Travelling Box of Perfume – Notes from Nancy

As weeks pass by I can assure you that our Travelling Box of Perfume is on the move. Over the last 2 weeks it was resting at Nancy’s house as she thoroughly explored its contents. But she has finished a couple of days ago and while the Box is on its way to the next person Nancy would like to share with you her impressions, her likes and dislikes. Read until end to find out what she’s added!

***

Your general impression of the box once it arrived…
I was totally in awe of all the goodies in the box! It arrived on a day when I was feeling particularly blue, so I was most grateful to see it in my mailbox. It took a while to just unpack the box….every time I thought I had reached the bottom, there was more to see, and many fragrances were from houses I’d never heard of before.

Favorite perfume in the box…
My favorite from the box is undoubtedly Areej le Dore Russian Oud. It is the absolute best oud I’ve ever tried. It’s a bit balsamic, a bit smoky, but not too much, and is almost chocolate like in the dry down.  I love it from the initial application all the way to the end. I’ve truly never tried a perfume like this before, and now I want to try the whole line RIIIIGHT NOOOOWWWW!

Least favorite perfume in the box…
Annick Goutal Sables was by far my least favorite from the box. I adore the Goutal line, and have several of her fragrances, but immortelle just does not work on my skin. Curry and imitation maple flavoring ran rampant on my wrist. I had to shower to get it off, but hey! There’s more for everyone else!

Mini reviews
Aedes de Venustas EdP. As I’m writing this, it’s early in the morning. I’m eating leftover quiche and drinking my morning tea and loving how I smell. It’s a sophisticated citrus with some spice that makes it very unisex. I have already ordered a small decant of this gem, as the summers are endlessly hot and humid where I live, and this is a cut above the usual citrusy colognes I wear. So happy to have tried this.
Hylnds Foxglove. Hmmm. Started out as a perfectly serviceable fruity floral, but after 30 minutes, it just disappeared from my skin. Poof! Just gone.
Teo Cabanel Early Rose. This is a very realistic and softly done rose, quite easy to wear. It would be perfect in an office situation if perfume grinches are around, or if one works in an open environment. It was such a pleasure to have the opportunity to test several perfumes from this line!
SIP Musc Botanique. Oh dear. I got no musk from this one at all. It was a combination of bug spray and a cooking oil that quite possibly has gone rancid. I’ve never tried anything from Strange Invisible Perfumes before, and I’m very afraid.
Dior Gris Montaigne. This is a beautiful, crisp rose, with a citrus accent, and I adore it. It’s the sophisticated older sister of Grace Coddington, and she’s ready for a night out on the town. Great for late spring or early summer (now), and I need to scare up a decant of this from somewhere. Lovely.
4160 Tuesdays Centrepiece. Honey and green tea at the start, this is a tea perfume I can wear easily. There is something wintergreenish in this, but somehow it’s not cool or minty. Can anyone identify this note? I’m stumped. This has the same characteristic as other 4160’s I’ve tried….it hums along nicely from start to end, maybe not a lot of development, but a pleasure to wear.
PdE Musc Tonkin. I was really eager to try this one. Danger Will Robinson: you only need one spritz. It was overwhelmingly floral and ‘perfumey’ at first, but after 45 minutes it calmed down to a very wearable musk. My favorite in this genre is Musc Ravageur, which has great presence and might be better balanced than this PdE. Then again, I’m not a very experienced perfumista yet, and I may have overapplied!
Arquiste Boutonniere. This is a very well composed gardenia perfume, and I tried it with an open mind. My skin tends to amplify gardenia, but I keep trying them, periodically. They keep hating me, consistently.
Solstice Wilcox’s. I’ve not tried this line before, but I feel a sample order coming on. Very herbal, starts out camphorous, then relaxes into the warming spices. This dries down so beautifully. I need a decant of this to apply an hour before bedtime, because it is seriously relaxing. Really, try this an hour before your head hits the pillow.
April Aromatics Rose L’Orange. Wow. The rose and orange blossom are beautifully blended here. I’ve tried OB perfumes that I had to scrub off (I think it was a Serge?), and BWF’s typically don’t work for me, but the big, beautiful opening somehow works on me. It softens nicely in an hour, but is still detectable as a bit more than a skin level scent. I don’t need a FB of this, probably not a decant either, but testing this perfume was a lesson that a big orange blossom can work on my skin.

I have so enjoyed testing these perfumes. It was a real treat to try perfumes that I’ve heard mentioned on blogs for a couple of years now, but never had the opportunity to experience. Thank you for including me in the experience that is the Magical Traveling Box of Perfume!

Out of the box
1907 Mon Ame decant – this is a beautiful fruity floral that works on my skin, and I love it top to bottom. Jasmine and LOTV are here, but they are perfectly balanced, and the soft tonka in the base is, well, just lovely.
M-A Barrois B683 decant – I had a moment, actually several moments with this one. It’s the most wonderful leather fragrance I’ve ever tried. It lasted a good 10 hours and is delightful throughout the wear, with some patchouli, spices and a dry vanilla to enrich it. I’m saving my pennies for this one.
Areej le Dore Russian Oud decant – I’ve never tried anything from this line, and could be in trouble. I’ve never tried an oud like this one before. It’s an oud, but also a gourmand, and wears comfortably when I first applied it, as if it had already settled on my skin for a couple of hours. Balsamic, some smoke and chocolate. I’m weak for this, and I am keeping it.
La Perfumerie Moderne Belles Rives decant – effervescent loveliness, citrusy, but with some iris in there as well. I might need a bottle of this one, because I could wear it in all seasons except deep winter, which lasts approximately 2.3 seconds around here.
Aedes de Venustas EdP sample vial – I need this to tide me over until my decant arrives!

Into the box
MCG Lankaran Forest – citrus and black tea, plus some spice
Hiram Green Arbole Arbole – lush, earthy patchouli
Ramon Monegal Cuirelle – I have a bottle of this. People need to try this gently spicy, vetivery leather
Phlur Greylocke – vetiver and pine
Diptyque Do Son – white floral
Atelier Musc Imperiale – woody floral with a surprise of clary sage
Chanel Gardenia – very ladylike as you’d expect
Chanel 1957 – I got in on a split recently, and decided to draw off a bit of it for others to try
Guerlain Teazzurra – easy to wear tea fragrance, especially in the dog days of summer
Jacomo Silences – a lovely NSTer sent me this one, and it’s a classic green floral – passing it on so others can experience it, too
Frederic Malle Musc Ravageur – I have a bottle of this one too, and feel the need to pass some on in case others haven’t tried it yet
Maison Margiela Dancing on the Moon – weird white floral with datura in it, I’m sure
Arquiste Nanban – dry oriental with lots of spices and some tea, might be more masculine than femme

Advertisement