Tuesday, March 3, 2009

Much ado about Nothing in the End: Terracotta Sous Le Vent by Guerlain

Let me preface this post by saying that I am not inferring that the products in themselves are "much ado about nothing" because I haven't even tried them yet, but that the clamor and furore over the supposed "sacrilege" by Guerlain of mixing names etc. producing the upteenth flanker were exactly that, in this particular case: a bubble that burst!

It turns out as spring and summer makeup collections roll around that the above mentioned Terracotta Sous Le Vent was nothing more than part of the skincare products belonging to the beautifying tanning/makeup line of famous "Terracotta", responsible for a couple generations equating it with "chic in the sun". Definitely NOT a new flanker fragrance, then! Not meant to reprise any element of the classic Sous Le Vent, now part of Il Etait une Fois line at the boutique Guerlain, either. We had been wrestling the cause for nothing (on this particular case at least, because it's worth fighting on other products of the brand).
The Dry Oil below is included to give some hint as to how the corresponding Mist might be smelling as well; the official PR machine at Guerlain via Isabelle Rousseau likens the smell of the Mist vaguely to the lily-spicy-baked Terracotta Voile d'été (created in 1999 by Jean-Paul Guerlain as a limited edition and reprised in Quand Vient L'été for Les Parisiennes exclusive line). Heavily diluted, then, I presume. And the Sous le Vent moniker is only mentioned to evoke the exotics of the islands of the Carribean thus grouped.

Here are the relevant details courtesy of temptalia:

"Terracotta Eau sous le Vent Soothing Moisturizing Mist $55.00 (in the pic on the left)
A delicious mist that improves hydration in the skin and amplifies the tan while enchanting the senses with a sun-soaked scent. Its refreshing texture is enriched with a vegetable protein to bathe the skin in softness and protect against the dryness and heat of summer. Moisture levels in the skin are increased up to 35% as the Tan Booster complex simultaneously works to enhance and prolong your tan day after day.
Terracotta Huile du Voyageur Nourishing Dry Oil SPF 8 $59.00 (in the pic on the right)
Sensuous and nourishing this silky-light, dry oil leaves the skin with a divinely smooth and luscious finish. The lightly perfumed scent of the Tiare flower immediately takes you to an exotic, faraway paradise while the oil’s Tan Booster Technology and Roucou, a reddish-brown vegetable pigment, intensify the golden colour of your skin. The soft, satin finish is radiantly accented with an iridescent veil made of golden mother-of-pearl particles".

Just to be fair...

Related reading on PerfumeShrine: Guerlain news, reviews and discussion

2 comments:

  1. although not perfume these sound very nice. I like the scent of the Nuxe body oil a lot, maybe that is what these are meant to compete with.

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  2. My guess is that they're indeed tapping the market for the tanning products/oils range (the Nars and Nuxe are very popular) whch is always attarcting attention come summer and their Terracota range is famous for their variety of products anyway.

    ReplyDelete

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