Monday Quick Sniffs, part 17

Byredo Bullion is a really funny perfume to me. Probably because in Polish we have a word “bulion” (written with one “L”) and it means a soup base. Even though Bullion has nothing to do with bulion, I can’t escape the connection of the names. On my skin Byredo Bullion starts with a floral smell of tiny osmanthus flowers. To me the note smell like a green tea infusion, flavored with apricot. After 10-15 minutes it turns fruity with plum that is dried and smoked. Addition of leather accord highlights the smoky and balmy character that Bullion just gained. Some time later the fragrance gets watered down, maybe because of magnolia. There was also a pale woodiness of sandalwood and other woods, described at Fragrantica as “dark woodsy notes.” 5 hours later, in the drydown there’s a lot of musk, white and quite clean with a hint of spiciness sourced from pink pepper. All in all Bullion by Byredo is a nice perfume but on me it’s very weak in terms of longevity and projection. If somebody has tried it – please share and tell if the perfume sticks to your skin for longer than 6 hours. It was launched in 2012.

Ambre Muscadin by Laurent Mazzone’s LM Parfums was introduced in 2011. To me it opens with a tsunami of honey. In the opening stage there’s a lot of bright sweetness and luckily it’s not sticky or cloying. It just wraps around your arms and becomes warmer and warmer, softer and softer. Musk plays a significant role in this perfume. It’s sensual and erotic. Not exactly clean as it has some dirtier facets bringing to mind a view of sweaty, sporty body. Amber is luminous here. Not plastic at all but more mineral, slightly marine-salty with a noticeable tones from cedar wood. Later on vanilla and benzoin amplify the amber accord adding it more depth and weight. They add a creamy and slightly gourmand feeling to the composition of Ambre Muscadin. The notes of amber, musk, honey, entwine with each other creating a harmony of aromas. This perfume is potent and it never overpowers despite having such powerful ingredients. In the drydown of this LM Parfums creation I detect some woody aroma (vetiver) combined with sheer beauty of flowers (violets). I also get a hint of suede. Ambre Muscadin is a great perfume. Lasts for quite long and has a decent sillage that becomes more intimate after some time. Ideal for a cold weather.

Gold Rush by A Dozen Roses is an interesting perfume, a marriage of floral and gourmand flavors. First of all it starts with a refreshing orange blossom that has a really nice aroma. It lasts for around 20 minutes and then a sheer, watered-down and pink rose joins the composition to give it a proper dose of femininity. At 45 minutes mark I started to notice the creamy accord of ylang-ylang that was slowly evolving into a sweet’n’spicy mix of mexican chocolate. There’s a lot of pleasant milkiness in Gold Rush. The choco accord is really well made here. Then a forest fruit accord appears on my skin. Blackberries join the chocolate note and the desert is almost ready. Just add a little bit of woody elements, sprinkles of ebony and finish everything with a pinch of spices. Et voila! As much as I generally don’t like gourmand scents Gold Rush is quite acceptable thanks to the addition of woods and spices. Still, I wouldn’t wear it because I find it too feminine.