NEW FRAGRANCES REVIEW The Scent of Departure Collection: Around The World In 20 Fragrances (Part 5) + Reader’s Choice Draw

So like the best adventures I’m a little sad to see my journey through the 20 fragrance The Scent of Departure collection come to an end. My wife is probably happy to see it end because I’ve smelled like a perfumed quilt with wearing four fragrances a day for the last five days. This modestly priced collection ($45 for 50mL) by Gerald Ghislain of Histoires de Parfums has shown that there is a reliable palette of economical aromachemicals to work with as the overall quality of the collection is high especially considering the price. I spend my last day on this perfumed World Tour heading to Bali, Keflavik, Los Angeles, and Miami.

When people in the US talk about getting away from it all they talk about heading to a tropical paradise on the other side of the world like Bali. The Scent of Departure which represents that destination is DPS. DPS turns out to be a bit of tropical getaway in a fragrance as it opens with a strong citrus blast before jasmine and neroli take over the heart. The base is a sweet vanilla. DPS almost feels like it should be poured over ice with a paper umbrella in it. It definitely was a mood changer for me as it made me smile.

From the tropics to the Arctic Circle as my next destination is Keflavik, Iceland. KEF mirrors the dichotomy of a country named for frozen water which also has active volcanoes. A gentle bergamot opens KEF before a mineral accord comes to the fore with a bit of smoky vetiver. A cool aquatic accord finishes KEF with the ice in control.

Now I finally make my way back to the US and my penultimate stop is The City of Angels, Los Angeles. The Proust questionnaire named LAX as one of two fragrances I should like best in the collection. This time it was right on the nose as LAX is one of my three favorites from the collection. It starts with grapefruit and plum with the plum being more forward than the grapefruit. A green gardenia bolstered with a clean jasmine makes up a floral heart. LAX lands on a runway of amber and white musk with the former note being the more prominent of the two. LAX wears like a flashy extroverted fragrance just like LA.

Like all good travels you should end up back home at the end and so it is with this trip as the last fragrance is the city of my birth Miami. MIA was the other Scent of Departure I tried at Elements Showcase in January. Like IST before, MIA was another which lingered in my memory of that event. MIA is as simple a recipe as you can ask for, blood orange and amber. I just can’t get enough of this softly spicy orange fragrance. From a dusty bit of cardamom dusting the blood orange to a spicy amber in the base. MIA has leapt to being one of my favorite orange fragrances anywhere. It is my favorite fragrance in the entire Scent of Departure collection.

Somewhere in these 20 fragrances is a destination for any perfume lover. M. Ghislain has produced something special and with these prices I know I’ll be punching my tickets for Miami, Isatanbul, and Los Angeles.

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 naming which Scent of Departure sounds like the one you would like most. 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

Part 4 contains Milano, Frakfurt, Doha, and Seoul 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. Thursday night  April 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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53 comments

  • cheesegan says:

    To be eligible leave a comment naming which Scent of Departure sounds like the one you would like most

    I think I would like Vienna.

  • naheed says:

    I always enjoy reading reviews and news here but sometimes a bit lazy commenting. I really can’t be lazy this time. My pick would be MIA as it sounds simple and tempting both at the same time.

  • Devon H says:

    Such a fabulous concept, and I loved reading the reviews!

    I’ll have to put my ticket in the hat for Istanbul as my choice if I win. 🙂

    Thank you!!

  • MariaA says:

    I will stick to my first choice from the first comment – Singapore although all sound amazing and would love to try them -even if I smelled like a perfuned quilt too!!

  • naheed says:

    And to add my own experience, I haven’t traveled lately but my travel from the past is India. The smell of coconut, candies, peanuts and the fresh air in the morning are the smells that made me a bit nostalgic when I was coming back to my country again.

  • Kevin Guyer says:

    MIA – A simple composition of Orange, amber and spices? I think I just died and went to heaven. Oh, it’s just Miami. But seriously, Gerald Ghislain’s Ambre 114 is my favorite amber, put an orange on top and I’m going to be very happy. Can’t wait to sniff these at HB.

  • Lisa says:

    Hmm… I think I am going to have to go with Istanbul 😛 as it sounds like heaven with rose and pink pepper.

    Bali and Vienna sound really good as well though! I am going to have to order some decants and smell till I figure out.

  • Kathryn says:

    It was really hard choosing which one I’d most like to win.

    I’d love to win CDG – Paris. Sounds right up my alley.

    Thanks.

  • Amer says:

    ISTanbul. I love that city and roses is what I smell in the air whenever I visit it. Their scent is everywhere, in gardens, on people or even in sweets.

  • noetic owl says:

    SO HARD to choose! But I think I would like to win MIA as I love blood orange.
    thanks for the draw!

  • Jan says:

    Ah! All sound pretty nice, but I could say Budapest, as it features some of my favourite notes: pepper, elemi, saffron, cloves and cedar. But also very appealing are Istanbul, Dubai, LA, Frankfurt, Keflavik and even NY with all that apple. Again, the variety is shocking!

  • Tami H. says:

    Such a GREAT draw, thanks much! After reading this review I would have to choose MIA.

  • ineverwas says:

    Thank you for this draw again and indeed it’s hard to choose, but I think I’d like MIL most, because of the powdered cocoa 🙂

  • Ingeborg says:

    I think the MIA would be the scent most used by me, I have used a lot of scents with grapefruit, orange, mandarin or lime through the years. The added amber in MIA makes it sound more interesting. But hard to pick a favourite, so much variety.

  • Ccc says:

    I think that plum in Lax sounds great! That would be my first choice.
    Still thinking about Vienna.

    Thank you.

  • d3m0lici0n says:

    They all sound great but I’d go for Doha. Thanks for the reviews and for the draw.

  • Claudia says:

    They all sound great , its very hard to choose, but if I had to my choice would be Milan…..it simply sounds yummi.

  • TimeaZsofia says:

    For me MIA (Miami) sounds like the one I would like most.
    Thank you for the draw. 🙂

  • Gypsy Parfumista says:

    Mark, thanks for whisking us around the (perfumed) world in FIVE DAYS! 🙂

    Of all of them, Keflavik (KEF) sounds the most unique to me…plus, I have always had a “thing” for Iceland! Bergamot, minerals, vetiver and ICE?! Oh yes, please…

    These all sound great and I would love to sample them all. Thanks also to The Scent of Departure also, for the draw!!

  • GinnyM says:

    Ah, it would have to be IST (Istanbul), the description of which captured my attention even before I learned it was your third-favorite of the lot! As lovely as Miami sounds, and as much as love oranges, orange scents and I tend not to be comfortable in each other’s company.

  • Fernando says:

    From your descriptions, my guess is that I’d like CDG.

    (I like Paris a lot, but actually I don’t like the CDG airport much at all…)

  • harper says:

    well, hell, how can one resist your ravings about MIA?
    miami it is.

    if i were able to think for myself, i suppose it’d be a tie between budapest and london.

    great series.

  • Isa says:

    Ok. This is a difficult choice. I haven’t tried any of them and I think I would love almost all, but if I have to pick one I pick Paris (CGD). Miami would be my second choice. It sounds yummy!

  • ringthing says:

    These posts have been such fun to read and participate in, thanks! My choice is Abu Dhabi.

  • Holly F. says:

    What a wonderful journey this has been! Thank you for sharing it. I would choose Istanbul.

  • Lean S says:

    Wrong post! Ignore previous comment. I would love the Miami scent. I also follow on facebook (Lean Sa)

  • Brooke says:

    I would love to see a sampler set! So many sounds appealing. Miami seems to resonate with me today.
    Thanks for the draw,

  • Olga says:

    I think I would like Munich most.

    Thank you for a draw and for a marvelous journey around the world!

  • Connor M says:

    i wish i could smell them all in person BUT, until sharing smells becomes popular, which i’m convinced it will, i’ll have to use my imagination and novice nose.

    I think I’d most enjoy Keflavik, Tokyo, or Istanbul (i love rose)

  • mim says:

    Thank you so much for the draw! And the reviews too! I liked the Scent of Departure fb page.

    Hmmm…KEF sounds intriguing, great for summer… CDG also sounds lovely for the warmer seasons, with orange blossom and citruses..IST (spicy rose) and LHR (coniferous lemon freesia) AUH,VIE, BUD, MIL, DOH…. how to choose???

    I would choose Vienna! but KEF and AUH are close seconds…

  • Ggs says:

    Wow, an interesting new line AND it’s modestly priced– under $50? What is not to love? MIA interests me the most from your description. Live cardamom…

  • MN Nick says:

    I think either LAX or MIA would be my picks. I’m a floral lover at heart, so probably LAX (although MIA sounds simple yet enticing). I’m still searching for a signature citrus scent, so maybe I should go with MIA…

  • Lauren says:

    It was tough to narrow this down. there are 8 I’m very interested in but think I’d like Vienna the best.

  • GalileosDaughter says:

    So many of these sound great, but I think that CDG will be my favorite. Thanks for the draw!