Upcoming niche releases: unveiled at Florence Fragranze No.7

The Florence exhibition Fragranza No.7 (more info clicking the link) will be the place of unveiling of several new niche fragrances from renowned brands, whetting our appetite from the months to come when they will launch officially for our delectation. In the meantime we're bringing you a roundup of those super-new releases so you can take notes for later on.

First L.T.Piver, an historic house and one of the oldest ones, is renovating their packaging for the entire line and issuing Cedre, Cuir, Epices, Vetiver, 4 masculine fragrances centered on cedar, leather, spices and vetiver respectively.

Memo is much more modern, but they're also taking the chance to introduce Moon Safari, a fragrance composed by Clara Molloy (on the right) and encompassing notes of mandarin, verbena, leather, vetiver and tonka beans. The fragrance will be encased in the familiar rectangular bottles with dots and the juice is a golden yellow.

Humiecki & Graef, another concept-line, after Skarb which rippled the pond with their advertorial, is issuing a new fragrance called Clemency (still under wraps, news on that to be added when available).


A new niche house of Italian origin is making their grand debut in Florence: Laboratorio Olfattivo is launching 4 new Eaux de Parfum named Alkemi, Cozumel, Daimiris, and Alambar created by perfumers Marie Duchene, Pierre Guillaume (of Parfumerie Generale fame) and Enrico Buccella. The latter has been also busy producing two fragrances for niche Italian brand Sigilli: Asprosa (citrusy rose) and Ferfaen (aromatic tobacco with mint and verbena) .

All in all an impressive forthcoming of new smells for us in the coming months!


Pics via derbyprints.com, aufeminin.com, thedieline.com. Some info via extrait.it

Natori Eau de Parfum by Josie Natori: fragrance review

There are few things more fundamental to a woman's confidence than the "just right" underwear and by that I mean proper fitting, excellent craftmanship and luxurious materials. It doesn't matter whether the clothes on top are fashion-conscious, whimsically bohemian or practical athletic-inspired gear, you only need to slip once into decent, quality underwear to never go back. In an exhibition of self-appreciation even in the most frugal of times, I prefer to invest in Aubade, Andres Sarda and Eres instead of other ~more evident~ outer garments, justifying the expense with the knowledge they put me in a good mood first thing in the morning.


The sensuality evoked by quality lingerie is not illogically compared to the feeling instigated by that category of fragrances which we call "snuggly" or "cashmere sweater" scents (like Bois des Iles, Barbara Bui Le Parfum and Rykiel Woman). Industriously ~and indeed fittingly~ lingerie designers have not been idle: From Barbara Bui to Fifi Chachnil all the way to the more bubble-gum sporting Victoria's Secret, major brands have expanded into smells to accompany their smalls.
So did Josie Natori (née Josefina Almeda Cruzhad in the Philippines), who has been creating lingerie, swimwear and women's fashions since 1977, creating a micrography of an empire that spans several upscale department stores in the US and at least 15 countries internationally.

The new release, Natori by Natori, is a floriental that although not innovative, or exceptional in any way, will win lots of people who will snuggle its ambery floral bouquet and purple-black bottle with a pleasure akin to putting on their favourite heavy-silk pajamas. Natori (the Japanese word for "highest artform" and a feminine name as well) has just launched, a fitting foil for the first evenings of autumn weaving their way through the raised blinds, creeping up on us unsuspecting with their crisp step.

The fragrance was created by perfumer Caroline Sabas of Givaudan. If Sabas's oeuvre (Fresh Cannabis Santal, JLo Miami Glow, Badgley Mischka Couture, Charles Jourdan Le Parfum) can be summed up it would transpire she goes for smooth compositions of modernised orientalia, like tapestries' motifs seen in densely-pixeled digital form.
In Natori this typical trait is immediately evident in a sparkling floriental that smells the way a devoré velvet would: smooth, with depth, yet surprising lightness of heft. Despite the advertorial on aldehydes, the impression is not the characteristic soapy-powdery effect of classic aldehydic fragrances, but instead what immediately fizzes off skin in a rather denser way is the plum. Its alliance with feminine flowers, out of focus, the silky musks (I hypothesize the new Cosmone being one) and the light amber notes (recalling the westernised impression of the latter middle-Eastern mix) makes it very wearable and exactly the kind of tactile scent which although you don't particularly notice all the time, you feel good wearing it.

As March from Perfume Posse wisely puts it: "Natori is the perfume equivalent of an expensive but very soft, flattering set of underthings that you’d wear as much for your own pleasure as anyone else’s." Personally I am a little disappointed at the lack of a certain "kick" at some step of the process: Natori develops lineary, with good lasting power and with a seamless progression in which one cannot discern any specific notes without tilting their head again and again and trying to catch them by force. Usually the latter is a trait of supreme technique, yet although technical merit is not lacking, I would have prefered it to exhibit the more shockingly feminine (and naughty) undercurrent of Une Fleur de Cassie by F.Malle incorporated into the standard dusky floriental bouquet. The way it is, Natori can be worn without blushing one iota, nor is it going to be especially chosen for grandes horizontales. Rather it's a go-to scent for women every day, like a boost of confidence they themselves are aware of. Nothing wrong with that, come to think of it.

The Natori flacon is a deep purplish black inspired by the lotus blossom, a flower imbued in symbolism in Eastern cultures, where poets have compared the blossom's furling leaves to female silhouettes coming out of their bath (There's something to be said about poets, flowers and women!). The cap is smooth like a river pebble. There is a small "window" on the body of the bottle, recalling the design of the inro-shaped Opium splash bottle, from which one can see the purplish shade emerge triumphant. Its purple colour recalls royal gowns but also the merging of opposites: like the primaries that conspire to create it, it possesses both cool and feisty vibrations.

Notes for Natori:
aldehydes, rose, plum, jasmine, ylang ylang, peony, musk, patchouli, amber.

Natori has just debuted as Eau de Parfum in the United States from Parlux Fragrances Inc. as a Saks exclusive (for the time being) with plans to incorporate it into a lifestyle line. Fifth Avenue Club members and Saks First participants will be invited to receive a deluxe ¼ ounce Eau de Parfum miniature in Limited Edition packaging.
The fragrance collection includes a 3.4 oz Eau de Parfum Spray ($110.00) and a 1.7 oz Eau de Parfum Spray ($80.00)

Please do not confuse the new Natori with the same-named discontinued fragrance by Avon from 1985.

Pic of Natori feather dress via amazonaws.com and of bottle via Sniffapalooza Magazine

Winner of the...

...Lily Bermuda draw is Ines. Congrats and I will be getting your samples in the mail shortly.

Thanks everyone for your participation and get ready for the next one!

Jean Patou Delices: fragrance review & history

Much like Joy (1935), "the costliest perfume in the world" was launched just when the Great Depression was hitting Jean Patou's wealthiest American clients the hardest, the delicious Délices, also by Jean Patou, was issued in 1940, smack when World War II had shown its ugly face. Perhaps to divert attention from the difficult days ahead? Or in an (alas vain) attempt to exorcise the demons of war which were only too fresh in the memory of its contemporaries? In 1940 few were willing to believe the monstrosities would last for long and Jean Patou had died 5 years before, leaving the house to his sister and her husband Raymond Barbas. Some decades later, few are willing to believe that mementos of that era have resonance today; yet they do. To this day this Patou fragrance remains one of those Great Unknowns of Perfumeland, being one of the more elusive fragrances in the Patou portfolio, but also in the collective perfume vaults. In vain would one search for notes or family classification, as they are not listed anywhere, and I was prompted to tackle it by the timely question of one of my readers and friends in scent, , Melissa, so I am tentatively trying to give you my own view of its delicious, decadent character.

Délices strikes me as spicy, with a light and fresh bouquet of lavender and aldehydic notes for pizzaz, murked by an amber bottom that reminds me of classic orientals and chypres of the 30s, by Patou or otherwise. There is also a kinship with 1000, a later floral chypre woody (1972) by Jean Patou which looks like it has been inspired by its ancestor because of its chypré tonalities and rosy nuances which hide in the heart of both perfumes. Although its time of composing would tie it to perfumer Henri Giboulet, resident at Patou since 1940 and most famous for the soft floral Gin Fizz for Lubin (1955), the style and architecture of Delices personally reminds me of Henri Alméras's opus (both for Poiret and Patou).

Délices was re-issued by Jean Kerleo (in hose perfumer from 1968 till 1997) in the collective opus Ma Collection (Parfums d'epoque, 1925-1964) for Jean Patou in 1984, a lineup of poetic names such as Adieu Sagesse (Goodbuy Wisdom), Que sais-je? (What do I know?), or L'Heure Attendue (The Long Awaited for Hour) among others. However Delices was not included in the box-set of minis issued as a commemorative gift package for that relaunch, making it really hard to track down a bottle of the scent. In general if you find big bottles from that time-frame, consider yourself very lucky indeed as they were reinterpretations that followed the original formulae as closely as possible and were constructed with the utmost care by the in-house perfumer, before Procter & Gamble bought the house of Patou, putting the illustrious archives into oblivion.

Some of those forgotten, vintage Jean Patou scents include (in alphabetical order):
Ambition( 1953), Angostura (1922), Anything Goes (1955), Aparte (1928), Baby Bar (1931), Bar A Parfums (1929), Cocktail Dry (1930), Cocktail Bittersweet(1930), Cocktail Sweet (1930)Companion (1950), the first duo presentation For Her....For Him...(1931), Heureaux Amants ie.happy lovers (1930), Holidays (1934), Invitations (1932), L'Amour Est Roi , ie. Love is king (1930), Lasso a leathery chypre (1955), the innovative unisex Le Sien (1928), Lift (1930), Love Appeal (1930), Makila (1961), May-Be (1925), Ole (1954), Patou's Own (1930), Snob(1950), Toilet Brandy (1935), Tout Va ie. everything goes (1955), and Vin de Toilette (1935).
Let's hope that these treasure of yore find an historically sensitive management that will ressurect them, even if only briefly and for a limited distribution.

Related reading on Perfume Shrine: Jean Patou Ma Collection ~all the scents reviewed

Pic via overstockperfume.com
Ref. Ken Leach, Perfume Presentation 100 Years of Artistry

120 years for Lanvin, celebrated with Arpege 120

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

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

Perfumery Material: Honeyed Scents of Myth

I recall as a child discovering with excitement the furry exterior of bubble-bees, the kind you don't see any more, the desire to fondle only being overcome by my learned fear of its sting, which would result to a self-sacrificing end for the little critter. No matter that my first sting was only in adult life, when an errant bee was lured by my Fleurs d'Oranger (Serge Lutens), one sunny spring morning. I also recall superstitions upon which bees had to be given the news of a death in the family, and even fed a piece of the sweets and wine of the funeral meal, or they would perish as well. In my apis-loving culture the use of honey, royal jelly, bee pollen and beeswax (cystomarily used in orthodox candles for mass) has always been seen as a survival of a sacred, almost magical act which connects man and woman to the pagan nurturance and divine blessings of mother Nature. It is no coincidence that Greek cuisine makes ample and delicious use of some of the finest varieties of honey for many of its aromatic dishes. Or that babies and small children are still nursed on milk and honey in this country, recalling the nursing of baby Zeus by Melisseus ("bee-man"), father of the nymphs Adrasteia and Ide and the leader of the nine Kuretes of Crete, chthonic daimones of Mount Ida, who clashed their spears and shields to drown out the wails of infant Zeus, hidden from his cannibal father Cronus.

The lore of bees and honey harkens back to ancient civilisations who cultivated the arid, unforgiving soils of the Mediterranean and prized the industrious insects for their rich products and their amazing navigation skills (allegedly via tiny crystals naturally embedded in their brain) which made them easily domesticized. From freemason to wiccan, bees and honey appear frequently ever since antiquity as references to a society that is more tightly ordained than ours and an example of how nature and the eternal female finds a way for everything: even the promiscuity of the Queen Bee is a guarantee of safety and health of the entire hive, according to biologists! The survival of the bee is impressive, much like they themselves are considered a link between this world and the underworld. Mycenean "tholos"-style tombs are shaped to look like a beehive, while Melissa is nothing more than the Greek name for...bee (Μέλισσα), while Deborah is also linked to ancient bee priestesses.

My reprisal of these themes was ingeniously suggested by Roxana of Illuminated Perfume and evolved into this article, as well as a series of other posts in participating blogs (linked at the bottom, don't forget to visit!)

• Mythological Origins of the Bee Symbolism:

Although bees are related to the cult of Aphrodite (beehives are hexagonal, the sacred shape for Venus) their symbolic origin goes back to pre-Classical cults: The pre-Hellenic Aegean bee goddesses stood for the dominance of the female and the Minoan cult of the Goddess reflects this, if the small figurines, the jewels and the wasp-waists of the women on murals are any indication. A series of bee embossed gold plaques recovered at Camiros in Rhodes, Greece, dating from the archaic period in the 7th century BC reflects far older deities. Fermented honey, thought a gift of the Goddess, preceded the knowledge of wine in Aegean culture as well as in many European civilizations.
The famous golden Minoan "Bee Pendant" depicted on the left is technically immaculate and presents great merit from a conceptual viewpoint. Discovered at Chrisolakos, the burial ground outside the palace of Malia in Crete, it is now surrounded by other sacred objects such as ceremonial Labyrns (giant double axes) and beautiful gold rings and "double axe" and bee jewellery at the Heraklion museum in Crete, Greece. More powerfully, the bee stood as the symbol of Πότνια, "Mistress" or "Pure Mother Bee" according to Minoans and Myceneans. Her priestesses were called "Melissa", same as with worshippers of rural goddesses Artemis and Demeter.
The Delphic oracle was also referred to "the Delphic bee" (Μέλισσα), long after Apollo had usurped the ancient oracle and shrine, in the hymns by Pindar. The Homeric Hymn to Apollo mentions that Apollo's own gift of prophecy first came to him from three bee maidens, usually identified with the Thriae, pre-Hellenic Minoan bee goddesses!

Other peoples also proliferated bee motifs and lore: The Mayans had the Ah-Muzen-Cab (the Bee God), designating honey-producing cities (who prized honey as food of the gods). The Kalahari Desert's San people ascribe the Creation of man to bees: A bee carried a mantis across a river, but when exhausted it left the mantis on a floating flower, simultaneously planting a seed in the mantis's body before it died. From that seed grew the first man. The Egyptians believed bees to grow from the tears of the sun god Ra when they fell on the desert sand (much like the foam of the sea was considered by the Greeks to be the sperm of the cut genitalia of Cronus from which Aphrodite emerged). The bowstring of the Hindu love god Kamadeva is made of honeybees and Vishnu is often depicted as a blue bee.

• Honey varieties: a world of textured scents

Endless varieties of honey exist according to the raw materials the bees have been harvesting to produce it and the rich aroma of each one is testament to the wonders of nature. From the more unusual, such as the almost camphoraceous honey from eucalyptus and manuka trees from Australia, to the spicy, raw bouquet of buckewheat honey through the mild and popular one from clover, one marvels at the spectrum. Ambery-dark heather honey is full of the wildlife pungent aroma, while thyme honey with its perfectly balanced, savoury taste and herbal aroma is prized among the very best. Pine and fir trees' honey is very pleasantly a tad bitter with resinous nuances, as befits the source. Honey produced by bees harvesting acacia blossoms is especially worthy of mention: sweet like the yellow pom-poms that adorn the trees, its high fructose, low sucrose content presents some advantages concerning diabetic consumption as well as better storage capacity; same with the one from linden, because of its lightly woody olfactive profile which makes it a refined option.

Apart from the amazing flavour, all honeys contain phenolic acids and hydroxymethylfurfural, the levels being highest in thyme honey, which are purported to influence estrogenic activity and cell viability of breast, endometrial and prostate cancer cells. And of course the hydrocaptive and antimicrobal properties of honey make it a supreme addition in skincare and cosmetics, promoting hydration and health of the skin.

• The Bee as an Emblem

Interwined thoughts revert to me as I admire the delicate yet at the same time impressive motif of Napoleonic bees crowning the rims of the exquisite chinaware Les Abeilles by Haviland Parlon, the pattern directly originating from the time of the great dictator. Most people interested in perfume have owned, heard or read of Guerlain "bee bottles" (flacons d'abeilles). These glass or gilded flacons have small Napoleonic bees on relief, wonderfully referencing French royalty and its history, bees being alongside the more traditional royal symbol, the eagle, the emblems of the First and later Second Empire.
Napoléon I had a veritable mania for the industrious insect, which he had made into a symbol of his own reign; even made it into a flag and a cloak, wearing which he was painted by David. Bees long standing symbols for immortality and resurrection, they linked the new dynasty to the very origins of France, more Merovingian than Napoleonic: Golden bees (cicadas, to be exact) were discovered in 1653 in Tournai in the tomb of Childeric I, founder of the Merovingian dynasty (457AD) and father of Clovis. Therefore they are considered the oldest emblem of the sovereigns of France to whom the ambitious leader wanted to be tied to. The bee also presented the advantages of not being symbolically tied to the despised Bourbons nor Christianity.
Another version wants Napoleon moving into the Royal Palace at Tuileries and not wanting to keep the existing drapery with its embroidered fleur-de-lys (the previous French Royal emblem and one which also alludes to Mary, mother of Jesus). Being frugal on spending on new ones, he ordered them instead to be turned upside down, thus offering the world a new symbol: the bee. Lastly, conspiracy theorists might attribute his choice to freemasonry, where the bee stands as a hieroglyphic of the highest order.
Popular references to bees however are much simpler: From the dramatic cone-shaped hairdo of the 1960s known as the "beehive" to the Beehive Bundt cake which would make Martha Stewart proud!

• Honey Notes in Perfumery

Honey notes impart a gourmand quality to fragrances, while the beeswax absolute (Absolue cire d’abeille) harvested from honeycombs of Apis mellifera, grown in France, is used for an ethically-harvested animalic note in scents. This absolute is rare, produced by solvent extraction and due to its surprising thickness does not blend easily in a blend. It can be therefore diluted in alcohol or gently warmed and added to essential oils and allowed to age before being used in a formula. Some suppliers have been also offering a honey absolute instead of beeswax, a lighter and sweeter product.
Phenylacetic acid (otherwise known as α-toluic acid, benzeneacetic acid, alpha tolylic acid, or 2-phenylacetic acid) is perceived as golden and honeyed in minute amounts, urinous in higher concentrations (Kouros, Miel de Bois). Honeysuckle, a flower with natural honeyed nuances traditionally grazed upon by animals (earning it the tag of "goat's vine" in Greek) and sucked clean by small children sometimes, is also imparting sweet, nectarous notes in fragrance similar to the ones that evoke honey. Acacia/Mimosa and aubépine/hawthorn (recreated through the use of p-methoxy benzaldehyde as in Chanel Beige), or some white flowers (orange blossom, jasmine) have a honeyed nuance to their bouquet as well. On the other hand the smooth, decadent scent of honey is especially simpatico in a piquant contrast to the austere formula of a chypre, where it reinforces the other floral notes and mingles with the animal-reminiscent ingredients to give the veil of a hinted sensuality, comparable to a silk bra under a starched shirt.

• Fragrances with Honey Notes (click links for reviews):

Aramis Havana pour elle
Armani Armani Code
Ava Luxe Honey
Ava Luxe Madeline
Avon Mark Instant Vacation Greek Isles
Azarro Orange Tonic
Balenciaga Rumba
Bill Blass Basic Black
Bijan by Bijan
Boucheron Initial
Burberry Weekend for men
Carla Fracci Gisele
Chanel Les Exclusifs Beige (hawthorn/aubepine honey)
Christian Dior Poison
Christian Dior Tendre Poison
Christian Dior Bois d'Argent
Chopard Wish
Coach by Coach
Comme des Garcons Comme des Garcons
Elizabeth Arden Red Door
Estee Lauder Estee super cologne concentree
Estee Lauder Sensuous
Estee Lauder White Linen
Estee Lauder Pure White Linen Light Breeze (hesperidic and light)
Etienne Aigner Private Number
Givenchy Gentleman
Givenchy Ysatis
Gucci by Gucci (the horsebit bottle)
Guerlain L'instant de Guerlain (especially in Eau de Parfum concentration)
Guerlain Rose Barbare
Guy Laroche Clandestine
Isabella Rossellini Daring
Jean Charles Brosseau Ombre Rose L'Original
Jean Louis Scherrer Scherrer 2
John Varvatos John Varvatos for women
Lancome Magie Noire (the most symbolic use of honey notes)
Lancome Tresor Elixir
La Perla La Perla
L'Occitane Eau de Miel/Honey Water (the closest to pure honey)
MAC Naked Honey (reminiscent of linden blossom honey)
MAC Africanimal (peppery, woody honey)
Orlane Fleurs d'Orlane
Paco Rabanne Paco Rabanne pour Homme (sweet fougere)
Prada by Prada
Serge Lutens A la Nuit
Serge Lutens Chergui
Serge Lutens Chypre Rouge
Serge Lutens Fumerie Turque (milk and honey in pipe tobacco)
Serge Lutens Miel de Bois
Sisley Soir de Lune
Shiseido Feminite du Bois
Stella Cadente Miss Me
Thierry Mugler Angel
Thierry Mugler A*men
Tommy Hilfiger True Star Gold
Trussardi Trussardi Uomo
Tom Ford Private Blend Velvet Gardenia
Ungaro Diva
Urban Decay Honey Dust (shimmery body powder that can be licked off)
Valentino Vendetta
Van Cleef & Arpels First
Victoria's Secret So In Love
Yves Saint Laurent Kouros
Several solid fragrances, such as the ones by Roxana Villa, are based on natural beeswax.

Feel free to add more fragrances with honey notes in the comments section!


Please read the following blogs for more on bees and honey:
Roxana Villa atIlluminated Perfume Journal
Trish at Scenthive
Gaia Fishler at The Non Blonde
Beth Schreibman Gehring at www.examiner.com/x-5804-
Donna Hathaway at www.examiner.com/x-4780-


Ref:
Karl Kerenyi, The Gods of the Greeks (1951)
Robert Graves, The Greek Myths, (1955)
Carl A.P. Ruck & Danny Staples, The World of Classical Myth

Bee illustration ©Roxana Villa. Other pics via Basenotes, Wikimedia commons, castlehounddesigns.com

Rochas Moustache: fragrance review & history

Smooth-cheeked chaps have been the norm for more than half a century now and facial hair on men in the western world is considered either intello-boho or "tough guy, three day stubble, get in line missy!" But once upon a time when men fought in the Great War or assimilated la toilette in -perhaps less excruciatingly soignée- the manner of Hercules Poirot and his own profuse moustaches, facial hair stood for distinction. Moustache by Rochas is a scent that could make you grow such a virtual moustache if you belong to the modern clique of smoothly-cheeked guys and actually feel proud enough to admit wearing such a funnily named perfume.

The house of Marcel Rochas issued Moustache in 1948, as one of the select few fragrant specimens bearing the handiwork of that elusive (but talented) personality Thérèse Roudnitska, the wife of trismegistus Edmond (who also had his skillful hand in this) and the muse to her husband's Le Parfum de Thérèse (now in the Frederic Malle line). Thérèse, a student of l’Ecole de Chimie in Paris (she gratuated in 1941) apprenticied at the De Laire company at the laboratories of which she met her future husband. A romance blossomed, peppered with scented gifts: Edmond presented her with his eloquent composition It's You which he had composed for Elizabeth Arden. After romantic courtship they found Art et Parfum, a society dedicated to the art of perfumery in 1946. At the time Edmond Roudnitska was working with Rochas, having cemented both their fragrant notoriety with Femme, a masterpiece conceived in the most perilous and ravaged of occassions, Paris being occupied by the Nazis (1944) and right when Edmond had his hands in more prosaic tasks, such as finding a sufficient butter-taste substitute. According to his son, Michel Roudnitska (who gives the date of issue of Moustache as 1948, while some guides claim 1949 as the launch) "Moustache foreshadows Roudnitska's philosophy of creation - clear, simple and restrained". I couldn't have said it more succinctly.

Perfume history wants Thérèse to have instigated the spermatic idea and Edmond to have followed. At any rate the end result pleased him so much that he was put on record considering it a benchmark in masculine scents [Edmond Roudnitska, Que sais-je? "Le Parfum", Paris: Presses Universitaires de France, 6th edition (2000)]. Roudnitska continued to produce scents for Rochas: Mouselline (formely Chiffon), Mouche (which means fly in French and was playfully named after the couple's cat), and La Rose; a collection of which sadly only Femme and Moustache subsist today.

The academic interest in Moustache is that it takes all the elements that have formed the repertoire of Roudnitska (the fermented fruits, like his beloved peach-scented base Persicol with aldehydes C14 and C18; the urinous aroma of animalic notes that recalls horses' sweat; the mossy yet fresh coolness in the background) and rearranges them in a masculine composition that pre-empties his work for both Dior (Eau Sauvage, Diorella, Dior-Dior) and Hermès (Eau d'Hermès). The aesthetic interest is that it smells old-fashioned in the best possible sense, distinguished in its unique use of lime on top (perhaps the best rendition of that note) and yet not like an antique that gets dusted once in a blue moon tucked inside the curios cabinet the rest of the time.
After the citrusy opening, the characteristic faintly floral and hay-ish powdery heart slowly gives way to the funk of the base notes with their sweaty, urinous and pungent leather impression which lingers quietly, intimately for a long time. Despite it being ,marketed as a masculine scent, women who find citrusy or "hazy" suede compositions to their taste should definitely give it a try.

Notes for Rochas Moustache: Lime, bergamot, pine, fruits, vetiver, moss.

The flacon of Moustache was initially produced in the curvaceous shape of Femme but was later substituted with the classic columnal bottle of Rochas fragrances with the brand name embossed on top the gold cap. A very recent redesigning made it square-shouldered in chrome tones.
The modern re-issue of Moustache is a bit more sharply citric to suit modern preferences for more refreshing top notes and less urinous, more polite, but it remains at its core an old-fashioned and proper scent that was well ahead of its time and still relevant after all those years. The older version circulates for reasonable prices on etailers.
You can get Moustache at Fragrancenet.com for the amazing price of $32.49 for 3.4oz. Also, using code LBRDY09 at checkout you get a further $10 off orders of $70 or more (on any products), valid through 09.11.09.

Pic of Moustache bottle by Rochas by Elena Vosnaki, of Therese Roudnitska via Michel Roudnitska's tribute Art-et-Parfum, vintage ad via trungtamnuochoa.com, modern flacon via fragrancefactory.com

Would they go together? Perhaps, perhaps not...

"It's like going to a Michelin star restaurant and asking the chef to make you something with pasta and cinnamon because you think that will go together; the chef knows it won't so you end up with something inedible. It's the same with perfume."

Thus says Roschi, one part of the pair behind Le Labo, explaining that although he considered the idea of people creating their own perfume, it wouldn't work in this article, talking about Le Labo owners and their Arab Emirates clientele. The "world's most exclusive perfume brand" (quote) boast gazillions of trendy followers, including Hollywood trend-setters Sarah Jessica Parker, Kirsten Dunst, Jake Gyllenhall, and fashion icons Karl Lagerfeld, Marc Jacobs, and John Galliano

But sorry, guys, bad culinary example to illustrate your point above: pasta and cinnamon work great together! (Try it sometime!)

Pic of cinnamon pasta for pastitsio preparation via cozzifantutti.com

Balenciaga Michelle: fragrance review & history

It is always with some astonishment that I find myself in a Wells-like universe while critically appraising fragrances from decades ago: the Balenciaga classic perfumes opus in particular is supremely refined in the grand manner (Quadrille, Prelude, Cialenga, and the more famous Le Dix), yet surprises lay hidden in less far off decades ~as recently as 1979, if 30 years ago can be seen as "recent". Michelle, created that year, as a posthumous homage to the great couturier who had died in 1972 and named after his favourite model, is a classic from the house reflecting values of another time.

Intense in its message, floral and oriental at once with a wink of aldehydes on top like topz eyes behind dark sunglasses, and weird in a sublime way, thanks to a ginormous tuberose and earthy rose in its heart, Michelle by Balenciaga shares a common element with that other fangled, musky and bitter tuberose of the 80s, Dior's Poison by nose Edouard Fléchier (1985); and to a lesser degree with the more vulgar Giorgio by Giorgio Beverly Hills, a fragrance that sadly traumatised a whole generation of teenagers into succumbing to watery ozonics in the hopes of escaping the deadly, miasma-like fumes of their mothers' scent which wafted from every taxi and every elevator to the point of suffocation.
As someone wittingly quipped, the first Dior Poison is "like road testing an Abrams M1 tank in the evening rush hour". To further that image, I should add that Giorgio is all of the above, but done in picturesque Dubrovnik, pre- the Yugoslavian War ravages, when it was a perfect specimen of UNESCO's Cultural Heritage collection of cities, pristinely preserved in formaldehyde.

Cristóbal Balenciaga (1895-1972), a Basque-born Spanish couturier renowned for his impecable attention to detail, his contempt for bourgeoisie status of the Chambre and referred to as "the master of us all" by Christian Dior himself, became famous for his architectural eye and ultra-modernity. The latter was especially exhibited in his "bubble skirts" and odd shapes, the "square coat", the swanlike collars and the "bracelet sleeves" among them. His fragrances reflected his demanding and sophisticated nature: they had character!

The nose behind Balecianga's Michelle is Françoise Caron, best known for Eau d'Orange Verte for Hermès, Kenzo by Kenzo (the original with the blossom-shaped stopper) and the reconstruction of Ombre Rose L'Original for Brosseau, but also for Montana's oriental mohair blanket Just Me and the popular oriental/gourmand Escada Collection. Her Gió for Giorgio Armani (1992) continues with the tuberose treatment so prevalent in the 80s and in a way reflects some of the aspects of Michelle without following it closely. Whereas Gió is nectarous, fruity and honeyed, Michelle is rather sharper, mossier and with that weird perfume-y note de tête which is commonly referred to in perfumephiliac parlance as the "bug spray accord". Both Poison in its foreboding purplish bottle and Giorgio in its yellow-striped kitsch shared this bug spray note: an aroma which had become so popular through the extensive usage of the above perfumes back then that manufacturers of instecticides in a reverse compliment (cheapening the formula) replicated in their...yes, you guessed it, bug sprays! The mental pathway wasn't difficult to lay and forever since bug spray ~and the perfumes that echo it~ have that characteristic sharp, needles-up-the-nose, bitter and strangely floral-from-outer-space tonality which has its fans and its detractors. The mental association isn't a personal favourite for reasons of overdosing on insecticides one memorable tropically-latituded summer in Bali many years ago, so although I admire that kind of fragrances intellectually it isn't something I am comfortable with wearing too often. Still in Michelle that bug spray accord is tempered and tamer, making it friendlier.

If by mentioning tuberose you cast your mind to the timeless Fracas by Piguet with its beautiful yet at the same time coloratura expansive and creamy night blossom, Tubéreuse Criminelle by Lutens with its mentholated, polished soie sauvage or Carnal Flower by F.Malle with its coconut and eycalyptus-ladden tropical ambience, then think again: Balenciaga's forgotten vintage extrait Michelle is none of those things and is a throwback to another era. Surprisingly, Michelle is also sprinkled with a pinch of spice, not listed, a cinnamon-like effect which somehow provides a sweet facet along with the vanilla, yet reinforces the bloody, metallic facets of the tuberose and the wet earthiness of the rose in tandem with moss. It wears beautifully in the heat and eases itself into the cooler days of approaching autumn.

The vintage extrait de parfum which is the concentration in my possession (in the design on the right) is extremely long-lasting and smooth, while the Eau de Toilette (circulating in the classic design of Balenciaga fragrances depicted here) smells about the same, but with a radiance and expansion which could become too much too soon in my opinion.

Notes for Balenciaga Michelle:
Top: Aldehydes, gardenia, green notes, coconut, peach
Heart: Carnation, tuberose, iris, orchid, jasmine, yalng ylang, rose
Base: Sandalwood, oakmoss, musk, benzoin, vanilla, vetiver

Michelle is discontinued, but makes sporadic appearences on Ebay and etailers. The Balenciaga house is currently part of the Gucci Group (part of Pineault Printemps Redoute). Popular again thanks to the success of the "Motorcycle bag" and Nicolas Ghesquiere design and is set to produce a new fragrance under the aegis of Coty fronted by Charlotte Gainsbourg, which questions the possibility of ever resurrecting Michelle.

Related reading on Perfume Shrine: Vintage perfumes, Fragrance history

Pic of vintage coat design by Cristobal Balenciaga via pairofchairs.wordpress.com and of Michelle flacon via ecrater.com

Lily Bermuda Petals, Somers, South Water: fragrance reviews

The brand with the little crest is called Lily Bermuda and is (not so predictably these days) a Bermuda-based perfume house established in 1928. The people there are quite proud of the heritage, since they have been producing scents based on the essences that aromatize the air of the isles for a long time. The latest trio, reviewed here today, was conceived to celebrate the 400th anniversary of Bermuda: "Each fragrance was created to evoke a different time in the Island’s history since it’s beginning". I admit at least one of them had me murmuring tunes to myself under my breath with much gusto all day, so I am going to start with that and work onwards.

Petals is a feminine fragrance encased in pink packaging. If by "pink" you're left with the impression you'll be dealing with a Barbie-esque tutti-frutti cocktail from which is there is no escaping, think again. Surprisingly, upon sampling Petals, I realised we're dealing with exactly what the official information is promising: "a luminous fragrance, an alluring white floral bouquet, elegant and truly feminine".
Petals is feminine, no question about it, and although quite sweet, its tour de force isn't the sugar-tooth of bonbons, but the nectarous quality hiding in the heart of its white blossoms. Its appeal is like that of Natalie Wood at the time she was dating Warren Beatty. On me the citrusy fruit disappears almost immediately giving way to the rich flowers and the diaphanous base notes. In Lily Bermuda Petals the orange blossom is honeyed and layed on thick instead of fresh (think of the treatment in Fleurs d'Oranger by Lutens), the honeysuckle and oriental jasmine take on heady directions, yet the scent is not at all heavy although it wafts satisfactorily and lasts exceptionally well (all through the night on me and discernable upon waking up). Despite its "timeless" promotion, I feel it is instantly identified as modern, as it doesn't possess the dirtier (costus, real musk...) or earthier (moss, patchouli...) aspects upon which several classics were built decades ago. But it makes you want to break out a prom-like 60s dress and sing in front of the mirror "I feel pretty, oh so pretty; I feel pretty and witty and gay!" , which is rather priceless in its way, won't you agree?
Petals encompasses notes of: clementine, mandarin, night blooming honeysuckle, sparkling seringa, watery orange blossom, ylang ylang, jasmine sambac, white musk, white amber. Available in many sizes starting with 15ml/1oz (how utterly cute!)


Somers is a masculine fragrance in dark blue packaging. The name derives from a visit a long-time ago: "Sir George Somers taking his first step onto our fragrant Island and being enveloped in the natural odors of this picturesque paradise". Somers accordingly opens with refreshing notes of bergamot, Bermuda cedar and cardamon, wandering into delicious notes of licorice, black tea, nutmeg, coriander, geranium and sage. The finale is warm with gaiac wood, olivewood bark, incense, blonde suede and amber. Additional notes include grapefruit, orange blossom, ginger and vetiver. Cedar and licorice/aniseed form the main impression, which is interesting in its way, one contrasting with the other their austere and more sensuous aspects; nevertheless I was pining for that olivewood bark promised, which I so love due to my cultural heritage. It's a quite wearable and likeable scent and could be confiscated by women too as it has a cozy Lolita Lempicka vibe with a tad more woods and what smells like benzoin, but (perhaps because of that familiarity) not as distinctive as I would have personally liked. Somers is available in 100ml of Eau de Toilette.

South Water is a unisex fragrance in light blue packaging. Meant as a shared fragrance available in 100ml of Eau de Toilette to be splashed on for freshening up, it accomplishes that on the humid days we're facing still with the familiar, almost Pavlovian relaxing reflex of "suntan lotion smell"; that memory redolent of Coppertone, coconut rum and Cherry Cola with a spattering of sea salt right out of an ocean-dip clinging on skin still (Salty accents have formed quite a trend as we discussed previously). It's a bit more coconutty than I am comfortable with on a regular basis, but not to the point of it being sickening which is always a concern with that type of scent. I don't really smell fruits, nor is it too powdery as it would have been incured by the notes and I am sure it will be included in "beachy scents" lists in the future, I predict it will be popular.
South Water lists sun-drenched tangerine with ozone breeze, coconut milk, juicy guava, gardenia petals, cactus sap, sea salt and white musk. Additional notes include blackcurrant, aniseed, violet, orris, coumarine, vanilla and tonka bean.

The rest of the Lily Bermuda line includes~
For the ladies: Pink, Coral, Lily, Oleander, Jasmine, Passion Flower, Frangipani, Paradise, and Fresh Water (unisex), and
For the Gents: 32°N, 64°W (the topography of Bermuda obviously), Cedar, and Navy.

The fragrances (with some exceptions) come in various sizes starting with 15ml/1oz, making them especially handy to choose from! A Library sample box (samples are generously sized, I might add, allowing about three wearings easily) will set you back 25$.

You can see the selection on the official Lily Bermuda site which is very nicely designed and shop online.

If interested in sampling all three scents, drop a line in the comments and I will pick a winner!

In the interests of full disclosure, I was introduced to the line through a promotion. Natalie Wood pic via The art of staying up all night blog

Puredistance Black Crystal Column: exclusive preview

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

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

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

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

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


Info & pics via press release

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

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