Voilà, the new Rajasthan by Etro. I have been waiting for a long time to experience the Italian interpretation of India. I thought I would get an oriental perfume, of course, and was really surprised when I smelled something so delicate and shy. Soft, clean, powdery – it seems as if they have even added some ambroxan which I can only smell the next day. The rose is slightly sour, similar to Chloé, mixed with lemon and mimosa. The pink pepper adds a little spiciness but only as much as pink pepper is able to reveal in general. Somewhere hidden I sense a sandy wood. Amber and labdanum may sound oriental, but they are added sparingly. Hours later I can still smell some sugar with a hint of vanilla.

A very beautiful and silent perfume, nothing typically Indian, maybe an idea of cardamom which is not listed. Compared to the powerful, loud perfumes of Neela Vermeire in collaboration with Bertrand Duchaufour which are overflowing with metaphors, Rajasthan breaks ranks. The state of Rajasthan has mesmerized many brands and perfumers before. Take the wonderful Jaisalmer by Comme des Garçons which is inspired by the desert city Jaisalmer.

When I smell Rajasthan I rather picture a European beauty lying in the middle of nowhere at the poolside of a luxurious desert resort. Rajasthan is an absolutely wearable scent for the daytime in summer. Do Italians imagine India this way? I think of how they will pronounce Rajasthan with a rolling r and I suggest: other name, other story, wonderful addition to the perfume collection. And please give the vial a textile coat. That would be a better fit for a fashion house.

Category: unisex
Year: 2013
Notes: lemon, Rosa damascena, mimosa, amber, white musk, pink pepper, labdanum, acacia

I love roses and can’t pass a rose without smelling it, especially after it rains or early in the morning. But I have my problems with rose perfumes; there are only few I really love like Lipstick Rose by Éditions de Parfums Frédéric Malle, which is very special.

As it seems rose is the new trend after Oudh, jasmine and tuberose and I’d like to present you the latest releases. Une rose vermeille by Andy Tauer has already made its way into my Top 10 for autumn, that’s why I skip it.

These days my whole apartment is smelling of roses, blotter strips everywhere, not to mention my skin. You can call me Rose now.

Olivier Durbano: Pink Quartz
Pink Quartz is Olivier Durbano’s sixth perfume, like its predecessors it’s inspired by a semi-precious stone – rose quartz. Rose quartz is the birthstone for Taurus, so this is my rose!

Pink Quartz is a spicy, sparkling chypre with a slightly powdery aspect and a subtle sweetness that is contrasted with the Somali olibanum accord that all perfumes of Olivier Durbano have in common. Pink Quartz feels like drinking champagne and eating rose loukhoum close to a night market in Morocco. The saffron note is amazing and now I have to go directly to this little oriental store around the corner which is selling rose loukhoum. Don’t get me wrong, Pink Quartz is not overly sweet, the rose feels like being sprinkled with a little bit of powdered sugar. Just amazing and wonderfully balanced. You smell rose, citrus notes, spices, woody notes and a touch of skin. Delicious! By the way the staying power is excellent.

Category: unisex

Perfumer: Olivier Durbano

Year: 2010

Notes: bergamot, pink grapefruit, Somali olibanum, saffron, ginger, Palma rosa, Damascus rose, Indian rosewood, Indian absolute rose, grey amber, patchouli, myrrh, benzoin, white musk

www.olivierdurbano.com

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“If we can’t start a real revolution, at least we can create a fragrance that symbolizes rebellion.” Lisa Kirk

In Florence I met Ulrich Lang who presented his latest project to me – Revolution. I have been very curious about this fragrance since I’ve read about it in a magazine.

It’s a scent which was part of an art project by the American artist Lisa Kirk. She traveled the world to interview ten living revolutionaries. Their memories of the smell of rebellion – blood, decaying flesh, smoke and burned rubber – were then translated into a fragrance in collaboration with the perfumer Patricia Choux. Ulrich Lang convinced Lisa Kirk to produce a commercial version of the perfume. Since the original vial in form of a pipe bomb is very expensive the team has found a way of presenting the perfume in small glass vials. Nevertheless, you can buy the fragrance in the original vial – but it will cost you a small fortune (4,000 to 40,000 USD).

Revolution smells really good. It is an animalistic scent and if you don’t like civet be careful. It’s better to be safe than sorry… But anyway you should give it a chance: when the civet bomb detonates you will get a whiff of gunpowder and smoke, a metallic note and in the end a really sexy body odor. Not sweaty but spicy, slightly salty, manly – really attractive. I imagine Che Guevara (or the beautiful Gabriel García Bernal… or the wild Benicio del Toro who both played the role of Che Guevara).

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Boadicea The Victorious was launched in 2009 by British hair stylist Michael Boadi. The collection comprised many scents at the day of its premiere and counts today 17 fragrances, an agarwood collection that consists of eight scents, as well as 16 limited editions and private perfumes.

I have chosen an oud scent from this extensive collection – Passionate. I admit that I have never smelled something like this before. At first Passionate reminded me of Back to Black By Kilian. But in direct comparison I noticed that Back to Black is rather light and fresh although they both have an intensive honey note.

Back to the beginning. Passionate is sweet, heavy, unique, floral, fruity – very odd. It has a strong honey note, that magically attracts my attention. I have ordered some dragon’s blood resin but it has no smell. Maybe you have to burn it? No special smell… That’s certainly not the secret of this fragrance. But what is so fascinating about Passionate? I suppose it’s the blend of oud and honey. They are listing cinnabar, “sweet tears of vanilla“, jasmine, patchouli and sandalwood but I think Michael Boadi won’t share his secret. I am amazed and feel like a humming bird drinking the nectar of a forbidden flower. In fact: Passionate smells like nectar.

The only thing I can tell you is that the fragrance is very eccentric, very heavy, very alluring, very sweet, very sumptuous, very strange – very passionate. I suppose that the opinions may differ – love it or hate it… I love it!

Boadicea The Victorious was awarded with the Wallpaper Design Award in 2009 – in the category “best perfumes“. The vials with the Celtic ornaments are more than beautiful and it surely doesn’t tarnish the success of the brand that Kate Moss and Madonna are friends of Mr. Boadi.

Category: unisex

Perfumer: Michael Boadi

Year: 2009

Notes: dragon’s blood resin, jasmine, vanilla, cinnabar, sandalwood, patchouli, oud

www.boadiceathevictorious.com

rubj Extrait de Parfum is an alluring and intense floriental with animalic depth. The opening is dominated by an innocent orange blossom scent that gets a fruity note combined with tangerine. The slightly bitchy jasmine is tamed by a sweet tuberose. In the base we have an animal mixture of leather, patchouli, woody notes, musk and a hint of civet. Just enough so we can get a certain intimate note. rubj is full of energy and temperament and on the other side subtle and affectionate. A very feminine scent for an extroverted woman or man with lots of temperament and charisma.

The new Eau de Parfum version is rather a variation on a theme. Instead of the animal notes Vero Kern has used passion fruit and a very strong cumin note in the head note. For my nose it smells even more animally than the original Extrait de Parfume. The Eau de Parfum has a “male note” – male armpit to be exact. Very intense, but quite sexy.

As Vero Kern said herself, rubj would fit perfectly to Penelope Cruz. I completely agree. The last movie I have seen with her in it was Woody Allen’s ‘Vicky Cristina Barcelona’. Penelope Cruz plays the paintress Maria Elena who is the ex-wife of the male protagonist. She is living together with him and his new love in a kind of ménage à trois. You would think that the new girl Cristina, an American college student who is played by Scarlett Johansson, can only lose against Penelope Cruz. But even when Maria Elena wants to be strong, she is fragile and weak. Penelope Cruz plays the role absolutely authentically. She is the Spanish fury, sometimes choleric and strong, then vulnerable and desperate. Her antipathy for Cristina turns into love when she realizes that Cristina is the “missing ingredient“ in her relationship with her ex-husband. When Cristina tries to leave the couple, the situation escalates.

I am a big fan of Woody Allen but an even bigger fan of Penelope Cruz and she got the Oscar for this role. There is nothing that can describe rubj better than these movie scenes. It seems as if the three characters are combined in the fragrance.

click here to see the movie scene

Category: unisex

Perfumer: Vero Kern

Year: Extrait de Parfum 2007 | Eau de Parfum 2010

Notes: orange blossom, tangerine, jasmine, tuberose, cedar, musk, patchouli, leather

Photo: Sara Maroto Hebrero | www.saramarotohebrero.com

www.veroprofumo.com