MAISON FRANCIS KURKDJIAN: Aqua Vitae

Aqua Vitae
Maison Francis Kurkddjian
Created by: Francis Kurkdjian 2013
*citrus aromatic*

Notes: Calabrian lemon, sicilian mandarin, brazilian tonka bean, vanilla infusion, hedione and guaiac wood

Just when I was losing hope of finding a perfect blend I found Aqua Vitae.

Here is the moment when the aria brings tears to your eyes, your heart sings, breathing suspended then exhausted deeply so the next intake will be full of flavor. Yes, it’s that good.
The downside is that it’s fleeting as are all ephemeral, exquisite experiences, not sure if this is on purpose…
Aqua Vitae opens with a sweet, soft citrus reminiscent of freshly picked delicate osmanthus blossoms but in reality, tiny sweet oranges and their blossoms wrapped in a soft guaze of musk. The balance is perfect, no hard edges, not too warm nor too cold.
The entire composition is perceptible at the start, the perfect operatic olfactory overture foreshadowing all to follow, nothing screams for attention, no Divas here, just the genius behind the curtain.
Aqua Vitae is the the quintessence of harmony.

A+

 Buy: Aqua Vitae

DIOR Miss Dior Blooming Bouquet

Miss Dior Blooming Bouquet
Dior
Created by Francois Demanchy 2014
*floral*

Top:  Sicilian Orange, Citrus
Middle:  Damask rose, Peony
Base notes: White musk, Patchouli

Opens with a very strong citrus rose, sharp, sweet, pucker-fest tangy, it’s more synthetically clean and no warmth.

In five minutes it’s already fading into a sweet benign floral with the same notes, but not as citrus acid.
This juice you can squirt as much as you want, but before you’re down the stairs and out the door, it’s already dissipating, which is good if you’re taking the train or subway.
In 10 minutes it’s a pleasant fresh floral with a hint of musk.
25 minutes later, light mush with a hint of floral citrus.
Pretty bottle, light scent. Not lasting at all.

Buy Blooming Bouquet

C

AQUA DI PARMA Colonia

Colonia
Aqua Di Parma
Created by:
*citrus*

Top Notes:   Sicilian citrus fruit

Middle Notes:   Lavender, Rosemary, Verbena, Damask rose

Base Notes:   Vetiver, Sandalwood, Patchouli

A very comforting cologne with a beautiful blend of citrus, lavender and rosemary. Very traditional.  For me it smells barbershop all the way. It’s nice if you want that vibe. Historical, very herbal, but smoother and more refined it seems. I don’t get unisex on this cologne, it’s more male, maybe because it’s so barbershop to me, which is a good thing, the barbershops I remember are classy, woody male dominions, almost mens club like. I like the fact it’s not so trendy, nothing wrong with stable, timeless well dressed clean man.

Quote:
“It all started with this fragrance, created in 1916 in a small perfumer’s laboratory in the heart of Parma. Master perfumers devised an unusually fresh and light composition compared to the perfumes of the day: Acqua di Parma Colonia, the first true Italian eau de cologne.
Its refined alchemy, which was immediately successful and became an evergreen classic, still offers sensations of incomparable freshness and radiance. Pure joie de vivre released by the sunny essences of the finest Sicilian citrus fruits and a harmonious blend of lavender, rosemary, verbena and damask rose. This is followed by warm woody notes like vetiver, sandal and patchouli. Inimitable accords capable of seduction, oblivious to time and fashion. The Colonia formula has remained unchanged for nearly a hundred years. The elegant Art Deco bottle, with its distinct bakelite stopper has been an undisputed style icon since 1930. The exquisite craftsmanship is reflected in every detail of the packaging, made entirely by hand and characterised by the arms of the duchy of Parma and the yellow that has graced the city’s elegant buildings for decades. A timeless classic.
Buy Aqua Di Parma Colonia

C

ESTEE LAUDER Private Collection

Private Collection Estee Lauder
Created by: Vincente Marcello  1973
*green floral* *chypre* *green*

Huge green notes exploding on top, narcissus, honeysuckle, very green with voluptuous floral back-up singers. The big, bold opening like the chypres of old.  I’d forgotten how memorable the mossy green opening could be.  This is a sample of the newest bottle on the market today, not vintage. It’s very green with a resinous edge, not sure where from, could be raw patchouli? It’s almost what I would imagine a crushed green patchouli seed to smell like.

Two hours later, this dries down to the most incredible scent ever. Soft, musky, rich and clean. It’s so beautiful. I decided to put a touch on my other wrist (and I mean a dab not a spray) and put my wrists together and smell.  I think it’s the perfume olfactory experience equivalent of thanksgiving dinner on a cold rainy day;  a fire’s going, I’m sipping a glass of wine waaay before the people and drama arrive.
Breathe deeply and enjoy it before it’s gone.

I’ve included the notes below from two websites because the difference is interesting to me  because of my dream last night.
I was picking at a hard, very hard bubble of golden pine sap from the tree, and feeling the very textured rough bark.
Funny because  I really did that in “real life”.  It was a gorgeous thick gold, like amber with a hard casing, unfortunately it was the stickiest thing I’ve ever touched (and I touch a lot),  I couldn’t get it off and I stuck to everything. It was the sticky equivalent of poison ivy or a crazy skunk gone insane squirt.  Anyway, that aside, I love the smell of pine anything. My favorite aromatherapy combo was lime and pine during my days as an amateur oil mixologist. I’m digressing again. So my sticky pine dream, then telling a friend my favorite combination was pine and citrus and then choosing Private collection to sample today…I’m thinking basenotes breakdown is closer to what I smell and I’m wired into. I am growing to love this fragrance.

From Estee Lauder Top Notes:   Honeysuckle, Jasmine, Citrus Middle Notes:   Orange Flower, Ylang-Ylang, Coriander Base Notes:   Sandalwood, Patchouli
From Basenotes Top Notes:   Citrus Notes, Green Notes, Hyacinth Middle Notes:   Narcissus, Rose, Jasmin, Pine Base Notes:   Oakmoss, Cedar, Amber, Musk

Estee Lauder Private Collection  

For Me:  A

TOM FORD Grey Vetiver

Tom Ford Grey Vetiver Eau de Toilette
Created by: Harry Fremont  2009
*woody-aromatic*

Notes:   Vetiver, Orange flower, Grapefruit, Aromatic sage, Orris, Nutmeg, Pimento, Amber woods, Oakmoss

I love, love, love this scent and  I love the fact that at Sephora all the fragrances are together and I don’t have to traipse from one end of a department store to another.  I absolutely, hands down, prefer this wonderful sweet, warm, woody smell to the screaming electric bubblegum, cotton candy, laced with hot pink pepper concoctions out there.  If I had to choose between teeth searing sweet and sticky, or divinely smoky, woody, musky and dry, just hand me over the latter any day, or just give me some Grey Vetiver.

I love Grey Vetiver by itself,  just for pleasure of smelling this fantastic combination of woody and citrus.  I love vetiver in general for this damp and sauna-moist resort area, it adds a needed nice dry element.

B

Thanks to Nancy at Sephora Brandon for sample