Bertrand Duchaufour shares "rockstar" status

Michelyn Camen took a very interesting interview from Bertrand Duchaufour, Symrise perfumer, currently in-house nose for L'Artisan Parfumeur and the creator behind the Eau d'Italie and Comme des Garcons fragrances among others, for Fragrantica.

"How do I describe Bertrand? He is down to earth, hip, self-confident but without pretense; he is also a multi faceted artist whose photography and painting are his other great passions. Ah yes; although his fragrances have been predominately unisex… it was a young woman - his first girlfriend who introduced him to fragrance when he was 17. Cherchez la femme..."

And concerning the upcoming Havana Vanille (read our review here), Duchaufour discloses:

"I combined more than 15 materials producing more than 80% of the whole formula; the original one and I worked with was the narcissce absolute {sic}, an very rich facetted raw material, which was at the heart of the composition and fave {sic} way to the subtle alliance of narcissus, everlasting flower and tonka bean. This accord is reminiscent of tobacco leaf- which is both honey-sweet and narcotic. " And for later on: "I am working on several projects for L’Artisan Parfumeur, including a Vetiver, a Tuberose, and an Amber Oriental. And I just finished for the next launch an incredibly strong OUD. I am very happy with this one."

You can read the interview here.

Pic of Bertrand Duchaufour via blog.girvin.com

Idole d'Armani commercial: I have been searching all my life for a woman like you

~I have been searching all my life for a woman like you!
~Are there any other women like me?
~You fascinate me.
~Like all others...
~You're my idol.
~That's my idol! (ie.Idole d'Armani)

[translation from the French by Perfume Shrine]

Featuring Kasia Smutniak and the classic hit "I put a spell on you" (best known by Screamin' Jay Hawkins).
I can't say I am overbowled with enthusiasm (I had voiced some concern before), are you?Although it looks rather good on the whole, it seems very unimaginative! Kasia looks a lot like Keira Knightley here (the bone structure, the mannerisms to highlight it and perhaps the hair shade): I call it the "mold effect" ;-)

Originally uploaded by modelstvcm2 on Youtube

Scents and the City

Jason Logan, illustrator and author of “If We Ever Break Up, This Is My Book” takes us on a scented utinerary through the heated summer neightbourhoods of New York City in The New York Times (this has nothing to do with a niche brand marketing their products via this exact concept, by the way).

Much like our Scented Travel Memoirs here on Perfume Shrine, it seems like specific places hold captive certain distinctive smells which unlock the floodgates of memory and forever paint the picture of that place upon meeting that scent again. From the "territorial soapy cologne" of Harlem (along with its "crazy perfume" which has me intrigued as to what it might be or -to further the thought- what is considered "crazy" in relation to perfume), to the "musky-and-sweet" aroma that might or might not be deodorant at Fort George, The Cloisters, and on to the exhaust, the foods and the garbage that fringe any urban landscape, this is a must read to get a better appreciation of the big Apple. Read it here and be sure to move your cursor on the map (a little nose follows your moves).

Pic from Alexander Mackendrick’s drama Sweet Smell of Success, with Burt Lancaster and Tony Curtis, set in New York City and based on the same-titled novel via altfg.com

The battle of the Nude: L'Oreal and Stella McCartney coup a small win

You might have heard about it and it might have turned you off slightly. Bono's wife, Ali Hewson, 48, objected to the use of the word Nude in the newest Stella McCartney fragrance called STELLANUDE (a flanker to her bestselling scent), on the grounds that Nude was copyrighted by her, via Irish Nude Brands Ltd, a skincare line with ambitions to launch a fragrance in the future called Nude.
"In May 2008, when asked for permission to use the trade mark 'Nude' for a Stella McCartney perfume, Nude - though great admirers of Stella McCartney - respectfully refused as a Nude scent is forthcoming," the statement said. "Nude considers the launch of 'Stella Nude' by L'Oréal to be a clear infringement of Nude's trade mark. To protect their brand, Nude was forced to take the matter to the English High Court." [source]
A L’Oréal spokesperson confirmed that the legal case had been brought at the beginning of August: “Yves Saint Laurent Beauté Ltd can confirm that legal action was started against it and Stella McCartney Limited by Nude Brands Limited on 3rd August 2009 in London. The case is ongoing," the spokesperson said. [source]

It had made an impression to me because Nude by Bill Blass was a well-established name already (I suppose the trademark has expired) and on top of that the whole issue reminded me of the kerfufle on the word Peace involving a big and a small brand some time ago. The whole axis of the matter according to one source relied on the use of capitals in this case and it seemed like a fine legal point to entangle.

The news is that judge Christopher Floyd from the High Court has overruled possible blocks from Nude Brands Ltd. in favour of L'Oréal and Stella McCartney: NBL may win in the trademark trial set to take place some time next year (2010), but the judge ruled "it was not appropriate to block the launch of the StellaNude fragrance nor bring the trial date forward". He further elaborated: “The risk of confusion between NBL's products and SML's [Stella McCartney Limited] is, in my provisional view, small. The evidence does not show any real basis for supposing that a customer would be led into thinking that some form of association had been created between NBL and SML" [...] and an injunction could cause “massive disruption” to McCartney’s business. It was specified that the copyright infringement argument wasn't without merit into bringing to court however and the issue will disentangle completely in 2010.
The September launch of StellaNude is postponed, initially planned so as to coincide with the runways, and now costing a fortune in lost revenue. Still, the launch whenever it happens, is assured lots of press because of this.

Painting by Joseph Stella via encore-editions.com.
Ad via beautyeditor.com.au

Ormonde Jayne luxury travel purse sprays

Wonderful news from posh niche perfumer Ormonde Jayne: it seems like the portability and easiness of small purse sprays has been materialized for our pleasure!


Until now, the Ormonde Jayne fragrances have been available in 50ml eau de parfum sprays or in 50ml pure parfum bottles. Today, responding to deafening demand, each fragrance comes in an elegant box of four 10ml eau de parfum sprays.

These black and gold sprays slip unobtrusively into the tiniest of clutch bags for evening glamour and are perfect for weekends away or in hand luggage for travel abroad. Hand poured in the company’s own studio in London , they perfectly reflect the levels of quality, luxury and service for which Ormonde Jayne is so renowned.

Created and privately owned by self-taught nose Linda Pilkington, the Ormonde Jayne range is composed of eleven original fragrances, eight for women (a ninth to be launched October 2009) and three for men. Spanning the perfume groups from floral through oriental to chypre and finally citrus, each fragrance has its own lineage.

Ormonde Jayne London Perfumery flagship store is in The Royal Arcade off London ’s Old Bond Street . The recently opened store in Dubai is located in Boutique 1 in Jumeirah Beach .
The online boutique http://www.ormondejayne.com/ ships worldwide in 3-5 days.

Luxury Purse Sprays retail for £54 a set.

Related reading on Perfume Shrine: Ormonde Jayne scents news and reviews.



Info via press release.

Dolce & Gabanna Rose The One: new fragrance and its pretty face

The One fragrance franchise is introducing its little progeny as soon as Rose The One hits counters exclusively at Saks next week (the fragrance will get wider, international distribution later on).

The yummy 24-year old Scarlet Johansson, D&G muse and the face of their makeup collection, is “the person that represents actual femininity most in this world,” (Dolce's quote, not mine, to WWD) and will front the campaign for the flanker, taking the baton from Gisele Budchen for The One. The print ads are shot by Jean-Baptiste Mondino. Scarlett was ecsstatic when she told People that Mondino “captured all of a woman’s graces, our quiet moments. That to me, is what makes this campaign so special, and it feels wonderful to have been a part of the collaboration”. Who can argue that the end result is pretty?
Fittingly Johansson is seductively (yet also romantically) "poured in" a custom-made, curve-hugging Dolce & Gabbana pink tulle dress. The typical for Johansson pose (accentuating the waist, baring the shoulders, pursing the lips) suggests lounging on a posh bedroom while her hair is changed into strawberry blonde to reinforce the rose-hued effect that name would suggest.


Coming to think of this, it was only the other day when I was questioning (in a comment to a friend's blog) the sagacity of marketing something fragrant in "rose" parlance, because to a young generation of perfume buyers rose can so often stand for "old lady" (No matter it is mixed in almost everything and most people don't discern it in the formula; such is the corruption our noses have suffered in this sanitized and techno-monopolised world, sadly). Thus naming the newest flanker to The One with the perfectly visible "Rose" moniker has me curious to its reception. I believe they're going on the visual strength of their muse, Scarlett Johansson, probably the best thing in young and feminine curvaceousness ideals since Beatrice Dall and those Alessi pepper mills. And there are several other fragrances which have the "rose" tag in the name (Rock n'Rose by Valentino anyone? Off the top of my head) while still appealing to a younger clientelle.
Predictably the fragrance sounds like a foregone conclusion with its berry-ish fruity top, clean heart of flowers and sweet base. Still, I am eager to see how this will play out commercially, especially in the huge American market. The D&G Anthology collection (issued this year) hasn't been very impressive according to reports so far.

Notes for D&G Rose The One:
black currant, pink grapefruit, mandarin, lily of the valley, rose, litchi, peony, Madonna lily, along with ambrette seed, sandalwood, musk and vanilla.

Dolce & Gabbana Rose The One will be available in 30ml/1oz, 50ml/1.7oz and 75ml/2.5oz bottles of Eau de Parfum.

Pic via style.com

Content poaching is ugly!

A very perceptive reader kindly alerted me to an alarming phenomenon that I hope doesn't catch on: There is a site called basenote.us (no relation whatsoever to Grant Osborne's reputable site basenotes.net) which routinely takes off content from Perfume Shrine along with other popular bloggers whom they present as "contributors"! This dubious, (apparently) automatically-generated piracy site is run by someone called Ari Driver who runs an internet store called Perfumeparadise.ca. in Canada. Usually I don't really give much attention to snippets of my thoughts and words floating on the Ethernet and let it be. After all I get hundreds of comments of spam every day masquerading as casual readers of Perfume Shrine who promote their business in an oh-so-subtle-way (they think!) which is plenty annoying as is!
But what particularly bugged me in this case are two things: 1) There was a plainly seen copyright sign on their pirate page, which is ridiculous under the circustances, and 2) It was attached to a commercial business that was pushing product through our confiscated words!
Ms. Driver has been republishing whole articles from the Perfume Shrine and other blogs without any prior given permission or even the courtesy of attribution to the respective writers. Which is unacceptable...and ugly. Luckily for us, Cait from Legerdenez filed an online report and it seems like it scared the rabbits into their holes again. At least on this occassion.

May I take this chance to please request the many others as well who use the words published on Perfume Shrine for reasons of pushing their business or promoting their Ebay sales to respect the time and effort put on this site.

Guerlain Boisé Torride: new fragrance and preview

We had been speculating about upcoming releases from major houses and saying that Bois Torride would be the next Guerlain in the exclusive line-up. By the looks of it, it sounded like a new member of the L'Art et la Matière line-up (a series within the Guerlain portfolio available at their boutiques with Lutensian names and bottles). Well, it's time to admit that we were not entirely wrong and we were not entirely right either!

• The News

Boisé Torride* is indeed the upcoming (October) "exclusive" Guerlain ~after an avalanche of exclusivities this year, one extravagant specimen cleverly deconstructed by March here~ but it will be the fourth little sistah in the Sex and the City gang of Les Elixirs Charnels (Carnal Elixirs) which we had panned in the past because of their not-so-good ad copy and somewhat predictable scents.
Ad copy describes the newest Boisé Torride as "woody, rebellious, provocative, triumphant, bold and beautiful" and the women who would use it would hope to graft these qualities unto themselves. [NB: Please don't get confused with Eau Torride, a fragrance from Givenchy, which was launched in 2002].

A discerning reader and friend of Perfume Shrine, happened upon a random bottle at Saks labeled "Elixirs Charnels Bois Torride"> It transpires it is truthfully Boisé Torride* (I predict a stampede to Saks and furtive glances of despairing sales assistants). The curtain on that mystery of a scent that was under wraps for a whole year following its copywrited name was finally unveiled: It is the latest Elixir Charnel! That should give us ideas... What exactly should a Carnal Elixir entail and how would it fit into the pattern of the existing trio? The previous fragrances were composed by Christine Nagel, before news of the hiring of Thierry Wasser as head-perfumer, however it has been clear by now, that mr. Wasser is not creating every thing of the numerous Guerlain releases and he was too occupied with the newest Idylle for the mainstream release at any rate. Interestingly to me, it seems like there are thoughts to expand this particular Elixirs collection, much like L'Art et la Matière which had also started with just three scents in 2005 (Rose Barbare, Angelique Noire, Cuir Beluga ~reviews linked), to later incoroporate more (Bois d'Armenie). Might we expect a "Fleuri" (ie.floral) next?

• The name

One of our readers wittily likened it to the title of a bodice-ripper ~which would fit with the Elixirs series, as torrid would suggest passionate or very deep (I pray that the Guerlain headquarters have not thought of what "wood" can possibly imply in English in tandem with those adjectives!) Bois means woods, as I initially thought of this based on the trademarked name and the reportage from my reader, but the actual name boisé means woody, which is a denominator in the fragrance families classification and thus is perfectly in tandem with the other Elixirs Charnels, each picking up on a fragrance family in the name: Gourmand, Oriental and Chypre.
Sylvaine Delacourte, when we interviewed her here, had hinted that the next exclusive will focus on a beloved ingredient of the house (adding: Octavian revealed to me in the comments it will be tonka, and the trademarked name is Tonka Imperiale, the upcoming L'Art et la Matière one which sounds very promising).

• The scent impression

Jarvis described the scent briefly to me in those words and I am sharing, with his permission: "To my nose,it's a sister fragrance to La Petite Robe Noire. If La Petite Robe Noire was a cherryKool-aid sort of fragrance (i.e. like cherry-flavoured sugarcrystals), Boisé Torride feels more like citrus Kool-aid and perhaps some florals over patchouli. That fruit + florals + ethyl maltol +patchouli seems to suggest it owes something to Angel". He also insisted it is very sweet on the whole.
[please note Jarvis didn't have any notes on hand when describing, but I managed to wean those out and they actully don't sound too different from his experience].


Notes for Guerlain Elixir Charnel "Boisé Torride":
Top: bergamot, tangerine, pink berries
Heart: marshmallow harmony, orange blossom, jasmine
Base: patchouli, white musk, cedar

Elixir Charnel Boisé Torride is launching on October 15th at Guerlain boutiques and wherever there are espaces Guerlain for € 175 a pop.

*Both Karin (the first to say so) and Carmencanada confirm the name is actually Boisé which means "woody" rather than Bois (woods). I have since edited the name I was told initially accordingly.

Related reading on Perfume Shrine: Guerlain series, Elixirs Charnels by Guerlain: reviews, Upcoming releases.

Pics of Elixirs Charnels/Carnal Elixirs via Surlaterre blog, pic of fields with markings via ecopolis.org

L'Artisan Parfumeur Havana Vanille/Vanille Absolument: fragrance review

Appraising my impressions on the upcoming L'Artisan Havana Vanille (later changed to Vanille Absolument) I can't help but think that it is more like a sagacious study in black & white rather than a journey to exotic locales respendent with colourful fabrics or outlandish fruit. Its boozy tonalities on the other hand recall to mind the Payard Vanilla Rum Truffles as if they had been painted by Monet, an aspect which will place this release under the aegis of gourmando-philiacs the world over.

Havana Vanille/Vanille Absolument, the latest instalment in L'Artisan's Travel scents after Bois Farine (by Jean Claude Ellena), Timbuktu, Dzongha and Fleur de Liane (all by Duchaufour), was supposed to take us to Cuba. The allusion to the Caribbean island brings to mind tobacco of course and those beautiful chickas rolling the leaves on their sweaty thighs (I have shades of Marisa Tomey in The Perez Family in mind). The practice is not without merit, as the humidity from their tan skin makes for cigars that preserve their precious bouquet well into the aftertaste and do not become dried-out when properly stored in a humidor. Composed by in-house L'Artisan perfumer Bertrand Duchaufour, Vanille Absolument (Havana Vanille) showcases his typical monastic style of diaphanous, orientalised compositions recalling a mystical haze or vapours rising, like his beloved incense which he has explored in every nook and crany thought possible for both his L'Artisan and Eau d'Italie offerings.

Comparison with another Tobaco Vanilla, the one in Tom Ford's Private Line, reveals the L'Artisan endeavour as much lighter and less sweet (the Tom Ford one is much heavier on the tobacco overall, but highlighting the sweeter and whiskey aspects of its leaves, to the point where it is achingly sweet for me; in contrast the L'Artisan has the impression of nuanced tobacco with a passing pomander overtone). It might also nod slyly at the direction of that minx of a scent, Fifi (by lingerie maven Fifi Chachnil), who is climbing into her hot pink lacy undergarments and bringing the silk scarfs at bed for a frisky light bondage romp. Yet somehow Vanille Absolument (Havana Vanille) isn't as naughtily bawdy and seems more introverted, the bookish type who wears Alain Mikli glasses and looks you up quizzically over them when you make a compliment. This would not intimidate men who could opt for this one easily. Of course the pairing of tobacco with vanilla is a natural, as both materials have interlapping facets, much like a Reisling wine would pair with Ibores cheese perfectly and Tolu balsam is also complimenting the mix. Havana the city has been a reference for years due to its exotic locale and contraband allusions (fragrant examples by Aramis and Tuscany, both Lauder brands, which would make you think of a linen-suited Robert Redford gambling away in Havana, the film, while rescuing beautiful political objectors in the shape of Lena Olin).

The boozier aspects of Vanille Absolument/Havana Vanille (discernible rum, the "aged rum and sweet air of Cuba") recall to mind the decadent and rather debauched Spiritueuse Double Vanille by Guerlain (also referenced by NST), a fragrance that has lured many with its dense cloud of smokey vanilla-pod aspects highlighting the darker elements of the husks. This thick, succulent trend has been played for a while now and doesn't seem like fading yet. Indult went for broke with their intensely darkish-vanilla-rich Tihota (great-smelling stuff, yet for those prices you're set with some Vanille Noire du Mexique which resembles it); in Vanille Absolument (Havana Vanille) you get the feeling that the perfumer was trying to preserve a Cold War policy of equal distance from all those references: a little bit of everything but not exactly of the same mind.
What caught my attention about the new L'Artisan creation mainly is the underlying notes of dried fruits with their Lutensian tonality (treated the Coke Zero way, mind you!) and the caramelised maple-like immortelle note that peaks through ~the way it did subtly in the forgotten opus of Annick Goutal Eau de Monsieur by Isabelle Doyen or the more modern vanilla-laced Cuir Béluga by Olivier Polge. The (synthetic) moss doesn't blurr the overall composition into too dangerous territories to my nose and the terrain remains terra ferma with only a leathery hint that doesn't derive from bitter quinolines, but instead the narcissus absolute.
The longevity of Vanille Absolument (Havana Vanille) is average and the sillage is discreet, melding into a skin scent on me within the hour. Like The Non Blonde says it's "understated,without being low brow".

Vanilla seems all the rage again with everyone in the niche sector issuing one, falling into different stratagems: starting with the uber-luxurious, air-spun ~and floral really~ Vanille Galante by Hermès and the correspondingly diaphanous, citrusy Vanilla & Anise by Jo Malone which we reviewed the other day, on to the upcoming Patricia de Nicolai Vanille Intense and the upcoming Creed Vanille. Rumour has it that the groundbreaking (at its time) Vanilia by L'Artisan, which caused ripples with its brightly and kitchily artificial ethylmaltol note of cotton-candy (popularised much later by Angel and its clones in patchouli-laced compositions), will be replaced by the newest Vanille Absolument (Havana Vanille) in the L'Artisan portfolio. The reason could be the upcoming IFRA restrictions, although those wouldn't affect ethylmaltol I believe. It could also be latent style concerns, since the older one issued 31 years ago reflects a direction no longer en vogue. If this is news that has your wallet vibrating with worrisome anxiousness, better stock up before it is too late. On the other hand, if that fluorescent vanilla ice-cone of a scent isn't your cup of tea (and I admit although I admire it intellectually I can very rarely wear it), then you will be probably overjoyous with the newest Vanille Absolument (Havana Vanille).
I predict it will be much better received commercially than many of the latest L'Artisan scents exactly because of its "easy" reading that doesn't require coinnoisseurship. If you're searching for a more economical "twin" to Spiritueuse Double Vanille without the $220 tag attached, then you're all set. Personally, having cornered the vanilla issue in a precious few, select choices and prefering the oddly cuddly cardboard-and-soft animals'-underside of L'Artisan's Dzing! I am not so sure whether I'd rush to buy a full bottle of Vanille Absolument (Havana Vanille); probably not. But I am almost certain many will.

Notes for L'Artisan Vanille Absolument/Havana Vanille:
Top : Rum, mandarin, orange, clove
Heart : Dried fruits, narcissus absolute, rose, tobacco leaf, helichrysum/immortelle (everlasting flower)
Base : Madagascar and Mexican vanilla absolutes, tonka bean, benjoin, tolu balsam, vetiver, moss, musks, leather

Vanille Absolument (formerly Havana Vanille) comes in 50ml/1.7oz and 100ml/3.4oz bottles of Eau de Parfum. The scent is officially launching in October and testers are already appearing here and there.
L'Artisan is planning to surprise us delightfully with another launch later this year!

Related reading on Perfumeshrine: L'Artisan reviews and news,Vanillaand Gourmand fragrances

Photo by Walker Evans Parquet Central III via thephil.org

Myth Debunking: Scented Candles Accused of Causing Cancer? The Truth Revealed

If you're any phobic about the big C disease at all, you'd bettter skip this article or you'll get ideas. Or rather you should read it to decipher another bunch of C, the kind that has you nodding your head incredulously and exclaiming "my, my!"

After all the IFRA brouhaha that erupted last spring concerning the strictening of perfumery raw materials control and percentage allowed in commercial products {you can read about it clicking the highlighted links}, there comes intimidating news concerning even the humble ~or not so humble, depending on your decadence quota and disposable income~ scented candle! According to a fun two-sided approach on the Telegraph.co.uk, in which scented candles are praised and trashed respectively by Becky Pugh and Nick Collins based mainly on aesthetic and cultural reasons, it also transpires that "Researchers at South Carolina State University have discovered that the humble scented candle releases potentially harmful amounts of toxins". How scary, right?

To be thorough we investigated this info a little (our geeky nature cannot be hidden for long). Here are some of the claims of the research:

"This study characterized the products of emission by individually burning 91 candles inside a stainless steel combustion chamber and determining specific emission rates of soot, benzene and lead. Candle soot was typically less than 1 µm, contained up to 66% elemental carbon and carried numerous adsorbed organic compounds including dibutyl phthalate, diethyl phthalate, toluene and styrene. Volatile organic compound emissions included benzene, styrene, toluene, ethyl benzene, naphthalene, acetylaldehyde, benzaldehyde, benzene, ethanol, and 2-butanone (methyl ethyl ketone). Analysis for lead revealed some candles emitted significant quantities of aerosolized lead during combustion".

The quote originates from "Characterisation of Scented candle emissions and associated public health risks" by J. David Krause, Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, College of Public Health, University of South Florida, August 1999.

Please note the date folks: 1999!!! I mean, geez, a whole decade ago! Wouldn't there be more info available till now and wouldn't companies have cottoned up to those claims so as to reduce the hearmful ingredients as much as possible? After all nail polish comes sans toluene or phtalates anymore, therefore why would candles be far behind? And just how many of you burn candles inside a stainless steel combustion chamber, unless you're fetishizing KZ-Dachau (in which case what are you doing reading this venue?). Somehow this piece of "news" is making the rounds on the Internet (see this article on The Daily Mail for some quotes by doctors or this one spinning off the info) and one is picking it after the other which usually has my antennae up on something fishy being behind all that. It's either that "there are no news in August" or...something else. There is the snippet mentioned that "The neighborhood around NPR HQ in Washington is crawling with chemists attending a big meeting of the American Chemical Society this week". Could it be comparable to the war declared on fragrances and the egoes involved in the academic world?

It's quite logical and sane that Nick Collins exclaims on the Telegraph:

"One really has to respect the brass neck of the designers who make these things, because they have got the women of this world eating out of the palm of their hand [...]If candles weren’t primarily an evening product, one might call it daylight robbery – the market in candles is believed to be worth a jaw-dropping £125 million, 90 per cent of which are bought by women. What’s more, the market has increased threefold in the past three years".

Who can argue with that? It's a way to make the economy roll! Still I would like to focus more on this attitude as presented by Becky Pugh:

"Being, without doubt, a luxury item, it's hard to justify the cost, especially as the inconvenient truth is that the cheaper the candle, the sicklier its fragrance. So although every homeware store, and even supermarket, now stocks a range of them, you need a fairly posh one for it to be worthwhile".

Indeed one would presume that the real danger healthwise, the lead-treated wicks, are often eliminated from more expensive candles, while paraffin (a cheap by-product of petroleum) is less opted for in favour of soy wax. "Candles made from soybean-derived wax didn't show the same pattern of potentially toxic emissions" [quote source] although scientists are wary of cautioning this is merely qualitative info. Did the soybeans manufacturers lobby up for their product or was the Candlemaking Foundation caught asleep at the wheel? From the following ~published on the above source~ it transpires that something is rotten in the kingdom of Denmark: Scott Hensley notes:

"One more caveat: the work is funded by the Department of Agriculture, which wouldn't mind if soybean-based candles became the rage. As a summary of the research under the headline "Soybean Candles For Healthy Life And Well Being" puts it: 'By replacing paraffin wax with soy wax in candles, an estimated 60 million pounds of soybeans would be required for annual candle production. This requirement will have a direct economic impact on soybean farmers as well as a health and environmental impact in this country'."

Draw your own conclusions!

Of course one could also claim that soy is one of the most heavily genetically-modified products on the planet (and it's in the top 3 actually) so that would open a whole new can of worms, but you know what I am getting at, don't you! And to further this, there is also the fact of a scientist for one company going public on MSNBC that an industry study a few years ago could essentially not differenciate between paraffin-based and vegetable-based candles' emissions!!

Personally I would be wary of linking cancer to any of these products: cancer is increasingly identified as being a genetical predisposition (and believe me I know, I have family members working in cancer research at top notch institutions), meaning you will get it anyway if you're so DNA-inclined and panic certainly doesn't help, nor would banning scented candles bring any significant results; I'd venture that industrial and urban air pollution is hundreds of times more detrimental in exarcebating cancer growth. Like an intelligent commenter noted: "I think the only way to avoid cancer-causing materials these days is to move into a bubble. Unless the plastic turns out to be a cancer-causer too…which it will". Another writer at The Guardian "gets" it, although to her scented candles are a no-no due to other reasons; but that's totally cool and she might have a point (the article is worth a read).
The claim that scented candles "could trigger asthma attacks or skin complaints (ie/eczema)", according to the American Chemical Society's annual conference, that I can believe. But surely the solution to that would be quite simple: avoid whenever possible. Like with smoking, a certain regard for other people's comfort goes a long way...

David's The Death of Marat has been cleverly manipulated to include Cire Trudon candles in papermag.com. I found it supremely fitting! Aqua di Parma candles via splendora.com

Would you Like Some Brut with your Scented Memories sir?

"Brut - launched in 1964 by boxing legend Sir Henry Cooper and famously worn by Kevin Keegan, who liked to splash it all over - this week celebrates its 45th birthday and its combination of sandalwood, bergamot, citrus and lavender is still instantly recognisable". {a perceptive reader tells me it's actually Cooper who was appearing on ads advocating splashing all over, there are factual mistakes on the quoted article from the Daily Record linked below}
They seem to be forgetting the crucial essence of this macho typhoon by Fabergé with the dog-collar chained on the distinctive green bottle ~the intense nitromusks garlanding it with all the bravado of a man who didn't have to try too hard and which made for several ones who did try too hard by overapplying this strong and memorable potion onto their burly chests in the hopes of "getting some". The now banned synth musks that were all the rage in the 70s have been replaced and Brut doesn't smell as daring. (please note the stuff in plastic bottles is a watered-down version as opposed to the glass ones)
But it's this masculine cologne anniversary that prompted several well-known people to reveal what reminds them of their youthful Saturday nights in an article in The Daily Record.
The replies vary from the (very British) Vimto drink to classic perfumes (Ma Griffe, Tweed) to simpler and predictable aromata (honeysuckle or newly-cut grass) all the way to more unexpected stuff (Elnett hairspray ~a scent I love myself and the only hairspray I use~ and sheep dung, a smell I do not but which is everywhere in Britain). One of them was basking in Bono's aftershave. Pity he didn't identify it for us.

Pic of Brut classic via 99perfumes.com

Praise for Sierra Solid Gold by Roxana Illuminated Perfume

Roxana of Roxana Illuminated Perfume makes some lovely botanical fragrances with which we have occupied ourselves on this venue before and her super-duper cuties of solid minis have pride of place on my very own desk as we speak. (she also sends them encased in either a lovely velvet green pouch or a papier mâché box that is too sweet for words).

It's therefore with joy that I discovered someone else also found one of her creations worthwhile while perusing the Net. Praising the virtues of solids (they don't spill, they slip into a handbag, are travel-friendly and discreet) Erin Flaherty remarks on The Frisky that "This botanical scent, Sierra Solid Gold, is not going to make people a mile away sit up and smell you. Instead it’s a clean yet well-rounded blend of green conifers like spruce, fir and pine, mixed with warm notes of vanilla, tonka bean, spice and orange. It’s the perfect fragrance to take from late summer well into fall". Couldn't have said it better myself!
Super affordable on Etsy.

"When You’re Young, you Don’t Really Understand the Idea of Less is More"

There is a peculiar sense of style running with Ann Hatahaway it seems. According to My Fashion Life the 26-year-old actress is so brand-loyal/icon-impressed she even opts for things she doesn't really, really like!

“I will always love Chanel and I am completely irrational when it comes to their clothes. I will see a dress and not like it but when I hear it’s Chanel, I suddenly have to have it.” This apparently has earned her a place on the Best Dressed List recently, although one has to wonder: if you don't actively like what you're wearing does that make you stylish? She has also been famously known to opt for Maresha, Valentino, Dolce & Gabbana, Nina Ricci, and Marc Jacobs among others. Ann reverts to simpler fashions for everyday life, following the lead of Kate Winslet.
Could fragrances be far behind, we wondered? According to our Celebrity List not, since Ann seems to have been opting for Chanel's Chance for some while now. Is it because she likes it as much or is it because it's Chanel? Therein lies the question (with many others too I bet), still her fragrant reminiscences are interesting: “I remember being given my first fragrance when I was 12. It was a peach body spray and when you’re young, you don’t really understand the idea of less is more. Now, as the face of Lancome’s Magnifique I have to say that it’s one of my favourite scents. I love the smell of fresh roses.”
What happened to Les Exclusifs to which I am sure she has free access along with her Chanel gowns? I will ascribe this one to a diplomatic reply.

Pic of Ann Hathaway in Chanel look from the film The Devil Wears Prada via replicasreview.com

More advertising watching: Mariah Carey, preview for Forever, new celebrity scent

With not one but two signature scents under her belt, M by Mariah Carey and Luscious Pink, and a third one, Forever, just about to launch this September, Mariah Carey seems more set on perfumes than music albums it seems. She’s debuting her ads online exclusively on PEOPLE.com, from where the pic is weaned from. According to Mariah:“Fragrance is so personal and Forever captures that glamorous feeling that I want to share with my fans.” Forever is described as an "opulent floral scent, which will contain notes of lotus blossom, tuberose, gardenia, exotic woods and white musk". The fragrance will retail for $42 for a 1-oz. spray.

What I have to note concerning the imagery chosen by Elizabeth Arden, the company under the aegis of which Mariah's perfumes are materialised, is that the picture looks a little skewed and quite Photoshopped to make Mariah a bit ...unrecognisable. Maybe not as heavily Photoshopped as this ad for Chanel with Keira Knightley we discussed the other day, but messed with, at any rate.

I love the 30s satin dress in ivory and the choice of glitzy art-deco jewelry to match the style like a silver screen siren (shades of Jean Harlow), but the pose of Mariah looks unnatural ~whose hair would adopt such an angle, since if you notice she's not really leaning on the cushions~ and her face looks weird; I've seen her in better pics, honestly! The bottle of the fragrance also looks a little...hmmm....
Anyway, best of luck to her I suppose and hope she gets back to recording her amazing voice.

Pic of bottle via Upscaleswagger

Jo Malone Vanilla & Anise: fragrance review

In contemplating the newest Jo Malone fragrance, Vanilla & Anise, one reverts to an overview of the brand, originally founded by one resourceful English woman and now owned by the gigantic Lauder group.

One of the ~superficial, you might judge~ attractions of the Jo Malone brand for me personally has always been that delicious waffle-toned packaging with the black, scented tissue paper and the matching ribbon-tied rectangular boxes: pure class and understated luxury at the drop of (the exactly right) panama hat. No big logos on the carrier bag, no glaring exhibits of glitz. The stacked-up bottles in the boutiques (like the one I had visited in London) make for the deeply satisfying feeling one gets when they manage to uniformly bind a collection of books in personally initialized leather: arguably my own library needs some work towards that end, as only a fraction has received that treatment yet, but I live in hope! Still Jo Malone's library of fragrances presents the same expectations: classy exteriors with contents to be savouringly explored.

The line has so far presented a division of sorts in its pleiad of offerings: there are the Jane Austens, full of sunlight, social banter and light character studies (French Lime Blossom, Lime Basil and Mandarin, Jasmine & Honeysuckle); and there are the Dostoyevsky-wannabes (Pomegranate Noir, 154, Wild Fig & Cassis, Nutmeg & Ginger). Unfortunately sometimes the latter resemble The Gambler, a dare of the Russian master to write up a novella in a month while simultaneously immersed in his famous masterpiece: they take place in Roulettenberg! Vanilla & Anise is placed someplace between the two: its intentions and onoma allude to the latter while the scent itself to the former.

Vanilla as a note seems to be experiencing a revival in niche and upscale brands with the innovative and ultra-luxurious Vanille Galante by Hermès {review link}, along with the newest Havana Vanille by L'Artisan {info here}, a reworking on their vanilla notion, many years after the candy-cotton ethylmaltol innovation of their ice-cream cone hologram Vanilia. I am saying a revival in the niche and upscale brands specifically, because the mainstream sector never abandonded their romantic notions of vanilla being an aphrodisiac; a snowballing concept to be brought to its rightful source: Guerlain and their great classics. The rewoking of vanilla in modern creations is a fresh approach of cleverly interwoven cool and warm facets, resembling changeant fabrics and eschewing the simplistic ice-cream flavourings that have occupied the lower end of the market for more than a decade now.

Per Jo Malone Vanilla & Anise is intended to “transport you to the floral valleys of Madagascar the moment that vanilla orchids bloom at day-break” since regardless of the fact that the vanilla orchid originated in Mexico, it is Madagascar which is today’s largest producer of vanilla. Curiously enough the scent isn't dominated by either vanilla or (star) anise, no matter the gourmand allusions these two might insinuate by their culinary proclivities. The surprise hiding under one of Malone's most successful creations, Lime Basil and Mandarin, has always been the peeking of an unexpected edginess under the greeting familiarity and this element has sneaked its way in Vanilla & Anise as well. In this case it is the bittersweet effect of the oleander note (and perhaps coumarinic accents) alongside the intense citrus touches (bergamot, neroli) clearly discernible, giving a decidedly summer feeling of vacationing at a resort someplace warm. If Hermès hadn't already issued the magnificent Vanille Galante one season ago with its predominatly lily-esque petal softness, I would have been marvelling at the new approach and applauding the delicate, meringue treatment rendered here, all crispy exteriors and airy insides. Nevertheless, given the fact that they already have in a most successful way artistically, I am less impressed the second time around.
Still, Vanilla & Anise should please those hankering after a luminous, air-spun lightly sweet fragrance with discreet floral touches, especially if they nostalgise about summery pleasures in the heart of winter. Those who prefer their vanillas folded into Dr.Oetker baking mixes or alternatively those who want them smokey-eyed and showing some hint of tushie beneath black see-through should go look for something else.

Notes for Jo Malone Vanilla & Anise:
Top Notes: Sicilian Bergamot, Tunisian Neroli, Wild Fennel Flower, Star Anise
Middle Notes: Oleander, Tuberose, Frangipani, Purple Vanilla Orchid
Base Notes: Madagascar Clove, White Amber, Vetiver Bourbon, Vanilla Bourbon Absolute, Tonka.

International launch for Vanilla & Anise is expected in September, but the scent has already reached Nordstorm, the 100ml costs £64, 30ml is £32. Visit the official Jo Malone site here.

Related reading on Perfume Shrine: Anise, wormwood and absinthe series

Painting by Colette Calascione via formfiftyfive.com

Keira shows some breast instead of chest for Coco Mademoiselle

What is Keira up to now? Ooopsie, doopsie, she's baring a breast or two, nicely plumped through Photoshop of course (a repeat actually), if Internet candids are anything to go by, in order to sell a unianimously best-selling fragrance by Chanel, Coco Mademoiselle.

A photo that looks like a spin on an already artistically successful print campaign which we analysed in detail in our "In a Suspender State of Mind" article. Why? I mean...what's the point? The advertising image was plenty sexy without showing any inch of skin before and although I am no prude, it somehow doesn't need it. Did we give them ideas with our Charlotte Rampling in "Night Porter" references in the above article? Let's not "eulogise our beard" just yet. It would be super neat if big companies listened to perfume writers such as myself and many others, but we're a long way from influencing campaigns, alas.


So what's new? That the behind the scenes shot shows more ribcage or that there is the mysterious double standard that reminds me of the duality of European and American versions of the Tom Ford masterminded Paris menage à trois shoot for Yves Saint Laurent some years ago? (contrasted here on this article) And Tom Ford and Keira have conspired on a nude picture before for Vanity Fair. Hmmm....

What do you think? Do you like it? Do you prefer the more covered one? Why/Why not?

Images sent to me by a valued friend, unacredited. They seem to appear on the Examiner (not any more!) , hollywoodgossip and showhype.com

Kasia Smutniak fronts the upcoming Idole d'Armani

Recently we had speculated whether the face of the upcoming feminine fragrance of Giorgio Armani would be Angelina Jolie when news of an agreement between the uber-mom and the designer had hit the newstands. Backed with the collaboration with David Beckhman for the eagerly expected advertising campaign we had even composed a collage for a prospective naughty shooting idea! Yet the reality as hinted by one of our most clever readers was different: it seems like the powerful celebrity duo will front another franchise in the Armani perfume-brand, especially since Victoria Beckhman has ended her one-year contract with the designer for the brand's Emporio Armani (but her husband has not). The news is that Idole will be fronted by Polish actress Kasia Smutniak.

"I chose Kasia to be the face of my new fragrance, Idole d'Armani, because she has a fresh and modern appeal which combines true feminine sensuality and rare beauty with inner strength of character. She embodies the spirit of the Idole d'Armani woman perfectly", said Giorgio Armani. {source} Judging by her model looks (look at her prominent bone structure!) I don't see many women identifying with her really, nor do I see anything distinctive and out of the expectedly pretty as proposed by the art directors, but maybe I am overpicky visually or premature in my impressions... And with a name like Kasia, I would have loved for the fragrance to be cassia-based. Oh well...

Idole d'Armani will be available in stores worldwide from September 2009 and you can read an article with preliminary (and perplexing I might add) quotes from mr.Armani on this link and some info on the juice and the bottle on this link.

Related reading on Perfumeshrine: Upcoming releases, Advertising series, Armani news and reviews

Pics of Kasia Smutniak via fashionindie.com and shoppingblog.com

Serge Lutens Fourreau Noir: fragrance review

Noir this, noir that...What is it about Black that makes it creep up on you with the silent force of a nidja? After Serge Noire [click for review] which was inspired by the black serge material used for clothing for so long, now comes Fourreau Noir from il maestro Serge Lutens and his sidekick Christopher Sheldrake. I was lucky to preview it before its official release (next month) and its perplexing attributes have me pondering on its retro ambience.

The name means "black seath", but also the petticoat garment that was used to make dresses with lower-body volume stay crisp is referenced, as staying even today in fashion parlance "en fourreau pleats". The desire to allude to timelessness is evident and one could liken it to perfume companies' desire to present a hint to the classicism of their compositions not destined to be ephemera (although Guerlain's La Petite Robe Noire was nothing but!)
The coumarinic, benzopyrone tonka bean note laced with only a hint of lavender appears fougère-like (hold the moss, please) in Fourreau Noir with a musk bottom that is between proper and improper; an allusion and wordplay almost, between the Latin lavare (to wash, to clean) of lavender and the intimacy of warm caramel-rich musk ~of which Lutens has cornered the market with polar opposites Clair de Musc and Muscs Kublai Khan. If Encens et Lavande and Gris Clair are intensely about lavender, but of the smoky kind and respectively warm and cool, Fourreau Noir is not predominantly about lavender but tips the hat to the extrait de parfum version of Jicky missing its intensely animalic vintage character (ie.civet).
Fougère ("fern-like") forms one pillar of the modern perfume classification, usually masculine-geared, originally founded by the legendary Fougère Royale for Houbigant which was composed by renowned perfumer Paul Parquet. The main accord of this fantasy scent ~ferns don't really have a smell of their own~ includes a bright top note of lavender and sensual base notes of oakmoss and coumarin, with a popular subdivision being "aromatic fougères" which include herbaceous notes, spices and woods.

Atypical for Lutens arguably to go for an overt masculine smell in any of his fragrances, championing the reign of the unisex so far most vehemently (even the virile-looking Vetiver Oriental is more oriental than vetiver in fact!). Yet in Fourreau Noir, the "black sheath" is more of a throw-back to 80s bachelor silk boxer shorts, encasing "peau de mec" (guy's skin) meant to hint at the seductive stakes of a rich playboy that undulates between Bret Easton Ellis heroes ~ Less Than Zero debutants and American Psycho's gang of lawyers~ splashing a bit of Gaultier's Le Male without any inhibitions as to its perceived gay quota, with a hint of patchouli. Contrary to the cocaine-sniffing which such associations would bring to our vortex with the haste of lightining, there is a discreet and revisionistically pleasant whiff of marihuana-incense plus caspirene (the later reminiscent of a gigantic feminine bestseller, can you guess?). Tonka beans also pledge their allegience with hay, vanilla grass (Anthoxanthum odoratum) and sweet grass (Hierochloe odorata) while coumarin, the main component, derived through the cyclization of cinnamic acid, bunches them up all together for the sweet picking. Suffice to say the intemingling is evocative of closely-shaven cheeks (no three-day stubble from this guy!), topping expensive Cerruti suits, dancing dangerously close to yours.
My friend Denyse first mentioned dihydromyrcenol, a synthetic note which Chandler Burr describes as an abomination ("sink cleanser spilled on an aluminum counter"), included in several masculine fougères and aquatics of the 1990s (Drakkar Noir, Cool Water, Aqua di Gio, CK One, YSL Nuit de l’homme, but also Coco Mademoiselle!!). Dihydromyrcenol as a raw material does smell harshly of lime-citrus with a metallic yet also aromatic edge and is very fresh (interpret this as you'd like). However the effect at least when dabbing Fourreau Noir on the skin is not as harsh as all that to me personally, aided by the mock bravado displayed by the sweeter aspects of the composition no doubt, such as a bittersweet myrrh inclusion, a nod to the majestic Lutensian opus La Myrrhe (to which I will revert soon) as well as the other elements mentioned above (impressions of patchouli, ambery hints).

While Fille en Auguilles (the latest export Lutens fragrance, reviewed here) has unlocked precious memories for me, this one has not produced the same reverie yet, perhaps because that dizzying lifestyle hasn't been mine. If he offers Fourreau Noir, with a handheld velours compact hiding an expensive jewel but shutting swiftly before you touch it as a joke, question yourself about accepting: are you frizzily-haired Pretty Woman enough for it?

Serge Lutens Fourreau Noir notes: tonka bean and lavender, with musk, almond and lightly smoky accents.

Fourreau Noir officially debuts on 1st September 2009 as an exclusive to Les Salons du Palais Royal in Paris (75 ml, 110 €) in the familiar bell-jars that stack up on the purple and black shelves. The picture depicts the Limited Edition bottle which is in total disaccord with anything opulently Lutensian so far: I am perplexed but also intrigued despite myself!
Edit to add: People have been wanting that kitty bottle. Might I point out that it is only the Limited Edition bottle and those go for 850 euros each :-(

Related reading on Perfume Shrine: Serge Lutens news and reviews, Paris shopping


Pics Less Than Zero via pastemagazine.com, Pretty Woman via blog.jinni.com.

Back from holidays.....

And preparing several surprises for you, including a new Series on an important Material, exotic treasures and corresponding pictures as well as news and reviews of forgotten classics and new releases.
But we will kick off the bat later today with a sneak preview of the upcoming exclusive Lutens fragrance, announced previously on these pages!



In the clip Charles Castronovo sings Nadir's aria from Georges Bizet's "Les Pecheurs des Perles" (The Pearl Fishers), a magnificent opera set in ancient Ceylon, which perfectly captures the sweet nostalgia the passing of these holidays is already producing in me.

"Encore je crois entendre encore caché sous les palmiers
Sa voix tendre et sonore comme un chant de ramiers.
Oh nuit enchanteresse, divin ravissement.
Oh souvenir charmant, folle ivresse, doux rêve!
Aux clartés des étoiles je crois encore la voir entr'ouvrir ses longs voiles aux vents tièdes du soir.
Oh nuit enchanteresse, divin ravissement.
Oh souvenir charmant, folle ivresse, doux rêve!"

"I still believe I hear, hidden beneath the palm trees, your voice tender and deep like the song of a dove.
Oh night enchantress, divine rapture,
delightful thought mad intoxication, sweet dream in the clear starlight
I still believe I see in between the long sails of the warm night breeze.
Oh night enchantress, divine rapture.
Oh charming souvenir, delightful thought, mad intoxication, sweet dream!"

Underlying Notes by Eva Pasco: book review

Carla Matteo, a woman who is narrating her mid-life crisis and her hard-earned wisdom at the end of it, goes on through life's vagaries by taking to the bottle...the perfume bottle, that is! Yes, Carla is a regular perfume aficionado with a genuine fragrance passion that manifests itself in every corner and crook and Underlying Notes is her story.

Summer is the perfect time for a little light reading and several people I know revert to genres that are easy and well-suited to the pool cocktails or the straw-topped umbrelas on the sandy beach. Myself I leave Plato be and turn to Yannis Maris and his noir detective fiction and feel all the richer for it. Perfume enthusiasts have another focus too: books that are centered around perfume. That category is wide and includes endeavours from the more scientific & informed to the glossy coffee-table tomes and the caustically witty guides. But those rarely go well with the above-mentioned environment and are often cumbersome to drag along. No, the pleasure of discovering perfume references in a simple paperback novel is far greater for those moments and proves memorable in its own way. Romance novel writer and perfume lover Eva Pasco decided to do just that and write her debut book with a staggering amount of perfume name-dropping (and even descriptions that go into the notes!). As her heroine admits:

"I don't consider myself an addict anymore than someone who fancies himself or herself a collector of fine art, wine, rare books, antiques, stamps, or comics. I view this pursuit as a noble enterprise to elevate my olfactory senses, satisfy momentary whims, relive memories, restore tranquility, or boost flagging energy. Above all, fragrance completes me. I'd no more forgo fragrance than skip brushing my teeth or showering each day." (chapter 1)

I admit that when I first saw the recommendation on Amazon ("for women over 40"), I was left a little aghast, my mouth a little open, questioning both the apparent idiocy of such a recommendation (do women change that dramatically over 40 that even their reading choices should follow?) and my own interest in the material. Being short of reaching that landmark (if only I had the wisdom...) and not a fan of "women-geared" literature (chic-lit) on the whole, I was hesitant. However, upon reading it, I understood why the recommendation was made in the first place and mentally justified it a little more leniently this time.
This is clearly a book written by a woman; a woman who takes the center stage role of narrator and whose rite of passage is documented from a woman's perspective on the first person. On top of that that rite of passage does have to do with middle-age and the going through signposts that involve marriage, a possible seperation, setting up a new business, abandoning one's own dreams in favour of a spouse's and the intricasies of calibrating one's life into fitting many different roles ~much like women have been doing in the last century at least. One might even pick up a beauty tip or two along the way:

"I showered, towel dried, and rubbed China Rose lotion on my skin while damp.When it came time to put on my face, I blended moisturizer with concealer to camouflage the indelible gray south of the borders. I took more time than usual rubbing gel into my hair to lift and flick limp locks into place. As a grooming finale, I sprayed China Rose fragrance in the air, stepped into themist, and for the road, I squirted two pumps of juice onto a cotton ball for tucking inside the cleavage of my bra. When I finished dressing there wasjust enough time for me to round out my morning rituals by logging onto www.mistednotes.com." (chapter 20)

The plot is well-paced and easy to follow, the references are there for those wanting to seek them out and sometimes are chosen to highlight a particular mood or phase or evoking memories that are kept precious:

"That there could be other luscious fragrances lured me to my parents' bedroom where I never tired of exploring the bottles on the vanity tray. I'd loosen the caps and sniff without dabbing, thinking I pulled one over on them. Ma had to know by my vapor trails, but she allowed me this transgression. One day I blurted out my secret, in tears, because I had clumsily knocked over the porcelain southern belle atomizer—a gift from Daddy. The overhead umbrella broke so that it lay over her back, no longer offering protection from the sun and no longer able to spray. The loveliest spicy fragrance was forever entombed because of the irreparable damage I caused.Then Daddy bought me my own vanity tray for my bureau along with a blue bottle of Evening in Paris. About the time my breasts started budding, he gave me Tabu, which my mother disapproved of. In her mind, he granted a daughter license to wear red lipstick and nylons and go on dates. Incidentally, all three criteria would have been met "over his dead body." (chapter 1)

The characters are enjoyable with their own set of quirks; the mother in law and sister are particularly fun to watch, even if the husband, Joe, is a little too good to be 100% true, but I suppose it's important for women to see a man not backing off and supporting their wife's dreams. Even if those involve a little titillating soft-core, I get that the writer's point is that passion isn't dead when one witnesses their second and third ~and umpteenth~ wrinkle:

"He sniffed my scented wrists and inhaled the underlying notes lingering there before tracing his lips along a path from my cleavage down to the brink of my erogenous landscape. He parted my legs, kissed my inner thighs, and swirled his tongue inside the folds of damp flesh. {etc}".

If you enjoy the genre, Underlying Notes is a good companion for your vacation reading.

The book is available on Booklocker on this link.

Related reading on Perfume Shrine: Book reviews

Star Trek perfumes to unleash your inner captain Kirk

"The folks at Genki Wear, a geek themed jewelry manufacturer, have helped the Enterprise explore a strange new world of merchandising and seek out new lifeline accounts and financial liquidations with a line of Star Trek-inspired cologne and perfumes.And these aren't just randomly named perfume brands linked to the show to make a quick buck. The people who branded these babies have done their homework. The brands include two fragrances for men, Tiberius and Red Shirt, and for the ladies, an ultra-sensual pheromone love potion called Pon Farr Perfume". Read the whole article on TVSquad.

Tiberius, is said to contain notes of sweet citron zest, black pepper and cedar, while Red Shirt is "bright, clean and direct with top notes of green mandarin, bergamot and a hint of lavender", both for men who want to embody Kirk or Picard (there are two distinct groups of Trekdom and you don't to mess with the wrong one). Pon Farr Perfume, named for the septennial mating ritual of Vulcans has "light, clean top notes of citrus, blackcurrant, lotus blossom and water lily, and with base notes from sandalwood, peach and mulberry".

The Star Trek paraphernalia business isn't over. It has merely progressed to the next natural stage...