Another Kiki impression from indorso (@livejournal)

Written by indorso (in Russian)
Translated by AromaX

Yesterday I’ve got an envelope from la_myrrhe with some samples of Vero Kern perfumes! Hastily I put my little child in hands of his father and escaped to try (“consciously”) those long-awaited perfumes.
Kiki is the most delightful lavender that I ever could smell! It’s so clean, ravishing and prattling like a fresh brook. Even the essential oil of lavender can’t compete with Kiki in its cleanness. I just nestled with my nose in my wrist for a couple of minutes… I did understand why AromaX compares Kiki with a lavender delight! It’s exactly what it is and I’ll not repeat what is already said. The one who knows what I am talking about will understand – I can’t say it better than it’s already written.
But there is a very surprising part… I do admire Kiki very sincerely, but… I don’t want it! And I can’t understand why.
I have a very similar feeling to Onda. Later I’ll write about it.

May be someone knows why those things happen? When you don’t really want something that you do like so much?

P.S. Alena, thank you very much for the possibility to try those perfumes. It was delightful! Like light shining in the Dark Kingdom of my yesterday (and always of today :)

Kiki by Vero Kern - Parisian Lavender Delight

Image is from the Daily Unadventures in Cooking blog where you can also find a recipe of this delicious lavender chocolate cake.

Russian version - click here

Website of Vero Kern - click here

The idea of Kiki is simple – it’s all about sweet lavender or "lavender delight" … Lavender, caramel and musk with a touch of tropic fruits are the constituents of the Kiki as I read on the website of Vero. And thoese are also exactly the notes my nose can smell there. Except may be a touch of grapefruit fresh bitterness on the top, but I am not very sure about this. And I am also not sure about the tropical fruits – my nose being distracted by the sweetness of musk and caramel refuses to recognize any. But the simplicity of Kiki is based on a genial construction.

First the lavender itself. It has two faces combining the sweet floral notes with salty (and I mean it literally as salty taste) camphareous herbal ones. How could Vero separate them emphasizing the sweet floral quality and soothing the sharp herbal notes? I don’t know how, but it’s really amazing. Although I do suspect a use of Lavender absolute for this purpose. I haven’t smell it yet, but reading about this material gave me impressions that it possesses the qualities to turn lavender into a sweet flower.

Another amazing quality of Kiki is its emotional influence. The calming properties on lavender are well known in aromatherapy. But I have never met a perfume (at least I guess Kiki not to be a botanical or naturals only perfume) with such a strong influence on my emotions. It possesses not only the calming quality… it brings me into a nonchalant mood and reminds me to take life easy and to enjoy… It brings more playfulness into my attitude about life…

Kiki brings me into a lazy weekend summer afternoon when it’s so nice to sit somewhere outside with a cup of tee and an exotic delight like a lavender ice-cream or lavender cake with sweet caramel syrup… It may take place in a garden by a big villa or in a sidewalk Parisian café. Kiki is a moment for yourself, an island of peace and pleasure you create around you wherever you are… It also reminds me a movie about Marie Antoinette – Kiki is like a Petit Trianon where Marie Antoinette could escape her royal responsibilities…

And here is a small preview of Marie Antoinette in Petit Trianon:

Another Onda impression by Alena (la_myrrhe)

Written by Alena (la_myrrhe)
Russian version - click here



Image from the website of Vero Kern

Last summer I’ve renewed my insight into the perfums with leathery notes. During the hottest weather (as hottest as it is possible to get in our North Sea climate) I have tried all my leather stocks kept in bottles and vials. Uncompromising leather fragrances have been shown at their best. Leather, resins, smoke, balsams, moss, vetiver sound surprisingly soft and even refreshing on a heated skin. Discovering new nuances of the old fragrances I become to love them even more. By accident I also found myself not to be versed enough in leather perfumes. Unfortunately I still do not have enough time to go deeply into the details of leather perfumes making.

Some perfumes have revealed their surprisingly multidimensional character during the hot their and one of them was Onda. I have used it till the last drop, but didn’t have time to share my impressions. A surprise from Vero has made me to come back to this fragrance this autumn. After noticing her fragrances in my wish-list she has sent me generous samples of Kiki and Onda. During two crazy days I was grasping for an appeasing Kiki and now I am wearing Onda for the second day.

Now during this time of a year it recalls very different emotions and impressions. But the classical character is still unchanged although the perfume does not develop according to a classical pyramid. Tar, Vetiver and smoke are present there from very beginning till the end. In the beginning they are seasoned with aromatic herbs. I can’t identify them – may be it’s thyme or rosemary or something else. They give bitter and sweet-sour nuances to the fragrance bringing some cooling during the heat and sounding more balsamic during the autumn. Fresh cut ginger combining both the coldness and the warmth can be definitely sensed there. The wealth of herbs and spices doesn’t make the fragrance “tickling” – it sounds soft and intense even on this stage [of development].

The leather in Onda is full of surprises. Sometimes it turns into a cracked leather of an old saddle. But at another moment it’s a finest (thinnest) suede which finest touch makes the skin crawl. I would like to know what animal notes are responsible for the effect making this perfume such tangible. Vetiver trails the fragrance into the lower register, roots and slows down. In Onda I also sense a heat of Amber – the heat of glowing coals cooling down in the depth of the hearth.

It’s a silent room with soft light coming through a blurred window. You can only guess the contours of odd pbjects in twilight. An old book in a leather cover has been touched so often that it has absorbed the warmth and smell of many hands and has got its own life. Wisps of herbs are hanged in the dark corners and there is a fresh one on the table that still keeps the dew drops on its leaves. An old Dutch artist could be the best one to paint such an image. I can only guess who will enter this room and what shall happen there.

An impression of summer Onda has paled in my memory. It’s inseparably connected to the image of my grandfather. Onda could be his favourite perfume, his signature scent. But this is something for another time.

Perfumed impressions: Onda by Vero Kern

Russian version - click here

Website of Vero Kern - http://www.veroprofumo.com/

The begin of Onda was like taking a thin transparent ochre scarf from an antique wardrobe and getting a tail of fragrances from the past. The gramophone starts playing, the world starts turning around and I feel a long fall… back in time. Is it a fall or are you sliding the wave into the depth of the fragrance?

Onda reminds me of Marlene Dietrich. A femme fatale who was attractive and desirable in furs or leather or even a man’s suit. A woman whose manlike habits and lineaments made her even more feminine and attractive. Someone who jumps into the depth to taste the intensity of life. She is charmingly seductive and provocatively embarrassing at the same time. She is warm and caring, but also heavy and fatal.

It’s not possible to understand the complexity of this fragrance from the blotter. Only intimate contact with skin allows this perfume to blossom and show all her facets.

In the top of Onda I smell a fresh spicy basil that interacts nicely with a leather note for awhile and than turns into a heavy aromatic bouquet of bitter herbs with a touch of warm sweet spices. After another wave sliding into the depth of Onda I sense warm notes of coriander and a wonderful combination of clary sage with a pinch of black pepper. A random clash of the last two notes against the vetiver in the base reminds me of Andy’s Vetiver Dance just for a second. One more slide and the clear light yellow honing starts to drop slowly on herbs and leather. Slightly chemical on the blotter the honey note of Onda opens nicely warm on the skin – it’s viscous and mellow, but not sugary sweet. It’s not the sugar but rather ginger and mace mentioned in the pyramid that sweeten the honey. Although my nose doesn’t recognize the mace and barely recognizes ginger. May be because they are perfectly implemented into the honey accord. Another wave gliding brings me to vetiver and leather. The leather in Onda is rough and a bit harsh on the blotter, but on my skin it turns into soft and delicate suede with a pleasant smoky note. A touch of cumin gives Onda very attractive animalic quality. I don’t know if other animal notes are used as I am not familiar with them. But Onda has very animal character – sometimes it’s almost embracing to smell it from a bare skin.