Posts Tagged ‘Cardamom’

Versace Versense - Fragrance Review

Wednesday, February 17th, 2010

Versace’s new fragrance Versense is inspired by nature’s elements, promising balance of the senses and revitalization of energy. Dubbed as “a promise for the senses”, this fragrance for women marries the freshness of Mediterranean notes and contemporary bouquet to bring out the fusion of sensuality and glamour that marks the Versace woman of today.

Fresh yet intoxicating, Versense opens up with fresh notes of bergamot and mandarin orange then develops into a stunning balance of floral notes featuring jasmine, sea daffodil and cardamom. The dry down combines the warmth emanated by cedar wood, sandal wood, olive tree and musk. The juice is housed in a transparent bottle embossed with Versace’s signature insignia and the juice comes in a luminous color of light green.

At first sniff, Versense is redolent of green floral notes. Light and airy notes arising from bergamot and orange notes decorate the top. The floral notes in the middle are somewhat neutered and barely there. The musk notes counter the green-ness of the fragrance and the dry down evokes a feeling of sophistication and quiet elegance that perfectly fits the days of summer.

The sheer character of Versense is similar to that of Versace’s Bright Crystal. Although these two are not in any way similar in olfactive experience – Bright Crystal is in the sweet-soft-floral category whereas Versense permeates more of the green accords and the floral notes are hushed. Both fragrances are considered light and the sillage is very feminine. It is long lasting despite being in the EDT formulation.

Versense is available in 30ml, 50ml and 100ml EDT and the collection also includes a full line of body products such as body lotion (for layering) and shower gel.

Learn more about Versace’s new fragrance Versace Versense and other Versace perfume and cologne at discount perfume online retailer, scentiments.com.

Viktor & Rolf Perfume and Cologne Collection

Monday, November 16th, 2009

Dutch designers Viktor & Rolf gained accolades for their fantasy-themed catwalk collection. With their hodge podge designs, the Dutch duo have a series of fabulous fashion shows which were a spectacle in the eyes of the public. In fact, for the fashion critics, the name Viktor & Rolf is a landmark of classic designs and avant-garde concepts that always have something interesting to convey. It could be a page from the past, something like a tryst with the traditional cuts, hems and curves or a journey to the future with designs tagged as insanely out of this world. Upside down dress, anyone? Theirs is the freedom to pencil thoughts of exaggeration, dreams and illusions and transform them into luxury clothing much to the envy of seasoned and budding designers.

In 2005, Viktor & Rolf launched their first fragrance called Flowerbomb in collaboration with L’Oreal . As the name suggests, this scent is bursting with floral accords. The layers of flowers are softened with the edgy character of patchouli. The notes include tea, bergamot, freesia, jasmine, rose orchid and patchouli. The depth and complexity of the notes is a treat for those who love floriental scents. Flowerbomb Extreme, the sweet and darker version, is a notch higher in every aspect. It lives up to its name – it’s an overdose of everything.

Viktor & Rolf called fashion as the antidote to reality and applied the same to Flowerbomb.  A year later, Antidote, the men’s fragrance was launched. Designed by perfumers Alienor Massenet and Pierre Wargnye, Antidote carries a whopping 25 notes in its composition. The top notes are: mint leaves, Italian bergamot, mandarin, grapefruit and Guatemalan cardamom. The middle notes feature French lavender, geranium, nutmeg, cinnamon bark, freesia, orange blossom and violet. The base is composed of rich wood accords: amber, essence of Indonesian patchouli, cistus labdanum, vanilla iris, sandalwood, Texan white cedar, Guaiacum woods, tee moss, leather, Tonka bean and white musk. The concept is fresh oriental and it evokes a distinct smokiness that gives it a refined and polished impression as though you’ve smelled something like Aramis Life and Gucci Envy.

This year, another fragrance from Viktor & Rolf arises. It’s a far out cry from the florientals and woods of the earlier scents. This time, minimalism is the bomb. Eau Mega is a playful mix of light and fresh green notes. It doesn’t have the heavy floral and woody character of Flowerbomb and Antidote. The overall appeal is chic and very modern.

If Viktor & Rolf’s fragrances impressed you enough, there’s more of them at discount perfume retailer, scentiments.com.

 

Prade Amber Perfume Review

Wednesday, July 8th, 2009

Created with a rich base of amber, Prada Amber Pour Homme is a sensual, masculine scent that draws a playful contrast with four basic accords: amber, fougere, cologne and leather. The top notes of mandarin, cardamom and bergamot conveys a classic ambiance while the oriental elements radiate comforting warmth that calms. The base culminates with a sleek finish of leathery notes of vetiver, neroli saffron and suede. Notice the fleeting fruity opening followed by a sweet Tonka-vanilla heart with hints of light patchouli. The light powdery touches of base notes infuse a mild sweet-like scent, not too sweet because every note is well restrained. This fragrance is elegant and masculine in a very gentle kind of way.

Prada Amber is not the type of pour homme fragrance that overwhelms. It is not heavy on the sillage and certainly, does not announce itself in the crowd. It is meant for intimacy and closeness. There is a distinct soapiness but the kind of luxurious soap imaginable like those sold in high-end shops in Italy. One loyal Prada Amber gushed, “This scent is a tease. It doesn’t command attention. It’s too subtle to do that. Instead it begs for attention. It captivates your interest with it’s promising notes, drawing you in closer to get better acquainted, but never giving up all it’s secrets completely all at once. Addictive. It has an alluring sexiness to it.”

And yet another user who can’t get enough of Prada Amber, “It’s very hard to identify the individual notes in this fragrance, and yes it does have a synthetic feel if over-applied. And yes it definitely smells like soap, but the kind of soap you would find in hotel rooms costing more than $1000 a night… this has been one of my mainstays for quite awhile… the sillage is amazing, the opening to dry down is tightly knit, and you never get the feeling that you smell like the other three guys in the elevator… this is a tremendously light and powdery fragrance, so if you are a lover of woods or deeper scents you will hate this… all in all a special Prada fragrance to go with my great Prada shoes.”

Prada Amber Pour Homme is one of the most intriguing fragrances from the Italian perfumery house. The ingredients are masterfully balanced and harmonized resulting to a unique fragrance like no other — notably soapy, fragrant and long-lasting. The scent drifts throughout the day leaving you with clean waves of luxurious fragrance.