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.

Fame Intense Paco Rabanne: Empty Hall

Fame Intense by Paco Rabanne
Floral Woody Musk
Alberto Morillas, Dora Baghriche, Fabrice Pellegrin and Marie Salamagne

Fame by Paco Rabanne is followed by Fame Intense which is meant to be a more sensual, deeper, party version of the original. I am neither a huge supporter of the mango-centric original nor impressed by the Intense one. The OG at least has a fresh sense of mango which makes it playful and unique. This new release does not have a character, nothing sets it apart from the crowd.

I do not think it will have as many fans as the original. It lacks the initial blast, energetic fuse Fame automatically comes with. I think there is still bit of mango although is not listed; jasmine, incense and sandalwood. I would say it is a jasmine and sandalwood fragrance, pretty usual combo. Incense is toned-down. Do not expect the power and intensity we know from Amouage.

Fame Intense can serve as a base scent or if you are looking for something basic. If I got it as a gift, I would probably find a way to use it but as a release of 2024 by Paco Rabanne I sadly find it underwhelming.

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 …

Cullinan Diamond: Roses Musk Combo Falling Flat

Cullinan Diamond by Thameen
Floral Woody Musk

Cullinan Diamond is hot and heavy. It strongly reminds me off Middle Eastern Montale perfumes. Most of them have this animalic musk, think Roses Musk or Intense Café. Cullinan Diamond smells like a mixture of these two. I don’t like it. The musk is dirty and strong.

Overall, the fragrance smells medicinal and synthetic. No good olfactory experience at all. Montale is at least cheap. Thameen is expensive so I feel there is no excuse and I am going to be harsh in my rating. I am sorry. It is chemical and screechy.

The scent has a great presence and power, basically fills up a room which in this case, you do not want. The aroma smells a tiny bit more feminine than masculine if you want. It must be due to the sweetness from vanilla. The rose is definitely there which I do not mind. I like a naturalistic smelling rose but it must be the potent musk that ruins it for me. Cullinan Diamond is a fail. It is one of the worst from the bunch, if not the worst.

Melrose Place: The Essence of Glamour and Intrigue

Melrose Place by OUAI
Floral Woody Musk

It looks I have been on a OUAI kick recently. OUAI fragrances just speak to me. In a frag world where everything is about oud and vanilla, I am in the mood for quiet effortless luxury.

Melrose Place is a friendly zingy sweet scent. It has a champagne note at the top which gives it an effervescent zesty quality. No alcoholic smell whatsoever. It has also litchi and red berries in the opening which brings a lot of yummy sweetness. The heart is in a full bloom of rose, peony and freesia. What a beautiful bouquet!

Interestingly, the fragrance appears neither carnal nor romantic. It is rather playful outgoing and flirty. Gorgina! If you are looking for a pretty girl scent but at the same time, do not want to smell like any other person, check out Melrose Place or its scented body products.

Idôle Aura: Sweaty Clown at Bday Party

Idôle Aura by Lancôme
Floral Woody Musk
Adriana Medina-Baez, Nadege Le Garlamtezec and Shyamala Maisondieu

Although I absolutely love the original Idôle and think that Idôle bottles are drop-down gorgeous, so far I have not found anything special about this Idôle flanker Aura.

It is a salty vanilla fragrance with a bit of flowers. It has been advertised as an effervescent marine summer perfume but I find it to be the opposite. You expect a fairy airy queen but you get a funky musky clown.

It does not smell like the OG. Perhaps it is reminiscent of Lovely by Sarah Jessica Parker in the sense that it is stuffy, floral and musky. The musk is modern though, somewhat reminds the musks of Narciso Rodriquez. And yes, there is salt, so I slightly smell Levante by Nobile 1942 and I adore Levante … but when you combine the muskiness, saltiness and floral components you get something strange and claggy.

It is strong and lingers well which is no good this time. But if you love the scent I am pleased to report that in regard to performance, Idôle Aura is tenacious as a maze runner.

Long story short, I am not going to be wearing Idôle Aura neither during summer nor any other season. It lacks sweetness and airiness as far as my personal taste is concerned. It is looking pretty in a box, ready to go to another owner.

Damask: Idyllic Rose … When the Sun Goes Down

Damask by Ormonde Jayne
Floral Woody Musk

Damask is an elegant powdery rose perfume with a fruity top. Interesting assets to Damask are added mineral notes in the base, which bring gunpowder feel-like quality to the mix. While there are spices or gourmand notes in some other rose-centric fragrances to make it stand out, there are mineral notes in Damask. And indeed, they set Damask apart from other rose compositions.

Although Damask has been designed for everyday wear, I cannot help the feeling this is an evening put-together fragrance. I picture a gorgeous lady in a long dark silk dress sipping a cocktail while waiting to be seated in a downtown fancy restaurant. She already has her dream man. She is not here to impress, just to enjoy the town, and a delicious meal with a company of her choice.

Damask is a great classic scent. Everyone should have a stylish rose frag on their shelve. Rose is the queen of flowers and I already have plenty of rose-dominant aromas in my wardrobe. Maybe therefore I am not totally in love with Damask but it is a pretty damn great perfume.

At Some Point in Your Life You Need Levant, Trust me

Levant by Ormonde Jayne
Floral Woody Musk

Levant is a happy scent. When I close my eyes I see a breakfast in Sorrento. You wake up, have a shower, get dressed and head out for breakfast in Italy with your significant other or a friend. You see the Mediterranean style of healthy breakfast, and you are full of energy and excitement for the upcoming day. Levant is not your rainy London but your sunny Italian coast full of adventure, history and dreams.

The scent consists of juicy orange and bergamot. I love orange in fragrances, more than lemon. It has this bright uplighting quality that only orange can make. On top of that, there is plenty of orange blossom which can sometimes cause headaches but not this time. Orange blossom is toned down by other florals, especially peony. Who would not love a peony flower?! It is the epitome of romanticism.

It is all balanced with soft musk, cedar and amber in the background. It is gorgeous – an optimistic orange-peony scent which does not smell immature.

On one hand, you reckon, hmm I smelled this before. It reminds you of other orange scents like Orange Sanguine by Atelier Cologne but it is not touched by peony. Or, Wonderland Peony by Floral Street yet the illuminance of orange is missing big time. Hence you realise there is nothing like Levant out there. I wear Levant if I want to add a bit of flair to my life which is all the time. No, I am kidding. It is not that bad. So, basically, I put on Levant to pick me up on a shady day.

Miu Miu Twist: Simple yet Memorable

Miu Miu Twist by Miu Miu
Floral Woody Musk

Miu Miu Twist is quite a departure from the original Miu Miu in a pastel blue bottle with a red cap. Miu Miu OG is a lily of the valley scent with strong green accords. Twist is a brighter floral with a noticeable juicy apple blossom at the top and overall a modern appeal.

As soon as you lay your nose on the aroma, you get the freshness of the apple. It is gorgeous. The next prominent note is cedarwood – the twist. You move from gentle girly apple blossom to the deeper aspect of the fragrance. They balance each other perfectly.

Miu Miu is a simplistic perfume that manages to bring soft creamy goodness which is not childish. A huge plus is my love for cedar. It makes the scent smell more grounded, sophisticated and mature. Miu Miu Twist mixes young and pretty apple blossom with bolder cedar wood which works splendidly. I have a full bottle of Miu Miu Twist now I am over the moon.

La Colle Noire: Fearless Rose Supported with Oud

La Colle Noire by Christian Dior
Floral Woody Musk
Francois Demachy

I am really loving the Dior private collection. The fragrances are inspiring, elegant and timeless. La Colle Noire is in fact a small chateau in Southeastern France and the perfume was inspired by this romantic property.

La Colle Noire is a crisp clean rose fragrance with oud. It is mainly about May Rose from Grasse, the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur region. It is a rose fragrance with an edge that has a killer lasting and projection. Yet, the fragrance stays fresh and feminine. If you like Oud Silk Mood, it is a lighter and girlier version of that MFK’s scent.

Once you discover rose-oud fragrance combinations and get used to them, you are hooked. La Colle Noire has class. Has maturity and is dauntless and intoxicating.