Elizabeth Arden Green Tea is one of Francis Kurkjian's timeless success stories, which built his reputation for
effortless light diaphanous fragrances, in turn setting the record for
his own Maison Francis Kurkdjian creations that sparkle and trail like gauze in the morning sun. Yet Green Tea is a case where one perfumer imitates another.
The sophisticated and intellectual Jean Claude Ellena created L'Eau Parfumée
first as a room spray for Bvlgari boutiques in Rome in the 1990s, and
as a stand alone fragrance around the world later. He came up with it
while playing with Iso E Super and jasmine chords, creating an original
accord that he called "green tea." He states so in his writings, that he
chose the name because he was impressed by the Japanese green tea
ceremony. He wanted to recreate that feeling of comforting serenity,
that precious luxury, the one of seemingly endless time. Or at the very
least of meaningful time. He was mindful before mindfulness was a thing.
Ozonic with a green bamboo note, and lemon accords that do not bring images of classic Eau de Cologne, thanks to its green grassy shade, Green Tea takes you because of its name in the highlands of Darjeeling and Sikkim, on the backs of elephants. It perfectly makes me at once calm down and feel like the draining energy of intense heat is not a worrisome burden anymore. There is the promise of spice and botanical stuff but it's just that – a hint, a soupçon of a taunt, never fully materialized. It remains cool and collected, not passionate.
Delicate, fresh, drumming like light percussion, airy and tonic, Green Tea by Elizabeth Arden is welcome coolness in the heat, which is much appreciated for casual occasions and daytime. But if you're the type of person to eschew evening fragrances in the summer months, this could easily fit in your wardrobe.
It's also a startlingly good steal on online stores, demanding very little.
Fragrance notes for Elizabeth Arden Green Tea:
Top notes are Lemon, Bergamot, Mint, Orange Peel and Rhubarb
Middle notes are Jasmine, Oakmoss, Fennel, Musk, Carnation and White Amber
Base notes are Green Tea, Jasmine, Oakmoss, Musk, Celery Seeds, Caraway, Cloves and Amber
There are brands conceived to claim something very potent, to break with the mold of their times, and to establish themselves in the market, spawning a thousand variations on their theme in their wake. Narciso Rodriguez Narciso For Her is not only a sort of a pioneer (albeit indirectly), coming out in the market as a "nouveau chypre"—a modern take on the mossy "chypre" family of perfumes—but also one of its most radiant representatives: it's hard not to notice a wearer of Narciso For Her, even though the scent itself isn't particularly pungent in any of its broken-apart constituents; not too harsh, too sweet nor too bitter, it's however very noticeable and radiates for miles.
Technically Narciso For Her is a floral woody musk, not a proper "chypre" perfume (chypres are a classic fragrance family of very perfume-y scents with a floral heart sandwiched between fresh bergamot on top and the tension of trickle-like, leather-smelling labdanum resin and mossy, inky oakmoss, from a parasite growing on oaks, in the less volatile stages of the fragrance's development) Narciso For Her instead constructs the scent on vetiver (a Far East grass with a fresh and earthy feel) and fractalized patchouli, meaning a "cleaned up" patchouli essence, manipulated in the lab to divest it of its more hippie-like facets for which the natural extract, with its dirty chocolate overtones, is famous.
The floral component in Narciso is all a fantasy of abstraction: the orange blossom and osmanthus notes are registering as an intense sweetness, but you cannot bring yourself to proclaim "this is X flower, that is Y." Fans often say it doesn't smell like perfume per se and this is its major draw.
The aromachemical Amberlyn (a variation on woody amber notes, another name for Ambrox) plus a cluster of musks supports the floralcy, but most importantly gives tremendous diffusion and lasting power, without gazing everyone in close proximity, the pitfall of many a potent fragrance. The ingenious quality of Ambrox is its ability to come into and out of focus at intervals without being perceived as anything concrete; the person wearing the scent or someone sitting close by that person isn't constantly aware of the potent aromachemical. This allows for the necessary breathing space, alongside the clean egyptian musk at the core of the Narciso For Her scent, but also the necessary time chasm that gives us license to re-appreciate a beautiful thing we have come in contact with. "Look. Turn away. Now look again." If that is the definition of a beautiful human being's impression on those who pass him/her by on the street, Narciso For Her is its analogy in scent terms; smell, now forget about it, then smell again and be charmed anew.
Back in 1995 when this Francis Kurkdjian composed fragrance launched Le Male didn't look like it would become that huge in popularity. Jean Paul Gaultier's first masculine fragrance (programmatically named Le Male) was honestly too sweet for the times. No man would capitulate to such a sweet scent surely? And I'm saying this in full knowledge that the archAngel of sweetness came out 3 years before. Angel by Mugler was still too sweet by any mass market standards in 1995 and a very slow commercial success in the market; it took confidence and patience to make it the monument that it is. Le Male followed an analogous path though a bit more speedy thanks to its intended audience.
Le Male was evidently camp with its rippled torso and sailor paraphernalia. It was made by a French brand, for Pete's sake, fronted by a "crazy" looking guy always dressed in a matelot top! But it caught on spectacularly because of a very specific reason. It caught on first with the fashion congnoscenti and the tasteful homosexuals who were drawn to its campy imagery and gender bender advertising aesthetics. Truth be told gay men with fashion savvy often have an uncanny ability to focus on just what is right and works in the style stakes and predict trends. Evidently all strides of life favoured it commercially in the end. The advertisements and the scent were so tongue-in-cheek that you couldn't ridicule it no matter what one's orientation were; it had a healthy portion of self-sarcasm to carry it through.
Composition-wise the sweet lavender over coumarin-vanilla recalls a hint of classic fougère specimens, but the execution is nothing but. To better view this one can do a side by side experiment with a classic sweet lavender built on coumarin notes; Caron's Pour Un Homme. Whereas the Caron is a fist in a velvet glove Le Male is rubber band or nitrile gloves that slap shapely buttocks in jest.You can detect the modern musks which make this powerful. Or at least which used to make this powerful and very long lasting. I hear it doesn't last as long nowadays though my last personal testing is a couple of years old to be honest.
Now that fragrances for men have become increasingly sweet, Le Male continues to be popular with all ages of men (fathers and sons alike), but especially young ones who have rediscovered it. Quite a feat for something older than the age of its wearers!
Is it rather predictable that when consulted I invariably recommend that a bride smells Le Parfum by Elie Saab when considering fragrances for her wedding day, since beautiful wedding gowns have been designed by Lebanese designer Elie Saab throughout the years? We have also come to associate white florals with weddings, if only because the traditional orange blossoms to adorn the bride's hair are a tried & tested tradition; plus they look and smell magnificent.
Elie Saab Le Parfum is a glorious orange blossom and jasmine composition (it contains both the south of France grandiflora and the denser Indian sambac variety), which embraces its wearer into a vision of beauty and splendour. It's regal, yet not too mature. It's sweet, thanks to the honeyed nectarous quality of the floral essences, but not vulgar sweet. It's ladylike, sure, but it hints at a velvety sensuality of silky limbs and thick hair brushing the shoulders.
Most importantly its brightness is conductive to the optimism that a wedding, surely the start of what is more essential, a common path in life, a marriage, heralds. And this is what is priceless. The only problem I can see with this fragrant choice is that bridesmaids would be elbowing each other, taking the perfume's name and designer name down for their own future nuptials.
Many perfume aficionados have noticed the ubiquitness of patchouli oil in modern fragrances; either in the form of the "fruitchouli" fragrance where the dominance of patchouli is given a sweeter overlay of usually berry fruits or in the form of the "floral patchouli" which we affectionately call the "nouveau chypre" (or "pink chypre" perfume). Technically nevertheless at least the latter is not as recent as all that.
In fact these so called patchouli "chypres" as many have suspected all along are not "true" chypres perfumes. Rather the dominance of floral notes plus patchouli and the relative lack of animal notes and musk places them in a slightly separate group which I had been meaning to tackle for a long whilte. That group however is none the less revered taking into account the many classic perfumes which are classified within it.
These floral patchouli perfumes have mainly become possible through the introduction of "luminous/transparent jasmine" in the late 1960s aka the Hedione ingredient which "reads" as fragrant lightly green air above the jasmine vine. The pliability of this material makes it the perfect bridge between the sweet medicinal-woody note of patchouli and the rest of the floral components. Indeed most of the patchouli perfumes with dominant floral elements are fitting neatly into the 1970s and 1980s slot: Diorella (1972). Aromatics Elixir (1972). Coriandre (1973). Paloma Picasso (1984). Knowing (1988).
If you think about it the "nouveau chypres" with Narciso for Hereau de toilette being in the vanguard didn't deviate much from this path. The patchouli is "cleaned" up of its darker chocolate and peppery aspects but the woodiness prevails alongside a modern Amberlyn (ambrox) base and the overlay of sweet orange blossoms; a noticeable floral component. White Patchouli by Tom Ford also divests of the dirtier aspects of patchouli and increases the white flowers antel it's a prime example of the contemporary translation of this concept. There is also the new Aromatics in White by Clinique; fittingly a flanker to the original Aromatics Elixir perfume from the 1970s. I have noticed that the use of "white" in the name lately has taken to suggest a sizable slice of patchouli in the modern style.
In what concerns the Diorella fragrance by Dior the main chord is built around Hedione-Helional-eugenol-patchouli. The fact that Helional used in 5% quota in the formula carries an airy and watery hint with it speaks volumes; it's no coincidence that Diorella works very very well in the heat! Especially combined with the copious citrusy essences on top. Hedione 10% and cis-jasmone 2% plus natural jasmine absolute gave the richness of the classic Diorella floralcy. Rose only played a very very small part in the original composition. A hint of peachy note was possible through C14 aldehyde. The softness of that note plus the airier-watery components conspire to give an illusion of melon to our noses.
Some of the basic components in Diorella are also taken untoAromatics Elixir by Clinique though the formula there takes a turn for the rosier and darker without pronounced citrus notes. Helional and Hedione again combine with patchouli as well as vetiver (for an enhanced earthy feel) and woody violets. The bouquet is further enhanced and "opened" with lily of the valley synthetics like the air seeps into a newly opened bottle of red wine and lets it "breathe". I always find that either Hedione or lily of the valley are the decisive "keys" with which a composition of formula unlocks its message.
Knowing in particular is an undersung marvel and "reads" today as a very venerable authentic chypre thanks to its perfume-y powdery character. But its progeny must be traced into the floral patchoulis of the previous decade. Specifically Coriandre.
In Jean Couturier's Coriandre fragrance the key ingredient is the similarly jasminic Magnolione (comprising 20% of the formula) alongside 10% patchouli. The rose base is founded on geranium making the trasition of Coriandre into a shared fragrance more easily imagined. The spicy top predictably includes coriander but also the intensely green "budding" note of styralyl acetate (the scent of budding gardenias) and ylang ylang. So it's again a floral aspect given a woody underlay (apart from vetiver and cedar ingredients there's also sandalwood; arguably the genuine Mysore variant back in the time of original launch of the fragrance.
The difference with Knowing is that the American taste for almondy fluffiness manifests itself via the use of heliotropin, while there is also the component of a white floral that makes its presence known: tuberose with its bubblegum facets turned up a notch.
In Paloma Picasso/Paloma Mon Parfum the perfume is saturated in castoreum which might trick us into believing we're dealing more with a hardcore chypre a la Cabochard than with a "floral patchouli" as we defined it in the introduction of this primer. But the thing with perception -and the point of this primer- is that it is influenced by context. In yesteryear's milieu perfumes like Knowing or Diorella were differentiated from the more tightly clustered classic chypres. In today's comparison with the syrupy fruities or even the "nouveau chypres" they seem like the end of the hardcore spectrum. Similarly the newer contestants to the throne appear like the emperor's new clothes whereas they form the distant relative to a long line of noble lineage.
If Francis Kurkdjian and Christine Nagel (both credited with Narciso For Her; Nagel specifically also the founder of the fruitchouli with Miss Dior Cherie) created something new, like Isaac Newton they must have seen further by standing on the shoulders of giants.
“I am very happy to see this fragrance collection under new ownership, permitting these perfumes presented under their original formulations to delight its owners”
– Francis Kurkdjian
As you may have surmised Indult is back. We had talked a bit on these pages on Indult, an old French word from 1498 signifying the privileges given by the french King or the Pope to esteemed individuals. The Christian Latin "Indultum" meaning "concession, favor" is at the root. With the desire to launch something that has comparable exclusivity rights as those bestowed upon by a king, Indult began as a niche line back in 2007 comprised by fragrances issued in only 999 bottles each, automatically entering you in the private club able to order a refill if you have purchased a bottle.
Specifically we had zeroed on Tihota, a glorious vanilla fragrance.
So, good news! New owners for Indult, new direction and new bottles lifting the extremely restricted quantities mantle. The line is available at the usual suspect, Luckyscent and its brick & mortar equivalent The Scent Bar, exclusively.
The way of applying fragrance for maximum appreciation and enjoyment is a fine art. If you're a beginner, you might want to consult Perfume Shrine's full article on how and where to apply perfume more effectively to make it last longer and enjoy it more. Today I want to share with you a few professional tips I have come across during my readings from top perfumers Jean Claude Ellena and Francis Kurkdjian, first appearing in French Vogue.
I'm sharing this advice with you here, translated by me from the French, for your delectation and should you wish to add or comment on any of them via your personal experience, you're very welcome to do so.
When traveling, bring a box of incense paper (Papier d'Armenie) in your luggage to perfume your clothes. And at night in your hotel room, spray some Eau de Cologne on your pillow. A smell that relaxes and comforts. " (Francis Kurkdjian)
On leaving a fragrant trail:
"To leave behind a sensual trail that lasts all day, nothing better than dabbing perfume directly with your fingers leaving the spray aside. You lose a bit of material that way, but the skin is impregnated better." (Jean Claude Ellena)
On entertaining:
"In the summer, for lunches and dinners with friends, scent the guest towels with rose water mixed with a little lemon juice to give a prolonged fresh feeling throughout the meal." (Francis Kurkdjian)
On where best to apply perfume on the body:
"Above all, never wear perfume at the wrist as jewelry and watches alter the scent. The ideal is to spray the crook of the elbow or on the neck: the fragrance then diffuses to its maximum potential". (Jean Claude Ellena)
"There (should be) space between you and your perfume. It shouldn't be obnoxious and it should blend in a way that it almost gives you the feeling that it's your own skin that smells that way. I think that the intimacy between your perfume and your skin is very important. I envision my perfume of being, in a way, a no make-up make-up concept. You have to feel like it's your own skin sweating perfume. I love that idea." [It personally reminds me of concubines being fed raw musk to emit a pleasant scent when caressed in the distant past and of the swallowable perfume pill launched recently]
Thus describes perfumer Francis Kurkdjian the two-plonged affair between perfume and wearer, a propos his newest perfume duo under Maison Francis Kurkdjian, Amyris for Women and Amyris for Men, disputing another famous perfume quote in the process too: "(Coco) Chanel used to say that you could put perfume wherever you want to be kissed. It doesn't work; I have tried. It gives a nasty taste when you eat perfume and it's the most horrible thing ever. No one wants to be kissed that way. I love to quote her sometimes but not that. Instead, put it next to where you want to be kissed."
Maison Francis Kurkdjian, Alexander McQueen and Christian Louboutin amongst the luxury brands that are celebrating Bergdorf Goodman 111 years anniversary in September.
"The luxury retailer turns 111 years old this year and will celebrate with a series of special events including a documentary film, a book and an anniversary collection of more than 100 exclusive products. The celebration will kick off Sept. 6 during the fourth annual Fashion’s Night Out with designer appearances and the debut at retail of the anniversary collection. Among the brands that are creating special merchandise are Alexander McQueen, which designed a ruched velvet dress; Christian Louboutin, which is doing pyramid-studded platforms; evening looks from Oscar de la Renta and Akris, and even an exclusive perfume called 754 from Maison Francis Kurkdjian."
pic via FK facebook, thanks to Tomassina/mua for finding this info nugget
It's hard to pronounce judgement on something that intrisically draws you in, yet you find that it repeats motifs known from a previous incarnation losing points for originality in the process. Elie Saab Le Parfum, though no match for the glorious haute-couture gowns that are the stuff of dreams, is nevertheless a very alluring, beautiful floral with honeyed notes, standing proudly in the mainstream market, intending not to leave anyone displeased. The fact that acclaimed perfumer Francis Kurkdjian pulls another well-known trick from his elegant sleeve is of secondary importance for our purposes, questioning structure and innovation vs appeal and end result as we are; consumers go for the latter, critics for the former.
Francis Kurkdjian places a small facet of his beloved zafting, retro roses (Rose Barbare, Lady Vengeance, Enlevement au Serail, Ferre Rose) in a composition that is all about the white flowers: jasmine and in a more abstract, fleeting way orange blossom (similar to that reserved for Fleur du Mâle, Narciso for Her ). Smelling Elie Saab Le Parfum in the middle of winter is like a ray of longed for sunshine, summer evening romance and late afternoon trysts spent on white linen sheets on the hush in rooms bursting with flower bouquets.
It's elegant, lush, quite sweet after the initial orange blossom/neroli "cologne" top note dissipates (and sweeter on skin than on clothes or blotter) with a posh impression that radiates for miles with the discernible headiness of jasmine; a not really indolic jasmine, nor particularly candied, but lush, creamy and sensual all the same. Elie Saab is a fragrance to be noticed and to be noticed in, smelling expensive, especially for a mainstream release, which also lasts quite well. The woodiness is mingled as an austere, cleaned up layer that lingers on skin similarly to woody floral musks fragrances (Narciso and its ilk; the clean patchouli, non powdery rose & honeyed warmth accord is repeated down pat). Kurkdjian takes segments out of his collective opus and re-arranges it like a talented maestro playing a biz potpouri of his greatest hits. Can't blame him; it works.
The first fragrance from the Lebanese haute couture designer is simply called Le Parfum and the composition allegedly took 279 trial versions, resulting in a very femme fragrance, very floral, lightly woody. Those who like Marc Jacobs Blush in theory for the modern take on white flowers, but always wanted more oomph out of it, might find here their ideal rendition. Those who love the lushness yet contemporary feel of Kurkdjian's own label Absolue pour le Soir but wince at the price tag, could find in Elie Saab a more budget-friendly choice. Last but not least, those who lamented the demise of perhaps the single worthwhile Armani perfume, Sensi, are advised to seek out Le Parfum as something in the same ballpark; immediately appealing, non fussy, instant prettifier.
Men are almost certain to find this too feminine for their tastes, though the adventurous can always try.
Notes for Elie Saab Le Parfum: orange blossom, jasmine (including Grandiflorum and Sambac), cedar, patchouli and rose honey accord.
The simple glass bottle, heavy and pleasingly solid, was designed by Syvie de France. The campaign features the famous model Anja Rubik. Le Parfum is available in 30ml/1oz, 50ml/1.7oz and 90ml/3oz of Eau de Parfum concentration with ancilary products to match (perfumed deodorant, body lotion, body cream and shower gel). Available at major department stores.
Painting Spring by Greek painter Georgios Jacobidis.
Few perfumers in the course of the past 150 years have enjoyed such a sky-rocketing course to stardom as has the handsome Francis Kurkdjian, formerly a dancer, piano player and aspiring tailor and eventually a perfumer and co-founder of his own niche fragrance house, Maison Francis Kurkdjian. Kurkdjian (his name of Armenian descent pronounced “koor-zhan”) was the nose behind such fragrance best-sellers as Jean Paul Gaultier’s characteristic male-torso-flacon Le Mâle, Armani Mania, Miracle Homme, Elizabeth Arden Green Tea, Narciso Rodriguez For Him and For Her, Acqua di Parma’s Iris Nobile as well as the initial Christian Dior private "cologne" fragrances Eau Noire (2004) with its daring use of helichrysum/immortelle that recalls maple syrup and curry.
“Francis was behind around 30 blockbusters, from global blockbusters to blockbusters in niche industries,” says Marc Chaya, president and co-founder of Maison Francis Kurkdjian Paris (MFK). “He worked with Romano Ricci on niche line Juliette Has a Gun [ed.note: Miss Charming and Lady Vengeance, both based on delicate musky rose accords which he loves], and also did Rose Barbare for Guerlain's boutique exclusive line.” More impressibly Francis recreated Marie Antoinette’s scent based on a book about the French queen’s perfumer by Elisabeth de Feydeau, and he scented the palace of Versailles’ fountains for two special events with his beloved, trademark metallic rose accord.
Indeed Kurkdjian seems to have favourite themes which he manipulates into his compositions: two of them make a frequent apparition in feminine fragrances; the musky rose that feels fluffy and yet a tad dusky thanks to woody patchouli nuances at the background (Lady Vengeance, Rose Barbare), as well as the man-made, sweet, clean and fresh, piercingly bright orange blossom accord which he perfected for Narciso For Her and respun in Lanvin's Rumeur in 2006. He also loves his musks and ambrox, especially in his masculine fragrances, fusing the warmth and clean feeling of the former into the soothing hum of the latter. For those reasons there's things to love and things to shy away from in his work, but the talent and consistency of his work is undisputed.
Francis's perfumer idol is none other than prolific perfumer Alberto Morillas, one of the greats in the business; with sales like the ones he's generating, however, Kurkdjian isn't far from being admired by fans. His work is respected by other perfumers, but mostly adored by discerning customers, often of the celebrity of perfumes-connoisseur Catherine Deneuve (who loves the rich Lumière Noire pour femme, which was born out of her comission for a private scent, but she later agreed to add it to the line when Francis opened his own house) Kylie Minogue (who wears Apom pour Homme) is another dedicated customer. Catherine, the Duchess of Cambridge (formerly known as Kate Middleton) has been an inspiration for Kurkdjian: the occassion of the royal wedding made him picture her in something intimate and warm, like the new Elie Saab fragrance he created. (We now know Kate went with something completely different, but that's besides the point).
His bespoke service involves a travelling "crate" with bottles of essences which he brings along on a scented profiling of the individual: the process can be laborious and take from 3 months (sending back and forth samples for evaluation and recalibrating) to one year for those with very definitive views on the subject! The project had began casually enough; talking on the plane with well-heeled co-traveller Terry de Gunzburg resulted in a comissioning of a tailor-made fragrance, one which smelled of "orange groves in Italy and earth" (according to an article by Susan Irvine on British Vogue in the mid-1990s)
Francis Kurkdjian was born in Seine et Marne on May 14th, 1969, to a family outside the fragrance industry: his grandfather a men's tailor, his grandmother an inspecting eye in the family business. His first scented memories involved the aroma of sewing oil, clean cloth, tailor chalk and the spice rack sneeking in from the pantry, while an overseeing Art Deco panther was looking on the proceedings. His whole professional ethos was influenced by the ideal of giving pleasure, much like those in the tailoring business are brought up to do.
Francis studied at ISIPCA, the eminent French perfumery school, before composing Le Mâle at 23. He won Prix François Coty in 2001 and the rest is history. The irony is Chaya had no idea who Kurkdjian was when they met at a Jean Paul Gaultier fashion show. “Francis said to me, ‘I am a perfumer,’ and I said, oh, really, does such a thing exist? I thought that was Gaultier doing it himself.” Chaya eventually quit Ernst & Young to co-found and head Maison Francis Kurkdjian in 2009. “Founding MFK was about bringing fresh vision to the fragrance industry,” Chaya says. “It was about founding a modern luxury fragrance house and celebrating the talent of one of the most talented perfumers of our time.” Kurkdjian is more restrained in his evaluation of the company: "La Maison Francis Kurkdjian is an expression of my idea of beauty in perfumery and luxury in general. This House is a tribute to Paris - her spirit of freedom - and blends tradition and technology. My House is dedicated to small joys distilled into 24 hours of perfumed life. Each experience is an olfactory story that lives within my product".
Currently the Maison Francis Kurkdjian line comprises the following fragrances:
Aqua Universalis
A fresh unisex cologne based on the mock sweet orange note which permeats "clean" white floral compositions and laundry detergents (and indeed the house's own laundry product aromatized with the same scent), flanked by hesperidia on top and musk/ambrox on the bottom. Aqua Universalis Forte
A more concentrated (40%) version of the "clean & fresh" Aqua Universalis theme with boosted Calabrian bergamot, added citron, added florals (rose and jasmine)and a more powerful musk. Pour le Matin
The vision of a Mediterranean garden, replete with rustic herbs (thyme and lavender). Available as Cologne and Absolue (Eau de Parfum) Pour le Soir
The vision of Francis's mother in a fur coat for a night out: powder and lipstick on, rich fragrance leaving a seductive trail behind.Uniting the holy (benzoin incense) with the profane (animalic and cumin-rich accords), it's a perfume to be noticed in. Available as Cologne and Absolue (Eau de Parfum), the latter featuring intense cumin and added ylang ylang. ApoM pour homme & pour femme
Basically an acronym for "a piece of me", the duo was inspired by travels to Lebanon and the Lebanese people with their dark good looks. The scent speaks of orange blossom's beauty and cedarwood's austerity, while being infused with ylang ylang for the feminine version and with (sweet, narcotically floral) and amber for the masculine one (sportier and manly). Lumiere Noire pour homme & pour femme
Spiced rose, cumin, hot pepper and patchouli, plus narcissus for her and mugwort herb for him mingle in the fragrance equivalent of a long evening gown and a tuxedo: the rich, decadent composition is truly luxurious.
At the end of t2011 MFK will release small, five-milliliter perfume roll-ons perfect for the purse and on the go. The packaging including the stoppers on the flacons are inspired by the zinc & gold rooftops of Paris.The line already incorporates incense paper strips (infused with benzoin resin), leather bracelets permeated with essences, deos, laundry detergent in Aqua Universalis scent, scented candles and room sprays and Les Bulles d'Agathe, soap bubbles in either mint, pear, cut grass or violets scents for the kid in us!
How would you feel if your favourite fashion magazine engaged one of the most acclaimed young perfumers to fix a special fragrance for you? And on top of that made it in extremely limited quantities as to be able to call this "your very own"? Good idea? British Elle had just that thought when they asked Francis Kurkdjian, the perfumer behind such blockbusters such as Le Male and Narciso for Herto create a bespoke pefume, called, Elle 25 for the 25th anniversary of British Elle magazine.
This special edition is available in just 25 bottles, each of them signed by perfumer. Francis explains his vision: "She is a woman of many emotions who is liberated, humorous, tender and elegant". The Elle 25 fragrance notes include: floral bouquet accord, cedarwood essential oil, musk and a chypre base, according to British Elle.
The only way to own the perfume is to take part in the contest organized by Elle UK: "Write your own brief for bringing ELLE to life as a scent in under 70 words and email it to elle25@hf-uk.com by 1st October. The best 25 entries will win a bottle of ELLE25 signed by Francis".
Bearing in mind that such efforts have in the past produced a beautiful tuberose, all lush and expansive, for the similarly limited commemorative edition Guerlain Marie Claire, we're optimistic that this isn't just marketing drivel.
The Financial Times supplement How to Spend It had an interesting spin on perfumers this past weekend.
Francis Kurkjian (of Quest and currently Takagaso) and Mark Buxton (of Symrise) are featured in Of One's Own Accord by Karen Wheeler, a long article focusing on respective perfumers' launches of their own eponymous perfumery houses. Buxton discusses the smell of ink, an aroma which takes nuances of blood, horse sweat, and beaver and his inspiration by louche New York scenes manifesting themselves into scents, like the one inspired by a black-decked blonde with long hair he saw in a night-club or another inspired by the girls at Moulin Rouge all latexed-up and smelling of cigarettes, sweat and food.
Interestingly Le Male, Gaultier's bestseller made by Kurkdjian, is termed the male equivalent of No.5 (such is its ubiquitness I presume). Francis goes on to talk about his desire to bypass elitism with his eponymous house line (which apart from standard colognes, scented bracelets and incense features a fabric softener, a laundry detergent and even fragrant bubbles!) He purposely avoids the word luxury as "it's become a very devalued word". In creating functional perfumes for products in his line he was apparently inspired by that famous scene in Breakfast in Tiffany's when Audrey Hepburn and George Peppard only have 10$ to spend in the store, yet they manage to find something chic to spend them on. Cute!
Frédéric Malle is featured on Part 1 and Part 2 (latter a web exclusive) in The Aesthete in non-specifically perfumery-related snippets of style "confessions": He reveals his taste for sushi, Pilates, analogue sound (by George Harrison and Cat Stevens), Leica cameras and travels to Moscow, Egypt & Los Angels and French webzines among other things. And he's currently reading A Rebours by Huysmans: a decade too late, to most perfumephiles, I should think, but let's not judge; he admits being a visual person after all.
Please click the links to read the whole (interesting) articles.
"Luxury today is not only about pricing, but it's about dreaming," Kurkdijan told Good Day NY's Julie Chang. Starting at $18, the products are quite affordable. You can find them at Bergdorf Goodman for now and at Maison Kurkdjian in Paris.
Catch Francis Kurkdjian in this month's issue of Vogue US as well.
Francis Kurkdjan is no doubt one of the young protagonists of the perfume universe around us with huge best-sellers of mainstream perfumery (Gaultier Le Male, Narciso Rodriguez for Her), more exclusively-distributed fragrances (the boutique Guerlain Rose Barbare, the Dior exclusives Cologne trio, Indult) as well as commisioned scents and his own private label since 2001. Now it seems he has finally found the funds, encouragement and business consulting which allowed him to expand into a self-named brick & mortar boutique in Paris, bearing the name Maison Francis Kurkdjan.
Maison Francis Kurkdjian is located at 5 rue d’Alger (Paris 1er arrondisement) ~very close to Galerie Nast~ and is a building of glass, steel and wood designed by Yann le Coadic and Alessandro Scotto bearing the signature of its mastermind nevertheless. Francis imagined his own boutique as a project reflecting "the art of life, the way to share the things he feels". Inspired by the covered galleries of older Paris it fuses elements of the artisanal boutique of old. The Kurkdjian perfumery house not only caters to the bespoke service which Francis has been involved in for some time now, through his own site, but also offers new products: in Cologne (Cologne du Jour, Cologne du Soir), eaux de toilette, parfum, parfums d’intérieur (home fragrance) and scented candles, accompanied by Papier Encens (incense paper), scented leather bracelets and a matching laundry detergent (Aqua Universalis, the piece de resistance!), deodorant and soaps in the exact same scent ~from top to toe you'll be "universally eau-ed". A "lifestyle" approach which comes as a surprise!
Navigate in Paris 1er via Google Maps on this link.
Barbaric rose, rose of Attila, rose of the Goths, Rosicrucian and mystic. Where are you? The lines of Walt Whitman in my ears: "I too am not a bit tamed, I too am untranslatable, I sound my barbaric YAWP over the roofs of the world". Or even this:
"November sun is sunlight poured through honey: Old things, in such a light, grow subtle and fine. Bare oaks are like still fire. Talk to me: now we drink the evening's wine. Look, how our shadows creep along the grave!-- And this way, how the gravel begins to shine!
This is the time of day for recollections, For sentimental regrets, oblique allusions, Rose-leaves, shrivelled in a musty jar. Scatter them to the wind! There are tempests coming. It is dark, with a windy star.
If human mouths were really roses, my dear, -- (Why must we link things so?--) I would tear yours petal by petal with slow murder. I would pluck the stamens, the pistils, The gold and the green, -- Spreading the subtle sweetness that was your breath On a cold wave of death....
Now let us walk back, slowly, as we came. We will light the room with candles; they may shine Like rows of yellow eyes. Your hair is like spun fire, by candle-flame. You smile at me--say nothing. You are wise.
For I think of you, flung down brutal darkness; Crushed and red, with pale face. I think of you, with your hair disordered and dripping. And myself, rising red from that embrace".
~from a poem by Conrad Aiken (1889-1973)
Rose Barbare by Guerlain is an elegant rendition of a floral composition that features rose notes, soft and a little astringent at times on my skin, like the Centifolia variety grown in Grasse rather than the opulent Damascena of the Ottoman and the Bulgarian variety. Rather sweet and not particularly powdery, underscored with some peach fruit ~but not as loudly fruity as Sa Majesté La Rose by Serge Lutens, nor as mysteriously chypré as Rose de Nuit by the same house~ Rose Barbare bears a passing resemblance with Nahéma, especially as it develops on skin. However the latter is fiestier, like a red-haired woman in wrath, whereas Rose Barbare is a dark blonde affair of sweetness, chic and insouciance. Although the formal brief talks about a "heady and incisive Ottoman rose", I don’t find this one heady nor incisive. On the contrary it is light and chyprish and quite modern, in a retro-chic way that is au courant. It is a proud young scent, made for a house that needs an injection of young clientele. Personally I am a little overwhelmed by Nahéma, so the prospect of a less potent rose would seem like a good idea to a person who is no big rose lover by my own admition. But it is also supposed to harness other elements of the Guerlain tradition and the chypré base of Mitsouko, Parure and Sous le Vent is one of them. Mitsouko has achieved legendary status through the years and is often used as an example of what great art in perfumery can achieve. However its impact on modern noses is demystifying and for that reason Guerlain probably wanted to keep the best elements of it and modernize the idea behind it. But whereas Mitsouko is all loss and poignant introversion, Rose Barbare is pride and prickly fingers. The addition of synthetic musks, some honeyed fruit and aldehyde C11 gives both booziness and volume to the scent of Rose Barbare and alludes to its rich heritage. This one is a perfectly soft composition with some grassy accents and a base that hides a green and dusty quality reminiscent of oak moss, but not quite (since the latter is one ingredient that has had its fair share of allegations to be an irritant); instead patchouli, like in most modern "chypres", with its rich aroma anchors the composition into deeper waters of sexuality that might lure me in to explore further my dysfunctional relationship with rose. Created by nose Francis Kurkdjian, who was one half of the creative team behind the winning composition of the mesmerizing Narciso Rodriguez for Her perfume, conceived in only three weeks for the opening of the renovated main boutique La Maison Guerlain at 68 Avenue des Champs-Elysées, Paris in 2005 and without a brief from the House according to Chandler Burr, it is a feat; a little enigma in that it stands alone in its pedestal as something unique, but at the same time it doesn’t produce a visceral reaction to it, which is perhaps to its detriment.
Notes for Rose Barbare by Guerlain: honey, rose, spices
Rose Barbare forms part of the L'Art et la Manière line sold exclusively at boutiques Guerlain and the Guerlain espace at Begdrof Goodman, in tall architectural bottles with the name on the side in a wide golden "band" and an optional bulb atomiser included (My advice on those is not to leave them attached on the bottle as they allow evaporation of the juice).
If the current economic standing of several households across the globe is anything to go by, surely the market should be catering to their needs by budgeting their offerings, providing outlets for small pleasures and the possibility of indulging into the escapist dream of sent bon without mortaging anything that is left standing to mortgage. However the above has probably been wishful thinking on our part. According to an article by Nazani Lakarani on yesterday's online edition of International Herald Tribune, companies are not especially tuned into the needs of perfumephiles who demand smaller bottles of their desired "fix" so they can collect with less guilt (just how much can one person apply in one lifetime?) and options for budget-friendly versions of packaging (refills, travel cases and similar contraptions). In a time of crisis how do the players respond? The highlights of this article include some eye-glaring exempla of an industry which is either taking itself too seriously or not at all.
"Traditional luxury and designer brands still sell well; but at the top end of the market, the demand for personalized, custom-made luxury has spread to perfumery. "Regardless of budget, customers today seek a unique fragrance that sets them apart," said Ladan Lari, managing director of designer fragrances at L'Oréal, the French beauty products company.
I have long held that elitism is an integral part of escapism in the fragrance business; and especially in times when that escapism is within reach of everyone thanks to the Internet boom it stands to reason that someone needs to emphasize the luxurious, exclusive privilege of owning a coveted item that would differentiate the peasants from the posh (or so the unadmitted truth raises its ugly head). Several brands have played that game well and they have reaped the benefits: thanks to the Internet and the buzz of fragrance writing consumers up till now were willing to pay almost anything to own such an item. The sarcasm and deep contempt (for the plight of many consumers) of seeing this in black & white though makes me cringe a little...
"Positioning itself between the bespoke and limited edition markets, one specialized perfume company, l'Artisan Parfumeur, plans to introduce in January a line of single-edition perfumes - only one bottle of each will be made - to be sold exclusively through its flagship Paris store. The work of Bertrand Duchaufour, the in-house nose hired this year, the line, Mon Numéro, will be presented in one-off bottles designed by Pascale Riberolles, an artist and master glass blower, priced at about $20,000 for a 725-milliliter flask."
Now here is the weird part: one bottle of each fragrance, a collector's item accompanied by a matching price. And I am asking: why??? Why employ the artistry of a perfumer who is admittedly ingeniously revolutionizing the industry with his creations anyway for just what will inadvertedly become a museum piece? He can't be that bored, since he is given almost carte blanche within a niche house where he is master of all he surveys to create as he sees fit. Surely the owner of that single piece of perfume has as many chances of cracking that bottle open and ruining part of its investement value in the process as the oil problem of the planet solving itself naturally within the next decade. I am very much afraid that it will be a waste of energy, time, budget and essence in what will amount to an intellectual exercise instead of a paean to beauty. Fragrances are meant to be living and breathing things, radiating their joy, their wistfulness, their paramours within polite society's radius; not something tucked in a cellar awaiting the future generations to crack them open years later as a monetary investement in art. Attributing the artistry of perfumery into producing an artefact for an antiseptic environment is akin to sculpting a Venus of Milo for the private enjoyment of a single person in a remote village of an exotic Never Never land: a crime for and in the eyes of humanity.
"Kurkdjian's bespoke scents, conceived, blended and matured over 6 to 10 months, are priced at $10,000 for two 60-milliliter flasks, hand-engraved with a name or personal message. He also offers a service that he calls "Variations sur Mesure," mainly aimed at U.S. or British clients accustomed to fast results. "Based on a scent the client likes, I create several variations," Kurkdjian said. "The one ultimately chosen is still one-of-a-kind, but without the time-consuming adjustments. Ready in 10 days, it costs between $3,800 and $5,000."
I have no special reason to defend any nationality, but when I see such hidden contempt (yes, you read that right) for American and British clients ~no matter that I am not part of that group~ I cringe some more. Let's repeat and ponder this time: "mainly aimed at U.S. or British clients accustomed to fast results". Is it my own impression or is there a very obvious snide in this? Fast results accounting for poor taste or something, and even that "fast results" being a gross generalisation. Basta! I sincerely hope that this is not a quote by mr.Francis Kurkdjian, whom I respect and admire for his talented offerings to the world of fragrance which I often enjoy myself. He is both much too young and much too talented to be so cynical so early on. Let's just hope it was an infortunate deduction on the part of the author. I welcome any clarification should anyone want to set things straight.
Takasago perfumer Francis Kurkdjian has concocted three scented creations as part of Les Grandes Eaux Nocturnes de Versailles, a nighttime event at the chateau of Versailles through Aug. 23 involving fountains, fireworks, art and music. For the Salle de Bal, Kurkdjian created fragranced candles that waft strains of violet reminiscent of the scented powder worn by dancers during Louis XIV’s time. Some 600 are lit each day of the event. For the garden, Kurkdjian dreamed up the Préam-Bulles installation that blows bubbles smelling of pear, strawberries and melon - the Sun King’s favorite fruits. Elsewhere on the chateau’s grounds, there’s the Chutt D’eau project involving a mist Kurkdjian scented with a metallic rose.
It is always a pleasure to come across a young person who is entangled in the web of perfumery. Jean Jacques is such a young frenchman who has been immersing himself in scent to piquant effect, all the more so because he is what the French call nez; a nose ~that is a perfumer.
Jean Jacques however begun his career as a musician (as did another nose, Annick Goutal), much as I myself did; albeit with classical studies, in contrast to his jazz inclinations. I have thus always felt that the world of music is not that far off from the world of perfume: similar language of notes, chords, accords and rhythm balance each other in both realms, where beauty and innovation reigns supreme ~or should, at any rate. Both worlds antagonistic, one acclaimed professional outdoing the other in agilité and power of expression. This common ground makes me somehow feel a kindred spirit in Jean and prompted me to seek out his views.
He was already an accomplished pianist by the age of 16. And then one of those milestone incidents happened, as it so often does in life, when a friend of his mentioned ISIPCA, the Versailles school of perfumery. Jean was competing for a place both in the Conservatory and in ISIPCA, but the latter won his heart in the end. His artistic inclination found fertile soil in the fragrant universe and he likes to play with materials like puzzle pieces that nevertheless leave an indelible print in our memory. After securing his degree in Biochemistry he entered ISIPCA and practiced at Quest International, alongside revered noses Pierre Bourdon and Maurice Roucel in 1993. From then on, next year found him at Kao Corporation, learning to create formulae and ameliorating his technique, while finally at 1997 he came to Takasago group, one of the great perfume companies today, producing his intriguing and diverse creations: Balmya for Balmain, Absolutely Givenchy, Ted Lapidus Pour Homme,Colors of Love for Guerlain, the Masaki Matsushima line, Oriflame Divine and Amethyst Fatale(collaborating with Francis Kurkdjian on the latter), L'or de Torrente, Silver Shadow Altitude for Davidoff and Lacroix's C'est la Fête; as well as the more utilitarian but lovely fruity, beachy scent of the Gamme Solaire Expertise (sunscreen range) for L'Oreal. Let's not forget that Takasago is a flavour and scent company, producing myriads of aroma-materials for various products.
Asked on the future of fragrance notes for the upcoming seasons, he said:
"Given the number of new perfumes, l'd like to think that maybe ingredients will take more importance, as Dior Homme's success is showing us. The question is money: will clients give us the means to use expensive materials? Also, dont forget brands need to sell: fruity notes have proven addictive and they will certainly continue to be used a lot for our pleasure."
This might come as a disappointment to perfume lovers who have had enough of fruity notes, but he does have a point, I guess.
But, now a little playful game cum interview to shed some light into this dark and fetching Frenchman's tastes!
What is your most cherished fragrant memory? My mother's nightgown which I used as a sheet to sleep on when I was little.
What's your favourite spice? Cumin.
Your favourite colour? The primaries: red, blue, yellow.
What music to prefer to listen to? Keith Jarett and The Koln Concert.
Your favourite season? Has to be summer.
Favourite time of the day? Morning, around 10 o'clock.
Which country do you like best? I love France.
And what city, if at all? It's Tokyo. {this came as a surprise!}
Do you have an everyday indulgence? Yes, as a matter of fact; driving while listening to great music.
Which alcoholic beverage do you prefer? I drink champagne.
And your favourite dish? It's fillet mignon.
Do you have an idol, someone you admire a lot? I idolise Rachmaninoff.
Who wouldn't ask a perfumer what perfume he hasn't created himself he admires a lot...So which is it? Aromatics Elixir by Clinique.
Do you have a dream you hope it gets realised? They are too many to even mention, surely.
Ending on that note, I hope his dreams get realised and that we are the lucky recipients of his fragrant ones, incarnated in sprites coming lithely out of crystal bottles.
Next week we continue with the Chypre Series: we tackle feminine and masculine propositions, as well as an important material.
Pic of Notre Dame by Conor McGowan/flickr Pic of piano by Doug McPherson/blog.
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