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Wednesday, January 28, 2015

Histoires de Parfums Petroleum (Edition Rare): fragrance review

All the colors of a bruise: black and blue, teal green edging out in purple, fading to rosy, ending in ochre yellow like ancient parchment.

The electrical buzz of arc-welding, fiery orange sparks filling out the skies, the rusty mine of the shipwreck. The air filled with a mineral, scorched feel. The plank-plank of cork wedges hitting the iron ore at the loading decks.

A leather cloth, all smeared with wax. The musty smell of the hold of an old ship. He had his hair loose and oily with sweat and ambery brilliantine. My hand aching from trying to hold tight onto the lower mast. I said "I'm hurt". He should have said, "honey, let me heal it", like Bruce. Only he never said it; not in so many words.
John Klingel

Petroleum by Histoires de Parfums is Gerald Ghislain's story on oudh, the prophylactic defensive rot on Aquillaria trees and its resinous, nutty, woody, complex scent. Infused with fizzy orange, musty patchouli and a prolonged furry, white musk aftertaste, lasting hours, purring after the roar, Petroleum is the gift of the earth in an unassuming bottle. This oudh étude surpasses many others, in a masterful cadenza of chromatic tonalities: from black and blue, teal green edging out in purple, fading to rosy, ending in ochre yellow like ancient parchment. The chromatics in a drop of "liquid gold", in an old bruise that still aches when pressed.

Tuesday, January 27, 2015

Chanel Les Exclusifs Misia: new fragrance

The fragrance line Les Exclusifs by Chanel has been having its ups and downs through the years, but it has always appealed to customers who are interested in perfume first and foremost, with the famous logo as an addendum rather than the whole raison d'être of the purchase.

Les Exclusifs Misia, named after the best friend of Gabrielle Bonheur (Coco) Chanel, joins the wondrous juices of 31 Rue Cambon, Sycomore, Coromandel, Beige et al, in the exclusive circuit sold at Chanel boutiques and online at the official site of Chanel.com, encased in magnetic closure bottles holding either 200ml or 75ml.

Misia Les Exclusifs by Chanel comprises fragrance notes of violet, May rose from Grasse, Turkish rose, orris, benzoin, tonka bean, and musks. The fragrance of Misia is composed by in-house perfumer Olivier Polge.

Chanel is after all busy in business as usual, with even news of "looking to open a new factory in the Compiègne area of France, creating several hundred jobs and perhaps 10,000 tangential jobs for suppliers in the region", according to French local newspaper, the Courrier Picard.

For those interested in the story between the two women, Lisa Chaney's biography Chanel: An intimate life and Justine Picardie's classic tome Chanel: Sa Vie are both thorough and highly recommended. You can order them following the highlighted links.

notes via Fragrantica

Friday, January 23, 2015

Penhaligon's & L'Artisan Perfumeur: Niche Fragrance Brands Bought by Puig

I have tired of saying it: we're experiencing the end of niche. Niche was a marketing tool to grow companies and then sell them to the highest bidder. The sale of Editions de Frederic Malle and Le Labo last autumn to the Lauder Group is followed by the sale of British traditional house Penhaligon's (established in 1870 as they boast) and of French artsie proto-niche (well, at least when it was founded by Jean Laporte in the late 1970s) L'Artisan Parfumeur to the Spanish group of Puig.

Jenner Studio photo via archdaily

Puig is at least no LVMH....They do nevertheless cater to a more mainstream perfume portfolio: Carolina Herrera, Prada, Paco Rabanne, Valentino....but also Comme des Garcons, which is anything but conventional in their fragrances.

Two years ago I was complaining on L'Artisan Parfumeur losing the grip on niche. In fact actively seeking to distance itself from the Jean Laporte, Olivia Giacobetti, Anne Flipo and Jean Ellena past. They were commissioning hundreds (or so it seemed, at least) new fragrances on Bertrand Duchaufour and seemed to branch out. Now it's evident even to the most well-meaning why that was.

Penhaligon's (funnily enough employing the same indie perfumeur, the Mitsotakis of niche apparently) was following a similar trajectory, a markedly different business model than its small shop cutesy of its long past.

All the same it's another tombstone on niche perfumery. How much longer will Serge Lutens withhold after having bought his rights for handling his name from the Japanese giant Shiseido?

Thursday, January 22, 2015

Serge Lutens La Religieuse: new fragrance

The divide between darkness and light, between sanctity and profanity, between spirituality and carnality, and the overtones of a Catholic upbringing with its clash of good & evil have for long haunted the imagination of the master, mr.Serge Lutens himself. The contrast of white on black is another of the recurring themes in the canon of Lutens perfumes composed by perfumer Christopher Seldrake. (Just remember the furore about the white skin of his imaginary heroine when Serge Noire was luanched).

Jared Kubicki-Alafoto Photo Gallery via

La Religieuse ("the nun") is the latest Lutensian scent opus, a new unisex fragrance launching on January 30th 2015, focusing on the contrast between white jasmine (the flower of carnality and the South), incense (the religious reference par excellence) and the skin-compatible animalic notes of civet and musk. The monastic name isn't that hard to pin down, it being the title of a famous 18th century epistolary novel by Denis Diderot, posthumously published (and itself a reflection of Lettres Portugaises). In it, the fictional nun in question finds the life in the convent insufferable and pleads with the Marquis, a friend of the French author, to deliver her from her vows.
Can the fragrance be a social commentary in our modern age when religion is again exerting a powerful grip on impressionable minds?

The new Lutens perfume, La Religieuse, is part of the export line, encased in the familiar oblong bottles of the house and tinted an ecclesiastical purple.

Uniting only favorite notes of mine and a concept simpatico to the Lutensian universe, if it proves half as wearable as L'Orpheline I'm sold.

Related reading on Perfume Shrine: Serge Lutens fragrance news & reviews

Sunday, January 18, 2015

Ancient Fragrant Lore: The Scents of the Bible (part 5)

The most intriguing aspect of reading the Bible in search of aromatics is how the spices and sweet unguents are used to denote both sanctity and the pleasure of the bodily senses.

"All your garments smell of myrrh, and aloes, and cassia, out of the ivory palaces, whereby they have made you glad"—Psalm 45:8


Dieric the Elder Bouts, Christ in the House of Simon the Pharisee, 1440s (wikimedia commons)

The sacrificial woman who comes to the Savior with an alabaster jar with pure spikenard oil which was extremely costly at the time in a pre-figuration of the embalming rites. She is Mary of Bethany (Matthew 26: 6-13) who pours the fragrant oil on Jesus's feet. There is also the unnamed "sinner in the city" who comes into the house of Simon the Pharisee and washes Jesus' feet with her tears and wipes them with her hair and pours fragrant oil on him. However for centuries the Catholic Church conflated this penitent sinner (a whore? an adulteress?) and the disciple sister of Martha and Lazarus, with another Mary, Mary Magdalene, who is, not coincidentally, the patron saint of apothecaries and perfume makers. Perhaps the connection is that Magdalene is one of the "myrrhophores" depicted in a Syrian fresco dating from the 3rd century AD, the women who bring myrrh resin to embalm Jesus's body and finding the sepulchre open and devoid of its rightful inhabitant, thus being the first witness to the Anastasis.

Please read my historical research into the Scents of the Bible (biblical fragrances) on this link on Fragrantica. (You're welcome to comment here or there).

Saturday, January 17, 2015

The current market is "niched out"

' Though Roschi considers the current market as “niched out” and saturated with brands like Le Labo, for those aiming to follow in his footsteps, he advises getting as much experience as possible before taking the plunge and attempting to create a new brand. “You have to have expertise and know the market. Work in it, get interested in it, meet people in it. I wouldn’t bet two cents on someone who wants to build a perfume brand with no experience.” '

via
A great quote from an article on Edouard Roschi of Le Labo (snatched up by the Estee Lauder Group last autumn, alongside Editions de Parfums Frederic Malle) which appears on Business of Fashion. (And while you're there, do read the Gucci Revival article on bringing back the sexy in its design)

Related reading on Perfume Shrine: How Much Will the Niche Market Bear?

Annick Goutal Re-Issues Another Discontinued Fragrance

The discontinuation of fragrances right and left is par for the course with most perfume brands these days, due to several reasons. Allergy restrictions changing, slow sellers, revamping of packaging and positioning, change of distribution patterns or a combination of all of the above account for withdrawing several scents which then gain a cult status (such as Yohji by the designer Yamamoto or the entire Helmut Lang range which was recently re-issued). Perhaps the very action of discontinuing a perfume is responsible for giving it covetability (an exercise in masochism) or perhaps it always had been unfairly unsung and got its due too late.

Some of them are nevertheless increasingly re-issued, such as is the case with L'Artisan Parfumeur who re-issued L'Eau du Caporal, Tea for Two and Oeillet Sauvage last season. Annick Goutal had her own share of discontinuations a couple of seasons ago when they revamped the line and packaging.

Camille Goutal, daughter of Annick and current art director of Parfums Annick Goutal

One of them, the bright airy and sunny Eau du Ciel, a fairy of a scent from 1985 developed by Isabelle Doyen with Annick. Fit for days when the skies are blue and cloudless (or a sliver of hope when those same skies are overcast) Eau du Ciel is re-introduced in the newer packaging. The romantic, delicate notes of neroli, violet leaves, and orange blossom are  a slice of heaven, underscored by a little powdery iris and rosewood.

As usual, some discrepancy with the older bottles one has in their collection will be  discussed online for sure, but the company doesn't proclaim a change in the formula. On the contrary, they re-introduce it to celebrate 30 years of the company. Available as 100ml of Eau de Toilette.

Could Eau de Camille be next?

Friday, January 16, 2015

Top 10 Best-Selling Feminine Fragrances: France 2014

Best-selling fragrances lists are a very popular feature of the Perfume Shrine blog and for a reason: they provide probing into the psyche of the masses ~which we perfumistas love to think are distant from ourselves and yet we feel a pang of welcome "belonging" when we find one of our favorite perfumes in them! Ever the optimists, I should wager. Listing also has the added benefit of enraging so many with so little effort, so if you're generally grumpy it's great ammunition as well.
In any case, if you haven't consulted our Perfume Best-Sellers Lists they're all grouped (by country and by year) on the Right Hand Column of this blog, so scroll down to get a look. For this post we venture into France...land of Parisian chic.

the timeless La Deneuve; one of us actually (via)

The French top sellers list of perfumes is always a great way to discuss the cultural differences (or rather the differences we think there exist, please consult my introduction on this article for more thoughts) between American and French tastes in perfumes. After all, the French style of perfume has been very narrowly defined in past decades, though globalization, emerging markets and the rise of industries in other lands has helped change/broaden that.
So without further ado, here is the full list of French best-sellers for 2014 according to the NPD Group analysis of the market:

1. Lancome La Vie est Belle qualifying for 5.3% of the market (66 millions euros)
2. Dior J'Adore (last year's #1)
3. Guerlain La Petite Robe Noire
4. Chanel Coco Mademoiselle
5. Chanel No.5
6. Yves Saint Laurent Opium
7. Thierry Mugler Angel
8. Dior Miss Dior
9. Guerlain Shalimar
10. Kenzo Flower by Kenzo 


What do you think? Agree, disagree, surprised? 
Share your thoughts in the comments and share what you smell on people in your area if you like!


Related reading on Perfume Shrine:
Best-selling Fragrances USA & France 2013 (1st quarter)
Top 20 Best-selling Fragrances for women in France for 2011,
Best-selling Fragrances UK 2014,
Best-selling Fragrances Brazil 2011,
Top appreciated fragrances France 2012,
Past ascribed gender: Best masculine fragrances for women, best feminine fragrances for men

Models Anja Rubik and Helena Christensen Launch Their Own Celebrity Scents

Original by Anja Rubik (a former Chloe face) and Dead of Night Perfume Oil by Helena Christensen are  two new perfumes by two supermodels, one of the latest trends in fragrance launches.

Dead of Night Perfume Oil is an exotic blend of jasmine, oudh and amber, inspired by an oudh oil which had an "intoxicating and hypnotic" effect on Helena Christensen. The former supermodel promotes it as the creative director for the artisanal fragrance house ERH1012 which was founded by entrepreneur Elizabeth Gaynes.


Original by Anja Rubik on the other hand is a combination of lilies, green tea and amber, developed in collaboration with perfumer Patricia Choux, and is inspired by the black & white photography of Robert Mapplelthorpe which had always fascinated Anja. The model, who has worn Yohji and Angel in the past, specifies in Allure that her scent is intentionally unisex and niche-smelling. The eau de parfum Original by Anja Rubik has made its debut on Net-a-Porter.com.



Wednesday, January 14, 2015

Parfums Babani: Orientalism and "le Japonisme" in retro fragrances

The history of modern perfumery isn't written only in terms of Guerlain, Caron, Houbigant, Piver, Floris, Penhaligon's, Chanel, Poiret's Parfums de Rosine fragrances and all the better known representatives of the 19th and early 20th century which are common lore on the lips of fragonerds online. More obscure entities exist, companies steeped into the lethe of history, but not without merit; companies, in fact, ready for a resurrection!


Among them parfums Babani is among the most exotic, the poster child of the sweeping vogue of Orientalism in the turn of the 19th century on to the 20th and a re-interpreter of the chypre fragrance recipe in an... Egyptian fashion! (aka Chypre Egyptien 1919) The sumptuous robes japonaises (particularly the nagajubans peignoirs they made to great success) and the eastern artifacts the Babani boutique on 98 Boulevard Haussmann carried were the foreshadowing of a great line of fragrances with such names as Sousouki, Afghani, Yasmak or Ming.

"Parfum inconnus d'orient et d'extreme orient" was the slogan attached to them in glorious dream-like illustrations by Michelle Puchon dotting the periodicals of the era, as well as the American imports that Elizabeth Arden stroked a deal to promote on their behalf.

The entire history of Babani perfumes appears on the article I have published on this link on Fragrantica. (You're welcome to comment here or there).

Thursday, January 8, 2015

Lisa Eldridge Goes to Lancome

Perfume Shrine is mostly dedicated to scent-related subjects and trivia (with a side dish of some art history and some style from time to time) rather than cosmetics, but the news was too big not to share with some of my regular readers.


The star make-up artist (and the down to earth tutor for many, with her "be accessible" motto transpiringly so lovingly on her tutorials) has changed alliances from her former position as Chanel ambassadress (her videos on Chanel.com were wonderful) to Lancome (a company of the L'Oreal group). Encouragingly in a video aired on January 6, Eldridge promises to work on developing new products and new colors, as well as limited editions, and she will have a hand on the official site.

Her own site and Youtube channel will continue to remain independent.


Monday, January 5, 2015

Fragrance Articles You Have Been Searching For

Happy New Year to all!!!
With several years of historical presence of the Perfume Shrine on the ether it's expected that some things need to be specifically Googled in order to unearth links. Therefore I have updated the Search function on this blog (you will see a blank space with a headline of "Search This Blog" at your right hand top) and I have compiled a small selection of some links: here is a round-up of some articles readers have shown an interest in, but which are not immediately appearing on the Right Hand Column menus. Enjoy!


photo by Steven Meisel, Vogue Italia
  • Under-appreciated Fragrances (Reviews)

Boucheron Boucheron Femme
Cacharel Anais Anais
Cacharel Eden
Cacharel Loulou
Chanel Coco de Chanel (original)
Estee Lauder White Linen
Guy Laroche Fidji
Jean Coutier Coriandre
Jil Sander No.4
Givenchy Ysatis
Laura Bagiotti Roma
Montana Suggestion Trio: Eau d'Argent, Eau d'Or, Eau Cuivree
Prescriptives (now Clinique) Calyx
Rochas Moustache
Top Under-appreciated Fragrances Flying under the Radar


  • Romantic Fragrance Ideas (Valentine's Day & Beyond)


12 Quintessentially French Perfumes
Regency Scent Rings
Victorian Perfume Buttons
Valentine's Day Style: Looks and Perfume
Romantic Scent: Celebrity Style Tips
Most Complimented Perfumes by the Opposite Sex
Sexy Perfume Notes & Styles (part 1)
Sexy Perfume Notes & Styles (part 2)
Pairing Perfume & Lipstick



  • Guerlain Elusive Perfumes from the Past

Guerlain 180 Ans de Creation (2008)
Guerlain Atuana (1952)
Guerlain Chypre 53 (1909)
Guerlain Coq d'Or (1937)
Guerlain Cuir de Russie (1875)
Guerlain Djedi (1926)
Guerlain Fleur de Feu (1948)
Guerlain Guerlinade (1921 & comparison 1998)
Guerlain Loin de Tout (1933)
Guerlain Mitsouko Fleur de Lotus (2009)
Guerlain Ode (1955)
Guerlain Pour Troubler (1911)
Guerlain Shore's Caprice (1873)
Guerlain Vere Novo (1895)
Guerlain Vetiver pour Elle 
Guerlain (Aroma Allegoria): Vitalisant, Apaisant, Exaltant (2002)
Guerlain Heritage Collection: Recreated Scents according to Original Formula part 1, part 2, part 3


  • Historical Snippets


Joan of Arc & Egyptian Mummies: Tied by Scent
Scented Air Travel (60s history snippet)
The Perfumatic: Coin-Operated Perfume Dispenser
Grossmith house: history


Also check out:

Misleading Fragrance Marketing
Perfume Chemistry: Three Cheers
Personal Body Chemistry & Perfume
Perfume Quotes
Perfumes of the Rich and Famous
Perfumes of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge
Scented Candles Absolved