The winners of the draw...

...for the Paco Rabanne giveaway are Spike and Musette. Congratulations ladies, pass me on your data using the contact on About page or Profile, so I can forward them to the proper source, and your prizes will be in the mail soon.

Thanks everyone for the participation and till the next one!

Snapshots of Phantasmagoria

Sights and sounds of an impending Christmas, ghost-like and semi-transparent in the most bitter cold, still flicker before my eyes as I write these lines; the sweet nostalgia of meeting with gregarious people with a wicked sense of (dark) humour mingling with the sense of bygones and the desire for new beginnings the New Year brings upon us.

The stall market alongside the big arch at Champs, a couple of blocks before Place de la Concorde, filled with kiosks yielding under the weight of small gifts and unexpected delicacies. The lights on the trees directed upwards, forming what looks like giant chalices. Children's eyes (lots of them) filled with awe and anticipation at the sight of the big carousel and the Wheel at the square. The delectable and oh-so-sinful chocolates by Patrick Roger at Bld St.Germain in the shape of bumblebees as well as the crunchier nougatine; everything the child in all of us marvels at with unbridled glee! (If you can't get the chocolate, at least get the books). A quiet morning at Société de Géographie, its doors flanked by classical caryatids, peering over shadowy maps which delineated in their own way ~and my own interest~ the decline of the Ottomans; chased by a demi-tasse lounging and studying on the red sofas of Café Mezzanine for hours on end. The phantasmagorical shop windows on Haussman Avenue and in full contrast the sketches of a couple of clochards looking for a haven from the bitter cold under the bridges.


And what perfumes do the French wear, you might ask? The top sellers according to the info I gleaned at Sephora, Marionnaud and Galeries Lafayette (the latter comprising a lot of tourists sales as well) are Chanel No.5, J'Adore, Angel, Coco Mlle, Kenzo Flower for women and 1 Million, Eau Sauvage, Le Mâle, Boss and Terre d'Hermès for men. I suppose some of it falls under the "if it smells good and enough people buy it all the time" adage...My own nose accounted quite a bit of Lolita Lempicka, Hypnotic Poison and Guerlain's Vétiver.
Interesting all the same, all these best-selling lists, no?

Black & White photo Les Amoureux de la Bastille by Willy Ronis, painting L'Arc de Triomphe, Paris, Winter by Edouard Léon Cortès.

Slip the Sable Under the Tree

Paco Rabanne Full Bottles Giveaway

A fun holiday treat for Perfume Shrine USA-based readers (only): the Paco Rabanne distributor promised us to provide Lady Million and 1 Million products as a special giveaway for the end of the year to two lucky recipients.

Please state what the Paco Rabanne brand represents to you or your favourite Rabanne fragrance (and why you like it) in the comments section and I will pick two winners.
Draw is open till Sunday 26th midnight.
The winners will be announced on Monday 27th and they need to send their full name, mailing address and phone number in order to collect their prizes.


NB. In the interests of full disclosure, we are not affiliated with the Paco Rabanne company, their distributors or PR company in any shape or form. This is a public service giveaway as a small thank you to our readers.

Parfums Boucheron Change Hands

Parfums Boucheron, sprung out of the famous jewellers by the same name and until recently in the hands of L’Oréal, will soon join Interparfums, a dynamic group of no less than 259 millions of euros in sales last year. The agreement will be effective January 1st 2011 and will last for 15 years.

Founded in 1982, Interparfums control the licences of fragrances for Burberry, Paul Smith and Jimmy Choo (a new, upcoming fragrance by the celebrated shoe-maker is in the works), while they also own parfums Lanvin.
Boucheron, on the other hand, is making its presence known in the Far East with the launch of 6 to 10 jewellery boutiques in the following 5 years in the Chinese market, in accordance to Sparkle Roll Group Limited of Hong Kong.

The fragrance portfolio of Parfums Boucheron is fairly restrained: Five fragrances comprise the current line-up, invariably of high quality (and in the case of Boucheron de Boucheron, to majestic effect): B de Boucheron, Boucheron (femme), Boucheron pour homme, Miss Boucheron et Jaïpur Homme. Boucheron Trouble and Initial have been discontinued, according to our sources.
Usually take-overs spell news on the fragrant front, be it in the way of repackaging (usually with a face-lift to the scent itself) or a new plate of advertising opportunities. Let's hope for the latter, rather than the former. Parfums Boucheron are fine as they are.

Patricia de Nicolai: Portrait of a Woman in a Man's World

"When I started, the big manager of the company was the brother of my grandmother. He wasn't the perfumer but he was the big manager. He wasn't an artistic man. First, he said 'you're a woman --' " and secondly, referring to the many years of training and apprenticeship required to become a master perfumer, she explained, "he told me, 'You'll get married, you'll have children, you will stop your job after a while.' " It's a typical tale across many occupations, even ones where, like fashion, the mythology and creative muse is female. "In Guerlain they are very machiste," de Nicolai continued, lifting a clenched fist to illustrate the emphasis. "The family who worked in the brand was only men, no women. And they like to embroider on those love stories!"

Thus elaborates Patricia de Nicolaï, 54, great-granddaughter of Maison Guerlain founder Pierre Guerlain, an ISIPCA graduate herself who was awarded best perfume creator in 1988 by the French Society of Perfumers and currently president of L'Osmothèque, the perfume museum in Versailles [you can read more on the Osmotheque on this link]. On her own site she graciously states "Jean-Paul Guerlain was her coach and thanks to him she has been trained in the best possible companies, places where you really learn the job to become a perfumer".

Whatever the case might be, her extensive line of perfumes enjoys a cult following, from the delectable masculine New York (which Dr.Turin has been wearing for years by his admission), the iris-strewn Balkis and the creamy tropical Juste un Rêve to the lush and balanced Maharanih, the more-than- just-a-cologne Carre d'As and the springtime in a bottle Le Temps d'une Fête. Some even come up as instant spontaneous fragrance recommendation whenever one searches for a creamy, delectable grown-up vanilla (Vanille Tonka), a melancholy heliotrope with feminine mystique (Sacrebleu), the definitive sophisticated summery cologne (Cologne Sologne) or the perfect mimosa (Mimosaique).
All the way right down to the candles and home fragrance which kickstarted her perfume company back in 1989 alongside Jean Louis Michau, back when the concept was still novel and romantic, her line breathes elegance and quality. Someone even once said that one of her candles was enough to start a minor religion...
She admits being influenced by the Guerlain tradition, the rich timbre, the beauty of the scents, the distinction of a signature style, and the tenacious sillage they impart. After all, her own personal fragrance as a young woman had been Après l’Ondée. She grafted those qualities into her own line to much success. In a world populated by men, Patricia de Nicolaï is a woman who has proven her own mettle and that's to be respected.

Read more on the article by Nathalie Atkinson on the National Post.

Related reading on Perfume Shrine: Perfumer's Portraits


pic of Patricia via her own site

Kate Beckinsale Shops for Scents at Frederic Malle

The fickle world of celebrities sustains its course into having us breakdown their fragrant choices. This time courtesy of Angela Buttolph at Grazia Daily who snaps Kate Beckinsale on a shopping romp for Christmas gifts at the F.Malle counter at Barneys, Los Angeles, decked in her black leggings, her pensive gaze captured for eternity as she sniffs candles in the characteristic red shade canisters of the Home Collection. (Might I also add that it's refreshing to see normal-size thighs on a celebrity instead of sticks?) But much more important in my opinion is the enthusiasm that Angela instils in the piece, as she recounts her own exploration of the Malle line instead, in what transpires as a rite of passage for a fumehead: "Beauty insiders will have been nodding approvingly knowing that Beckinsale has exquisite taste, because those candles aren’t just any candles; they’re candles from the sexiest perfume label on the planet – Frédéric Malle. So look away now if you are a perfume obsessive or have any kind of addiction issues, or have access to a credit card…because I can tell you from personal experience that Malle’s fragrances are more addictive than crack cocaine (and just as pricey a habit)."
With poetic references to her favourites, Une Rose (the classic earthy rose in the collection before Portrait of a Lady busted into the scene this season) and En Passant, it's worth a read for anyone who identifies with discovering fragrances that speak to one's soul. What did Kate buy in the end? Who cares...

photo of Kate Beckinsale shopping at Barneys via OhhLaLook

Free Aromatherapy Course

Abdes Salaam of La Via del Profumo (Profumo.it) announced some wonderful news: a free aromatherapy course which is available online at www.profumo.it/aromacourse.doc
The scope is meant for the benefit of people and not for commercial reasons while Abdes describes some of the stunning effects that aromatherapy can have, with reports and pictures from my Timbuktu experiences. You can reach those on the following link. http://www.profumo.it/Blog/index.php (scroll down a few texts)


More info on La Via de Profumo and Abdes Salaam: http://www.profumo.it/
Check our reviews of his scents on the widgets below.

Penhaligon's Olfactory Owl

Now here's something to get all aflutter for. Harry potter fans as well as fumeheads now have something in common, something as unthinkable as an...owl. Penhaligon’s, the fine English fragrance house founded in 1870, is delighted to announce that an Olfactory Owl will be touring London during December.

The Owl, created in homage to their illustrated Christmas Gift Boxes, will be popping up in various locations around London to spread some festive fragrant joy and offer exclusive discount vouchers and perfume samples. Dressed in Victorian finery, the Olfactory Owl will be journeying across London on foot and by tube and bus, taking in some of London’s iconic landmarks and shopping hotspots.
The Owl will be promoted via the Penhaligon’s Facebook and Twitter accounts and customers will be invited to submit pictures of the Olfactory Owl to win Christmas prizes. Customers can keep up to date with the Owl’s progress by checking his schedule on Facebook and Twitter and by following the Owl’s tweets during his journeys.

The schedule for Penhaligon's Olfactory Owl:
Thursday 16th December – Oxford Street, Bond Street, Savile Row, Burlington Arcade, Fortnum & Mason
Saturday 18th December – Regent Street and Trafalgar Square
Sunday 19th December – Knightsbridge, Sloane Square, Green Park, Piccadilly
Tues 21st December – Covent Garden, Somerset House, British Museum

Get more information/updates:
Penhaligons on Twitter: @Penhaligonsltd #OlfactoryOwl
Penhaligons on Facebook

info/pics via press release

Esxence 2011 Niche Perfumery Exhibition

ESXENCE 2011, the exhibition for the appreciation of Artistic Perfumery will take place at Le Palazzo della Permanente, Via F. Turati 34, in Milan, Italy from 31 March to 3 April 2011.
Opening Hours:
Thursday 31 March and Friday 1 April, for professional and press visitors only: 10.00 a.m. – 6.00 p.m.
Saturday 2 and Sunday 3 April, open to the public: 10.00 a.m. – 6.00 p.m.
For further information, please contact: I.C.E. Organising Secretariat: tel. +39.02.34538354 or visit the official Esxence link.

Esxence The Scent of Excellence, now on its third installation, is once again the must-attend benchmark and rendezvous for brand owners, creators, producers, distributors, buyers and retailers from all over the world, an ideal event for developing a constantly growing market that can offer competitive advantages to those who produce fragrances that are not intended to appeal to everybody, but to express olfactory creativity and communication. This is a sector that the statistics show to be maturing coherently, guaranteeing that its dealers achieve results comparable to those of conventional perfumery. After achieving an increase of 54% in brands represented in 2010 compared to the previous year and thousands of visitors from more than 24 different countries, the main aim of the 2011 edition is to pursue its activity of contributing to developing Artistic Perfumery as a creative art that springs from human talent, so as to spread knowledge about it and encourage its diffusion as a unique, fascinating artistic heritage. In Italy alone, this sector has reached a turnover estimated at 120 million Euros and has a total potential of more than 850 million Euros at European level.
The Promoting Committee – which has confirmed I.C.E. International Club Exhibitions, a company specialising in niche events, as organiser of Esxence for the third year running – has already chosen the new International Technical Committee of experts in the sector, whose task is to apply predetermined shared parameters to filter the numerous applications to participate, so as to keep access selective and highly qualified.

Esxence The Scent of Excellence 2011 will feature perfume products that make a distinctive mark for their expressive capacity, quality, authenticity and finesse, created to give olfactory form to metals, to stones, to seas, to oceans and to deserts, adopting combinations previously considered impossible. These refined creations convey a sense of strength and vigour, narrating unique, magical stories, acting out dramas and comedies and telling fables from different eras, always plucking the chords of the emotions with their undeniable power to evoke.

info via press release

Between Work and Play...

The end of the road for 2010 finds me juggling a million things on my admittedly less than perfectly agile hands, trying to reconcile the business side of things of being a fragrance writer and historian with the aesthetic hedonism for which you have come to know me. An intermezzo which will promenade my shadow alongside the Elysian Fields is called for, that might keep me from too much technological access. There are a couple of scheduled posts however, so you might peek for a few surprises and many tasty nuggets as soon as the machine gets re-oiled and back at full swing again. À très bientôt!

"Diorissimo was used to conjure up images of the suffocated American housewife"

"It's a rainy Tuesday night, and I'm in a basement club in London wafting a perfume-impregnated cardboard stick under my nose. It smells good. I can detect a delicate floral note. But then I pick up the distinct aroma of cigarettes. The perfume is Jasmin et Cigarettes, a tobacco-infused scent made by Etat Libre d'Orange". Thus begins the article on The Guardian by Leonie Cooper concerning a decidecated group of fumeheads who assemble to watch movies enhanced by the experience of scent, much like Polyester by John Waters had ventured to do decades before. "This is Scratch and Sniff, a series of events aimed at enhancing our understanding of the arts through smell. Each month, a group of around 40 people gather to sniff perfume while watching film clips, or listen to talks about geography and history. This event is called Scent of the Movies and involves sampling unusual scents like Jasmin et Cigarettes, and then matching them to film clips – the idea being to make us think of what a film might smell like." Retrospectives are also indulged, last February comprising a history of the 20th century in scent and film making, combing two passions into one and including classic and unusual fragrances that would help perception. Much like Far from Heaven reprises the Douglas Sirk melodramas of the 50s, this is a reverse exercise meant as both homage and inquisitive gaze into an unknown parameter of the aesthetic pleasure. "I did enjoy the scent for Brokeback Mountain, though. It was called Lonestar Memories – and it smelt of campfires" concludes the writer. Mr.Tauer, I think you have created a classic reference!

And on to you: What is your favourite film and scent coupling? Or which scents would you like to experience/wear while watching movies?

Top photo still from film Far from Heaven starring Julianne Moore