Tempus fugit and with it tastes change. This is the contemplative conclusion I arrive to from comparing my vintage, original Guerlain Météorites Eau de Toilette (2000) bottle and the re-issued limited edition Météorites Le Parfum (also an eau de toilette) sample I just got. There is no accounting for the huge shift that has happened in the last 18 years and not just at Guerlain. If only by looking upon the chasm between the launch of both I realise I'm getting old; imagine, I had bought the original back then. And undoubtedly a part of my disenchantment with the new has to do with that comparison.
The new fragrance bears little relation to the old powdery floral version, although that's not programmatically a bad thing; one has to stay open for modern masterpieces and the polishing of older concepts being elegantly successful after all. Keeping one's self open for pleasant surprises is the essence of youth. In this case nevertheless it makes for a newer scent that's rather limp-wristed, a bit of a wallflower. Don't get me wrong, it's very pretty, but it could never conjure either retro glamour (like the Guerlain Météoritespowder beads themselves do), or nostalgic reminiscences about women in one's past. It's as if a girl is playing with her mock tea set.
Guerlain Météorites Le Parfum is quite the girly scent, upbeat, with a fruity-floral opening that's like apple-scented shampoo dissipating very quickly, and a rosier tint than its predecessor overall. The violet is present, though it feels more like the refreshing violet leaf we come across in scents like L'Eau de Cartier and Goutal's La Violette than sweetened Parma violets; this violet has a rather mineral feel about it and a flanking of clean musk for whisper soft longevity on the skin.
Thierry Wasser succeeded into translating the retro vintage vibe of the beloved Météorites powder pearls into a contemporary soft clean fragrance and in that no one can't fault him. Indeed the re-issue of Météorites Le Parfum feels like a composition which would equally make the scent of a posh shampoo, which is half the market right now. It's no coincidence that it's accompanying a seasonal makeup collection; it feels a bit of a prop rather than a mainstay in the line.
It's very pretty and very safe, people that feel chocked by powder would probably get lots of mileage out of it, wearing it in the office and on afternoon shopping sprees. People who would expect the heliotrope-violet powder that characterises some of the classic compositions of the historic house, such as Apres l'Ondee and L'Heure Bleue, on the other hand, will be rather let down. Which is rather odd considering Guerlain is well aware that the powdery sweetness of its classics is covetable, judging by their Secrets de Sophie and various incarnations...But it's all down to the times they're a-changin' I guess.
The re-issue of Guerlain's Météorites Le Parfum eau de toilette (2018) is at the time of writing available at Neiman Marcus, the Guerlain boutique at Las Vegas and Place Vendome Haute Parfumerie online.
The cult status of some perfumes, alongside the demand from a vocal audience online, has resulted in several companies re-releasing fragrances that we thought gone for ever. This the case with Venezia by Laura Biagotti, Yohji fragrances, the Patou Ma Collection line of vintage perfumes, or the 2014 relaunch of the three Helmut Lang fragrances (Helmut Lang eau de parfum, Helmut Lang eau de toilette and Cuiron).
Now they're re-issuing another cult favorite,Tea for Two, much lamented and fetching high prices on auction sites, as well as an oldie from the 1980s, Eau de Caporal. Both are going to be part of the permanent collection with retail availability later this year.
L'Artisan Parfumeur L'Eau du Caporal was originally composed by the founder of the brand, Jean Laporte in 1985, and was an aromatic fougere laying mint over lavender and oakmoss adhering scentwise to an outdoorsy rough image of a military man. L'Artisan Parfumeur Tea for Twois the original smoky tea, an aromatic spicy from 2000 composed by perfumer Olivia Giacobetti, reminiscent of Lapsang Souchong brews and something of a reference; a witty blend of black tea and gourmand delights, gingerbread and honey.
In February 2011, a strong winter storm exposed and removed a stable sediment layer deep within the intact bow section of the shipwreckMary Celestia, a Civil War Blockade Runner sunk in 1864 off the south shore of Bermuda in 55 feet of water.
Four months later, over a seven-day excavation, a local and international team of marine archaeologists, co-led by Philippe Max Rouja, (Bermuda’s Custodian of historic shipwrecks), James Delgado (NOAA) and Dominique Rissollo (Waitt Institute) uncovered and rescued a small cache of hidden artifacts from the Mary Celestia, including perfume bottles embossed Piesse & Lubin, London.
Piesse & Lubin was a prominent perfume house on Bond Street in London, England at the time the Mary Celestia sank. G.W. Piesse was a chemist, perfumer and a prolific writer who wrote, among other scientific books, The Art of Perfumery, the first modern book about perfumery in 1857. Piesse was one of the first to openly describe and publish many of his highly influential techniques and formulas. It is not known if any of his perfumes have survived to the present day, meaning that the specimens in the sealed bottles from the Mary Celestia might represent the only known and testable samples of a Piesse perfume available to perfume historians and chemists.
Bermuda is fortunate to have a long and distinguished history in the development, manufacture and marketing of fragrances and that history is embodied in the 86 year-old Bermuda Perfumery. In April 2013, the Perfumery’s director Isabelle Ramsay-Brackstone hand-carried two of the Piesse & Lubin perfume bottles to the laboratories of drom Fragrances in New Jersey, where they were opened and their contents analyzed via a gas chromatograph under the watchful eyes of Jean-Claude Delville and Lionel Nesbitt.
The results of the analysis showed that both bottles contained the same fragrance and miraculously after 150 years underwater were uncontaminated with salt water . The smell of the fragrance was overwhelming of rotten citrus with some notes of hydrogen sulfide (commonly know as rotten eggs). The perfumers characterized the smell as unpleasant however to the amateur nose of the
archaeological researchers the smell was characterized as surprisingly citrus, grapefruity, and inoffensive. Some impressions of orange flower, geranium, orris, bois de rose, opoponax, sandlewood and benzoin were also recognized with a dry-down of civet and ambergris tincture. Although the liquids contained in the bottles were intact and had not been contaminated by salt water, many of the essential oils contained in the fragrance had broken down through the many years under the sea.
At this time, the analysis of the fragrance found did not allow the researchers to determine the identity of the fragrance with certainty, as the earliest reference of the collection of Piesse & Lubin dates back to 1873. However, it appears that the time Mary Celestia wrecked, “Bouquet Opoponax”, launched in 1859, was the most popular fragrance of Piesse & Lubin. Although the perfume house never received the prestigious “Royal Warrant Seal” from the British government, it is clear that Piesse’s fragrances were admired and coveted even in the American South at the height of the
American Civil War.
The successful transport of luxury goods through the Blockade assured a premium on the black market once in the Confederate South. The trade in such items had been considered a viable activity for the crew risking their liberty and lives running the blockade. However at the time of the Mary Celestia’s sinking the transport of luxury goods on Runners had been banned by the Confederate Government leading to speculation by the research team that these goods, found in the very tip of the bow of the ship away from general cargo, had been carefully hidden by one of the crew. The small, tight area
in the strong forepeak hid the goods from salvors and protected them from hurricane damage for the next 150 years. This providential discovery carves a literal window into the world of British built and Southern backed Blockade Runners, their pivotal role in the US Civil War and the complex lives of the people and goods – including perfume – they transported that will be the subject of a feature length documentary currently in production between producers LookBermuda and PBS member station, South Carolina Educational Television.
Authors
Isabelle Ramsay-Brackstone, The Bermuda Perfumery; Philippe Rouja, Bermuda Department of Conservation Services; Jean-Claude Delville & Lionel Nesbitt, drom; James Delgado National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration; Dominique Rissolo, Waitt Institute
Every May 1st, the Guerlain clientele can wear that year's limited edition of Guerlain Muguet which celebrates the "good luck" charm that lily of the valley stands for. The tradition of re-issuing the Muguet (i.e. Lily of the Valley) perfume dates from 2006 and you can find an article with the history and the bottles of the different annual edition of Guerlain Muguet on this link.
This year Guerlain appealed to ceramist Brigitte de Bazelaire (associated with Porcelaines de la Fabrique who manufacture Limoges china since 1825). The process requires a double "baking" at more than 1000 degrees Centigrade.
The white biscuit porcelain container contains a bee bottle with a white bow and pale green liquid inside. The design reprises the style of Les Parisiennes, the boutique line sold at boutiques and espaces Guerlain. The scent is a realistic lily of the valley soliflore with additional notes of jasmine, bergamot and rose.
The 2014 Guerlain Muguet edition is presented in 1872 numbered bottles internationally sold for 400 euros for 125ml, available from May 1st and for only a few days.
There also other news for Guerlain maniacs:
First of all a discontinuation, though I'm expecting it won't go down with too much wailing: Guerlain L'Homme Eau (2010) is discontinued, a rumor which was originally reported on Mr.Guerlain's page and officially confirmed by Guerlain. Available therefore only while stocks last.
But there is also a reissue: Idylle Duet Rose Patchouli(from 2011), a flanker to the original Idylle, more info on which you can read on the linked article
Last but not least, Terracota le Parfum is a limited edition to celebrate 30 years of Terracotta products which have made the reputation of Guerlain makeup to the widths of the globe. This is a solar fragrance (reminiscent of summer via its salicylates allusions, not different than the effect in Terracotta Voile d'Ete most probably) and you can see a linked picture of the bottle on Instagram.
Each year, L’Artisan Parfumeur’s spring limited edition is a much-anticipated event for fragrance aficionados and collectors. For 2014, the iconic Parisian fragrance house re-releases a discontinued fragrance which has been much requested and sought after by its many fans, the almondy Jour de Fête.
This Eau de Toilette was created in 2003 by Olivia Giacobetti, a perfumer long associated with the creativity and originality of L’Artisan Parfumeur. It plays with the symbol of traditional French celebrations: “la dragée” (the sugar- coated almond). Jour de Fête was imagined as a fresh almond surrounded by a layer of icing sugar, and as almond flour with a taste of wheat and honey.
Jour de Fête, meaning ‘Happy Day’ or ‘Festival Day,’ is a delicious celebration of this sweet symbol of French celebrations, with its crispy sugary coat melting into a subtle vanilla. Light and airy, the dragée transports us to the wheat fields of the French countryside, reminiscent of the insouciance of childhood. Jour de Fête is a flamboyant yet delicate fragrance, a treat for special days.
The eau de toilette will be retailing for 55 GBP for 100ml, available from March 2014.
“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.
L’Artisan Parfumeur’s spring limited edition releases are a much-anticipated event among perfume aficionados.
This year, there will be two fragrances re-released from the brand archives, both much-loved and much-requested: Ananas Fizz and Côte d’Amour.
Ananas Fizz – Eau de Toilette
Ananas Fizz is a celebration of summer and of the Victoria pineapple, typical of the French Reunion Island, in the Indian Ocean. A mouth- watering cocktail of citrus and sunny fruits, topped with the unexpected and radiant presence of the pineapple blends into a deliciously fresh fragrance. Ananas Fizz takes you into a swirl of litchi, frangipani tree; vanilla and of course pineapple notes, and is to be used without moderation!
Côte d’Amour – Eau de Toilette
Like a voluptuous, caressing marine breeze, the inspiration of this iconic fragrance of L’Artisan Parfumeur is a stroll along the coast in Loire- Atlantique, in the West of France. The soft caress of the sea air and the sand, the wonderful scents of the seashore, expressed by wild notes of the everlasting dune flower, cypress, pine trees as well as this iconic marine and salty notes, give this fragrance a personality like no other.
100ml Eau de Toilette for £55
Οut in March 2013 ιn L’Artisan Parfumeur boutiques, concessions and website.
What possessed Givenchy to create two fragrances in 1957, the well known L'Interdit and the less known Le De, both inspired from and originally intended for Audrey Hepburn? In retrospect, though both elegant, delicate enough florals of immense clarity to reflect the tameness of the 1950s in terms of perfume expectations and societal mores and therefore suited to the "nice girl" elegance of Hepburn herself, the commercial supremacy of one over the other has left Le De in the twilight. It's perhaps telling that Bette Davis, no spring chicken when Le De became available in 1958 ~the actress was hitting 50, well into maturity by the standards of the time~ chose to wear the ill-fated one. Le De remains today a snapshot of how women used to smell, ladylike and in pearls, and even in the re-orchestrated re-issue that the company launched in 2007, seems a captive of time in one way or another.
The oddly named Le De is a reference to the particle of nobility in Hubert de Givenchy's name. In 1952, at the age of 24, Givenchy opened his own design house on 8, rue Alfred de Vigny in Paris introducing it with the "Bettina Graziani" collection, named after Paris's top model at the time. He had a tight budget and only three staff working in a room loaned to him by friend and mentor couturier Cristobal Balenciaga.
The landmark of Givenchy's style, and the contrast to his more conservative contemporary Christian Dior, was innovativeness: The revolutionary use of cheaper fabrics employed in designs that intrigued with their aesthetic viewpoint, instead of their bourgeois luxury (influenced no doubt by Balenciaga), and his "separates", instead of the more standard option of dresses. Audrey Hepburn, later the most prominent champion of Givenchy's fashion (and to many the fashion plate whose image both benefited from and inspired him in equal measure), met the French designer in 1953 during the shoot of Sabrina. He had mistakenly thought he was going to meet and dress Katherine Hepburn...An immediate friendship was forged over this misunderstanding and Hubert went on to design almost all the wardrobes she wore in her movies, prompting him to later say that "Audrey's image is associated with my name". She never failed to note that "Hubert gave me self-confidence. In one of his suits with the beautiful buttons I can forget my shyness and talk in front of 800 people". Their friendship lasted till her untimely death.
Le De came about when Hubert chose decided to gift his friend with a perfume; actually he commissioned two, the other being L'interdit (created in 1957 and commercialized in 1964) and they were hers alone for a whole year. In 1958 the idea of launching perfume under the aegis of his house saw Le De being introduced to the market while L'Interdit was immortalised in another classic Audrey Hepburn film, Breakfast at Tiffany's.
Comparing vintage and modern Le De Givenchy
The vintage edition of Le De comes across as a strange floral etude in the lineage of Le Dix de Balenciaga, with the violet note treated in a non sweet manner, contrary to all confectionary and makeup references that violets usually translate to perfumery. Instead the astringency of the violets gains soapy and powdery nuances (thanks to orris and rose) presenting the suds and puffs of a beauty ritual through the sheer panel of a light filter. There is no natural reference, just abstraction. The narcissus essence is laced with the impression of a horse's sweat, segueing into a musky feminine aura that is lived-in contrasting nicely with the general "groomed" effect. It is subtle enough that you won't catch it unless you're looking for it.
In 2007 a re-issue of Le De Givenchy was launched under the auspice Les Mythiques, a homage collection to the classics in the Givenchy line. The modern Le De is a play on humid floralcy. A dewy floral would theoretically appeal to modern sensibilities, even though this style had commercially expired by the time that the company thought about launching it. The violet is subdued and a "clean" orange blossom and lily of the valley are making it approachable and familiar. The structure recalls a woody musky floral and sillage and projection remain low-key, though perfectly calibrated to function as a constant halo. As of time of writing, the modern Le De is still available from Harrods.
How to Differentiate Different Editions
The original Le De Givenchy was introduced in 1957. The vintage bottle has rounded shoulders and is following the classic mould common for L'Interdit as well. It was available in eau de toilette and extrait de parfum. The 2007 re-issue of Le De Givenchy in Les Mythiques line is encased in a lilac box with the logo of Givenchy repeated in the design motif of the packaging. The bottle in frosted glass, tall, with sparse lines and sharp shoulders. EDIT: My reader Lily notes that there is an update on the Les Mythiques 2007 edition, introduced in 2011, with slight differences in the packaging, although I haven't come across it in person. If anyone can describe the differences and whether there's a change in scent I'd be happy to include the info.
Notes for the vintage Le De Givenchy:
Top notes are coriander, mandarin orange, tarragon, bergamot and brazilian rosewood
middle notes: carnation, lilac, orris root, jasmine, ylang-ylang, lily-of-the-valley and rose
base notes: sandalwood, amber, musk, oakmoss and guaiac wood. Notes for the 2007 Les Mythiques Le De Givenchy:
Top notes: coriander and lily-of-the-valley
middle notes: jasmine, ylang-ylang and bulgarian rose
base notes: sandalwood, vetiver and incense.
Les Feuilles Mortes: music by Joseph Kosma and lyrics by poet Jacques Prévert.
Yves Montand sung it in 1946 in the film "Les Portes de la Nuit".
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