Fragrance Belles-Lettres Magazine

Noblesse Luxe Publishing

FRAGRANCE REVIEW

         
                                                   PHI-une rose de Kandahar
                                          A global obsession with the rose

        I heard the phrase, "a rose is a rose" years ago but I cannot remember where I heard it. But that doesn't matter because in the perfume industry that phrase is not valid. There are some of the most beautiful roses in fragrances that come from Turkey, Bulgaria, Somalia, Arabia and other countries.

       There have been a few niche fragrances that were blessed enough to incorporate a rare rose oil that is costly and precious into a divine creation.

       The Afghanistan rose, mainly in the region of Nangarhar grows in a dry and rough land but produces a essence that is smooth and sublime.

      I was fortunate to receive a sample of PHI-une rose de Kandahar Eau de Parfum from Jeffrey Dame of Hypoluxe Inc. This would be my first experience with the scent of rose from Afghanistan. I didn't know what to expect, so I thought of all the possibilities. Is it edgy like pink peppercorn, a little smoother but powdery like a carnation or a deep, deep scent of patchouli?

  Andy Tauer, FIFI award winning perfumer has a whimsical way of expressing his creative blends that for most people comes to a pleasant surprise. I too wanted that same surprise with PHI-une rose de Kandahar and I got it.

  This is a extremely smooth and quiet scent. I love how the rose oil eases its way with sublime illusions of a rose field. The more I wear it, the more of a journey it becomes.

 I had this sample for a few months and I wanted to wait for the warm months before I wrote this review. Most people who are not familiar with niche and natural scents wear fragrances having the majority of rose in it, most likely synthetic in the winter months.

The beauty of niche scents is that it can be worn year around due to its fine ingredients and the time taken to compose the scent with a theory and story behind the scent.

Its such a shame that politics in the world divide us but when it comes to fragrances, there is no hate-no racism, just a pure love of natural from where ever it originates.

That is why I have my own slogan, " THE ART OF PERFUMERY transcends cultural barriers"- Felicia M Hazzard

Its the truth, there is no discrimination again a rose from India versus a rose from Bulgaria. They are both beautiful in their own right. Its here on earth for us all to enjoy equally.

PHI- une rose de Kandahar can be worn day and night and the delight and airy feeling I get from this scent could easily be a hair perfume. I say this because I sprayed a small amount in my hair and this morning when I awakened, the scent was still there as if I just sprayed it. Truly incredible.

Andy Tauer Perfumes are so equally meshed with one another. You can use two or three scents together and layer them and its comes out to be one harmonious scent of infusion delight.

What is PHI? PHI is a rare gem that is rich in natural raw materials so paired with une rose de Kandahar makes it even more rare. Due to the nature of the rose oil, there is a LIMITED AMOUNT and PHI-une rose de Kandahar may not always be available.

As soon as I wrote this, I checked and PHI-une rose de Kandahar has been SOLD OUT. There are NO samples available as well.

When will it be available? According to www.tauerperfumes.com not until November 2014!

This actually doesn't surprise me. Fragrances composed by Andy Tauer have been known to sell out!

My advise, is to check back with the website and purchase a few bottles, it will be the Holiday Season before you know it.

PHI-une rose de Kandahar is a beautiful tribute to the Afghanistan rose and culture.

Fragrance Notes

Head Notes: apricot, cinnamon, bitter almond, bergamot

Heart Notes: rare rose oil of Afghanistan, plums, spices, flower petals, rose absolute from Bulgaria, Bourbon geranium, dark tobacco leaves

Base Notes: Patchouli in the base of Phi, vetiver, vanilla, tonka, musk, amber gris

Retail Information:

PHI-une rose de Kandahar 50 ml  $144.30USD
Sample spray vial 1.5 ml $6.70USD

Stockist

MIN NEW YORK
www.minnewyork.com

Luckyscent and Scent Bar
www.luckyscent.com

The Perfume House
www.theperfumehouse.com

For Your Information

If you like PHI-une rose de Kandahar, then you will like Noble Rose of Afghanistan Parfum by The 7 Virtues perfumery. 178 handpicked rose petals found in this fragrance!
  www.the7virtues.com

A Special Thank You

 A Special Thank You! to Mr. Jeffrey Dame of Hypoluxe for sending me the sample of PHI-une rose de Kandahar! I truly appreciate it.


Photos: Photo of PHI-une rose de Kandahar courtesy of www.tauerperfumes.com; photo of roses courtesy of www.drhausckha.com

NOBLESSE LUXE PUBLISHING
"Redefining The High Life"

SPECIAL EDITION: NATURAL PERFUME REVIEWS

 
   There are so many new and exciting natural perfumes being created that it can be a little overwhelming but I believe in reviewing those that capture the essence and spirit of perfumery that leaves room for more interpretations.


   In this issue, I will focus on four natural perfumers who are blessed with amazing talents in uplifting the spirit through scents. The five perfumers/perfumeries are Rodney Hughes, Shelley Waddington, Sophia DuToit and Nikki Skerritt and the House of Matriarch.


   EN VOYAGE PERFUMES owner and perfumer, Shelley Waddington collaborated with Master Distiller and author, Dabney Rose to create an eau de parfum that is a fusion of a spicy rose scent and a mixture of floral water composed by Dabney Rose to give a fabulous duo of L' EMBLEM ROUGE EAU DE PARFUM and L' EAU DE EMBLEM ROUGE (floral water).


  L' EMBLEM ROUGE EAU DE PARFUM is the first perfume in the En Voyage's new RUBICON COLLECTION that is of 100% natural scents.


  This perfume is simply bursting with the world's finest notes that overwhelms me with its elegant and masterfully crafted take on some of the most difficult scents to work on.


   I simply love fragrances that are abundantly clear that using many fragrance notes is simply a challenge and skill that is welcome and Shelley and Dabney excellently makes this statement so true.


  What a brilliant way to introduce a partnership. I truly enjoyed Dabney's approach to creating L'EAU DE EMBLEM that is to be paired with L'EMBLEM ROUGE by using Bourbon roses that are lush and fruity along with fresh roses. There was a process called "double distillation" used to make the scent a bit more rosy. This process was then poured over the distilling rose petals and there you have FLORAL WATER. Simply amazing!


 I am not one for the standard rose scent and L'EMBLEM ROUGE EAU DE PARFUM  is far from standard. It is extraordinary in the grandest sense "scent" of the word.


 I love the whimsical spicy nugent that flairs up right in the middle of the scent that keeps you holding your wrist to your nose. It is intoxicating and it is an elegant approach to sensuality.


 L' EMBLEM ROUGE EAU DE PARFUM features TOP NOTES: cassie, mace, cinnamon, bitter orange, juicy grapefruit, green pepper, Iranian galbanum, violet and cistus   HEART NOTES: Iranian Rose Otto, ylang-ylang, heliotrope, French Jasmine Sambac, violet and honey    BASE NOTES: guaiacwood, sandalwood, copaiba, vetiver, cedarwood virginia, toul balsam, benzoin siam, tonka, vanilla and ambergris.

Christi Meschell

  According to MATRIARCH perfumes, it is specifically designed to restore the connection with the Matriarch. You know, Mother Earth.


  I simply feel the energy from this company each and every time I go on their website. It breathes a freshness in the air and I like that. To me, it seems that yes the HOUSE OF MATRIARCH is very serious about creating luxurious in the form of the old world tradition of natural perfumery. However, this perfumery is so open to new and exciting ideas and letting the imagination roar with endless possibilities not from just their perspective but in their offering of Private Label and Bespoke services.


 I am sitting on the edge of my chair as I write about them because I know deep down inside that the HOUSE OF MATRIARCH will provide not only the best but stellar fragrances that will be the talk of the town.


 Congratulations to a NEW fragrance launch with  CARMINE that debuted on October 1, 2011. It is a rare and brave new perfume created in the ancient art but only should be worn by those who consider themselves connoisseurs of luxury and natural fragrances.


  Why do you think CARMINE is considered a brave fragrance? For me the most recognizable ingredients come from Africa and Egypt which are founding motherlands of perfumery. Perfumery in Africa goes back a lot longer than what is reported. I will further discuss this issue with my review of fragrances by  natural perfumer, Sophia Du Toit.


  These costly and rare ingredients are not found in most fragrances and that is why I feel it is considered brave. The HOUSE OF MATRIARCH took this challenge and succeeded.


  The HOUSE OF MATRIARCH collection consist of ALPHA, DESTINY, MATRIARCH and SKIN DEEP, too.


  If you noticed I have not review these fragrances yet but I had to introduce this perfumery because they are going to set a new standard in natural perfumery that will make us all very proud. Cheers!

*The House of Matriarch is a proud member of the Natural Perfumers Guild (naturalperfumers.com) 


  
FRAGRANCE BELLES-LETTRES SCENT CHRONICLE
  This section represents the fragrance news and events worldwide.


  On Friday, October 28, 2011 is GLOBAL   CHAMPAGNE DAY! This unique festivity is the brainchild of Jayne Powell aka ChampagneJayne, the authority on champagne for consumers and recent author of the new book, "Behind the Bubbles".
  The celebration will begin at 1:00am and conclude at 11:55pm virtually all over the world. So, if you are not in Australia to be with ChampagneJayne in person, don't worry because GLOBAL CHAMPAGNE DAY 2011 will be in almost every country and you can even celebrate it with just amongst your closest friends. So, pop the cork and raise your glass to celebrate the world's most celebrated beverage, Champagne!


For more information go to globalchampagneday2011.eventbrite.com


 What does it take to be a Fragrance Connoisseurs? Well, perhaps I have some information that I know will help you.


  Art de Vivre Le Parfum: The Power of Fragrance is an exhibition that will take place in New York city over three different dates. This exhibition is for perfume lovers with an interest in learning more about the ART OF PERFUMERY.


  This presentation is the first of its kind and it will open up explorations in terms of historical and an industry look inside this fascinating journey into perfumery.


  The first segment starts on Nov 3, 2011 with  A SCENT OF HISTORY
  November 10- THE POWER OF FRAGRANCE: PANEL DISCUSSION and Nov 16- SPEED SMELLING


  The exhibition takes place at FIAF-Le Skyroom 22 East 60th Street NYC
   FIAF( The French Institute Alliance Francaise). New York's premiere French cultural center.
    
  Countdown to the Re-Opening of HENRI   BENDEL in Chicago, Illinois.
  Last week I was in the Water Tower Place Shopping Center. It was last Saturday to be exact and the weather was absolutely beautiful!!! There is a big sign on the wall of the forthcoming Henri Bendel that states COMING SOON! (Friday, November 4, 2011)

  Oh what excitement! I remember the first Henri Bendel that was in Chicago and it carried clothing but Henri Bendel no longer carries clothing only accessories and perfumes. So, I am just dying to feast my eyes on the perfume collections.

  Since Henri Bendel will now be back in my hometown, maybe I need to launch a perfume...mmmm. What do you think?

COMING UP IN THE NEXT ISSUE:
Review of fragrances by natural perfumers, Rodney Hughes, Nikki Skerrit, Sophia Troith and JoAnne Bassett.

Introduction of four NEW fragrance books plus a lot more.  COMING SOON!



 PURCHASE INFO: envoyageperfumes.com
matriarch.biz

 INFORMATION: champagnejayne.com; fiaf.org; henribendel.com
    

 PHOTO CREDITS: envoyageperfumes.com; matriarch.biz; champagnejayne.com; henribendel.com


F.H.