“Dom De Vetta, founder and creative director. Julie Massé, perfumer. Professionals with flair and passion. Dom, a veteran of quality fragrance, ex Senior Vice President of Chanel and former Global General Manager of Jo Malone London. Julie, new-generation perfumer of the moment. Together, a talent for creating beautiful things. For bringing a touch of opulence, elegance and whimsy to the world. A vision to create perfumes that are deliciously decadent, daringly different.”
HOUSE: Shay & Blue
ORIGIN: UK
FRAGRANCE: Blood Oranges, Kings Wood, Oud Alif, Salt Caramel
NOSE: Julie Massé
RELEASED: 2012-2018
CONCENTRATION: EDP (Vegan)
SIZE/COST: 100ml / $90-140 (other sizes available)
Blood Oranges (95%): A sexy, soft, sophisticated orange musk. The balance of cuddly woods and sexual citrus wraps around a delicately nuanced resinous backdrop from start to finish. A vegan perfume that manages to both smolder and glisten like a fading white heat. The way the blood orange cuts through at first and folds into the musky environs in such an unctuous and time release way is a feat in and of itself. And that leather note, incredibly cool and at a distance, is just the perfect touch here. This reminds me of a perfume from Tom Ford as well as one from Vilhelm Parfumerie, though Blood Oranges is a bit more understated, and there was no citrus, at not like this, in either of those. This subliminal scent is a stirring, seductive sleeper. If you haven’t tried this brand I highly recommend, if the more breakdown appeals, to try this one first! Exceeding all expectations!
Notes: amber, citrus, leather, musk, orange, wood
Kings Wood (90%): Spiced leathers with a bite to it, a little bit of a cannabis accord up-front (w/none in sight). That likely comes from the elemental fusion between the punchy Sichuan pepper and the ripe pineapple, twisting and turning with a wrought sense of dryness. Balanced by bark and branch, this is a truly one-of-a-kind fragrance. When you spy the fruit in the breakdown please note you are getting only the subtlety of sweetness, otherwise this offers a bitter smokiness that is slightly akin to mesquite. The perfume lingers and penetrates, your skin has a second layer of leather which coats like a lithe armor. Those who encounter the wearer may easily fall under the influence of this unmistakably tricky, complex and elusive olfactory disruption.
Notes: black pepper, pineapple, Sichuan pepper, leather, woods, oak
Oud Alif (86%): This one has quite the generous sillage, one of a divine equity between the seductive and the reverent – an incredibly fragile (yet graceful) dividing line. The luscious oud, the agar wood, is superbly showcased with a cacao powdery warm spice, likely of Middle Eastern origins. Again, for the third perfume in a row, a buttery leather provides a place to recline the imagination. The switch that triggers the magical synergy here is the musky earthiness from an exotic polished patchouli. There’s much to do about something here, it’s abstractness, it’s vital connection to the planet, and its wayward way of pairing ingredients in such a bold way. However, the distinctive fragrance provides more innuendo than answers. Yes, this perfume is of great depth – to me, that’s not just a good thing, that’s food for the soul.
Notes: chocolate, leather, oud, patchouli, saffron
Salt Caramel (85%): A creamy gourmand cocktail with a salted rim. That pretty much sums up the smooth edges of this perfume to a t. In another breath it’s like popcorn that’s been dipped in a hot buttered rum. Yes, there’s a hint of booziness, not too stealthy, but it’s clear and present. The double vanilla fuses so incredibly well with the balsamic glaze of sandalwood. It’s as if you are falling into layers of velvet, maybe a giant chaise or banquette, at one of the hippest nightspots on the town. Warning: this may cause salivation. I cannot disconnect the understated oeuvre of ‘carnival’ here, it adds that unambiguous fun quality to this delectable fragrance. It’s rare for me to go four for four and remain captivated until the bittersweet end.
Notes: caramel, sea salt, Bourbon vanilla, tonka bean, sandalwood
Recommended Soundtrack:
Dolby – Midnight EP (2002)
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