Monthly Archives: March 2014

Eau de Death… Seriously!?

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I  just couldn’t believe it. I’m pretty open minded. But this…?

Eau de death

Eau de death

Apparently, a chemist at Doane College in Nebraska has been busy perfecting a cologne that could help you survive a zombie apocalypse; kind of a zombie-repellent-in-a-bottle.

According to the article on Daily Mail, Dr Raychelle Burks came up with the foul-smelling zombie repellent that mimics the smell of rotting human flesh. The concoction is a mostly a combination of two foul-smelling chemical compounds, putrescine and cadaverine, which coincidentally are emitted by decaying flesh. And there’s a dash of methanethiol, the molecule that produces the rotten egg smell. And if you smell like a rotting corpse, says Burks, chances are good that zombies will pass you by for a fresher meal.

‘One could also wear it when casually waiting out the zombie apocalypse so as not to attract the attention of a roaming horde of zombies,’ she told NBC News.

Hey, who knows, it might come useful. But, as for me, I’d rather be dead than walking around the cities among zombies with this Eau de Death!!

 

Jasmin Noir and F67

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I’m not exactly a perfume snob. I’ll try almost any fragrance, from the supermarket brands to the exclusive niche houses (if I can afford it, of course. Ha…). Maybe I’m a perfume slut.

Fragances & colors

Fragances & Colors (It’s not a typo…)

The other day, I went to a mall to buy a fragrance for my friend’s birthday on her request. It was one of those shops selling so called fragrances which were “inspired by designer’s brand perfumes” (you know what that means).  I picked up the one she wanted and asked for a gift wrap. While the girl at the counter who looked very much like Miley Cyrus was busy with the shiny wrapping paper and bows, I was idly browsing around their collection of fragrances and spotted a copied version of Jasmin Noir.  It’s one of my favourites (well, at least the Bvlgari one). On impulse, I bought it.

Sometime ago, on the Perfume Posse blog, there was a post on the Perfume Commandments. To quote, the second one of the commandments was “Thou Shalt Not Blind Buy”. Well, I broke it… I’m a thrill seeker, you know. Buying a fragrance without knowing what it’s like is kind of like opening a Christmas gift with anticipation.

But sometimes you receive a gift which isn’t quite your taste or not what you expected. This was the case with this perfume. It wasn’t bad or ugly. It was actually quite wearable. Just it wasn’t Jasmin Noir. 😀 (Really now, what do you expect.)

Thoughts on Jasmin Noir by Bvlgari

Jasmin Noir by Bvlgari

Illustration by the Perfume Magpie

This, for me, is I-can’t-help-sniffing-my-wrist scent. I’m a big fan of Jasmine & Gardenia; I love plenty of Wood & Musk as well so from just reading about the notes I was already in love this one. When I was living in the Middle East, then later in Egypt, we had Sambac Jasmine  (Scientific name: Jasminum sambac | Common Name: Arabian Jasmine) vines in the garden. The scent of the blossoms always seemed to get stronger in the evening and I used to savour the night air filled with the fragrance. Jasmin Noir always reminds me of those nights.
The warm woody note dominates Jasmin Noir; its florals are somewhat subdued & soft and lingers in the background. The ambery sweet drydown goes on and on for a long time. Almost ghostly, mysterious, dark and sensual. Gorgeous fragrance.

NOTES
Top notes: Green sap, Gardenia | Middle notes: Sambac jasmine absolute, Satin almond notes | Base notes: Precious woods, Tonka bean absolute, Licorice

Thoughts on F67 by Fragances & Colors

F67 by Fragances & Colors

Illustration by the Perfume Magpie

There’s definitely some white floral notes… Jasmine, yes, but it’s not rich, deep Sambac Jasmine. Absolute? Nah. The florals disappear after an hour or so and ambery – musky notes dominate the rest. It’s not an unpleasant scent. One thing that really bothers me with F67 is that there’s this note which isn’t in the original Jasmin Noir; the burnt caramel. That’s the only way I can describe…  Here’s the image came into my mind; a cozy little shop selling perfumed soaps & scented closet sachets. A woman walks in. She is dressed in all black, wearing rather strong animalic perfume. As she walks through the door, an aroma of the sweet Belgian waffles, served warm by a street vendor outside the shop wafts in…

I still wear this one but how this can be Jasmin Noir is anybody’s guess.

Grinning Magpie

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Can you see my grin? I’m sure you can!

Puredistance Sample Gift Set

Puredistance Sample Gift Set – Photo by The Perfume Magpie

Recently, Puredistance held a giveaway for the International Women’s Day aaaaand GUESS WHAT? I WON IT and received a gorgeous sample gift set on Monday! (Just imagine, a woman with silly grin dancing around the house, scaring her hubby and neighbours dogs off…) Yay!!

Inside the elegant white box, there were five 2ml spray samples of I, M, Opardu, Antonia and Black. I nearly kissed the postman when he gave me this. Thank you, Puredistance!

Puredistance is an exclusive perfume house based in the Netherland, launched in 2007. Their timeless and elegant Master Perfumes are created by renowned five Master Perfumers. They are only available as Pure Perfume, or Extrait in other word, in concentrations between 25 – 32% Perfume oil. In a world where so many things are short-lived and focusing on quantity over quality, mass over individual, Puredistance takes totally opposite stance. Their luxurious perfumes are created with the highest quality materials and they are ageless. The words Nouveaux Classiques come into my mind.

Puredistance Sample Gift Set

Photo by The Perfume Magpie

I’m savouring them, each one, each day. I’ve tried Opardu and M so far and they are just exquisite. I’ll post my thoughts on their fragrances one by one in the near future. Now I’m gonna have more sniff!

Who is Perfume Magpie?

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Hi! You might be wondering who The Perfume Magpie is.

The Perfume Magpie is a lovely lady (well, actually there are some split opinions about this) who is obsessed with perfume and fragrance, often spotted in perfume shops and cosmetic counters sniffing and spraying from numerous bottles with a keen interest. She is a little bit eccentric but nice. She’s been in love with perfume ever since she received her first perfume (Hello Kitty) when she was 5 or 6. For a strange fate, she used to work for a company for 6 years where absolutely no perfume, cologne or scents of any kind were allowed, and now she is experiencing some kind of rebound from the fragranceless time.

The Perfume Magpie loves so many different things. She loves nature & wildlife. The love of her life is, of course, her husband but David Attenborough is a close second. She loves photography, especially in B&W. She loves arts & crafts and enjoys painting, silversmithing, knitting, stained glass and so many other things.

The purpose of this blog is to share her love for perfume with anyone who is willing to listen (read). She might write some mini-reviews, share some photos, drawings and stories related to perfume & fragrance.

The Perfume Magpie is still discovering the vast world (or universe?) of perfume & fragrance. She would love to hear from those who share the same interests.