Gold fever! Time to introduce you to Manoa, a perfume that was inspired by the Incan „city of gold and opoponax“ – Manoa. Warm, resinous, spicy, mysterious and marvelous.

I have already mentioned that I am really into amber right now. But I have another raw material, which I adore as much as amber because it smells amber like: opoponax, also known as sweet myrrh or Commiphora erythraea. I fell in love with this essence for the first time when I tested the natural perfume oil Commiphora from the 7 Scents Collection by The Lab Room, which I have recently reviewed. I was thrilled by its touch of amber. Now I found it in Manoa and immediately recognized, that it is this wonderful ingredient, that makes this scent so gorgeous.

At first Manoa smells a little bit difficult, it definitely needs time. The opening is heavy, a little bit sharp and a little bit sour. Bergamot and lemon are fighting to get some attention against the powdery base that wants to be in the limelight. But wait, wait, wait… you will get a wonderful, powdery scent, sweet but not too sweet. The vanilla is not too dominant and the cypress reveals a wonderful green note. Labdanum gives the scent a certain depth, that makes it mysterious and absolutely alluring. The lasting power is huge and opoponax definitely is the central character in this creation. Its amber like flavor is so gourgeous and sensual!

If you like powdery scents with an oriental touch you should really try this one before the sun is getting stronger. Now it’s the perfect weather to wear it. I went out last night and it was really cold outside. Manoa was with me and made me feel safe and surrounded by a warm, golden light. I woke up when the sun came out and Manoa was still there.

Category: I suggest this scent for women

Perfumer: Alienor Massenet

Year: 2010

Notes: bergamot, lemon, ginger, iris, cypress, tonka bean, vanilla, opoponax, labdanum

www.mymemo.com

No.6 M by Ohne Titel & Yann Vasnier is part of the Six Scents Series Three – Making Scents of Memories: From Innocence to Experience. And this is my flashback…

When I was a child, I went to ballet class once a week – for about ten long years. I had this little pouch for my ballet clothes and it smelled exactly like No. 6 M. Soft rose leather ballet shoes with a trace of colophonium – a sticky resin to make the shoes less slippery – and the smell of the ballet studio; a mixture of flushed, slightly sweaty skin, leather and ballet jerseys made of synthetic fibers.

No.6 M is no heavy leather monster, but it reminds me a little bit of Dzing! by L’Artisan Parfumeur – a very faraway Dzing!, with its powdery, musky waves that it vaporizes. It is softer and in a way sweeter. No wonder, you have plum, tonka bean and saffron here. Of course it shows animalic facets but those are modest enough to keep the scent light. No.6 M is innocent and indecent at the same time and I think this it what makes it so special.

No.6 M blends perfectly with my body chemistry, it is so sexy and mmmh!

Yann Vasnier tells us his ideas about the collaboration with the designer duo Ohne Titel:

“M was a collaborative project with Ohne Titel. Meeting Flora and Alexa, you are immediately struck by the level of ease, familiarity and cohesiveness of their conversation together. They build off each other’s ideas, sharing the same open vision. The same pattern translated for their choice of ingredients and the expression of the fragrance, they both gravitated to the same ingredients we smelled and built together. I started M with a core of leather and an animalic feeling. Alexa and Flora spoke about their rebellious side when growing up, night clubs and late outings, the feeling of warm, slightly sweaty skin. I tried to recreate their attention to intricate tailoring, architecture of design, their care of detail, all these very feminine aspects using these strong and signature materials like cardamom, safraleine and leather.“  Yann Vasnier

There is also a video clip about the scent…click here

Category: unisex

Perfumer: Yann Vasnier

Year: 2010

Notes: cardamom, cedar wood, black plum, tonka bean, castoreum, civet, musk, saffron

www.six-scents.com

Geisha Noire is a very intoxicating, mysterious, dark and powdery amber scent with a vintage oriental touch. Somebody said that it smells like a vintage Shalimar. I don’t own a vintage Shalimar so I can’t tell you. But Geisha Noire is less animalic than the latest version of Shalimar. That’s for sure.

The note of burnt rubber in the opening is absolutely divine. I tested the perfume oil and the scent stays close to the skin, nothing is overpowering. Geisha Noire settles down to a deep, warm, amber base underlined with spices, vanilla and incense. Nothing for daytime, it makes me think of the quirky movie Secretary with James Spader and Maggie Gyllenhaal in the gloomy atmosphere of Mr. Grey’s law office. Everything is about looks, gestures and obsession. And that’s what Geisha Noire feels like. If you want to confuse your colleagues…wear it in the office. But don’t blame it on me.

Category: unisex

Year: 2000

Perfumer: Maria McElroy

Notes: black amber, sandalwood, tonka bean, vanilla, incense

www.aromam.com

I love this photo! I found it in Kwannam Chu’s wonderful blog we could grow up together.

More roses for you…

Le Labo: Baie Rose 26
Baie Rose 26 is Le Labo’s “new city-exclusive fragrance for Chicago” and an homage to the 1920s – Al Capone, jazz, prohibition. “Bang, bang, he shot me down…”

I would say that Baie Rose 26 is like the milky-white Borsalino, Al Capone used to wear – a halo for a murderer. He is the embodiment of sex, crime and murder and one of the most famous Mafia bosses ever.

The opening of Baie Rose 26 smells like a rose after the rain. Or it’s like smelling only one of those delicate transparent petals between your fingers. Yes that fits most: transparent. But still waters run deep: you get a spicy pink pepper note (by the way ‘Baie rose’ is the French term for pink pepper) and lots of Ambrox and aldehydes play with the main theme. An uplifting and I would even say restless scent – like the rhythm of jazz. It remains a rose scent but it has something I would call an underworld touch, a backroom flair with wild dancers and naked flesh – in a way also unnatural. Nothing smoky or dark, rather a huge amount of energy.

If you want to get a feeling for Baie Rose 26 check this out…click here

Baie Rose 26 will only be available at Barneys New York.

Category: unisex

Perfumer: Frank Voelkl

Year: 2010

Notes: ambroxan, clove, pepper, pimento berries, rose, baie rose, musk, cedar, aldehyde

www.lelabofragrances.com

Parfums DelRae: Coup de Foudre
Lemon rose. Coup de Foudre means ‘love at first sight’. It is said that Coup de Foudre should be the impression of smelling a rose live and instantly falling in love with it.

Coup de Foudre is a little bit too sour in the opening for my taste. The pink grapefruit and lemon create a very young, modern and dynamic rose, which gets a certain creaminess in the drydown. I love the dominance of geranium, which brings some freshness, a little bit like mint or even menthol. A really interesting formula with a spring like feeling. Perfect for the daytime – pure, clean and light. Gorgeous!

Category: unisex

Perfumer: Yann Vasnier

Year: 2010

Notes: spicy pink peppercorn, bergamot, Italian lemon ‘sfumatrice’, pink grapefruit, Rose de Mai France Orpur absolute, purple peony, Egyptian jasmine absolute, creamy magnolia Orpur, geranium bourbon, tonka from Venezuela, vetiver, white moss, velvet musks

www.parfumsdelrae.com

Photo: Kwannam Chu

The trees are stripping bare in front of my window. I love the smell of autumn and the leaves decorating the asphalt with different shades of yellow, rust-red and brown. There is no scent that fits in better with this scenario than Feuilles de Tabac (tobacco leaves) by Miller Harris.

Imagine an untouched Cuban cigar and some dry leaves that have fallen from a tree. Add some cloves and a gentlemen’s shaving soap. To give it some depth there is a little patchouli, some pine needles for ethereal glow and a hint of leather. Last but not least: sweets for my sweet, perfectly represented by the tonka bean. Pure sophistication. Feuilles de Tabac is by far one of the best men’s perfumes I know and my favorite of the Miller Harris line – a real womanizer and nothing for shy guys. If I were a man I would choose this one as my companion to make women turn their heads. It has something clean and on the other side it is really intriguing. Like a face that you look at and know this person is keeping a secret.

A former colleague of mine sometimes wore the scent at work and I had always wondered what he might wear. I never asked him what it was, don’t ask me why, normally I always do. Some weeks ago he visited me at my house. We were talking about different perfumes, as he is a patchouli lover. He told me that Feuilles de Tabac by Miller Harris is one of his favorite perfumes. I found a sample in my archive, tried it out and was immediately smitten by this spicy, earthy, warm and seductive elixir. I especially love the opening that reminds me of suede.

Category: unisex

Perfumer: Lyn Harris

Year: 2000

Notes: Cuban cascarilla oil, pimento berries, pine, sage, tonka bean, tobacco, patchouli

www.millerharris.com