Tag: vanilla

Categories
Fragrance Reviews

Guerlain Elixir Charnel Gourmand Coquin Fragrance Review

Guerlain Elixir Charnel Gourmand Coquin

* Imagine the most delicious and decadent milk chocolate in the world.  That’s what this smells like.

* There is some cherry and rum at the top to support the chocolate, but it really is all about the chocolate.

* Slight projection for the first thirty minutes or so, and then it becomes a skin scent.

* The cherry/rum melts away and a soft vanilla comes in to join the dominant, sweet chocolate.

* The scent slowly fades into a delicious soft chocolate which last for about eight hours.

Summary:  Gourmand Coquin is the first fragrance I bought from the Guerlain boutique in Las Vegas.   It is also my comparison that I use when I am considering purchasing an expensive fragrance.  I think to myself, do I love it as much as Gourmand Coquin?  Everytime I wear this, I sniff myself constantly.  It is delicious, edible, and amazing.  This is not the chocolate scent you would get from a celebrity fragrance or something cheap from the mall – this is high-end, ultra luxe and rich- if there was chocolate nicer than Godiva/Lindt/etc. – that would be the chocolate that you smell here.  Although you would probably wear this as an evening scent, it works as an office scent because it stays close to the skin.  It is marketed as feminine, but guys could easily wear it.  Only two drawbacks – as a Guerlain exclusive, it is insanely expensive at $260 per bottle.  Also, the word is that it will be discontinued.   Although it might anger me, I wish Guerlain would change this from an exclusive to a mainstream fragrance so more people could enjoy and experience it.  If Gourman Coquin was marketed in department stores like their other mainstream scents, it would be an international smash.

Though Voyou is available from Neiman Marcus, I would recommend that you contact Guerlain Boutique in Las Vegas as their customer service is beyond impeccable, and they carry a complete line of all Guerlain fragrances.

Disclaimer:  No disclaimer needed.  I bought a full bottle.  Picture from Guerlain website.

Categories
Fragrance Reviews

Chantecaille Kalimantan Fragrance Review

* The fragrance kicks off with a dry blend of incense and patchouli.

* Kalimantan is the Indonesian name for the island of Borneo which is the third largest island in the world.  The island had the oldest rain forests in the world which have been deforested at a rapid rate.

* Out of nowhere, the scent goes massively and aggressively skank with a strong mix of cedar, cumin and oud.

* When I say massively and aggressively, I mean the volume gets turned up and it projects wildly.   Its the first fragrance I’ve tested that gets louder the longer you wear it (heart notes are stronger than the top notes.)

* After about an hour, the skank starts to tone down and it gets a little sweeter.

* The base notes are a nice vanilla and sandalwood blend which lasts for 8 hours on my skin.

Summary:  Chantecaille is a luxury skincare / cosmetic line for women.  The fragrance bottle is quite pretty with etched/raised glass and a mirrorball like lid.  While this might fit the other fragrances in their collection (Frangipane, Tiare, Petales), it doesn’t make any sense for the beast known as Kalimantan.  I say this with love because I bought a full bottle of this monster just because it is so animalic, aggressive, and almost comically over the top.  This scent would fit better in the line of Serge Lutens or even Etats Libre D’orange line.  I am just imagining a rich lady sitting at the Chantecaille counter in a Neiman Marcus or Nordstrom getting her make up done.  She reaches over and absent mindedly sprays some Kalimantan on her skin.  The first whiff is pleasant but then a few minutes lady, the skunk hits and she starts screaming.  I would love to be there to see this.  Kalimantan is clearly not office friendly and I strongly recommend skin testing it.  Even if you don’t plan to ever buy a bottle, get a sample and experiment with it.  I am not comparing this to the shock value of say Secretions Magnifique, but the skank definitely comes out of nowhere and lets itself be known.

Chantecaille Kalimantan is available at Nordstrom, Neiman Marcus, and Barneys New York.

 

Categories
Fragrance Reviews

Lush 25:43 Fragrance Review

* 25:43 kicks off with a sweet burst – lime and caramel, with an herbal green haze covering it.  Those notes may sound a bit odd together, but it works really well.

* The wedding of his son Simon inspired Lush perfumer Mark Constantine to create 25:43.

* As the lime fades away, the caramel is joined by some dense resins with a subtle, light floral shading.

* I am not sure just exactly what 25:43 represents – possibly a Bible verse?  Can anyone quote a scripture that would fit?

* The sweet yet dry vanilla/resin base lasts a long time.

Summary:  Lush 25:43 was an impulse buy for me that I am quite happy with.  I was in the Aventura mall store and was taken by the lime caramel candy top notes.   While the fragrance is sweet, it isn’t TOO sweet.   The scent is advertised as a romantic fragrance, and with the sweet notes you would expect it to be very feminine, however a guy could easily rock this – even at work.   The initial 30 minutes is kind of loud- so if you want to wear this at work, put it on early and allow it to settle before you walk into the office.  When you are ready to leave work for the day, you will have a really nice vanilla/resinous skin scent that will be a great base for just about anything.

Lush 25:43 is available at Lush stores and on the Lush website.