Have a nice day, Ramon Monegal Lovely Day

Fruity is definitely not my favorite group of fragrances. But as all perfumistas like a little change every now and then, there are days when I actually crave for some fruity composition to wear. Fragrance such as Neela Vermeire Creations Bombay Bling is an instant fruity mood-lifter. Another one that I recently revisited and found particularly interesting among fruity blends available on niche market is Lovely Day, a perfume from Spanish line – Ramon Monegal Barcelona.

This perfume opens on my skin with brisky and tart aroma of black currant. It has bright and luminous smell that is reminiscent of the rays of light sparkling on a berry surface like a beam of light on a disco ball. The flavor this black currant emanates is so realistic and true that you might feel almost like you were taking a stroll around a berry garden. It also makes me salivate. After 15-20 minutes I begin to detect some delicate spicy tones composed of unprecise spices.

Then Lovely Day unveils a charming floral bouquet made of carefully selected flowers of fresh flowers with beautiful petals. First you can smell a slightly indolic jasmine that is blended with a big accord of white flowers. Despite some indol being present there I have an overal feeling of freshness and tidiness coming from the jasmine note. A while later the perfume releases a rosy tone. It’s sheer pink, rather feminine and delicate. When combined with jasmine it kind of smells like an exquisite fabric softener. In fact Lovely Days smells really great when sprayed on t-shirt.

When you wear this perfume for a couple of hours this fruity & floral mixture of black currant, rose and jasmine will start to develop more powdery impression created thanks to the iris note. It brings soft and silky vibe that in some hard to explain way the fragrance feels slippery, like an actual piece of silk fabric. As the drydown slowly starts to commence you might notice some dark sweetness of licorice which is combined with mentholated crispiness and freshness of cassis. There is also some cedar wood to add more substance to the final stage of Lovely Day.

Ramon Monegal created Lovely Day as happy and optimistic perfume which suits early spring best. It’s tart and slightly bitter-sweet aroma of black currant is like a reminder of ending winter while crispy and floral notes announce spring. The composition of this eau de parfum stays relatively close to the skin but the lasting power is really good, between 6 and 8 hours.

Celebration – Chemist in the Bottle turns 2

Today is exactly 2 years since the moment I created Chemist in the Bottle and published my very first article here. The time has been going by so fast that it doesn’t really feel like those 730 days are behind and belong to the past now. But it’s the birthday of my blog and that calls for a celebration. There were ups and downs on my way but I never had a single thought on stopping to write about perfume. Actually I miss this virtual place when I’m out-of-town for a few days. This place feels like a second home and you feel like my family, really. The success (as I get it) of this blog in a big part belongs to each of you.

You give me inspiration and power to write. Sometimes I ask you for help when I don’t have an idea what I should write about. You make Chemist in the Bottle entertaining with your funny reactions and comments. Though I haven’t met you in person (yet!) I think of you as my friends. Among many people who came here to visit many of you are still around since the very beginning. Sincere “thank you” to Hajusuuri, Jillie and Undina who are around whenever they can.

Few number facts: since today I have written 292 posts which means that a new article was published every 2,5 days on average. That’s a result I had in my mind when creating this blog – to post every 2-3 days. Together we wrote over 7000 comments, creating some great discussions and the blog was visited almost 200 000 times. A review of Prada Candy L’Eau is the most often read article. During last 12 months I also added a facebook page and instagram profile to my blog.

Now, grab the plates and lets eat the Chemist in the Bottle birthday cake together. As part of a celebration and my way to say “thank you” to all of you, I’m announcing a contest.

Take a picture of your perfume collection/part of it/most precious bottles, tag the blog in the picture by placing in the frame a piece of paper with “Chemist in the Bottle” written on it (you can include birthday wishes too) and submit it until Tuesday, July 8. Send your entry to lucas.szczesniak[at]gmail.com Some fabulous prizes are waiting for you.

• 1st place – from friends at Atelier Cologne, I have for you an Ecrin Absolu coffret (200 + 30ml + leather case) of Collection Metal fragrance of your choice OR two 30ml petit flacons – perfumes of your choice with two personalized leather cases;
• 2nd place – from Ramon Monegal and Francisco Gratacos, a 15ml flacon of Ramon Monegal Barcelona scent, you get to choose the fragrance;
• 3rd place – from the loveliest Julien and Madalina of Jul et Mad, a 7ml Nomad Spray filled with divine Aqua Sextius – ideal summer scent.

I can’t wait to see all these pictures presenting your own perfume collections or the bottles that you cherish the most. I believe that the prizes are worth spending some time to take a great photo. After July 8 I will ask team Atelier Cologne, Ramon Monegal, Francisco Gratacos and Julien and Madalina to help me pick the winners. Be creative with the photographies and have fun! Thank you for spending another year with Chemist in the Bottle. You’re the best audience I could have!

And last but not least, I’m happy to share the news with you that after 4 months of my internship (for free, as a volunteer) in the laboratory of fragrance composition I was offered a part time job. Starting today I’m taking a position of junior fragrance evaluation manager. I’m very excited for that!