Creed - Selection Verte

Hello readers, it's been quite some time since I've exercised my nose and mind in tandem to come up with an article. I've been holed up in my home though for the past few days due to a decently rough illness and thought this may be a good way to lift my spirits. Today I want to talk about a fragrance that has received zero complaints from anyone I've encountered while wearing it. This fragrance is claimed to have been released in 1901...if you can believe that, and is still in production today as one of the few Creed's that's been able to withstand the test of laws and time; no doubt due in part to it's refreshingly minty yet transparently light aroma which is a perfect combination for a lovely inoffensive finishing touch to one's wardrobe. It's called Selection Verte...and this article isn't exactly in season.

When I first had the opportunity to try this fragrance out I all but lept on it and got myself enough to last through the spring and summer (which is not hard to do in Michigan!). I had been reading about it for quite some time although I've not seen any video reviews of it, which is sort of odd in my mind, but at the same time not surprising considering the price tag it carries. With that in mind though, if you have one or two other people in your life that have a taste for pepper(mint) and spear-minty spring/summer fragrances, then this would be perfect to share among them. For a moment though, on to the notes to give you an idea:

Top notes: Neroli and citrus, slightly peppered
Middle notes: Peppermint and green herb notes
Base note: Ambergris

The first time I read that note list I immediately told myself I would enjoy this fragrance all 'round aaand this was one of the few times I was right. From beginning to end Selection Verte just feels and smells right. On my skin the neroli note is there initially but it is very underwhelming. It gives way to this lemony citrus-mint scent which is surprisingly sweet and I believe it is due to an early appearance of the Ambergris base (not necessarily a bad thing). It then immediately lends a helping hand to the herb notes in the middle once it's dried nicely. Just as the top notes say though, on my skin you can detect a very slight peppermint scent which is also superbly done for me. It's like a cold, zesty, sweet lemon-peppermint drink with a bit of strength behind it. Nothing spicy at all about this though, so don't think it's that kind of pepper. There isn't much to say on the base note for this relic. The use of Ambergris is absolutely superb in making this fragrance a staple summertime concoction with it's uniquely sweet attributes. It ties everything together, making it something you'd like to see fizzing in a glass with ice.

If your are not well versed in today's fragrances you might find Selection Verte to be groundbreaking. Once you venture out of the normality of common department store fragrances, though, and into what is your unknown, you will find that Selection Verte isn't exactly storming the front of summer by today's standards anymore. In fact there are many similar fragrances out there, all of which have their own unique citrus-y attributes...but Selection Verte still rightly remains on a high shelf of it's own.

That isn't why I'm here though is it? To study and review common-ground fragrances? Probably not why you're here either if you've read my blog in any detail. Being claimed a formula from 1901, to my young mind, is astonishing. Certainly I'd imagine it's been refined a bit, chemicals tweaked to give it a little more lasting power for today's demanding market. One thing I can respect though is Creed's claims to hold fast to their original formula's and only changing it when a particular law demands and only if it can be done without detriment to the scent (yes those types of laws exist). If you've made it this far take a look at Creed's vaulted fragrances on their website. Point being; if a successful Creed fragrance cannot retain the original scent, it will be forever vaulted as to uphold it's makers vision. That is yet another reason I continue to wear and support Creed in the fragrance community. As always, thank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed.

By Kilian - Eternal Oud

Hello readers, welcome back and thank you for joining me once again as always. Over my coffee this morning I have been lost in the past, from a time when my fragrance hobby took a back seat in my life. A time when my very young sister who is no longer with us, was losing her life with a battle of cancer. Though she may no longer be with us in body, she will always remain in spirit. Bless her spirit, wherever she chooses to be.

Over the past months I have been experimenting with a fragrance known as Eternal Oud from the famous cognac family known as Kilian. Research will show you that one son from the Kilian family decided to break off and embark on a journey to use the taste of their fine spirits and translate it into fragrance. Our olfactory senses truly are remarkable and for him, I'm sure this journey must pay homage to his families successful name. From the few that I've been lucky enough to sample and wear, I believe his vision is staying the course. Eternal Oud though, much like his other oud fragrances, takes a turn from what was his standard base of spirits-themed scents. Eternal Oud however, remains spiritual. There is something about this fragrance that is intoxicating to my senses and at an attempt to describe it, I will do my best.

In a world of clustered notes, Kilian's vision manages to take three supreme ones and create a symphony. Rose, Oud, Saffron...together these make up the baseline for Eternal Oud; the rest is up to your skin and how the two will react together. From the top, to an untrained nose, the scent of roses and oud will react in a way that can be confusing. It's unapologetic in strength and will permeate the area in which you stay for a little while...but it is not your normal strength. To smell up close on your skin when first applied, this fragrance is hard to understand. Give it time though and even directly on your skin this scent can be matched by no other that I've experienced. From a distance, I get the feeling that Eternal Oud can be intimidating and hard to understand for a few reasons. One, it is unlike anything you'll ever smell on anyone else and I think because of that, people may mistake you for simply smelling like that. I have noticed a level of respect that comes along with wearing this fragrance. Though I have never received an open compliment, I find conversation to be completely professional on days that I wear this. It's almost as if the scent itself creates the atmosphere around me...and then of course my attitude reinforces that air. It is why this fragrance works for me...and only one reason why I will always try to keep it on hand.

Breaking from the technical standpoints, this fragrance also does something for me on an intangible level. Never before have I experienced a fragrance that has taken me so off guard. This first time I wore this to work was at 8 A.M. on a Sunday morning and I did this as a way of testing it in the open air while I was alone. It very quickly became apparent that I was dealing with something that would touch me on a spiritual level. I found myself smiling, I could feel my mood being uplifted...it was like a drug in a sense. The moments of peppery oud and saffron would fuel adrenaline until a note of soft rose would rise and blossom a blanket over the incredible sensations, creating a sense of intoxicating calmness. Fast forward to the next morning more than 24 hours later. The rose, gone, my mind only remembering and studying my experience from the day before. As I made my coffee, "What? No...certainly...there it is." A strong peppery note, the oud and saffron still there but somehow different. Ingrained in the back of my neck, for just a few short hours when air passed over me I would re-live that sensation that only Eternal Oud brings me to. It was that morning I realized that I had found the one fragrance that would stay in my collection. It is one that I will wear on days that are meant to remember my sister.

Those days come often.
                                                 Thank you for reading,
                                                             -Nicholas

By Kilian - Musk Oud Review

Oud Exploration Part 1

Welcome back readers, once again its been far too long. Over the past little while (the better part of a year) I've been reading and watching different viewpoints on an exotic scent known as Oud/Oudh/Aoudh. Now from my knowledge, which is still expanding, the scent of Oud comes from a tree fungus known as agarwood which can be raised in either India or Arabian countries. In those cultures it seems to be quite sacred in many different aspects and is treated as such. In comparison to fragrances from the Western (North American) countries, the idea of fragrance from the East is quite different than what most folks like me are used to. I've come to learn over time that French perfumery is not necessarily something used to disguise our body's natural scent, rather it's made with the idea of developing over time with our body to create something truly unique...and for the most part that has been my experience thus far.

Lately I've been lucky enough to start delving into Oud fragrances though and these are truly in a realm of their own. My first two experiences were with Royal Oud from Creed (which I'll get into later) and Eternal Oud By Kilian. I can say without a doubt that Eternal Oud is one of the most unique scents I've ever put on my skin. There's something magical about the way it layers on my skin and along with it's own unique notes it is just absolute perfection. As it turns out, Eternal Oud has two main notes of Rose and Oud which is quite common for most Oud fragrances I've come to find out, but it does something great for me with it's third and final note of Saffron. It's hard to put into words just how much I enjoy that scent when it's fully dried down on my skin.

For those of you who have heard of Oud, both the good and bad, and are interested...let me jot down a few words we can all relate to. Oud seems to have two ways it can turn, one being medicinal/rubbery and the other being natural/earthy/raw wood (like a tree trunk). You will find most note combinations contain primarily Oud and Rose and this is not a bad thing if you keep an open mind. One thing you will learn over time is that because different perfumers use ingredients from different countries, no two roses will smell the same and that can be a lot of fun to explore! The natural/earthy/tree trunk type is a bit less harsh at the start but dry-downs are very daring in that they can smell like a hay-field that has had animals grazing in it. Beautiful in it's own wright but not for the person who wants to smell fresh and tame.

More to come soon and as always thank you so much for reading! Until next time, take care!

-Nicholas.