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Aftelier was founded by Mandy Aftel, who brought about the artisanal natrual perfumery movement in the US. This propensity for innovation and revival of ideas gave Aftelier its reputation as a perfume house that is set apart from all the others with their own brand of unique fragrances. Cepes & Tuberose speaks for this reputation in both name and content.

As written in their official website, their viewpoint in the philosophy of natural perfumery is metaphorically emphasized as an artform whose subtleties bring about the most out of ingredients to olfactory transcendence. Definitely, it is up to the individual to judge if their product line has uniformity in quality with the use of all-natural ingredients. Such methods are said to be cheaper and more solid in terms of creating quality fragrances. Aftelier Cepes & Tuberose aims to prove this point with excessive punctuation.

Aftelier describes this effort as full of wild mushrooms with animal undertones and voluptuous florals. This combination does sound like more of deer hunting season than anything else, but it surprisingly works. It seems that their brand of natural perfumery does click well with the finished product. With a strong and rich opening that kicks people who are used to clean and fresh scents in the face. The earthy tones really do scream of mushrooms and it goes deeper in a bold way. The strong vegetal component in this perfume means that you have to get it to dry down significantly to cure it. Perhaps you would like the strong kick in the opening, but this is definitely better once it has time to set in.

This is not an everyday fragrance at all. It kicks hard enough to merit long breaks in between. This product is for special ocassions when you want to leave people in awe. Of course, this perfume is set for very specific situations and with nothing less than the right attire. Not everyone can wear this, but it is definitely a treat for those who can.

Are you sick and tired of those endless parades of flankers? Then you might as well try the new Mandragore Pourpre, this elegant perfume sports a different fragrance, unique enough to keep your nose in a dazzling state. Whether you like the original or not then this one is really for you. Believe it or not the Mandragore Pourpre was created by the inspiration of fairy tales and folklore, not to mention Harry Potter.

Just like the advertisements, the new Madragore Porupre is stronger, spicier, darker and more aromatic than the old Mandragore. Although there are some traces of the original’s citrus and minty greenery in the opening, but from the start it’s crafted with darker and mysterious undertones mixed with a lot of peppery spices. It is less of an outdoor smell and herbal aroma in it. The base is clean woody patchouli with a few hint of incense. The main ingredients of Madragore Porupre contains bergamot, star anise, amber, geranium, black pepper, mint, patchouli, rosemary, myrtle, heliotrope and incense.

Just as advertised, it is not heavy in fragrance but lighter than anyone else would think. While wearing the Madragore Porupre I got this strange feeling that it was something from L’Artisan Parfumeur. Mandragore Poupre would fit nicely into Les Pieces de la Passion series considering it is fine in nature and even experience perfumer Annick Goutal would confirm to it as a more feminine floral than any other fragrance.

Annick Goutal Mandragore Pourpre is sold in most leading perfume shops and department stores at 100ml Eau de Toilette. It is sold in a square bottle for men or in a gadroon bottle for women. The lasting power of the Eau de Toilette is reasonable. The fragrance wears of during the night time much better compared to the average perfume sold in bottles.

Perfume

Agallocha is a Paris-based perfume house that creates culture-specific fragrances. The name of the house itself comes from the tree Aquilaria Agallocha, which is where agarwood or aloeswood comes from. With quite a few unique set of characteristics to start things off, what Agallocha does is open up new and exotic worlds with their creations.

Their first collection, Arabia Felix, was created by middle-eastern perfumer Habib Al Soweidi. Composed of two men's and two women's fragrances, this collection aims to bottle the essence of the Middle East as a whole. One of the fragrances in this line, Tedallal Homme, has notes of lemon, bergamot, tarragon, rose, jasmine, cinnamon, clove, musk, sandalwood, oud, vetiver, gaiac, amber, and saffron. This is not any ordinary set of traits for just any kind of perfume as this does seem like quality stuff.

Agallocha Tedallal Homme has a great lemon-bergamot-rose combination as an opening that lasts just less than a minute. Just as you are about to sigh in disappointment, the urge to search for certain notes in the perfume leave you exploring its olfactory architecture. This fragrance certainly is not one of those where an expert nose can just spot certain notes in a flash. Everything is overlapped by something else, but in a good way. The jasmine in the middle is blended with clove and woods, which does soothe the senses. However, the oud is easy to spot, although not overwhelming at all. It then dries down to a soft vanilla-musk-wood combination, and you will start to smell the saffron by this time. Not quick to fade, the longevity of this wonderful product is enhanced by how the overall scent improves with each passing hour.

Tedallal Homme has hits of sandalwood with talc, which is a very distinct combination that is set in a background of all the other notes in a very pleasant accord. It smells very Middle Eastern while adding a new twist with less floral and oud that tends to overpower as the usual case. This is a definite recommended perfume for anyone who wants a bit of the Middle East to go along with.

Perfume

Here's something interesting for those who do not know about this peculiarity. When the name Courvoisier is mentioned, most people think of cognac. However, there is also a Courvoisier brand of perfumes, which is quite intriguing. If the cogs in your head start to click a bit, cognac and perfume begins to look more and more like a good match. Here is a Courvoisier perfume that holds promise -- L'edition Imperiale.

The name is quite a mouthful for most people. Courvoisier L'edition Imperiale is the work of perfumer Alexis Dadier. It has notes of mandarin, coriander, cardamom, tagette, smoked tea, royal calla lily, violet, cedar, vetiver, fir balsam, leather, and amber. With this combination of woods, spices, fruits, herbs, and earthy tones, this fragrance has quite a vibrant opening. It is definitely a quick starter and continues to impress through the dry down to the middle and the finish.

This product is not just majestic in name only. The vibrant herb and citrus combination kicks off the opening. The combination is a definitely crowd pleaser as it lasts quite a bit and tones down to a soothing spring allure. It really does justice to its name as it starts to open up even more with spices, tea, and violet leaves. Then, you will latch onto a torrent of resins like amber and cedar in a powdery accord and not thick and syrupy as in the usual case with resin notes. Such a combination can never be limited to a single gender. A confirmed unisex fragrance, the long-term value of this perfume is staggering.

Courvoisier L'edition Imperiale should be recommended for anyone who is willing to wear it. A classic scent that exudes elegance and longevity, this brilliant effort may be what you would visualize in your head from now on whenever you hear of the name Courvoisier.

Perfume

When it comes to tropical fragrances that you can wear in the beach, Ensoleille Moi by Andre Gas may be what you want. André Gas did what he could to make this his best debut in selling perfumes, but he did go for quite an interesting theme for such a special phase of his fashion house's history. We may never know if he really is the bright and cheerful kind of guy to make his debut fragrance with a tropical scent, but we might as well go along with it and judge for ourselves.

Created by perfumer Mathilde Laurent, Ensoleille Moi has notes including ylang ylang, vanilla, and white musk. Well, this is quite a common combination for "clean and fresh" fragrances. It also has notes of coconut, gardenia, and some other floral notes that exudes the ambience of tropical islands and sunshine.

This is often compared with Azuree Soleil, since they have the same theme and template. While Azuree Soleil reminds people more of the Mediterranean, Ensoleille Moi is more about the Polynesian Islands. Perhaps it is because it smells more like dessert and flowers than the sea and sand. That is not a bad combination at all.

A pretty good product here by Andre Gas, Ensoleille Moi does evoke the images of fun under the sun just like Azuree Soleil does, although in a slightly different manner. If you want a perfume equivalent of a Pina Colada, then Ensoleille Moi should fit the bill for you. However, if you are not the type of person who likes the smell of suntan lotion too much, then go with Azuree Soleil or some other fragrance of the same theme. The differences are subtle, but noticeable.

Ensoleille Moi does a good job in smelling like the best of summer until it fades away into vanilla musk. It is a fresh enough scent for everyday use, so it is definitely safe to at least try for once.

Founded back in 1872, Crown Perfumery is one of those perfume houses that was once glorious in every conceivable way until getting ousted by newer blood. After being taken under the wing of Clive Christian, the Crown name was taken out altogether as Clive Christian started releasing perfumes under his own name. It was a sad point in the history of perfumery.

In 1911, a perfume named Eau de Russe was released. One of the last releases by Crown before Clive Christian took over, it combines fruit with a powdery vanilla component rooted at a resin base. Bergamot is very evident in the opening, followed by a powedery vanilla component that intensifies as it dries down and gives off more of the amber base. Warm in a minimalist kind of way, its light vanilla-spice component with a dash of citrus zest is what gives this fragrance its generally positive results for most people.

Eau de Russe was definitely an achievement for Crown Perfumery. At first, it may seem like something that lacks weight, but it proves detractors wrong. The bergamot has quite a bit of longevity to it as it leads to the dry down. The vanilla matches with the bergamot quite nicely without being too rich. It is a deceivingly light fragrance that was marketed as a men's fragrance, but can easily pass as unisex as it definitely has a feminine ring to it.

Here's the thing behind the history of Eau de Russe. It was one of the first to be axed by Clive Christian, which was definitely sad. It has not been in production since 1999, leaving owners a collector's item. Perhaps there will be demand again for this wonderful legacy left by Crown. Bottles of this stuff are vintage and dates back to the Boer War, which was definitely from way back. The Internet is the best resource to get a glimpse of this classic fragrance.

Balck Star

For fans of you who love Avril Lavigne then you’re in for a surprise. Black Star is the first company to feature a fragrance from pop star Avril Lavigne in cooperation with Procter and Gamble Prestige. Operating under the tagline “A deliciously distinctive fragrance that embodies Avril’s individuality”, the new Avril Lavigne fragrance from Black Star will surely be a hit to many of Avril’s fans. Blak Star is dark with a fresh of black and tangy fragrance.

Black Star fragrance comes in a pink and black, star studded shaped bottle. It’s even more heavier than what you see in the picture and includes a removable studded metallic brand that could either be wore as a ring or a necklace charm. The box is painted with a “studded” pattern as a reference to most of Avril’s garments she wore in concerts and the like.
Just what we have expected, Black Star opens with a burst of pear and synthetic fruit notes. The core fragrance of the Black Star is juicy, sweet floral, meshed with plum note, and perhaps some red currant. The base notes include gourmand but not quite intense. There was also a hint of chocolate accord that was mixed and was dark and velvety coupled with ongoing floral-fruity notes.

Black Star isn’t the same as Vera Wang Princess but rather it’s unique in its way. Just like the other chocolate-based fragrances, it doesn’t have any androgynous dry quality of Bond no. 9’ or as sophisticated as Rose Praline by Parfums de Rosine. It’s really intended for a younger or girlish audience. Generated for the younger audience within us Black Star promises to be a sure hit in most young and teen adults.

Avril Lavigne Black Star comes in at $29 for 30ml and $39 for 50ml Eau de Parfum, it is found in most Kohl’s stores nationwide.

Caron’s Unisex Perfume

New from Caron, the Les Plus Belles Lavandes de Carona (The Most Beautiful Lavenders by Caron) was made as a unisex masculine scent for men.

With the new Les Plus Belles Lavandes, the fragrance and sweet aroma of the perfume reminded me of the spontaneously sweet richness of lavender not found in most vintage version of that historic perfume. Les Plus Belles Lavandes comes in a harmonious subtle sweet with a pinch of musky lavender perfume. It never lacked the characteristics due to its naturalistic pungent herbal overtones. Its creative touch seems to have been added the richness and tangy aroma of the perfume. The unisex interpretation of sweetness was greatly mixed by perfumer Fraysse, to enhance the direction of sweets but on a controllable matter. It is soften down under with the undertone of green angelica.

The Les Plus Belles Lavandes kicks in with a fresh lavender outburst then becomes a little bit opaque and have a soft smelling approach much more like a soft gourmand oriental hinting a subdued of sugar coated almonds. It could either represent a subtle scent of vanilla and sugar with faint nuances of licorice and marzipan. To counter balance this sweetness of the fragrance, more primitive notes are added to ensure balance in the scent. When at times, especially in the dry down, vanilla peeks through as feeling a bit more odd but then again it still gives the fragrance the scent that it needs to peak. The longer the dry down period the more the perfume gives character of precious powder.

All in all it’s delicious lavender cologne fit for both men and women to wear. Les Plus Belles Lavandes comes in 40ml and 80ml bottles and is widely available worldwide and department stores near you. It is a perfect gift for both genders.

Although he suffered from chronic respiratory problems during his entire life, Jean Rene Lacotse became a famous tennis star and live the life to the old age of 92. After which his tennis career ended, he went to develop the world’s best love garment, the cotton pique polo shirt, embroidered with a crocodile logo. Aside from creating unique garments and clothing, Rene Lacoste also ventured in the p`erfume business. Lacoste Parfums makes fragrances for men and women.

The new Lacoste Essential is created for men with features the model Axel Hermann jumping at least four feet from the ground with splashes seen in the background. Axel Hermann’s attitudes seems like he was able to throttle and walk thru air in which makes Lacoste Essential truly a seller.

Lacoste Essential contains only the best ingredients added to it. They include tangerine, bergamot, aquatic citrus, tomato leaves, black pepper, rose, patchouli, cassis sandal wood and wood accord. Lacoste Essential for men begins with a strong marine note just like you see in the ad when Axel Hermann walks thru air. After which a harsh tangerine and bergamot smell arrives, the scent in which the fruits are unripe or still green. Then after a while the scent reveals sour notes of rose and sweet cassis.

The top notes are great combined with many great scents. From office to the gym the scent of Essentials will remain and stick to your body even to the busiest of days. The top notes are responsible for the fresh citrus scent that quickly absorbs thru your skin. The length of the scent last depending on the individuals skin chemistry but surprisingly Essentials last even up to the evening.

All in all Lacoste Essentials is crisp, clean and beautifully crafted with freshness of the sea. Lacoste Essentials is available at nearly $70 a bottle.

Perfume

Yves Saint Laurent’s latest fragrance the Parisienne is geared up towards for old woman but not that old, let’s say a woman in her 30’s. So what do we expect in woman who are in her 30’s? Well for starts, she’s free, both body and spirit. She does not come from Paris, but she knows where to live life to the fullest.

As it turns out to be Parisienne is nothing compared to those Paris flankers, which are mostly sheer, fruity, appy-go-lucky variations. Parisienne opens with a frothy violet-rose with tart berry. When you try the scent on paper, the berries seem to hang around almost forever. The Parisienne is not that emphatic or floral like the Paris, but after a few minutes the fruits are calm and it feels like a bit dusky. If you take a look at the vinyl accord it is quite noticeable in the opening stages, after which it fades then reappears after a few hours, talk about some magic trick. The base includes darkish musky woods with an ubiquitous cleaned patchouli that’s mashed over by powder. Parisienne gets a little earthier as it dries down and eventually goes verges. Besides the dried down effect it still a subdued fragrance, and in the end it is clearer than expected. When it dries down it is sexy and perhaps bold in nature. It may not be lush and rich such as Paris but still the fragrance speaks for themselves. It’s dedicated to bring the feminine in most female and it is entirely romantic but not quite girly.

Overall it gives the impression of the Renaissance era, old and classical. Its genuinely a must have to most women who want to seek new frangrance.

Yves Saint Laurent Parisienne is available in 30ml, 50ml and 90ml Eau de Parfum at $39, $65, and $90 respectively.