Boutique Scents Update and Quick Sniff Report

I put the four Boutique scents back up in bottle sizes, but I’m holding off a bit longer on the Exclusives. I sent out a few testers for Reves2 and the untitled new scent. I’m hoping they are very close now. I’ll try to stick to the dream theme on Reves2 for a new name, and I’m trying to find a good theme picture for its webpage (hard!).

Just when I thought 2010 was going to be lacking in new releases that wowed me, a couple of samples arrived that are quite special. The new Van Clef and Arpels Midnight in Paris edp is delicious and is my favorite new release of 2010 so far, though I only try a small fraction of what comes out. Warm ambery notes, smooth leather, light smoky notes, fruity notes, and wonderful woodsy basenotes — gourmand but not over the top sweet. I need to wear it again but it’s great on my first try. People compare it to Black, but I didn’t get the weird rubber note that prevents me from loving Black (though I know that’s what makes some people love Black even more!). It brought Dior Homme more to mind, though this has a stronger leather note and is darker to me, not the same at all but sort of a similar theme in a unisex gourmand woodsy scent.

I also tried FK Absolue Pour le Soir and it is lovely. Compared to Lumiere Noire, the skanky aspect comes out more to me and the rose is less prominent so I still love LN more, but Absolue Pour le Soir is beautifully done. A sample of Prada Benjoin took me by surprise with its woodsy, resinous, gourmand goodness. Yum. Not too sweet as I had feared. Another gourmand woodsy winner.