NEW FRAGRANCES REVIEW The Scent of Departure Collection: Around The World In 20 Fragrances (Part 4) + Reader’s Choice Draw

As I’ve passed the halfway mark of my 20 city olfactory world tour courtesy of the new fragrance line The Scent of Departure I am very impressed with Gerald Ghislain’s creativity. The modest price ($45 for 50mL) combined with the creativity makes this a tour I am a bit sorry to see come to an end. Even so I must forge on with four more cities. I’ll start in Europe with Milano and Frankfurt before heading to Doha in the Middle East and landing in Seoul to finish.

Milano is the fashion capital of Italy and MIL is also a fashionable fragrance. It starts with a bit of spicy piquancy before giving way to a floral bouquet of jasmine. The base is a dusty dry cocoa powder sprinkled liberally over the final phase of this Scent of Departure.

Back to Germany to visit Frankfurt. As with MUC I found FRA to be surprisingly not what comes to mind when I think about German cities. The opening is a juicy apple. It is like biting into a ripe piece of fruit and it pairs beautifully with the woody floral magnolia in the heart. FRA ends with a forest walk full of strong wood accords.

Doha is the capital of Qatar on the shores of the Persian Gulf. The Middle East is a part of the world where much of my impression of what it would be like comes from the fragrances inspired by this part of the world. DOH mixes sunny citrus and intense florals. Lemon and tangerine start the experience before jasmine which is then followed by rose to complete the composition.

Seoul is the heart of South Korea and the Scent of Departure ICN captures that heart. A green leafy opening turns into a floral mix of light notes. There also seems to be a pinch of cardamom floating around. ICN ends with an earthy accord which literally grounds ICN.

16 down four to go, see you tomorrow for the conclusion of this Grand Tour.

Disclosure: This review was based on samples supplied by The Scent of Departure.

Thanks to The Scent of Departure we are offering a reader’s choice of a full bottle of any of the 20 cities in this first release. To be eligible leave a comment talking about your dream departure to a town different than your own. Each comment from all five parts will be combined for the draw. You get one entry for each piece so you could conceivably have five chances if you leave a comment on all five parts. You also can give yourself one more chance by “liking” The Scent of Departure Facebook page at this link. We will draw one winner via random.org from all five parts on April 29, 2012.

If you missed part one click here for NYC, Singapore, Vienna and Abu Dhabi

For Part 2- reviews on Tokyo, Hong Kong, Istanbul, Dubai click here

Part 3 covers Budapest, London, Paris, and Munich at this link

We announce the winners only on site and on our Facebook page, so Like Cafleurebon and use our RSS option…or your dream prize will be just spilt perfume.

-Mark Behnke, Managing Editor

Editor’s Note: Those of you who live in New York City have a unique chance to experience The Scent of Departure in a very special way. Wednesday and Thursday night April 24-25, at Henri Bendel from 6-8PM, Gerald Ghislain will personally curate the collection underneath 240 airplanes hanging from the ceiling. There is also a Proust Questionnaire which is supposed to help you narrow down your choice. -MB

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49 comments

  • Claudia says:

    My dream departure would be a trip to London, Paris and Venice for some fun perfume shopping and on the way back stop in NYC to finish the trip.

  • cheesegan says:

    To be eligible leave a comment talking about your dream departure to a town different than your own.

    My dream departure would be Christ Church New Zealand.

  • d3m0lici0n says:

    My dream departure would be a trip to Paris and visit the Fragrance Capital of the World, to visit Guerlain and Serge Lutens stores in Paris and visit all the landmarks.
    For this part my favorite would be Doha, sounds awesome. Thanks!

  • JessieB says:

    My dream departure would be via private jet, headed for some tropical place with those over-water bungalows…and this would take place in January!

  • Alica says:

    There are too many places to see and I would like to visit all cities. For now, let’s say Jerusalem.

  • MariaA says:

    Aaaa that is so difficult, so many places I want to visit. Let’s start with somethin easy, Miami would be my first choice!

  • Kathryn says:

    My dream departure (haven’t ventured there yet), would be to Belgium. I have always wanted to go there since I was a child. A beautiful place, not always a common country to travel to, but one that would be my pleasure to visit.

  • Jan says:

    I have always dreamt of travelling to Iceland. How such a small country can host such big creativity and be cultural and political inspiration for us surrounding countries, that is truly amazing.

  • Isa says:

    I have always wanted to go to Japan. I’d like to visit Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka… I dream of the forests and temples, the lights, cherry blossoms and happy faces drawn in all the products, posters and signs…
    My brother has already been there!

  • noetic owl says:

    My dream departure-back to all the countries I visited in my youth: Switzerland, France,Germany, England and Italy.
    thanks for the draw!

  • Ccc says:

    I don’t know if it is dreamy but I dream visiting Tokyo this year.
    Two cities I am always happy to visit: HK and Paris. They are dreamy and addictive … For different reasons.

    Thank you!

  • Fernando says:

    I’m not much of a dreamer, but I’d like to visit Italy, especially Tuscany. And I’d love to re-visit Paris.

  • LegoBoy says:

    My dream vacation / trip to a different city would be to New York, the city that never sleeps! I bet I’d have a fantastic time there, so many things to do and see.

    For this draw, I hope to win MIL.

  • Maureen says:

    I’d love to visit Italy…Tuscany, Rome, Venice, all of it.
    I’d love to win the DOH or MIL.

  • harper says:

    dream departure, right now, would be a road-trip through the u.s. — the american southwest sounds perfect, since wide-open spaces is what i want.

  • GinnyM says:

    I used to travel to the U.K. to visit friends once every year or two, but being the sole caregiver for a family member has prevented any travel for nearly 10 years. This, this is the year that I hope to return to London, the world city that I have long considered a second home!

  • Ingeborg says:

    My dream departure would be to visit Tokyo and Kyoto, I so admire some of the traditional art there, like the wooden dolls, flower arrangements and more. Of the scents described in this post the MIL sounds good. I still remember the square pictured, having been there many years ago.

  • ineverwas says:

    My dream departure… it must be the beautiful London. I’d so much want to visit it, in fact I have a trip planned for next year so my dreams aren’t that far away 😛 From this draw I think I’d love to try Milano (MIL).

  • Lauren says:

    My dream departure is to the Great Plains. I’ve never been to America’s heartland and I want to see the buffalo roam.

  • Devon H says:

    My dream departure: London. I love British culture, I want to have high tea at Fortnum & Mason, visit the palaces and famous manors…and Paris but a chunnel ride away 🙂

  • Lisa says:

    Hmm realistically I’ve been craving a trip to Montreal…

    Flight of fancy… I have always been curious to see Europe, especially Belgium, Greece and Turkey. Or Russia to see their gem stones and beautiful castles!

  • Gypsy Parfumista says:

    My dream journey would be going to NYC staying two days (shopping for perfumes, of course).

    Then flying to Cairo spending five days there seeing pyramids, the Sphinx and going down the Nile and checking out the bazaars.

    Then over to Greece (via boat) for a week or so *sighs* to lay on the beach, tour ruins and see Athens before taking a train to Paris, France (for a few nights).

    Then on to London (to visit friends and shop) see Stonehenge and visit the ancestral home of my great grandparents in Wales and fly out of Swansea back home! 😀

  • rosiegreen says:

    My dream departure is to ride The Orient Express all the way to Istanbul. In this section of reviews I love MIL,FRA and ICN.

  • mim says:

    Hmm… my dream departure would be way more relaxed right from the get-go, a town car to the airport to first class to… India? Nepal? Mongolia? somewhere I don’t speak the language but like the food (and smells).

  • ringthing says:

    Europe via ocean liner, sailing from NY a la An Affair to Remember (since this is a fantasy trip, after all.) A long road trip in the Italian countryside would be included.

  • Holly F. says:

    It is my dream to take my daughter to northern Italy, to make new memories while I revisit old ones. I’m such a sucker for nostalgia.

  • Lean S says:

    I would love to visit Findland sometime. Probably Tempe. I also follow on facebook (Lean Sa)

  • Olga says:

    My dream departure would be flying to London and going to Ormonde Jayne store for some shopping and a perfume portrait!

  • Connor M says:

    my dream departure would be somewhere completely foreign. Asia or Africa probably. I’d love to spend time in India

  • Tourbillion says:

    I’d like to take the Orient Express from Paris to Istanbul. Too bad it costs more than $10K! At least I dream big…

  • Ggs says:

    I had such a good time visiting Paris, that I definitely want to go back… But a dream departure should include places I haven’t been yet– so I’ll say a tour that includes London, Scotland and Ireland.

  • MN Nick says:

    I’ve always wanted to visit Rome. I studied abroad in Europe, and oddly, the two places I wanted to visit most – Rome and Barcelona – I never visited. I kept waiting to find the perfect travel partner, either a new best friend or a romantic partner to share the experience with. Alas, everyone I befriended had already visited, and by the time I realized I’d have to go it alone, it was too late.

    My dream trip would be a month-long adventure through Spain and Italy, visiting all the quaint coastal towns along with the bustling cities rich with culture and history.

  • Mg says:

    Dream departure is to go back to my birthplace Seoul, to see where I came from, and explore its culture from an adoptee’s perspective.