MADISON

So, when does the new store open exactly? Very good news, and congratulations.
Btw, Gia & Madeleine, Micaleff scents are available at the Douglas store in Baneasa mall. Tried two of them, not impressed, but I’m willing to retest.

Around the 20th!

The new brands are:

Bond No 9: http://www.bondno9.com/catalog/ (the line raises all kinds of reactions, good/bad/indifferent, but for me it means a lot, because of my NYC history).

Agraria San Francisco
http://agrariahome.com/
(simply amazing body&home line, with unique products such as fragrance sheets, tassle air, fragrance diffusers, and the best smelling potpourri)

Puredistance
http://puredistance.com/en/home
(a beautiful fragarnce and a joint project between some names with resonance)

The store will be at Piata Dorobanti No. 6, with a beautiful double window and a perfect postioning.

Will let you all know when.

Excellent news, Madeleine and congratulations on the 2nd location!

The Bond line will be a great addition and so will Puredistance !

@Datura Noir : Do you remember which Micallefs you tested? I wonder if we are talking about the same M.Micallef line, I know the Douglas chain and it’s weird that they are to be found there.

What’s strange with this line is that they are either a hit or a miss. Some of the Micallefs are really good, others are very poor. Do you remember if they had Note Vanille, Black Sea, Gaiac, Patchouli, Rose Aoud, Royal Muska, Vanille Aoud, Yellow Sea, Night Aoud? These are considered among the best of the line. If they had the Seasons ( Printemps, Ete, Hiver, etc. or Note Poudree, Note Ambree), then I completely understand why you weren’t impressed, they are not so good. At least not to me

Gia, it’s the same line, they had a pretty brochure documenting the house (based near Grasse). I don’t think it’s necessarily strange, since many small fragrance houses, especially based around Grasse (there are so many of them), find it difficult to promote properly (especially if they don’t have a consistent tradition or a big name attached) and partnering a mass-market chain helps them enter foreign markets etc. And the chains themselves can boast selling “exclusive” lines.
I didn’t have time to test much, or indeed inspect all their products, they did seem to occupy quite a few shelves; I did try Note Ambree and Note Poudree and they were very weak, sketchy compositions; they weren’t even simple developments of a single note (I would have liked a linear French amber), just diluted unremarkable concoctions. I must try some of the others.

Madeleine & Gia: please, a little help with my pre-autumn fragrance craving. Is there such a thing as a tuberose/leather composition? As in these two notes taking center stage, not doing backing vocals among others.

@Datura Noir: you could try these and see what you think: Etat Libre D’Orange Vierges & Toreros, Piguet Bandit also has tuberose and leather, Parfums D’Imperfection Eleven Minutes (this might feel a little bit sweet due to the immortelle and honey notes), Mona di Orio Nuit Noire ( I wasn’t very impressed with this line, but it might work for other people), Gucci No.3 from 1985, discontinued and very hard to find, and Lorenzo Villoresi Alamut, and if you cannot find what you’re looking for with these, then you can always try layering a tuberose frag with a leather one. You could try Piguet Fracas for a loud tuberose and I think Piguet Visa is a leather scent, I also recommend By Killian Beyond Love for tuberose , Biehl Parfumkunstwerke EO03 is a nice, light tuberose, and for leather I must say Tom Ford’s Tuscan Leather is still my favorite, simply because it works great on my skin and it smells like nothing but leather, there aren’t really other notes too obvious there so they don’t get in the way, that’s why I think this would be good for layering. Other leathers : Parfums D’Empire Cuir Ottoman, Nasomatto Duro, and PG has several leather scents, Cuir Venenum, Psychotrope and Oiseau de Nuit are all unique in their own right.

And the other tuberose scents I am sure you know SL Tuberose Criminelle, Estee Lauder has Private Collection Tuberose Gardenia, Frederic Malle Carnal Flower,
Creed has Tuberose Indiana and Royal English Leather.

I often have trouble finding exactly what I am looking for, a particular scent or combination and I start layering, mixing and matching until I can find the closest thing to what I want. Hope you’ll enjoy some of these.

I also love layering (the deadliest for me is Datura Noir/Santal Blanc) which I’m sure would make any perfumer cringe, not to even mention SL himself.

None of our tuberose scents have leather (except ELO-Vierges… which I am put of and, unfortunately, will not replenish because I will not continue carrying the line—nevertheless, I have a tester and you are welcome to try it anytime. But… rather masculine scent for a tuberose, I found; and this doesn’t mean that I categorize scents into feminine/masculine, necessarily, but it lacks a certain “delicate and fragile” dimension, in my opinion).

But, aside from that, I agree that PG has a wonderful leather scent, Cuir Venenum (leather and absolute of orange blossom, which I know you like), which might just be complex enough to not want to smell it mixed with anything else.
And as for tubereuse scents, PG has Tubereuse Couture which is different and beautiful), and a heady tuberose from Nasomatto with Narcotic Venus.

By Killian Beyond Love is to die for, also… *sigh…*

PS-I asked my friend to also suggest something, so I’ll post as soon as he answers.

Thank you both for your suggestions.
I know the ELO fragrance and it is not what I want - too shy, sweet. I need a strong, bitter leather with a hint of dry tuberose (not sugary-cloying, Fracas-style). Nothing sweet and traditionally “feminine”. This might be a problem, since very few tuberose scents are anything but.
Tubereuse Criminelle is perfect the way it is, with its asphalt & flowers magnificence, I wouldn’t layer it with anything, but that’s the type of tuberose I mean, icy and strong, a bit powdery, with no syrupy side; not light; not “perfected” with honeyed notes. I so wanted to like Narcotic Venus, but it’s too warm and “tropical” for me. Not sure if I’m being clear.
I’ll probably get Cuir de Russie next time I’m in Paris and layer it with some tuberose soliflore, not sure which.
And I must try Cuir Venenum, if I could only find the time.

You will not continue to carry ELO? Why that? Hope my beloved Costume National will still be on your shelfs.

It’s just a question of them becoming too available.

CN is still here; moreover, we will have some exclusive sets for Christmas! I’ll keep you posted.

very good news. yeah it’s true what you said about ELDO.it’s a pity but the new brands seem amazing. i’m very excited about agraria.

one more question…..will you carry the whole bond no.9 collection? they have more than 30 scents. I’m more interested if you’ll have New Harleem. thx!

and that’s New Haarlem sorry for the mistake and also West Side. thx again