Monday Quick Sniffs – Part 49

If you’re a fan of Lubin (I am not, in case somebody was wondering) you might want to know that the brand has released a new perfume – Princesses de Malabar. The composition, classified as floriental opens with a gentle whisper of clean bergamot that quickly fades away, revealing a floral bouquet. Magnolia plays a primary role here, giving off a scent that is creamy, slightly powdery and flowery but in a watery way. However there’s some saturation to that part, potentially provided by iris that gives more body to this new Lubin. Later I smell peach so one would expect a fruity twist but no, instead of juicy-lactonic fruit flesh only the fuzziness of peach skin appears in Princesses de Malabar. Creamy and sunny ylang-ylang blend with amber and tonka to finally create the floriental accord that’s rather solar, warm and snuggly. Some faint jasmine can be picked at times but afterwards my nose mostly registers sandalwood, some white musk and even more fluffiness. Maybe that’s a cotton flower? This perfume is safe and sort of bland, not intriguing.

MEM by Bogue is a composition that was introduced in 2017. The beginning is a soapy lavender note – clean and pleasant, that after a couple of minutes develops a sweeter, honey-like facet. A little bit further and the scent becomes more citrusy with juicy mandarin and more sour grapefruit. The latter one has a minimal sweaty vibe to it. On my skin lavender remains the strongest part of MEM for quite a while, turning more floral-creamy over time. There’s ylang-ylang and champaca flower to introduce that creamy, slightly exotic feeling. Later on the perfume turns more crispy and herbaceous. Peppermint or geranium can be noticed as well. Drydown has a nice sensuality and warmth. I get a generous dose of balmy, slightly boozy vanilla. It is followed by benzoin to add more oriental & balsamic touch to MEM. Woody base that focuses on sandalwood and cedar feels substantive and has a creamy finish. After a couple of hours I can still smell that soapy lavender from earlier but now it has a company of labdanum to make it carnal and smoky. Amber adds luminosity while musk, ambergris and civet create a fur-like effect; animalic but very elegant and toned down. It’s a nice fragrance but it didn’t make me want to go for more.

I like Histoires de Parfums mostly for their 1725 and Rosam which I love and wear regularly. Last year they introduced a collection of three fragrances titled En Aparte and Outrecuidant is one of them. This particular composition opens with a handful of spices that warm up instantly as they touch your skin. Pleasant fizziness of ginger, with its lemon-imitating yet more tingly scent promises a nice continuation. Cardamom drags the fragrance into more nutty, roasted territory of spiciness. In heart of the composition a rose blooms – its dark, crimson petals are saturated with fragrant molecules but on my skin it’s not pronounced as much. It’s there and it has depth but it doesn’t surround me. Appearance of frankincense leads to marriage of these two notes and such combo is well-known in perfumery. In late development stage Outrecuidant effuses notes of smooth, golden-colored tobacco mixed with dense, oily oud and earthy patchouli. Not a bad perfume at all but one of “been there, done that” kind. Rosam is better.

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