Visit this blog tomorrow morning for the official announcement of the winner of one Tauer Perfume, following the benevolent blogging! Maybe it is you…?

A warm thank you to all who participated and made this a big success. I think I will round the number of comments up to come out with a round sum for FINCA. It feels good to look back at yesterday’s comments flood and I am glad I participated.

And now: Back to perfumery. I got an interesting book on Saturday, Moschus im Tintenfass (“ Musk in the ink well”) by Kai Borrmann, about scents in the islamic literature; that is going to be some interesting reading for sure and I will probable post about some things later. I got a pdf copy of a rather scientific condensation about rose oil distillation in Islamic Andalusia, that was quite interesting, too (thanks to Mr. Borrmann). But, I have to admit it, bringing me at the limit of what my nervous tissue can handle in French. Most interesting: The direct distillation of rose oil, without water involved (contrary to the water steam distillation process). It looks to me like a rather harsh process, delicate to master and urging for a tight temperature control regime. I wonder what this oil might have smelled liked, for sure different to the modern absolutes or essential oils that are produced by steam distillation. I haven’t seen something comparable offered nowadays.

Then, there is the Bois farine by artisan parfumeur. Leopoldo….I perfectly understand your description of this scent. A gigantic cumulus of well-being, tender loving care and comfort comes with this crystal clear perfume. I tested it right away on my skin, without checking any references beforehand. I got a first sniff of powder with a touch citrus, but just a touch and it was gone immediately. Then I got the most powdery woods you can imagine, together with the yellow sweetness of saffron. Not that saffron would be in there, but there is one aspect of saffron, that I recognized. It reminded me of the powdery, saffron like line within myrrh oil, that I like so much. Thus, I’d swear there is myrrh in it (or a substitute). Then I got the most powdery cedar wood you can imagine combined with a caramel sweetness of baked bread or cookies. But, contrary to the Cuir de Beluge which I still consider to be Cuir de Cookie, the sweetness of bois farine fits much better.
Well, ok, I have to be honest with you. For me, this is much too sweet, but I can see how it fits together with the wood and the composition is well done (I’d guess it’s Maltol or derivatives that introduce this bread, cookie comfort line. A compound that I so far never dared using). Bois farine has also an excellent recognition factor. You smell it once and you will remember it. What I really liked about it was …. It is a new idea, something I haven’t seen before. And it lasts, hours and hours and hours of comfort blanket, but…… it does not develop much, it is just there.
Do I like Bois farine? Yes, indeed, I like it. Do I love it? Hmmm…not really. I want my blankets coloured in all colours of the rainbow, I want a vivid surrounding for an exciting night. Bois farine won’t give you that. It is a beige fabric, carrying you through a dreamless and peaceful night.