London Calling...part 3

If on the previous post I talked about the opportunity of a hand and arm massage being rather uncommon to encounter in a perfume boutique, it is with regularity that one encounters the practice at another bastion of British skinscentsa-experience, that of Jo Malone. That’s only to be expected of course from someone who began as a facialist working with her hands, mixing to the degree that seemed right to her, as well as coming from a lineage in the profession. And up until the acquisition of the firm by Estee Lauder, Jo herself was seen at the boutiques getting involved in the process.
Today only the flagship store is controlled by Jo, per info divulged by the manager.The rest of the boutiques are controlled by the Lauder Group, remaining nevertheless totally respective to Jo’ vision for the line.

What is most pleasing about the Jo Malone boutiques is the presentation and stylish interiors. The walls are painted in ivory reflecting the shade of the luxurious boxes and thick paper bags, etched in black, with grosgrain black ribbon to match. It just looks the opposite of ostentatious; it’s really stylish, unaffected, old money style yet with a certain modern worldliness about it that other brands aiming at such miss. I can see a young at heart, busy and self-fulfilled, about town woman carrying the little tote bags filled with gifts for family, the glorious candles for the home (which burn exceptionally well and do scent the whole house) and a couple of bath and body products for herself. The lotions do lend a new meaning to the notion of self-pampering, they’re so velvety soft.
The shelves in the stores are spacious and inviting, beckoning you to lean closer and smell the testers with the lovely scents. There is an apothecary style of presentation, done however in light and bright hues that give off the modern edge I mentioned.

Going into the cornucopia of scents comprising the line, one is spoilt for choice, as there is apparently something for everyone. The notion of combining scents to produce a third, personal one is at the core of the brand and it is something that allows individualism to an extent, always a good thing in my books.

The one basic gripe I often hear about Jo Malone scents is that they are not very lasting and that this is due to them being “colognes”. With that in mind I tackled the manager with a direct approach aimed at producing the “deer caught in the headlights” effect which might have made me persona non grata in the store had the British good manners not surfaced and a smart managing direction not prevailed. No, my question was not rude or impertinent, it seemed. This was often voiced and they had a perfectly valid explanation. The fragrances in the Jo Malone line are really of eau de toilette (and in some cases even eau de parfum) strength, however the eau de cologne tag was chosen to denote that the products are really meant to be shared, being unisex, so as not to alienate the male customer venturing into the store. Phrased like that it does make sense, although I have to admit that the lasting power is greatly dependent on the specific fragrance chosen, as some seem to go on for hours, while others vanish in a “puff the magic dragon” instant.

As the whole line is available where I live quite easily I wasn’t temped into actual purchases, so the whole purpose of the exercise was to really get the feel of the shop, talk to the manager and get info for our readers concerning aspects of the brand. To the interests of the latter issue I tentatively asked what the bestsellers are. The artsy types go for Pomegranate Noir, I was told, with its deep and brocade-like tapestry of rich hues and sweet and sour fruits, while the more traditional women go for Red Roses.

Contrasted to my local boutique bestsellers, which the manager had revealed to be Orange Blossom and Honeysuckle & Jasmine (those are both very likeable and suited to warmer temperatures), I saw that there is substance to the notion of choices based on climate. However Pomegranate Noir is the perennial favourite for the winter season.
Men often go for the traditional Amber and Lavender and Vetyver. I think although the former is rather mainstream and not very exciting, it does blend pleasing sides of both notes. Vetyver I found not to my liking, I’m sad to report. Rather discordant.

From the choices before me I really appreciated again the slight spiciness of Vintage Gardenia, which makes it unique in the universe of gardenias, even if not as realistically accurate as the one by Yves Rocher or the new Private Collection Tuberose Gardenia by Estee Lauder. Blue agave and cacao is slightly salty and has a rather bitter edge that is very welcome in the heat.

One thing I came across that you won’t be coaxed into relying solely on the recommendations of the catalogue or the site is the marvelous combination of the woodiness of masculine 154 cologne and Red Roses: the effect is vaguely reminiscent of Voleur de Roses by L’artisan, with a different enough tonality to it, that is more sandalwood rich but with the earthy touch of vetiver instead of patchouli. Neat!



Next post will offer a glimpse of greatness...

Pics courtesy of Jo Malone site

London Calling...part 2

There is no greater endearment than the nostalgia of bygones. Sommerset Maugham would have plenty to say about this, I’m sure, in his usual fabulous style and poignant mood which would account for a frame of mind not unlike the one I had upon visiting the renovated Penhaligon’s store in London’s Wellington Street. There is also a Penhaligon's store in Oxford street, but Oxford street being quite unlike Oxford the town itself (if you have been to either, you do know what I mean), I never ventured inside.

There is an element of kitsch Sarah Key childish reminiscence in tiny pastel bows on ribbons and deep claret red hues that adorned the shop in days of yore when eager and just-out-of-bloomers so to speak (at least financially) I pressed my nose on the window pane to stare at the dark wooden luxurious displays and the bottles of perfumes and lotions stacked up in rows.

The whole setting was like that of a fairy tale set in the Victorian era, the scent of Violetta in the air like a powdery sweet candy that was sucked by Miss Havisham in an alternative universe where she does get her man after all and the spider webs on the tables and corners remain but a mere figment of an author’s imagination. It just exuded the kind of posh ambience of cognac sipped in the evening in front of a blazing fire.
Later this image was replicated (or so I thought at the time) by Browns of Melbourne which I scoured for lovingly back at home, at times when Penhaligon’s was unavailable for purchase so saccharine might as well stand for sugar. Alas the cutesy factor sometimes ruined it for me. The look of weirdly wonderful spicy Malabah was what I was searching for, you see.

The new façade is lovingly worked on, with pastels, pale colours that give a new lift, more airy, brighter certainly; but somehow lacking the deeper ends of the Victorian fairy tale, poignant Dickensian vagabonds with gratitude towards small children missing. Still, the boutique is magical and very worth a visit.

I reacquainted myself with their cherubic Lily of the Valley which rings wreath-like spring chimes in my ears and with daredevil Malmaison, a scent of carnation that is piquant yet restrained enough to make me crave it and finally put it on my to-buy list for next season. I refrained as the shop was rather expensive and the pound is still strong. However the obliging staff was making this very hard to do and I was enslaved by their lovely chat and their pleasing demeanor and had I purchased something I would have certainly opted for the promising hand and arm massage that involved the brand’s lotions and powders (that was also an option at Jo Malone, of which later on).

As it is, my hands and arms are left unPenhaligon-ed and I feel the poorer for it.
As Miss Havisham surely must have known, opportunities come once in a blue moon.

Artwork "A rubber at miss Havisham's": wood engraving by Marcus Stone, courtesy of victorianweb.org. Pic of Penhaligon's products courtesy of their site.

London Calling...part 1

The way of the pilgrim is long and arduous like that in a Chaucer tale, the sound of the Clash, echoing memories flowing in furrows inside my mind. London was calling. And with the low brow of a pilgrim I followed the call.

The UK has been in the whirlwind of unforeseeable events: what with the floods, the temperamental climate that exceeded all previous recollections of caprice I had, the bovine disease resurgence... And yet, the Albion is still there, still making me reminiscence of youth days spent in alternative laziness and studious frenzy.
Not to mention the shopping opportunities. Of which you are about to share a slice.

The inside of Les Senteurs (020 7730 2322, Les scenteurs link) is no stranger to its posh Belgravia residence in the centre of London, as row upon row of glass bottles in various sizes and colours shine like jewels under a magician’s hand or the rose panes of an old cathedral lit under a northern sky .
A kid in a candystore, Alice in Wonderland and let’s see how deep the rabbit hole gets. Men with suave manners and heavy- set rings are there to help you along in choosing the mystical passage to your inner core, the fragrant touch that will put the z to your pizzazz, the (French pronounced) h to your panache.

There lay some rare Caron treasures to try: Narcisse Noir, which has proven to be so temperamental like a shrewd that never quite became tame despite the undoubted charm she possesses that makes me try again and again and again; or N’aimez que moi(=love only me), the sine qua non of old-fashioned femininity, even in eau de parfum concentration which is no small feat.

I want brightness, light, exhilaration in liquid form. To these demands Neroli sauvage (=wild neroli) by Creed and Virgin Island Water are presented. Although the former is intended for the stronger (or is it?) sex I find that its zestful combination of bergamot, petitgrain, hesperides, neroli and verbena on a base of sandalwood and ambergris give a metallic tonality that is both clean, slightly floral and subtly sensual. Lovers would love to partake of a shared ritual. I am torn. I like this.
Virgin Island Water on the other hand is much more a beach scent in a city with no beaches, unlike my own. A beach scent with jasmine laced with white bergamot and a pinch of coconut for the tropical feel that makes it somehow more mainstream than it would like to be for its own good.

And then comes Tubereuse Indiana which is curiously a revelation: smooth and intense, very floral, yet truly different than most tuberoses I have tried. Created in 1980, it is non indicative of the decade of excess, certainly not of said flower’s intense profile and it does not scream its lovers over the rooftops in hysterical fashion in the manner of –say- Fracas. The curious juxtaposition of rose with a little unidentified fruit enhances the smoothness without adding powderiness and the typical musk and ambergris background of most Creed fragrances lies there like the remnants of long forgotten sins. A slight whiff of amber rounds it off warmly and invitingly. Maybe the climate in London is very much agreeable to it…

Whatever you do, if in London, Les Scenteurs is a must. Not just the Cartier perfume, but truly: so much more.


Next installement with more perfume discoveries to follow shortly...

Pic of Creed display courtesy of their official site

A short break...

After almost a year of hectic schedule and lots of busy days, the time has come for me to attend to other matters and to indulge in some self-pampering. Fragrant pilgrimage notwithstanding, of course!

So after a few days, Perfume Shrine will be back with you to reveal the scented pleasures it has discovered and to discuss all fragrant matters with you.
À bientôt, mes amis!



Pic from french film Hors de prix (athinorama)

Interview with a perfumer: Vero Kern from Vero Profumo

It was with the greatest pleasure that I introduced you to the new exclusive perfumes by niche swiss line Vero Profumo a while back here on Perfume Shrine. Today it is my even greater excitment to introduce you to their creator: the masterful Vero Kern, a lady of high olfactory pedigree who agreeded to an interview for the reading pleasure of Perfume Shrine's many readers. Vero with her long salt and pepper hair and her deep gaze that denotes a wise soul is a sight to behold. Her attention to detail and her hesitation regarding correct use of english were endearing to me. I assured her that we would be thrilled to know what's on her mind. And so, here we are!


PS: Hello Vero! You are a relative newcomer to this world, yet your perfumes denote complexity and experience. Could you care to explain how this happened?

VK: Hello! I started my perfumery career almost ten years ago. And I’m working with aroma material for twenty years now. The desire to create perfumes was strongly rising during my aromatological training and the final decision for this to be shortly ten-years-passionate-love-affair was above all a distinct curiosity, even a straight on Faszinosum on scent phenomena, but also a great zeal to know and learn all. For almost two years I was making the itinerary Zurich-Paris and back once a month. There, in the same school where Lyn Harris {of Miller&Harris} also went, I was initiated in the secrets of classical perfumery. I‘m blending with natural and synthetic essences. So absolutely novel and most important for me was to learn all about synthetics.
Creating perfumes in a classical way as I do needs a lot of time, patience, endurance and many, many tries until the definitive product is born. Complexity in perfumery requires besides technical know-how also imagination, intuition and some shameless artistic liberty to bring up important influences in material choice, accent setting and originality.

PS:Your aromachologist background means that there is some sort of spiritual appreciation of the energy of living things. You work with naturals. Myself I find that fascinating and quite hard. Do you think that more traditional perfumes as opposed to simple aromachological blends are also beneficial in providing health and mood benefits?

VK: The sense of smell is linked with our limbic system that controls our feelings and emotions. So I believe that all smelling things provide an emotional reaction: To like it or not to like it - here is the question. I think that enjoyable and enchanting smell experiences, no matter the original resource, always create great mood benefits.
Blending my perfumes in a more traditional way was 100% an artistic and aesthetic decision.

PS: You know, I got the mood elevating vibe especially from your Rubj{click here for review}. Was this intentional when creating the scent or just a pleasant side-effect?

VK: It wasn’t intentional at all, but I’ m very pleased if you tell me so. Creating rubj, I had something like a very erotic skin scent in mind. Finally it ended up with the combo of almost narcotic Orange blossom absolute, sensual musk and Jasmine. Could also be a scent for Lovers - urban Lovers - like this couple, that are stranded in this small downtown hotel-bed and watching there lovely beach sunsets on a pink portable TV. {she laughs} I had this kind of frantasy while creating. {laughs some more}. This scent blooms wonderfully on sun-kissed summer skins.

PS: I can very well visualise that. {I am also bursting with mirth now}
Now, a question I always ask when dealing with perfumers ~ do you find that the quality of the ingredients is of lesser, equal or greater importance than the innovation or beauty of the formula? In short: could one create great art with paints or great music with garbage like Stomp do, if we translate the concept in perfumery? Or is this impossible?

VK: The combination of movement, percussion and comedy in a new, innovative and never seen before performance is really unique. Unique artwork needs innovative ideas, the right material going with, techniques and the ability to transfer that into creation.
To translate the Stomp concept into today’s perfumery is very difficult. Most of today’s perfumes, including some niche products, are drawn up for global markets. Global marketing goes with global advertising. The advertising costs must be tremendous and innovation is required and focused on all kind of concepts. I think they can’t be too artistic thus. I never went too deep in this, but it would be very interesting to hear from an industrial perfumer how this works in reality.
Basically, I believe, that a beautifully touching-you-and-me perfume formula, can only be achieved by using high quality material AND innovative new ideas - in both, concept and creation. Consequently this demands a more complicated, longer development and production and that also has its price.
It’s my fervent intention to create beautiful scents - scents with soul. I think soulful scents bear a unique secret.

{At this point I am almost swooning, this is such a beautiful thought...}

PS: Onda {click here for review}is a very unusual and daring composition with a deeply animalic tonality. Do you think people nowadays are ready to move on from the cult of the clean and venture again in the Napoleonic decadence of musk and richness? I see the pendulum swinging myself, but I want your expert opinion.

VK: Apparently the sense of smell is the sense of paradoxes. Paradoxical and ambiguous, it’s the sense of the refinement and the animal, the brutish. This sense also evokes strong emotions, moods and impressions. Working with scented materials creates the most bizarre pictures in my head. Onda is a good example. The original idea was to create a leathery Vetiver surrounded by flowery and chypre notes and I had a fantasy like this going with:
Isabella Rossellini as mystery Dorothy Vallens, wearing this beautiful blue velvet gown, and Johhny Depp as Ed Wood wearing Glenda’s {from the character "Glen or Glenda" film by Ed Wood}sexy glamorous white-haired wig, dancing together a very slow Tango Argentino at Manhattan Roseland Ballroom.{she laughs at the image}
A divine picture, but unfortunately the material didn’t match with. LOL… I had to find some other lines… and so on.

{I am laughing playfully at this fabulous image myself! What a concept!}

To come back to your question, I think the little naughty animalist or erotic touch in my creations is more a kind of signature or personal preference than a marketing decision. Actually the clean watery concept never did interest me much. “Clean smell” means to me a beautiful big Olive-oil Soap coming direct from Aleppo, Syria - not perfumed at all.
I don’t know if time is ready for more daring styled scents. But with the latest perfume launches ~I refer to the very dark Tom Ford Private Selection or the soon up coming dark Sarrasins by Serge Lutens~ there might be “something” going on in this direction. We have to wait and see.


PS: Since we are on that note, as you brought up two very different concepts, do you perceive a difference of aesthetics between American and European fragrance audiences? How would you define it?

VK: I am still trying to find out possible differences. Comparing to the very active US perfumery forums, I couldn’t find much similar European ones so far. So it’s difficult to give a clear statement about this. Maybe Americans dream sometimes of naughty animalic scents, but in reality they prefer to buy more fresh, glamorous fragrances. What I can see in all these audiences is the phenomena that everybody is constantly hungry for new staff showing up. Heated up by fancy media advertising they create a big hype ~almost hysteria~ around a new product and suddenly it’s all gone again - Nada Mas. Amazing!

PS: I can't help but agree with you. It's terrifying how quickly they churn out new products! But enough of that.....I read that you trained under the great Guy Robert. How was this experience for you and do you find it has influenced your style? How would you describe your own style?

VK: Guy Robert was of great help for me. I first met him years ago in Paris at his latest book promotion: Les Sens du Parfum. His book was something like a professional highlight for me and has certainly influenced my composing and styling. Later we corresponded. I sent him my mods to judge and he gave me useful feedback and tips on them. He also encouraged me during the long development process, but he was never "teaching" me. He is a kind of spiritus rector and a mentor for me, I’m very thankful for his help.
To describe my own style is very difficult. Using rare high quality raw material, for instance the natural Ambre Gris and other precious stuff, as well as handmade techniques, I might consider them as New Traditional for Connoisseurs.

PS: And so they are! Are there any perfumes from other noses that you admire and revere and which ones are those?

VK: Once a year I travel to the Osmothèque at Versailles to study the great compositions of the perfume Giants. I love and wear the following Extraits de parfum: Jicky Guerlain, Tabac Blond Caron, Shocking Shiaparelli, and Fracas Piguet.
The styles of Aimé, Jacques and Jean-Paul Guerlain, Ernest Daltroff, Jean Carles and Germaine Cellier have effectively influenced my own creations.

PS: Vero, what are your plans for the line in the future? Regarding additions, possible limited editions, distribution and positioning?

VK: My perfumes have only just a few weeks that have come out and of course I still have to work on promoting. Also, for better customer service I’ll provide in the coming weeks some shop facilities - on the website as well as here, at the home base. Continuation on the line is planned for sure and I have some ideas but can’t go in details yet. Limited editions are definitely not my thing! The scents will be positioned as Premium perfumes with a few selective selling points worldwide.

PS: Thank you Vero for a most elucidating interview.

VK: And thank you as well.


As we part our ways, I can see that Vero will soon be the talk of the town and not just that either. Her line will debut in the US in 2008. You have ample time to take notes and make your sniffing lists.



Pic of Vero Kern and bottle of Rubj provided by Vero Kern
Pic of Johhny Depp courtesy of johhnydeppfan.com