Anastasia Zaharoff
I got into perfumes about 10 years ago and have become obsessed. I am only getting to the point of being able to pick out certain floral notes, but I have an excellent scent memory for overall compositions and can recall close comparisons. My collection holds over 200 bottles.
المراجعات
This was the Miami socialite Patricia Wallace's favorite standard and I will forever think of her when I catch a whiff of anyone wearing it. Similar to Escape (which was her second favorite,) this is an aquatic floral with a distinctive melon note that holds up very well in hot weather and lasts and lasts. And I mean LASTS. Everything had this lovely scent, her dressing room closet, the cars, the salon- if this is your signature scent it will permeate into everything you own in a lovely way. The aquatic notes keep it from being cloying and it is typical of the Japanese floral aesthetic. Since it has passed its commercial heyday, not everyone is wearing this and it definitely bears investigation if you are looking for a minimalist floral for a hot climate.
I have the original vintage that came in the AMAZING refillable spray container with the leopards on the sides. All I can say is that this was expensive, but was worth every penny. A FULL heady floral with a substantial base to ground it out and keep it from going into sickly high floral territory. When I say high floral, I mean the likes of Fracas and Boucheron where it smells like you walked through a flower shop and were beaten with everything in the cooler. This is far classier and the drydown is sublime. This smells like money. I can see a woman in a crisp white shirt, well fitted dark blue jeans, and classic Cartier jewels at a polo match wearing this. The type of woman who doesn't leave the house without full makeup and every hair in place, yet looks like it was all effortless. Old guard elite, but still a breath of fresh air. Total love.
As a lady, I find this wearable as a unisex fragrance. I purchased this one for the pine and leather accords and have had good luck mixing it with my other "greens" such as Coriandre and it gives a less generic angle to Oscar De La Renta's Intrusion (which is simlar to CK One and those ilk.) My only issue with this is that it doesn't last as long as I wish it would and later in the drydown the lavender becomes a bit pronounced, which is fine as a mix, but alone I find the lavender soapy and on the manly side. A definite like and a lot of utility for the price.
A bracing green heavy botanical. If this were to be a color it would start out as a chartreuse, migrate to a british racing green, and end as a burnt umber. The bitterness of the oakmoss attracted me to this as it is a true chypre the like of which like they say "they just don't make 'em like this anymore." The polar opposite of the achingly sweet fruitchoulis the celebrity set is putting out. This makes a statement that you are formidable and not to be trifled with. If you are a fan of Coriandre, Patou 1000, or the green aspects of Cabochard and Bandit, get your hands on a bottle of Niki. The best are the pre-IFRA vintages when the oakmoss was actually real- however the reformulations are not at all bad, just lacking a tiny bit in staying power. The original pre-IFRA can be smelled 24 hours later on fabric.
My review is for the original formulation which comes in the opalescent bottle with the purple anodized portion on the sprayer. If you enjoy a medicinal benzoin bathed stewed plum, this will be your jam. The medicinal blast burns away after ~30 minutes, but continues to come back in little wonderful whiffs that balance the amber sweetness that also emerges. The image this conjures up a bellydancer in a pasha's harem flirting with her plum colored veil, leaving a trail of the most exquisite intoxicating scent as she whirls by. If you are a fan of Dior's Oud Ispahan, this would be it minus the sharp oud. Also almost identical to Robert Piguet's Visa, but with a little medicinal kick.
This is a lovely boozy peach with a deep undertone which I absolutely love. The vetiver, leather, and patchouli keep it from being a sweet cloying elevator choker and migrate it into sexy nighttime territory. Add to that the supermegatron longevity and it is an excellent value due to not having to constantly reapply. I am always skeptical of peach based fragrances, as they tend to be too sweet, but this blend is lovely with an almost medicinal initial scent that burns away leaving boozy stewed peach heaven. The image that comes to mind would be going into Napoleon's cellar and finding a jar of peaches that has been stewing in rich caramelized cognac for 150 years. *swoon* This smells EXTRMELY close to the original Mauboussin for her. If you are a fan of Liasions Dangereuses by Kilian (which would be the plum based equivalent) or the original Beverly Hills by Gayle Hayman with the cheetah on the front (which would be Visa with a spicy base,) give Visa a whirl.