Rekindled Interest in Perfume: A Reader Asks

Here at Perfume Shrine we receive lots of mail and the questions of readers often give us pause for thought and commentary. Amanda, a kind reader who lives somewhere where perfume choices are restricted to the department store asked me advice about what to sample for her renewed interest in perfume.
Without further ado, here is the questioning part of her mail:

"I haven't worn perfume since my first child was born. He will be 17 soon and I think it is time for me to indulge in it again. Back then I had a love hate relationship with Diorissimo and wore Madame Rochas for nights out. A friend has given me some ideas and I have tried Carolina Herrera and Valentino which are beautiful but don't suit me and Sensi and Opium which I find too sweet and indolent: They make me feel I should be lounging back on cushions eating Turkish delight. I have on my list to try Yvresse, Baby Doll and Princess by Vera Wang and since I read the first few pages of your blog I will try Miss Dior although it was never right for me in the past. Have you any suggestions for perfumes that might contain similar constituents to Madame Rochas?
When I add essential oils to my bath I always seem to choose geranium, clary sage and rose. I don't much care for vetiver"

In her follow up mail to me, prompted by my Yves Saint Laurent Series, she told me that:

"This past week I have tried the fragrances from Yves St Laurent. I found them all too sweet and not sophisticated enough. The opening notes to Baby doll were delicious but once they had past it was too much like body soap and lost its appeal."

With that in mind, I gave some thought to her issue and welcome your suggestions as well.
Personally I think that since Amanda had success with Madame Rochas, she should stay true to an equally elegant concept. Madame Rochas was one of the favourites of both my mother and grandmother and they both smelled wonderful in it, making me swoon. Since that one, alas, has been altered in recent years, she should probably search for a comparable floral aldehydic along those classy lines. Of course there is no guarantee that anything currently on the market could approximate the fragrance she wore and loved, but we can try, can't we?
Amanda also seems to like rosey scents, as both geranium and rose oils feature powdery floral notes and to dislike too sweet scents (which I can sympathise with!) and current musks.

I would have suggested the metallic rose of Rive Gauche laced with icy splendour, but she has mentioned sampling the Laurent line and I deduce she must have dismissed it.
My first recommendation then would be Le Dix by Balenciaga, a perfume hailing from 1947 but with such elegance that it should stand on its legs today just as well. It has been also reformulated, as has everything, but it hasn't lost its appeal.
Another suggestion would be Caleche by Hermes, which also denotes polished class in its aldehydic florancy with some chypre overtones, never too sweet, never too decadent.
I would also recommend Calandre by Paco Rabanne, another cool rose with aldehydes which smells perfumey in the best sense, but also has the slightly clean/warm feel of Madame Rochas.

In the more recent crop of fragrances I would suggest Amanda tries 212 by Carolina Herrera as well as Sicily by Dolce & Gabanna: they feature a cool-warm contrast with a lathery element and aldehydic accents which contribute to an elegant disposition, despite their young age. While she's at it I think she would like the original Dolce & Gabanna Pour Femme, the one in the red velvet box with the red cap. It's one of those traditional-smelling contemporary fragrances that smell good on just about anyone, although she might find it a little floral-sweet.
Bearing in mind both the cool-warm rose and the lathery ambience I can't help but suggest the very sophisticated "clean" of Allesandro dell'Aqua: it features rose and geranium and has a light floriental character which is discreet and good-mannered. And for something that has the opening grapefruit accent of Baby Doll but none of the sweetness or the soapiness, I'd suggest Un Jardin sur le Nil by Hermes in their Jardins line, for day wear.

Please help Amanda find a fragrance: suggest away! (but keep it in the easy-to-get markpoint)

Illustration by Rene Gruau courtesy of operagloves.com

At Last: Guerlain Homme

We had announced a while ago that Guerlain is issuing a new masculine fragrance this year. We're pleased to see that the photos of the ad campaign and the bottles are great (created in collaboration with the Pininfarina automobile design studio) and the notes sound good. Not to mention the slogan: For the animal in you! (growl!!!)

The fragrance acknowledges the “animal instinct” every man harbours, according to the company. However, Guerlain is anxious to point out that its target market is no “hairy, lantern-jawed beast”, but a male who has razor-sharp reflexes, smooth moves, natural flair and an “undeniable aura of masculinity”.

This positioning is perfectly illustrated by the TV advertising campaign (devised by Jean-Paul Goude, who also shot the print ad), which features the green-eyed Brazilian model Renne Castrucci completely at ease in a jungle setting.
Guerlain Homme is supposed to be a fragrance that defies the traditional pyramid structure. The juice, created by Thierry Wasser and Sylvaine Delacourte, is said to have been composed in three parallel phases: Consequently the notes include, in the middle, beginning and end of the composition a mojito accord of sweet lime, mint, rum and rhubarb. The second accord features floral-citrus notes of bergamot, green tea and pelargonium. The third phase combines cedar, vetiver and green rhubarb, to echo the initial freshness.

Pics and press release via the Moodie report

New for Autumn

Autumn seems far away for anyone who hasn't taken their summer vacations yet, but we like to be prepared! Traditionally it's the time to replace your light and fruity fragrances with warmer, heavier notes. However, Denise Estrada, owner of Mélange Apothecary in Sherman Oaks, California, is noticing that fruit-based fragrances such as Cassis (berry), Framboise (raspberry leaf) and Poire (pear) as well as crisp citrus are beating out the competition, no matter if it’s raining, snowing, or sweltering out. Well, we had a suspicion it was so, after witnessing the plethora of fruity fragrances out!
Having worked in the fragrance industry for nearly 20 years as a formulator, esthetician and manufacturer, Estrada considers Mélange a “living lab,” where she is able to track and trend forecast what will be the next big scent in the world of fragrance. Here is what Mélange is creating for the upcoming autumn season:

Fragrances:
Eau de Parfum:
Casablanca Lily: Takes the warm and fragrant Oriental Casablanca Lily and blends it with a touch of rich Sandalwood oil.
Pomegranate & Grapefruit: A wonderful combination of fresh, uplifting Grapefruit, blended with a tart, fresh Pomegranate fragrance reserved especially for this blend.
Mandarin & Orchid: A blend of fresh Mandarin oil, Orchid, Jasmine and green accords.
Feuille de Fromboise: A fresh Red Raspberry Leaf with sweet Green Tea.
Parfum Concentrated Rollers:
Athene with Gardenia & Amber: A full ounce of Athene (a blend of Dark Chocolate, Guava, Vanilla and Tuberose) with sweet Gardenia and golden Amber.
Natural Jasmine, with Mandarin & Cypress: A full ounce of sweet Jasmine, Mandarin Orange Blossoms and the clean scent of Cypress.

Concrete Parfum Blending Kit: To mix and match in the following scents: Feuille de Fromboise (Red Raspberry Leaf); Tuberose (rich Floral); Green Tea (tea leaves with citrus and fruit accords), Grenade (sweet Pomegranate fruit).

For Home:
Candles (with soy-blend wax, no dyes and cotton wicks) in Pomegranate & Citrus, Poire and Casis Noir (sic). There is also the accompanying home scent diffusers in Pomegranate & Citrus and Poire & Casis (sic).

Mélange is quite popular for its one-of-a-kind blending bar, with more than 70 permanent fragrances and essential oils are readily available to sniff, blend and play with (cool!)
The products are available online at www.melangeapothecary.com.

The winner of the Patou Ma Collection draw...

...will be announced next Monday. I am sorting out through the numerous sumbissions now, so if you have forgotten to comment to be eligible, do so till Sunday midnight.
Thank you for participating!

How does the latest Serge Noire by Serge Lutens smell like?

Serge Noire, the export fragrance of Lutens for this summer (July 2008) derives its lineage from history: In the 19th and early 20th century, the name (la serge, feminine hence the "e" in the adjective "noire") designated a type of textile, twill of diagonal lines or ridges on both sides, made with a two-up, two-down weave, that was quite popular: a delicate variety was used for finer garments, while a stronger yarn was chosen for military clothes. The etymology derives from Greek σηρικος (σηρος means silk worm, for clothes), which gave rise to the Latin serica and the old French serge.
The interesting thing is that serge has been implicated through the British textile trade monopoly via Calais and the Netherlands in wars between European nations, especially religious ones: in 1567 Calvinist refugees from the Low Countries included many skilled serge weavers, while Huguenot refugees in the early eighteenth century included many silk and linen weavers.

With that at the back of our minds we might start deciphering the enigma of Serge Noire and its reputation of an ascetic incense, according to my confidante Elisabeth. Quite taken with it, she discussed it at length with Serge, who explained that it is very different from Encens et Lavande, the previous sumptuous and fantastically deep frankincense take in the exclusive Palais Royal line.
Since there is often a double interpretation of the same material in both exclusive and export lines, it is not unheard of that there would be an incense scent in the latter. After all there is indeed a lavender one to match Encens et Lavande, Gris Clair, so why not one to address the other constituent of the fragrance as well?

Frankincense came into the scene of niche cults with the "Incense series" by Comme des Garcons and Passage d'Enfer by L'artisan parfumeur years ago and although it seemed it languished for a while, incense knew a resurgence last summer with Andy Warhol Silver Factory by Bond No.9, an arguably interesting take and with Andy Tauer's wonderful duo of Incense Extrême and Incense Rosé this autumn.

Serge Noire comes to offer an architecture of incense that is pure and balanced with nothing in excess, yet not classical. Rather an orientalised grey, which in itself is a play on his previous Gris Clair. It has a ritualistic element, without the cold, dark church associations we have come to expect from the genre. It is on the contrary reminiscent of fireworks and powdery dry, laced with spices which will dare our conventional beliefs on incense fragrances.

My French blogger friend Six, on Ambre Gris, equally ecstatic, talks about resinous, warm and slightly sweet, vanillic benzoin joining the proceedings, giving a feminine element to the masculine character, while she notes that pepper and a camphoreous note open up the intriguing composition of dry and bitter japanese-like incense with smoky and mineral tonalities echoing Chinese ink, flanked with a little cinnamon. Elements that have caught the imagination of Lutens and Sheldrake in the past (the camphor in Tubéreuse Criminelle, the ink in Sarrasins, the incense of Encens et Lavande) are merging here in what seems to be a personal declaration of faith.
Elisabeth confirmed that Serge Noire is near and dear to Serge's heart, name nothwithstanding, as he professed it to be his favorite; feeding thus the rumor that it has been in the works for 10 years and hinting that those who have professed it one of the best Lutens in recent years must be right.

So to recapitulate notes for your ease: camphor and pepper, dry incense and ashes, fireworks and gunpowder, sweet benzoin, cistus labdanum, castoreum and a little cinnamon. Got it? Sounds fantastic!

Lutens himself in a lyrical description consistent with his previous cryptic "poems" about his fragrances states concerning Serge Noire:

"An ether of ashes, it's about serge. A way of creating for myself a bad reputation with added value" [...]"A phoenix, the mythical bird of legend burns at the height of its splendour before emerging triumphant, reborn from the ashes in a choreography of flame, conjuring the shapes of yesterday in a dance of ashes. The swirls of oriental grey enrich the twilight with depth and intensity while windswept memories hint at the beauty of transformation. An ode to everlasting beauty under the cover of night's rich plumage"

There is some discrepancy between English and French press release which is intriguing to contemplate: In the French text there is the addition of a controversial affirmation of the fragrance creating a visual contrast between white skin and black cloth, intended for ethereal beauties ("Pour vous belles éthérées! Peaux blanches et serge noire...")
Political correcteness never fit well with Lutens and the phrase despite its connotations cannot be taken at face value, I reckon: I am sure he was focused on the aesthetic choice of chromatic antithesis and not on any racial slur hinted. To me it is more evocative of "The Pillow Book", black calligraphy on light-toned skin, tragically romantic in its unattainable ideal.

The Lutensian feminine ideal is japonified, lean and ascetic in her black garb, a woman of neither here nor there, of no time and no place; she almost becomes inhuman in the attenuation of her form and features to the point she becomes pure art. However every one of his creations bears inside the sperm of this ideal, which caresses our dreams and imprints our thoughts.
Black takes the emblematic scheme of a non-color: it serves as protection and amunition. But also as the symbolic anonymity of the monastic cloth which invokes an inner transformation, a metamorphosis of the spirit and which imparts its truth to those who opt for it.
Serge Noire will be the darling fragrance of everyone seeking to embrace their inner anchorite. Count me in!

Serge Noire comes in Eau de Parfum Haute Concentration at the standard 50 ml/1.7oz oblong flacon with optional spray attachement and costs to buy 95 €

Pic from Shiseido ad courtesy of Autour de Serge