Penhaligon's Newest Eye and Nose Candy

photo by Elena Vosnaki

 It was inescapable. The new goodies from Penhaligon's have trickled their way to my lap and I'm slowly savouring their delights which I was seeking to try out. 

Babylon (an oriental--spicy-woody, exclusive to Harrods till January 2021), Mr.Penhaligon's (a man's fougere to be launched soon) and The Favourite (a delicate lightly powdery floral, on which I am posting a review next) are included in this delectable box of high aesthetics. 

photo by Elena Vosnaki

The above box of wonders is part of the British firm's celebration of the 150th anniversary of the brand's continuous existence. Yes, it did withhold all those years, in fact I know of a person (older than me, obviously) who was working on their London shop in the 1970s filling the cute bottles. 

"One mustn’t stand in the way of a well-needed celebration, and Penhaligon’s have just the thing! 2020 sees the sesquicentennial of our creation, and you don’t reach your 150th birthday without picking up a story or two. Just ask our founder, William Penhaligon. There was the time he trimmed the Shah of Persia’s beard. Not to mention all those Society scandals that set tongues wagging in the Turkish baths of Mayfair...150 years of dreams, magical places, distinctive characters, and the world’s most extraordinarily unique scents. Each of our fragrances tells a story, too."

It's a great story, I'll give you that, and what's more, in perfumery, it's quite true too, which is not a given with many other brands who invent their past. Cheers for another 150 years ahead, then. 

Hermes Hermessence Epice Marine: new fragrance preview

The sea accord is sweet. The smell coming from the bed of the ocean and the misty fog in Brittany is not. To evoke therefore the changing scenery of Mont Saint Michel which recalls seascapes by Turner and pirate adventures full of spices, wooden floors and smoked woods, in house Hermès perfumer Jean Claude Ellena pairs an algae & smoky whisky accord with spices to render a "spicy marine" fragrance, namely Epice Marine (which translates exactly like that). Marine fragrances are the anathema of many a hard-core perfume aficionado, mainly due to the prevailing of this genre during the 1990s, a landmark for perfumery which created with its deeply artificial nuance as many foes as it did acolytes. But if there is one illusionist able to shutter biases and make perfumephiles see things anew, it is without doubt Ellena. And that's what he does in his latest Hermessence; beyond the sea, but not far from it all the same.

Epice Marine, the 11th Hermessence fragrance, is inspired on the one hand by the Saint-Malo milieu, full of celtic traditions and the marine songs of the changing scenery of Mont Saint Michel, that is so familiar to Olivier Roellinger (3 stars Michelin chef & owner of Maisons de Bricourt in Cancale) and on the other hand by the Provencal countryside of Cabris where Hermès perfumer Jean Claude Ellena spends his days immersed in the serene Mediterranean blue. The conversation between these two opposing, and yet converging worlds, took the course of a passionate and prolonged epistolary exchange of views between the two men during the course of many months, starting with Roellinger's invitation to Ellena in october 2011 to come over at Cancale at La Maison du Voyager (the voyager's mansion) where the chef grew up and keeps his spice & savory archives for his restaurants.

pic provided to PerfumeShrine via Hermes

An idea begins to take shape in Ellena's mind as he listens to his friend recount the seafaring adventures required to amass and distribute green cardamom and Sichuan pepper on the Spice Route during the 16th century and the trafficking conducted by pirates. Contrary to bourgeois perfumery, which uses several accords and complicated combinations "to render an effect", Ellena likes to zero-in on the essentials, rendered in an artistic way which allows to highlight unexpected facets.

Toasted cumin grains, sent from Cancale to Cabri, seal the deal for the new concept: Epice Marine will focus on this polarizing note which is central to the adventures of seafaring. But contrary to the usual cumin essence which has a tendency to recall human sweat to some people, this toasted cumin variety renders an aromatic oil which is human-smelling all the same, carnal and skin-like, as Ellena divulges, but in a very sensual tonality. Ellena has this spice distilled to render an essential oil which encompasses notes of toasted bread, hazelnut, sesame; these nuances are deeply exciting to Ellena, who proceeds to write to Roellinger to relay his appreciation and to inform him that he is continuing, with a bigger order for the toasted spice, allied with cinnamon and cardamom.

via aromo.ru

Epice Marine by Hermès also uses a generous helping of bergamot to give a vibrant start. To that he has added a synthetic molecule which recalls algae, a more oceanic feel than the sea accord. This is done intentionally as the "sea" note is sweeter than the ocean at Brittany (la Bretagne), which is drier, saltier, more savory. The coupling of the algae note with the spice manages to evoke that. But one thing is missing... The scent of the marine mist, that deep humid scent that comes out of the seabed. This is the definitive accent, provided by a smoky, peaty note of whisky constructed anew by Ellena himself, specifically inspired by the Bruichladdich whisky (a gorgeous single malt from the Hebrides with elegant floral notes). It evokes the boiled buckwheat and the North-East winds of the foggy Brittany.

After 24 mods, the perfumer is still not satisfied with the development of the composition. The smokiness and the oceanic notes seem a little flat to him. He reworks the oakmoss essence variety used in the base, deducts the vetiver variety used previously, and works on a source water "note" to lessen the salty aspect of the fragrance. It is now March 2012. In two months the finished fragrance will be ready but it will take a while to see the light of day: in September 2013 Epice Marine will hit the boutiques. The adventure begins...

 certain notes thanks to Sybille Grandchamp of Vanity Fair France, translated by the author.

Tom Ford Violet Blonde, Jasmin Rouge and Santal Blush: new fragrances & initial previews

New Tom Fords fragrances are going to launch officially very soon: Jasmin Rouge, Violet Blonde, and Santal Blush. After a successful course and some discontinuations (such as the compelling Velvet Gardenia), Tom Ford continues to expand his line, this time in a curious mix of Anglo and Franco languages in their names; perhaps in the case of Violet Blonde the implied wordplay is it might look like "violent blonde" to the casual onlooker, thus instigating a second, closer look. Given the steamy ads for Neroli Portofino, a best-seller in the line with matching body products, the anticipation for the new images is palpable. But let's see how the new fragrances smell and take a look at their respective bottles.

Violet Blonde is a complex scent with a nuanced character, woody and vanilla/benzoin laced, without too much sweet violet notes, but rather the powdery, soft scent of iris. The bottle designof Violet Blonde is the same as Tom Ford White Patchouli in the transparent glass used for Tom Ford for Men bottles. The square Tom Ford gold name-plate is given a twist into a rectangular gold name-plate that stretches across the bottom front of the bottle (as seen in the photo of the ad below) and in each corner of the plate a small gold bolt is added.  
Violet Blonde is available in 30ml and 50ml of Eau de Parfum and is part of the regular Tom Fod line (alongside Black Orchid and White Patchouli), available at major department stores.

Notes for Tom Ford Violet Blonde:
Top: Violet Leaf Absolute, Italian Mandarin, Baie Rose
Middle: Tuscan Orris Absolute, Tuscan Orris Butter, Jasmin Sambac, Sampaquita
Bottom: Benzoin, Cedarwood, Vetiver Absolute, Musk, Soft Suede

Santal Blush and Jasmin Rouge on the other hand belong to the Private Blend line by Tom Ford with the hefty price-tags.
Tom Ford Santal Blush is a gorgeous, clean, dry sandalwood with an immediate message of sensuousness and no boozy aftertaste, beautiful and wearable, composed by talented perfumer Yann Vasnier. The bet wasn't an easy one: Composing a sandalwood fragrance evocative of the Indian splendors of the Mysore variety known from the past without actually using the raw material due to its regional restrictions on use. The result more than compensates, entering into sandalwood fragrances top list, always popular with perfume lovers. If you like Tam Dao, this is a refined take on that scented memory.
"Masala spices from India, Cinnamon Bark Oil Sri Lanka ORPUR, Cumin Seed Oil, Fenugrec Absolute and Carrot Seed Oil, are enriched by a floral blend of Jasmine Absolute, Rose Absolute and Ylang Madagascar. An infusion of richly textured Sandalwood captives, Australian Sandalwood, Benzoin, Agarbois and Skin Musks, transport the scent of Santal Blush to another level". It's highly recommended and I predict it will be supremely popular among the cognoscenti!

Tom Ford Jasmin Rouge is perhaps the weakest link, since it has a sweet character that can turn a bit plastic on some skins. Of all the jasmines I have recently tried it's the one that impressed me least because I had the highest expectations from. Still a new jasmin from a niche line always sends a kind of frisson down some spines!

Violet Blonde, Jasmin Rouge, and Santal Blush by Tom Ford are now available for testing at Saks New York and Bergdorf Goodman in NYC, though latter store mentions a September launch date for the US and a later date in October for the international market.The launch will coincide with the new make-up range and a new male grooming products launch.

images via basenotes and scents of arabia

What the Nose Knows by Avery Gilbert: book review & preview

If you have been even marginally interested in scent and that mysterious and unaccredited source of fascination, repulsion and pleasure, the nose, then you must be in the know about a pleiad of myths, quotes and cognoscible pop-culture references: Proust's madeleine bursting forth 3000 pages of spirally-tapped prose, Zola's candid olfactory descriptions, Freud casting the aspersion of the smell as a lesser sense in advanced civilizations theory, Hellen Keller being the blind and deaf genius of nasofanatics, the sex-attraction of pheromones, sniffing coffee beans between fragrant sampling and the sweet smell of death. I should know, I read this ramification almost every day as they appear by both budding and seasoned smell fanatics on the online fora where osphresiophilia is being discussed among similarly-wired minds.
Avery Gilbert's book "What the Nose Knows" manages to dispel those and countless others in pellucid style, providing solid experimental data and studies to back up every claim; even minutely tracing the published sources of popular myths to exactly nil! (like the ultra-popular "10000 odours is the number of different odors humans can distinguish"). Some of that debunking crescendo is bordering on incredible: it's not easy to accept that we're not that inferior to our dogs' capacity for odor perception (or rats' for that matter) or that said canine's ability to sniff bladder cancer ~and not just any form of cancer as erroneously surmissed~ is not that spontaneous as one might think, taking in mind the rigorous training the subjects required in order to yield those astounding results which made the round of the globe fairly recently.

Dr.Avery Gilbert is a biologist, smell scientist, sensory psychologist and fragrance-industry insider who has worked in the R&D division of several perfume companies (such as Givaudan-Roure) and is now president of Synesthetics, Inc., a provider of innovative sensory science for the development and marketing of consumer products. He has contributed chapters to various edited volumes and published scientific papers in prestigious publications such as Nature.(a selection can be downloaded here) "What the Nose Knows" is his first book. But what prompted him into fruictifying?

"A review of Chandler Burr's The Emperor of Scent set me on the path to my own book: I was the only reviewer to give
"Emperor" a big thumbs down. (I was also the only scientist to
review it; the Washington Post, for example, assigned it to their beauty editor.) My notice appeared in Nature Neuroscience shortly before the AChemS conference, a big annual meeting of smell and taste researchers in Sarasota, Florida. Book reviews rarely attract attention in the scientific world--you're lucky if your mom reads it. Yet colleague after colleague at AChemS came up to congratulate me and say how much
they liked the review. More than a few suggested I should write my own book".

He introduces himself with a sense of humorous acceptance: "I was among the first people to smell Eizabeth Taylor's White Diamonds, but also one of the first to sniff purified 3-methyl-2-hexenoic acid ~the aromatic essence of ripe, unwashed armpits." OK, we can stop being envious of his job at this point, I guess...

Full of interesting trivia and bypassing the cliché Napoleon's odorlagnia-laced billet doux to Joséphine (which every book on smell quotes anyway) Avery Gilbert goes instead for more treacherous waters, such as the flower idolatry of Emily Dickinson, Nathaniel Hawthorn's little-publicized smell vignettes, the verse of Walt Whitman who idolised sweat and Richard Wagner's obsession with scent. Literature and the arts get their own section where the author goes into detail about shattering some of our preconceptions on literary odorphilia. Culinary enthusiasts will be excited over the crossover between food and wine aromas' comparisons and the attenuation of smell principles into a few dozen "flavor principles", as inspired by the work of Liz Rozin, will provide endless discussion. The forensically inclined will derive lots of info on how smell plays a paramount role in recognising stages of corpse decay, the astounding and gruesome realities of "New York deaths" and the not-urban-myths of corpses being hidden to rot under motels' beds; while the perversely intriguing issue of malodor gets its own fair treatment, from the scent of flatulence to the recreation of mamoth feces's aroma which is one of archaeology's dirty secrets (and boy, do I know).

A central point of the book, prompted by the Proustian rush of memories via the infamous soggy French delicacy, is the erosion of olfactory memory: “The purity and infallibility of smell memory ~an insight central to Proust’s literary conceit~ doesn’t hold up to scientific scrutiny.” This might give us pause for thought in our endless discussion about how fragrances change, even in placing faith into the recollections of experts who swear that batches of what they had smelled 40 years ago had a certain je ne sais quoi which is now absent or cannot be replicated. Could it be that it's all a projection of fears and desires like wet dreams and nightmares and our memory bushels the past into a more pleasing set of dimensions?

One of the most interesting chapters of the book is indeed devoted to "Spin Doctors": not con artists, but the scientists who have tried to come up with solid, measurable facts as to how the power of suggestion influences us into thinking something odoriferous is pleasant or unpleasant, potent or weak or even whether it is there at all! Like a perfume enthusiast said a propos of a similar point: "[it's like] the time when fluoride was about to be added to the water supply. Many people were horrified. This would surely kill them all! They displayed corroded pots and pans on the news, claiming that the fluoride had eaten away the metal. Indisputable proof, right? Except...Oops!....the fluoride hadn't been added to the water yet." Reading hard science data gathered via sensory experiments corroborating this somehow leaves you with the realisation that it suffices for some malignant acquaintance to fault your scent with smelling like something considered upleasant (enter any of the usual put-downs: urine, poo, bugspray, mustiness, creosote etc.) to make you believe you suddenly smell it yourself. It doesn't even matter whether the commentator really picks up the designated odour, it's enough that they proclaim it as such for your mind to conjure olfactory images of the offending attributes. This is stretched further to include M.C.S. (multiple chemical sensitivity), on which Gilbert hypothesizes that it might be a purely psychogenic illness despite his sympathy to the afflicted parties: the fear of an odor's power, as attributed by people into odors they consider fabricated, synthetic or otherwise malevolent, has the tangible potential to make them ill, manifesting actual physiological responses, as proven through university experiments and Van der Bergh's work at the University of Leuven, Belgium. And then again many might be attributed to bad associations: the case of former Playboy bunny Izabella St.James' aversion to baby oil or a WWII veteran's memory of crematories alerting him to a nearby funeral home scandal in Hesperia, northeast of Los Angeles, being two.

The reverse is also true, although on a less impressive manner, which accounts for the vividly purple prose we so often encounter through ad copy for fragrance products that promise olfactory utopia. Or even the subtle manipulation of audiences through scent, in cunningly consumerism overtones, such as the scenting of air in shops, as well as in fascinating and pioneering work such as that of Eric Berghammer, alias Odo7, a young Dutch artists touted as the world's first Aroma Jockey. Even the Hollywood use of Smell-o-Vision notoriety ~but not originality, as attested by previous paradigms dating back to the silent film era!~ through John Walters' film Polyester with Divine gets its fair share of analysis, leading to Andy Warhold "smell museum" and the hypothesis of science providing us with our own personal library of scents in the future through the human genome project, where the author is at his element.

Although the tone is light, it is not oversimplified to the point of condescending nor is it ever snarky, yet I would personally be thrilled if the author invited us into his experiences working on fragrant projects for commercial products: the whistleblower touch is always titillating to read. Additionally the attempt at humor sometimes sounds a little strained as if some sort of cathartic relief was needed after some truly gruesome facts presented: I'd like to think that we're able to handle it and if not, what were we doing reading a book on smell (as contrasted to perfume) anyway?

If nothing else, What the Nose Knows will make you never see Marcel Proust with the same eye again and if you have sat through Swann's Way into your literary pilgrimage with the inward impatient questioning "where are those promised odour landscapes?", it will provide welcome vindication. Even more encourangingly, the author proposes that there are no olfactory geniuses and the problem of correctly identifying odours (the "tip of the nose" syndrom) has to do with cognitive diffuculty more than sensory. He proposes that all one needs to be considered as such is an average sense of smell, empathy and a well-developped olfactory imagination. So there's hope for everyone it seems.

The book is published by Crown Publishers, NY and can be ordered through Amazon for $16.29 as part of a promotional offer.
Dr. Avery Gilbert maintains a site and a blog, First Nerve.

Sniffapalooza is featuring Avery Gilbert as one of their speakers at their annual Fall Ball on October 25, 2008, at New York City . He will discuss the psychology of odor perception and the enjoyment of perfume during a luncheon at the restaurant Opia, 130 E. 57th Street. The event begins at 12:30 p.m. Tickets and registration required.

Pic of book jacket through Avery Gilbert, madeleine pic through Les Ateliers du Parfum.

The Essence of Perfume by Roja Dove: book review and preview

It wouldn't be an overstatement to say that Roja Dove is the encyclopaedic resource to turn to on everything perfume-related. Even better that he is a very charming man to talk to as well. A former Cambridge medical student, Roja worked for many years for Guerlain: it all started when Robert Guerlain decided to stop his insistent questioning the company's global subsidiaries for info by harnessing this rampant enthusiasm of the 21-year-old by recruiting him and later appointing him Global Ambassador of parfums Guerlain; a title never before bestowed to non-Guerlain family members. Roja later teamed up with George Hammer (founder of the Sanctuary in Covent Garden and the one who brought Aveda to Britain) to create Roja Dove Haute Parfumerie in the Urban Retreat in Harrods. The mission stated in the brochure? "Haute Parfumerie defies the contemporary notion of "spray and pray" to bring together the finest fragrance offerings within sumptuous, lavish surroundings. Roja's personally trained experts will be on hand to help each customer find their signature fragrance." He continues to lecture audiences for prestigious establishments such as the Victoria & Albert Museum and oversees the creation of a bespoke line of exclusive fragrances for a select clientele as well as his own very special trilogy (Scandal, Enslaved, Unspoken) available at Harrods.

All this experience and passion has been distilled into Roja's newest book The Essence of Perfume. A coffee-table sized volume of glossy luxury, it is beautifully illustrated with photos of rare vintage bottles, especially in the final chapter: from the Egyptian Sphinx inspired Gardez-moi by Jovay (1926) to Baccarat crystal flacons such as the jewel-hued yet tastefully spartan hip-flask shaped Ybry line (1925-27), the Art Deco malachite-green of Trois Passions by Myon from 1928 and the rococo style decorative Bertelli perfumes from 1917. The exquisite naturalistic Lalique flacons for Bouquet des Faunes for Guerlain (1925) and their poetically formed L'Effleurt for Coty (1908) and Ambre d'Orsay from 1913 are also presented in all their glory. Bottles from Roja's private collection such as the Guerlain Bouquet de Victoria, Prince Albert's Bouquet and Bouquet de Napoléon (III) from the 1850-70s make a unique appearence as does the only known complete Chanel box containing No.5 and the never commercially released No.2 and No.11

But the book is not primarily aimed at the bottle collector. The Essence of Perfume strives to be a tome comprising information on various aspects of perfumery starting with a brief consice history of fragrance creation and use from antiquity through the birth of modern perfumery in the 19th century: I find little known facts that delight my historian soul such as the Appolonius' quote "perfumes are sweetest when the scent comes from the wrist" or who the first Grasse company to use solvent exctraction invented by the Robert clan (them of great perfumers' fame) is. The chapters then follow the course of introducing the perfume lover into the methodology of perfumery: explaining the methods of aromatics extraction (steam distillation, solvent extraction, expression, enfleurage and tincturing) with the aid of diagrams; a description of raw materials of natural origin accompanied by photographs and a two-word descriptor of their odour facet as well as a very brief guide to aroma-synthetics (not strictly non occuring in nature, such as natural isolates, lab reconstitutions, novel synthesized molecules and aldehydes), useful to the budding perfumephile who is questioning what is that long series of ingredients listed in their new box's allergens list. Roja then goes into detail explaining how the composition of a fragrance is constructed in the classic pyramidal style, the basic fragrance families (floral, chypré, oriental, fougère) and the fragrance facets within those divisions (for instance the "aromatic" facet is further divided into lavender, aniseed and minty tones or the distinction between "soft", "resinous" and "powdery" balsamic) as well as the differences in concentration of compound in the finished product resulting in Eau de Toilette, Eau de Parfum, Extrait de Parfum/pure parfum and the always confusing matter of Eau de Cologne and the origin of Eau Fraîche types. Basically the seasoned perfumephile will want to leaf through these and instead focus on the delightful perusal through the great classics that follows.

From Jicky by Guerlain (1889) and L'origan (1905) by Coty all the way through to Narciso Rodriguez (2003) and Perles de Lalique (2006) Roja Dove saves the bulk of the book for the detailed exposition classified by decade of the perfumes that marked their era due to their popularity and innovation. This is accompanied by vintage ads, socio-economic commentary on the evolving mores that were expressed into the change in tastes and trends on each sub-chapter introduction and pictures of iconic style representations such as Great Garbo, Barbara Goalen in a Dior couture dress from 1947, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, the Andy Warhol entourage of the 70s, Lady Diana Spencer and Jennifer Lopez. Reading about them we come across facts we have encountered and shared before and others which we have not. Jacques Guerlain being touched by a previous Guerlain mention by Claude Farrere leading to using one of the author's heroines name in Mitsouko. Patou wanted "Joy to be to perfume what Roll-Royce is to cars". How naive older practices like the one used by Opium (and Caron 60 years before it) to cut short the long waiting list when the product did come in the stores to keep fueling the demand seem in our marketing-obsessed times...And how truly it resonates with poignancy about the changes in attitude towards intimate smells when Roja describes Shocking by Schiaparelli "like the interior of ladies' underwear" and its progeny Boudoir by Westwood "like Shocking wihout the knickers"!

After this mesmerising foray into anecdotes and descriptions on so many fragrances, there are alphabetized entries on each house from Coty to Carven through Robert Piguet and Christian Dior to Jean Patou and Yves Saint Laurent also illustrated with famous and not so famous pictures of the protagonists behind perfume vision and little stories about some of the myths that surround them: it is here that we find more detailed info on Coco Chanel's sobriquet being inspired by a tune sang by her in cafes with the chorus "Qui Qu'a Vu Coco" about a little dog ~dispelling the rumour that it had to do with hosting cocaine parties; that Madame Carven was behind fragrances sold aboard airplanes concept; that Patrick Alès (the buyer of the Caron house) calls Roja "Monsieur Caron" for his dedication while Anarchist was named in tribute to the revolutionary spirit of the house's founder Ernest Daltroff; and that Cacharel is named after a small migratory bird of the Camargue.

Roja Dove thinks "perfume has become debased over the past 10 to 15 years. The marketing brief is getting younger and younger: it's all for 18-25s. I don't know of any house that's creating perfumes for women over 30, and all the great perfumes are disappearing by stealth. Perfumers are frightened to take risks, but many of the great perfumes came about by mistake." and "A lot of perfumes disappeared because they were no good or were of the moment and ceased to be relevant. But these ones - all the ones in my parfumerie - are more than relevant today; they were probably just ahead of their time. When you take scents like Miss Dior or Vol de Nuit by Guerlain, you have formulas which are still avant-garde and totally wearable. Commercial perfumery is nowhere near as creative," as quoted in an interview to Alison Kerr in The Scotsman. "But a small renaissance has begun as not everyone wants to smell cheap. Consumers are waking up to the idea of individuality once more; the cognoscente is turning back on mass-marketed fragrances. There is a revival in creative perfumery; shifting the craft back to the genius of the master perfumers", Roja comments on the foreword of his new tome. A sigh of relief...

If I were to find fault with anything it would be that there is some English-ised construction in several French phrases (eau de colognes instead of eaux de cologne, Professeur de parfums instead of des parfums, fougere's for the plural fougeres on page 86), as well as the perennial but widely standardised formulas instead of the Latin plural formulae. But these are misdemeanors that can be easily sidetracked by the sheer scope of the book. If not absolutely indispensable to those who have perhaps read too much on the subject, it is still a very concise and worthy addition to a library that focuses on fine fragrance.

You can watch Roja Dove talk about his niche and classic fragrance choices here:

"When you wear a fragrance you create tomorrow's memories". Aaah!

Official issue date of The Essence of Perfume for the US is 28th October (70$) Apart from pre-ordering at Amazon, you can get a 40% discount off the retail price by contacting Jess Atkins at jess@blackdogonline.com stating "Perfume Shrine discount" in the title of your mail.

Pics through Black Dog Publishing, not to be reproduced without permission
Clip provided via handbag.com

Note Down on Your Notebook: Must Test This!

In case you're the type of person who is tidy and organised and makes lists of things to sample, get your pen and notebook or your spreadsheet and mouse and jolt down this: the new Vetiver (still unnamed) by Andy Tauer. And if not, do make an effort regardless. I am telling you, this is not to be missed! Although this is not supposed to be a full review, I just couldn't resist the temptation to give you a first glimpse into how it smells. It's peppery, bracing and rich head-on, with a complementary, bitter hesperidic note that segues on to a green accord and an underlying discreet sweetness that doesn't divert from the main character: the deep vetiver. It lasts for hours on skin and is very sexy!

The sample was a pre-sniff of the upcoming Vetiver fragrance which I was lucky to receive in Andy's "3 years perfume blogging" sample giveaway (amazing how time flies, isn't it?). It is a fragrance built around vetiver from Java, with fresh grapefruit, lots of black pepper and green clary notes in the head. Lily of the valley contrasts the dark vetiver and crisp Cedar wood, leading over to a soft ambergris base with hints of Tonka beans and cistus.

Vetiver is in itself a wonderful material for perfumery and I hope to be able at some point to devote more time to it on these pages. And even though the niche market is rather crowded with things "vetiver this" and "vetiver that", this new fragrance has its own deserved place. It seems men perfumers often excel in producing what they themselves would wear and this is such a case (I can picture Tauer sporting this wonderfully), which echoes beautifully the legend of Jean Paul Guerlain creating his Vetiver for himself. Or so the story goes...
In any case although Vetiver by Guerlain has been going citruisier and citruisier and lighter in later years, Tauer's reverts us to the essence of the tangly root with a richness that was hinted at the vintage Guerlain but never fully explored. It will be interesting to further test Tauer's take alongside Vero Kern's amazing leathery Onda and Vetiver Extraordinaire by Malle, which both also take vetiver to extremis.
Andy will launch it October 2008 and I am already alotting a budget for it, for myself and my loved one.

He is also working on a Lily of the Valley scent and a Chypre Rose, of whose developments he often speaks on his blog, so we're in for surprises in the future.

Pic from early flyer on Tauer's blog, somewhat manipulated by me.

How does the latest Serge Noire by Serge Lutens smell like?

Serge Noire, the export fragrance of Lutens for this summer (July 2008) derives its lineage from history: In the 19th and early 20th century, the name (la serge, feminine hence the "e" in the adjective "noire") designated a type of textile, twill of diagonal lines or ridges on both sides, made with a two-up, two-down weave, that was quite popular: a delicate variety was used for finer garments, while a stronger yarn was chosen for military clothes. The etymology derives from Greek σηρικος (σηρος means silk worm, for clothes), which gave rise to the Latin serica and the old French serge.
The interesting thing is that serge has been implicated through the British textile trade monopoly via Calais and the Netherlands in wars between European nations, especially religious ones: in 1567 Calvinist refugees from the Low Countries included many skilled serge weavers, while Huguenot refugees in the early eighteenth century included many silk and linen weavers.

With that at the back of our minds we might start deciphering the enigma of Serge Noire and its reputation of an ascetic incense, according to my confidante Elisabeth. Quite taken with it, she discussed it at length with Serge, who explained that it is very different from Encens et Lavande, the previous sumptuous and fantastically deep frankincense take in the exclusive Palais Royal line.
Since there is often a double interpretation of the same material in both exclusive and export lines, it is not unheard of that there would be an incense scent in the latter. After all there is indeed a lavender one to match Encens et Lavande, Gris Clair, so why not one to address the other constituent of the fragrance as well?

Frankincense came into the scene of niche cults with the "Incense series" by Comme des Garcons and Passage d'Enfer by L'artisan parfumeur years ago and although it seemed it languished for a while, incense knew a resurgence last summer with Andy Warhol Silver Factory by Bond No.9, an arguably interesting take and with Andy Tauer's wonderful duo of Incense Extrême and Incense Rosé this autumn.

Serge Noire comes to offer an architecture of incense that is pure and balanced with nothing in excess, yet not classical. Rather an orientalised grey, which in itself is a play on his previous Gris Clair. It has a ritualistic element, without the cold, dark church associations we have come to expect from the genre. It is on the contrary reminiscent of fireworks and powdery dry, laced with spices which will dare our conventional beliefs on incense fragrances.

My French blogger friend Six, on Ambre Gris, equally ecstatic, talks about resinous, warm and slightly sweet, vanillic benzoin joining the proceedings, giving a feminine element to the masculine character, while she notes that pepper and a camphoreous note open up the intriguing composition of dry and bitter japanese-like incense with smoky and mineral tonalities echoing Chinese ink, flanked with a little cinnamon. Elements that have caught the imagination of Lutens and Sheldrake in the past (the camphor in Tubéreuse Criminelle, the ink in Sarrasins, the incense of Encens et Lavande) are merging here in what seems to be a personal declaration of faith.
Elisabeth confirmed that Serge Noire is near and dear to Serge's heart, name nothwithstanding, as he professed it to be his favorite; feeding thus the rumor that it has been in the works for 10 years and hinting that those who have professed it one of the best Lutens in recent years must be right.

So to recapitulate notes for your ease: camphor and pepper, dry incense and ashes, fireworks and gunpowder, sweet benzoin, cistus labdanum, castoreum and a little cinnamon. Got it? Sounds fantastic!

Lutens himself in a lyrical description consistent with his previous cryptic "poems" about his fragrances states concerning Serge Noire:

"An ether of ashes, it's about serge. A way of creating for myself a bad reputation with added value" [...]"A phoenix, the mythical bird of legend burns at the height of its splendour before emerging triumphant, reborn from the ashes in a choreography of flame, conjuring the shapes of yesterday in a dance of ashes. The swirls of oriental grey enrich the twilight with depth and intensity while windswept memories hint at the beauty of transformation. An ode to everlasting beauty under the cover of night's rich plumage"

There is some discrepancy between English and French press release which is intriguing to contemplate: In the French text there is the addition of a controversial affirmation of the fragrance creating a visual contrast between white skin and black cloth, intended for ethereal beauties ("Pour vous belles éthérées! Peaux blanches et serge noire...")
Political correcteness never fit well with Lutens and the phrase despite its connotations cannot be taken at face value, I reckon: I am sure he was focused on the aesthetic choice of chromatic antithesis and not on any racial slur hinted. To me it is more evocative of "The Pillow Book", black calligraphy on light-toned skin, tragically romantic in its unattainable ideal.

The Lutensian feminine ideal is japonified, lean and ascetic in her black garb, a woman of neither here nor there, of no time and no place; she almost becomes inhuman in the attenuation of her form and features to the point she becomes pure art. However every one of his creations bears inside the sperm of this ideal, which caresses our dreams and imprints our thoughts.
Black takes the emblematic scheme of a non-color: it serves as protection and amunition. But also as the symbolic anonymity of the monastic cloth which invokes an inner transformation, a metamorphosis of the spirit and which imparts its truth to those who opt for it.
Serge Noire will be the darling fragrance of everyone seeking to embrace their inner anchorite. Count me in!

Serge Noire comes in Eau de Parfum Haute Concentration at the standard 50 ml/1.7oz oblong flacon with optional spray attachement and costs to buy 95 €

Pic from Shiseido ad courtesy of Autour de Serge

How does the latest El Attarine by Serge Lutens smell like?

The perfume community has been complaining lately. But let's finally admit it: Serge Lutens is the Pope of cult fragrances and Chris Sheldrake has been the archbishop to aid his vision come into fruition. And since, despite Sheldrake's new position under the aegis of Chanel, he can still work with Lutens, we have apparently not seen the last of the duo's creativity. Indeed two new fragrances have been announced: El Attarine and Serge Noire to be launched at the end of summer and July respectively. Anticipation is building. Ad copy is scrutinized for clues. But what do these really smell like? It is Perfume Shrine's privilege to reveal a few facets of that olfactory identity for you today.

One of the advantages of writing and academia is communicating with other people who write and participate in academia as well. And it is more pleasurable and infinitely intriguing when those people share the same passion: fragrance! Perfume historian, professor at the Versailles school of perfumery and writer Elisabeth de Feydeau, who we're honoured to count among the readers of Perfume Shrine, had the opportunity to experience the new Lutens fragrances and asked us to share her impressions for the English-reading public on this venue. Honoured and flattered we agreed with enthusiasm.

But how were these fragrance conceived? According to Lutens regarding El Attarine: "Today, I offer you gold, sun-drenched topaz, everlasting flowers and saps". Admittedly an image evocative of the riches of Arabia and Morocco, eternal inspiration in the Lutens universe.
The olfactory focus and main notes of this solar composition seem to be immortelle/helychrisum, more commonly known as everlasting flower, aimed at offering a new interpretation that will set a new frontier in fragrance history.
Elisabeth described El Attarine to me as intensely about immortelle after a soft opening, with copious lashings of spicy, sweaty cumin and honey notes; this might indicate that they have explored both facets of the material, essence and absolute. With a complex odour profile, immortelle is a fascinating note with a herbaceous, honey-like aroma in the essential oil and recalling the unique odour of spicy fenugreek (Trigonella Foenum Graecum) in the absolute, imparting amazing lasting power and evoking maple syrup for many. {It has been featured in the following scents: Sables and Eau de Monsieur by Goutal, Eau Noire Dior, L de Lolita Lempicka, Calypso Gardenia, Guerlain Cuir Beluga, Cologne du 68 and Coriolan, Chene by Lutens, Balmain Ambre Gris, Rosine Ecume de Rose, Amouage Jubilation XXV, Divine L'Homme Sage, Diptyque Opone, Comme des Garcons Kyoto from the Incense series and Woodcoffee from the Sweet Series, Parfumerie Generale Corps et Ames}.
However in El Attarine imorrtelle is flanked by another warm and sweet essence that is a favourite of Lutens and a staple of Middle-eastern and Mediterranean tradition: jasmine. Its intoxicating lushness appears along with pronounced woods to polish El Attarine off.

Perhaps in a more prosaic description Lutens goes on to say that: "In Arab countries, “attarin” means sweet-smelling, and refers to everything within the realm of the “atar”: fragrance, heart, flavour and essence". Attars recall the mysteries of the east, its people and the rituals in which they engage. The mingling of smell and taste is not unheard of in the Lutens/Sheldrake cosmos, as both Douce Amèreand Mandarine Mandarin are impressions of gustatory speciments (absinthe and mandarin respectively) that reveal side panels of aromas like in a Byzantine triptych ~"Attarine is not a closed door. You cannot make a perfume with only your nose".
El Attarine is also the name of a regal, elite Koranic school in Fez, thus the fragrance is another homage to the Arabic culture that has been providing Lutens with inspiration for the last 2 decades at least.
In a Parthian Shot, Serge leaves us with this: "It is an accord born out of a disagreement in the first person. From my attarinian solitude, the fruits of my imagination were abundant". Make of it what you will and we shall return as soon as it is released!

El Attarine is priced at € 110 for the standard bell jar containing 75 ml, available exclusively at the Salons du Palais Royal Shiseido (August 2008). There is the option of shipping within Europe.

Next post will focus on Serge Noire: stay tuned!

Pics courtesy of Palais Royal and Wikipedia.
You can read an interview with Lutens on Scented Salamander.