Rosa Nobile by Acqua di Parma c2014

Rosa Nobile by Acqua di Parma: launched in 2014 as part of the Nobile Collection. The Nobile collection is composed of fragrances that are each dedicated to a specific flower, previous editions included Iris Nobile, Magnolia Nobile and Gelsomino Nobile.

Rosa Nobile is a tribute to the queen of flowers, a particular rosa Centafolia which grows in Alba, Italy on a limited organic plantation, Piedmont. Because the scent is so fragile and fleeting, the buds have to be picked at early dawn, while the garden is still covered in dew, or else the buds will lose their potent fragrance. This painstaking picking process is only conducted during the months of May and June as the roses fragrance is at its most intense.


From Acqua di Parma:

"A fragrance with a brand new and modern personality. A unique charm in the essential structure whose base reveals sophisticated nuances. The fragrance opens with the soft and fresh citrus scent of bergamot and mandarin, enhanced by pepper notes in a unique composition. At the heart, the Italian rose is the star, with its rich intensity. The seducing touch of its velvety petals is enhanced by harmonious notes of violet, peony, and lily-of-the-valley. This crescendo of emotions continues in the base, with Virginia cedar wood enhanced by a grey amber and musk accord, creating an unforgettable blend. Rosa Nobile. A fragrance as rich as a bunch of freshly picked roses."

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

• Top notes: Sicilian Mandarin, Calabrian Bergamot and pepper
• Middle notes: Centafolia rose, peony, violet and lily of the valley
• Base notes: cedar wood, ambergris and musk

Rosa Nobile is available in eau de parfum and velvety body cream.

The body cream has a rich, but lightweight texture that is quickly absorbed leaving the skin moisturised and delicately enveloped in the sophisticated notes of Rosa Nobile. Ingredients with emollient and antioxidant properties such as rice protein, beeswax and vitamin E, work together with rose extract to nourish the skin, enhancing its softness. A precious and luxurious cream that leaves the skin velvety like the petal of the rose.

A friend from Facebook sent me a sample and I sprayed the fragrance on the back of my hand.

Parfum Pour Toi by The Pink Room c2008

Parfum Pour Toi by The Pink Room: launched in 2008.  Created by Cyrille Carles.

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

• Top notes lemon, blackcurrant, grapefruit
• Middle notes: rose, fleur de melati, lily of the valley
• Base notes: sandalwood, vanilla, white musk

Visit their website here

I received a sample directly from Sarah Barton-King, the founder of The Pink Room, and was very interested in trying it as I was fascinated by the look of the boutique.

At first, I smell straight up citrus, a blast of lemon and grapefruit. Normally just the mention of grapefruit in the scent pyramid would make me run in the opposite direction as I really don't enjoy the smell of grapefruit, however, this is not the I-just-cut-up-a-fresh-grapefruit-to-eat-for-breakfast scent of grapefruit, it is blended so well with the zetsy lemon that it does not make me scrunch up my nose and sneeze. 

The fresh citrus makes way for a sheer fusion of rose and lily of the valley, nothing heavy in this floral meld. I was wondering what the fleur de melati is and if I could detect it in the perfume. Of course I smell it, it is simply  jasmine sambac, but known as melati in Indonesia. The jasmine, rose and lily of the valley are a little shrill at first, but slowly, the creamy notes of vanilla appear and start mellowing out the flowers, making them smooth. A whisper of white musk and the woody note of the sandalwood round out this diaphanous fragrance. The vanilla, while sweet, is not cloying. 

At the end of the drydown, I am left with a soft trace of the flowers upon delicate vanilla and musk. My overall impression is that the fragrance is very light, airy, and definitely aimed at the younger set. 

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Gold Leather by Atelier Cologne c2013

Gold Leather by Atelier Cologne: launched in 2013. It was released as part of the Collection Métal, created by perfumers Sylvie Ganter and Christophe Cervasel. To further enhance the metal theme, the bottles are richly covered in genuine precious metals, making an industry first.

The bottle for Gold Leather is appropriately cloaked in a shimmering gold finish. For those that enjoy the refreshing feeling of splashing cologne onto their skin, the removable spray pump can be removed. The 100ml and 200ml bottles sport a handcrafted leather cap for a luxurious touch.

Ce Soir Ou Jamais by Annick Goutal c1999

Ce Soir Ou Jamais by Annick Goutal: launched in 1999. The name in French means "Tonight or Never", sounds like it could be a plea from a lover. Inspired by the scent of a beautiful rose Annick Goutal found in a priest's garden, it took her a reported fifteen years and over 160 secret ingredients to capture an almost perfect replica.

From Annick Goutal:

"Infinitely secret murmur, pressing and tender proposal of a lingering and discrete perfume which intrigues and arouses desire...  

According to Annick Goutal, it is the perfume of her life, the most accomplished. Interpretation of a rose in a "priest's garden" which she stumbled upon, so much idealized in the extent that it makes one's head spin.  

15 years of work and determination to succeed in revealing the transparency of this delicate, mysterious, almost wild rose."

So what does it smell like? It is classified as an intense floral fragrance for women.

• Top notes: aldehydes, lemon, bergamot, pear, rose geranium, peach, lily of the valley, and hibiscus
• Middle notes: acacia, orange blossom, lavender, apple blossom, beeswax, jasmine, verbena, rose hips, Turkish rose, tea rose, violet, lilac, mimosa and Bulgarian rose
• Base notes: incense, sandalwood, myrrh, anise, patchouli, leather, musk, oakmoss, ambrette, benzoin and amber

Available in both parfum, eau de parfum, eau de toilette, body cream, shower gel and soap.

I received a sample from a Facebook friend and just sprayed some on the back of my hand. Starting off with a hint of citrus zest and juicy pear, beeswax, rosehip tea, then revealing a heart of fresh cut bouquet of both sweet Turkish and soapy Bulgarian roses and ending in a marriage of spiced wine and a patchouli laden chypre base with a touch of powdery jasmine.

Each time I smell the perfume, it seems a little different and new notes appear. I love this. This is as if Tea Rose by The Perfumer's Workshop and to Jo Malone's Red Roses cologne had a baby, it has a slight vintage feel that I enjoy. Many of the ingredients in the notes listed above I was able to detect through several sampling sessions, as the "secret ingredients" truly are secret and not officially listed anywhere online.

I imagine an elegant woman wearing a slinky black velvet dress arriving at her handsome lover's home on the last night before he leaves on yet another business trip. He opens the door and lets her inside. They immediately embrace and he tastes her violet candy like red lipstick as they passionately kiss. She nuzzles her head into the crook of his neck and smells his musky aftershave spiked with lavender, patchouli and ambergris. He smells her vintage aldehydic chypre perfume that she sprayed on her hair. Her lover presents her with a lush bouquet of long stemmed roses. They stroll into the dining room. She sits down at the table to an empty goblet which is twinkling with the flicker of candlelight.  A small Baccarat crystal vase on the table holds crimson hibiscus blossoms sits atop the freshly laundered linen table cover. A gilt rimmed Limoges porcelain plate holds a succulent baked pear and sliced peaches drizzled with honey and garnished with candied citrus fruit peel. He pours an expensive red wine into her goblet. Her lover presents her with a red envelope, she excitedly opens it, it simply reads "Tonight or Never." She coyly smiles, looks up at him with a mischievous look in her eyes and takes his hand in hers.

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 :)

Palio by Lorenzo Siena c2013

Palio by Lorenzo Siena: launched in 2013. The name Palio is Italian for "winner" or "prize". A very apt name for the fragrance.