A carnation isn't the most glamorous flower. While popular and symbolizing affection, love and luck, it lacks the diva quality of a rose or a lily, or the drama of an iris. The price tag for a carnation bouquet is reasonable, which makes the flower quite ubiquitous. But when it comes to perfume, a carnation note has a lot more to offer. It can be peppery, spicy (often paired with clove), sharp and fresh cut or sweet and powdery. It can also sparkle.
The latter is the incredible effect found in Diamond Water, one of seven unique creations by jeweler to the stars, Joel Arthur Rosenthal (see this post for an overview of the line and my first encounter with it). Diamond Water isn't the only carnation scent by JAR. Golconda is one, too, but it's softer and dries down to a warm skin scent, while Diamond Water shines and dazzles with various white flowers, spices, and maybe a hint of incense. The perfect blending makes the notes flow into each other, from the peppery opening to a rich floral heart (jasmine? who knows. JAR does not reveal the official notes and prefers to keep us guessing). Just as the perfume starts to give hints of a white flower bouquet it begins transforming into clean but dark incense. It's far from heavy or church-like, and somehow the incense manages to retain the shine and sparkle of the earlier phases. A black diamond, if you will.
This perfume is incredibly pretty and feels like the ultimate in elegance. There's something very romantic about the way it wears: ball gowns, crystal chandeliers, french doors opening into a well-manicured garden. That's not to say it's all femme. While my skin brings out the jewels and velvet dresses, on a masculine chemistry it's darker and the dry-down is a soft wood and incense blend.
Diamond Water (like all JAR perfumes) only comes as a pure parfum in a 1 oz teardrop shaped bottle (around $595), ensconced in a purple suede pouch. It can be found in one of two locations: The Paris boutique (14 rue de Castiglione) and Bergdorf Goodman in NYC.
Images: Blue Carnation from Judith Barath Art, JAR jewelry via the New York Times.
The latter is the incredible effect found in Diamond Water, one of seven unique creations by jeweler to the stars, Joel Arthur Rosenthal (see this post for an overview of the line and my first encounter with it). Diamond Water isn't the only carnation scent by JAR. Golconda is one, too, but it's softer and dries down to a warm skin scent, while Diamond Water shines and dazzles with various white flowers, spices, and maybe a hint of incense. The perfect blending makes the notes flow into each other, from the peppery opening to a rich floral heart (jasmine? who knows. JAR does not reveal the official notes and prefers to keep us guessing). Just as the perfume starts to give hints of a white flower bouquet it begins transforming into clean but dark incense. It's far from heavy or church-like, and somehow the incense manages to retain the shine and sparkle of the earlier phases. A black diamond, if you will.
This perfume is incredibly pretty and feels like the ultimate in elegance. There's something very romantic about the way it wears: ball gowns, crystal chandeliers, french doors opening into a well-manicured garden. That's not to say it's all femme. While my skin brings out the jewels and velvet dresses, on a masculine chemistry it's darker and the dry-down is a soft wood and incense blend.
Diamond Water (like all JAR perfumes) only comes as a pure parfum in a 1 oz teardrop shaped bottle (around $595), ensconced in a purple suede pouch. It can be found in one of two locations: The Paris boutique (14 rue de Castiglione) and Bergdorf Goodman in NYC.
Images: Blue Carnation from Judith Barath Art, JAR jewelry via the New York Times.
I loooove this one - it was the one I chose to test on my skin after experiencing all of them for the first time. How gorgeous it was, it kept me company all day and all night.
ReplyDeleteI'm terrified of JAR. Every review makes me want to scare up some samples but then, what if I love them and truly must have them? Your enticing review of Diamond Water has rewhetted my appetite for trying Golconda, too. Maybe when I'm in New York City, next. But then, maybe I should stay far, far away...
ReplyDeleteI love this one too ! Wonderful and your description is perfect, G !
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