Sunset Hour: Designer, Celebrity, Niche?

Sunset Hour by Goldfield & Banks Australia
Aromatic Fruity
Honorine Blanc

Sunset Hour is Goldfield & Banks’ best seller hence I blind-bought a 50ml bottle. We all know the portion of dopamine it gives us to open a brand-new bottle of perfume. Surprisingly, it was not instant love. It took me time to pinpoint what is this fragrance all about.

First of all, Sunset Hour is a Parfum concentration, it carries approximately 20% of botanicals and essences. In this respect, one would expect a bold fragrance, lasting and projecting massively. But it is not like that! It lasts about four hours and stays close to the skin pretty much the entire time.

Secondly, there are two aspects to it. It opens beachy-like, tropical, and youthful. Pear, mandarin, raspberry and desert peach Quandong – typical for the Southern Hemisphere. I see an orange lollipop that kids get as a treat after visiting a doctor. Or, fruity hair and body products that teenagers love.

Then it sinks into something creamier, woodier, and comfortable on the skin. The heart carries jasmine absolute, ginger, mango, coconut cream, pink pepper, sandalwood and cashmere. Although it has all these exquisite materials, milkiness and delicacy, it is still a fruity perfume.

Long story short, it is a challenge to create a masterpiece when you have a lot of tropical fruits in hand. Sunset Hour smells like a mixture of Marc Jacobs daisies, Miami Glow by J Lo and Cassily by PDM. Designer, celebrity and niche. I like it but it is not a love for me. When it comes to smooth tropical perfumes, I need more flowers thrown in. Narciso Ambree is a perfect example of a creamy beachy floral in my opinion. Sunset Hour is very much on the fruity side which does not add much class.

White Sandalwood Goldfield & Banks: Dry Heat Sauna

White Sandalwood by Goldfield & Banks Australia
Woody Spicy
Francois Merle-Baudoin

Sandalwood is a kind of oriental wood so typical in perfumery – milky, and reliable to boost any note profile. In this unisex fragrance White Sandalwood, Australian sandalwood is harsher and amplified with spicy notes like saffron and black pepper. The scent impression is dry, you do picture Aussie Outback with all its native beauty.

Although White Sandalwood gets mixed reviews online, I am personally impressed. Sandalwood is in general one of the woodsy mossy notes that I can get on board. I put it out there, I have not smelled anything like this sandalwood. I feel the woods, spices and dryness with a beachy touch.

For those who have not been to Australia, this perfume smells like when you enter a Finnish sauna. There are no aroma addictives in the air, just wooden seats and dry heat. I enjoy a traditional Finnish sauna, especially with close friends and loved ones. You guessed well. I also enjoy White Sandalwood, I use it as my bedtime scent and relish the comfort that it brings me.

Southern Bloom Australia: Floral Stand-Offish Coconut

Southern Bloom by Goldfield & Banks
Floral
Francois Merle-Baudoin

Goldfield & Banks Australia is a new brand for me. Its founder Dimitri Weber is from Europe, currently located in Australia. He combines French perfumery expertise with Australian natural resources and endemic Botanics. Down under is notoriously known for having only two seasons: summer and winter. Southern Bloom is here to remind us that there actually is spring in Australia. The scent focuses on Brown Boronia which is blooming in spring and is hard to attain.

Southern Bloom is a floral scent. The juice has a gorgeous colour – dark purple – and the opening is somewhat mysterious. Boronia is accompanied by tart mandarine orange, creamy coconut, cold iris, warm jasmine and exotic ylang-ylang. Therefore, do not be surprised to find almost anything within the fragrance structure. Tartness, freshness, creaminess, soapiness and earthiness and all in the right doses.

The opening is wild but when the scent settles it becomes much clearer. A bar soap! The fragrance gets its cold soapy character from the coconut note and iris. In that sense, it is slightly reminiscent of Bubble Bath by Martin Margiela Replica Line. Nonetheless, Southern Bloom’s soapy-smelling coconut is accompanied by a bunch of wildflowers; therefore, is more on the feminine side in comparison to Bubble Bath which is more unisex.

If you are a fragrance newbie you are not going to like it as much. It is an unusual smell. There are days when I am blown away by its aldehydic character and its soft feminine touches. It can be a signature scent if your personality has an edge. On other days I think it is just okay. However, a certain thing is the more I wear it the more I like it. I would actually welcome a full-size bottle in my collection to explore the scent even more. Right now I have a sample. I have heard a rumour that samples smell better than full-size things. This info has been particularly brought up in the reference to Goldfield & Banks perfumes, just saying. Maybe a different batch?

Cataliya Maison Maïssa: Casual Day Delight

Cataliya by Maison Maïssa
Floral Fruity

Cataliya is in fact a pink orchid flower with citrusy and exotic nuances. The note of orchid is synthetic in fragrances. Here the author tries to reproduce the scent of Cataliya orchid with the help of sweetness, fruits and earthy ingredients. The colour of the juice is pink like the flower.

The fruit used in the perfume is tart and citrusy as well as creamy, owning to black currant and plum. It is all sweetened up with caramel and vanilla. A mellow fruity blast!

I do get the fruits and sweetness but I do not notice many earthy aspects of this fragrance. Do not expect strong vetiver or patchouli. It stays fairly girly and likeable all the way through.

It is a gorgeous sweet fruity cocktail that can be easily exchanged for Victoria’s Secret body mist. It is an everyday, easy-to-wear, feminine scent. You cannot go wrong if you buy Cataliya for a woman in your life. You bet she will wear it at some point in her life. We all need a fragrance like Cataliya in our collection. I can easily see myself picking up a bottle and using it frequently. It is that versatile.

Cuir de Marrakech: Light Ambient Chill

Cuir de Marrakech by Maison Maïssa
Woody Spicy

Cuir de Marrakech is a surprising fragrance. Despite its name, it is not a leathery scent and it is not a heavy perfume either. It is full of resins and balsams and has a warm and inviting character.

The top envelops into a fruity zest. Later, it smells like an exotic market with kitchen spices. There is cinnamon, opoponax, Tolu resin, to name a few. The aroma is aromatic with a gentle touch of seasoning. The note profile is a heavy hitter so one would expect a beastly lasting and projection; however, it is not like that. It is a soft atmospheric smell like stress relief music you play in the background.

The top envelops into a fruity zest. Later, it smells like an exotic market with kitchen spices. There is cinnamon, opoponax, Tolu resin, to name a few. The aroma is aromatic with a gentle touch of seasoning. The note profile is a heavy hitter so one would expect a beastly lasting and projection; however, it is not like that. It is a soft atmospheric smell like stress relief music you play in the background.

Look, if you wear mass-pleasing freshies and want to venture into spicy and gourmand scents, Cuir de Marrakech can be your ferryman. It sits on the skin nicely. You can put it on all year round and it is unisex. Pricing is also reasonable for a niche brand.

As for my personal experience, Cuir de Marrakech did not totally blow my socks off. I am not in a hurry to buy a bottle but it is vital to acknowledge: “What a lovely scent!”

Symphonie: Screechy and Irritating, Oh Heck No!

Symphonie by Maison Maïssa
Floral Woody Musk

Maison Maïssa is a relatively new French perfume brand. They combine the warmth of the East and the freshness of the West. They mix tradition with modernity for him as well as for her. “Perfume is a part of your personality”, they say. Maïssa perfumes are daring, opulent and majestic. There is a lot of craftsmanship and hand-made skills put into the packaging and overall presentation. The prices are niche but reasonable. They offer codes, coupons and discounts.

My first experience with this house is Symphonie. By looking at the notes, it is apparent we are going to get fruity vanilla and it sounds quite lovely. But just from sniffing the atomizer, I know that the die is cast. I do not like it! It reminds me too much of another scent I have tried recently and I am not a fan. Aventus for Her by Creed!

I can give you more. L’Aventure Femme by Al Haramain. Andromeda by Tiziana Terenzi. Instant Crush by Mancera. They all have something in common. This strange sharpness, freshness or fruitiness. I do not know what it is exactly but I often find it in niche Middle Eastern fragrances. It is an instant bummer for me. I leave the scent on but almost feel I want to scrub it off. I doubt I can ever get used to it. The more I smell it the more I know it is not for me 😦

Rehab Initio: Spices & Dried Herbs for Every Home

Rehab by Initio Parfums Prives
Woody Aromatic

When I first smelled Rehab, I swear I smelled cinnamon. There is no cinnamon listed of course, so where does the sweetness come from? Some lavender mixes come with licorice nuances, so that must be it.

Rehab is a tricky scent because you expect aromatic woody but what you get in reality is Tobacco Vanille by Tom Ford – a night-time scent heavy on species and vanilla. Okay, I am exaggerating here. It is not as sweet and gourmand as Tobacco Vanille but the core is there.

It is a winter night-time type of scent, beautifully blended but is it juice worth having a full bottle of? If you want to splurge on a lush scent smelling like warm cooking spices and do not already have something similar in your collection, then the answer is yes. Apart from the sweetness, there is not much feminity in the fragrance, so you must enjoy wearing masculine fragrances on top of that. Little goes a long way. You do not need to spray a tun to make it last. Both performance and staying power are extraordinary.

Paragon Initio: Spicy Woods Candied by Plum

Paragon Initio by Parfums Prives
Woody Spicy

Paragon is an aromatic all-year-round type of fragrance. It has sage, lavender and bergamot in the opening. It has potency and depth. It sets sweeter and woodier with time. There are creamy sandalwood and oud in the base. Yes, it is a strong woody fragrance but you don’t have to be afraid of the oud note. It is a piece of subtle oud in the background. The main wood is palo santo which is lighter and fresher.

It is what I call a unisex fragrance. It does have both masculine and feminine traits. I see a resemblance to Myrrh & Tonka by Jo Malone which I have and love. It is more clear especially when the plum comes through and the scent gets sweeter. When Myrrh & Tonka is an alluring perfume for the night, Paragon is a softer, more universal scent.

I prefer my Myrrh & Tonka because it is more mysterious and addictive, especially if you add price to the mix.

Musk Therapy: Clean Fluffy Musk with Tartness

Musk Therapy by Initio Parfums Prives
Woody Floral Musk

Musk Therapy. My first experience with Initio Parfums Privé. Musk Therapy has been hyped on the internet as a comfortable clean white T-shirt scent. It is supposed to lift one’s mood and do well during intimate encounters. It has pink and white musks, sandalwood and subtle fruits.

The initial spray is nice and unique. Later on, it feels like a laundry detergent. Not bad but not anything particularly interesting either, especially considering the astronomical price. It can work well as an inoffensive office scent, as well as a date scent if you spray generously. It is very much on the feminine side according to my nose.

Many perfumes are mood lifters, I do not find Musk Therapy to do better in this aspect. I wore it during winter and it stayed for two hours on my skin, it lingered longer on clothes. However, I must give Inition points for beautiful presentation. The products arrived in a stunning black box, fast and at no extra cost. I got my need for a luxury experience fulfilled 🙂

I am just fine with the Hedonist sample kit of Initio right now. I definitely do not need a full bottle of Musk Therapy. Do you need one?

Figues & Agrumes: A Freshie You Can Dress Up

Figues & Agrumes by Maison Lancôme
Aromatic Fruity
Alex Lee

I love the taste of fresh figs, just picked up from a tree. I cannot imagine a better time than relaxing under a fig tree in Croatia in August. Me sipping coffee; my older son jumping on a trampoline. A family portrait. You want to stop time and remember the moment forever.

It is apparent I have a thing for fresh vacay perfumes during freezing Christmas time 🙂

Oh well, you may think I am too young to be nostalgic, but “scent is life”, and life is full of memories. That is why I associate figs with The Adriatic Sea. Figs are, actually, quite common in fragrances worldwide, and their popularity is even growing.

Fig has a sweet creamy smell. It is often combined with woodsy ore tea notes. Then it results in an aromatic masculine scent. Figures & Agrumes leans feminine with citruses, sorbet ice cream and jasmine.

What a superb composition. It is the most elegant fig I have smelt so far. It is fresh yet waxy, a little bit sweet, a bit tart, bit bitter. It is a simple freshie you can dress up and make a special occasion scent. It is a scent for a woman, not necessarily a girl.

Basically, it has everything I could ever want in a fig perfume. It is undoubtedly a fruity scent but you do not feel like a weird fruit concoction. Class, sophistication and lightness are omnipresent written in the aroma DNA. Well done Maison Lancôme.