tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4922907157797061660.post3129987060060795844..comments2024-03-28T10:30:51.283+01:00Comments on Grain de musc: La Traversée du Bosphore by Bertrand Duchaufour for L'Artisan Parfumeur: Turkish Delightfulcarmencanada /Grain de Muschttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04046101625425953248noreply@blogger.comBlogger38125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4922907157797061660.post-70209150057500448652011-02-07T19:31:09.151+01:002011-02-07T19:31:09.151+01:00Ersolaise, because of the texture and
contrast
I f...Ersolaise, because of the texture and<br />contrast<br />I find it never becomes overwhelming to me. But that's really a matter of individual perception I guess.carmencanada /Grain de Muschttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04046101625425953248noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4922907157797061660.post-5689813169304716292011-02-07T17:00:25.465+01:002011-02-07T17:00:25.465+01:00I'm slowly trying to work my way through your ...I'm slowly trying to work my way through your reviews of perfumes which I've actually tried.<br /><br />I'd say "disconcertingly" sweet is spot-on. There are moments when it almost becomes too much, but ultimately, I agree that this is very impressive stuff.Persolaisehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04192014353722036319noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4922907157797061660.post-19894078480293140872010-10-17T04:51:09.409+02:002010-10-17T04:51:09.409+02:00I think I'm in the mood for a soft leather, bu...I think I'm in the mood for a soft leather, but I have no idea what will happen with those loukhoum notes, I like the IDEA ; ) I'll let you know what happens! OXOXQwendyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10283489032029545283noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4922907157797061660.post-83815630783217694582010-10-14T17:16:58.514+02:002010-10-14T17:16:58.514+02:00Wendy, bear in mind this isn't huge leather, m...Wendy, bear in mind this isn't huge leather, more of a suede, with quite a bit of iris. You'll have to see whether you amplify the sweet notes!carmencanada /Grain de Muschttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04046101625425953248noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4922907157797061660.post-11009335136623935042010-10-14T17:14:29.314+02:002010-10-14T17:14:29.314+02:00I love your writing about this scent, I'm not ...I love your writing about this scent, I'm not sure if it's a scent for me, or just your take on it that has me so stimulated. Between your post, and Jarvis's experience, I'll high tail it over to Bendel's as soon as I'm in NY next week! I myself am on a bit of a leather jag, I have both Vintage Jolie Madame and Etro Gomma with me on this trip, the better to arm myself for NY...Qwendyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10283489032029545283noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4922907157797061660.post-72363332404209508612010-10-11T09:31:39.355+02:002010-10-11T09:31:39.355+02:00Flora, I'm not quite sure you'll be in the...Flora, I'm not quite sure you'll be in the minority. I wore Bosphore to a wedding this weekend. The friend I was sharing my hotel room with nearly passed out, she found it so gorgeous (she's getting a bottle as soon as it comes out), and one of the young men said he wanted it too.<br />The sillage is delicate, so that I could see wearing in public.carmencanada /Grain de Muschttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04046101625425953248noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4922907157797061660.post-89226580139417093932010-10-11T06:47:59.624+02:002010-10-11T06:47:59.624+02:00I may be in the minority, but I really want some o...I may be in the minority, but I really want some of this! I find the straight "loukhoum" style perfumes to be much too sweet, but with leather added, wow! I may not be able to wear it in public, but at home I would use a rather indecent amount...Florahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00510346346502906435noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4922907157797061660.post-58579529048831516792010-10-10T18:29:53.148+02:002010-10-10T18:29:53.148+02:00Ela, Vanille Absolument is the new name for Havana...Ela, Vanille Absolument is the new name for Havana Vanille. The latter had to be changed for legal reasons. It's the same product.carmencanada /Grain de Muschttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04046101625425953248noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4922907157797061660.post-90075674744217862252010-10-10T17:25:26.497+02:002010-10-10T17:25:26.497+02:00Going bit off-topic, Denyse, can you kindly explai...Going bit off-topic, Denyse, can you kindly explain status of L'Artisan's vanilla fragrances? <br />I know that classic Vanilia is discontinued (replaced by Havana Vanille). Is Vanille Absolument the official new name of Havana V., or just an additional statement? It is bit confusing.<br /><br />Also, I have once read about L'Artisan Vanilia Extreme, but it seems to be very rare edition with hardly any online information about the scent.<br /><br />Thank you in advance, Ela.Elanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4922907157797061660.post-71615377394362976852010-10-10T10:33:12.169+02:002010-10-10T10:33:12.169+02:00EEM, it's odd how leather is cropping up all o...EEM, it's odd how leather is cropping up all over, isn't it? Pendulum of fashion, probably. But in truth, most perfumers dream of working on a leather accord: it is a cosa mentale, open to interpretation since there is no essence, and so many manners of conjuring it... It is also a note that has straddled/transgressed the gender divide almost from the outset, and one that is known as divisive, aristocratic even. But attractive in a very animalistic way, you're right...carmencanada /Grain de Muschttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04046101625425953248noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4922907157797061660.post-89467950197695166872010-10-09T16:18:39.991+02:002010-10-09T16:18:39.991+02:00back from a short visit to an exhibition of avigdo...back from a short visit to an exhibition of avigdor arikha, delighted with the sheen of cleanliness left by yesterday's first real rain. I walked in sunlight and thought about the marvelous smell of leather, having seen a picture (in another hall) by a Dutch master: A Woman reading a (leather bound) Book. I wondered which are the chemical components in leather that offer such sense of vigourous desire, elegance and sensuality. Which of those components reaffirm us so much in our carnal presence? Regardless of the answers,which are perhaps only in the domain of thoughtful chemists, I am convinced that in the alphabet of fragrances and accords we may find that what we call 'leather' converses with some crucial chemistry in our system. And fashion, of course, and its cycles. Mona di Orio's Cuir, SL's Boxeuses, now BD's La Traversee...leather seems to this fall what green lightness was to last spring. There's not one leather fragrance i can leave untried. Off we go to get a sample of ...du Bosphore, but with some reluctance,a bit of suspicion. I'm too hooked on Boxeuses at the moment.EEMnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4922907157797061660.post-41737209102497950812010-10-09T07:29:38.878+02:002010-10-09T07:29:38.878+02:00Nozknoz, true enough. He's got a very distinct...Nozknoz, true enough. He's got a very distinctive style, yet he still manages to push himself, and the genre he's working in, beyond what's expected, as though it were a point of pride.carmencanada /Grain de Muschttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04046101625425953248noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4922907157797061660.post-4819968352135883522010-10-09T07:00:33.273+02:002010-10-09T07:00:33.273+02:00That's what I like about Duchaufour - most of ...That's what I like about Duchaufour - most of what he does is pretty much in a category of its own, as Marla put it. ~~nozknozAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4922907157797061660.post-56323723944044559712010-10-08T22:18:39.104+02:002010-10-08T22:18:39.104+02:00Jarvis, and the musk, of course... It's not ma...Jarvis, and the musk, of course... It's not makeup powdery, but it *is* very sweet so that a certain number of men I know wouldn't feel comfortable wearing it, but as I think I said on the French side, I *do* know at least one man who carries that sort of scent off perfectly, so why not? There are certainly many more.carmencanada /Grain de Muschttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04046101625425953248noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4922907157797061660.post-849948513296218782010-10-08T21:20:47.240+02:002010-10-08T21:20:47.240+02:00Yes, Denyse, more than the recognizable notes, it&...Yes, Denyse, more than the recognizable notes, it's the textural effect of Traversée du Bosphore that really blows me away. I love how dry and raspy it is, like the nubby texture of suede that has been sprinkled with talcum powder to retard moisture. BD said that this is achieved in part through a synthetic orange blossom note + vanilla, which I find fascinating.<br /><br />I saw the discussion on the French side of the blog about whether this would skew too feminine for a man, but I don't find that to be the case at all. The powder does not read (to me) as the usual "powdered makeup" of classically powdery fragrances.Jarvishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08320628861633769796noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4922907157797061660.post-52328732680335265982010-10-08T18:25:30.481+02:002010-10-08T18:25:30.481+02:00Yes, I'd say it's pretty much in a categor...Yes, I'd say it's pretty much in a category of its own.<br />-MarlaAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4922907157797061660.post-62077430829826753202010-10-08T17:29:36.991+02:002010-10-08T17:29:36.991+02:00Marla, there's a freshness (because of the ros...Marla, there's a freshness (because of the rosewater/powder effect and apple) in Bosphore that makes it quite different from other sweet leathers.carmencanada /Grain de Muschttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04046101625425953248noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4922907157797061660.post-19627540472940847332010-10-08T17:08:10.766+02:002010-10-08T17:08:10.766+02:00Yes, Daim Blond is wonderful, but still, a very di...Yes, Daim Blond is wonderful, but still, a very different animal. Marquis de Sade I just didn't care for, and it's quite a different configuration of notes as well. <br />-MarlaAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4922907157797061660.post-51153035300792941762010-10-08T16:00:02.386+02:002010-10-08T16:00:02.386+02:00Marla, off the top of my head I can think of two l...Marla, off the top of my head I can think of two leather scents matched with sweet, foody notes, but they tend to be at the burnt/caramelized end of the spectrum: Boxeuses and Marquis de Sade by Histoires de Parfums. Daim Blond matches suede and apricot/osmanthus effects.carmencanada /Grain de Muschttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04046101625425953248noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4922907157797061660.post-65538174905382824092010-10-08T15:54:28.965+02:002010-10-08T15:54:28.965+02:00Persolaise, isn't that serendipitous? You migh...Persolaise, isn't that serendipitous? You might have run into BD... anyway, that means at least a good sniff of Bosphore is in the cards for you!carmencanada /Grain de Muschttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04046101625425953248noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4922907157797061660.post-28286824557134068122010-10-08T15:53:21.921+02:002010-10-08T15:53:21.921+02:00Jarvis, I hadn't thought of the pectin... of c...Jarvis, I hadn't thought of the pectin... of course, the apple note makes even more sense in that context. What's interesting is the way in which BD picks notes that make sense together at many different levels: rose and saffron are of course a traditional match in cuisine, which means they obviously work, but then some aspects are used to conjure other notes which also function as signs of the place... I always find it quite exciting to see the symbolic and olfactory mesh in such a way.carmencanada /Grain de Muschttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04046101625425953248noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4922907157797061660.post-64396408275839132662010-10-08T15:50:50.009+02:002010-10-08T15:50:50.009+02:00Jarvis, I was hoping to hear back from someone who...Jarvis, I was hoping to hear back from someone who'd been at the launch and had actually smelled Bosphore! I adore Safran Troublant but as you say, it's one of those scents you really need to be in the mood for -- I was told at L'Artisan that people often impulse-bought it, like me, but didn't necessarily wear it intensively afterwards. <br />I find the textural effects achieved in Bosphore quite impressive -- this is not fatty leather, and B's managed to convey the chewiness of the lokum and juiciness of the apple without making them sticky.carmencanada /Grain de Muschttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04046101625425953248noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4922907157797061660.post-73002594486703564182010-10-08T15:46:52.798+02:002010-10-08T15:46:52.798+02:00You're not going to believe this, but the volc...You're not going to believe this, but the volcanic ash cloud left me stranded in Istanbul too! Whilst I was there, I did wonder what an 'Istanbul perfume' would smell like. Needless to say, leather and rose came high on my list of notes, but I would also have included a reference to Turkish coffee. Still, M Douchaufour's latest sounds like another must-try.Persolaisehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04192014353722036319noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4922907157797061660.post-86197921288545956502010-10-08T14:12:03.893+02:002010-10-08T14:12:03.893+02:00...oh, and that apple really bolsters the lokum ef......oh, and that apple really bolsters the <i>lokum</i> effect for me, because isn't the gelling agent in Turkish delight fruit pectin, e.g. from apples or quince?Jarvishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08320628861633769796noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4922907157797061660.post-45906089693954832012010-10-08T14:00:33.235+02:002010-10-08T14:00:33.235+02:00Hello, D. I happened to be in New York last night,...Hello, D. I happened to be in New York last night, so was able to go to the launch party and to meet BD (who was utterly charming). As for the fragrance, it was a huge surprise to me, as I had been expecting something much darker, spicier, and animalic. But I'm really enjoying this powdery grey suede of Traversée du Bosphore, and it feels very much like a Duchaufour composition. That initial hit of iris reminded me instantly of Dzongkha. And I'm fascinated by the dryness and powderiness of the composition. I love the idea of rose and metallic saffron over vanilla, but in something like Safran Troublant it becomes overwhelmingly sweet and sticky. Here, BD manages to make it dry, powdery, almost dessicated.Jarvishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08320628861633769796noreply@blogger.com