Creed- Love In Black

The problem with Creed's Love In Black is its pretentiousness. I happen to think it's a pretty little thing, but it doesn't live up to any of the promises. It starts with the name. Love In Black should be dark, sexy and  mysterious. Not a juicy berries and violet jam. Then there's the whole Creed ethos, from the rabid fans to the unjustified reputation of only using the best and most natural ingredients.Considering Love In Black's obvious synthetic quality this is not even funny. Then there's the Jackie O aspect. The marketing literature claimed Olivier Creed's inspiration for Love In Black was the style and grace of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis. All I can say to that is "Whatever".

On my skin the berries and candied violet take center stage in such an aggressive way nothing else emerges for long hours. When I smell it from a bottle or a sample vial I can tell there's other stuff in there, but since my skin amplifies fruit in general and berries in particular, Love In Black is all purple sweetness when I wear it. Not that there's anything wrong with it, but I can think of several more interesting variations on this particular theme just in my own collection: Tom Ford Private Blend Black Violet, Balmain La Mome and Armani Prive Cuir Amethyste. It reminds me mostly of MPG's Fleur d'Iris, only the latter seems to have more iris in it, at least in its original incarnation (I haven't tried it since the re-bottling).

Love In Black was supposed to be an iris fragrance. It takes most of the day and lots of patience for me to find the iris note, and it's week and lacks any of the mystery or elegance associated with it. The same goes for Jackie Kennedy's ghost. Love In Black is cute and sweet and is more of a débutante than a gracious First Lady. It's a sunny and optimistic scent, easy to wear and uncomplicated. If you insist on finding Jackie in there it is the young Jacqueline Bouvier, long before politics, losses, Marilyn Monroe, Dallas or Greek millionaires entered her life.

Love In Black ($130, 1 oz) is available from Creed authorized retailers, such as Bergdorf Goodman, Neiman Marcus, Luckyscent and Aedes.

Photos of a very young Jackie: kennedys.tumblr.com

Creed- Love In Black

The problem with Creed's Love In Black is its pretentiousness. I happen to think it's a pretty little thing, but it doesn't live up to any of the promises. It starts with the name. Love In Black should be dark, sexy and  mysterious. Not a juicy berries and violet jam. Then there's the whole Creed ethos, from the rabid fans to the unjustified reputation of only using the best and most natural ingredients.Considering Love In Black's obvious synthetic quality this is not even funny. Then there's the Jackie O aspect. The marketing literature claimed Olivier Creed's inspiration for Love In Black was the style and grace of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis. All I can say to that is "Whatever".

On my skin the berries and candied violet take center stage in such an aggressive way nothing else emerges for long hours. When I smell it from a bottle or a sample vial I can tell there's other stuff in there, but since my skin amplifies fruit in general and berries in particular, Love In Black is all purple sweetness when I wear it. Not that there's anything wrong with it, but I can think of several more interesting variations on this particular theme just in my own collection: Tom Ford Private Blend Black Violet, Balmain La Mome and Armani Prive Cuir Amethyste. It reminds me mostly of MPG's Fleur d'Iris, only the latter seems to have more iris in it, at least in its original incarnation (I haven't tried it since the re-bottling).

Love In Black was supposed to be an iris fragrance. It takes most of the day and lots of patience for me to find the iris note, and it's week and lacks any of the mystery or elegance associated with it. The same goes for Jackie Kennedy's ghost. Love In Black is cute and sweet and is more of a débutante than a gracious First Lady. It's a sunny and optimistic scent, easy to wear and uncomplicated. If you insist on finding Jackie in there it is the young Jacqueline Bouvier, long before politics, losses, Marilyn Monroe, Dallas or Greek millionaires entered her life.

Love In Black ($130, 1 oz) is available from Creed authorized retailers, such as Bergdorf Goodman, Neiman Marcus, Luckyscent and Aedes.

Photos of a very young Jackie: kennedys.tumblr.com

Creed- Love In Black

The problem with Creed's Love In Black is its pretentiousness. I happen to think it's a pretty little thing, but it doesn't live up to any of the promises. It starts with the name. Love In Black should be dark, sexy and  mysterious. Not a juicy berries and violet jam. Then there's the whole Creed ethos, from the rabid fans to the unjustified reputation of only using the best and most natural ingredients.Considering Love In Black's obvious synthetic quality this is not even funny. Then there's the Jackie O aspect. The marketing literature claimed Olivier Creed's inspiration for Love In Black was the style and grace of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis. All I can say to that is "Whatever".

On my skin the berries and candied violet take center stage in such an aggressive way nothing else emerges for long hours. When I smell it from a bottle or a sample vial I can tell there's other stuff in there, but since my skin amplifies fruit in general and berries in particular, Love In Black is all purple sweetness when I wear it. Not that there's anything wrong with it, but I can think of several more interesting variations on this particular theme just in my own collection: Tom Ford Private Blend Black Violet, Balmain La Mome and Armani Prive Cuir Amethyste. It reminds me mostly of MPG's Fleur d'Iris, only the latter seems to have more iris in it, at least in its original incarnation (I haven't tried it since the re-bottling).

Love In Black was supposed to be an iris fragrance. It takes most of the day and lots of patience for me to find the iris note, and it's week and lacks any of the mystery or elegance associated with it. The same goes for Jackie Kennedy's ghost. Love In Black is cute and sweet and is more of a débutante than a gracious First Lady. It's a sunny and optimistic scent, easy to wear and uncomplicated. If you insist on finding Jackie in there it is the young Jacqueline Bouvier, long before politics, losses, Marilyn Monroe, Dallas or Greek millionaires entered her life.

Love In Black ($130, 1 oz) is available from Creed authorized retailers, such as Bergdorf Goodman, Neiman Marcus, Luckyscent and Aedes.

Photos of a very young Jackie: kennedys.tumblr.com

Blue Angel- Creed Angelique Encens

It seems like incense is the note du jour in fragrance, isn't it?

(Well, right along with orris, oud and lychee, that is. And I hope to never come across a perfume that combines all of them together)

But going back in time, we can find one of the most classic incense scents that dates from 1933 and back then could be considered a celebrity fragrance, because it was inspired by Marlene Dietrich, who in 1930 starred in the movie Blue Angel and established herself as an iconic, mysterious and enigmatic temptress who would lead men to their doom.


That's quite a reputation. For an actress and for a perfume.

Angelique Encens is and isn't what you might expect. Its opening, famous for the herbal angelica note, registers in my nose as tinged with lavender. It's not supposed to be there, but the feeling both of the color and of the flower can almost be tasted. It's melancholy in a sweet, nostalgic way, like a forgotten sachet in an old drawer. But that drawer is more than it seems. Some of its content is quite lacy and racy. And incensy. Don't forget that part.

The incense here is different than many of the ones we know from modern perfumes: it's not ceremonial and aloof like the CdG Incsense series and it has none of the Darth Vader darkness of Black Cashmere or YSL Nu. Instead, it's sweetened by vanilla and ambergris into a soft and tempting dry-down that while different than Shalimar, it shares a common sensibility with it.

One of the things I like best about Angelique Encens is how it shifts and changes on my skin. Sometimes I get the full vintage, black-and-white sense of a perfume from long ago and far away, while it never feels dated. A vanilla-incense combination could have come from any contemporary perfume house, though I doubt they'd make it better or prettier.

Angelic Encense is part of Creed Private Collection, which means it's only sold in huge 8.4 oz flacons with a hefty price tag ($300, but fragrancenet.com supposedly has it for $205). Here and there you might be able to find a better deal, but since Creed is prone to faking and counterfeiting, I'd personally avoid them. Besides, who even needs a lifetime plus several incarnations supply of perfume in one bottle? My personal recommendation is to go for a decant.

Blue Angel- Creed Angelique Encens

It seems like incense is the note du jour in fragrance, isn't it?

(Well, right along with orris, oud and lychee, that is. And I hope to never come across a perfume that combines all of them together)

But going back in time, we can find one of the most classic incense scents that dates from 1933 and back then could be considered a celebrity fragrance, because it was inspired by Marlene Dietrich, who in 1930 starred in the movie Blue Angel and established herself as an iconic, mysterious and enigmatic temptress who would lead men to their doom.


That's quite a reputation. For an actress and for a perfume.

Angelique Encens is and isn't what you might expect. Its opening, famous for the herbal angelica note, registers in my nose as tinged with lavender. It's not supposed to be there, but the feeling both of the color and of the flower can almost be tasted. It's melancholy in a sweet, nostalgic way, like a forgotten sachet in an old drawer. But that drawer is more than it seems. Some of its content is quite lacy and racy. And incensy. Don't forget that part.

The incense here is different than many of the ones we know from modern perfumes: it's not ceremonial and aloof like the CdG Incsense series and it has none of the Darth Vader darkness of Black Cashmere or YSL Nu. Instead, it's sweetened by vanilla and ambergris into a soft and tempting dry-down that while different than Shalimar, it shares a common sensibility with it.

One of the things I like best about Angelique Encens is how it shifts and changes on my skin. Sometimes I get the full vintage, black-and-white sense of a perfume from long ago and far away, while it never feels dated. A vanilla-incense combination could have come from any contemporary perfume house, though I doubt they'd make it better or prettier.

Angelic Encense is part of Creed Private Collection, which means it's only sold in huge 8.4 oz flacons with a hefty price tag ($300, but fragrancenet.com supposedly has it for $205). Here and there you might be able to find a better deal, but since Creed is prone to faking and counterfeiting, I'd personally avoid them. Besides, who even needs a lifetime plus several incarnations supply of perfume in one bottle? My personal recommendation is to go for a decant.

Blue Angel- Creed Angelique Encens

It seems like incense is the note du jour in fragrance, isn't it?

(Well, right along with orris, oud and lychee, that is. And I hope to never come across a perfume that combines all of them together)

But going back in time, we can find one of the most classic incense scents that dates from 1933 and back then could be considered a celebrity fragrance, because it was inspired by Marlene Dietrich, who in 1930 starred in the movie Blue Angel and established herself as an iconic, mysterious and enigmatic temptress who would lead men to their doom.


That's quite a reputation. For an actress and for a perfume.

Angelique Encens is and isn't what you might expect. Its opening, famous for the herbal angelica note, registers in my nose as tinged with lavender. It's not supposed to be there, but the feeling both of the color and of the flower can almost be tasted. It's melancholy in a sweet, nostalgic way, like a forgotten sachet in an old drawer. But that drawer is more than it seems. Some of its content is quite lacy and racy. And incensy. Don't forget that part.

The incense here is different than many of the ones we know from modern perfumes: it's not ceremonial and aloof like the CdG Incsense series and it has none of the Darth Vader darkness of Black Cashmere or YSL Nu. Instead, it's sweetened by vanilla and ambergris into a soft and tempting dry-down that while different than Shalimar, it shares a common sensibility with it.

One of the things I like best about Angelique Encens is how it shifts and changes on my skin. Sometimes I get the full vintage, black-and-white sense of a perfume from long ago and far away, while it never feels dated. A vanilla-incense combination could have come from any contemporary perfume house, though I doubt they'd make it better or prettier.

Angelic Encense is part of Creed Private Collection, which means it's only sold in huge 8.4 oz flacons with a hefty price tag ($300, but fragrancenet.com supposedly has it for $205). Here and there you might be able to find a better deal, but since Creed is prone to faking and counterfeiting, I'd personally avoid them. Besides, who even needs a lifetime plus several incarnations supply of perfume in one bottle? My personal recommendation is to go for a decant.

Mostly (All) About Eva

Odds and ends for a Monday morning:

• Helg from Perfume Shrine is wondering what was Eva Longoria's fragrance on her wedding day. There's also a link to a list of celebrities and their favorite perfumes. I only skimmed the list, but I have to say that while not surprising, there's very little inspiration there. Young Hollywood is all about fruity-florals and laundry detergent scents, while classic Hollywood seems to have shared the same handful of bottles. Still, of interest is the fact that Creed's Irish Tweed Green that was created for Cary Grant, is now worn by his modern incarnation, George Clooney. I think I see a bottle in the Blond's future.
(photo of Cary Grant and Ingrid Bergman from the movie Notorious)


• Speaking of my husband: He was sitting next to me as I was writing my previous Eva Longoria post. He looked at the photo and commented: "That's a Chanel, right?". Apparently, he recognized both the fabric and the deconstructed trim. Color me proud.



• Last one about Eva's wedding: Look at this picture (courtesy of Mollygood. Click on the photo, it's worth it) of her mother-in-law, Tony Parker's mom. Can she be wearing Proenza Pink lipstick? I'm not saying a word about the roses on her ankles (or the cleavage).





• Since we're sort of the topic of celebrity obsession, Jake Halpern's book, "Fame Junkies" , offers an interesting perspective of this subculture. I have yet to finish the book, but so far I'm enjoying it.

Mostly (All) About Eva

Odds and ends for a Monday morning:

• Helg from Perfume Shrine is wondering what was Eva Longoria's fragrance on her wedding day. There's also a link to a list of celebrities and their favorite perfumes. I only skimmed the list, but I have to say that while not surprising, there's very little inspiration there. Young Hollywood is all about fruity-florals and laundry detergent scents, while classic Hollywood seems to have shared the same handful of bottles. Still, of interest is the fact that Creed's Irish Tweed Green that was created for Cary Grant, is now worn by his modern incarnation, George Clooney. I think I see a bottle in the Blond's future.
(photo of Cary Grant and Ingrid Bergman from the movie Notorious)


• Speaking of my husband: He was sitting next to me as I was writing my previous Eva Longoria post. He looked at the photo and commented: "That's a Chanel, right?". Apparently, he recognized both the fabric and the deconstructed trim. Color me proud.



• Last one about Eva's wedding: Look at this picture (courtesy of Mollygood. Click on the photo, it's worth it) of her mother-in-law, Tony Parker's mom. Can she be wearing Proenza Pink lipstick? I'm not saying a word about the roses on her ankles (or the cleavage).





• Since we're sort of the topic of celebrity obsession, Jake Halpern's book, "Fame Junkies" , offers an interesting perspective of this subculture. I have yet to finish the book, but so far I'm enjoying it.

Mostly (All) About Eva

Odds and ends for a Monday morning:

• Helg from Perfume Shrine is wondering what was Eva Longoria's fragrance on her wedding day. There's also a link to a list of celebrities and their favorite perfumes. I only skimmed the list, but I have to say that while not surprising, there's very little inspiration there. Young Hollywood is all about fruity-florals and laundry detergent scents, while classic Hollywood seems to have shared the same handful of bottles. Still, of interest is the fact that Creed's Irish Tweed Green that was created for Cary Grant, is now worn by his modern incarnation, George Clooney. I think I see a bottle in the Blond's future.
(photo of Cary Grant and Ingrid Bergman from the movie Notorious)


• Speaking of my husband: He was sitting next to me as I was writing my previous Eva Longoria post. He looked at the photo and commented: "That's a Chanel, right?". Apparently, he recognized both the fabric and the deconstructed trim. Color me proud.



• Last one about Eva's wedding: Look at this picture (courtesy of Mollygood. Click on the photo, it's worth it) of her mother-in-law, Tony Parker's mom. Can she be wearing Proenza Pink lipstick? I'm not saying a word about the roses on her ankles (or the cleavage).





• Since we're sort of the topic of celebrity obsession, Jake Halpern's book, "Fame Junkies" , offers an interesting perspective of this subculture. I have yet to finish the book, but so far I'm enjoying it.