Bullion or Bull? 8 88 of them...by Comme des Garcons: fragrance review

Sometimes it's hard to distinguish the bullion from the bull. Gold has a way of masquerading into the most unexpected guises, while the reverse is also true.
Comme des Garcons 8 88 new fragrance was released for only one week (!) in London at the Burlington Arcade guerilla store. It won't be available again until March 2008, but a generous and kind soul was able to get us a sample and Perfume Shrine has the rare privilege to review the elusive scent with the weird and -reputedly lucky?- numerological name.

Comme des Garcons has always gone for the quirky, establishing themselves at the vanguard of art perfumery with a twist. A resolutely modern line of fine fragrances. The brand by Rei Kawakubo who introduced the pauper-chic of the early 80s to jaw-dropping Paris has set a high standard for shock value. Their Guerilla stores were the kind of avant-guard marketing that makes for cleverly calibered word-of-mouth. It even convinced me to go under the shade of an ancient ruin for the sole purpose of shopping for the first time in my life!
The challenge was to see whether they delivered this time around, as they had previously succeeded in doing with their wonderful Incense line (a long-time favourite of mine) or the Red series or indeed the original fragrances that bore their name, aiming at working like Ayuverdic medicine (they don't...).

Antoine Lie, a perfumer from Swiss giant Givaudan, was the nose who created 8 88. It tries to capture the odour of gold, an elusive goal no doubt but in line with the brand's attempt to ride on the Luxe bandwagon: a concept perhaps at odds with their conduct thus far.

Jewels have always mesmerised both the artistic and the mystical in me, with their aura of hidden but powerful energy surrounding them. Most importantly the feel of heirlooms and historical pices, some of which have pride of place in my ever expanding collection, give me a rush of aesthetic and intellectual pleasure in running my fingers over them, contemplating just how they were made, who they belonged to and what feelings they evoked for their owners.
Yellow gold pieces in particular remind me of ancient rituals, the homeric "Mycenae, rich in gold": the loot from ancient Egypt by the Ekwesh (whom recent research tautologises as Achaean Greeks coming from Anatolia).
Alas, much as I lean on my comparatively less important pieces, I cannot bring myself to smell anything more than the faint remains of the fragrance that clung from my skin since the occassion that I wore them. Gold really has no special smell, apart from the metallic coldness or the odour of blood shed in its pursuit...


The task set before Antoine Lie was therefore difficult. According to the creator:

“We started with the concept that we wanted to find if gold has an odour and we looked for an olfactive expression. I looked at a number of different materials and decided very quickly on Safraline because of its very specific character.”

Safraline is an aromachemical, a molecule produced by Givaudan, derivative of saffron/crocus flower: the latter being a very expensive material due to its difficult picking and handling of the fragrant stemens by hand.

Official notes for 8 88 are: safraline, pepperwood, curcuma, coriander, geranium and amber.

As I sprayed the juice of 888 on my skin I perceived an initial fresh, almost orangey aroma from the coriander, a slight wet pottery whiff with tender sweetness to it that later on cedes to dryness. The opening has the cheery gusto of a sparkling finish on a fashion handbag done in metallics with none of the leather smell that would denote its quality materials or the metallic feel of typical aldehydic or iris fragrances reminiscent of the insides.
In that stage there follows the faint plasticky smell of freshly new DVDs out of their box, an odour so weird as to become instantly memorable for anyone who has had the chance to step into a very new, very big videostore. Some vague spiciness pops in and out, but as it dries down it does so with a woody and ambery character that is subdued and rather feminine, remaining close to the body without overstaying its invitation.
Compared with Safran Troublant by L'artisan parfumeur, 8 88 lacks the round feeling that accounts for much of the pleasure derived out of wearing the former, while at the same time it doesn't offer the jarring and jolting effect that one expects from a Comme des Garcons fragrance. It is pleasant, a little bit boring and very inoffensive; which is really tearing it apart with mild praise, I realise.


The bottle is in the traditional shape of the original CDG fragrance and Man2: the smooth tactile peeble, this time done in gold.
The price was 52 British Pounds for 50ml of eau de parfum concentration last time I checked. It is doubtful whether it will remain the same or rise: they shouldn't ask for its weight for gold, that's for sure.

Pic of 18K gold & tourmalines necklace from personal collection.

May the winner step forward....

.....dear Irene, you have won a sample of the legendary Nombre Noir.
Please mail me your details so I can send it out to you!

Thanks for participating and good luck to all for the upcoming lucky draws.

Draw for Nombre Noir is closed!

The lucky draw for Nombre Noir which started last Friday is officially closed. No more entries eligible, I am afraid.
Thank you for your participation and your enthusiastic emails which have warmed my heart and please visit again soon for the announcement of the lucky winner!

More posts coming up too: a reprisal of the Leather series next week, commentary on various unexpected facts and surprise reviews of fragrances.

Love is in the Air

February has landed and with it all the corny yet weirdly enticing thoughts of love potions and amorous gifts. So in the interests of brightening up your days and helping you dream a bit, Perfume Shrine will devote posts up till Valentine's Day to scents of love.

Many fragrances, especially feminine ones, include "love" or "amour" in their name. Whether they represent the romantic idea to your nose is another matter. For what is worth, here are some.



Kenzo Amour is one of the cuddliest offerings recently and the beautiful, design lacquer style bottles in white, fuschia or orange are enough to make you want to own one. The notes are: top of cherry blossom, rice and white tea; heart of frangipani and heliotrope, and base of thanaka wood, vanilla and musk. The whole smells slightly powdery and fluffingly vanillic with the merest hint of oriental sakura (cherry blossom).
It also ran a beautifully shot, romantic commercial in Bali, which you can watch here:


(uploaded by Julie73b)

This year they have a new variation, a limited edition with graphic designs on the bottle called "Indian Holi" (click to see).

The most wonderful boxed presentation with lovely fragrances inside is by L'artisan Parfumeur: Les épices de la passion trio of 15ml/05.oz bottles of eau de toilette.
Safran Troublant (saffron, vanilla, sandalwood and red rose), Piment Brulant (hot pepper, poppy, chocolate and clove), and Poivre Piquant (white pepper, creamy milk, liquorice and honey)



Available from Lucky Scent for 75$ and lovely to look at it is also a collection versatile enough to be worn in different occassions and various weather conditions (the Poivre is very nice in the heat)


Other companies also explored the love theme with varying results.



There is Amor Amor by Cacharel in its deep red bottle, bursting with fruity sweetness; if you are after that sort of thing, that is. It is pretty popular. Notes include: pink grapefruit, blood orange, sweet mandarin and black currant, apricot, red rose, jasmine melati flower, lily of the valley, vanilla. In 2006 they came out with their first flanker, Elixir Passion with a thorned rose depicted in white on the bottle and a rather more orientalised base. This year they have adorned the bottle with tiny silver diamanté in the shape of hearts:kitschy and cute.


Much obligingly they have also issued a men's version, Amor Homme (which isn't half bad! In fact I prefer it myself): a traditional introductory fougere.


Estée Lauder launched a variation on Beautiful last year, called Beautiful Love which plays into the lushness of tuberose with good results, as you can read here.



Guerlain have gone the Barbie way with their Colors of Love fragrance, "a powdery floral, the juice opens on notes of grapefruit, kiwi, passion fruit and violet, leading to a heart of rose, mimosa, cassia flower and iris. The base is a blend of musk and ambrette seed". Barring the promising ambrette seed there, I have failed to see the appeal of this one which is an uncharacteristic to Guerlain as is George Lezenby to the James Bond canon. If you want to get a Guerlain to celebrate Valentine's Day, get your man some <L'instant pour Homme: purring sex....



Or if the recipent is a lucky female, the iconic Shalimar , "the scent of temptation" inspired by the most romantic tale of them all, has a glorious Black Mystery version out: a limited edition in a collector's bottle in deepest black.




Last but not least, Ayala Moriel, the natural perfumer from Vancourer, has a great idea for a shared loving potion: Immortelle L'Amour perfume and scented tea that you can both sip to bring on the amorous mood...
Immortelle L'Amour is a lovely fragrance that merits its own review soon, but suffice to say that it plays on maple-like nuances of immortelle absolute, paired with delectable rooibos touches and vanilla capturing the aroma of Tire d’Erable.

There is also a special offer for the upcoming days taken from her site:

Immortelle l'Amour Parfum + Tea Gift Set

Now on special discount - when you buy both, receive a $20 discount Original price $140 - now priced at only $120! - Essentially, you are getting the previous price for the parfum ($100) and tea ($20).

There are of course more traditionally "valentine's day" offerings, like Roses & Chcolate, although I haven't tried that one and can't vouch for how it smells. What is more interesting though is that she also offers jewelry with solid perfume captured inside, such as poison rings or pendants that make for a wonderful adornment, to be dabbed on when the crucial moment arises...




In the meantime and if you have a couple of minutes to click away, you can do a psychology test about your level of love on this site here.

Pics from ebay, parfumdepub, flickr, scandelines.de, luckyscent and ayalamoriel.com

The Cult of the Celebrity Scent: perfume history

We have been led to think that celebrity perfumes, that is perfumes issued under the name of a well-known fodder-for-the-tabloids real person, were a recent phenomenon, established by Coty with Jennifer Lopez's trend-setting Glow in 2002. Which led to the current avalanche of so many derivatives, versions and interpretations that every possible Z-list actress, sportsman, media-celebritoid-du-nanosecond (Jane Goody) or indeed writer (Danielle Steel) has one issued under their belts. However, today I am proposing that it is actually not so!

Yes, Perfume Shrine is proud to propose that the celebrity scent is not a phenomenon of the too recent past after all! Although famous people had been used to promote scent since the concept of perfume as the aspirational ticket to a more glamorous life, with most notable example the classic stint of Catherine Deneuve for Chanel No.5, there was a very distinct phase during the 80s in which famous people agreed to licence fragrances bearing their own name and into the early 90s. I came across a very interesting article from the New York Times, as far back as 1989, which talks about several of them in relation to male celebrities selling perfume to women and it has striken me as astonishing that they describe the process of celebrity-named perfume not as revolutionary, but as "evolutionary" (their words). That's back in 1989!!
I especially liked how they ended the piece:

''The name and the personality can sell the fragrance the first time,'' Mr. Shore said. ''But it's up to the scent to sell the next bottle.''

Tell me about it...

The most impressive aspect of them all is that several of those celebrities from all walks of fame did not only issue one fragrance under their own name, but as is the case with Delon, Pavarotti, Liz Taylor and others, they embarked on a whole series of them in the following years (which of course shows something about the initial reception).
Of course the main difference with today might be that all those people had a definitive body of work behind them to back up their fame...which is arguably not the case with today's celebrities ("Posh" Beckham, anyone?)

This post is far from being the definitive resource on the issue, nor does it intend to; yet some of those ads and bottles, characteristic of that era, have been chosen for your enjoyement.
Some of these fragrances, notably most of those issued under French actors' names, were quite good and they all became collector's items after discontinuation. Which is not as uniformal as one might think: some are still in production!

French actors have shown a special interest in perfumery, perhaps through osmosis, usually to very good results ~like in the line of perfumes under Alain Delon's name.




In some cases, the results have been fabulous and legendary indeed, as in the case of Deneuve, the eponymous long since discontinued scent by Catherine Deneuve circulating under an Avon licence in the 1980s.


Other French actors have also dabbed their hands with the magic of perfume. Jean Louis Trintignant for instance, who will be indelibly remembered by romantic souls for his role in Un Homme and Une Femme from 1966.



Italians couldn't have been left out...Sophia Loren was the first to strike a deal with Coty as a matter of fact.


As well as those of a more exotic lineage...may I present you the feminine oriental by Egyptian hearthrob Omar Shariff, whose deep, mysterious eyes have promised so much in Dr.Zhivago, Lawrence of Arabia and ~my personal favourite A-list actor fest from the 60s~ The Night of the Generals.



American cinema idols couldn't leave this promising field out of their business aspirations.
Liz Taylor had a go with what proved to be an enduring bestseller: White Diamonds.



The enterprise spawned numerous products...



Others created more inspirational fragrances, with a shorter shelf-life however. Uninhibited by Cher is discontinued, but available through online discounters.


Some of the actresses have had a long stint at another brand that produces perfume, yet decided to also launch their own upon completion of their contract. Isabella Rosellini couldn't have had a better initial launch of a fragrance after her name: Manifesto is an unusual feminine laced with basil and tonic herbs redolent of an open window to the view of the island of Stromboli, where her parents met.


Others yet were just incredibly famous models. Ines de la Fressange was quite a myth during her Lagerfeld collaboration for Chanel. She still is a most impressive human specimen and a very pleasing, kind personality to get to know. Her fragrance is also quite good.

Having a huge fortune came with many business ideas. One of them was perfume: Gloria Vanderbilt.



The art world of course has its own accolytes. From the sculptor Niki de Saint Phalle and her eponymous mighty chype with the mating serpents...




...to the much more commercialised Marilyn by Andy Warhol project. Clever concept exploiting two celebrities in one fragrance, or is it?


The music world is diverse.
The late opera superstar Lucianno Pavarotti has had at least 2 fragrances in his name, a masculine and a feminine one. Very good too, actually!



The mega-super-giga star who has fallen, Michael Jackson had one issued when he was a little...darker. The packaging however is resolutely white: was he trying to tell us something even then?


French pop stars also had to get involved in this: et voilà Johnny Halliday. From the looks of it, a whole line of fragrances in fact.


Who would have thought that even The King had one bearing his name? Yes, there is an Elvis cologne out.


Some people are famous by association: Elvi's wife is perennially pretty (minus a surgery or too) and had a series of fragrances out, the nicest advertisement of which is the one for Moments.


Classical ballet seemed like a very disciplined world to be associated with frivolous commodities like perfumel, especially as its most brilliant stars in the galaxy hail from the former Soviet Union, which let's face it, wasn't exactly the most inviting market for perfume or luxury goods....
Pavlova is named after the famous prima ballerina.



Baryshnikov defected and reaped the benefits of a full westernised existence, eponymous fragrance included. He also had one after his nickname, Misha. Kewl...


Last but not least, even tennis stars deserve their own: Gabriellas Sabatini is a household name in Latin American, not less so because of her perfumes still circulating, such as Magnetic.



Do you recall of more? Let us know in the comments.

Pics courtesy of okadi,parfumdepub, Ebay, edirectory.co.uk, toutsurdeneuve, aunt judy's attic: For entertainement purposes only.