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Indie Fifi Finalists: A Closer Look

02/05/12 10:51:03

By: Elena Knezhevich, Jodi Battershell, Ida Meister

The Indie Fifi Award has been decided, but all five finalists are remarkable scents that deserved the high honor of being called "the indie perfume of the year." We have had the opportunity to sample all five—the three exhibited at the January 2012 Elements Showcase, and two others which were not in attendance this year. We'll take a closer look at the final five and share our impressions.

THE FIVE FINALISTS were:

Carner Barcelona Cuirs

Miller Harris : La Fumée

Bois 1920: Come L'Amore

Odin 06: Amanu

D.S. and Durga: Siberian Snow

The 2012 Indie FiFi winner, Odin 06: Amanu, is a unisex-to-masculine scent that combines the Mediterranean with ancient Turkey. Top notes of blood orange, galbanum and lentisque (a Mediterranean bush) mix with cedarleaf, Jasmin Sambac and magnolia in the heart. Stacked on a base of amberwood, musk and moss, the result is a rich and complex layering of earthy and green aromas.

To my nose (review by Ida):

NOW we're talking! So complex it resembles a living, breathing organism. Juicy blood orange weds two differing hues of green—galbanum and lentisque. Woods and florals sing in the heart, laid upon a mossy base.

D.S. & Durga's women's scent Siberian Snow is a Floral Green perfume characterized as mid-way between the company's light-bodied and full-bodied scents. The fragrance features contrasts heady jasmine with the sharpness of mint, on a base of Oriental amber, sandalwood and powdery incense.

To my nose (review by Ida):

Sheer as voile and just as subtle, Siberian Snow pairs jasmine and mint murmurs with snowy incense which inclines the ear. A veil of amber completes this fragrant haiku.

Carner Barcelona Cuirs is a rich, spicy eau de parfum that evokes fine Spanish leather saddles and upholstery. "Cuirs" is Spanish (Catalan) for "leather." The fragrance features top notes of saffron and caraway; middle notes of sandalwood, patchouli, guaiac wood, virginia cedar and violet; and base notes of musk, labdanum, tonka bean, agarwood (oud), cypriol oil, amber, leather and amyris.

To my nose (review by Ida):

Very smoky leather with a distinctly ambrox-like aromachemical looming large in the base (from scent memory—no samples available today). I've smelled amyris, gaiacwood, nagarmotha, cedar and oud; what I'm smelling isn't these.

Miller Harris La Fumée is an Oriental-Woody scent aimed at men. Opening with citruses, cardamom, coriander, caraway, elemi and incense, the woody heart offers sandalwood, virginia cedar and papyrus. Dry notes of french labdanum and birch round out the base.

To my nose (review by Ida):

Aa very ethereal wisp of floral-tinged smoke; much like a swath of watercolor incense (also from memory). It is lovely and fleeting as time.

Unisex fragrance Come L' Amore by Bois 1920 is a Floral Woody Musk, done Italian-style with top notes of green tangerine, freesia, solar accord, mirabelle plum pulp and white tea. The floral heart offers Sambac jasmine, Egyptian jasmine absolute, gardenia, seringa, wild lily, rose and pink pepper, yielding to base notes of Atlas cedar, benzoin, white musk, styrax and Orcanox™.

To my nose (review by Ida):

Commences as a predominantly white flower fruity/floral with the freshness of green tangerine and mirabelle plum; morphs into a very powerful powdery white musk base with a nudge of cedar and benzoin. The drydown is intensely sweet and soft, but somehow synthetic-smelling.

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