Sortilege by Le Galion c1937

Sortilege by Le Galion: launched in 1937 by perfumer and Le Galion owner, Paul Vacher. The name means "spell" in French. It's magical blend was composed of over 80 ingredients. It was suggested to be worn for blondes and brunettes, and described it as sumptuous, warm, luxurious, and suitable for evening wear.

Mix 17 by Platinum J c2011

Mix 17 by Platinum J: launched in 2011.

"Be yourself. Imitation is suicide."

Platinum J fragrances are hand blended using only the finest 100% pure essential oils by natural perfumer Jacqueline Clemens in Lakewood, Ohio. Each perfume is meant to work with the wearer's own skin to become her own signature fragrance.


From Platinum J:

The green goddess, laughingly skipping across the meadow of hope-filled days of endless sunshine, has bewitched us with her sophisticated yet playful mien. Touched with sun and emotion, the fiery presence of geranium and the liveliness of bergamot fills the empty space that once was inside her heart. As this settles, the crisp green goddess gives way to woods that murmur and amber that whispers "...in my sweet embrace all your pains erased."

So what does it smell like? It is classified as an oriental chypre fragrance for men and women.

• Top notes: bergamot
• Middle notes: frankincense and geranium
• Base notes: amber and patchouli

I received a sample directly from Platinum J, and immediately was taken by how earthy this perfume is. It has a beautiful chypre accord and has a rich patchouli note that I find very attractive. This is not your average, everyday hippie head shop patchouli, but more of a spicy, sweeter, more refined version. Not a floral fragrance, just lots of soft woods, incense and spice. This ambery fragrance has a familiar vintage hint to it that makes me think of the 1920s and the wave of orientalism that swept over that decade.

I would imagine this perfume being housed inside of a limited edition heart shaped jet black crystal flacon and a round ball stopper with a long glass dauber, and the front of the bottle would simply say" "Mix 17".

I would wear this perfume on a daily basis, as I love how deftly composed this honeyed fragrance is. It has a seamless blending only rivaled by the very best perfumers in the business.

Speaking of the vintage aspect of this perfume, it reminds me of the time I was at a local country auction where there were a few perfume bottles sitting up on a table. I picked up the Nuit de Noel bottle and found that the stopper was frozen in place. I didn't try to pry it open, but heard some splashing inside so I knew it still contained the treasured formula. Later on, I had bid on the perfume bottles and happily won the lot.

As I was wrapping up the Nuit de Noel bottle, the stopper miraculously came loose and the sticky, brown, syrupy perfume spilled all over my hands. It's scent immediately filled the room and I was only slightly embarrassed when a little boy, there with his grandma spoke up and said, "It smells like bug spray in here gramma." Everyone was looking at me as I was trying so hard to wipe my soiled perfumey hands on some paper towels I grabbed from the ladies room earlier. The auctioneer even stopped his chanting and asked me to take the perfume out to my car...LOL...So, that is what I did.

I came back inside and went to the ladies room to attempt to scrub the old perfume residue from my hands. I scrubbed and I scrubbed for what seemed like an eternity. Finally, I sat back down at my seat to resume bidding on a lot of antique RS Prussia porcelain. For the rest of the auction, all I smelled was the honeyed perfume from Nuit de Noel still clinging furiously to my hands, however, I found the spicy woodsy dry down to be delightful and not at all obtrusive anymore. This is exactly what I smell in Mix 17, the wonderful vintage woods and amber.



Click HERE to purchase Mix 17 by Platinum J

Clique by Roblé c2014

Clique by Roblé : launched in Spring 2014. Created in collaboration between celebrity chef Roblé  Ali and Frank Voelkl, inspired by two of the chef's own signature creations, a fizzy cocktail and a decadent dessert.

From Chef Roblé 's website:

“For close to a year, Frank Voelkl (Perfumer, Firmenich) and I have been working on our Fragrance Recipe. Finding the perfect balance to incorporate scents from some of my favorite culinary creations required a lot of fine-tuning and multiple trials.”

“It started with the idea of developing an irresistible fragrance recipe that could maintain the freshness of a citrus cocktail on top, with an alluring and sensual dessert base containing notes from one of my favorite signature dessert recipes – French Toast Crunch.”

So what does it smell like? It is classified as a gourmand fragrance for women.

• Top notes:  Blood orange, Curaçao, Lime, Mexican chili, Salt, Tequila
• Middle notes: Iris, Jasmine, Tuberose, Violet
• Base notes:  Challah bread, Cornflakes, Honey, Sugar powder, Salt, Chocolate, Cinnamon

I received a pretty triangular glass flacon from the company and eagerly opened the metallic gold foil box, I couldn't wait to try this so I sprayed the sample on the back of my hand and deeply inhaled the scent. A rush of fizzy citrus explodes around me, so fresh and not the regular everyday orange scent, but the unique scent of the blood oranges and lime. It is as if I sliced open the fruits and squeezed them into a glass of tequila on the rocks, a little boozy, but definitely enticing. Then it smooths seamlessly into a delicious creamy aspect that reminds me of creamsicles, you know the orange and vanilla cream frozen treats on a stick. Then, a sweet scent of sugary marshmallow envelopes me like a warm, thick cashmere blanket, soft and cuddly, but not suffocating. A hint of the powdery violets and irises, a spike of narcotic tuberose and jasmine reveal themselves in a cloud of chocolate and cream.

My husband absolutely adored this one on my skin, where the scent bloomed effortlessly on my warmed skin. this one was a major hit with my friends and family as well. The longevity was pretty good, it lasted at least 8 hours on me as I sprayed it on before bed,  and it was still there, though as wispy traces of honey and citrus, when I woke up the next day. I wore this every day for over a week and never got sick of it. It will be in heavy rotation til it's all gone. Which reminds me, I need to get the scented nail lacquer, body butter and the shower gel too. I wish, wish, wish, that there was a flavored and scented lip balm or gloss for this one. It would be perfect for kissing. Also, a flavored sparkly body shimmer would be nice too, I remember when Jessica Simpson came out with her Dessert Beauty line, it had a kissable body powder that tasted like cotton candy...very good. Hint, Hint.


When I try out a new fragrance, I like to imagine a vignette that the fragrance inspires in my creative mind. Here is a new one...

I close my eyes and imagine I am dining in one of those restaurants where one dines in complete darkness. I don't know what delectable treats the waiter is bringing me, but I sip my water nervously. This is a new experience for me. Usually I am able to see the food before I am about to eat it. I think back to the day before, when my husband suggested we try something new for our anniversary, a fancy restaurant for some cocktails and dessert.

A clunk of glass just hit upon the table and the waiter says "enjoy your cocktail...." My hand snakes around the table, feeling for the cold crystal tumbler, feeling it's icy surface, I bring it up to my face. I sniff nervously, trying to detect what it could be before I take a sip. I immediately smell citrusy scents of zesty oranges and limes. Thinking this could be good, I take a daring sip from on a salted rim. Blood orange and the unmistakeable taste of curacao. Oh, there is some tequila in here, and a spike of pungent chili pepper. This is a very refreshing margarita and tastes only slightly boozy, the citrus keeps this from tasting too alcoholic.

While waiting for our dessert to arrive, my husband remarks about how nice the floral arrangement on the table smells. I tell him, that the powdery irises smell a lot like the ones that my grandmother used to have in her garden. The ones that her mother brought to America from her native Sweden. I also tell him that the iris seems to blend very well with the subtle perfume I am wearing tonight which has notes of narcotic tuberose, jasmine and sweet violet.

I hear the other patrons in the restaurant mumbling over their own meals, but my attention is quickly diverted to the smells of something doughy and spicy wafting my way. Another clunk hits the table, this time, a porcelain plate. I feel around for my fork and find my way to the plate. I take a stab at something soft and slightly spongy. A slice of cake perhaps. I bring the fork close to my mouth and inhale once again, I smell cinnamon and dough. I take a bite, and chew a piece of what I am sure is fresh, slightly salty Challah bread, much like the one I ate years ago when I dated someone around Chanukah season, whose mother baked one for us. I taste honey and dark chocolate, which was probably drizzled just before serving so that it did not become soggy. Crunchy pieces, is that cornflakes? Yes. My memory thinks back to the cornflakes my mother and I would share before she would send me off to school in the morning.

Bite after bite, I taste the sweet bread and even sweeter honey and enjoy the rest of the evening with my husband on our anniversary. Thinking how funny it is when our sense of sight is deprived of us, our sense of smell and taste are magnified. This was a unique experience for my husband and I. Giving him a kiss on the cheek, I thank him for giving me 7 years of wedded bliss and for the interesting evening as we put on our coats and are lead from the darkened restaurant and to our waiting car.

I think they should make a tasty lip balm as well :)

Sweet William by Ineke c2011

Sweet William by Ineke: launched in 2011 as part of the Floral Curiosities Collection that was originally offered exclusively through Anthropologie. Created by the classically trained Ineke Ruhland, who was inspired to compose these original fragrances based on the flowers growing in her garden.

So what does it smell like? It is classified as a spicy woody fragrance for women.

• Top notes: peach schnapps, cinnamon, clove
• Middle notes: sweet william, sandalwood, cedarwood
• Base notes: patchouli, bourbon vanilla

I received a sample directly from Ineke and was pleasantly surprised to see it arrive inside of a simulated book coffret alongside four other scents from the Floral Curiosities collection. The little "book" has a pocket on the inside that resembles a library card pocket. Tucked inside the pocket are library cards that look like they were repurposed from an old card catalog. On each card is a pretty illustration on one side and the description of each perfume and the flower that inspired its creation on the reverse. Each sample vial is a generous 2.5ml spray that holds enough fragrance so that the perfume may be worn a few times so that you can get acquainted with the scent. I think the whole presentation is just adorable and worthy of a gift to a treasured friend or cherished relative.

Now since my curiosity was piqued, I sprayed the Sweet William perfume on the back of my hand and my initial impression was "WOW". I close my eyes and think of a delicious dessert to be served on a cool early autumn day like today. Succulent baked peaches, the last from the harvest, expertly sliced and arranged in a swirl over a creamy bourbon vanilla custard, generously drizzled with a decadent schnapps glaze and sprinkled with the pungent spices of cinnamon and cloves. An antique crystal bowl holds a potpourri of cedar and sandalwood chips mixed in with dried sweet william and patchouli leaves. The heat of the fat pillar candles on the table brings a gentle heat which intensifies the scent of the dried foliage and the delectable dessert.

After an hour, the perfume is still strong and spicy with a beautiful woodsy vanilla drydown. I think it would smell very nice on a man as well as it is not too feminine as this is not a floral style fragrance. My husband said that it smelled very good, like the cinnamon that I sprinkle on his toast, which he loves to have with his morning coffee. The marriage of these spices and woods remind me of Jungle L'Elephant by Kenzo, another fragrance that I enjoy wearing in the cooler months.


Click HERE to purchase Sweet William 0.5 oz Eau de Parfum
Click HERE to purchase Sweet William 2.5 oz Eau de Parfum
Click HERE to purchase The Floral Curiosities Collection Scent Library Sampler Set

Traversee du Bosphore by L`Artisan c2010

Traversee du Bosphore by L'Artisan Parfumeur: launched in 2010. Created by Bertrand Duchaufour who drew his inspiration from his journey to Istanbul. The Ottoman delicacy, Turkish delight plays a big part in the composition which helps makes this a beautiful fruity floral perfume with sugary gourmand notes.

Amouage Gold by Amouage c1983

Amouage Gold for Women by Amouage: launched in 1983. Created by Guy Robert, it was the first fragrance issued by the house of Amouage and is a perennial classic among its devotees.

LURK Natural Perfumes

LURK is a company founded by SoHo New York perfumer Anne Sanford. Anne creates her line of hand blended natural perfumes using only the finest, pure essential oils expertly blended into a base of organic jojoba oil, ensuring that the perfume oils have long lasting capabilities on the skin.  These high quality perfume oils are created without alcohol, chemical preservatives, stabilizers or additives, which mean that they are ideal for applying directly to your skin without the worry of irritation or toxic ingredients found in many modern perfumes. Each perfume is presented in a little glass vial which is perfect for travel.

Le Petit Fou - Le Soft Perfume

Le Petit Fou, manufacturers of high quality solid perfume sticks, have presented several alcohol free perfumes for you enjoyment.

Using only naturally plant derived colorants and ingredients, these nearly edible "paste" perfumes combine the best of cosmetic innovation and the highest standards of expertise while providing the European cosmetology guarantee.

Plum by Mary Greenwell c2010

Plum by Mary Greenwell: launched in 2010, created by celebrity make up artist Mary Greenwell in collaboration with perfumer Francois Robert.

Lemon by Mary Greenwell c2013

Lemon by Mary Greenwell: launched in 2013, created by celebrity make up artist Mary Greenwell in collaboration with perfumer Francois Robert. It was inspired by Mary's own memories of her Mediterranean vacations.

From Harrod's:

This stunning fragrance is a fresh citrus floral with a soft chypre dry down. The citrus notes are specially designed to last a long time, not just to disappear after the first spritz. The soft chypre accord on the dry down gives an elegance and richness that really has to be experienced to be believed.

So what does it smell like? It is a fresh citrus, floral chypre fragrance for women.

• Top notes: lemon, lime, mandarin, bergamot and bitter orange
• Heart notes: narcissus absolute, clary sage, hyacinth, jasmine and lily of the valley
• Base notes: precious woods, oak moss, patchouli, tonka and amber

Available in:

• 50 ml Eau de Parfum
• 100 ml Eau de Parfum
• 7.5 ml purse spray