Sartorial Scent Box from Penhaligon's

Penhaligon's had a smashing idea: Why not intoduce audiences to the actual building blocks of their newest masculine cologne, Sartorial? They are therefore introducing The Sartorial Scent Box, a hands-on experience which enables you to see and smell the raw ingredients and materials which inspired master perfumer Bertrand Duchaufour to create Sartorial. We had introduced the scent a while ago on this article.

There is something fascinating about getting to know the nuts & bolts of perfumery, as anyone who has followed our raw materials guides here on Perfume Shrine can attest.

The Sartorial Scent Box will be touring larger London Penrhaligon's boutiques this month.

Regent Street 11th - 18th October
EC4 18th - 25th October
Covent Garden 25th - 1st November
Islington 1st - 8th November

The Sartorial Scent Box is a unique and illuminating way to discover more about the formulation of Sartorial and the inspiration behind it: Visit one of the Penhaligon's boutiques to see and smell the ingredients such as Tonka Beans, Amber, Musk and Gurgum.

Penhaligon's Sartorial: new fragrance

Due to launch in October 2010, Sartorial [the new Penhaligon's fragrance for men] continues the theme of heady innovation. Formulated by Penhaligon’s master perfumer Bertrand Duchafour to reflect the aromas of the workroom at Savile Row tailors’ Norton & Sons, it features notes of oakmoss, tonka bean, lavender and beeswax, which picks up on the blocks of beeswax used in the workroom to coat each thread before stitching. [source]

Sartorial is a contemporary interpretation of a classic Fougère; the traditional notes of oakmoss, tonka bean and lavender have been stitched together with woods, ozonic and metallic effects, leather, violet leaf, honey and spices to create the perfect illusion of a tailor’s workroom. The modern thread running through Sartorial is beeswax. According to Whomyouknow: "This sweet smudged note ties together the more traditional elements; the oiled flash of shears cutting cloth, the rub of fabric beneath fingers, tobacco tinted cabinetry, puffs of chalk in the air and old paper patterns vanilla with age. Bringing together the great traditions of British perfumery and British bespoke tailoring, Sartorial is a fragrance for a new generation of gentlemen".
Basenotes member HDS1963 previewed it thus: "a very elegant and distinguished spice-topped fragrance which contains the heady lightness of previous offerings such as Castile and Douro, but with a rich-come-dirty spiciness to it lent by what smelled like a light cumin-sweetened by cardamom to it."

Will Sartorial join the fleet of scented cabs running the streets of London with drivers in attendance for questions from inquisitive passengers? (Currently there are 5 cabs, scented with Artemisia, Blenheim Bouquet, Endymion, Malabah and Orange Blossom).If you sport one, photograph it and post & tag it on Facebook you enter a prize draw for 100ml of the scent of your choice.

Notes for Penhaligon's Sartorial:
Top: Aldehydes, Ozonic Effect, Metallic Effect, Violet Leaf, Neroli, Cardamom, Black Pepper, Fresh Ginger
Heart: Beeswax, Cyclamen, Linden Blossom, Lavender, Leather
Base: Gurgum Wood, Patchouli, Myrrh, Cedarwood, Tonka Bean, Oakmoss, White Musk, Honey Effect, Old Wood Effect, Vanilla, Amber

Penhaligon's Sartorial will launch in the US on 11th October 2010 and will be available in Penhaligon’s boutiques, retailers carrying the line and online at www.penhaligons.com, in 50ml (80$) and 100ml (110$) of Eau de Toilette concentration.

photo via indieperfumes

Penhaligon's Amaranthine: fragrance review

I had included Amaranthine by Penhaligon's in my Top 10 Scents that Sing Spring for 2010 a while ago with the following words: "Its name denotes the eternally beautiful and unfading. The perfume, just like the name (from the Greek αμάραντος), evokes a deep purple red, a "corrupted" floral oriental with plenty of "dirty" aspects combining spiced (clovey) ylang-ylang and jasmine on a milky sandalwood and musky base. Fetish-phobics should better shy away, but those worth their salt in immersing themselves head-long into intimate scents (ooops!) will rejoice that the meadows and the flowers do not only smell of the sterile florist's or Alpine tops. As shocking ~coming from such an upper-stiff-lip British brand~ as discovering that our favourite nanny, Julie Andrews, has a va jay jay ~and a wee hole~ after all!"

So why am I back reviewing this? Probably because I have been pondering these past few weeks on how it came as an utter shock into the Miss Charm school of the Penhaligon's line-up, smiling like characters out of a Jane Austen novel with no success in hiding this Edna Pontellier amongst them! Like other outspoken feminine florals, like Passion or Grand Amour by Annick Goutal, DelRae's Amoureuse and Vero Profumo Rubj, this is a case of not being afraid to shout off the rooftops its deliciously carnal intent. An intent that is rendered like it's the most natural thing in the world!
Penhaligon’s website says “Amaranthine [part of the new Anthology series] is a corrupted floral oriental for those private moments when everything is anticipation” and by that line alone one would surmiss they're up to no good: Which they're not, in the best possible sense. Yet it was March at Perfume Posse who put the apocalyptical size of the shock value in proper terms: "Immediately and humorously nicknamed Amaranthigh by perfumistas, Amaranthine was a shot across the bow in terms of our expectations from staid Penhaligon’s. Bertrand Duchaufour’s bizarre, refulgent twist on a boudoir scent would have been about the last thing I expected from the house, and I wasn’t alone there".

Like a modern time Léonce, a callous patriach who is unshakable in his views, I was eternally stuck on how Penhaligon's as a fragrance house amounted to instant Victoriana with doilles put under the TV-set and little floral mats on the arm-rests of the couches, in a house that smelled of crushed lavender and butter-foiled scones for tea, always a little stale. Pretty as a picture and nostalgic possibly, but would I live there? No if I had any hopes of saving my jaw muscles from overexertion from the smile that would plague my face translating its ecumenical acceptance and patience.
I had only managed to be interested in Malabah, Hammam Bouquet and Castile from the house's classics previously and in Lily & Spice from the newer range; my itinerary (stopping at the outskirts of Coventry and never intending to go all the way up to Leeds) was cut short: The train was abtruptly stopped at junction "Eyes Glazing Over Victorian Posy" with a disastrous detour via "Bluebell" which had nothing to do with blue and plenty to do with Bells of Hell going ting-a-ling-a-ling.

Perfumer Bertrand Duchaufour has managed to shake this ~in hindsight~ passé notion and thrust it out of the window of that very same train. (Actually he also did a complete redecoration of that English cottage above, ushering a little French deco amidst all that plaid and floral. One can have too much of a picturtesque thing, after all). Amaranthine is travelling from station to station between fruity-ladden vines that sprout banana-bubblegum tones of quality jasmine (and lush ylang ylang) and a gently green but spicy blend of cardamom and coriander recalling not yet fully fermented tea aromatized the Middle Eastern way. And when it stops, it takes you to someplace where proper good buttery English toffee is still made (creamy sandalwood, warm musk, milky caramel tones), so not everything British is lost. Two beauties, one English, one French, are having a tryst. Simply spectacular!

Notes for Penhaligon's Amaranthine: green tea, freesia, banana leaf, coriander, cardamom, rose, carnation, clove, orange blossom, ylang ylang, Egyptian jasmine, musk, vanilla, sandalwood, condensed milk, tonka bean.

Availability and Limited editions on this link.

A special thanks to Joe for introducing me to this gem.

Photo of a nude Brigitte Bardot and an equally nude Jane Birkin via The Moly Doily blog. Claudya photo by Bettina Rheims from the Female Troubles Series

Upcoming Releases & News: Rumours and Facts

What does the upcoming season hide for us? Several houses have some surprises for us and some facts and cross-checking was in order.

According to the Moodie Report, Guerlain has two new men’s fragrances for the upcoming season: Habit Rouge Gentleman Driver and Guerlain Homme L’Eau.

The former, only a seasonal limited edition, bases its inspiration on automobile racing, hence the Gentleman Driver moniker. The press material talks about the (ultra-fetchy) Steve McQueen in Le Mans (with some shades of Bullit no doubt), the Paul Ricard race track and the circuits of Monaco. Yeah, yeah, colour me non impressed. Actually they could have been historically correct and attribute the moniker to the one who really had it: Louis Chiron, the statue of whom stands on the picturesque port of Monaco. One of the great pre-war Formula One racing drivers and a serious contributor to the Bugatti legend (model 18/3 Chiron is named after him), he is the only Monegasque to win Monaco Grand Prix and one of the curves is named in his honour. It seems to me this is Frencher than quoting McQueen, but I think we know who they're targeting eh? "The juice is a reworked version of the original Habit Rouge Sport*, and features bamboo, pink pepper, bitter orange, jasmine, woods and musks. It is presented in a translucent red flacon, adorned with a metal plaque bearing the Habit Rouge Sport logo and engraved with the name of the edition: Gentleman Driver. The outer carton is a matching red and metallic mix".

*Come again?? Flanker of a flanker?

For women, Guerlain is proposing the latest Aqua Allegoria, Flora Nymphea, this coming spring, to celebrate the 10th year anniversary of the Aqua Allegoria line, and for the occasion a 3D animated film will be presented in which a nymph named Flora Nymphea will tell the story of flowers and scents led by a bee, symbol of the brand (the film lasts a minute and will be broadcast online this coming March). Guerlain called on French singer Olivia Ruiz to narrate the story. Created by Thierry Wasser, the scent features syringa (lilac), African orange blossom and honey notes, encased as always in the gilted-honeycomb glass bottles of the line.

On the other hand, things are more exciting elsewhere: The in house perfumer for L'Artisan Parfumeur, Bertrand Duchaufour, has been held on record saying "I am working on several projects for L'Artisan Parfumeur, including a Vetiver, a Tuberose and an Amber-Oriental" (The news had been first broken in an excellent interview on fragrantica by Michelyn Camen back in August 2009). It is confirmed that L'Artisan and Duchaufour are issuing their tuberose this upcoming spring. Let's not forget that Bertrand is no stranger to the carnal blossom, as the heart of Fleur de Liane is also a soft coupling of tuberose and magnolia (let's not sidetrack his man-eating floral Amaranthine for Penhaligon's either, speaking of carnality), while L'Artisan has an under-the-radar cult buttery but uncomplicated tuberose already in the line called Tubereuse. The new one will be a stand-alone permanent addition. Whether this will signal discontinuation of the older in favour of the newer, as we had announced concerning their Vanilia while reviewing their Havana Vanille last August remains to be seen. Personally I don't see the older Tubereuse moving much commercially and my strong suspicion is that newer is always preferable in this dance macabre of reformulations, so you know what you should do.

Hermès is issuing their newest unisex this coming April, a scent which will not be part of either Les Jardins, nor the Hermessences, nor the Cologne series (which they promised me they will implement with more instalments soon). Termed Voyage d'd'Hermès, the new fragrance breaks with the tradition of the house's bottle designs as well, taking the shape of one of the petite marocinnerie products into a glass shape that will hide the spray mechanism under a metal "pochette" designed by Phillipe Mouquet. According to a Vogue insider the release is NOT a mainstream launch, this is a special product for travelers, hence the clever packaging and will be exclusively sold at Hermes boutiques, which according to official info so far is a mainstream distribution product (boutiques and department stores). The scent will feature mainly musks with fresh and woody notes in the Jean Claude Ellena style.
ETA: Official info tells me the bottle is refillable offered in 35ml and 100ml and official launch is April 2010.

And let's not forget the re-issue of the previously limited edition Calèche Fleurs de Méditerranée centered on mimosa, which we had announced a while ago.
Interestingly, according to Sympatico.ca, "It was also announced in late December that the French label plans to launch a new brand in China, called Shang Xia. The goal is to play a bigger role in the Chinese market by creating items and styles using materials rooted in the Chinese culture". An interesting development to watch in relation and perspective to the markets catered by Hermes already and their future strategies.

To the delight of several Hermesophiliacs, the exclusive Hermessences are finally online, a rumour which we had entertained for a long while but is now reality. Interestingly, however, it is only the big bottles which are available for online purchase and not the discovery travel sets (those contained four mini-sprayers of 15ml/0.5oz in either four assorted fragrances, actually the original quartet introduced, or 4 of the same fragrance). You can visit the American site on this link. Although there are a few mentioned there, the international sites stock more of the line. Nevertheles Brin de Reglisse is lacking from all of them!! I hesitate to attribute it to a sudden omniplacent lack of stock, as it wouldn't make sense when the others are all at the ready. It would be perhaps be more indicative of the truth if I hypothesized that the ratio of natural lavender in Brin de Reglisse (an aromatic material extended to its natural extremetieis approaching licorice notes) required adjustment in view of the upcoming IFRA restrictions. Either that or...But let's not rain on anyone's parade with similar dishearteaning news as the Lutens discontinuations. I trust that Brin de Reglisse will be soon back online proving it's not chopped off the line.

Related reading on PerfumeShrine: Upcoming Releases, News from the Industry, Guerlain series

pics via moodiereport, miriamescofet.com and hermes

L'Artisan Parfumeur Al Oudh: new fragrance

Hot on the heels of moroccan impressions and no sooner had a review of the newest Havana Vanilla been posted on our pages (a scent in the Travel series from L'Artisan and inspired by the tobacco and vanilla of old Cuba) that we find out positive info on another new L'Artisan Parfumeur coming out: Al Oudh, simply meaning "the oud". Composed by in-house perfumer Bertrand Duchaufour and centered on the noble scent of the patholigical secretion of Aquillaria trees, oud or aloeswood, the new oriental fragrance is hypnotically beckoning us into a Middle-Eastern dervish dance, an hypnotic sight from which we can't draw our eyes off. The smoky, nutty complex smell of oud wood with its resemblanc to Band-Aids is definitely the dominating trend in niche releases in the last few seasons, having gained a momentum like there was no tomorrow (Montale was on to something when he burst into the scene with his ouds!). The oud bandwagon has everyone on it from Micalef's Aoud Homme to Tom Ford Oud Wood and more mainstream releases such as YSL M7, which begs the question what will happen if the guy and the gal next to you on the subway will start wearing tons of oud scents on the daily commute. But I digress.
Bertrand is taking the inspiration from the Arabian peninsula and the Spice Route (much like we had reported on Amouage and their new Epic, it's an always popular theme anyway) along with his familiar, honed skills on incense (myrrh, frankincense) to compose a spicy, woody and animalic composition with leathery notes which is reported to be "incredibly strong" as per the perfumer's own words.
The oudh/oud/aoud note is much harped on for being ultra-expensive (and indeed its production is so labour-intensive as to require exorbitant prices), yet new synthetics which mimic its medicinal and smoky scent have lately become available, starting with M7 by Yves Saint Laurent a few years ago (thus bringing the fad all the way downscale to Bath & Body Works recently). This justifies the claim of oud "notes" across the market at every price point. I trust that L'Artisan and Bertrand, with their usual finesse and care for marrying the best of both worlds, will instill a little of the real deal, extended with suave aromachemicals which will support it.

Notes* for L'Artisan Al Oudh:
Top: Cumin, cardamom, pink pepper
Heart: Neroli, rose, castoreum, civet, leather, musk
Base: Oud, sandalwood, Atlas cedar, patchouli, myrrh, incense, vanilla, tonka bean

*please note this is the sequence quotted, although it appears mid notes are comprised of heavier molecules

L'Artisan Al Oudh will be available as Eau de Parfum in 100ml/3.4oz bottles with Arabesque edges and a box that is scalloped with mosque-like decorations. It does look beautiful! (and Lutensian I might add in mischief) It will launch in winter 2009-2010.

info & pic via extrait.it

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

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

Fahrenheit 32 by Dior: fragrance review

Why was this new men's scent baptised with this weird name? Well, for starters, there was the classic fragrance Fahrenheit by Dior that erupted into the scene in 1988 with all the gusto of an iconoclast along with its female counterpart Dune.
And then, it is exactly 32 degress Fahrenheit that water freezes: equivalent of 0 degrees in the Celsius scale.

This scaling system is quite fascinating if one takes into account another classic of sorts, of a more profound level perhaps: that of the printed word. The dystopian science fiction by Ray Bradbury called "Fahrenheit 451", in which the author describes a future american society that wrapped up in sybaritic living and anti-intellectual tendencies abhors books and goes on to burn them.

The protagonist, Ray Montag, is the very witty antithesis of His Girl Friday of the famous classic era movie, especially since in true german spirit (physicist Daniel Gabriel Fahrenheit was German) "Mondag" means "Monday". And yes, this novel has also been filmed.
Fahrenheit 451 on the other hand is the point of auto-ignition of paper...Semantics, semantics.
For some dark, pessimistic reason I am quite convinced that the state of affairs in the world currently do not distance us too much from this nightmarish Orwellian vision. But perhaps I am digressing.

To revert to the "frozen" aspect of this quite cooler Fahrenheit, mes amis, as you might have surmissed by now, this new offering is what is affectionately called a "flanker": a perfume that follows up the successful anion bearing a variation of the name; yet usually either having nothing whatsoever in common with the genetic pool of the former or alternatively featuring a very slight variation of it, questioning the purpose of its existence apart from the boost that it would bring to the sales of both.
Fahrenheit 32 places itself in the first category. It bears little similarity to the classic fragrance and is intended as a tribute to the synthesized orange blossom that has been explored in men's scent recently also by the wonderful Fleur dy Mâle by Gaultier, reviewed just a little while ago. (click here for full review)
Designed by now former artistic director Heidi Slimane with the collaboration François Demachy it has been concocted by nose Louise Turner of Quest.

The general direction is one of a fresh oriental-woody that intermingles piquant aldehydic touches with orange blossom, light smooth vanilla, and what smells to my nose as delicate synthetic musks. The earthiness and slighty dirty appeal of vetiver does not come to the fore, despite its graceful way of making fragrances cool in every sense of the word.
The description goes like this: fresh top notes, orange blossom and vetiver for the hear nnotes, vanilla and solar notes for the base.
Indeed the freshness is akin to a cooling spray, which is implied by the white bottle that takes the classic one of original Fahrenheit to a new techno trip under strobo lights. It's opalescence and smooth milky texture reminded me a lot of the woman's Pure Poison, which I think is not coincidental, as that too is also based on the same synthesized orange blossom note and delivers itself with a freshness that pierces the nostrils for a while.

Compared to Fleur du Mâle it is not much further apart, yet in a way that one captured me more and retained my interest more avidly. Fahrenheit 32 is very likeable and on the scent strip lingers nicely making one to sniff and resniff to consolidate the memory, but a classical masculine fragrance it can never pose to be. It's again a little too feminine for its own good, which makes it fodder for either adventurous guys or the girlfriends who I am sure will fall under its charms.


Top pic In search of the unicorn by bigbird3/flickr
Pic of fahrenheit 451 by Wikipedia

Incense week: 1.Palm Sunday and its exotic fragrances

Incense is inextricably linked to liturgy and religious ceremonies since pagan times and as I am not particularly religious myself, but more interested in aspects of history and tradition, I chose to simply grab the chance to talk about a very popular perfume note that never fails to put scent lovers in a mood. Therefore the reader should not see this series of articles as any attempt at catechizing or preaching of the wonders of any faith or sect, as my objective is to provide a fun and hopefully interesting method of attributing specific incense perfumes to certain moods as reflected by tales from religious texts and categorizing them into broad categories that encompass certain commonalities. I am sure this could be done for any religion and faith existing in regard to perfumes. Let’s just say it seemed a novel idea to me. This first article aims to also provide a little introduction to the relation of incense and Christian practice.

Incense of course has a noble history since antiquity as a means of pesticide, air cleanser and for medical and poisonous purposes as well. It was also used in sacrificial liturgies and this practice was picked up by Christians who blamed pagans for their habits, nevertheless soon adopted several of their common habits in their own liturgical usage. The Hebrew tradition is of course rich in the aromatic on its own and Song of Songs is only a smidgeon of that aspect.
Tracing back the beginning of such incense use as a pathway to the divine in Christian church we stumble upon Ephrem and the Transitus Mariae, after its 300 years of exile from Christian practices. Later on, stylite ascetics ignited such admiration for their superhuman feats and willpower that their position as literally and spiritually above and beyond was linked to the smoke rings rising from incense burning in censers, like the bodily matter immaterializes into the spiritual. Incense piety had begun in earnest for the Christian faith. Saints were said to exude the paradisial scent of myrrh, while devil and his disciples were inextricably linked to sulfur (as supposedly witnessed by Martin of Tours). Foul smells also recall decay and disease and thus invoke an image of human fall and corruption which is metaphorically linked to a moral low.
Ambrose of Milan calls Christ the flower of Mary, denoting a pleasant sensory experience in the presence of the holy and the continuation of fragrance emitting even after death, just like flowers do after being cut. It is no accident that even today in churches and monasteries there is myrrh and frankincense anointed to the mortar and sold to the devout while ascetic places now open to visit for the public smell potently of that most holy of aromas.
Myself I adore ecclesiastical incense which I buy in “tears” not from shops or internet e-tailers but directly from church and flea markets, made by monks usually at the Athos monastic community in Greece. I will elaborate on it on an upcoming post as it is interesting in itself, but suffice to say that the variety I prefer called “moscholeevano” ("leevan" etymologically derives from Levant, the east, or Lebanon) which is a deep, dark, resiny smell with a piercingly sweet top that makes the heart ache a bit and is on the whole likened on various fora to the exhaust fumes of a diesel engine vehicle. I think not, but we will have plenty of time elucidating that in a forthcoming installment.

It is worth noting in passing before we proceed any further that incense as a term is not a single note or ingredient but that it can in turn have various notes in itself. The classical ingredients for incense are frankincense or olibanum while myrrh and labdanum are also used, along with many others. Many recipes exist and each perfumer –professional or amateur- is composing one’s own mixture.

We thus begin our exploration of incense in relation to the celebrations of the Holy week with Palm Sunday, the first day of the holy week and the aftermath of Lazarus’s resurrection, perhaps the most famous miracle supposedly performed by Jesus.
The last Sunday of Lent is commonly referred to as Palm Sunday. On that day religious texts tell us that Christ entered Jerusalem on a donkey, to be greeted by the crowds gathered for Passover carrying palm branches. By doing so he enacted the prophecy of Zechariah 9:9 and also showed the humility with which he envisioned the Kingdom he proclaimed. However this is also the beginning of the Holy week that culminated in Crucifixion and Resurrection and is thus also called Passion Week.
Although Jesus was greeted with “Hosanna to the son of David”, recalling the famous King David of the Old Testament, it is perhaps an irony that that same crowd was against him just days afterwards. However this is only human nature and does not reflect on any religious antagonism in my opinion, taking in mind too that in the name of Christ lots of those holy places were pillaged and people were slain in later centuries.
To revert to semiotics, the traditional Lent colour is purple in Protestant churches, while in Catholic tradition on Palm Sunday it changes to red with all its connotations to life and blood, hence its use to connote the martyrs of faith in Christian iconography.
First mention of Palm Sunday procession is to be found in the travel journal of Etheria, a nun from northwest Spain who made a pilgrimage to Jerusalem toward the end of the fourth century. In her writing she refers to Palm Sunday as the beginning of the Paschal Week (pascha=easter, deriving from the Hebrew peschah).

Therefore as this plethora of symbols and inferences is not lost upon me, upon reflecting on specific perfumes that explore one aspect of incense I came up with the following suggestions.

Ouarzazate by Comme des Garcons Incense series: The first images that came to my mind upon resniffing this were the locales of exotic Morocco of which it is inspired and named after (there is indeed an ancient city by that name in the Atlas mountain area). Scenery for a lot of movies recently, some of the sandal-and-sword type, Ourazazte the fragrance has a dry and hot character immediately. The initial harsh top note of clary sage gives a very pungent, herbal aspect of disinfectant, which I am sure would be useful in those hot places, festering with bacteria, and it is this which had initially deterred me from further appreciating the composition in this rendition of incense in the infamous and revered Incense series by the Japanese brand. The hotness and coolness of peppercorns is tickling-but not singeing- the nostrils supported by a lemony phase that is actually the best part for me personally, while the incense is only hinted at and never as rich and full as the type used in liturgy. However it is not the far eastern variety but reminiscent of western tradition. The ethereal and resinous quality of wenge and labdanum is anchored by dry woods, soft clean musk (the synthetic cashmere woods) and a mineral veil of hard rock that is very a propos the exoticism of the proposed association.
It smells white and is illuminated by a hopeful and clearing tone of people walking great distances in rugged territory in anticipation of something worthy.
The whole does not last long, just as the triumphant procession through the streets of the holy land did not either.
This is a thinking person’s incense for outdoor activities in a hot climate and suitable for both sexes, not a sensual, cuddly, warm type at all, despite the mentioned inclusion of vanilla which is absent to my nose.

Timbuktu by L’artisan parfumeur: Another atypical incense and woods fragrance, chosen because of its outdoorsy air and exotic character that smells of the Middle East and Africa. Not terribly popular, because of the weird ambience of it, however it is one of the most interesting compositions I have ever smelled and it retains a place in my heart for its limpid and soft medley of notes. Contrary to internet tails that it actually contains real animal matter (surely, this is just sensationalism to you and me and I doubt L’artisan intentionally hinted at such notions) it has a woody, black soil character that overcomes the feline urinous smell it is so often accused of possessing. Frankincense takes a slightly bitter turn in this one and it is an airy and light incense note like that in Passage d’enfer; its marriage with spicy cardamom, a middle-eastern favourite aroma used for scenting Arabian coffee is very successful.
It has a tart but not really sharp acidic note throughout that is balanced by the earthy dirty plant scent that reminds one of unidentifiable leaves and roots. Abstract dryness is the overall tone of the composition and a verge towards the unisex or even to the masculine end of the spectrum is not uncalled for. This is not to imply that it doesn’t smell good on woman’s skin, because it does, but it is not what most people in the West associate with a feminine smell, although it is said to have been inspired by a traditional recipe of African women as an attraction elixir. Bertrand Duchaufour,the nose behind this oddball, visited his brother in Mali where he learned that the women there concocted a fragrant alloy of flower petals spices, fruits and woods which they used to scent themselves. The fruits in Timbuktu are nothing like the department store variety of saccharine persuasion we have come to expect and do not make a pronounced appearance. In fact it is not very unlike the niche green mango note that is present in Jardin sur le Nil (although there it manages to also evoke the peel of fresh grapefruit to me). The inclusion of patchouli of the Voleur de Roses variety, vetiver and myrrh provide a backdrop for good lasting power allied to the powderiness of benzoin which makes a short vanishing act at the end.
I do not find it similar to anything else on the market, although a slight relation to Kyoto from CDG Incense series might be detected if hard pressed.
I find it is best suited to in-between weather: neither too cold, nor too cold, so autumn and spring are its shining seasons. It comes in eau de toilette.

Costes by Hotel Costes: I hesitated before including this one in today’s procession, because it is rather warmer and somehow richer in its ambience, with its spicy cinnamon and white pepper character, but the notion that it is inspired by a hotel in Paris (thus having a hospitalier connotation) and made for them and the red colour designated to this day -which is reflected in the packaging of this perfume- convinced me to mention it just as well. The nose behind it is Olivia Giacobetti, a young and quirky perfumer who has worked on many inriguing scents such as En passant, Passage d'enfer, and Dzing! Initially conceived as a candle and then as a fragrance by people who have also ventured into musical CD compilations aiming at providing lifestyle options, it manages to smell different on different people.
It still has the green and herbal character that is tied to the vision I have of this day in my mind, with a touch of evergreens, crushed coriander and laurel leaves that remind me of a good stew or lentil soup being made.
Luckily, although it is said to be included among the mix, rose does not make a pronounced appearance on me, meaning it is not the old-fashioned powdery rose which might take a turn for the sour on certain skins (or brains...). There is also a soap element like that of alkaline suds of slightly sweet sandalwood old-fashioned men’s soap allied with pure lavender that is surfacing on my skin and thus it takes a clean turn that is rather welcome in warmer weather. That aspect is not antithetical to the notion of incense fragrances as lots of them do explore the pureness and spirituality of cleanness. It is not only the deep, pungent efforts that might reek of pretence that capture the mysterious. The incense in Costes is smoky and not too rich, slightly recalling a much lighter (and thus perhaps more wearable for lots of people) of Essence of John Galliano by Diptyque which also started as an ambience smell rather than a personal fragrance (more on which later on).
I think Costes can be enjoyed in any season by both sexes, as long as the wearer has a little individuality and a modern air about them and is not up against a heatwave. Its lasting power is average for an eau de toilette concentration.


Next installment in the series will tackle a different aspect of incense.




Greek orthodox icon pic comes from saintbarbara.org