PARFUMS MDCI VEPRES SICILIENNES: Vepres Siciliennes is fruity and floral and woodsy, plus creamy and mossy and musky, with a continuously evolving scent roster that says “Fruity Floral Gourmand Chypre” while switching out the supporting players at every stage of the game.
The official list of fragrance notes is boggling: mandarin, grapefruit, peach, pepper, green leaves, cardamom, muguet (aka lily of the valley), magnolia, jasmine, ylang ylang, rose, tuberose, heliotrope, osmanthus, raspberry, cloves, plum, coconut, musk, amber, oakmoss and cedarwood. How it even manages to keep its head above water, much less allow the wearer to breathe, is a mystery beyond my capabilities of solving — but it does both, and quite admirably.
The moss is a note I sense throughout the entire life of the fragrance, with a roster of fruits and florals parachuted in at various intervals for effect. The drydown is warm and ambered without going overly sweet — again, the deep green moss is likely the reason for that.
I would think Vepres Siciliennes would be a mite mature and showy for casual wear, the equivalent of fastening an heirloom diamond-encrusted tiara onto your head for a trip to the mall, but I suppose I’d sooner be dazzled by a trail of Vepres Siciliennes while shopping for t-shirts than gassed by a cloud of the latest Ed Hardy, so don’t let its seeming air of formality get in your way.
Price Point: $$$
SINFONIA DI NOTE JARDIN D’ORIENT: Starts off smelling like a case of toxic solvent in a machanic’s garage (is that supposed to be the aldehydes?), yet within the space of about twenty minutes, Jardin D’Orient smooths out into a cracklin’-dry cedar/patchouli combo dusted with sharp spices.
I’m not certain where the “garden” aspect is supposed to come in play, since it smells mainly of woods and black pepper. There’s some carnation allegedly tossed into the pot, but as carnation tends to come across more spicy than floral, the dry, exotic sensation is only intensified.
Scent notes are: aldehydes, carnation, patchouli, spices, cedar and amber. Jardin D’Orient skews unisex to masculine, especially with its near-harsh opening, yet it wouldn’t be out of bounds for a female to give it a whirl — and while it could easily be worn in cooler months, I also think it would make an excellent summer fragrance, not because it’s light or fresh, but because of how sun blasted and splintery it smells.
***Note: a good thing to also keep in mind regarding the above fragrances is that the Parfums MDCI Vepres Siciliennes lasts for frickin’ EVER (it’s over 8 hours later and the drydown is noticeably striking — a smooth, mossy amber) while the Sinfonia di Note Jardin D’Orient exhibits your average 4-5 hour lifespan. The excellent longevity of Vepres Siciliennes does partly justify its price tag.
