Wday tests: selective perfumery

The main features of a selective perfumery are its rarity, exclusivity and selected ingredients. The finest ingredients, flowers that bloom once every few years, and handcrafted bottles are all about her.

Naturally, such scents are among the most expensive. Pricing policy from 5000 rubles to infinity. But when choosing such fragrances, perfume maniacs usually do not return to the mass market and forever become true connoisseurs of the beauty of niche fragrances.

Vasilisa Naumenko, beauty editor:The Maison Francis Kurkdjian perfume house was created in 2009 in Paris by the most stellar perfumer of our time, Francis Kurkdjian. Francis loves Russia, in honor of which he created four unsurpassed fragrances.

It was not even the scent that mesmerized me anymore, but the body cream with the Amyris Femme scent, which focuses on the union of Amyris resin (elemi) and powdery iris, which develops against the background of vetiver and modern oud. Applying the cream to the body, you can refuse perfume, because the aroma is very rich, with a longevity of 5-7 hours. I fell in love with this perfume and I feel very special in it.

Vasilisa Naumenko, beauty editor:

The top notes are orchids and gunpowder, the heart is milk, caramel, and the trail is white cedar. The sweetness and sensuality of this scent must be felt with the whole body. I am ready to wear it on cold winter days or wear it for sophisticated evenings, embellishing the image with a luxurious dress and stiletto heels. Amour Nocturne is one of the three fragrances of the perfume house, which was created for the love collection.

Olga Frolova, build editor:

Boadicea The Victorious Ablaze is a unisex fragrance from the UK. Ablaze translates to “fiery” and it is indeed a very attractive and vibrant scent. Mysterious, thick, warm and slightly smoky. In the first instant, the pungency of citrus and pepper is felt, and such an intensity can even be a little embarrassing, especially if you overdo it with application. But the scent quickly softens – and now it is velvety suede, sandalwood and incense. The aroma changes throughout the day, revealing itself in one or another shade.

For me, Ablaze smells like a slightly wet autumn evening, when you may need an umbrella for a walk, and thoughts about something important and therefore elusive are spinning in my head. It remains only to wait for September.

Yulia Gaponova, managing editor:

I just love niche perfumery. But I always chose light scents. Therefore, Agonist Parfums Arctic Jade was not immediately accepted.

To begin with, this is a niche unisex fragrance. It will perfectly suit both a fragile but confident woman and a brutal man who knows his own worth.

First of all, I was captivated by the design of the bottle – absolute minimalism, everything, as I like it. At the first acquaintance, oriental notes are heard, a citrus aroma is very clearly felt, very sharp and strong. But after a couple of minutes, the sharpness goes away and a pleasant floral trail remains. Woody notes are also clearly felt, which are then replaced by a warm vanilla aroma. In fact, you need to get used to such a riot of notes (from sharp citrus to delicate vanilla), this perfume does not open immediately. And for a hot period it is a little heavy, so I decided to save Agonist Parfums Arctic Jade until the winter season.

Yulia Gaponova, managing editor:

For a very long time I listened to the laudatory odes of my friends about the Amouage. However, she herself only recently decided to listen to this perfume. In my opinion, this fresh perfume with notes of water violet, magnolia, jasmine, cedar and sandalwood is perfect for mature and confident women. Although I know many ladies who claim that this fragrance is suitable exclusively for young ladies. But we agree on one thing for sure – this perfume, reminiscent of a fresh light breeze, is just perfect for spring!

Yulia Gaponova, managing editor:

The Ferrari Leather Essence perfume, created in 2013, belongs to the category of leather fragrances. The inspiration for this scent was the leather interior upholstery in Ferrari cars.

I must say right away that this men’s perfume, characterized by a moderate and versatile sound, conquers at once. If you like warm spices with woody accents, then this fragrance will definitely suit you.

Light accords of patchouli and vanilla hints gradually reveal honey notes and you get the feeling that you are somewhere near the apiary. This rich scent is perfect for cold weather, while spicy honey notes and woody notes last great throughout the day.

Yulia Gaponova, managing editor:

The new Montale oud fragrance is perfect for both men and women. In general, of course, I prefer the more feminine sweet fragrances, but Aoud Orange Montale, oddly enough, suited me perfectly.

True, I will make a reservation right away that I use it only in cold weather, in the heat this aroma absolutely does not suit me. The perfume comes in Montale’s signature metal bottle, this time in caramel shades, which is comfortable enough to take with you on trips or carry in your purse (if you have, say, a 50 ml bottle).

Aoud Orange opens with top notes of bergamot, oud and saffron, which are gradually set off by warm and sensual accents of sandalwood, leather and white musk.

Alexandra Rudnykh, deputy editor-in-chief:

The first thing that immediately captivates in this fragrance is, of course, the bottle. The ornate pattern in the medieval style looks laconic on dark glass, so just contemplation of the “bottle” gives true pleasure.

And then – more: under the cap is a real perfume symphony. A soft, mysterious scent, in which both cozy woody notes and a sexy leather note with a bergamot aftertaste are read, it can both seduce and emphasize the distance. One thing you can be sure of: Serenade is dizzy!

Just keep in mind that this perfume needs to be tasted – so, at the first meeting, I was somewhat embarrassed by the persistence of incense. It seemed to me that I had just left the temple – the first notes of the perfume turned out to be so “loud”. However, I had to wait a little, and instead of a tarry-smoky accord, a cloud of subtle aroma enveloped me, in which fresh citrus and seductive “skin” appeared.

By the way, despite the “winter” nature of the perfume, you can wear it in the summer – just don’t get carried away! A few drops will be enough to get noticed and remembered.

Nastya Obukhova, fashion editor:

Top notes: quince, carrot seeds, rose water, coriander, saffron. Middle notes: rose, white freesia, magnolia, peony. Base notes: honey, white musk, white cedar, sandalwood, tonka bean, benzoin.

From the bottle, the fragrance sounds very sweet and floral, with a slight herbal admixture. On me, it opened in a rather strange way: for about an hour it seemed to me that I was very actively exuding the aroma of cilantro.

At first, Penhaligon’s Vaara seemed to me harsh, too herbal. However, a little later, delicate floral notes with oriental astringency appeared in it. After a few more hours I was able to discern a note of white cedar, the presence of which always appeals to me.

I decided that I would leave this fragrance for autumn and winter: for the summer heat, I find it a little stifling. In the warmer months, I prefer very light eau de toilette with a simple floral arrangement. One of the essential advantages of the fragrance is its durability: just one press of the spray bottle allowed me to smell from lunch until evening.

Natalya Zheldak, editor-in-chief:

The scent is the most mysterious component of the female image. And when he keeps not only the secret, but also the history, it turns out the perfect, exciting combination, which makes you perfect and exciting yourself.

Atkinsons The Nuptial Bouquet captivates before you open the box – a legend.

They say that many years ago, Queen Victoria of England married Prince Albert. And she asked to make a bouquet of simple, but favorite flowers of the groom – lilies of the valley, myrtle, violets. The Queen of England, it should be noted, was a great trend maker of her time – she, in principle, introduced a fashion for a bouquet and a number of lovely traditions, without which no wedding is celebrated now. As a result, the flowers that Victoria held in her hands, walking to the altar, went down in history.

In 2013, the British perfumers of the ancient company Atkinsons, whose founding brothers, presumably, saw this beauty live, again remembered about the founder of bridal bouquets fashion. It was decided to recreate Victoria’s bouquet in a new aroma, which consists of notes … lilies of the valley, myrtle, violet and sandalwood.

I really like this story. And the fragrance is complex, multi-layered, I have never worn such, I also really like it. It envelops me in a dense cloud, gradually changing during the day and merging with the skin. I don’t feel it on myself at all, although all my life I thought that niche perfumery was too hard for me.

And although there are facts claiming that Albert’s favorite flowers were not lilies of the valley, but snowdrops, and it was from them that the queen’s bouquet consisted, I dismiss this fact as insignificant.

I really want to let The Nuptial Bouquet charm myself, and with its help, charm everyone around.