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The cult lingerie brand further elaborates: "[Pétale Noir] is a deep floral scent with a hint of oriental mystique. The launch of the new Pétale Noir fragrance personifies the modern and naturally confident woman, but be warned, she knows what she wants and knows how to get it. The fragrance is made with the finest of oils featuring dramatic florals for the heart and precious woods, enhanced by musk crystals and sweet spicy accords that ignite the senses. A rich, vintage rose pink juice, perfectly complements the delicately floral, and beautifully shaped sensual bottle. Yet beware, things are not how they seem as the soft petals make way for dangerous prickly thorns. This contrast in mood is further emphasised by a striking black chain around the neck, symbolising the stark suggestive passion that binds us together".
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Hmm. Wonder which florals. I like the original AP but haven't been as enamored of the rest of the line.
ReplyDeleteThey don't define as yet. :/
ReplyDeleteI put my money on the usual though (usual as in ingredients rather than "notes" such as methyl ionone, hedione, etc.). Everyone uses the same stuff these days.
I do like Maitresse as well as the original. They're rather good amidst the general "meh". :-)
If a striking black chain suggests the passion that binds them together, should they perhaps seek help? Or a locksmith...
ReplyDeleteThey seem confused as to whether their woman is confident (which suggests independence) or bound - a regular combination in their imagery. Perhaps she could hold a key?
I know this is modern sexy & popular (?) imagery, but I find it hard to picture someone writing that stuff with a straight face.
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ReplyDeleteHello Elena,
ReplyDeleteI wonder how it would be like.
I'm not usually a fan of Agent's perfumes because they transcedent some weird associations without any specific reason.
Juraj
BL'eauOG
There was also STRIP which is my best from the AP line...a fabulous amber-woody scent !!!
ReplyDeletePetale noir is absolutely lovely, it's pretty much a floral and not a dark scent at all(Petale noir).It has a suede touch at the opening but it's fresh and its heart blooms of white petals...magnolia flower gives it a lemony feeling ,and it's base is soft and woody!
C,
ReplyDeleteLOL!!!
Ad copy thrives on being somewhat open to interpretation, me thinks, as the public will then be more inclined to fill in the way they prefer it. It can often become hilarious however exactly because it's so easy to lapse into non-sensical.
Seriously now....
I think the imagery of the chains that bind them together etc. are a clear nod to S/M, which the brand isn't opposed to aesthetically/stylistically (even though IMHO they typically bypass the more esoteric for the purely sensational/titillating in all their ad copy).
Having said that, personally I don't find a discrepancy between confidence and being "bound" (if the latter is to be taken as a 100% free choice, of course!). There is nothing more entangled and confusing than the feminist issues of women's freedom and sometimes in the earnestness to lift oppression where oppression lies they bypass a woman's uncontested free right to give herself how she choices. If bound that is, then so be it.
Just my 2 cents.
Juraj,
ReplyDeletethe Agent fragrances are generally good ones from what I have tested so far. Of course I have not tested them all! The original is rich, nuanced, very sexy! (and could be used by a man too).
As to the associations, they do come off "some way". (They try to be playful and they sometimes ridicule themselves) Please refer to my comment above to Miss Heliotrope/C for further indications on what I think.
Tomatefarcie,
ReplyDeleteMiss Heliotrope is terrific with the jokes! :-)
I laughed out loud too!
Supposedly they're trying to be naughty/playful. It can backfire sometimes...(Not to mention make it sound like they're parodying people who are in the particular lifestyle)
Anon,
ReplyDeleteanother one of my dear readers mentioned Strip in an email and questioned whether that would make the AP fragrances more numerous than indicated.
I will say the same I told her: Strip, wonderful though it was (I got an incensey vibe from it too, which I thought was smashing given the subtext!) was a limited edition from the get-go. From what I know ,they do not count LEs towards the official count of how many scents there are in the line. Pity, but there you have it.
Suede...now we're talking! If Bottega Veneta has managed to catapult leather notes from the niche market into the mainstream, I will die a happy camper! :-)
Thanks for the delightful and titillating promise of the new Agent Provocateur scent. Sounds lovely! Will be sure to give it a try if possible and see what I think.
Anon/spammer,
ReplyDeleteepic fail! Not the even the links were turned into links.
Take your commercial viagra trash elsewhere.
I totally agree that free choice in the S&M stuff is fine & part of doing as you want - & some of the imagery associated is beautiful (Ellen von Unwerth's stuff, for ex), but AP seem to end up making it seem boring - they dont often appear to be enjoying themselves (whilst pretending not to, of course) - all very earnest.
ReplyDeleteYou are correct that too much official feminism dictates what can & cant happen as much as anti-women's rights stuff. The whole ensuring fully informed independent free will agreement is long winded & one would probably fall asleep before finishing filling in the forms that allow one to pick up the whip.
C,
ReplyDeleteI think you hit the nail on the head: too much earnestness to be really appealing!
They do make nice undies though. If only their ad copy was as clever. :-D
With so many violations of human rights (and women's rights are human rights too) going on in the planet, it's not a bad thing that there is attention given to issues that might -just might- veer into the unpleasant and the abusive. Now that 50 Shades of Grey (which I hear is a smashing success) has made it to the soccer moms, I wonder just how many will leap from the fantasy realm into a perhaps dangerous attachment to who knows what pervert on the Net or in the greater neighborhood. Not every woman knows how to protect herself, so I guess the vocal feminists are doing a valuable service.
Then again, not all people who like/engage in that sort of thing are victims of childhood abuse, brainwashed by their partners, searching for dangerous thrills, co-dependent, yada yada yada. As with most things in sex (hey, in any partnership really!) it all boils down to trust. Sane and consensual adults engage in sane and consensual practices, no matter whether you label them S/M or not. It's that simple.
i love maitresse the best, then agent, then strip. they are all very good scents, so i look forward to this new one!
ReplyDeletecheers,
minette
J,
ReplyDeletehello there, how are you? Happy New Year!
Yes, they do make nice perfumes, different than most which is a big plus. I'm looking forward to testing for myself.
O - I spent yesterday doing a big response/discussion & it's gone - was it me?
ReplyDelete