En Avion by Caron

Image from http://www.hrharmer.com

Russian version - click here

En Avion (launched in 1932 by Caron) seems to be a sequel to a story of emancipation initiated by Tabac Blond. The valiant women who dared to fly a plane inspire the nose behind the fragrance – Ernest Daltroff. The website of Caron mentions the names of Adrienne Bolland, Hélène Boucher and Maryse Basti, the first women conquered the skies.

This fragrance is also reconstructed, probably somewhere in 1995 and probably by Richard Fraysse, the house perfumer of Caron for the last 30 years. Tania Sanchez is milder in her judgment to this one (compared to Tabac Blond). En Avion gets two stars, but called an anisic floral.

The opening of En avion (modern version, parfum) is a bit close to the one of Tabac Blond, but without herbs and angelica nuances. It reveals a note of dry leather on a background of carnation and violet. A bit foreright and not too subtle it reminds that sky is not for fancy pants. Although the leather note flies away pretty quickly, a clash between the carnation-violet wall and orange blossom trying to break through still gives a good illusion of being on a plane – it gives that unique smell I can’t describe well.

Carnation and violet combination seems not to be the best background for orange blossom to bloom. There is too much contrast that looks more like a fight. But isn’t it a reflection of what happens in our society when woman tries to interfere with the “man’s business”? And isn’t it a nice representation of transformation that takes place when a female aviator takes off her rough uniform and puts on an elegant gown?

Although orange blossom cannot easily compete with carnation and violet accord, it is pretty powerful finally to soften the fragrance and finally to win. Sometimes it comes together with a bit candy like lemon note and other times it has more soapy nuances. But on my skin En Avion can’t find the point of balance. No problem – I never cherished a dream to become an aviator.

Guess Suede for men

“Talk perfume” is a new website that has an intention to become a new platform for perfume related talks. At least, I guess so judging by its name. The website is quite new and needs to be filled up with content. You can visit it at perfume blog
Well, good luck and and let's see what it becomes. My own contribution is a small talk on a modern version of soft leather accord called Suede.

Searching for leather fragrances I found this one at a local perfumery. Guess Suede for men is created in 2007 by a Givaudan perfumer Ellen A. Molner. Fresh and fruity top notes of tangerine, pineapple and bergamot are combined with herbal and spicy heart of lavender, sage and nutmeg build on woody base of vetiver, sandalwood and mahogany. Osmoz classifies it as an oriental fougère.

What can I say? It's not easy to find suede behind a powerful fruity cocktail. Honey melon and overripe exotic fruits are combined with fresh citrus. It makes an interesting top note that dominates the whole fragrance. A bit too loud and too persistent. Herbs and spices in combination with woody notes are in contrast with the fruits, but they seem to be too weak to compete. It’s like an illusionary idea of suede.

Anyway, the luscious fragrances based on exotic fruits and sweet musks are very popular nowadays. Guess Suede for men will find its fans. To me this fragrance is rather a tribute to modern aromachemicals than a modern interpretation of a soft leather accord.

Tabac Blond by Caron

Tabac Blond by Caron is often referred as The Leather Scent, a monster fragrance, “weird and edgy”, “dark and totally unpresentable” (Ch. Burr). What else can you expect from a creation that was meant to honour those daring woman who smoked – a shocking habit in the begin of the past century. Created in 1919 by Ernest Daltroff it was the only feminine perfume with the tobacco notes.

The modern version of Tabac Blond created by Richard Fraysse seems to give a different interpretation of femininity, according to Tania Sanchez. In Perfumes, the Guide written with Luca Turin she gives it one star, calls it woody floral and regrets the reformulation. Well, such a frustration is easy to understand when a very good fragrance looses its character. I never smelled the original version of Tabac Blond. And may be I am lucky – I have nothing to compare and to regret about.

The modern version of Tabac Blond is a perfume with character, although is easier to approach than Knize Ten. It starts with dark deep spicy leather surrounded with herbal notes of angelica. I recognize neither smoke nor tobacco there – just smell of leather of old books, travelling bag and woods mixed with drying herbs in a room of lonely hermit. A transient apparition that fades giving place to a spicy carnation note, a smell of glorious flower. Supported with violet-iris note (that probably comes from ionone) it sounds loud and persistent for a while and slowly gets softer turning into a smell of oriental rose. This one is a difficult accord that mostly doesn’t open well on my skin and turns into a rosy smell of cheap incense sticks. Unfortunately… It looks like Tabac Blond is not my perfume – the leather note is too short, carnation is too loud and persistent and the rose is too cheap. Although on feminine skin of my perfumery fairy Tabac Blond opens much better. Well, no problem, I still have Knize Ten. What I have written above is about perfume extrait. The EdT version has a fresher and sharper start with more prominent herbal notes and less deep leather accord. Carnation stadium is shorter and you can easily smell the rose through.

Image from Perfumes Caron

Fragrant palette update

There are several new raw materials in my fragrant palette suitable for a leather accord:

Safraleine – is an aromatic molecule from Givaudan and is described as alternative to the spicy notes resembling the natural saffron with warm, powerful leathery and tobacco facets and rosy floral aspects. To my nose it smells exactly like leather – a very recognizable smell of a shoe store or leather department of a clothing store. For a good leather accord, safraleine is a perfect molecule to build around. The molecule is very versatile and can be used in spicy accords as well. Although the leather smell of the molecule is obvious, it can’t be used just on its own without support of Castoreum, Birch Tar, Patchouli, Quinolines and other leather building blocks. I was so in love to this note that I started making a “Rose in Leather” perfume around Safraleine. But I overestimated this aromachemical and didn’t support it well with other leathery notes. So, the comment from my perfumery fairy was: “Hmm, smells like a overripe cucumber.” But in the current, the third version of “L&R” is much more leathery. Fragrances containing Safraleine are, for example, Tom of Finland by Etat Libre d'Orange and Pi Neo by Givenchy.

Castoreum blend by Givaudan (aka Castoreum Givco 116). It is s a mixture of aromachemicals made to substitute a natural Castoreum. It has a sweetish odor of decay with animalic and leathery undertones. It’s a perfect background for a leather accord reminding about the true origin of leather. Attractive and repulsive at the same time in its pure form it turns sweetish warm, musky, slightly spicy when diluted and becomes a good fixative for leather, tobacco, chypre and fougère accords. Perfectly supports Safraleine and extends tobacco absolute.

Tobacco leaf absolute. In its pure form it’s a thick dark brown semi-solid mass – a difficult one to use. Fortunately it dissolves good in alcohol that makes it easier to use, although it keeps its dark brown color and powerful odour, so you can’t use too much of it in perfumes. The smell is very close to cigar-tobacco – like you put your nose into a bag with hand-rolling tobacco. It’s reach and honey sweet with leather aspects as well as intensively herbal with warm spicy nuances. It gives fullness to leather accords, enriches and gives naturalness to tobacco accords and brings interesting nuances to fougères.

Guaiac wood. Well – I have written about it recently. What should I add – indeed it becomes liquid when heated in hot water, but it hardens quickly by cooling down – this is in contrary to what Wikipedia says. I made a 20% solution in alcohol that forms a clear liquid without lumps. I am still fascinated by its combination of smokey note with dry plums. I even find that it shares some herbal fruitness with tobacco leaf absolute too. I think I’d use it in my “Rose and Leather” version four as a good bridge between leather and rose.

Knize Ten - the classic leather

Russian version - click here

Image - Richard Armitage, comes from http://www.gamespot.com

Knize Ten – is a classic leather perfume that seems to remain untouched by the perishing influence of time. Its quiet and discreet box in black and white haven’t been attracted my attention for a ling time. I was getting to know Montale, Lutens, L’Artisan passing the Knize Ten by all the time. But the quality doesn’t have to be advertised. It always finds you if you start looking for it. Once I heard about Knize Ten from Andy who named it as an example of a well-made leather.

But even than I didn’t dare to buy it. First it was a not friendly Big Leather Monster playing on the edge of my olfactory receptor cells. On my skin it gave a thick cuminic leathery note, didn’t want to reveal its beauty threatening me and people around me with a knock-out. But once I just bought it under the influence of an unclear gust. May be I finally found a tamer in myself who made Knize Ten finally surrender. I couldn’t even imagine before how many notes and nuances could be found each time it opens on the skin.

In the beginning it’s a fresh citrus with a note of engine oil. As if a car repairman would give you a cup of Earl Gray in his garage. On the skin it opens with a fresh note of herbs bounded with a leather ribbon and a fresh cool note of early morning in the autumn. Luca Turin speaks about a splendid strawberry note. First I couldn’t recognize it and found a jasminic fruitiness, but after reading the Guide it revealed itself – a fresh, fragrant strawberry without cream or sugar.

Leather in Knize Ten is playing cat and mouse game. Sometimes it dominates and later it goes to the backgrounds giving the place for a beautiful floral heart with a strawberry nuance.

I also found a nice Jasmine there – fruity floral with a nice indolic beastliness and tropical fruity sweetness. Generously seasoned and softened with a drop of cream. But there is no Jasmine shown in the pyramid. Well, may be my nose loves the jasmine so much, that it just creates it in Knize Ten from the floral rose and carnation mixed with fruitiness of strawberry, borrowing the indolic note from leather, a drop of cream from sandalwood and a pinch of sugar from vanilla? I also found nice rose petals there, but no carnation. May be it conceals itself under the mask of jasmine. Or it integrates completely with the spicy leather note.

Iris of Knize Ten has a woody-ionone character. It becomes very aggressive if you put too much of the perfume on your skin.

And the leather again. It looks like there is more than one. I smell a bitterness of rough tar leather of a saddle. But also a soft dressed leather of a travelling bag. Nicely supported with amber note – warm with only a touch of sweetness.

Cumin – I smell a lot of it. A pinch of cumin may be used to give a musky smell of skin. But there is so much in Knize Ten. It comes and goes. And may be there is no cumin at all – it’s not shown in the pyramid by the way. :o)

Sometimes I think that you can analyse the notes of Knize Ten again and again and it always comes with something news. But being analysed it falls into the peaces that begins to play hide and seek and later comes together again and begin to show the images…

What does leather do to you?

Well, after a rose I am on a leather wave. Not for nothing.

First of all I was reminded by Andy about a very nice classic leather - Knize Ten. This perfume was often too much to me with its powerful leather with a good pinch of something like "cumin". But now it's tamed on my skin and opened all its beauty.

The second is that I've got some nice aromachemicals - Castoreum base and Safraleine molecule from Givaudan. Wow! I do really like the soft leathery or even suede-like smell of Safraleine. It's much softer and finer than rude shoe leather of isobutilquinoline. Castoreum gives it a nice animal character. I even blended those notes with one of variety of my rose accord and made a sketch of Rose in Leather perfume...

Well, later I hope to review Knize Ten and describe the aromachemicals I've got. And now a question to you all from a funny commercial:

What does leather do to you?

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.

Antaeus by Chanel

Russian version - click here

Image from Chanel.com

Antaeus is eau de toilette for men launched in 1981 for the men of 80’s, who “were more prepared to assert their masculinity, but were no longer afraid to admit to their softer side.” It looks like Chanel sees a symbol of a “powerful, but not invincible” hero, who is “masculine without being macho” in the name of Antaeus (quotations from Chanel website).

According to Greek mythology Antaeus was a son of Gaia and Posseidon – a very strong and invincible hero, who could draw his power from his mother Gaia (earth) by touching her. Antaeus challenged men to wrestling matches and killed them collecting their skulls to build a temple for his father Poseidon. Heracles who was another ancient hero had puzzled out the secret of Antaeus and conquered him while holding in the air without chance to touch the earth.

The duality of Antaeus as a symbol of powerful but not invincible masculinity can be found back in the fragrance. It’s a contrast between tender sweet floral accord and bitter aromatic leather. Although the fragrant pyramid is very common to describe a fragrance I don’t think it will be suitable for Antaeus. Two contrasting layers seem to be a better option.

The tender layer has a heart of classic jasmine-rose bouquet freshened with myrtle and just some citrus, warmed with a touch of spice like coriander and sweetened with honey and basil.

The masculine leather consists of aromatic herbs like lavender and sage on a base of patchouli, labdanum and oak moss. Its bitter character has some resemblance with clean men’s sweat. Within the contrast of those two layers is the perfume pretty linear. There is no fresh citrus opening – you smell the competition between sweet floral and aromatic leather from the begin till dry down. They play with each other seeking for the limits of balance and contrast.

I do agree with Chanel classifying Antaeus as leather aromatic. I do also understand why it’s classified as woody chypre on Osmoz (www.osmoz.com). It has the resemblance with the contrast between dark mossy notes and fresh bergamot notes that is very characteristic for chypres.

After the launching in 1981 it becomes very popular within the gay community. It was a number one gay man scent. Was it because of its name creating two naked muscled Greek heroes wrestling with each other? Or because of the time when the prejudice of being gay if you are not hide your feminine side was still alive? The metrosexuality was in its infancy…

The modern public opinion is positive about Antaeus. Luca Turin gives it four stars and calls it woody masculine. Although he finds it more appropriate as a woman’s fragrance these days. The opinion on the basenotes are mostly positive. My personal opinion about this one is positive two. I do like its classic floral accord without sweetened with honey instead of vanilla. I do like its aromatic leather, although I’d prefer fragrance with soft smoky suede as a leather note. I do like the balance between both accords. It has an interesting resemblance of it’s aromatic notes with clean men’s sweat. It’s a nice dark elegant perfume, but it has got easily tamed on my skin and I stopped recognizing it very soon. It’s still a nice finishing touch, but at the same time it’s too common, too routine for a dark leather perfume lover these days. No doubts it is worth to try a couple of times more before I make my own verdict.

The perfumer: Jacques Polge

Fragrant pyramid according to Chanel:

Top: Myrtle from Esterel, Alpine Lavender

Heart: Clary Sage from the Caucasus

Base: Cistus Labdanum from Esterel, Beeswax absolute from France, Indonesian Patchouli

Cabochard. Gres.

Nederlands: http://aromax-geurbeschrijving.blogspot.com/search/label/Cabochard

It’s a classic perfume and is must to be known by anyone who is interested in perfumery. Although this feminine perfume may become too old fashioned and heavy to wear by a modern woman.

I’ve got it through the perfume swap as EDT and EDP en could really enjoy its charm.

Just from the beginning it’s a heavy and dark scent. It remains close to the skin (especially EDP). It opens with citrus mossy green note, which is very characteristic for Chypre. But even in begin you can feel the low vibrations of the base notes. A veil of Vetyver, Patcouly. Leather and Amber next to Oakmoss smells dark, heavy, leather-like and even animalistic at the background. Up there you can smell a heart note made of dry metallic rose warmed by a jasmin, carnation and iris (methyl ionone actually). There is a playfull alternation between the green leather-like animalistic base and a hart note, which either smells like a metallic rose or comes with its warm and a bit spicy jasmin-orris-carnation combination. It’s multidimensional.

Smelling Cabochard means descending to an old basement of a Gothic castle. It’s dark there, but the torches give enough light and it’s not cold. You go downstairs to touch something that is taboo. Something living in the darkness, that is not allowed to be spoken about or shown in daylight. No, it’s not evil or scary, but it is very tempting. What is it? What are you going to touch in your basement?

Cabochard would be also suitable for man to wear. I shall try it on anyway. Not at work or business meeting. It remains close to the skin a gives a veil of enigma and mystery for the one who wears it. It’s a bit old fashioned, but classic, noticeable, sturdy and powerful and surely charming.

In EDP there is more alternation between the notes than in EDT. The last one likes more to be green bitter and medicinal although both of them have the same notes.