Parfums Dusita: Customizable Collection Coffret

Fleur De Lalita, Anamcara, La Douceur De Siam
Amber Floral, Floral Woody Musk, Amber Floral
Pissara Umavijani

FLEUR DE LALITA: Sunshine Rays and Exotic Flora

Fleur de Lalita is a stunning bouquet of yellow and white florals. There is also rose added to the mixture. The flowers are grounded with ambrette and vanilla; however, I would not say Fleur De Lalita is a sweet fragrance. As all Dusita perfumes, Fleur de Lalita is elegant, light and airy … easy to wear to any occasion you can think of. The concoction is waxy and creamy yet not heavy at all. It is a great scent to pack to your suitcase when you go on holidays because the yellow florals involved have a touch of exotica. It is an aroma to wear on your skin, clothes all over your body. To smell it from the atomizer does not do it a justice. It is somewhat in the same category as Rose Alexandrie by Armani Prive; nevertheless, Rose Alexadrie is sweeter and younger while Fleur De Lalita is attracting more mature audiences. I wore Fleur De Lalita on my summer vacay in Sousse, Tunisia. I happily reached often for this beautiful bunch of flowers when I was eating out, or just hang out and about near the beach. Pissara knows how to make floral perfumes. As simple as that.

ANAMCARA: Steaming Green Tea with Freshly Cut Oranges

When I first laid my nose on Anamcara I was underwhelmed. I though, okay, yellow florals. Then I looked at the notes I saw it is an orange blossom fragrance. Then, it hit me. Yes, orange blossom but in an mesmerizingly pure realistic form. I have many orange blossom-centric perfumes but Anamcara is different. It is not this bright heady smell but rather powdery and earthy. There is tea and vetiver added. Imagine green tea with hints of sweet oranges – ANAMCARA. Unexpectedly, Anamcara was the one Dusita fragrance that I used the most in Sousse, Tunisia. It went literally from zero to hero. Anamcara means your best friend. The one you turn to when life gets real and serious. It does feel like it. Anamcara brings a familiar comfort, happiness and clear mind. Again, a huge surprise, I did not expect to love it so much. The longer the juice sits, the stronger and sweeter it becomes. Anamcara is not the most popular in the fragrance community. It needs more attention.

LA DOUCEUR DE SIAM: Midnight in Thai Orchards and Herb Backyards

Ok, La Douceur De Siam, we could translate it as a dose of Thailand if you wish. The first thing you notice is that it is a sweet, seductive aroma but still in a subtle way. From the atomizer, it was my favorite; nonetheless, soon I realized, it is not a fragrance I would wear during the day. It is a nighttime, date-type of scent and that is why I tended to prioritize Anamcara or Fleur De Lalita on my holidays in Sousse. It smelled sweet, tropical, slightly spicy but to my surprise I found out, it is in fact a rose perfume. It is a gorgeous, addictive scent. To my nostrils, it tends to lean on the younger part of the geographic. It is much much more refined La Vie Est Belle by Lancôme. Or a unique, classier version of Babylonia by Ormonde Jayne. The main difference is and also its strongest selling point, the exotic touch of Asian spices and gardens. If you wear sweet fragrances like a pro, La Douceur De Siam is an interesting gem to add to your collection. I cannot decide which one of the coffret is my fave. I am simply loving them all because they are wonderful in their own ways and each of them serves a different purpose.

Miss Dior Parfum 2024: The Most Famous Fruitchouli?

Miss Dior Parfum (2024) by Dior
Amber Floral
Francis Kurkdjian and Francois Demachy

The new directors of Dior came out with a brand new version of Miss Dior. This time, it is called Miss Dior Parfum and it is supposed to be an intense fruitchouli perfume. It does not head far away from its brief. It is a strawberry-patchouli-amber fragrance. However, the main difference is that this time, we don’t have rose as the main player but jasmine. Rose gave the older Miss Diors a lightness and freshness while jasmine can perform like a heady dominant white floral.

Miss Dior Parfum is a jammy sweet juice but not exactly juvenile. I find a slight similarity to Prada Paradox or other designer perfumes with jasmine released after 2020.

Do I like it? MD Parfum is not a bad fragrance and I am glad I tested it out; however, I do not feel the need to have a big bottle in my collection. I feel I grew out of Miss Dior’s DNA. I do not find it original anymore.

It is an elegant feminine scent yet I want to move away from designer fragrances produced by big cosmetic houses; and Dior definitely belongs to that category.

Q Eau de Parfum Intense: A Wannabe Lost Cherry by TF

Q Eau de Parfum Intense by Dolce & Gabbana
Amber Floral
Daphné Bugey

Q EDP Intense is of course a flanker of the original Q. An intense, elixir or parfum version is usually a more concentrated, sensual, deeper fragrance with the DNA of the original juice.

I normally like the uniqueness, easy-going versatile and fresh nature of the original fragrances. Most of the time, I do not need more intensity and sweetness. Q intense is a classic example where I am over the moon with the OG; however, ambivalent towards the intense.

Q Intense smells like Griotte in the opening which is a dark cherry liquor. It is accompanied with heliotrope and amber. Overall, it smells fruity, nutty, creamy and sweet. But at the same time, it does not have the intensity some of the nighttime deep black cherry scents have like La Petite Robe Noire by Guerlain or Lovefest Burning Cherry 48 by Kayali. It is a fruity-sweet cherry fragrance with a bit of a base which does not stay straight and strong. It is a sort of wannabe Lost Cherry by Tom Ford but it struggling to get there.

Perfume Empties 2024: 30+ bottles

Dear follower,

thank you so much for your support. I appreciate it a lot. I have prepared the first bunch of perfume empties from 2024 for you. You know I do not take perfume purchases lightly and I am committed to use up my beloved fragrance bottles. If I seriously do not like a scent, I either return it or re-sell it as soon as possible. The most of my perfumes I am using and enjoying my life with them. Fragrance makes makes me feel alive!

Here, on my blog and YouTube channel, you can explore the journey with me. If you want to see Etat Libre d’Orange, Lancôme, Hermes, Dior and Ormonde Jayne and much more, keep on watching …

Sweet Diamond Pink Pepper 25: Little Vampy Girl

Sweet Diamond Pink Pepper 25 by Kayali
Amber Floral
Gabriela Chelariu

Some of the Kayali fragrances are hard to find on our mid-Europe market. I was lucky to grab at least a mini version of Sweet Diamond Pink Pepper 25. It is a pretty girly fragrance. The dominant notes are saffron, rose, pink pepper and vanilla orchid, and together they create a beautiful sweet feminine concoction.

It is a gentle transition from French perfumery to the Middle Eastern market. It is bolder and deeper than our typical rose perfumes, Miss Dior for example; however, not quite there yet when compared to Oud Bouquet by Lancôme. I appreciate it for what it is, something in between.

It is a vampy scent for colder weather. You have to like it sweet and you must like your rose fragrances and warm spices. This note profile had its time when it was released in 2021. Now, it falls slightly in the background. Me, being late to the show, I enjoy it like most of the Kayali perfumes. They are unique yet approachable and affordable. If you have not tried Sweet Diamond Pink Pepper, don’t sleep on it. You are missing out.

Nomade Nuit d’Egypte: Tribute to Orange Blossom

Nomade Nuit d’Egypte Chloé
Amber Floral
Juliette Karagueuzoglou

Gaby Aghion, the Egyptian born founded the house of Chloé in 1952. She started to use the expression “prêt-à-porter” fashion ready to wear, no need for a tailor. Her designs represent French femininity and youth, her fragrance Nomade Nuit d’Egypte celebrates Alexandria, Egypt, the place she was born in 1921.

Nomade Nuit d’Egypte is nothing like the original Nomade which is mainly the scent of mirabelle and moss, fresh and earthy. Nomade Nuit d’Egypte is an orange blossom scent with spicy amber nuances. There is also a heavy dose of vanilla awaiting in the base. Do not get too excited about myrrh and cinnamon in the opening. I can barely smell them.

Although it has an amber character, it is still very much a designer floral scent. Likable, sweet, feminine, elegant. It follows the trends established by My Way by Armani, Prada Paradox, or even Donna by Trussardi. A gorgeous perfume for a general female audience. A valentine gift which is hard to dislike. I like amber florals and as I have Paradox in my perfume wardrobe, I do not feel the urgency to buy Nomade Nuit d’Egypte, even though the story behind the fragrance is beautiful. Cheers to that!

Peregrina Thameen: Rose Centric Niche for Beginners

Peregrina by Thameen
Amber Floral

Here we go back to Thameen and this time with Peregrina, in my opinion a rich feminine scent. It is a sweet oriental fragrance centred on rose and amber.

Wearable and approachable. However, from my experience, it is not an aroma that stays in your head. If you are a perfume hobbyist, you have smelled this thousand times before. With that being said, it is a beautiful blend with good ingrediencies, there is absolutely nothing wrong with the quality. For me, it goes in the direction of Miss Dior Cherie from 2005. Instead of patchouli, you have the warmth of amber which gives the aroma a slightly gourmand touch. Therefore, it is a sexy scent for the evening or a daytime perfume for winter with a solid feminine structure.

Although I do not have any negative experience with Peregrina whatsoever, it is not a scent that blows my mind. I admit it is pretty likeable and a pleasant experience overall but definitely not a valuable piece for my collection. I’d rather stick to my Coco Mademoiselle Intense by Chanel.

People on the street are not going to recognise if you are wearing an exclusive niche fragrance or omni-present designer best seller.

The Cora: The Tenderness of a Midwest Small Town Mother

The Cora by Thameen
Amber Floral

The Cora is a burst of flowers. Maybe even too strong and sharp in the opening. It has an unusual smell due to a wisteria floral. Later on, the fragrance sets in and gets warmed up which results in a gorgeous timeless amber floral. Not exactly sweet, not exactly fresh. A nice bunch of flowers accompanied by benzoin, amber and musk.

It is a floral but due to amber not really a girly floral. It is a motherly floral. And I mean this in a nice way. No cloying grandma floral at all. It has this aura of a loving and unconditionally giving family figure. Spring time, kids playing outside, a lovely middle aged couple looking happy … like Jessica Chastain and Brad Pitt in The Tree of Life movie … until something goes wrong.

Luckily, nothing goes wrong with The Cora and we can fully absorb the familiar scent of peace and motherly love till the end.

If you are turning forty, it is handy to own a decent floral perfume. The Cora is a classic you cannot go wrong with. The same way you cannot make a mistake with Honour Woman by Amouage for instance. I have my iconic floral Pure Poison, so I am fine The Cora-less for now though. But who knows what happens next.

Peacock Throne: The Secret of Attraction

Peacock Throne Thameen
Amber Floral

The composition of Peacock Throne is situated around taif rose which is profound and has a lemon and leather character. The base is deep and earthy with patchouli and vetiver. The fragrance is not sweet but is sultry in its own mysterious way. It is dark, sensual and vampy.

I wore it to do movies and it was not right time and place. It did not come across disturbing or anything like that but I felt going to the movies requires something friendlier and cozier. Peacock Throne smells niche, sexy and grown-up. It does not smell like Black Orchid by Tom Ford in my opinion but I see a connection between the two brands.

Peacock Throne is a beautiful fragrance but in order to get some use out of it, one needs to preserve a certain lifestyle, which I do not. Peacock Throne and me did not exactly click; therefore, it is not my place to add this unique rose perfume to my collection.

Royal Sapphire: Is a Diamond among Stones

Royal Sapphire by Thameen
Amber Floral

Thameen is a British perfume brand, relatively new, born in 2013. It opens the British culture to the world which is ironic due to Brexit in 2020. Anyway, it has been a while I have heart about Thameen, especially in relation to Peregrina and Blue Heart. When I saw their discovery kit at Muscat’s airport I could not resist.

I will simply kick off my Thameen review series with the best and it is undoubtedly Royal Sapphire. Guys, Royal Sapphire is such a gorgeous fragrance. It is unisex, very spring-like. It smells like the perfect cologne. It has a sparkling top with mandarin and bergamot, a floral heart – orange blossom and jasmine, and it as all balanced out with oakmoss, patchouli, wood and amber.

What I find typical about Thameen perfumes is that they are all quite ambery. But Royal Sapphire shines. It is bright but nicely grounded with earthy notes. It feels vibrant and aromatic at the same time. It is a combination of Levant by Ormonde Jayne and Aqua Universalis by MFK. It is juicy and fun yet serious and calming. An amazing everyday workday scent. If I were to buy one Thameen’s full size bottle, I would buy Royal Sapphire. That says it all.