Tauer Perfumes- Zeta (and sample giveaway)

I often have a hard time starting a review of a Tauer perfume. Andy Tauer's creations speak to me on such an emotional and personal level that makes it difficult to talk about notes and development. I feel these perfumes and live in them more than I wear the scents.

Zeta, the newest perfume to join the Tauer collection is summer. An ideal and picturesque one-- full of soft light and gossamer air that carries the scents of delicate white blossoms, cold water with thin slices of lemons and oranges floating in them, crisp vintage white linens on tables and beds and the promise of romance if you just go out there and try.

Linden flowers smell and look so very delicate and the quality of the stuff Andy Tauer bottled here is amazing- it's so easy to go terribly wrong, loud synthetic and harsh with floral notes- but Zeta is the real thing, shaped by a sensitive artist and it lets you know it from the very first whiff. I smell honey as soon as I put Zeta on my skin. A light-colored and very gentle honey, but it's there (don't be scared, though. This is most definitely not Miel de Bois). I can almost mentally separate the little white flowers that come next- a pile of linden and a pile of orange blossoms. But then I'd want to draw them back into one heap and roll in them not very gracefully. Then again, we can just wear Zeta and avoid the embarrassment of this animalic behavior, right?

Zeta mellows down a little over time. It becomes both particles and waves. It hangs closer to the skin than any of the other Tauer perfumes and is different enough from them that I'd advise even non-Tauerheads to give it a try. There is a smooth wood and orris accord there that is a bit more cerebral than the pagan bacchanal of rolling and dancing amidst the blooming trees, but is equally enjoyable.

If you know someone who gets married this summer, give her or him a sample as a suggestion for a wedding scent/wedding shower gift. While I can't help thinking of Zeta in feminine terms and as a bridal perfume, I have no doubt that men who aren't afraid of flowers can pull it off. Especially those who liked the aesthetics of Tauer's Carillon Pour un Ange.

Now to the giveaway: I have three samples of Zeta to give away. To enter the draw please leave a comment and tell me which (if any) Tauer Perfumes you've already tried. Did you like them? Why (or why not)?

Zeta by Tauer Perfumes ($150, 50 ml) is now available from luckyscent.com (they also sell samples). The three samples for the giveaway were sent to me by the perfumer, as was the sample I tested and already used up. The full bottle I ordered from Luckyscent should be here on Friday afternoon, and believe me, that's not a moment too soon.

Notes: Lemon, bergamot, sweet orange, ylang, orange blossom absolute, neroli, linden blossom, rose, orris, sandalwood, vanilla.

Top photo by Regina Relang from theformofbeauty.tumblr.com
Linden Blossom photo by Katrin Shumakov

Tauer Perfumes- Carillon Pour Un Ange

I stalled for months before daring to try Carillon Pour Un Ange. What do you do when one of your most favorite perfumers in the universe comes up with a perfume that's focused on a note you usually dislike and then adds another note that tends to dislike you? Lily-of-the-valley and lilac are gorgeous in theory but lethal when I try to wear them. Hence- I was worried, which explains why I spent months pretending Carillon Pour Un Ange didn't exist. But I loved the other three 2010 Tauer Perfumes releases so much, I had to deal.

I approached Carillon Pour Un Ange armed with a scent strip, just in case. But even that first careful spritz made it clear this was not going to be a Diorissimo experience. I mean, even if we ignore the versions from the last decade or so and even go with real vintage, Diorissimo and I don't agree with each other. I get the idea when smelling vintage and can definitely appreciate the artistry of Edmond Roudnitska, but the muguet note in his creation (as well as in many others) was not meant for me. At least when I plan to smell good.

Andy Tauer's creation didn't shriek when I sniffed it (or when it smelled me). Instead, for the first time in probably forever I got the full ethereal effect of a delicate floral perfume. I saw the colors and felt the texture of the petals, saw the beauty of an early spring morning when everything is green, new and full of hope. I had to wear Carillon on my skin, and that's when I got the full picture.

While this perfume does not immediately announce the Tauer signature incense base (I can usually pick it out even before removing the cap of a bottle), it is still there in the form of the familiar ambergris note. And as always, it has a love affair with my skin- I get nuances of wood and dry grass. Carillon Pour Un Ange is still green, floral and possesses a gossamer quality, but when I spray it under my clothes or when I go to bed wearing it and pull the blankets over my head it pulls me into its world.

As hopeful and uplifting as Carillon opens, it also has a bittersweet quality. You know well that spring ends, the sweetness fades away as do beauty and love. I don't mean to go all pseudo-deep and faux-philosophical, this is a perfume review on the net, after all. But the depth of emotion here and the pensive quality Andy Tauer managed to bottle here are breathtakingly beautiful in the most unexpected way.

If you look at customer's comments about Carillon Pour Un Ange on Luckyscent website you see either horrified one star reviews or 5 star endorsements. There's no middle ground which doesn't surprise me. This isn't a dainty harmless little floral scents or an afterthought with a matching lotion from Crabtree & Evelyn. Carillon is a work of art that will move you- either to love it or scrub it in the nearest sink. In any case, this is a perfume that should be sampled  whether you're a long time Tauer fan, foe or new to the scene. You might discover something new about yourself, about perfumery or about the talented composer behind this work of art.

Carillon Pour Un Ange ($75, 15 ml, the same format and packaging as Une Rose Chypree) is in limited distribution until March and only available from Luckyscent and tauerperfumes.com. After the official full launch it will be available from other Tauer retailers around the world.

Art: Enchantment by Pino

Winner Of Tauer Le Cologne du Maghreb

There's quite a bit of stuff to fit in today before the end of the day and the year, but first is announcing the winner of Andy Tauer's Advent Calendar giveaway. A fabulous bottle of Tauer Perfumes Le Cologne du Maghreb goes to Spike. Please drop me an email so we can make arrangements. Congratulations!

Photo: tauerperfumes.com

Tauer Perfumes- Une Rose Vermeille

It occurred to me the other day that Une Rose Vermeille by Tauer perfumes is technically a fruity floral. Funny, right? Of course, this is not exactly an "Andy Tauer does Sephora" moment, but one cannot deny that Une Rose Vermeille is about sweet berries and rose, it's definitely a gourmand and it has quite a bit of vanilla in the dry-down. It's all about being pretty, loving and adorable.

Rose is not a new Tauer theme. Andy's very first perfume, the sexy Le Maroc Pour Elle, is probably my favorite rose and jasmine blend. Then there's Incense Rose (mandarin orange, rose, incense over the Tauerade base) and Une Rose Chypree, which just might top the list of my favorite perfumes of the decade. So, yes, there was no lack of expectations from Une Rose Vermeille. And it did not disappoint.

Une Rose Vermeille doesn't smell like a typical Tauer. It completely lacks the familiar cistus labdanum I can usually spot as soon as I take off the bottle's cap. If Une Rose Chypree was romantic in a nostalgic, almost melancholic way, Vermeille is idyllic and optimistic. It brings summer love to a December night and celebrates June during its season. The juicy fruits appear from the start- beautiful pulpy citrus, full and lush. It goes well with the berries and roses that follow and creates this star-burst of color and taste. I imagine sitting on my deck on a late summer morning having a wonderful breakfast of fresh pastries with homemade jams- raspberry and rose petals (why can't I find it anywhere around here?), a pitcher of just-squeezed orange juice and a beautiful vase of roses are on the table. I'm also a pretty princess in this little fantasy, but that might be a perfume overdose. This stuff is potent and long lasting.

But that's not all. The parts that make Une Rose Vermeille so stunning are the violets and marzipan that join the jammy rose when it's in full bloom. Almond (or heliotrope), vanilla and violets say to me "Guerlain", but this is not L'Heure Bleue. A modern homage, maybe, but only vaguely inspired by the classic. Andy Tauer took all these themes and created something that to me is the ultimate in its genre. URV is so beautiful and satisfying it would take me a long time not to look at other rose-gourmands as completely redundant.

I spent a couple of hours searching for the right artwork for this review but found all those interpretations of red roses overworked and lacking. Instead, I went with the real thing by one of my favorite photographers, Declan McCullagh. Andy and him got it right in a similar way.

Une Rose Vermeille ($130, 30ml) is available from Luckyscent and tauerperfumes.com. The sample for this review was sent by the perfumer.

Photo: Red Rose Closeup by Declan McCullagh

Tauer Perfumes- Eau d'Epices

The first thing I did upon reading Andy Tauer's description of Eau d'Epices as "an Indian basket of spices" was comb the note list thoroughly checking for cumin. Twice. Thankfully, no cumin was found, so I could wear the perfume around the husband (a spouse who hates cumin and works from home can make one's testing schedule a bit complicated).

Now that we established that Eau d'Epices is not Tauer's answer to Arabie and its back alleys of the Souk, let's talk about what it is (other than gorgeous). This is a classic Tauer in the sense of offering the familiar Tauerade accord in the dry-down: a balsamic cistus, ambergris and a dry woody thing in the background, but the potent potion is less assertive at first and gives a lot of breathing room both to the spicy opening and to the incredibly sensual floral heart. Eau d"epices is breathtakingly complex and requires a lot of attention the first few times you smell it. The fragrance takes you on an exotic journey and fills your mind with all kinds of Arabian Nights imagery (and not a Disney version, I promise). It's all there- the dancers, the rugs and the genies. From Aladdin's cave to sultry nights in opulent gardens and orchards around the Caliph's palace.

The thing is that once you make friends with this colorful vision, Eau d'Epice becomes warm easy to wear. Yes, one must love incense and spice, not to mention the Tauer accord, but if you do, this masterfully crafted and blended perfume  is a must-try for both men and women.

Eau d'Epices by Tauer Perfumes ($125, 50ml EDP) is available from Luckyscent and tauerperfumes.com. The sample for this review was sent for my consideration by the perfumer.

Art: Arabian Nights by Ione Citrine