Continuing my Esxence saga, today I'm writing about the brands I had the opportunity to spend a little more time with during the exhibition.
Widian
One of the most beautifully presented perfume brands, they offer a range of gorgeously made perfumes that appeal to different tastes and styles.
Their newest offering is the Rose Arabia line, a bit more "Westernized" selection of 3 scents that are utterly delicious. My favorite is Lily, a delicate lily of the valley, spiced up by carnation and patchouli; the other two are Taifi, a blooming rose dipped in chocolate and Almond - the most popular of the line - a fruity coco-nutty almond scent with the most decadent drydown.
They are already available in stores - I've spotted them in Jovoy !
The next big release is Gold Sahara II, a more enhanced and drier if you will, version of the Gold II perfume, with notes of elemi (one of my favorite perfume materials; it gives scents a certain depth I find very appealing) , orange, crocus, orange blossom, rose, amber, musk cedar and vanilla.
Finally a new addition in the Sapphire Collection is coming, this time celebrating the city of New York. Lavender, juniper, rose, vetiver, patchouli, musk and tobacco are some of the notes that make another great fragrance that celebrates New York. I reviewed London last year, you can read the review here
Really looking forward to the official release!
Begim
One of my great discoveries this year, Begim, a lovely brand from Uzbekistan offers 5 pairs of perfectly matched perfumes for men and women.
Bukhara Spirit for Him is a lovely aromatic fragrance based on tonka bean and musk.
Bukhara spirit for Her is a most beautiful combo of sandalwood and vanilla with a bite of delicious fruits.
Samarkand Spirit for Him is a traditional masculine fruity floral with a violet-y musk dry-down.
Samarkand Spirit for Her is a surprising fruity - aquatic scent with he most cuddling musk note.
Ruby of Temur for Her is a warm and aromatic scent that opens with fresh neroli and pettitgrain while in the heart you'll find eucalyptus, warm vanilla, amber and patchouli. The base notes include musk, oud and sandal that wrap up the composition quite boldly.
Ruby of Temur for Him is equally bold and mysterious with notes of tobacco, coffee, dried fruits, incense and oud.
Kohi Nur Diamond for Him is a bright combination of bergamot, orange-flower and a solar accord. Jasmine, fragrant rose and violet florets are in the heart of the composition. Warm notes of vanilla, patchouli, deep vetiver and oriental musk complete it perfectly.
Kohi Nur Diamond for Her is a beautiful oriental fragrance with a very bright opening. Sparking bergamot, spicy pink pepper and saffron lead the way to a rich heart filled with rose, incense, benzoin and oud. Vanilla, sandalwood, ambergris and musk boost the scent and make it long lasting on the skin. My favorite from the entire line!
Silk Road for Her is a playful floral that combines pink pepper, rose, pear and cypress with a warm chypre drydown. A powerful scent!
Silk Road for Him is a modern spicy and nutty scent that pays perfect tribute to the Silk Road. Spicy cumin, cardamom, amber and leather are beautifully combined with sandalwood, cedar and musk.
I will be writing more about the line very soon!
Fragrance Du Bois
A truly luxurious line that has taken oud based perfumes to another level; always combined in ingenious ways with a great number of other materials, the brand offers beautiful fragrances and remains innovative while supporting sustainability.
The perfume pens are a fantastic way to have you perfume with you all the time - they look gorgeous too! - and also from a price point they are a great way to try out a perfume enough before committing to a full bottle.
Presentation is impeccable with exceptional packaging especially with the Swarovski embellished bottles.
This must be one of my favorite perfume bottles of all time!
Oud Jaune Intense
One of my favourites from the line; here the oud is exotic and lush as it's dressed in garlands of monoi, ylang ylang, jasmine, orange blossom and other white flowers. A juicy, fruity heart appears thanks to pineapple and it's laid on a creamy, milky base of long lasting vanilla and musk.
You can understand how overjoyed I was to see that very soon, the perfumes we love, will be available in hair mists as well!! I hope I'll get to try them soon as they are the next big thing!
Histoire des Parfums
Histoires de Parfums didn't come with a new perfume, however Gerald Ghislain was there himself to present a few new innovations. First, the anniversary release of their iconic 1969 perfume, a peachy rose dressed in all the spices plus heaps of patchouli - a must try scent for historical reasons if nothing else - with the addition of a body wash and lotion.
I will write a bit more about it soon as I had the opportunity to meet up with him earlier in London!
The "This is not a Blue Bottle " line is one of my favorite lines not just for the amazing bottles but for the exceptional scents as well!
In their Paris shop, Histoires de Parfums will also offer customized body washes and Body lotions - you will choose the scent and it will be added on the spot there for you to purchase. I hope this service will be available in London soon!
Goldfield and Banks
I had a chance to meet Dimitri Weber and talk about his brand Goldfield and Banks and their beautiful Australian inspired scents.
Southern Bloom is one of my favourite as it celebrates the native Australian Boronia flower in a fragrance that also includes creamy sandalwood, iris and coconut; quite irresistible and perfect for summer!
Their newest release, Velvet Splendour, is a wild drive through the countryside while the mimosas are in full bloom. One of the best fragrances that celebrate this delicate yellow flower, it's also got sweet mandarin orange for a smooth and welcoming start, while tonka and sandalwood in the base give it an extra creamy dimension.
The House of Oud
The House of Oud had one of the most beautiful booths this year, celebrating their newest releases and especially Keep Glazed, the perfume created in collaboration with Ksenia Penkina, the renowned Canadian pâtissier.
Beautiful patisserie decorations!
Keep Glazed is like a dessert itself. It crosses the gourmand line and it smells and feels like an actual cake decorated with lush flowers. Cream, mango, coconut, iced lemon, more fruits, ginger and creamy sandalwood, make your mouth water in anticipation of a juicy, sweet bite as soon as you spray the scent on your skin. It's the absolute gourmand!
Emmanuel Levain
I also had the opportunity to chat with the charming Emmanuel Levain and learn about his perfume line. His perfume bottles are very elegant and colorful and house equally unique scents.
A stunning offering of a crystal, gold plated unique creation filled with the perfume of your choice for a mere 200,000 Euro is also available!
The 3 scents that appealed to me the most are:
Tendre Pallida
A very spring in a bottle scent, with sunny iris, violet, heliotrope and rose laid in a base of sweet sandalwood, amber and white musk.
L'Eau D Emmanuel
A sweet, fruity and ambery leather scent that will become a firm favorite for next winter, and
1971
An elegant woody fragrance with spices, patchouli, orris and musk that celebrates the birth year of it's creator!
There's a lot more to follow!!