perfectly representative of it. It's very much worth the hefty price tag, and more. Certainly one of Calice Becker's best compositions of all time.

Aftelier Sepia
Sepia is the perfect combination of all the things I love most about Mandy Aftel's body of work and perfumery style. High quality, substantial natural essences are combined in such a way as to remove the excess weight of them and push forward a decidedly ethereal, finely detailed aesthetic. Sepia was inspired by one of Aftel's obsessions- California ghost towns. As the more volatile (mostly fruity) components of the fragrance change and fade, the bones of the composition is exposed: honeyed resins, dry, dusky  woods and the breath of layer upon layer of warm, earthy delights- such as ambergris and oud. Sepia has claimed its stake as a superstar in Aftelier's already stellar lineup.

JUL ET MAD Stilettos on Lex
New French brand JUL ET MAD came onto the scene with a very refreshing combination of romance and reality, as well as a nicely edited concept for their collection. Their first three fragrances are a chronological and geographical charting of creators Julien and Madalina's real-life love story. Stilettos on Lex represents the initial phase of seduction, and once you experience this masterful tuberose-centered perfume, you'll understand why. It manages an impressive level of sophistication while unabashedly flaunting its sensuality-- just like a great pair of Louboutins. Stilettos is tart on top, coolly floral in the middle and has a smooth, rich base. The raw materials are of excellent quality and are blended with great skill.  My hope is that a light will now shine brightly on the talent of Robertet perfumer Dorothee Piot, who authored all three JUL ET MAD creations.

Thierry Mugler Taste of Fragrance: Alien
Mugler's Limited Edition Taste of Fragrance collection was overall, quite interesting. My favorite of the bunch is Alien. The original Alien doesn't do a whole lot for me, but it's pleasant enough. This iteration, however, feels extraordinary: sweet bitter almond scented poisoned buttercream, cherries macerated in Chartreuse liqueur, fine hides impregnated with violet and orange blossom and fashioned into saddles. Its an awfully strange perfume and stokes the imagination into creating wild narratives-- which is precisely the reason Mugler's fragrances and couture have stood the test of time.

Amouage Opus VI
Well, I knew it was going to happen sooner or later. My odd-numbered Opus fetish has ended. I was starting to think Numerology was behind it all, until VI came along and convinced me that you can't really put a number on what the heart wants, anyway. Opus VI from The Library Collection is a very appealing combination of peppery, anisic sweet warmth and a variety of resins, musks and woods that Amouage fans will recognize. What makes VI special in my eyes is the marriage of its nose-tickling, eyelash-curling jolt of pepper and the cool, sweet marzipan-- it's a real treat to enjoy them simultaneously. This is gold to the fragrance-obsessed.

April Aromatics Calling All Angels
Calling All Angels is the first (and only, thus far) in the Angel series of fragrances created by natural perfumer Tanja Bochnig. Yet another perfume on my list that is based around incense, this one is starkly different from the others. It has the power of evoking the very dry, sweet smoke of fine incense instead of just the materials that comprise the incense. Angels' warm, arid amber qualities inspire the feeling of being protected, and its aromatic leanings are immediately comforting.  If you are a lover of amber and/or incense fragrances, this is a must-try. If you don't care for natural perfumes, try it anyway. This will likely be the one to change your mind.

Please visit the year-end posts of the other members of this blogging group as well (as if you could resist):
Persolaise
Fragrant Moments
Olfactoria's Travels

Ladies with an attitude... [a group blog]

Thankfully, I have been alive long enough to see each and every incarnation of Madonna's propensity and talent for reinvention, and I remember each one vividly. When has Madonna not been pretty much the coolest person in pop music? Even now, Lady Gaga with her hybridization of Marilyn Manson and Madonna, cannot hold a candle to the extremes Madonna has explored and conquered. Madonna is the Mother of Re-Invention, and she has flags planted in practically every arena-- including a bullfighting one.

So goes the theme of our group blog chosen this time around by Persolaise. Please take a few moments to check out the posts of my peers as well:

Persolaise
Candy Perfume Boy (our special guest)
Fragrant Moments

(Yep, just me and the boys this time-- just as Madge herself would have it)

I sort of thrive off of different arts coming together for any purpose, but music, fashion and perfume? That's the mother-lode. I'm going to share two of my favorite Madonna eras and pair them with what I consider to be the ideal perfume for that era.

Vogue




Not many of us knew anything about the real Vogueing scene happening in NYC when this song and video came out, so Madonna's ultra-stylized version in her video gave us a taste of something new (to us, anyway). The best part about the statement that Vogue made at the time was Madonna's homage to the most fabulous women and men of the past, mostly in the Golden Age of Hollywood. When Madonna sings "Greta Garbo gave good face", no one could argue with that. Madonna shows love for those style mavens who came before her, and it's every bit as delicious as the dapper minimalist suits worn in the video.

All these classic references deserve a classic perfume, and to my mind, it must be a Guerlain-- more specifically, Mitsouko, an exemplary chypre created in 1919 by Jaques Guerlain.

The delicate but persistent anisic note in the classic Mousse de Saxe accord is my favorite part of the Mitsouko experience. Brightly aromatic and rich, spicy and overtly sexual, this is a fragrance for grown-ups. Even though the heart boasts a punch of peach, I think it suits men and women equally. If you're lucky enough to possess even a few drops of the vintage extrait, you understand the earthy power of natural oak moss. 

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Like most people fond of Madonna's particular brand of pop, I have a soft spot for her early days. Desperately Seeking Susan first hit theaters in 1985, and as we all know, the plot leaves something to be desired, but Madonna's sexy urban nonchalance as Susan made a lot of sense to me. Everybody tried to dance like her, look like her, and display the level of confidence she innately had. She made even the most questionable wardrobe pieces seem like she was born to wear them, which leads me to the song...

Into the Groove

Nobody does a healthy combination of the sacred AND profane like Etat Libre d'Orange, and Antoine Maisondieu's Encens et Bubblegum is the perfect example. Even the perfumer's surname fits right in.

Okay, so I can't ever recall a time when Madonna projected innocence exactly, but her music heavily leaned towards bubblegum in the early days. The incense represents the consistent use of religious symbols (whether they are subtle or meant to be obvious) in practically everything she's ever done. I mean, nothing says "I'm a reformed Catholic!" quite like sugary-sweet, hot pink bubblegum paired with the intoxicating, ecclesiastical cool of frankincense, right?

Have any of you tried Madonna's perfume Truth Or Dare? I love the visual aesthetic of the bottle and graphic on it, but I've not sampled it yet. I'm tempted to, though. The power of pop compels me!

My Top 7 Fall Fragrances [to wear with a favorite leather jacket]

For our Top Fall Fragrances lists this year, my esteemed blogging partners and I agreed on a total of 7 fragrances. It's finally Fall, my favorite season of the year, I love to make lists, and as a bonus, Summer's over with!

I would say that each of the fragrances I have listed hold an important place in my Fall scent wardrobe-- so important that I carry small decants of them around with me in my go-to Badgley Mischka bag [yes, black leather with a heavy silver chain]. Most of my favorite perfumes smell the best in cool, crisp weather, clinging to my skin like the coolest and most indispensable accessory. That brings me to my growing obsession with the intersection of perfume and fashion, and my very favorite piece of clothing of all time-- one that is for me, very emblematic of the season.

My Muu Baa black leather biker jacket with tarnished gunmetal pyramid studs that I snagged at ASOS a couple years ago is one of only a very few of my possessions [besides perfume] that truly intoxicates me. Its perfection is almost frightening, its style is enduring, and the psychological and physical armor it forms around me is practically impenetrable.

I have a couple dozen perfumes that are wonderful to wear with leather, but this Fall, I will be wearing the following 7 without fail:

Comme des Garcons Eau de Parfum is a facetious little plasticky, exploding monkey-ish thing that stole my heart immediately and feels very much like home on my skin, especially with The Jacket.

Byredo M/Mink-- hardcore, slightly caustic synthetic woody overdose, but not the overused and tragically cheap kind. No, it has a totally unique and captivating passive-aggressive murkiness about it that insists on walking a few paces ahead of me. It's all-drydown, all the time.

Ramon Monegal Impossible Iris is a sparkling rendition of orris with a peppery top, the lusciousness of raspberry to smooth it out and most importantly, the perfect amount of high-quality cedar. It's an incredibly versatile and beautiful fragrance that I'm certain will stand the test of time.

Thierry Mugler Taste of Fragrance: Alien is the only real gourmand fragrance in the bunch. Actual leather plus lots of sugar is insta-cloying to me, but Alien from the Le Gout series really works. It's an artfully smooth and slightly tart cherry-vanilla marzipan with the growl of a slick, animalic puff of musk lurking below. My kind of gourmand-- and much more attractive than the original.

Maria Candida Gentile Exultat: this is one of my favorite perfumes of the year-- a very dry, woody incense with generous (but fleeting) lift at the top courtesy of bitter orange and lime. The heart of violet burns beautifully into the final stage of powdery woods. If I had an unlimited supply of this fragrance, I'd go through a bottle every month, easily.  I only wish it were available in a higher concentration, but it is exquisite.

Phaedon Noir Marine-- a strong, legitimate player in the ever-elusive (make that practically extinct) fragrance category of Gorgeous Marine. It's a salty, silky scent with the seductive marine qualities  suspended within a web of unexpected depth provided by peppermint, tobacco and a couple of aromatic herbs. It reminds me of a discontinued favorite- Black Sea by Martine Micallef. Now I don't have to mourn its loss any longer.

Gorilla Perfumes at LUSH The Smell of Weather Turning is an invigorating, green-ish, twiggy, irresistibly camphorous and snappy earth scent that is probably the most obvious pick in the bunch, but it deserves its spot. I've fallen hard for several LUSH perfumes this past year, and I'm convinced that their consistently good offerings give you the absolute best bang for your buck. Highly wearable and equally imaginative.

Have any of you built a fragrance wardrobe around a single piece of clothing or an accessory? Please do chime in if you have. When you love fragrance and fashion so much you could just burst, something like this is bound to happen.

For more Top Fall Fragrance lists, visit my friends at these fabulous blogs:
Persolaise
Olfactoria's Travels
Fragrant Moments