Atelier Cologne
BLANCHE IMMORTELLE
This perfume makes me long for cool weather and the Holiday Season. It smells like spiced cake soaked in a sauce of orchard fruit that has been stewed in honey and maple syrup. An almost unnoticeable note of sandalwood weaves its way through the gourmand chaos. I smell a touch of masculine vetyver in the base too. I can not decipher any florals at all.
Out of all the "colognes" I have sampled from this house, Blanche Immortelle is the heaviest. It reminds me simultaneously of Botrytis and Angel and could be their love child.
I enjoy the drydown. There is something creamy about it, yet not vanilla.
The bottle is exquisite--a shiny, rose gold, modern beauty with a leather cap.
Edit: I found out you can unscrew the sprayer and dab. I much prefer dabbing. The perfume is more concentrated that way, which works better with the syrupy nature of the scent. (Nov 2014)
This perfume makes me long for cool weather and the Holiday Season. It smells like spiced cake soaked in a sauce of orchard fruit that has been stewed in honey and maple syrup. An almost unnoticeable note of sandalwood weaves its way through the gourmand chaos. I smell a touch of masculine vetyver in the base too. I can not decipher any florals at all.
Out of all the "colognes" I have sampled from this house, Blanche Immortelle is the heaviest. It reminds me simultaneously of Botrytis and Angel and could be their love child.
I enjoy the drydown. There is something creamy about it, yet not vanilla.
The bottle is exquisite--a shiny, rose gold, modern beauty with a leather cap.
Edit: I found out you can unscrew the sprayer and dab. I much prefer dabbing. The perfume is more concentrated that way, which works better with the syrupy nature of the scent. (Nov 2014)
SANTAL CARMIN
A vanilla/saffron infusion with some very soft underlying woods. The citrus top notes don't ever die off but last and last for many hours. What woods I do detect don't smell like sandalwood nor palo santo. Cedar maybe? It's just a little bit sweet, which is a plus so that this perfume doesn't become cloying. Sillage is soft; longevity is pretty good. Compared to Blanche Immortelle, Santal Carmin is far more subdued; less fireworks. I was hoping for a spectacularly creamy sandalwood, but this did not quite fit the bill. (Apr 2016)
A vanilla/saffron infusion with some very soft underlying woods. The citrus top notes don't ever die off but last and last for many hours. What woods I do detect don't smell like sandalwood nor palo santo. Cedar maybe? It's just a little bit sweet, which is a plus so that this perfume doesn't become cloying. Sillage is soft; longevity is pretty good. Compared to Blanche Immortelle, Santal Carmin is far more subdued; less fireworks. I was hoping for a spectacularly creamy sandalwood, but this did not quite fit the bill. (Apr 2016)
VANILLE INSENSÉE
I bought this blindly, and at first I liked it. But after wearing it a couple of times, I realized it's not so great after all.
It reminds me very much of the original Burberry for women. It's vanilla, woods, and citrus. Although orange is not listed as a note, I do smell a vanilla/orange combination on my skin, and I know I get the same effect from Burberry.
This is the 3rd attempt at writing a review because I keep trying so hard to like it, but I now know why I don't. It's just too tangy. I actually find the vanilla to be quite sweet, but the sourness of the citrus seems to fool the nose into not noticing the sweetness so much.
The woody note is prominent, and this is where it's different from Burberry. It's smokier than Burberry, which gives it an incense-like effect. I know that "insencee" does not mean incense, however many woods are burned as incense, and I get a slight smokiness from the oak here. To me it does have an incense-like effect; and I think the name of the perfume is a "play on words".
I've smelled something else like this before, and it's Vetyver 46 by Le Labo, but I find Vetyver 46 to be richer, deeper, and more complex. And the citrus is not nearly so tangy, so it's more palatable for me. Vetyver 46 develops into a beautiful unisex vanilla incense, and it's not as sweet as this. I am going to have to swap this one for something I like better, but if tanginess doesn't bother you, I can certainly see how Vanille Insensee is very enjoyable to others. Sillage was monsterous on me! I just feel like I already own another more perfect version of it (Vetyver 46). (Aug 2012)
I bought this blindly, and at first I liked it. But after wearing it a couple of times, I realized it's not so great after all.
It reminds me very much of the original Burberry for women. It's vanilla, woods, and citrus. Although orange is not listed as a note, I do smell a vanilla/orange combination on my skin, and I know I get the same effect from Burberry.
This is the 3rd attempt at writing a review because I keep trying so hard to like it, but I now know why I don't. It's just too tangy. I actually find the vanilla to be quite sweet, but the sourness of the citrus seems to fool the nose into not noticing the sweetness so much.
The woody note is prominent, and this is where it's different from Burberry. It's smokier than Burberry, which gives it an incense-like effect. I know that "insencee" does not mean incense, however many woods are burned as incense, and I get a slight smokiness from the oak here. To me it does have an incense-like effect; and I think the name of the perfume is a "play on words".
I've smelled something else like this before, and it's Vetyver 46 by Le Labo, but I find Vetyver 46 to be richer, deeper, and more complex. And the citrus is not nearly so tangy, so it's more palatable for me. Vetyver 46 develops into a beautiful unisex vanilla incense, and it's not as sweet as this. I am going to have to swap this one for something I like better, but if tanginess doesn't bother you, I can certainly see how Vanille Insensee is very enjoyable to others. Sillage was monsterous on me! I just feel like I already own another more perfect version of it (Vetyver 46). (Aug 2012)
