Coffea

Coffea starts exactly where I wanted it to: fresh coffee, still warm, softened almost immediately by powdery orris and the sweet ambered gloss of Peru balsam. It really does have that delicious phantom latte quality, gentle and faintly gourmand. Not quite petals and espresso but rather a mirage you catch at numerous angles, akin to the effect in JM's Taif Rose. And boy do you find yourself seeking out these angles again and again and again. Rather pleasantly, the coffee does not stay as a floral sweet-latte situation. The roast begins to dry out as it wears, turning woodier, darker, with a more polished texture. The aldehydes dust the brown coffee with this soft cosmetic powderiness, iris cool and slightly grey-violet, while the balsam here offers a vanillic-resinous warmth. It is safe, yes, but it is not boring either. Whilst remaining wearable and composed, Coffea is still more distinctive than the average coffee fragrance, which often goes either sticky caramel latte or bitter stale beans. This scent sits nicer, warm and handsome. Replica's Coffee Break reinterpreted as a craft elixir, maybe? A fantastical Diptyque Bois Corse conjured nebulously from a dream. One of those stunning gourmet infusions even the highest of caffeine gurus cannot dissect—or forget.

This whole line is criminally under the radar ...but so good, it should get more hype. Coffea , made by Paul Guerlain. Very good, Dior Homme Intense type of balsamic Iris amber , with a hint of coffee in the background. If you like Dior Homme Intense you have to try this. To be honest I loved most of the fragrances in this Jil Sander Olfactory series. They are all unique and different enough without smelling strange. None of them are offensive or shouting. You can wear these easily in a professional surrounding. The whole line was a nice surprise for me. Thumbs up!

The year is 1991. It’s late spring, around 10 a.m. on a Sunday morning. You wake up late and wander downstairs. The smell of Folgers brewing fills the house, along with the quiet sounds of your parents moving around the kitchen. Your dad sits at the table with the Los Angeles Times held up in front of his face; as you pass, you catch the scent of fresh newsprint and ink, layered with a faint trace of his aftershave. A window is cracked open, and a breeze carries in the sweet smell of blooming purple flowers.

A playful character with effervescent aldehydes and an elegant iris note, but its dose of coffee brings the scent down to earth, in a good way! I think the fragrances in the line that was released about a month ago are well thought out and all in all good perfumes, unlike many other designer brands that are pumping out scents right now. The bottles in this line are also incredibly stylish in my opinion and I love how the cap covers the entire bottle!

Oh my gosh she’s gorgeous, this scent is so beautifully 1930s to me. Melancholy iris dusting over antique fur. Dolls hair tied in pink stained velvet ribbon. A yellowed brass locket. She reminds me so much of Alice in Wonderland. A waxy second skin scent with a dreamy orris sparkle.