Blind Test #3

“… lily of the valley in their mossy bed, after a gentle spring rain…” this is how Andy Tauer describes his new perfume "Carillon pour un Ange," created this year for Luckyscent and sold exclusively there. When Andy gave me a bottle, a few months ago, I told him I would use it for something special! ;-)
This perfume is a work of reconstruction of lilies of the valley and lilacs -both providing no natural oil-, enriched with beautiful natural notes of jasmine (indolic and decaying), rose and ylang ylang (green and rough), oakmoss for the "salty" and disturbing feeling, a hint of leather joined by ambergris and a touch of wood.
Those who are in love with Diorissimo’s crisp elegance and crystalline brightness –Diorissimo is the best reference for lily of the valley scents- will not find it here at all: Andy took a very different direction, dipping the fragrance in green-watery lyral and lilial, as well as some wet molecules already used in wet Vetiver Dance and Reverie au Jardin. An enlightening example, to me, of what happens combining synthesis and nature in the right way: they may convey strong emotions. Even irritating, for those who don’t like certain notes (wonderful description Marco!). In fact this fragrance, as a couple of you noticed, isn’t for anyone; it isn’t easy to understand, with its flowers lovely only on paper but in reality dark, shady, damp and vaguely disturbing.


In a review, AnnaMaria (Nyneve) wrote that she was reminded of "L'après midi d'une Faune" by Debussy (Eleonora, bravo!). And in fact the forest, the sense of mystical communion with nature, the idea of a creature half-animal-half-man, it’s all here. Now, those who still have a couple of drops, please spray them and watch this video, and maybe you’ll understand it better (not that you'll certainly like it, but you may get a “click” you’ll understand).



Michiko
The juice is pale yellow. Tested on the touche it opens with a riot of flowers: iris, lily, jasmine, narcissus, rose... the set is very bright and cheerful, no flower’s dominant but there’s a graceful alternation. After 5 fresh green notes, even a little salty get in: the scent feels delicate and close (no sillage!) offering a cold feeling. Shortly after, in the heart, notes start warming a little, with soft wood (licorice?). A distance of 20 min. the feeling is still strongly floral, bright and fresh. On skin, flowers are even more "loaded" at the beginning: I’m definitely thinking of a bridal bouquet! Just after applying, a sprout of citrus notes (lemon, bitter orange) that I didn’t detect on paper jumped it. Always very delicate but, overall, joyful, cheerful with lots of notes suggesting a "spring festival".

Marco
This is a lethal mix for my nostrils, which have refused to get into it. Upon receiving the envelope containing the vials, the fragrance was trying to get out, to get free and to be sniffed by any means, incredible! A dark wood found in the envelope! That 's the feeling that definitely I got, a dark, moist forest definitely not hit by sunlight. A set of plants, massive trees, and leaves; green, wet and mossy. All this creates a feeling which will not allow my mind to "fly", the only thing that flies and creeps in my room are all molecules attached to my hands, clothes which refuse to go. Definitely a well-designed job, calibrated to give life to a very strong and very powerful and fascinating creature dedicated to a particular audience, indeed. The herbaceous notes mingle without giving me hints to meditate (most likely my mental "closure"). I hope the others will show more ability to recognize the structure and work that there’s behind this work. My last thought, but I presume I’m not saying anything new, it’s a fragrance one doesn’t acquire by chance.



Alberto
This fragrance is the most surprising and original of the four, I've nicknamed it "Insolent", imposing its immediate presence in the moment when the vial is uncorked and it gets distributed on mouillette; both because it persists, and permeates every molecule of air ready to accept it. This "Godzilla" molecule lives a life of its own, pulsing and continually expressing its alien presence. Those who are close to me were reminded of the same fragrance lingering on summer evenings in Tunisia, when bunches of intoxicating jasmine are offered. Anyway I think I'm in the presence of an huge fragrance invasive and persistent enough to pass "Giorgio Beverly Hills"!


Arianna
It’s very intense, It goes directly to my stomach, like something rotting. It seems to me a bunch of very fragrant flowers, able of giving headaches. It reminds me of summer evenings, when the flowers are hot and the smell they offer is bodied and intense. After several minutes I can accept it, it becomes almost pleasant, elegant, like an evening gown

Flinndudu
OMG What is this? Toxic! I smell green, plastic, rotting stems! I don’t know if I’ll resist keeping it on my arm, it's disgusting! Yuck! Yuck! Yuck! I can’t bring the arm to the nose, It’s huge, but maybe it has its public… Well it's joke, right? no one can compose such a thing without incurring at least a few years in prison... Family? I’d say certainly divorced and Green-Glade.
PS: After about 3 hours I was walking between pools of rotting leaves and... I hit infamous f N. 3! I’ve been too careful, keeping my hand sank in my pocket... so what? the smell is produced by a plant? a barrel? a shrub? leaves? It comes from nature and there I prefer it, as far as I’m concerned.


Eleonora
If I were to describe the intensity of 1000 and more flowers a room of very limited space, certainly I’d use this perfume. I smell small aromatic molecules dancing to the rhythm of harmonious melodic and rhythmic patterns. An almost indescribable blast of notes and nuances, I can see a perfect house, but instead of the walls there are transparent panels, the sunlight finds no conflict over this barrier and creates magical blend of colors. I open the small door and suddenly jump into another dimension. The combination of scents that saturate the atmosphere are captured immediately, I smell iris, lilies and bergamot. These are the three main characters, accompanied by a chorus of gentle voices, among which is the lily of the valley. The peculiar thing is that this fragrance cannot be categorized simply as "floral", because the scent of petals, stamen, pistil, evokes directly the nose on picked a flower, it characteristic scent mingling with the freshly cut grass. A veritable floral carpet to wear.


Nebulosa
I am inside a succulent plant, I sense a feeling of prickly green but with a watery soul. One spray is enough on my skin, it’s not for me. At times I get cut grass, at times even more dry; hay, lime? A chemical solvent with a citrus odor. I don’t like it, I love the green in all its nuances but rather on a Tshirt than on skin.