Creed is celebrating 250 years of family business apparently and therefore have issued the Royal Exclusives line: Notice the cunning use of Royal accolades for something completely new which surely can't have been commissioned by any royal personage? Especially since this is a release for the American market who is dazzled by royalty. We, Europeans have a much different view on them, having known them from all the bad angles, I'm afraid... Anyway, there's nothing wrong with a little bit of marketing on the part of Oliver Creed, so I won't insist on this minor point.
So after Sublime Vanilla,
Creed Spice & Wood marries two of the favourite themes of many perfume lovers, thus also hinting at an "old school" thematology. Would the material be treated in a such a way?
The inspiration was reported to be the pairing of Antony and Cleopatra and I couldn't but recall of the line about Marc Antony's sexual tastes which leaned "more to the molded cheese than the pure one off the cheesemaker's" as jotted down by Octavia, his 3rd wife and antagonist of his GrecoEgyptian lover. I guess Creed missed that part.
So, is it? Is it not? Who cares...saying that a fragrance was inspired by some perfume that Cleopatra or Marc Antony wore, or from fragments of anything that belonged to them, might cut it with the average consumer.
What matters is the fragrance itself. And alongside the promised spices and woods there is a more esoteric accord, which runs through some of the Creeds, a bit metallic, a tad salty. There is also a touch of a Cuir de Russie pungency, thanks to white birch featured, but nothing out of this world. The dominant wood is cedar, both austere and a little sensual, with a bit of that petroleum note which it takes in many modern compositions instead of the pencil shavings that we're accustomed to think of when cedar is mentioned. The base overall has some similarities with Aventus, a previous Creed fragrance with which it shares notes on paper, as well as Original Santal (a modern offering despite the "original" in its tag line), differentiated by the spiciness ~nowhere near Baie de Genievre alas~ which comes across as peppery-clove-y (iso-eugenol) and an abscence of sweetness. Overall, despite the expectations, it's a subtle, delicately warm fragrance without old-fashioned richness, more transparent and modern than anything; like they're pulling an Hermes on us, only with royal insignia to boot. I guess it works for the intended audience.
Parthian shot: Is it very masculine, you ask? Creed says: "Spice and Wood is the luxury asset hand made for men -- but also intensely enjoyed by women". Two birds with one stone, but of course!
Notes for Creed Spice & Wood:
Top: bergamot, lemon, Italian Court Pendu Plat apples from Rome
Heart: angelica root, Luxor rose, clove, desrt pepper, patchouli, white birch
Base: Egyptian iris, cedar, oakmoss, musk.
Creed Spice and Wood is available in Eau de Parfum in a 250ml/8.4oz bottle made by Pochet et du Courval with a spray mechanism for 550$ from the Creed boutique and soon from retailers who distribute the line. Erwin Creed, 29, seventh generation of Creed and its future head, visits the U.S. in November, upin which occasion he will make public appearances at Bergdorf Goodman and select Neiman Marcus stores coast to coast, presenting the fragrance to the public for the first time and signing bottles. Please see all the dates and places of Erwin's US tour dates on this article.
Pic by Antoine Helbert via Chateau Thombeau
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
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I personally do not know any Americans who are 'dazzled' by royalty. We fought and defeated royalty long ago and and find the 'royalty' of today, celebrities, to be equally immaterial to what fragrance we wish to wear.
ReplyDeleteKat,
ReplyDeletethanks for stopping by and commenting!
Not to offend at all, never my intention. I was really thinking of actual royalty as in soveireign, not a long-distance monarch colony-style. Believe me, Europeans (especially Southern Europeans) have much worse tales to tell in that regard, since royalty intervened in everyday life.
As to the "fascination/dazzling part" I was really going on the appeal of the Kennedys as "the Camelot" of the US etc; as well as the vast & prolonged interest in Lady Di, which is a particularly Anglo-Saxon fascination (and not 100% accountable on the other side of the Atlantic, hence the "oddity" in my mind, although this might be totally subjective).
It somehow seemed a propos seeing as Creed are marketing this primarily to the US! ;-)
Hmm... the notes sound a lot better than your summation of the scent, and we both know whom I will trust! ;-) I really haven't sampled very many Creeds and honestly, I don't think I've missed much.
ReplyDeleteI have to agree with my fellow commenter - I too would argue about Americans being dazzled by royalty. I can only give you my personal experience, which is that the current British queen is a frequent visitor to central Ky. to visit her horses. No one cares and there is absolutely no fanfare in the media. I do understand the point you make about the Kennedys (our own "royalty") but I'm not sure that that many Americans are still fascinated by Princess Di. However, we're such a large and diverse population that one can find anything and everything here!
Hugs,
Donna
Lots of interesting information on the Creed, ah, heritage.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.basenotes.net/threads/257727-Creed-Royal-Warrants?p=1909558&highlight=#post1909558
Which of creed is best female scent white flower or subline vanilla
ReplyDelete