Lancome Tresor Diamant Noir: new precious bottle

To mark the 20th birthday of Trésor (issued in 1990 and fastly becoming an enduring best-seller), Lancôme is launching an exclusive, limited edition named Trésor Diamant Noir. The most precious stone of them all, the black diamond, was the inspiration for this anniversary bottle which looks like a faceted and polished black diamond which hides the ambery-coloured juice inside. The bottle neck is decorated with a ring of crystal and ebony black hematite. The box is pitch black and engraved. The fragrance inside remains the same.

Lancôme Trésor Diamant Noir will be available from October 2010 in only 20 bottles, exclusively at Lancome Institute with the price per bottle at 2000 euros ($2575).

photo bia luxurylaunches

Baccarat Trio: Les Larmes Sacrees de Thebes, Une Nuit Etoilee au Bengale, Un Certain Ete a Livadia

Although only one out of the triad issued by Baccarat is known among perfume aficionados, Les Larmes Sacrées de Thèbes, the collection by the venerable verrerie (crystal makers) included two other worthy specimens: Un Certain été à Livadia and Une Nuit Étoilée au Bengale. All three formed Les Contes d'Ailleurs trilogy (Tales from Faraway lands) which reprised oriental themes, seducing and enrapturing, allowing the perfumer unrestrained choice in materials and composition. The occasion was to commemorate the new millenium and thus Baccarat commissioned three precious limited edition perfumes that would honour their patrimony in flacons of heavy crystal. Christine Nagel undertook the task of formula creation, at the time just entering Quest France and given carte blanche as to the commerciability of the fragrances: These were going to be Limited Editions for collectors and not focus-group marketing productions! Colombian-born Fédérico Restrepo was the flacon designer for the parfum bottles and each parfum bottle bore its own certificate of authenticity and lot number. There were only 1500 specimens issued for each of the Baccarat perfumes. Original prices were 880 euros for 30ml/1oz of pure parfum/extrait de parfum. All three fragrances however also had an Eau de Parfum version in a plainer bottle, as depicted on the bottom of this article, retailing for 400$ for 75ml/2.5oz, at the time available at Bergdorf's and Harrods (they are now discontinued and out of stock). Please note that the design of the EDP bottle has been accused of aiding evaporation.



Une Nuit Étoilée au Bengale (A Starry Night in Bengal) was the first perfume, inspired by India palaces and gardens, issued in 1997. The bottle is a blue-shaped heart with an outsprout of green, like curling stems of a mysterious plant or water sprouting out of an exotic garden fountain. The whole is resting inside a Π-shaped construction of transparent crystal with stars of gold designed on it. The whole is encased in a deep blue box with zigurat steps on it, recalling the maharajahs palaces of India (the maharajahs had been great crystal customers in their time).
The fragrance itself is an ambery floriental with spicy accents: Une Nuit Étoilée au Bengale is comprised of a citrus top of bergamot, segueing into rose, with a cluster of spices: ginger, cinnamon, and Ceylon "spice bouquet". The bottom is rich and sumptuous with notes of Mysore sandalwood, amber and vanilla.
There are no samples available for purchase at the moment, as far as I know. Apart from the ultra costly parfum version, there was the Eau de Parfum concentration circulating in a plainer bottle with a drop-style applicator (pic below). Both are discontinued and very rare.

Les Larmes Sacrées de Thèbes (Sacred Tears of Thebes) was inspired by Egypt and the wares of King Tut's tomb and was issued in 1998. The bottle is ~predictably~ a puramidal structure capped in amethyst crystal, with a fine "bubble" of yellow crystal blown into it, which houses the scent. It sits on amethyst cushion feet on the four edges. The whole is encased in a square bottle of egg yolk yellow for the innner carton and amethyst for the outer carton (see pic at the beginning of the article).
The fragrance, although an homage to Egyptian rituals, is by no means a replication of those alloys like other projects (see this one on Kyphi and others by Sandrine Videault) but a modern perfume. It is however predominantly resinous and balsamic with a peppery top note, focusing on intense myrrh, frankincense and a deep amber mix, flanked by jasmine, geranium, ylang ylang, cardamon, basil, myrtle, sandalwood and musk. Although compared to Parfum Sacré by Caron (1990), the resemblance is only passing, Les Larmes being much more balsamic with less of a rosy heart than the Caron.
Les Larmes is the best-known fragrance in the Baccarat triptych, possibly due to its optically approachable, exquisite bottle and the fact that it has been repeatedly hailed as among the most expensive perfumes in the world at 6,800$ in the press; largely thanks to the bottle.
Harrods Haute Parfumerie stocked a few remaining specimens, although info claims that reserves have been by now dried up. The Perfumed Court has samples of the Eau de Parfum concentration for sale for those curious to investigate for themselves.
Please be aware that the hereby pictured exquisite presentation isn't the only one: There is an EDP bottle (click on this link) with a plainer design which retailed for 400$ for 75ml/2.5oz of Eau de Parfum at Bergdorf's in the past, as noted for the rest of the trio as well.

Un Certain été à Livadia (A Certain Summer in Livadia) was inspired by Russia and the Imperial Court and was issued in 1999. The bottle takes on the "onion"-shaped domes of classic Russian Orthodox churches, with a starry " gold cross" on top and green crystal, and superimposes it on a red "body", housing the perfume, which rests in turn on a curved "boomerang" shaped crustal base with Russian lettering. The whole rests on a red base, encased in a red round box. Livadia is of course was the place in the Crimea where the palace of the last tsar Nicholas II was situated, later seized by the Bolsheviks and now transformed into a museum.
Un Certain été à Livadia received the prize of Best Perfume of 1999 for Christine Nagel 's work, awarded by a jury of French journalists (info according to her mentor's, Jean Claude Ellena, archives). The fragrance is centered around a blooming orientalised/musky heart of seringat (i.e. Philadelphus, a plant of white-petaled blossoms with a scent between orange blossom and jasmine; also known as "jasmin des poètes"). The top introduces complimentary hesperidic notes of citruses while the base is comprised by a soft, enveloping musk accord.
There are no samples available for purchase as of this moment. Rare specimens of the bottle crop up online from time to time, with an estimate of between 500-700$ for a bottle, although Ebay auctions have occasionally demanded 1200euros with ambiguous results. Also circulated in Eau de Parfum concentration as seen below. It is of course discontinued and out of stock.




pics via ebay, gazette drouot, parisparfum and parfumini

Guerlain L'Abeille: Crystal Sculpture, New Fragrance

We're always happy to confirm rumours which we had started on this place (last December) and this is the latest one: Guerlain teamed again with Baccarat to manufacture a massive flacon for the ultra-exclusive flacon of their new perfume called L'Abeille de Guerlain. The name means of course..."bee" and it's meant to look like a gigantic bee with its wings faceted like precious diamonds.

Only 42 numbered pieces has been made, each containing 245 ml of pure extrait de parfum for 12.500 Euros (Who said there's a financial crisis? And -brace yourselves- it's even more than the initially reported 8000 euros we had stated!). Composed by Thierry Wasser who was aiming to "see a garden from a bee's perspective", that is pollen, chlorophyl, sunny flowers: Mimosa, orange blossom, and jasmine. And a scent of honey which "marries so well with summer flowers". Wasser warns this alloy might "syrupy thick" if not properly treated but tells us the end result "flies like an angel, diffuses without suffocating, twines around the marvellous iris, so precisely powdery". Hmm, I doubt I can say "we will see" at those prices (initial reports talk about an at once carnal and fresh white floral with powdery aspects), although I'm sure a sample might find its way to my desk eventually. Till then!

Guerlain in the meantime says there are no plans to bring this into smaller, plainer bottles: "Not yet" at least. If the case of of Mon Précieux Nectar is any indication, these things are created to be split from the get-go, with a couple bottles snatched by avid collector-maniacs and a couple more displayed as design art in Guerlain boutiques across the world, me thinks...What do you think?

Related reading: The Symbolism of Bee & Honey Scents, Guerlain series (reviews & history of scents), Guerlain News , Upcoming releases

Added info and pic via Mr.Guerlain, many thanks.

I Feel Just Like Grenouille!

Feast your eyes upon an authentic 18th century perfume cabinet.
What would you put in there? Let me hear you!

As seen on Chateau Thombeau.

Frequent Questions: All about the Guerlain "Umbrella" Bottle

There is such a plethora of bottles designs at the historical house of Guerlain that the perfume bottle collector is spoilt for choice: With a history that can be traced back to 1828, when Pierre-François-Pascal Guerlain opened his first shop on Rue de Rivoli in Paris and covering almost two centuries, Guerlain has produced over 300 fragrances and an equally impressive number of bottle designs. Out of them all some are more worthy of mention either due to their beauty or their proliferation. One of them which covers both grounds is the "umbrella bottle", thus referenced due to its elegant shape that resembles a closed umbrella pointing downwards.


The "umbrella" bottle (officially known as "flacon de sac", bottle for the purse) started its illustrious career while head perfumer was Jacques Guerlain, in 1952 and continued under his grandson's, Jean Paul Guerlain's tenure as well. Its span of production covers easily more than 2 decades, until the end of the 1970s. All the perfumes that were circulating during that time-frame in extrait de parfum (pure parfum) were encased in this famous design, with the single exception of Nahéma (1976).

Despite several sellers on auction sites and Ebay stating it as Baccarat crystal, this design is assuredly not. The official Guerlain archives state three verreries producing moulds for it:
Pochet et du Courval, Brosse and Saint-Goabin -Desjonquères, all in the quarter of an ounce size. Rarely however is there a mark of which verrerie produced the flacon style in question, contrary to some other bottle designs in the line. Early specimens of the "umbrella bottle" have been sporting the name-label directly on the flacon, while later ones have a string from which two ends unite under a hang tage with the name of the perfume. Each of the extrait presentations had a different box, reflecting the themes and colour-schemes that inspired the original fragrances as well, as depicted above. From left to right, we can see the pink and green case with the two G interwined for Chant d'd’Arômes (1962); the zebra-printed Vol de Nuit presentation, inspired by far away travels and corresponding to the Saint-Exypéry travel novella of the same name; the chequed ivory of the legendary Jicky (1889); in silver tones lies the Jean Paul Guerlain creation inspired by Chagan's novel Chamade (1969); next there is the classic lithography of L'Heure Bleue (1912) and Mitsouko (1919); the iconic Shalimar is encased
in regal purple velvet, while the aqua-toned sleek box is for Parure, a plummy chypre creation by Jean Paul from 1974.

Ebay prices for these flacons fluctuate between $75-125, depending on the condition of the bottle and label as well as the existence or not (and subsequent condition of course) of the presentation box.

Less usual versions are those including a leather-pouch such as the one depicted for Liù (1929): It was a special edition for the USA only. (The very concept of this flacon is carrying it in the purse, hence "flacon de sac" being its official name in archives, yet the ideal of luxurious travel via American airlines ~very en vogue during the 1950s and 1960s~ was the source of inspiration for several 'travelling" paraphernalia of which some specimens are truly beautiful).









Much rarer and thus highly collectible is a special edition of Vol de Nuit which is commemorating the nuptials of Prince Rainier of Monaco to Grace Kelly in 1956. The box has a lovely inscription on the inside silken panel, dedicated to the marriage of the prince and the Hollywood actress, bearing the date of the wedding as well (Monaco, 15 Avril 1956). Guerlain always knew how to romanticize their art, allowing us to dream a little...

Related reading on Perfume Shrine: Guerlain series, Fragrance history, Frequent Questions

thanks to Dominique Chauvet/Milan for original photography.

Christmas '09 Gifts Ideas: Chanel Les Grands Extraits

Chanel in a gesture of "ginormous size equates luxury" thinking (a practice not unheard of and certainly one which was in effect for loyal customers of the house in the past decades) is issuing three of their fragrances into really big flacons of extrait de parfum (i.e. pure parfum). The biggest one standing 8.4inches of proud height is the equivalent of four cups of pure parfum, enough to last you a lifetime! Although last year the giga bottles of Chanel No.5 were only ones available exclusively through Saks Fifth Avenue, this year the availability is eshewing the ticket cost to catching a flight to New York City in favour of the ease of online buying. The scents have upgraded to a diverse trio too!

No.5, Coco Mademoiselle and Gardenia (suprisingly enough...) now come in the following sizes (you can see the comparison between smallest and biggest size in the picture on the left):

225ml for 1,700$US
450ml for 2,350$US
900ml for 3,200$US

All three big extraits are available for very limited quantities via USA Chanel.com . Through December 16th, there is complimentary free shipping and elegant gift wrapping, for US residents.

There is emphasis on the patrimoine factor (the project is presented as the Magnum Opus of Chanel Perfumery) as well as the labour-intensive baudruchage technique used on the bottles (more on this on this article), but absolutely no word on the lowering of the famous Jasmine from Grasse percentage in the formula as necessitated by the most recent & upcoming IFRA ingredients restrictions. Hmm...

Christmas '09 Gifts Ideas: Special Flacons

Christmas is a prime time for treating others or you to that special something that seemed unatainable the rest of the year. Accordingly, perfume companies issue their very best, choicest , weirdest or just plain ginormous at the countdown till Christmas and the New Year (especially since they have been witnessing a 11% decline in sales). Here are some of the most impressive specimens this season.

Nasomatto (the line respendid with a manifesto) issued Black Afgano in a gigantic limited edition of extrait de parfum of 2000ml! (that's two liters of parfum folks, enough to last two lifetimes). Only 20 engraved packages are issued around the world. What can I say? You have to reaaaaaally love Black Afgano!



Thierry Mugler (and the Clarins company behind him distributing his fragrances line) is no stranger to the game of limited editions. Each year they bring on something out. This year the collector's Superstar flacon encrusted with Swarovski crystals is a staggering 14.2oz for an equally awe-inspiring 3,000$. Well... Another approach is story-telling: In collaboration with Givaudan, the Seven fashion boutique in New York created the Six Scents Series. Each of the 6 scents comes accompanied by a DVD that contains a film and photography that tells a story around the theme of each of them.

Others are more designer-cool: Frangrance by German designer Alexa Lixfeld extold the virtues of concrete-block lids and comes as a jarring surprise on one's vanity (the mere thought of it on a vanity is an oxymoron, come to think of it; you might want to exhibit it on a Phillipe Stark designed countertop or your Saab-hiding garage). Clearly just the bottle to jumpstart spirited discussions on contemporary design!




And there is also the angle of nostalgia. Grossmith (with whom we will occupy ourselves very soon, promise!) is a fragrance line originally founded in 1865 and regally worn by Queen Victoria. The commercial demise of the house in the middle of the 20th century left the brand in limbo until the great great grandson of the founder relaunched the scents with updated flacons subtly nodding to the retro bottles.





Pic via psfk.com, premiereavenue, saksfifthavenue

120 years for Lanvin, celebrated with Arpege 120

1889-2009: Tempus fugit....It's been 120 years since a young seamstress by the name Jeanne Lanvin was inspired to create one of the couture houses that ranked highly at the elegance stakes in Paris. After many decades, Albert Elbaz, current designer for Lanvin, is cleberating ther olfactory heritage of Lanvin with one memorable collectible limited edition of Arpege, the house's enduring aldehydic classic. The scent in Arpege 120 remains the same with the well-loved fragrance, while the outer packaging reprises the mother and daughter duet which was the emblem of the original deign, but in modern Parisian fashion, signed Albert Elbaz.

Arpege 120 will be available in Eau de Parfum spray 100ml (106 euros) et Eau de Parfum spray 50ml (70 euros)

Puredistance Black Crystal Column: exclusive preview

Puredistance, the uber-niche luxe Viennese brand, is launching their new Black Crystal Column, the ultimate accessory to the Puredistance I perfume spray. The minimalistic concept of the Black Crystal Column is reminiscent of traditional Japanese design. Black and gold have always been a powerful and elegant combination provided the design is not over the top. In this case the deep black and warm gold of the Black Crystal Column are used in an understated and elegant manner. The Founder of Puredistance, Jan Ewoud Vos, says: "The first reactions to the Black Crystal Column are unanimously positive. There is a kind of magic to it that is hard to explain. As Coco's Chanel little black dress became the epitome of chic and simple elegance, this Black Crystal Column to me is the ultimate example of a perfectly simple, yet very desirable object. The Puredistance I Perfume Spray perfectly fits into the Black Crystal Column and the combination of the two is simply magic!"

The idea for the Black Crystal Column was born in November 2008 in Moscow when the Puredistance team sat together in bar of the Ararat Park Hyatt. Just when the economic crisis was starting to knock on the door. The Puredistance team knew that launching new truly exclusive products would not be easy for a new brand like Puredistance, yet felt confident about the future of truly beautiful and exclusive products in the long term. And they decided to continue the design and production of the Black Crystal Column. (After all, wasn't it just after the the Wall Street Crash of 1929 that Jean Patou launched his famous perfume Joy? An extremely expensive perfume, created during the worst possible economic times.)
Jan Ewoud Vos says: "We will launch the Black Crystal Column in Florence at the Fragranze fair that takes place from September 11-13 [You can read our article about it here]. The Fragranze fair is dedicated to the best perfumes and fragrances in the world and brings the leaders of niche perfumery to Florence. The 'Black Crystal & Gold' and the 'Black Crystal & Steel' Columns will be the highlights of our presentation in Florence with of course Puredistance I Perfume, the heart of Puredistance!"

The retail price of the ‘Black Crystal & Gold’ Limited Edition (only 750 pcs) including two Puredistance I perfume sprays is 2.750 euro. The ‘Black Crystal & Steel’ Limited Edition (1250 pcs) including two Puredistance I perfume sprays is 1.750 euro. The retail price of the 17.5 ml. Puredistance I perfume spray is priced at 165 euro.

Puredistance is available at: the Puredistance Perfume Lounge in Vienna, in the online boutique at www.puredistance.com and at selected stores worldwide including, but not limited to world renowned places like Roja Dove's Haute Perfumery in Harrods London, Corso Como in Milan, Quartier 206 in Berlin, Taizo in Cannes, the Gallery Lirouage in Moscow and Swarovski's Crystal World in Wattens.

Read the full story at http://www.puredistance.com/ where you can download the 'Story of Puredistance", a 120 page book about the company and its products.


Info & pics via press release

Kenzo's Matrioshka: limited edition collectible for Flower Xmas 2009

In a quite early exhibit of limited editions for Christmas (a time when companies issue their most lavish special flacons in the hopes of collectors splurging on themselves and those they love), the flagship fragrance of Kenzo in terms of sales, Kenzo Flower, gets the Matrioshka russian-doll treatment. Matrioshka/Matryoshka is perhaps the most characteristic Russian souvenir, a wooden nestling doll, its Russian name (Матрёшка) deriving from the Russian female first name Matryona; often erroneously referred to as babushka (which actually means grandmother), it can depict young people or men as well. With its alleged history being that Sergei Maliutin admired a set of Japanese dolls that represented Shichi-fuku-jin (the Seven Gods of Fortune) and wanted to interpret it ruski-style around 1890, is it any wonder the Japanese are returning the compliment over a century later?