Although I make accords of various materials as part of my work, they’re not what I would call “perfume.” Most of them are meant to explore combinations of specific ingredients or to showcase a raw material. Even so, I often return to some of my favorites well after the project is over to add a little touch here or there. Imagine how much more tempting it must be for a perfumer to revisit her creations down the line, but also more frustrating, since loyal clients don’t want their fragrances to change.
For indie perfumer Vero Kern the solution was to present Rubj, Mito, Kiki and Onda, the quartet that makes up her Vero Profumo collection, as three different concentrations–Eau de Parfum, Extrait de Parfum, and now Voile d’Extrait. As I quickly discovered, they could easily be different perfumes, and so I’ve waited with anticipation for Les Voiles d’Extrait.
Figuring out where Les Voiles d’Extrait fit in the neat (albeit largely mythical) hierarchy of Eau de Toilette, Eau de Parfum or Extrait de Parfum wasn’t straightforward. For instance, Mito Voile d’Extrait lasted as well as the parfum, but Rubj’s veil was on par with the Eau de Parfum. In all four cases, Les Voiles were rich, longlasting and tenacious. Want a perfume that lasts from early morning and then late into the night? You got it! If anything, washing them off would be more of a problem.
Mito
Since Mito and Rubj are my favorites from Vero Profumo, I’ve thus far spent more time with them than with Onda and Kiki. Mito is a cousin to Rochas Femme and Chanel Cristalle, but it has its own sultry character that is hard to forget. The Eau de Parfum is as fizzy as champagne, but in Voile d’Extrait you get a hot breath of tuberose. Mito Voile d’Extrait still has its retro glamour and easygoing charm, but the touch of white flowers makes it more smoldering and more voluptuous. Previously I compared Mito to Grace Kelly, and while Voile d’Extrait still retains the icy blonde impression, you can now imagine her as a vixen.
Rubj
On the other hand, if smolder and curves is what you’re really after, then Rubj Voile d’Extrait is your potion. It’s of Rubenesque proportions, although it’s not surprising since both the parfum and EDP are big perfumes. No, wait, make it Big Perfumes. Voile d’Extrait is not only an interesting new version, it also improves on the Eau de Parfum. The passion fruit note in the EDP reminds me of decaying mango peels and the cumin note adds a sweaty note that seems dirty but not lusty. Voile d’Extrait skips these notes and instead amplifies the strawberry-like sweetness of orange blossom, the heft of tuberose and the sheer jasmine. It’s radiant and vivid, moving from the intense richness of white flowers to the soft polish of woods and musk.
It’s not fair to compare Mito and Rubj, because they’re too different, but I quickly singled out a favorite. As a sequel to the original Eau de Parfum, Mito’s Voile d’Extrait was an instant love. It gave me the familiar perfume in a new guise and made me experience it anew. Rubj was a different story. The parfum captured my attention for its sensuality, but the Voile d’Extrait is too soft and too mild. On the other hand, it’s also more wearable, and if Rubj left you gasping for air, its mild-mannered cousin (relatively speaking, of course) will be a better fit.
Mito Voile d’Extrait contains notes of citrus, peach, magnolia grandiflora, white magnolia champaca absolute, tuberose, galbanum, hyacinth, labdanum, and musk. Rubj Voile d’Extrait includes bergamot, mandarin, neroli, orange flower absolute, tuberose, jasmine, cedarwood, oakmoss, and musk. Available at Luckyscent. $250 50ml.
Sample: Vero Profumo
61 Comments
Solanace: I have to try Vero Kern’s creations. She appears to be such an intelligent woman, and the retro style of her line is extremely appealing to me. Ruby parfum shall be the first. Gimme Rubens any day! January 15, 2014 at 7:28am
Victoria: If you can’t get enough of white florals and big sillage perfumes, then Rubj may be the one for you. The EDP doesn’t work for me (the passion fruit really gives it a pungent, sharp edge), but the other versions are very good. January 15, 2014 at 9:26am
Jillie: Oh no – I vowed not to be tempted by any more perfume for a while, but you have wrecked this plan! I love Mito, and now I yearn for the Voile d’Extrait which sounds gorgeous. Oh well, I have my lovely edp to wear still, so I will “make do” with that. It was you who introduced me to Mito in the first place, and I have to say that, as a longtime Cristalle fan, it is a fine alternative (especially now that Cristalle is not itself) and you described it so well – champagne indeed. January 15, 2014 at 7:31am
Victoria: You probably don’t need the Voile d’Extrait if you already have the EDP of Mito. But if you’re still trying to decide which perfume to settle on, the new version might be tempting. I like its touch of tuberose, which takes it further from Cristalle and gives it more curves. January 15, 2014 at 9:27am
Austenfan: It will be a while till I can afford any of these, as I spent all of my perfume budget last December, but they sound tempting,or you make them sound tempting!
I too prefer Rubj extrait over the EDP. I’ve got samples of the original 3 in extrait, and have additional EDP samples of Rubj and Mito. I liked Mito but after Rubj Kiki is my favourite. I have such a soft spot for lavender and the lavender in Kiki is so rich and satisfying. Takes me back to lavender fields in June… January 15, 2014 at 7:58am
Victoria: The frustrating thing is that Kiki does something very strange on my skin. After a wonderful start and a delicious interlude, it turns sweaty and pungent (but not pungent-rotting like Rubj EDP). Since I read nothing but glowing reviews of Kiki, perhaps it’s just me. So far, the only lavender that makes me think of Provence is Hermes’s Brin de Reglisse, but unfortunately, it’s too fleeting. January 15, 2014 at 9:33am
Austenfan: I so need to smell Brin de Réglisse. Love licorice and adore lavender. I don’t get any pungency or sweat from Kiki at all.
How do you feel about Onda? I thought it was very interesting and full of character but not necessarily something I would want to wear. January 15, 2014 at 10:04am
Victoria: Have you tried by Kilian’s Taste of Heaven, which is also based on lavender and has a touch of licorice?
Onda is fascinating, and I love smelling it on a blotter, but so far I don’t find it a comfortable perfume to wear. It turns acrid on me, and that part bothers me. But it’s intriguing, and I love its earthy nuances. Voile d’Extrait, on the other hand, is much more approachable and has the same intriguing twists without sharpness. January 15, 2014 at 11:06am
Cornelia Blimber: What about my favourite lavender, Gris Clair..? January 15, 2014 at 11:15am
Victoria: I haven’t smelled it in a while, but I recall it as very polished and soft. I think that it’s time to revisit it. January 15, 2014 at 11:48am
Austenfan: While I like the opening of Gris Clair the dry down is far too sharp to me. So no, I’m afraid I don’t like it.
BTW my favourite lavender is still the excellent Pour un Homme by Caron. Nicolaï’s Pour homme is a close second. January 15, 2014 at 11:49am
Victoria: Have you smelled Pour un Homme parfum version? It uses a particularly exceptional lavender absolute as part of its herbal accord, but maybe it’s too sweet for you. January 15, 2014 at 11:55am
Austenfan: Where do I get this? Lavender can never be too sweet! January 15, 2014 at 12:07pm
Victoria: I believe that Caron boutique’s carry it, and Galeries Lafayette in Paris did too. It’s called L’Impact de Pour Un Homme. January 15, 2014 at 12:13pm
Austenfan: This has my name written all over it, thanks for the tip! January 16, 2014 at 3:52pm
Victoria: I would love to hear what you think of it. It’s definitely an excellent perfume, and I remember Luca Turin giving it a great review. Perhaps, it’s still up on his old blog. January 16, 2014 at 6:28pm
Austenfan: Let’s just say it’s on my to buy list! I love it. I wasn’t that smitten with the By Kilians at first. Too expensive packaging, “silly”names. But they are growing on me. The other By Kilian I really like is Beyond Love. Back to Black is kind of iffy on my. Sometimes it is great, sometimes not so much so. Also the refills of the BK line are not that expensive compared to other lines. January 15, 2014 at 11:44am
Victoria: I’ve discovered the same thing with Back to Black. On some days it wears so perfectly that I feel like rushing home and writing a 5 star review, but on others, it’s flat and too sweet. Very strange.
The refills are a good deal, considering the quality of these perfumes. They also fit into my non-fancy travel atomizer cases, so that good too. January 15, 2014 at 11:47am
Cornelia Blimber: I tried Back to Black and was disappointed. Too sweet, and flat is the right description as far as I am concerned—-I stick to my Bornéo 1834. For me, that’s the ultime black powder. January 15, 2014 at 1:01pm
Victoria: Borneo 1834 or Chanel Coromandel, its kissing cousin, smell like they could be black. Or at least, dark chocolate brown! January 15, 2014 at 2:55pm
Hannah: The first time I tried Back to Black, it was very nice. I’ve tried it a few times and it just smells very sweet and powdery. I even had to check to make sure it wasn’t Love once. January 15, 2014 at 1:31pm
Victoria: How interesting that several of us have experienced it the same way! January 15, 2014 at 3:04pm
Austenfan: You capture it perfectly. First time I put some on it nearly made me sing with it’s loveliness. But at other times it felt quite cloying. January 15, 2014 at 2:17pm
Cornelia Blimber: I was enthousiastic about the opening of Back to Black. I love dark, powdery notes of tobacco, chocolate, patchouli. But after ± half an hour, I only smelled some kind of flat, sweet honey. In my opinion, dark powder and honey are both done so much better by Lutens.
I really was disappointed by the famous Black to Black. January 15, 2014 at 2:33pm
Victoria: Yes, some fragrances can require courtship to get to know them better, but this one was the opposite! January 15, 2014 at 3:05pm
Zazie: I had the chance to take a sniff at the VK’s new voiles de parfum, I was very curious about them because in VK’s perfumes you can smell that the accords are reworked and re-imagined depending on the concentration: I cherish this very very much… (I actively disliked the edps, and quite loved the extraits.)
I ignored MITO and Onda, and tried Kiki and Rubj directly on skin.
I found Kiki to be remiscent of… Angel? Is that possible? Maybe it was the caramel that gave me that impression. I was quite surprised but ended up enjoying the ride, especially the drydown. Rubj VDP should have been very much to my liking, all floral, and rosy and white, but I got fatigued after a while, and the base didn’t win me over.
Your review makes me want to go back and give a chance to MITO. January 15, 2014 at 8:39am
Victoria: I can see what you mean about Kiki and Angel, which has to do with the caramelized, cotton candy-like facet paired with patchouli. Even if that duo makes its most subtle appearance, the Angel comparison immediately comes to my mind. January 15, 2014 at 9:35am
Caroline: My impressions of Mito edp and voile d’extrait are quite similar to yours. I own the edp and just have a sample of the voile, but am sorely tempted–love the addition of tuberose. January 15, 2014 at 8:42am
Victoria: It was such an unexpected touch, but it worked really well. The combination of intense green and lush tuberose is wonderful, and they balance each other out. January 15, 2014 at 9:36am
Anne of Green Gables: Thank you for bringing this fascinating line and perfumer to my attention. I just read a few interviews by Vero Kern and what can I say? What a cool woman! I was especially surprised by how late she started out as a perfumer. It’s truly inspiring- it’s never too late to start! January 15, 2014 at 9:30am
Victoria: That’s really impressive and goes to show that if you put your mind to it, you can get there and become a perfumer whatever your background. Her story is very inspiring. January 15, 2014 at 11:02am
Alyssa: I keep a postcard portrait of Vero on my wall for this very reason. (I’m not a perfumer, but I’m a fellow late bloomer!) January 15, 2014 at 11:34am
Anne of Green Gables: Hello Alyssa, I’m so glad to finally ‘meet’ you. I came across your book through a book review on Escape the Ivory Tower and your book led me to BdJ! 🙂 I’d like to thank you for sharing your story through your book. I really enjoyed reading it and your story has inspired me to delve into perfumery again. January 15, 2014 at 11:59am
Alyssa: Well, hello! It’s very nice to meet you, too! I’m so glad you enjoyed the book and found your way to BdJ. Thank you for telling me about Escape the Ivory Tower, too, it sounds like an interesting site. January 15, 2014 at 3:11pm
Anne of Green Gables: Since I finally got to meet you, I have a burning question: which perfume is “The jewel-bright scent of mandarins deepended by bitter chocolate and smoothed by worn leather”? I’m really curious. January 15, 2014 at 4:35pm
Alyssa: That is a very stylized description of Coco Chanel in parfum. It’s missing a few things. 🙂 January 16, 2014 at 11:11am
Anne of Green Gables: Thanks for letting me know! 🙂 I haven’t smelled that one yet so I’ll have to give it a try. January 16, 2014 at 12:49pm
Alyssa: I’m so glad to read your thoughts on these, V! I adore Rubj in the extrait but found the EDP completely unwearable so I was excited to sample the Voile. I’ve only dabbed from my sample vial, but I’ve been very happy with it. It’s true that it lacks some of the rich heft of the extrait, but in exchange I get that sparkling orange blossom in the top and a sense of springtime liveliness rather than the grandeur of the original. I think it’s a very successful translation.
I haven’t fully explored Mito since the parfum didn’t capture my heart, but you make me want to send off for a sample of the voile immediately! (What else is new. :-)) January 15, 2014 at 11:33am
Victoria: I’m glad to hear that I’m not the only. The funny thing is that when I was first swept up in my complete infatuation with Rubj perfume, I got a big decant of the EDP as well. But the more I wore it, the less I liked it. The parfum, on the other hand, keeps getting better and better. And the Voile is another beautiful option. Maybe, once I’m done with the parfum–if that day will ever come, I might switch to the Voila. January 15, 2014 at 11:43am
Alyssa: Oh–I forgot to mention that the Onda Voile is also excellent. I love the extrait but it is a serious commitment. The Voile is not quite so…feral. January 15, 2014 at 11:36am
Victoria: Feral is a perfect way to describe Onda. Even though it’s challenging, it’s still fascinating, and I find myself revisiting it again and again. The Voile, on the other hand, is a beautiful perfume to wear. January 15, 2014 at 11:44am
Lydie: I like more wearable, because Onda can be difficult. I like it a lot but my husband hates when I wear it and I save it for at home alone times. January 16, 2014 at 3:48am
Victoria: I kind of like an idea of perfume for the moments of solitude. 🙂 Like a cocoon against the world, with all of its stresses and problems. January 16, 2014 at 4:48am
OperaFan: Mito sounds lovely – I liked the edp very much so would love to try the Vd’E. January 15, 2014 at 12:56pm
Victoria: The VdE has a different character, because of the white floral notes, but it’s still fizzy and sparkling. January 15, 2014 at 2:54pm
Snowyowl: What a coincidence that I have just ordered samples of these over the past few days as I have read about VK on here and other blogs and am fascinated. Can’t wait to get them and see what I think- I am considering full bottle of one of them and want to see the difference between extrait and the new voiles. Thanks for your review and for who you are, Victoria! January 15, 2014 at 1:19pm
Victoria: I would love to hear what you think and which version ends up as your favorite. It’s like comparing photographs of the same subjects taken during different times of the year and day. 🙂 January 15, 2014 at 2:55pm
Snowyowl: I was reading back through here almost a year later and thought I would update. I bought and wear often the kiki extrait and rubj extrait. I also have the rozy voile (amazing!) All of these are loves, deep and true.
I have samples of all the variations of onda and think I will likely purchase the extrait as well when I can save up. It feels like a soul-skin scent for me.
Mito makes me sneeze and have a bit of a headache unfortunately. The description of it would make it sound perfect for me but each time I wear it the same thing happens. But I have never tried it in extrait form, just edp and voile. I am still in love with vero kern:). December 4, 2014 at 10:56am
Victoria: Yes, I see what you mean about extrait and the way it feels on skin. It’s worth saving up for it! December 4, 2014 at 11:23am
Ann: Okay. Here is where my need to understand “the order” of things may be getting in the way of my ability to just sit back and enjoy “the art” of things. . . but I am still trying to understand what exactly are Les Voiles d’Extraits. Given what you described as the variation in strengths of the Les Voiles d’Extraits, perhaps I need to just live with the idea that they are great perfumes that have been tinkered with a little bit for a different impact (BTWs? been tinkered with?) But are all the Les Voiles d’Extraits the same concentration? And is it a higher or lower concentration than the Parfum Extraits? Mito has been on my “to try list” since I first started scribbling in the margins of my Perfume Guide years ago, but I still haven’t managed it. January 15, 2014 at 1:30pm
Victoria: I gather than Les Voiles d’Extraits are lighter than the parfums but heavier than the EDPs as far as the oil concentration goes. But of course, it doesn’t necessarily means that they last longer than the EDPs. They’re really like different versions of the perfumes in the collection. It’s like having the same dress in slightly different colors and with different accessories. January 15, 2014 at 3:04pm
Lydie: I enjoy Mito and Onda most. Les Voiles d’Extrait sound very interesting. Please review Onda, Victoria. January 16, 2014 at 3:47am
Victoria: I will do! It has been on my mind for a while. 🙂 January 16, 2014 at 4:47am
Annikky: I’m excited to try these, especially the more wearable version of Onda. I’m fascinated by this perfume, but find it difficult to wear (will keep trying, though, I’m not easily discouraged!). I love Kiki in both EdP and extrait and Rubj in extrait – EdP didn’t work for me at all. At all. And as I like both Mito and tuberose, I definitely have to give the new version a sniff.
Vero Kern is one of those perfumers whose work is enhanced for me by her personality and intellect. Of course, I wouldn’t buy her perfumes if I didn’t like them, but it’s good to have people like her. January 16, 2014 at 7:23am
Victoria: I’m going to revisit Kiki parfum too. I have a little sample, but after the EDP experience I wasn’t inspired to persevere with it. Or maybe I should say that Rubj parfum was so stunning that it made me ignore the rest. 🙂 January 16, 2014 at 12:22pm
Michaela: I havev them all in edp (samples, I mean) and the one I like best is Mito, which is very close to Y YSL, a chypre I used to wear a lot when I was student. I remember it made me feel elegant and classy and Mito felt the same. It’s a great vintagey perfume, imo. The other 3, on the other hand…. kiki is allright, rubj and onda, both unbearable, with rubj winning safely first place. That cumin/sweat/armpit smell imbibed in the white flowers’ base: priceless! February 13, 2014 at 1:40pm
Victoria: I agree with you on Rubj EDP; it’s hard to wear. The extrait, on the other hand, is beautiful! February 13, 2014 at 3:21pm
Gían: Victoria, how does Mito Voiles d’Extrait compare to Mito Parfum Extrait? And is the Voiles d’Extrait comparatively closer to Eau de Parfum or to the Parfum Extrait? And finally, which of the 3 is your favourite composition & why? Although I’ve been a longtime devotee of the naughty Rubj, for some reason I only just recently discovered Mito. June 18, 2014 at 3:47pm
Victoria: Gian, the parfum is sweeter and richer in white flowers to me. As I said to Ann, I gather than Les Voiles d’Extraits are lighter than the parfums but heavier than the EDPs as far as the oil concentration goes. But of course, it doesn’t necessarily means that they last longer than the EDPs. Truth be told, all of these concentrations are very confusing, and I wish Vero Kern simply released separate perfumes.
My favorites are Mito and Rubj, and I can’t pick just one, because they are too different. But I wear Mito more often. June 18, 2014 at 4:26pm
Gían: Reading these comments- I don’t know what it is but I simply do not find Rubj EdP to be so hard to wear. I do, however, find it to be so radically different from the Extrait version as to be– at least to my nose– a completely different perfume altogether. Related, perhaps, like second cousins, but very different nonetheless. I love them both so much & find them to be so different from each other that I own FB’s of both the EdP AND the Extrait (the large 15 mL, no less)! I also love Mito & I have finally decided that the Voile d’Extrait version is the one for me– the addition of the tuberose note proved to be the deal sealer. So now that occupies a spot on my top 5 list of FB’s to buy. Onda is very interesting… I find the EdP to be way to harsh & I just find it too hard to wear (bear?). It’s for me how it seems most people here seem to feel about Rubj EdP. I did like how one commenter called it “feral”. It’s an apt description. Onda Extrait, on the other hand is much more wearable & enjoyable to me- sweaty skin during sex, is one way I’ve read it decribed & I agree with that assessment. Never say never but I think that the lack of florals in the composition is what’s keeping it off my to-buy list. Because I really, really do not like lavender, I had decided to skip Kiki completely– it just did not at all sound like something I’d ever like… Until I read a review of it at The Scented Hound. Houndy made it sound so delicious that it suddenly conjured up an image in my head of a wonderful lavender sundae with melting caramel drizzled on top & piled high with gobs of fluffy whipped cream so now I’ve changed my mind & ordered samples of Kiki! They have yet to come– along with samples of Rozy– so I can’t yet comment on what I think of it but what strikes me is how antsy with anticipation I am to try a perfume whose dominant note is a note I so dislike! August 4, 2014 at 10:23pm
Victoria: Thank you so much for the comparisons and comments, so helpful to read! And I look forward to your thoughts on Kiki and Rozy. August 5, 2014 at 9:59pm