Pretty much the same as my Best of 2012 blog post but thought I’d post it here anyway 
Oh and I forgot to mention M/Mink in the video 
Silly me!
x
SMELLYTHOUGHTS
l'enfant terrible of niche perfume critique…
Tag Archives: tableau de parfums
SMELLYTHOUGHTS Back Home… What Did I Get? + A Giveaway!
The REVEAL!
So after my two-week fragrant tour around Europe (which went swimmingly!) – I managed to pick up some goodies on the way (of course).
Here are my somewhat unusual choices if I do say so myself…
Bosque by Humiecki & Graef
I love Bosque. I always have. I got thinking about how people say it is the easiest to wear and the most “generic” of the H&G line – I completely disagree, but maybe that’s my mindset. I’ve planned this big friggin’ essay on Bosque that I’ve been working on and am looking forward to posting, it might be a bit ridiculous for most people to read but it’ll be there anyway 
Bosque is a dried grassy/floral with really bizarre floral notes I might add… it dries down to this bizarrely salty/milky/spermy? accord undercut with vetiver, it’s extremely unusual, absolutely beautiful and I’m thrilled to finally have it.
M/Mink by Byredo
I had tried this one before but only on paper. I thought it was absolutely disgusting. However, as soon as it hit my skin in the store in Germany, I got this blast of animalic musk and an intensely synthetic aldehyde combo that still, turned my stomach a bit. But as it dried down and the bitter, set honey, dark incense and unsettling inky notes came in, I found it completely captivating. I’m not sure whether I’ll wear M/Mink much, but I knew it had to be in my collection – it fits an empty spot. It’s both intimate and completely soul-less – brilliant!
Miriam by Tableau de Parfums
Miriam is an incredible fragrance, a modern vintage classic that carries a true Andy Tauer signature. It’s such an emotional fragrance, beautiful, elegant and timeless – full of interesting twists and turns that take it in unexpected directions. It evokes such strong memories and emotions with me and is a real “homely” fragrance – it is pure bliss. I have written my big review on this so I don’t need to write much more, but I feel like I can sigh relief with a smile now I have it.
Iris Silver Mist by Serge Lutens
I knew I was going to get this one – it’s the most perfect iris (soliflore?) fragrance I’ve smelt. Full of carrots, powder, clove, earth and blahhhhhh it’s just great. A cold, calming, haunting perfume that has been on “the list” for far too long now. I needed it!
Rahat Loukhoum by Serge Lutens
Now here’s a weird one ey? Well… after my deep exploration of the exclusives line both outside of the Palais Royal and during my visit, I decided to pick up this one again for a quick sniff – having reviewed it many months ago after I had a slight obsession with it before smelling it. I loved it all over again – cherry, marzipan cakey goodness. But before, I was disappointed with the drydown – it lost the cherries, it lost the sweetness – it became a subtle skin scent that just hovered on my skin in a light, slightly powdered layer of vanilla, rose, musk and almond. The thing is, right now – this part appeals to me just as much. It is the ultimate comfort scent and I’d love to fall asleep to it. But also, It is the perfect fragrance to wear when you don’t know what to wear – something that will just within an hour or two melt into your skin in a delicate sweet layer that smells like a part of you – just a little more yummy. Thoughtless, elegant, edible? but necessary! I had to buy it. It alters my mind completely on first sniff – a complete joy.
Rubj by Vero Profumo
Rubj is one of the greatest florals created… in my opinion of course. As Judas as it is to say, I love the EDP more than the extrait… now, I adore the extrait, it’s beautiful – but the crisp green quality and the tart passionfruit in the EDP just tips the scale for me and could literally make me faint in adoration of this fragrance. An overwhelmingly gorgeous perfume that I almost feel is too good for me to wear, but when I wear it I feel incredible – and that’s what a real perfume should do! A necessity.
Leva by O’Driu
I have always wanted an O’Driu - but thought I didn’t like any of them enough to own – and the price is indeed terrifying. Leva always gets put down a bit in the lineup as being too sweet, too light, and too unlike the other O’Driu’s - I can’t disagree with that enough. Leva is a powerhouse on me, holding a typical O’Driu signature up top with THE MOST intense lemongrass and green olive combo which smells like a dense, pungent almost vinegar-laden oil on the skin. But the thing that captivates me the most is its perfect development (using only naturals I believe). The olives burn off after half an hour or so, the pungent lemongrass undercut by the greatest vanilla I have smelt. I struggle with vanilla so this is a big deal for me. Difficult to wear, but a real piece of art work.
Fracas by Robert Piguet
Ok I’m lying a bit here, this was a gift from the Robert Piguet house, but I came back to it from my holiday so I’m including it After all, it is a new bottle. I do love Fracas – a playful ditsy tuberose that I can splash on in abandon and roll around smelling of candies and cream – all buttered up in creamy white florals! Of course, there’s more to it than that, but I’ll be sure to write something a little more mature about it soon
So yes! There you have it. What do you guys think? Did I do good? 
THE GIVEAWAY – NOW CLOSED!!!
(the real reason you’re reading this)
So one lucky reader can win a 1ml sample of each of my new goodies!
All you have to do is subscribe/follow (if you haven’t already!), let me know which one takes your fancy the most, AND – LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU THINK OF THEM!!
I love feedback, negative and all, don’t be afraid to tell me you hate something that’s part of the fun But it sucks to send people stuff and never hear from them again – just saying 
I’ll announce the winner next Sunday: 23/12/2012 so make sure you come back and check because people keep forgetting to collect their goodies
Thanks for the support everyone
Freddie <3
Loretta – Tableau De Parfums
The second fragrance in the Tableau De Parfums line – created by Andy Tauer of Tauer Perfumes…
Loretta opens with candied grape soda and a hit of heated spice – giving off a very subtle candied cinnamon dusting paired with some green herbs that brings to mind the merest smidge of Eau D’Epices hidden underneath the syrupy florals. The grape soda from the start is something I first came across when smelling Cuir Venenum by Parfumerie Generale – an overloaded, obscure treatment of orange blossom and it’s lovely!
A clear rose comes into Loretta as the spices slowly begin to vanish, leaving behind a green, herbal smidge underneath. The rose and orange blossom are the leads, with a subtly lactonic tuberose creeping up from below – the green accords snapping to the tuberose to make it smell like the stem has been removed with the flower. The combination of bitter greenery and the tang of grape juice from the orange blossom and jasmine, create a bizarre, metallic and oily quality – which gets stronger as a worn leather note comes in. I’m glad I’m not the only one who picks up on this oily metallic quality as The Candy Perfume Boy entitled this The Steampunk Tuberose – and that totally makes sense!
The culinary herbal notes and the bitter leather notes bring to mind dated classics such as Bandit – but where that fragrance is solely about these notes, Loretta overloads them with a more modern candied floral accord that releases something almost avant-garde – a dominating, modern-day fruity floral with greater maturity.
The grape soda image never disappears for me, morphing into stewed fruits at times (plum), and hard PEZ candy at others. The orange blossom for me is the lead, sweet and playful, lacking the deep resinous aspects I expected. The tuberose slumps on the bottom, a green, decaying floral releasing oil and metallic notes that remind me slightly of (the opening to) Bolt Of Lightning by JAR, only more in control.
The rough leather stays tame, as some dry cedar becomes more potent – releasing a trail of smoke throughout Loretta that I initially mistook for incense. The burnt, charred aspect of the wood further splits Loretta into two halves – the fizzy candied florals and the smoky woods and leather (and a growing presence of green earth – vetiver? – that brings the return of the peppered spice from the opening), similarly to how Miriam split the bright aldehydic floral from the deep resinous base.
Whilst personally Miriam appeals more to me, Loretta is a fabulous fragrance. It does smell slightly familiar, I’m reminded of Cuir Venenum with its grape-y orange blossom and smoky leather, Love by By Kilian with its marshmallow like jasmine, orange blossom and candied white floral overload – only with a smear of Comme Des Garcons’ Garage muddled in the mix. I’m not saying the Loretta is un-original, it combines all these fragrances I really like and manages to elegantly smush them into something charming and ladylike. It has a dark heart, but puts on a beautiful smile – a complicated fragrance full of little nuances and unexpected textures that makes me discover something new each time I try it. As with all Tauer’s – recommended!
Loretta 50ml EDP Tableau De Parfums - $160 Luckyscent
Miriam – Tableau De Parfums
I had been wanting to try this for so, so long. Tableau De Parfums is a new line that encorporates film, and fragrance. A short film is created (surrounding a female character) – and the brilliant Andy Tauer creates a fragrance to match.
Miriam opens fizzy and aldehyde heavy. A beautiful candied citrus up top of bergamot, orange and lemon have a sherbert quality, sharp and tangy – almost mouth-watering. The first floral to hit me is a powdery violet, cut underneath by a bitter green bay leaf. At this point it reminds me of Une Rose Chypree - where the rose is replaced by violets and an aldehydic opening.
A rich ylang ylang comes in next, that slight banana hint made richer and more effervescent by the still fizzing aldehydes and the scattering of powder. The bay leaf still drifting along strong, with a clove note maybe from a mere hint of carnation – and a herbaceous lavender which adds a medicinal edge. That’s where Miriam becomes distinctive as a modern fragrance with a vintage feel, rather than just a vintage fragrance – the huge contrast of textures and unexpected additions. The lavender/clove camphorous quality undercuts the “pretty” floral notes to create something that almost feels like two separate fragrances, but it just about holds together – it’s a great play on the skin.
A rich rose and jasmine in the distance add to the bouquet and fill the spaces which I appreciate (them not being the leading role) – for me it’s the violet, carnation, ylang ylang, and maybe even a lily of the valley? It’s a complicated arrangement but similarly to the recently reviewed Ubar by Amouage – works harmoniously.
The vanilla from the base begins to creep in after about 20 minutes or so, the lavender and sweet vanilla remind me of a tamer Kiki by Vero Profumo, only heavily overlaid with a classic floral arrangement. The bitter greenery quietens quickly as the vanilla smooths out the sharper edges. Similarly, a sandalwood and amber adds a resinous, woody base – smooth and creamy paired with the vanilla, rounding out Miriam into a languid drydown. The powder from the heart turns into a more prominent orris note, dragging the almost lipstick like quality into the base. At this point the iris, violet and wood combo bring to mind Pentachord White by Tauer, only Miriam is softer, without the intensely sharp rosewood.
Tauer’s signature is subtle but recognizable for those familiar with his work – it results in Miriam having a really unexpected, sweet/woody/resinous almost oriental base that feels a touch out of place – but all the better for that. It turns slightly musky as it lives on the skin, and I think there’s a smidge of ambergris that keeps Miriam ethereal and bright – the density of the base never overwhelming the buzz of the fizzy florals.
Miriam is a truly lovely fragrance. It has the same feel to it as La Myrrhe by Serge Lutens - that contrast of textures paired with aldehydes – resins and florals given new life. I find it fascinating and beautiful, and without a doubt one of the best feminine fragrances I have smelt in ages – a modern classic.
Miriam 50ml EDP Tableau De Parfums - $160 Luckyscent
