Sonia Rykiel: 1930-2016

Sonia Flis is now more. The French designer better known as Sonia Rykiel has left this vain world. Her quirky and intellectual style will be remembered fondly. Her perfumes will continue to grace our wrists and necks in fond remembrance. From Le Parfum to 7eme Sens and on to Rykiel Woman Not for Men and Belle en Rykiel...Chapeau madame!

Dominique Isserman photo 1980

Rykiel becomes a blogger!

The Rykiel house has tittilated our fantasies with their erotic shop within their flagship boutique, has smothered our senses with their wonderful perfumes and has established their name as one of the chicest in all of Paris and the fashion runway for decades now. But it seems that technology is not escaping Sonia and Natalie Rykiel who are on the cutting edge:
Yes, they caught the blogging germ (official blogs seem to be big right now) and from 14th September (this coming Monday, that is!) you can read all about their creative process, their interests and their little confidences at http://www.rykielles.com/. Shopping, littérature, photo, music., video exclusivities, archive fashion shoots.. the posh Parisian quartier de Saint Germain des Prés takes its own digital life under the direction of Natalie Rykiel who will be blogging with nom de guerre "Dita du Flore". And once a week the feature "Sonia's Choice" by Sonia Rykiel herself. Blogger Garance Doré has realised a photo exclusive which you can discover in its entirety on http://www.rykielles.com/ this coming 14th September.

I hypothesize it will be in French, but perhaps there will be a translation option available for those of you who don't speak French. Or, you can always begin learning the French language with some online classes.

Source Jennifer Neyt/Vogue.fr. Pic of Natalie Rykiel via theglamtvespagna.es

Twin Peaks ~Barbara Bui Le parfum & Rykiel Woman-not for men!

When Barbara Bui had first released her boutique-exclusive scent Le Parfum, little did I know of it. In fact if I am to be completely honest I admit I had been oblivious to its very existence up until a short while before its discontinuation. You can call this DPSS: Delayed Perfume Sniffing Syndrome. It’s the thing that happens when you delay to test something only to discover with dismay that you like it well enough when it is too late to purchase some in a relatively easy way that doesn’t involve jumping through hoops.

Le Parfum was a beautiful scent. It’s also sadly discontinued. You have to hunt the auctions to get it. Why this happened is a mystery worth of a Ruth Rendel denouement. But happily there is a comparable perfume that although not exactly a copycat or dupe, it possesses the best characteristics of Barbara Bui’s fragrance for those who enjoyed it and in my humble opinion it is even better in some ways to it. It’s no coincidence that both were composed by nose Anne Flipo (of L’artisan La Chasse aux Papillons fame). Perfume Shrine had been the first one to report this on the ever popular Makeupalley site back in the beginning of 2006.
I am referring of course to Sonia Rykiel Woman-not for men! Yes, the exclamation point is there on purpose, it’s not intended to be a comment on the writer’s part. I guess the makers want to emphasize that it is a feminine potion and bet on the alluring vibe this has on the female sensibility. At this point it is important to note that the comparison is for the original Eau de parfum concentration in the purple and black bottle, cap with bronze studs like the hardware of a trendy it-bag, because the newer eau de toilette in the pink bottle is a completely different scent that is veering more to the fruity floral way to perdition. Personally I have come to expect a lot from Sonia Rykiel and the latter interpretation left me a little bit disappointed. As did Belle en Rykiel {click for review} up to a certain extent; which is a decent scent that does not commit the cardinal sin of smelling like a myriad other things. Perhaps I was a bit demanding. Anyway... Rykiel Woman-not for men! in the eau de parfum concentration has really captured a soft spot in my heart that is hard for other contestants to shake.

Barbara Bui Le Parfum is creamier, focusing on the inherent smoothness of sandalwood that smothers the smoky incense note, rendering it warm and powdery soft, the complete antithesis of churchy smell that usually gets associated with incense. The sweet vanillic aroma of heliotropin rounds out the base. This is a fragrance for the boudoir, a tight microfiber teddy over an ample bosom, much like another soft smoky specimen, the indomitable Fifi, although there we have a blond tobacco smoking bombshell in textured lace. Despite the official proclaiming of Bui containing undefined spices, I do not detect much of any but rather a citrusy top.

In contrast, Rykiel Woman-not for men! opens with the piquant pink pepper note that has proven to be an early 2000s mega success as it is used in many compositions lending them its contrasting cool-warm palette that serves to bring to focus the rest of the composition as a counterpoint; pink pepper is a bit rosy, which makes it subtler than the regular varieties of black or white pepper. Pepper in general is a fascinating note that may make or ruin a scent, due to its sheer potency.

But like Mae West when it’s good it’s very, very good and when it’s bad it’s even better! Meaning when pronounced it has the ability to grab you by the nose and make you pay attention. In tandem with the leathery/oud and musky fond surfacing pretty soon, Rykiel Woman-not for men! smells a little rougher than its sister scent. But perhaps this is why I love it so! The leathery/suede note is completely modern, recalling neither the classic Cuir de Russie versions with their tarry aspect, nor the Spanish leathers of intense pungency and spiciness. It is smooth and nubuck-like-soft, making it extremely wearable. As the perfume dries down softness and restrained sweetness surface, bringing it closer to Barbara Bui, especially in its incense smokiness with a hay-like powderiness. It stays like this on skin for hours, bringing forth all kind of compliments from “you smell goooood” to naughty winks.
Grab it now before they discontinue it too!

Barbara Bui Le Parfum notes:
spices, incense, jasmine, musk, amber, sandalwood, heliotrope, cedar.
Rykiel Woman-not for men (EDP) notes:
pink pepper, violet, date, jasmine petals, Bulgarian rose, black pepper, olibanum, agarwood, leather, amber.

Sonia's Rykiel Woman-not for men! is available from major department stores and online.


More surprises and exciting features on the Shrine coming up soon!!

Pic of twins by Diane Arbus via Transidex. Pic of Barbara Bui from their site. Pic of Rykiel Woman from escentual