Bloom Perfumery: Yearly Sample Pack: January 2017: Exploring Resins

My January Bloom Perfumery Sample Pack arrived on Saturday. This month we are exploring more exotic and rare resins - elemi, Peru and tolu balms.

"Elemi comes from a tree native to the Philippines and smells somewhere between cedarwood and frankincense with a lot of citrus nuance. Peru balsam is much smokier, boozy and vanillic and comes from South America, so does tolu which smells sweet and reminiscent of old library ambiance. All these materials offer perfumers a choice of intense shades of smokey, sweet, spicy or crisp woods depending on what the resins are combined with".

The first perfume which I totally fell for is Angela Ciampagna's Aer EdP (100ml - £160, 50ml - £95, 1ml - £5) which focuses on the citrus green aspect of elemi. It opens with mint, grapefruit and lemon with juniper in it's heart. With top notes of grapefruit, lemon, mint and pink pepper, a heart of jasmine, juniper and magnolia with a base of cashmeran, elemi and patchouli. Love this!

From Parfumerie Generale we have Long-Courrier EdP (100ml - £116, 50ml - £80, 1ml - £2) which is a salty vanilla. It's part of the PG's Cruise Collection which is about travel to remote exotic locations. With notes of cedarwood, cocoa, elemi, musk, orange and salt.  

Meanwhile, PG26 Isparta (100ml - £117.50, 50ml - £81.50, 1ml - £2) is summer roses with a dark side. With top notes of candied fruit and oud, a heart of Isparta (Turkish) rose and patchouli with base notes of ambroxan, benzoin, calamu, frankincense and Peru balsam. We also received this in July's pack.

PG10.1 Bouquet Massai EdP (100ml - £117.50, 50ml - £81.50, 2ml - £2) which we received in November's pack (there has been a few repeats now over the 2 year subscription). Tolu is paired with coffee. It has notes of cashmeran, coffee, karo karounde, magnolia, peach, peony, raindrops, sandalwood and tolu.

From Huitème Art Parfums there is Poudre de Riz EdP (100ml - £115, 50ml - £88, 1ml - £2) which is a floral with powdery sweet notes. With notes of benzoin, cedarwood, coconut, iris, syrupy rose, tiare, sandalwood, tolu, tonka and vanilla.

The final scent this month is New In: From Angela Ciampagna Fauni Extrait de Parfum (100ml - £245, 1ml - £7) which is a leathery gardenia (and is lush!). With top notes of green leaves, a heart of frankincense, gardenia and ylang ylang with base notes of amber, benzoin, musk and tolu.

I've been really enjoying this month's picks, even with the two repeat perfumes. What are your thoughts on the selection?

Bloom Perfumery: Yearly Sample Pack: November 2016: Exploring Cashmeran

My November Bloom Perfumery Sample Pack arrived the other day. This month the theme is Exploring Cashmeran.

"Cashmeran is a slightly unusual but incredibly distinctive ingredient that is widely used in perfumery - both for the way it smells and they way it exalts and affects a blend. Also called musk indanone, Cashmeran is a lot of the time referred to as blond woods by perfumers because it has a very velvetine and rich quality to it; but it also smells sharp, woody and clean. It's essentially a spicy musky woody note".

Grossmith Floral Veil EdP (50ml - £170, 1ml - £5) with top notes of cassis, green leaves and lemon, a heart of geranium, rose, tuberose, vanilla and ylang ylang with a base of amber, cashmeran and musk.

Praline de Santal by Parfumerie Generale EdP (100ml - £117.50, 50ml - £81.50, 1ml - £2) the cashmeran helps the hazelnut to sit at the top of the scent. With top notes of hazelnut, a heart of cedar and heliotrope with a base of cashmeran, musk and sandalwood.

Angela Ciampagna Ducalis EdP (100ml - £160, 50ml - £95, 1ml - £5) which is one of my favourites from this month's selection. It has top notes of nutmeg, geranium and salt accord, a heart of rose, may-lily, cyclamen, ylang ylang, acacia and cedarwood with a base of sandalwood, rosewood, leather, amber, musk and vanilla.

Parfumerie Generale's PG10.1 Bouquet Massai EdP (100ml - £117.50, 50ml - £81.50, 1ml - £2) cashmeran helps the floral notes fuse with the gourmand-ish fruitier notes. With notes of peony, magnolia, karo karounde, coffee, cashmeran, sandalwood, tolu balm and fruity notes. I like this one too.

From Olfactive Studio we have Lumiere Blanche EdP (100ml - £108, 50ml - £74, 1ml - £2) which is gorgeous! With woody notes and spices. With top notes of cardamon, cinnamon and star anise, a heart of almond, cashmere musks and iris with a base of cedar, sandalwood, tonka beans and white musk it cocoons and comforts. Love this one.

The final perfume this month is Just Landed: Arquiste ELLA EdP (100ml - £135, 1ml - £2) which is floral, leather and spicy. With notes of cannon ball tree flower, angelica root, carrot seed, Turkish rose, jasmine absolute, cardamon absolute, black buckwheat honey, ambergris, patchouli, civet, vetiver, cigarette smoke and chypre accord. This is a very heady scent which is growing on me!

What do you think of this month's picks?

Bloom Perfumery: Yearly Sample Pack: September 2016

My Bloom Perfumery September sample pack arrived yesterday and this month it's #LucaTurinApproved - Perfume writer and co-author of the perfume lover's bible "Perfumes: The A-Z Guide" of which I have an early edition and which has given me hours and hours of reading pleasure.

Onto the perfumes this month which have all recently featured on Luca's blog:

Baruti Berlin in Winter (Indigo RMX) Extrait de Parfum (30ml - £80, 1ml - £5) which has notes of amber, cassis, coffee, frankincense, iris, lavender, leather, mastic, myrrh, plum, rose and whisky. I initially didn't like this scent but it's definitely growing on me. 

AEON 001 Extrait de Parfum (65ml - £200, 1.2ml - £10) which was the one which initially jumped out at me. With notes of tobacco and vetiver. Luca says "the best vetiver in a long time". It is blended with a distinct note of honey and white flowers with a touch of smoke and resin. Love!

Angela Ciampagna Liquo EdP (50ml - £95, 1.6ml - £5) which is really unusual and has a distinct liquorice aroma making it quite mouthwatering. With top notes of lavandin, violet and lemon with a heart of anise, licorice, straw and coumarin with a base of incense, vetiver and tonka beans. 

.vero.profumo. Mito EdP (50ml - £138, 1.2ml - £5) with top notes of green leaves, a heart of champaca, magnolia grandiflora and tuberose with a base of galbanum and hyacinth. It opens with a green freshness developing into a creamy heady floral with a woody base. Like this one a lot.

Nishane Sultan Vetiver Extrait de Parfum (50ml - £120, 1ml - £5) which is a mix of vetivers from all over the world - Java, Brazil, Haiti and Bourbon) and is heady and exotic. It has top notes of absinthe, Java vetiver, bergamot and Peruvian pepper a heart of Bourbon vetiver, neroli, Haiti vetiver and tonka beans with a base of amber, Brazil vetiver and leather. Huge fan of this perfume house, my favourite being Boszporusz.

Just landed is Brocard Queen of Spades Modern EdP 1.5ml (which I can't actually find online yet!) It has top notes of citruses and mango, a heart of jasmine, orange blossom and white rose and a base of patchouli, vanilla, marshmallow and white musk and is very fruity and sweetly edible.

What are your thoughts on this month's selection?