Dame Perfumery
BERGAMOT JASMINE & LABDANUM
I attended the launch party of this fragrance in San Francisco and had the chance to test. What a beautiful, tender jasmine! This is so nice for the warmer weather. What I love about Dame's perfumes is that you will definitely smell the 3 notes that are listed on the bottle, and this is no exception. The strongest notes are bergamot, jasmine, and labdanum in a 20/60/20 combo. The notes all play so beautifully off of each other.
Something about this jasmine sparkles. It might sound weird, but whenever I encounter labdanum in perfume, it smells like fizzy amber. This is what I smell in this perfume, and it works wonders to uplift the scent of the delicate, breezy jasmine. It has a champagne-like effect; effervescent and refreshing in a way I have never smelled in a jasmine perfume. Exceptional!
I find that jasmine can be a tough soliflore for noses to pull off. Usually with jasmine perfumes, the base goes synthetic/waxy/fake-musky and smells cheap. I did not have this problem with this perfume. It was beautiful, fresh jasmine through and through. The ambery base gives just the slightest perception of warmth and depth.
Very highly recommended for lovers of fresh jasmine soliflores, such as myself. This can easily compete with the likes of Montale's Jasmine Full and Lutens' A la Nuit. (Apr 2016)
I attended the launch party of this fragrance in San Francisco and had the chance to test. What a beautiful, tender jasmine! This is so nice for the warmer weather. What I love about Dame's perfumes is that you will definitely smell the 3 notes that are listed on the bottle, and this is no exception. The strongest notes are bergamot, jasmine, and labdanum in a 20/60/20 combo. The notes all play so beautifully off of each other.
Something about this jasmine sparkles. It might sound weird, but whenever I encounter labdanum in perfume, it smells like fizzy amber. This is what I smell in this perfume, and it works wonders to uplift the scent of the delicate, breezy jasmine. It has a champagne-like effect; effervescent and refreshing in a way I have never smelled in a jasmine perfume. Exceptional!
I find that jasmine can be a tough soliflore for noses to pull off. Usually with jasmine perfumes, the base goes synthetic/waxy/fake-musky and smells cheap. I did not have this problem with this perfume. It was beautiful, fresh jasmine through and through. The ambery base gives just the slightest perception of warmth and depth.
Very highly recommended for lovers of fresh jasmine soliflores, such as myself. This can easily compete with the likes of Montale's Jasmine Full and Lutens' A la Nuit. (Apr 2016)
BLACK FLOWER MEXICAN VANILLA
My my skin is really picking up the nutmeg (one of my favorite spices, and very rare to find a true nutmeg note in any perfume!), which is phenomenal. I also notice a green vibe to it, like the actual vanilla orchid plant (hence the name, I guess?). I understand why people mentioned Havana Vanille. A unique, rare, creamy vanilla.
My my skin is really picking up the nutmeg (one of my favorite spices, and very rare to find a true nutmeg note in any perfume!), which is phenomenal. I also notice a green vibe to it, like the actual vanilla orchid plant (hence the name, I guess?). I understand why people mentioned Havana Vanille. A unique, rare, creamy vanilla.
CHOCOLATE MAN
Chocolate Man is Mexican hot chocolate so good it makes me consider licking my arm. It's a perfectly balanced blend of rich drinking chocolate with freshly grated, woody cinnamon bark and a pinch of red-hot chili powder. The longer it remains on my skin the creamier it becomes without compromising that gorgeous blend of spices.
Another thing I notice about Chocolate Man is that it is decidedly boozy, almost like someone added Godiva chocolate liqueur AND buttered rum to my Mexican hot cocoa. Can it possibly get more decadent than this?! Nope.
Remember that scene in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory where some kid cracks open a pumpkin and reaches in to find molten chocolate, and he just shoves his chocolate-covered hand into his mouth like an absolute pig? Chocolate Man smells sinful--the deadly sin of gluttony, for sure.
Decadent. Sublime.
Chocolate confection perfection. (Jul 2016)
Chocolate Man is Mexican hot chocolate so good it makes me consider licking my arm. It's a perfectly balanced blend of rich drinking chocolate with freshly grated, woody cinnamon bark and a pinch of red-hot chili powder. The longer it remains on my skin the creamier it becomes without compromising that gorgeous blend of spices.
Another thing I notice about Chocolate Man is that it is decidedly boozy, almost like someone added Godiva chocolate liqueur AND buttered rum to my Mexican hot cocoa. Can it possibly get more decadent than this?! Nope.
Remember that scene in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory where some kid cracks open a pumpkin and reaches in to find molten chocolate, and he just shoves his chocolate-covered hand into his mouth like an absolute pig? Chocolate Man smells sinful--the deadly sin of gluttony, for sure.
Decadent. Sublime.
Chocolate confection perfection. (Jul 2016)
DARK HORSE
I sold my precious bottle of Theorema some time ago, and I have always wondered if I did the right thing. Well now I know that if I ever crave the scent of that GORGEOUS drydown, which is filled with palo santo (which naturally smells creamy and a tad smoky), sweet spices, and woods, I can get Dark Horse. And sillage is arguably better. THANK YOU, Mr. Dame, for creating this magnificent perfume. This is everything a palo santo perfume should be, no more, no less. The spice is so delicate and does not overpower whatsoever, it's just perfect. Dark Horse is a big love for me. A full bottle is going to be required. I have sampled many perfumes from Dame Perfumery's line, and there is not one single one that I do not appreciate, but Dark Horse is the bees knees.
I sold my precious bottle of Theorema some time ago, and I have always wondered if I did the right thing. Well now I know that if I ever crave the scent of that GORGEOUS drydown, which is filled with palo santo (which naturally smells creamy and a tad smoky), sweet spices, and woods, I can get Dark Horse. And sillage is arguably better. THANK YOU, Mr. Dame, for creating this magnificent perfume. This is everything a palo santo perfume should be, no more, no less. The spice is so delicate and does not overpower whatsoever, it's just perfect. Dark Horse is a big love for me. A full bottle is going to be required. I have sampled many perfumes from Dame Perfumery's line, and there is not one single one that I do not appreciate, but Dark Horse is the bees knees.
DESERT ROSE
Wonderful! Before I tried Desert Rose, I had a secret hope that it would be a waxy rose, like a votive candle, and indeed it is! I got that waxy rose vibe from Aqaba, but the cloves were just too much. Here we have a sweet, waxy rose with just the faintest, most delicate touch of spice, almost imperceptible. I knew it wasn't clove. I knew it wasn't cinnamon. Now that I see carnation in the mix, it makes absolutely perfect sense.
In fact, Desert Rose reminded me of the original Miss Dior Cherie. Wait a minute--hear me out! It *reminded me*. It wasn't the same by any means. But I could have sworn this was a strawberry rose, it was rather fruity. As it dried down, the waxiness became more prominent, and the strawberry-ness faded almost completely.
I don't know about a desert rose because to me it is more like a church rose. What I mean is that votives remind me of churches and alters and such. It's a stretch, but I guess the waxiness kind of makes me imagine the way that melted sand might smell.
While there are these enjoyable subtleties, Desert Rose behaves like a rose soliflore. It's all about rose here. I loved rose perfumes as far back as my teen years, and about 3 years ago I guess you can say that I "OD'd" on them. Desert Rose has re-sparked my interest.
Wonderful! Before I tried Desert Rose, I had a secret hope that it would be a waxy rose, like a votive candle, and indeed it is! I got that waxy rose vibe from Aqaba, but the cloves were just too much. Here we have a sweet, waxy rose with just the faintest, most delicate touch of spice, almost imperceptible. I knew it wasn't clove. I knew it wasn't cinnamon. Now that I see carnation in the mix, it makes absolutely perfect sense.
In fact, Desert Rose reminded me of the original Miss Dior Cherie. Wait a minute--hear me out! It *reminded me*. It wasn't the same by any means. But I could have sworn this was a strawberry rose, it was rather fruity. As it dried down, the waxiness became more prominent, and the strawberry-ness faded almost completely.
I don't know about a desert rose because to me it is more like a church rose. What I mean is that votives remind me of churches and alters and such. It's a stretch, but I guess the waxiness kind of makes me imagine the way that melted sand might smell.
While there are these enjoyable subtleties, Desert Rose behaves like a rose soliflore. It's all about rose here. I loved rose perfumes as far back as my teen years, and about 3 years ago I guess you can say that I "OD'd" on them. Desert Rose has re-sparked my interest.
MATE HELIOTROPE & PATCHOULI
I am simply blown away by this understated yet fantastic perfume. It is soft, sweet, and delicate, yet it has great sillage and lasts 12 hours on my skin. I can't honestly say I have ever smelled anything like it. I smell heliotrope, for sure, a green-almond type of scent blended with delicate iris flower. There is something sugary-sweet that I can't put my finger on, but I like it! Now the surprise is that I smell an undercurrent of something like stale cigarettes. It's very subtle to the point where I don't notice it unless I put my nose directly onto my wrist. And the funny thing is that as yucky as that sounds, it smells good. Kind of like civet or musk. Why would someone want to smell like musk or urine or stale cigarettes? Well, they don't, but they might want to smell like a nicer version of those things. If they are done right, those kinds of scents can be very appealing. So ya, I like the stale cigarette vibe I get here.
I view this perfume as a wearable, enjoyable cologne. Very casual in feel yet an obviously sophisticated piece of art. So you are not sacrificing beauty and quality to find something you can wear every day, for any occasion.
What I love as much as the scent is the fact that I don't detect a synthetic, chemical base. Not saying it isn't there, but I don't notice it. The notes are crystal clear, not muddled. It is a generous amount of quality juice at an affordable price, and it doesn't smell a little cheap or synthetic. How does he do it?! Very much looking forward to exploring this house more.
I am simply blown away by this understated yet fantastic perfume. It is soft, sweet, and delicate, yet it has great sillage and lasts 12 hours on my skin. I can't honestly say I have ever smelled anything like it. I smell heliotrope, for sure, a green-almond type of scent blended with delicate iris flower. There is something sugary-sweet that I can't put my finger on, but I like it! Now the surprise is that I smell an undercurrent of something like stale cigarettes. It's very subtle to the point where I don't notice it unless I put my nose directly onto my wrist. And the funny thing is that as yucky as that sounds, it smells good. Kind of like civet or musk. Why would someone want to smell like musk or urine or stale cigarettes? Well, they don't, but they might want to smell like a nicer version of those things. If they are done right, those kinds of scents can be very appealing. So ya, I like the stale cigarette vibe I get here.
I view this perfume as a wearable, enjoyable cologne. Very casual in feel yet an obviously sophisticated piece of art. So you are not sacrificing beauty and quality to find something you can wear every day, for any occasion.
What I love as much as the scent is the fact that I don't detect a synthetic, chemical base. Not saying it isn't there, but I don't notice it. The notes are crystal clear, not muddled. It is a generous amount of quality juice at an affordable price, and it doesn't smell a little cheap or synthetic. How does he do it?! Very much looking forward to exploring this house more.
NEW MUSK OIL
I have a small bottle of this, and I find it very enjoyable. It's not my favorite from Dame Perfumery, because my heart lies with Maté Heliotrope. But it's a nice, crisp, fruity (sweet lemon), white musk. It is understated and very androgynous, but still too readily and easily enjoyable to be commonplace. And while we are on the topic of white musk, I have tried so many of them lately. Even Serge Lutens Clair de Musc just basically emulates Jovan White Musk, something I used to enjoy for under $10 in the 80's, so I can't get excited about it. New Musk Oil is more aptly described as "New White Musk Oil" (but that would be too long), because that is what it actually is. White musk with a twist. Of lemon. If you are looking for animalic, look elsewhere. If you are looking for crystal clean, laundry musk that is distinctive, I would highly recommend this. In the oil concentraion, it lasts a very long time and has a cozy projection. Ha, actually he should call this "A+ Musk"!
I have a small bottle of this, and I find it very enjoyable. It's not my favorite from Dame Perfumery, because my heart lies with Maté Heliotrope. But it's a nice, crisp, fruity (sweet lemon), white musk. It is understated and very androgynous, but still too readily and easily enjoyable to be commonplace. And while we are on the topic of white musk, I have tried so many of them lately. Even Serge Lutens Clair de Musc just basically emulates Jovan White Musk, something I used to enjoy for under $10 in the 80's, so I can't get excited about it. New Musk Oil is more aptly described as "New White Musk Oil" (but that would be too long), because that is what it actually is. White musk with a twist. Of lemon. If you are looking for animalic, look elsewhere. If you are looking for crystal clean, laundry musk that is distinctive, I would highly recommend this. In the oil concentraion, it lasts a very long time and has a cozy projection. Ha, actually he should call this "A+ Musk"!
