Aqua di Parma Gelsomino Nobile: fragrance review & bottle giveaway

First things first: I have a brand new bottle of the to-be-launched Gelsomino Nobile for a lucky reader, from which only a 5ml decant is missing for reviewing purposes. To be eligible, all you have to do is answer to these questions: 1)What do you find pleasurable/helpful in a frag review? 2)What are the subjects on our pages you would like to read more of? Now on to reviewing this upcoming Aqua di Parma fragrance focused on jasmine...

Gelsomino Nobile (Noble Jasmine) by Aqua di Parma belongs to the Le Nobili sub-collection: 3 women’s fragrances, all in eau de parfum concentration, with a secondary Eau de Toilette for Iris Nobile. The “Nobili” are therefore Iris Nobile, Magnolia Nobile, and the new Gelsomino Nobile. Much in tune with its sister scents, Gelsomino Nobile is also an ethereal, refined, greenish rhapsody in melodious Italian, which could be worn by lovers of all things airy and romantic who want to remain chic and effortless at all times.

The scent of Gelsomino Nobile starts on exhilarating citrusy accents with a peppery bite, much like natural bergamot and the more green neroli distillation from the orange blossom (although neither is listed in the notes), soon accompanied by sweeter elements. The vista opens into a grove of fragrant white vines, dewy jasmine (non indolic), a smidge of the greener parts of tuberose (and none of the danger), and what seems like a clean freesia accord. Although freesia accords can project as screechy and sterile sometimes, the rendering here is subdued: One gets the (illusory) waft of a budding flower, rather than the intense pong of profuse aromachemicals. It's elegant, if predictable.
This stage remains poised for the rest of the duration on the skin, gaining polished nuances of clean, skin-compatible, expensive-feeling musks from one angle; a tad more austere green woodiness from another. I had written on Magnolia Nobile that "the woody musky base is also echoing in my ears like speakers in the car left on some news-relating channel in a sub-human frequency that can be felt more than heard" and I can sense the continuation here as well. Lovers of the Nobili line by Aqua di Parma should be pleased. It's not exactly my speed, but then you know I'm a die-hard indolic jasmine lover, don't you.
The overall effect is recognisably a jasmine fragrance without, at the same time, appearing as suffocating floral or intensely projecting even though Gelsomino Nobile possesses both good lasting power and pleasurable sillage. For that reason jasminophobes or those who do not want to offend may have just found their perfect green floral for all occasions where intermingling might make a more voluptuous, more combustible white floral a bit de trop.

According to the ad copy, as announced on Perfume Shrine a while ago: "Centered around an exclusive and highly unique species of Jasmine grown only in the Calabria region of Italy, this new Floral Green-Musk style of eau de parfum creates the sensation of walking through lush Italian gardens, in bloom with Jasmine, while the breeze brings in the soft, salty air from the Mediterranean.

Notes for Aqua di Parma Gelsomino Nobile: mandarin, pink pepper, orange blossom, tuberose, Calabrian jasmine, cedar wood, and musk.

The fragrance has just debuted at Neiman Marcus and will be available worlwide in September. Available in Eau de Parfum 50ml ($108) and 100ml ($170) ml and matching body cream ($80 for 150 g).

Related reading on Perfume Shrine: Jasmine Series

Painting: Eugene de Blaas, Young Italian Beauty

In the interests of full disclosure, the perfume was sampled through a promotion.

TopNotes: Scent Education at the Click of a Mouse by The Fragrance Foundation

A core mission of The Fragrance Foundation is its commitment to educate both the industry and the consumer about fragrance. Therefore, the Foundation is very pleased to announce the launch of TopNotes, an exciting new online educational course and resource developed specifically for those who want to keep on top of the most current information and trends in the ever-changing fragrance industry.

Mary Ellen Lapsansky, Vice President of The Fragrance Foundation and the guiding force behind the continuing education program notes that “both industry insiders and consumers who have a passion for fragrance will be able to able to keep their fingers on the pulse, tap into trends, scent styles, new notes and track top sellers with the TopNotes course. We have collaborated with the best minds in the business to deliver up to the minute and comprehensive insights.”

TopNotes was conceived to build on knowledge gained through the Certification Program for Fragrance Sales Specialists - justifiably considered the industry gold standard for fragrance education. Registration for TopNotes is $50.00 per person, open to all and all are welcome. The program cycle begins live online today with TopNotes Course #1: Olfactive Trends 2011 – 2012 and covers the following topics:

➢ Current Consumer Insights.
➢ Historical Reference & Current State of the Fragrance Industry.
➢ Why do olfactive preferences change among consumers?
➢ Historical references & key fragrance launches of the past.
➢ Women’s and Men’s Olfactive Preferences.
➢ Top 20 Fragrances, USA and Global, as reported by Givaudan iPerfumer.
➢ Future Olfactive Forecasts.
➢ Olfactively-significant recent fragrance launches.
➢ Women’s and Men’s olfactive forecasts.

At the end of the course, participants can further assess their understanding of what they have just learned by answering the “Key Learnings” questions. No scores are given, questions are either correct or incorrect with a correct answer provided if that is the case. Once the “Key Learnings” have been completed, a Certificate/Proof of Participation will be generated, available to save or print.
The content for each course will be updated every 12 to 18 months as new trends emerge.

Future TopNotes courses will cover: consumer buying habits, global fragrance preferences, new ingredients and new technologies in fine fragrance creation. TopNotes is a valuable new fragrance resource just a few quick clicks away at www.fragrance.org educational programs.
You can register at this link.

info via beautypress

Scents for a Sultry Summer

The weather has been acting crazy all over the planet for some years now and the temperatures soar and plummet at the drop of a hat. To analyze global warming and the heat wave patterns would be beyond the scope of an online magazine devoted to the sense of smell, yet its effects have a significant impact on our choosing our personal fragrance when the weather is no more conductive to perfume-wearing than it is to sporting a mink coat and lighting up the fireplace. So what’s to wear when the going gets tough?

There are two schools of thought on this: The first one suggests choosing only the crispest, lightest fragrances, usually based around citrus and fruity notes, which should (supposedly) create a feeling of upbeat euphoria and cleanness amidst the dog days of summer. The other one has a much more laiser faire, nonchalant attitude about it: If you’re anathematizing change, why embrace it in what is such a personal aspect as your own scent? Acolytes of this school of thought carry on with their preferred signature scent/scents regardless of the Fahrenheit and Celsius scales. For all the rest who don’t fall into either group, here are some recommendations for surviving the sultriness of mid-summer.

Scents of crispy audaciousness

• Eau de Gentiane Blanche by Hermès: Currently Eaux seem to be everywhere from Dior s Escale a Pondichéry, Miss Dior Chérie L’Eau and J'adore L Eau Cologne Florale to Cristalle Eau Verte and the instigator of it all Eau de Cologne by Chanel. Still Hermès and Jean Claude Ellena, much like Sinatra (or Sid Vicious, take your pick!) "did it their (own) way" and the magnificently androgynous and distinctive result is taking another direction: a mineral effect of dry white dust and rock as far as the eye can see at dawn before the sun rises.

• Musk Nomade by Annick Goutal: There is a delicate insolence in the vegetable-like musk of this fragrance. Much like No. 18 by Chanel Les Exclusifs, it possesses that quality of appearing prismatic: different from different angles and multi-billowed when in fact it is deceptively simple. Isabelle Doyen worked her magic into producing something that is etched precariously between machine-washed clean and human.

• Cristalle by Chanel: Why go for a typical citrus when you can go one better and opt for a zingy chypre? This enduring classic by Henri Robert has something to recommend it; most people seem to like its cutting through the heat like a saber and it’s got enough pedigree and unisex character in the Eau de Toilette to suit both sexes.

• Eau d'Hermès by Hermès: Not only an eau (classic summer fit), but with citrus and lightly sweaty leather accouterments, this quirky little thing is unknown enough to garner an inquiring sniff around and has the pedigree of perfumer Edmond Roudnitska composing it sometime in the early 1950s. Considering everyone looked as if they were extras in a movie back then, elegance is guaranteed. For men and women.

Scents of deceptive orientalism

• Shalimar Light or Eau de Shalimar by Guerlain: Someone someplace had to invent it; a lemon cupcakes accord over what is essentially the bronziest fragrance in all perfumery, right out of the 1001 Nights. Foregoing the heavy elements, yet still retaining the lovely citrusvanilla-opoponax accord of the original, this modern odalisque can fit into summer wearing like those harem sandals you were planning to wear with your linens trousers. Another version you can try is Shalimar Parfum Initial; light enough to withstand the heat.

• Organza Fleur d’Oranger 2008 Harvest by Givenchy: The popular Organza scent is getting an injection of precious essences that conspire into having you adorn yourself with a big hibiscus behind the ear. Sensual, lush but not heavy, this is an interpretation of a floriental on jasmine, honeysuckle and orange blossom that will have you hankering for more warm days ahead!

• Fille en Aiguilles by Serge Lutens: Caramelized pine needles peek through the Bakelite-beads curtains at some warm place in the eternal south. The newest luminous oriental woody of perfumer Christopher Sheldrake is suited to both men and women and should prove that Lutens creations can be worn in the warmer months as well.

Scents of floral quirkiness 

• Lys Mediterannée by Frederic Malle: Salty seaspraying air lands on big, fat lilies just out of the tiny rural church and you are transported to the Riviera. Perhaps the freshest interpretation of lily on the market without losing character. The effect is akin to strolling along the Saint-Tropez haunts that Brigitte Bardot made famous.

• Tubéreuse Criminelle by Serge Lutens: Inhaling on a Kool-mentholated cigarette seems like the cooling sensation that greets you upon smelling this most unique take on tuberose. After the emanations settle, you’re left with the most polished, silky and quiet tuberose on the market, a smell that is truly panseasonal and could be worn by both sexes.

• Manoumalia by Les Nez: A small wonder by Caledonia perfumer Sandrine Videault, this offering of the independent Swiss brand Les Nez, Pafums d’Auteurs has all the gusto of an olfactory voyage to the South Pacific. Forget touristy Elvis Hawaiian shirts and go native in a composition redolent of earthy grassiness of vetiver under the effluvium of ylang-ylang and tiare that will have everyone in your wake demanding what your fragrance is.

So when faced with the dilemma what can withstand the heat next time, just remember that besides your sarong and sandals you have more options than you thought possible!


post based on a previous article of mine appearing on Sniffapalooza Magazine

photos/stills from film Noz wi wodzie (Knife in the Water) by Roman Polanski (1962) with Leon Niemczyk and Zygmunt Malanowicz, Plein Soleil (1960) with Alain Delon as Thomas Ripley, Evil under the Sun (1982) based on Agatha Christie's novel with Peter Ustinov as Poirot, Maggie Smith, Diana Rigg, Jane Birkin etc.

Helene Rochas: 1927-2011

"It's the end of a myth, of an era," a Rochas spokesperson said of her death. "She was the muse of one of the great couturiers, the last to remain alive from that era."

The wife and muse of Marcel Rochas, the one for which Femme by Rochas was created and who championed the Madame Rochas fragrance herself, passed away on August 6th at the age of 84.

Photo: Madame Helene Rochas in costume at the Rothschild's "Proust Ball".

Parfums Weil Zibeline: fragrance review & Weil house history

Parfums Weil is the most characteristic example of "parfums fourrure" (fur perfumes), being the perfumery offshoot of Parisien furrier, Les Fourrures Weil (Weil Furs), established in 1927. And Zibeline alongside Weil's Antilope are among their proudest creations.

The history of the House of Weil

Furriers since 1912, well before they became purveyors of fine fragrance, the venture of the founder Alfred -and his brothers Marcel and Jacques- into perfume resulted from the direct request of a client for a fragrance suitable to fur wearing. Weil obligingly capitulated to the request and produced scents that would guarantee not to harm the fur itself, yet mask the unwelcome musty tonality that fur coats can accumulate after a while. The names are quite literal: Zibeline (sable), Ermine (hermine), Chinchila, Une Fleur pour Fourrure (A Flower for Furs)...

The very first of those, Zibeline, was an expansive floral aldehydic veering into chypre tonalities, conveived as an evocation of the oak forests and steppes of imperial Russia and appropriately named after the animal there captured: Zibeline, the highest quality in furs for its legendary silky touch, its scarcity value and light weight. 

Zibeline belonged to the original fragrant trio line-up that launched the business of Perfumes Weil. Introduced in 1928, Zibeline was comissioned by Marcel Weil and composed by Claude Fraysse assisted by his perfumer daughter, Jacqueline. (The Fraysse clan is famous for working in perfumery: His two sons, André and Hybert were to work with Lanvin and Synarome respectively and the son of André, Richard, is today head perfumer at parfums Caron).

Scent, Versions & Vintages of Weil Zibeline perfume

Zibeline was released in Eau de Toilette in 1930 but the formulations came and went with subtle differences and their history is quite interesting. First there was Zibeline, then the company issued Secret de Venus bath and body oils product line which incorporated Zibeline among their other fragrances (a line most popular in the US) while later they reverted to plain Zibeline again. The Eau versions of Secret de Venus Zibeline are lighter, with less density while the bath/body oil form approximates the spicy-musky tonalities of the Zibeline extrait de parfum, with the latter being more animalistic.

The older versions of parfum were indeed buttery and very skanky, deliciously civet-laden with the fruit and floral elements more of an afterthought and around the 1950s the batches gained an incredible spicy touch to exalt that quality. It's interesting to note that as per Joan Juliet Buck, former editor of French VOGUE, men often wore Zibeline in the 1950s!

Later versions of Zibeline from the 70s and 80s attained a more powdery orange blossom honeyness, backed up by fruit coupled with the kiss of tonka bean and sandalwood, only hinting at the muskiness that was so prevalent in previous incarnations, thus resulting in a nostalgic memento of a bygone epoch that seems tamer than it had actually been. Zibeline is old school in the best possible sense and a parfum fourrure you will be proud to wear even if your vegan proclivities wouldn't allow you so much as think of touching a real sable coat.

The aftermath for Weil

Marcel Weil's death in 1933 did not stop expanding their perfumery endeavours; they added several other perfumes: Bambou, Cassandra and Noir. The Weil family was forced out of France by Hitler, so they re-established themselves in New York from where one of the first perfumes released was Zibeline with the quite different in character chypré Antilope being issued in 1945, upon return to Paris in 1946 when they also introduced Padisha. Sadly the multiple changing of hands resulted in the languishing of the firm by the 1980s and although the brand Weil has been in ownership of Interparfums (Aroli Aromes Ligeriens) since 2002 Parfums Weil is largely unsung and long due for a resurgence.

Notes for Weil Zibeline:
Top: aldehydes, coriander, tarragon, bergamot and lemon;
middle: orris, gardenia, jasmine, ylang-ylang, lily-of-the-valley and rose;
base: honey, sandalwood, tonka bean, amber, musk, civet and vetiver.

Love Fragrance from Lush: Limited Edition for One Month Only

Thought you knew everything about the ache of limited editions? Now Lush is challenging us with a one-month only fragrance called Love, out starting August 15th. Acording to the press release: "The exclusive LOVE fragrance by the Gorilla Perfumers at LUSH is launching in all stores NATIONWIDE on Monday 15th August for one month only!

LOVE (£30.00 for 30ml, £14.00 for 10ml, £7.00 for 12g solid)...

The new Lush Love fragrance "smells of fresh bitten apples and zesty lemongrass evoking the exhilarating feeling of a bright new romance. As the scent warms to the skin and develops throughout the day the spicey notes of cinnamon, ylang ylang and jasmine bring a long lasting sensuality to the perfume, evoking feelings of a deeper romance whilst still hinting at flirty excitement with refreshing lemon notes."

Apparently, Lush Co-Founder and Product Inventor Mark Constantine OBE, was inspired by watching his sons falling in and out of love. The fragrance is supposed to “[be] for flirts really, but being a flirt is not something everyone wants to be known for. On the other hand, flirting is so much fun. I have tried to make a perfume that will flirt for you while you pretend indifference. Love is an instantly bright and bubbly fragrance with a vivacious green apple fruit scent and sweet citrus innocence. As the initial burst fades, it's replaced with a sugary sweet apple pie note while maintaining a sharp lift.” The founders recommend the new Love fragrance to those who liked their Fizzbanger bath ballistic.

Main notes for Lush Love Fragrance: Lemon, lemongrass, bergamot, apple, cinnamon, cassia, jasmine, rose

For shop details and mail order contact 01202 668 545 or order online at www.lush.co.uk or www.gorillaperfume.com

Chanel No.19 Poudre: fragrance review

~by guest writer AlbertCAN

Of all the people in the world I would have never guessed that I would be one of the first to write a full review about Chanel No. 19 Poudré, one of the two latest introductions from the fabled house. In fact even if the spirit of Coco Chanel told me this morning I would not have believed it, for all signs pointed to an uneventful day.

Yet life has a way of stringing the impossible, isn’t it? I had to take a photo with my personal belongings otherwise nobody, including myself, would have thought of it.

August 4th was my day off, the unorthodox result of my manager’s scheduling so I could work Monday to Saturday. This Thursday was meant to be routine—errands in the morning, fitness workout in the afternoon, early retirement by night in preparation of the early shift tomorrow.

Except I found out in the evening that I had to cast my ballot an important provincial tax referendum by tonight else I would have missed the opportunity altogether, with the nearest voting station at a local mall about 15 minute drive from my house. Nothing chic has been discovered in that toy plaza since the arrival of Givenchy Amarige d’Amour, as I uttered to myself when I pulled out of my driveway.

The voting station was everything I loath, being a stone throw away from Walmart and the Hello Kitty concession stand, right next to the mall’s washroom. By the time I drop off my vote, after being asked to triple seal my ballot with three distinct envelopes I was just ready to leave. But then I remembered that one of my fragrances was about to run out, and not wanting to waste too much of my time I marshalled myself to The Hudson’s Bay Company, our historic—albeit slightly paunchy and tired by now—national department store monument. Move along, I said to myself, just get on with it.

The fragrance section of the HBC on a Thursday evening was nothing to behold: Sales staff three people strong, all manning multiple stations and sounding a bit inexperienced when interacting with other clients. With my look of death they left me alone after 10 seconds.

That’s when I bumped into a big display stand of Chanel No. 19 Poudré.

I did a double take and quickly scanned the store’s Chanel inventory. Not a bottle of No. 19 in sight, and only the display of the new edition available: 2 bottles of 100mL Chanel No. 19 Poudré eau de parfum. The most seasoned Chanel reps, even account managers, couldn’t tell me weeks ago when their supplies of Chanel No. 19 Poudré would come to the Vancouver flagship store. Now I was face to face with two bottles in the local mall, with associates not even knowing a thing about it. (“I think it’s a limited edition*,” the poor lady said as she carefully surveyed the shelves, “Two is all we have.” *editor's note: Chanel No. 19 Poudré is inteded as a regular diffusion to the original line and not as a limited edition)

I quickly grabbed the tester and gave it a test run. Now, having read all the information from Perfume Shrine (here and here) I knew what to expect: Beautiful orris absolute, soft and buttery sheer. Much more delicate than the original, and with the icy zing of galbanum now in tender check. I’ll take one, as I quickly pulled out my credit card. I walked out of the store a happy man. The story, however, had just begun.

While my initial impression of the scent stays true on the blotter--for up to three days I find-- on the skin is a slightly different story. About 10 minutes after the initial testing the orris absolute, so prominently featured in Chanel’s Les Exclusifs line (most notably 28 La Pausa and No. 18) started to soft focus: the delicate floral initially pinning in the background started came to fore, and on my way home one thing was becoming very clear—the orris absolute gave way to a suede musk, bolstered by a synthetic iris, which was what I got for the rest of the three hours. It’s still going softly but surely, actually.

Now I would be inclined to say that the musk element feels like a natural progression from Chance Eau Tendre, but to be honest the woody-musk drydown is very much a thoughtful rendition of the original No. 19 elements, most notably the pronounced woods within the eau de toilette version without the oakmoss presence. In fact that’s the ironic arch about the structure of the new fragrance: I had the eau de toilette of the original and the new one side by side on each arm and they are essentially the same breed. The biggest difference among the two would be the green and the floral facets—in No. 19 Poudré the rose and jasmine absolutes are decidedly not present, and neither was galbanum taking a cut in the new version. What makes the original so interesting (and so difficult to sink into at first try) is that hit-your-face-like-ice-blade freshness only the finest galbanum from Iran could do (anything less would conjure a hint of garlic from the inferior grade). The new version, in short, feels almost like a summery of the old in a more updated language, albeit a bit hollowed out in the centre to usher in an iris-musk sillage.

Thus am I disappointed? Far from it: I know this is going to surely reach a new generation and an entirely novel set of audience, most notably the American and the Asian audiances. In fact the entire artistic creation is right on the money, from the bottle to the juice. Even the image, albeit a bit on the forgettable side, is well integrated into the target image.

The original No. 19, to begin, is truly one of the priciest formula in the original Chanel archive, with the finished compound costing around 1800 Euros (the exactly figure from Chandler Burr’s A Perfect Scent eludes me at the moment). Yet it continues to be a tough sell in the States with its cashmere opening and independent development. When looking at the formula, most notably the original eau de toilette, one notices the genius of Henri Robert by pairing the warmth with the cold, the sunny cis-3-hexanol salicylate and hedione with the severity of iris, the crisp neroli with the sensual woody chypre. Carefully beaded verdant crystals on top of premium silver penne velvet, breath-taking but not for everyone. So if the new edition could help breaking people into the masterpiece, well, why not? Yes and no.

I don’t question the Chanel perfumers’ desire to stay true to the spirit of Coco Chanel, and I don’t question the quality of iris at the beginning of the fragrance (I have several commercial orris blends in stock, and after smelling them along side the latest Chanel it was pretty obvious that some synthetics, most notably the tea-like alpha-isomethyl ionone, is paired with the orris absolute). Yet I wish the sillage could be a bit more varied and nuanced, a bit more imagination on top of modernizing the tradition: Wouldn't it breath-taking to dazzle us, Monsieur Jacques Polge, by pairing galbanum with a beautiful green element not available at Coco Chanel's time, such as the Michelia alba leaves extract? (Come to think of it: Why not? Wouldn't the high priestess of innovation appove when it's brilliantly done? ) And the white floral facet: well, pretty—I can feel the lily of the valley hovering in the background with the use of hydroxycitronnellal—but all this makes me yearn for the original so much more. So we have anther version of No. 19 that’s not for everyone, this time in a different context.

On the other hand the new No. 19 is quite versatile, not only accommodating for different events but also as a layering base for the original parfum in order to amplify the iris in an interesting way. And as I have alluded to earlier in this article, the verdant fragrance can potentially be used as a masculine for some dandies. In fact I look forward to pairing this with a few drops of my 15mL parfum (which works surprisingly well as a masculine, by the way). By the same token, on the other hand, best to test the fragrance before purchasing a full bottle, as unlike the traditional No. 19 line what's on the blotter may or may not be what you get on your skin, as the case to me.

Chanel No. 19 Poudré is a green floral and was developed by Chanel house perfumer Jacques Polge: The notes of Chanel No. 19 Poudré include neroli, galbanum, jasmine, iris, white musk, vetiver and tonka bean. I sampled the 100mL Eau de Parfum tester, both on paper and on skin. I purchased a bottle, although I haven’t opened it yet. It’s out in the market, although at the moment availability varies depending on geographical regions.

photo of bottle in box, copyright by AlbertCAN

Perfumer Portrait: Yves Dombrowsky

Just six major multinational corporations, nick-named The Big Boys in Chandler Burr's in depth analysis of the fragrance industry The Emperor of Scent, are responsible for almost everything that we smell in our day-to-day lives, from deodorants and functional products (down to toilet cleaner) to luxury perfumes.New Zealand isn't among the countries you first think of when perfume or indeed scent business is mentioned. And yet there is thriving perfume industry in New Zealand, powered by the growing local natural cosmetic companies. Participating to this growth is "olfactory artiste" and designer of scents Yves Dombrowsky.

The French-born, Auckland-based perfumer is one of very few professional perfumers working in the country with such scent creations under his belt such as America's Cup fragrance, the scents for creams and cleansers by Antipodes, Trilogy and Health Basics, and the smells of washing powder and soaps by Ecostore. Another one of his creations is ambient scent for Nike and Supre, as in-house perfumer for Ecomist, meant to ignite the desire to "shop till you drop"; if you believe in the adage that smell is the most primitive sense and the one which acts directly to emotion, that is.

"I used to work in the field of environmental microbiology and as part of this role I was exposed to the potential of essential oils and this is when I familiarised myself with their smells. It wasn’t until I went to France as part of a project I was working on that I had my first introduction to a perfumer [a veteran at Chanel]. Impressed by my olfactory abilities, he invited me to stay longer to perfect my basic knowledge and return to New Zealand as an agent for their company. After a few years, I set out on my own and invented my own way to design and market perfume - it is now my passion." [source]

Dombrowsky has created perfumes for Rodd & Gunn, Jonah Lomu, Stitch Ministry and Native for Men; and is also working with Trelise Cooper to create a new perfume for her range (The perfume contains both bergamot (familiar to most through Earl Grey tea) and orris root (a flavour in Bombay Sapphire gin), both inspired by two of Cooper's favourite drinks. 

Dombrowsky's perfume "bar" (a variation on the perfumer's organ) houses 179 perfume "bases", each nuanced with notes that evaporate at different times, each base illustrated with photos and explanations about the notes, so as to guide clients into a personal discovery through scent. "Every perfume is numbered, and has a matching system to go with it," he explains."With this we have thousands of different formulas for creating a scent."

[Source of quotes]

Versace Yellow Diamond: new fragrance

Italian designer brand Versace is launching a new fragrance in their feminine line, after Bright Crystal (a fruity floral with grapefruit top notes) and Crystal Noir (with its ambery gardenia), named Yellow Diamond and reprising the now infamous top-heavy faceted crystal cap. The new fragrance is an airy floral.
Australian model Abbey Lee Kershaw was shot by Mario Testino in Paris for the advertising campaign.

Note for Versace Yellow Diamond:
Top notes: lemon, bergamot, neroli, pear sorbet
Heart: orange blossom, mimosa, freesia, water lily
Base: amber, musk, guaiac wood

On Lubin's Black Jade: a Perfume Fit for Marie-Antoinette

Parfums Lubin has been a rekindled fragrance brand, after the old house was brought into new ownership some years ago, when the niche market first boomed around the mid 2000s. Engaging Olivia Giacobetti was the first step, issuing and re-issuing fragrances was the second, crucial one; from the legendary Gin Fizz and Idole to the modern Vetiver, as well as the recent crop of releases Bluff, Figaro, Itasca, Inedite. The latest Lubin fragrance release, named Black Jade, is based on Marie Antoinette's signature scent, created by royal nose Jean-Louis Fargeon and inspired by the doomed queen's beloved Trianon gardens in Versailles.  

Black Jade thus contains rose, jasmine, and bergamot, Marie-Antoinette's signature notes. The name for the new fragrance, Black Jade, was inspired by the lore that the queen carried the fragrance with her in a black jade bottle at all times, even when she was imprisoned in the Temple Tower of Paris. It was only before her beheading that she confided it to the Marquise de Tourzel, whose descendants are reportedly still in possession of the original flacon.

Lubin is no stranger to French history: Pierre François Lubin founded the company in 1798 when he began supplying scented ribbons, rice powderballs and masks to "Les Merveilleuses," socially exulted women who frequented Thermidorian drawing rooms of Napoleonic France; and the "Incroyables," members of the subculture that mixed fashion and propaganda which emerged following the terror that was the immediate aftermath of the French Revolution of 1789.

The 2011 edition of Lubin Black Jade has been launched by fragrance company Aedes de Venustas, the well-known niche perfumery which holds a special place in the heart of New York perfumistas. In addition to the original focus on rose, jasmine and bergamot, perfumer Thomas Fontaine infused Lubin's Black Jade 2011 version with galbanum, cardamom, incense, cinnamon, Indian sandalwood, patchouli, vanilla, tonka bean, and amber notes. It belongs to the chypre floral family of fragrances.

This is not the first attempt to recreate Marie Antoinette's scent however: Le Château de Versailles had hired Francis Kurkdjian to create the orange blossom-based M.A. Sillage de la Reine and L'Artisan Parfumeur was inspired for the jasmine-rich  La Haie Fleurie du Hameau, composed by renowned perfumer Jean-Claude Ellena , by the French queen's fated passion for beauty and flowers.

Bottega Veneta Eau de Parfum: new fragrance, shiny new ad campaign

Bottega Venetta, a luxe brand with minimal exposure to the world of beauty addicts, has braved the elements and launched its first fragrance: Bottega Veneta Eau de Parfum. The concept? The usual: bringing in a new customer to the brand.

“Fragrances are generally brought to market to introduce the brand to a younger less affluent brand with the hope that someday they’ll be a brand enthusiast for other more profitable Bottega products,” Mr. Ramey said. [source]
Bottega Veneta’s namesake fragrance, created in a partnership with Coty, will be available globally in November. The fragrance was envisioned by Bottega Veneta creative director Tomas Maier, who "wanted to capture the sun and warmth of a Venetian countryside house and its library full of leather books", according to the brand. (Sounds good!)

The advertising campaign focuses on a video commercial, featuring model Nine D’Urso (daughter of Inès de la Fressange and Italian businessman & art dealer Luigi d’Urso) on the beach. The bottle contains the brand’s signature weave pattern with a smooth outside and intrecciato bottom.
“Video is a great way to create a compelling emotion for a new product,” said Chris Ramey, founder of Affluent Insights, Miami, who stresses it's not advisable to go on for too long.



Prices for the Bottega Veneta Eau de Parfum range from $65 for 1 oz./30ml to $475 for the 60 oz. (!) bottle. Ancillary products are available as well: shower gel for $40, body lotion for $50, body cream for $95.
The Bottega Veneto fragrance will be sold exclusively in Bergdorf Goodman and Neiman Marcus starting in September. It will then be available at all specialty stores beginning in November 2011.

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