The Fruit Tree Wild

Blog for @thefruittreewild instagram account. Perfume is a beautiful metaphor. Fragrance reviews with the occasional bottle of whiskey thrown in.

[thefruittreewild]

I've been listening to the most romantic bachata music all evening and the only fragrance that feels like it matches the extravagance of feeling is Cicuta by V Canto. Cicuta is a lush spicy powdery rose and probably one of the most beautiful roses in my collection. I often love dark complex notes but Cicuta is pure sweetness and romance and I'm okay with it. ❤️🌹 What's your favorite rose fragrance? --------------------------------------- #SOTD #smellgood #unique #rose #elegant  #perfumereview #fragrance #spicy #warm #designerperfume #niche #instafragrance #sweet #instaperfume #fragaddict #perfumista #allthefeels https://www.instagram.com/p/Ch8rnZkul6I/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[thefruittreewild]

Noses are fickle. I've had Hanae Mori by Hanae Mori for men for years and never felt very excited about it. Last week I sprayed it and thought, "How have I missed this delicious warm lemony goodness?" 🍋 Hanae Mori is like a pop of lemon candy but never cloyingly sweet. I don't usually like citrus but it's balanced here by the warmth of vanilla, chocolate and jasmine which are in turn steadied by aromatic lavender. This is a surprisingly balanced gourmand, bringing together sweet and fresh and warm and cool notes into perfect harmony. I bought this for a song over a decade ago but it's quite a bit harder to find now. Have you tried this one? ----------------------------------- #happiness #hanaemori #lemon #vanilla #gourmand #perfume #fragrance #designer #aromatic #sweet #sotd #smellgood #humpday #chocolate #jasmine #instaperfume #fraghead #fragrancereview #fragaddict #candy #unisex https://www.instagram.com/p/CfqvF87u9O4/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[thefruittreewild]

The world has felt very unforgiving this year and in the last week especially in the US. When I start to feel overwhelmed, I look for a perfume that feels like a soft place to fall. That's why this morning I reached for Heliotrope by Franck Boclet. Heliotrope will always feel like one of the ancient literary flowers along with rose, Lily-of-the-valley, gardenia and jasmine. They enhance anything they are added to but stand on their own with a singular piercing steadiness. For me heliotrope is both innocent and wise, heady but also maternal. Franck Boclet's interpretation pays homage to the flower in a way that enhances it simplicity and beauty. This is sweet, warm, powdery and a little spicy. A gentle comforting hug. Just what I needed to face the day. -------------------------------- Top notes: Cloves, Thyme and Peach; Middle notes: Orange Blossom and Rose;  Base notes: Heliotrope, Tonka Bean and Patchouli. -------------------------------- #sotd #heliotrope #floral #warm #spicy #perfume #fragrance #niche #sweet #instaperfume #perfumereview #selfcare https://www.instagram.com/p/CfbqbQNOSe2/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[thefruittreewild]

Friday's scent is Raman by Abdul Samad Al Qurashi. I'm a huge fan of ASQ because they produce some of the most unique fragrances I have smelled. I actually got Raman in person as a free gift when I purchased one of ASQ's more exclusive scents. As a lover of all things different and spicy, I was intrigued by the capsicum note in Raman. This fragrance is warm, dusty and peppery with a very classic vibe. The woman who wears this pulls her hair into a chignon, has strong opinions and is utterly unconcerned with fashion but embodies a bold timeless style. My only quibble with Raman is unlike most ASQ fragrances, I find both projection and longevity to be quite weak on skin. It lingers, but nowhere as powerfully as I would like. Would definitely recommend spraying this one on clothing instead. ----------------------------------------------- Notes (from ASQ's website): Vanilla, amber, violet, capsicum, bergamot, jasmine and rose. ----------------------------------------------- #instaperfume #friday #scentoftheday #sotd #middleeastern #amber #vanilla #spicy #unique, #niche #luxury #nicheperfume https://www.instagram.com/p/Ce6XIkQOhAh/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[thefruittreewild]

Today's scent is one of the signature fragrances of my dear friend @sixthregion whom I had the pleasure of catching up with yesterday for the first time since the beginning of the pandemic. Plum Japonais (discontinued) is spicy, feminine, forward and complex, which is really quite fitting for the woman who wears it. ---------------------------------------- Top notes: Cinnamon and Saffron Middle notes: Japanese Plum, Plum Blossom, Immortelle, Liquor, Camellia and Cypress Base notes: Oud, Amber, Benzoin, Fir and Vanilla. ---------------------------------------- #SOTD #tomford #plum #oud #spicy #boozy #Amber #designerperfume #friendship #friends #fragrancereviews #perfumista #perfume #weekend https://www.instagram.com/p/CetGTclOK3W/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[thefruittreewild]

I'm winding down for the evening and keeping it old school with Heritage by @guerlain with its peppery barbershop vibes. I always think this perfume is made for someone who enjoys fine whiskey and leathers. Absolutely elegant in a traditionally masculine way. What are you wearing this evening? ------------------------------ #guerlain #heritage #spicy #perfumista #perfumelover #sotn #Saturday #classic #fragrance #perfume #perfumereviews #instaperfume #fougere https://www.instagram.com/p/CeZ-Hy2O9hX/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[thefruittreewild]

It's Sunday morning and I'm wearing Naivasha Rose by @whistling_thorn, an indie perfume house that I was not aware of before my sister gifted this to me. It is the perfect slow morning scent--a soapy spicy rose that only becomes more interesting as it develops. This smells like sitting in a crisp cotton robe after a fresh shower while reading the paper and enjoying a bowl of fruit in front of a vase of deep red roses. Beautiful, spare and elegant. ---------------------------------------- Top notes: Bergamot Middle notes: Rose, Jasmine Base notes: Labdanum ---------------------------------------- Are you familiar with this brand? Have you tried either of their two signature fragrances? ---------------------------------------- #sunday #longweekend #perfumista #perfume #perfumelover #rose #jasmine #bergamot #nicheperfume #niche #indie #luxury #perfumereview https://www.instagram.com/p/CeJSdbRO0mz/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[thefruittreewild]

Happy Friday! Today's scent is The Black Rose by Trussardi, an elegant powdery rose with real vintage vibes🌹. I continue to be impressed with Trussardi's line of sophisticated perfumes at a really reasonable price point. The Black Rose is quite versatile. I can see this being worn to the office and to dinner. A very classic scent. ❤️ ----------------------------------------------- #smellsexy #perfume #instaperfume #instafragance #trussardi #rose #niche #nicheperfume #luxury #sotd #rose #friday https://www.instagram.com/p/CeEBb35uL6i/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[thefruittreewild]

Today felt like the first true DC summer day with sluggish sultry breezes and temperatures hitting the 90s(F). I found myself reaching for Noora by Al Haramain which always reminds me of a burst of bubblegum or frozen popsicles. This is bright, fruity and candy sweet 🍬. It can quickly become cloying if applied liberally but I find it perfect for layering or cutting through a sheen of sweat. What's your favorite hot weather fragrance? ------------------------------------ #SOTD #summer #fruity #sweet #perfumista #perfume #instaperfume #fragaddict #perfume #fragrance #perfumereviews #alharamain #attar #friday #smellgood #smellsexy #middleeastern https://www.instagram.com/p/CdzESMNOme3/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[thefruittreewild]

Sorry for being so quiet, friends. It's been an intense and crazy week. But the sun was shining today and the weather was beautiful so I'm doing a quick hit on my #SOTD. Rouat al Musk by @lattafa_perfumes is spicy, soapy and fresh. It's not so heavy that it's overwhelming in the heat, but has more gumption than the usual citrus-based scents. Simple and satisfying. What are you wearing today? ---------------------------------------------- Top notes: Fruits, orange blossom, mandarin orange; Middle notes: White flowers, jasmine, sandalwood; Base notes: Amber, vanilla. ---------------------------------------------- #smellgood #perfume #instaperfume #instafragance #summer #sotd #lattafa #fragaddict #perfumista #perfumelover #sotd https://www.instagram.com/p/CdwoetwuIJj/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[thefruittreewild]

Summer by Kenzo is one of my oldest perfumes and it is the perfume which started my love affair with mimosa. No matter how much time has passed, this one remains golden. 💛 Alberto Morillas is the nose for this fragrance and given his expert touch it is no wonder Summer by Kenzo still feels relevant. ---------------------------------------- Top notes: Citruses, Lemon and Bergamot Middle notes: Mimosa Almond Milk, Lily-of-the-Valley, Violet, Freesia and Jasmine Base notes: Musk, Lemon, Amber, Woodsy Notes, Styrax and Cedar ----------------------------------------  #sotd #niche #nicheperfume #instaperfume #fraghead #jasmine #perfumista #perfume #fragrance #Mimosa #floral #Kenzo #summer #summerscent #designer #designerperfume #perfumereviews https://www.instagram.com/p/CdlfLf3uvFn/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[thefruittreewild]

I don't own many @bulgari "designer" fragrances but I am really enjoying their more exclusive Le Gemme line with its high quality ingredients and unique profiles.  I am wearing Astrea today, which I initially had low expectations for once I found out that night-blooming jasmine was at its core. That's in part because jasmine always seems to fall into two extremes--either it is neutered of all interest, or it is the naughty indolic creature I have come to appreciate from perfumers like Miguel Matos. Nothing about Astrea's rubenesque bottle was giving me either indolic vibes. Worse, she seemed to have none of her brother Azaran's swagger (and boy does he swagger). But I misjudged Astrea. While this scent lacks an indolic edge, it is so elegant as to be ethereal. I do not mean lightweight here.The jasmine is so refined that it pushes past the earthly and mundane to the purest essence of the flower--the stark white of petals pulsating against the darkness. And Astrea is potent. A single spray leaves a visible sheen of oil on the skin and it projects impressively. Overspraying will definitely cause headaches. Used in moderation though, this is a gorgeous feminine scent that will turn heads. Recommended. --------------------------------- #bvlgari #astrea #legemme #sotd #niche #nicheperfume #instaperfume #fraghead #jasmine #perfumista #perfume #fragrance https://www.instagram.com/p/CdevGjGuYIK/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[thefruittreewild]

It's Mother's Day and I am feeling grateful to not only have my mom in my life, but to be able to spend the day with her. In honor of the day, I am thinking about which perfumes in my collection most express a mother's love. For me it has to be La Stanza delle Bambole by @nobile1942 . The powdery lactonic notes of this perfume feel like being enveloped in the most comforting hug. What I love about La Stanza delle Bambole is that while it is sweet it is not cloying and there is something just interesting and abstract enough under the vanilla, milk and powder that feels true to the complexity of moms that is invisible as a child but so evident as an adult. According to @luckyscent "La Stanza delle Bambole [is] a sacred place and memory where baby dolls are looked after, pampered and loved." I'm certainly not a baby or a doll, but this scent truly calls up the safety, innocence and security of a happy childhood for those fortunate enough to have one. ----------------------------- Notes: Mandarin, bergamot, milk, hawthorn, orange blossom, powdery notes, ylang ylang, sandalwood, vanilla, tonka bean, musky notes ----------------------------- #mothersday #motherslove #niche #nichefragrance #perfumista #instaperfume #perfume #fragrance  #perfumereview #smoke #spicy #luxury #luxuryperfume #edp #instaperfume #sotd  #lactonic #powdery #milky #vanilla https://www.instagram.com/p/CdUSpTiuRlW/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[thefruittreewild]

I like smelling weird things. Scents that are more conceptual than wearable are not a problem, but even I meet my match. Enter Red Hoba which officially weaned me off blind buys. It's interesting to review this one after Dunhill Egyptian Smoke because to the extent that papyrus is quintessentially Egyptian, these offer very different interpretations.  Red Hoba is part of Xerjoff's Shooting Stars series but there are no embers in this meteor. It is a cold rock buried in the earth, a warning sign of destruction. (The other warning sign is Red Hoba's almost €400 price, but I digress.) Evelyn O'Connell played by Rachel Weisz in the Mummy perfectly symbolizes this scent. As a character, she bridges intellectual and sensuous, male and female, past and present. Also as half British and half Egyptian her presence attempts to reconcile and justify the colonizer and the exploited. Disembodied and unisex, Red Hoba seems to hold many of the same tensions.  Described as gourmand, but beyond a faint opening of dried fruit, Red Hoba is primarily the scent of wet leather-bound parchment and dust which seems fitting for our Egyptologist Evelyn. In this way, Red Hoba's papyrus note is hyperrealistic. Combined with iris, it is a papery powdery ode to mold and must with very faint hints of jasmine and sandalwood in the background. There is a very mysterious, ancient and even ominous quality to Red Hoba that hints of myths and things buried in sand. However it is ultimately unpleasant. It is a watery facsimile of Egypt– diluted, bastardized, othered. A colonialist fantasy in love with death and excavation versus the red blooded present. I will take Dunhill's bright impressionistic stroke any day over this caricature.  -------------------------------------- #niche #nichefragrance #perfumista #instaperfume #perfume #fragrance  #perfumereview  #leather #smoke #spicy #woody #gourmand #luxury #luxuryperfume #edp #instaperfume #sotd  #woody #olfactoryart #Xerjoff https://www.instagram.com/p/CdQ6VhaOE3S/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[thefruittreewild]

By now, you guys have guessed that I love smoky incense-laden fragrances. Even with that, my expectations were very modest with Dunhill Egyptian Smoke, in part because the brand is not one I know well and for some reason I associate it with an old school Burt Reynolds style of man. Also despite my fascination, the size of my collection means it's hard to find a smoky scent that actually is different.

Egyptian Smoke is not avant garde by any means but it does manage to bring a lovely gourmand twist to a familiar genre. The black tea, ginger and vanilla lend a honeyed warmth to the more powerful patchouli and labdanum notes. I immediately feel like I'm sipping aromatic tea from an ornate glass and nibbling on candied delights, all the while surrounded by heady bakhour. A smooth and enjoyable scent with amazing longevity. Marketed to men but solidly unisex.

------------------------------------

Top: ginger, pink pepper, black tea

Middle: rose de Grasse, papyrus

Base: patchouli, labdanum, vanilla bean

[thefruittreewild]

I'm continuing my exploration of ambrette with Scarlet Poppy Cologne Intense from @jomalonelondon. This is a very different take on the note from Wasm al Musk, and I'm struck by how ambrette can take on such interesting qualities  in combination with other notes. In Scarlet Poppy, there is only sweet warmth. All of ambrette's complex edges have been smoothed. I'm still very happy with this scent nonetheless. It's an easy reach that is both sophisticated and comforting. I've been on a hiatus with @jomalonelondon fragrances, but if they keep making more like Scarlet Poppy, I may have to embrace the brand again. Top notes: Ambrette Middle notes: Scarlett Poppy Base notes: Tonka Bean ----------------------------------------------- #jomalone #niche #nichefragrance #perfumista #instaperfume #perfume #fragrance #perfumereview #ambrette #luxury #luxuryperfume #edp #instaperfume  #fraghead #sunday #gourmand #tonka https://www.instagram.com/p/CdCTK3IuYxn/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[thefruittreewild]

I've been an @arabianoudint fan for almost a decade. This was my first niche house. I had never seen perfume packaged so beautifully, nor had I smelled anything like their sprays and attars. So many years later, their creations continue to bring me joy. I'm starting my Tuesday wearing Wasm al Musk. I discovered it while at the @arabianoudint store in Tysons, VA. The salesperson shared it with me because I told her I was looking for something a bit different, and she mentioned that WaM was the only Arabian Oud perfume to contain pinewood. Interestingly, the Arabian Oud site mentions no pinewood. Top notes are finger lime, ambrette and incense; middle notes are cedarwood, rose and iris. Musk is the singular base note. A competing site however has an entirely different pyramid--bergamot, iris, pine, wood and musk.  The world will never know whether pinewood actually exists in this fragrance or not, but I am inclined to believe the pyramid on the official website. I've learned that I am very sensitive to ambrette thanks to Nishane's Suede et Safran and WaM opens with a dusty green burst. However, here it is beautifully balanced. The sharpness adds depth and interest to the warmth of the woods and incense. I don't detect any rose in WaM but the iris lends a waxy softness as it develops.  True to its description, WaM's drydown is all about musk. I cannot describe how beautiful and luxurious this fragrance is once it dries to its very essence. It is the most gorgeous creamy warmth anchored very faintly by the earlier sharper notes. WaM manages to be both voluptuous and restrained. It's like hazily perceiving the sensuous line of the body through  sheer white robes. While projection is modest, WaM lasts and lasts. I first tested this a couple of hours before bed. The scent lingered until the next morning, was transferred onto my pillow and endured through breakfast! Unique and lovely. Highly recommended. What are you wearing today? ----------------------------- #niche #nichefragrance #perfumista #instaperfume #perfume #fragrance #perfumereview #iris #incense #musk #spicy #woody #luxury #luxuryperfume #edp #instaperfume #sotd #olfactoryart #arabianoud https://www.instagram.com/p/Ccz8VeROiJv/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=