Warble of the Cranes, Berdoues Péng Lái

My fascination for the culture of far East countries started when I was only few years old. I would watch National Geographic with my parents and episodes about Japan were always most interesting for me. I also watched some anime which was quite an entertainment. Later on I would also develop an interest in other countries in the East. In their newest fragrance Maison Berdoues takes us through a narrative of a Chinese legend of eight immortals who lived on Penglai Island and who fought evil with their special powers. Goddess of flowers – He Xiangu was among those 8.

Péng Lái has a fresh and juicy beginning that brings to mind mandarin orange from a Mediterranean orchard somewhere in Italy, Spain or Greece. There’s some sweetness to it but it’s less pronounced than in other fragrances featuring this note. Maybe it’s because I could already notice that something tart & exotic is beginning to develop in the background. Few minutes later that thing got stronger and it smelled like pomegranate. Its sour tastes balances the citrus sweetness. The opening is calm and serene but it has something that awakens the senses. It’s like a shot of energy for a good day.

15 minutes later Berdoues Péng Lái becomes gently fruity but in a non-straightforward way. Apricot-like aroma builds up over time but it’s actually more floral than fruity from some point. There’s an easy explanation to that happening as in a central place of this perfume there’s osmanthus. It’s this little flower that introduces the apricot impression when you smell Péng Lái on your skin. It’s very pretty and calm; at the same time it effuses some floral tones that blend nicely together. These nuances make the perfume more interesting & piques curiosity about what’s coming next.

In a further development stage osmanthus presents yet its another facet – this time it’s the smell reminiscent of green tea. It has a pleasant and inviting warmth. Then Péng Lái transforms into something aquatic and more transparent. It continues to smell floral & has a gently creamy backnote. Could it be that this stage was meant to evoke the smell of lotus flower? No matter what I’m happy with the result. Péng Lái is a light perfume but this is exactly what I’m often looking for in the spring/summer season – a perfume that smells on the surface of my skin, nowhere farther.

Drydown of this new Berdoues composition is somewhat surprising. From fresher fruity-floral tendencies Péng Lái ventures towards more oriental direction. Mouth-watering benzoin adds a balsamic smoothness to the blend. Its aroma that combines elements of caramel, balms and resins melts with your skin. The perfume almost becomes your second skin. Additionally tonka bean from Brazil adds a creamy & aromatic sensation that makes you salivate even more. Péng Lái is far from being gourmand but it’s end phase smells really delicious. The whole perfume is really well-made.

Péng Lái from Berdoues is a great addition to the line. It’s true that I don’t like all of the offerings from their Grands Crus collection but the ones that I like – I like them a lot. It’s a perfect fit for the upcoming warm months. Also please note that brand only provides 3 main themes for Péng Lái – these are Chinese Osmanthus, Laotian benzoin and Brazilian tonka bean. Therefore my review and some notes I suggested might not be accurate. A bottle of Péng Lái is decorated with white cranes and colorful lotus pattern. It’s a very light composition, lasting around 5 hours… but it’s oh so pretty!

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Monday Quick Sniffs, part 45

Monday Quick Sniffs are so rooted in my writing habits that I couldn’t do without them in 2018. Here I go with part 45, which also happens to be a first installment of the series this year. Enjoy!

Maison Berdoues expanded their Collection Grands Crus with two fragrances. Couple of months after Maasai Mara was introduced I learned about Hoja de Cuba coming up next. I quite like this perfume series and Maasai Mara is a great fragrance in my opinion but I can’t say the same about Hoja de Cuba. It opens with a vetiver that provides a mixture of grassy, earthy, rooty and dried tones. Afterwards the perfume gains a spicy edge thanks to pimento. On my skin it was rather nice and toned down. It was far from overpowering. Disappointment came a bit later when tobacco started to become noticeable. It smells nothing like a sensual, smoky pipe tobacco that I prefer. In Hoja de Cuba it’s not smoky at all, it smells surprisingly floral & I get shivers of disapproval when a lot of sweetness comes up. The sugary coat covered the entire perfume bringing my teeth to the point they wanted to scream for help. There’s too much vanilla (or honey, because later it develops a honey scent). Well… I tried it, gave it a grin and am ready to move on.

Almost 2 months ago I was contacted by a representative of Sana Jardin, a recently opened perfume house that introduces themselves as “the world’s first socially conscious and ethical fragrance house” wanting to economically empower women (female flower harvesters). I received couple of samples and from the ones that were sent to me I liked Tiger by Her Side the most. This fragrance is overally delicate, opening with a gentle golden shimmer of amber. It floats just above the skin surface and there’s that lovely fluffiness to it that instantly gives me the impression of something soft, furry. Perhaps a friendly tiger who likes to cuddle. Or at least a blanket with tiger print. After some time there’s a glimpse of rose – its scent is slightly dusty. Patchouli could provide this dustiness but it also adds some earthly values to the scent and make the perfume more deep. Frankincense makes Tiger by Her Side smokier, more mysterious & there’s also something leathery to it on my skin. My only issue with this scent is its minimal sillage and that it becomes a bit flat after 2-3 hours. But I still recommend trying it.

Lò from Acqua di Sardegna is a funny and weird fragrance at the same time. It starts with a delicious cinnamon note that combines spicy and sweet facets in perfect proportions. Couple of minutes later a sensual red-tinged saffron joins the composition making the perfume intensively warm and almost carnal. However things change when grapefruit appears giving the entire Lò a new, soapy shape. It starts to smell clean, soapy with spicy elements still being noticeable. Green notes push the perfume deeper into the soapy territory. Heart of the composition is more fresh and crisp – combining the juiciness of apple with aromatic, floral-green aspect of geranium. Base notes manage to push the soapiness away, revealing a generous dose of fuzzy suede immersed by the oily scent of smokiness. Patchouli makes it more dirty and rotting and so does musk note. As you can see there are many shifts and turns in this scent but I’m not sure if I like how it develops. To me it’s kind of chaotic, not to mention that transitions are quite drastic, “dramatic” if you can use such expression. But it exists on the market and probably has some fans. Bottle however is very pretty, right?