This is the second summer in which Andrea, Andy, and I have driven to Oregon to visit his side of the family.
Last year, I brought a few samples with me, so as to better acquaint myself with them. One was "Dark Horse" by Dame Perfumery Scottsdale. That one was a big hit. I also brought a 5ml decant I'd purchased called "Tea for Two" and a mini (7.5 ml) of "Amour Nocturne," both by L'artisan Parfumeur. Tea for Two is nice, a watery (but not weak), spicy, tea scent, and Amour Nocturne is caramel with gunpowder. It is beautiful, but not best in hot weather.
Since scent is a powerful "memory-jogger" for me, I brought Dark Horse and Tea for Two again because of the great memories from last year―this time I packed the full bottles I'd purchased during this past year.
I didn't bring Amour Nocturne but I did bring L'artisan's Traversee du Bosphore and Yves Saint Laurent's Belle d'Opium, a flanker of, yet very different from, the iconic Opium. I also brought Kenzo Amour (see "Intro!") and Britney Spears Curious (see "Comfort Scents...") I also brought along "Bleu de Chanel" for Andy, which he inherited from his late brother. I got him to wear it exactly one time during our trip. He's not a perfume/cologne fan.
This year was very fun also. We did a lot more driving than last year, which left us feeling tired nearly the entire duration of our trip. Last year, we went camping nearly the entire time and stayed put in one place.
I mentioned Dark Horse, and how it was such a great hit. I think my review on fragrantica.com says it all:
❝I think it's high time I reviewed this phenomenal scent. I had a sample, which I used up in short order. I loved it so much that I bought it for myself on my birthday last August. I am a waitress, and I obsessively save all my coins. I purchased the 50 ml bottle with quarters, dimes, and nickels, and it is all the more special to me because of how I paid for it. (I could not have afforded it at that point in time if not for my coins.)
This perfume is what awakened my love for Guaiac wood. The guaiac, cloves, and vanilla blend so beautifully together, with the barest hints of florals and citruses, and it works perfectly with my chemistry. I see it is mostly feminine because it is quite sweet, though it wouldn't be out of place on a man. I wore my sample during a special trip my family took last summer, which this perfume will always remind me of.
In reading more about Dark Horse, and others' reviews, I kept seeing Dark Horse compared to Fendi's classic, Theorema. So out of curiosity, I snapped that up, too, when a seller on eBay accepted my "best offer." I like Theorema. I might even love Theorema. But while Theorema focuses on the citruses (especially orange), Dark Horse focuses on the spices, with the guaiac wood as a common major note. Theorema almost has a "Graham cracker" accord to me, and it is constructed and blended well. But, I like Dark Horse even better, as it is a far more interesting composition and just as skillfully made.❞
