The Answer to Unisex Perfume ~ Mirko Buffini

I am a perfume fanatic. 

Trust me when I say I have over 40 bottles of perfumes and non of them have a similar scent to the ones in Mirko Buffini Unisex perfumes.

This perfumery although a fairly young one, was passionate about producing unique luxury fragrances which are unisex and a perfume takes almost 3 months to complete due to its complex processes and stringent quality control. 

These are the 12 core fragrances that I was lucky enough to sample:

1. Ki - 

Top notes: Bergamot, Orange, Pink Pepper

Base notes: Amber, Vanilla

2. Saba - 

Top notes: Bergamot, Coffee

Base notes: Vanilla, Tonka Bean, Patchouli, Amber

3. Moxi - 

Top notes: Bergamot, Japanese Sake

Base notes: Amber, Sandalwood

4. OG - 

Top notes: Ginger, Black Pepper

Base notes: Leather accord, Oud

5. Gods - 

Top notes: Bergamot, Black Pepper, Nutmeg

Base notes: Cedar Wood, Incense

6. Mu -

Top notes: Bergamot, Violet Leaves, Nutmeg

Base notes: Tabacco Leaves, Olive Tree Wood

7. Haiku - 

Top notes: Damask Rose, White Flower

Base notes: White Musk, Amber

8. Kirk -

Top notes: Pepper, Cumin, Coriander, Black Current 

Base notes: Sandalwood, Tree Moss, Leather Accord

9. Klito -

Top notes: Bergamot

Base notes: Vanilla, Cedar Wood

10. Moa - 

Top notes: Nutmeg, Cinammon

Base notes: Cedar Wood, Sandalwood, Cashmere Wood

11. No. 31 (the first EDP created by the brand) - 

Top notes: Citrus, Lavender, Brandy Chocolate

Base notes: Patchouli, Amber, Vertiver, White Musk

12. Haecceitas -

Top notes: Freesia, Orange Flower

Base notes: Moss, Vanilla

As you might have noticed, the colour theme for this brand is black and white. The packaging of the actual fragrances are divided into these two opposite colours with Black Images representing strong and deep woody top notes while White Images tags the more floral and fruity top notes.

There are 2 fragrances from Mirko Buffini that I absolutely adore:
Haiku and Gods

In my humble opinion (apologies as I'm no elite perfumer thus I'm unable to give you a detail accord of the scent), Haiku veer towards the girly side as its laden with floral accents however settles into a nice lingering musky end. Whereas Gods kicked off with a heady sophisticated citrusy opening which ends with a calming warm woody tone.

Do head over to any Takashimaya 3rd Floor to give each fragrance a whiff or head over to Mirko Buffini Website for more detail info their actual notes and the story behind each fragrance (which is an interesting read to be honest).

Huge thanks to Mirko Buffini for your generosity. ^_^

Disclaimer: The products are PR samples for review purposes. I was not sponsored in any monetary way nor instigated to used "preferred" words for this post. All opinions provided are honest and of utmost truest feelings of mine after testing the products. Different people might react differently to the product thus results may vary. 

5 Reasons Why Givenchy Dahlia Divin Eau de Toilette‏ is Awesome

To be honest, this is my first encounter with Givenchy's perfume and I'm glad to report that Givenchy Dahlia Divin Eau de Toilette got me absolutely hooked. Not just because of the already-popular brand name, but because the effort that Givenchy put into this product. You'll see why later.

If you don't already know, Alicia Keys (love the woman and her songs, note Girls on Fire) is the face for DD (Dahlia Divin) EDT. Adorned in a gold dress which compliments her golden tan skin, I think she looks like a golden goddess from heaven, STUNNING!!

So, before I ramble on and venture way out of topic, here are 5 reasons Givenchy Dahlia Divin Eau de Toilette got my heart racing.

1. The Man Behind the Scent

“I created a delicate and delightful scent, balancing colored and juicy notes, slightly reminiscent of childhood. Then I gave the fragrance more of a solar quality, to create a trail worthy of this radiant, remarkable muse.”— François Demachy, Master Perfumer 

Francois Demachy is a renown perfumer who have worked with top famous luxury brands like Chanel, Acqua di Parma and recently Dior. Thus, you can definitely trust someone who contributes his "nose" so much to create enchanting signature bespoke fragrances for high-end brands. I mean, I definitely do... Hence, you can imagine me having high hopes even before I start using DD.

2. The Packaging

 Originally in gold (its the Eau de Parfum if you are wondering), the bottle is interpreted in pink gold (apologies as my camera is unable to pick up the pink tone) for the EDT. With pretty intricate pink gold thread wrapping the bottle's neck, it reminds me a lot of a modern sophisticated fashionista decked in layers of chokers. For those who know me long enough, I am always a Pink kind of girl, so you can imagine how delighted I am when I saw the perfume.


3. The Ingredients and Notes

Laden with gold-coloured fruits (Mirabelle Plum), blood orange, Jasmine, sandalwood and Patchouli, one can expect bursts of sunny juicy sweet musk that will pull thru the scent. Even just by typing the ingredients out makes my mouth waters.

4. The Scent

As an avid fan of white flowers scent, I welcomed the fragrance with big arms. On me, the floral and deep woody notes come on noticably but not overpowering, giving me the impression of a warm (subtle spicy though) perfume which I think makes it perfect for colder months. There is also a hint of powdery-ness peaking through its heavier counterpart, which tones down the masculinity of the sandalwood, providing a layer of softness and sensuality to the otherwise feminine fragrance. Overall, its an exquisite day time fragrance which translates well into the night as well. Huge thumbs up.


5. The Fragrance Layering

In order to prolong the scent on me (its an EDT afterall and lasted about 4 hours), I tried layering it with other white flowers based perfume. The result was great!!! With the latter acting as a base, Givenchy's DD as top, the outcome was this nice, floral, feminine fresh scent that lasted a good long 7 hours. Cheers to the idea of layering.


Overall, I am very pleased with the perfume and I can see it being a staple in my collection. Paired with maybe a white skater knee-length dress and I'm all good to head out and prance around. Be sure to stop by participating stores and give it a whiff ^_^

For those interested, Givenchy Dahlia Divin Eau de Toilette comes in 3 sizes: 30ml ($84), 50ml ($117) and 75ml ($140) and is available at Sephora, BHG and Metro.


Disclaimer: The Perfume was kindly provided to me by Givenchy Singapore and 37comms for review purposes. I am not anyway sponsored in terms of monetary. All opinions are of my truest and genuine feeling of the product.

Favourite Room Fragrance | Jo Malone English Pear and Freesia

If your are an avid reader of HOP, you might know that I'm obsessed with English Pear & Freesia from Jo Malone. Thus, you can totally imagine my excitement when I got to know that they made a room spray out of it o_O

"The essence of autumn. The sensuous freshness of just-ripe pears is wrapped in a bouquet of white freesias, and mellowed by amber, patchouli and woods. Luscious and golden." ~ Jo Malone

My take is that this scent reminds me a lot of white flowers but in a sweet non-sickly fresh way. Its like the perfect blend of sophistication but yet girly all embodied in one. For those that hated sweet sugary scent, this is the one for you to get started on the fruity floral bandwagon.

The powdery note of freesia has been toned down by a woody base thus making it wearable during the day or for everyday work/school.

As for it being a room spray, of course JM diluted the concentration and making it perfect for you to squirt a few spritz around your room without choking you in it.

All in all, my favourite (but not the cheapest thus I recommend that you get them at Bangkok airport if you have a chance for huge savings) room spray fragrance of all time and would definitely repurchase if this runs out (fingers crossed that its not too soon with the rate I'm using it).

Rating: A+