Vera Wang's Look: fragrance review

Vera Wang is synonymous with nuptials, wedding gowns, flower arrangements to compete with the roses in all of Surrey and generally romanticism in the 9th degree. Her original fragrance, Vera Wang, as well as Sheer Veil and Truly Pink, were romantic affairs of flowery fragrances that would fit the entourage of a bride ~or the bride herself~ effortlessly. Imagine my surprise at smelling Look, her newest fragrance, which takes the path of a fresh approach that is more upbeat and contemporary, less traditionally floral. Where is the white-gown in all that? Nevertheless, it wouldn't be terribly misleading to think that the perfectly-cut flacon of Look which resembles an emerald-cut diamond when faced from the front, is Vera's allusion to the sine qua non of a wedding proposal.

According to the press release: "The bold, modern, captivating scent of Vera Wang Look embraces a woman’s confidence and creates a seductive effect through complex textures and layers of fragrance notes. It introduces notes of mandarin, watery greens, lychee and golden delicious apple in the top notes. The heart incorporates lily, freesia and jasmine, while the base notes introduce a rhapsody of sweet vanilla, musk, oak moss and patchouli."
Look was created in co-operation with Firmenich by perfumer Annie Byzantian, the creator of mega-blockbuster Aqua di Gio and co-author of Pleasures and Safari pour Homme. Whether following her individual vision or not, the above fragrances should give you an idea of where Look is veering to. To me Vera Wang's Look is poised between a fresh fruity floral with all that entails and a "modern" chypre: one definitely wouldn't mistake it for a fragrance heavy in the classic perfume-y ingredients that characterise the chypre family. And it's definitely not a white floral affair either no matter what the given notes would denote. The refreshing burst of the greenish mandarin opening cedes to a lathery cleanness and a microscopic vanilla and sweet patchouli hint in the drydown. Despite initial impressions, it has a suggestion of sweet powderiness that reminds me of cherry blossom scents and which would likely it make it quite popular with young women. Opposed to the very uncharacteristic teeny-bopper Princess, Look takes its place in the Vera Wang line-up nevertheless; although it does so with a less traditionally feminine or romantic approach than her first ~and in my opinion best~eponymous fragrance. I see it as more of an everyday, office scent choice which lasts satisfactorily. I suspect the Parfum Elixir is a more sensuous concentration that might be highlighting the lusher aspects compared to the sparer Eau de Parfum.

The advertising prints, featuring model Anna Selezneva, were shot by Steven Meisel and they are poised at an intriguing angle since the bottle, a glass prism, is set in the foreground, while the model dressed in bright mandarin hues is standing behind it and is looking into us through it, as if she is watching the world through this prism. Which I realize is the whole concept behind naming a fragrance Look of course...

Look has benefited from a classy presentation: A modern geometric prism flacon with facets polished to perfection. Inspired by Vera Wang’s pret-a-porter, contrasting proportions are architectural and refined. The slender silhouette of the clear glass cap is a reflection of simplicity. The packaging utilizes matte grey with light grey contours visible on the box and on the name Look, which is written in vivid orange in the middle of the box.

Notes for Vera Wang Look:
Top: mandarin, green notes, lytchee, green apple
Heart: lily, freesia, jasmine
Base: vanilla, musk, oakmoss, patchouli


To learn more visit the Vera Wang site and listen to Vera Wang explain the concept here.

The perfume is available as Parfum Elixir in 30ml/1oz flacon with crystal stopper and wand (300$), and as Eau de Parfum in 30ml (1.0oz) ~outside of US~, 50ml (1.7oz.) and 100ml (3.4oz)bottles ~in the US. Look is accompanied by a line of body products: body cream, body lotion and shower cream (200 ml each). Available at travel retail worldwide and Nordstorm.

Pics through Vera Wang and Moodie Report .

Economic Crisis? What Economic Crisis?

If the current economic standing of several households across the globe is anything to go by, surely the market should be catering to their needs by budgeting their offerings, providing outlets for small pleasures and the possibility of indulging into the escapist dream of sent bon without mortaging anything that is left standing to mortgage. However the above has probably been wishful thinking on our part. According to an article by Nazani Lakarani on yesterday's online edition of International Herald Tribune, companies are not especially tuned into the needs of perfumephiles who demand smaller bottles of their desired "fix" so they can collect with less guilt (just how much can one person apply in one lifetime?) and options for budget-friendly versions of packaging (refills, travel cases and similar contraptions). In a time of crisis how do the players respond?
The highlights of this article include some eye-glaring exempla of an industry which is either taking itself too seriously or not at all.

"Traditional luxury and designer brands still sell well; but at the top end of the market, the demand for personalized, custom-made luxury has spread to perfumery. "Regardless of budget, customers today seek a unique fragrance that sets them apart," said Ladan Lari, managing director of designer fragrances at L'Oréal, the French beauty products company.

I have long held that elitism is an integral part of escapism in the fragrance business; and especially in times when that escapism is within reach of everyone thanks to the Internet boom it stands to reason that someone needs to emphasize the luxurious, exclusive privilege of owning a coveted item that would differentiate the peasants from the posh (or so the unadmitted truth raises its ugly head). Several brands have played that game well and they have reaped the benefits: thanks to the Internet and the buzz of fragrance writing consumers up till now were willing to pay almost anything to own such an item. The sarcasm and deep contempt (for the plight of many consumers) of seeing this in black & white though makes me cringe a little...

"Positioning itself between the bespoke and limited edition markets, one specialized perfume company, l'Artisan Parfumeur, plans to introduce in January a line of single-edition perfumes - only one bottle of each will be made - to be sold exclusively through its flagship Paris store. The work of Bertrand Duchaufour, the in-house nose hired this year, the line, Mon Numéro, will be presented in one-off bottles designed by Pascale Riberolles, an artist and master glass blower, priced at about $20,000 for a 725-milliliter flask."

Now here is the weird part: one bottle of each fragrance, a collector's item accompanied by a matching price. And I am asking: why??? Why employ the artistry of a perfumer who is admittedly ingeniously revolutionizing the industry with his creations anyway for just what will inadvertedly become a museum piece? He can't be that bored, since he is given almost carte blanche within a niche house where he is master of all he surveys to create as he sees fit. Surely the owner of that single piece of perfume has as many chances of cracking that bottle open and ruining part of its investement value in the process as the oil problem of the planet solving itself naturally within the next decade. I am very much afraid that it will be a waste of energy, time, budget and essence in what will amount to an intellectual exercise instead of a paean to beauty. Fragrances are meant to be living and breathing things, radiating their joy, their wistfulness, their paramours within polite society's radius; not something tucked in a cellar awaiting the future generations to crack them open years later as a monetary investement in art. Attributing the artistry of perfumery into producing an artefact for an antiseptic environment is akin to sculpting a Venus of Milo for the private enjoyment of a single person in a remote village of an exotic Never Never land: a crime for and in the eyes of humanity.

"Kurkdjian's bespoke scents, conceived, blended and matured over 6 to 10 months, are priced at $10,000 for two 60-milliliter flasks, hand-engraved with a name or personal message. He also offers a service that he calls "Variations sur Mesure," mainly aimed at U.S. or British clients accustomed to fast results. "Based on a scent the client likes, I create several variations," Kurkdjian said. "The one ultimately chosen is still one-of-a-kind, but without the time-consuming adjustments. Ready in 10 days, it costs between $3,800 and $5,000."

I have no special reason to defend any nationality, but when I see such hidden contempt (yes, you read that right) for American and British clients ~no matter that I am not part of that group~ I cringe some more. Let's repeat and ponder this time: "mainly aimed at U.S. or British clients accustomed to fast results". Is it my own impression or is there a very obvious snide in this? Fast results accounting for poor taste or something, and even that "fast results" being a gross generalisation. Basta! I sincerely hope that this is not a quote by mr.Francis Kurkdjian, whom I respect and admire for his talented offerings to the world of fragrance which I often enjoy myself. He is both much too young and much too talented to be so cynical so early on. Let's just hope it was an infortunate deduction on the part of the author. I welcome any clarification should anyone want to set things straight.

You can read the rest of the article here

Article brought to my attention by Elysium on POL. Pic through the Clint Eastwood Archive.

When Perfume and Art Nostalgically Mix

One of the most nostalgic perfume commercials I always remember with a pang of melancholy in my heart is the one for Cacharel's fragrance Loulou from 1988. Inspired as it was (along with the perfume itself) by Louise Brooks and her ethereal, yet also devilish character in Pabst's Pandora's Box and the cryptic message of a knowing wink beneath a heavy dark fringe it produced a soft spot for every aspiring coquette aged very, very young-ish. The scent caressed every nook and cranny with its voluptuous yet somehow innocent, powdery sweet aura: the seduction of a creature this side of Lilith. And it didn't help that the haunting melody echoed in my ears for years as one of the most touching elegies I have heard to the colour blue in all its literal and figurative permutations...
My joy on finding it (even in its Italian version), after all these years thanks to the wonders of technology, has revealed that its pearly veneer hasn't lost its lustre in my mind and it still produces a sigh of delightful and wistful reminiscence in me, like a dog who is sighing, her paws tucked in and her ears down at the completion of a tender, sad patting as if to part forever.



And here is the divine soundtrack to the above commercial in its full glory: "Pavane, Opus 50" in F-sharp minor by Gabriel Fauré, set to images of impressionistic paintings by Monet.



Do you have a perfume that produces such synaesthetic responses in you? I'd be interested to hear.

Loulou clip originally uploaded by Shescom on Youtube. Pavane clip uploaded by andrewgrummanJC on Youtube.

Ormonde Jayne new fragrance Zizan and Discount for our Readers

Ormonde Jayne, project haute parfumerie of nose Linda Lilkington, has spoiled us rotten with quality all around. (You can see the rationale and philosophy of the brand explained in the interview Linda Pilkington granted to Perfume Shrine). Now catering to the needs of men who had only two scents (Ormonde Man, Isfarkand) to claim as purely masculine in the line ~although several could be borrowed from their female companions anyway!~ a new masculine is introduced: Zizan.

Zizan, a perfume like no other "because it has everything a man could possibly want in a single spectacular scent. This is a powerhouse perfume. Expect a deluge of boisterous Sicilian lime, lemon and bergamot but to smooth the biting edge, a brilliantly refined concentration of vetiver.
Zizan belongs to the domain of the worldly, highly sophisticated and cultivated. It also belongs to the strategist - the man who knows how to seduce".

The notes include a refreshing top of Sicilian lime, lemon, bergamot, clary sage, pink pepper and juniper berry; a rich aromatic floral heart of bay, violet and jasmine; and a refined base of Vetiver, cedar, must and amber.

Price is £64 for the standard luxurious 50ml/1.7oz presentation of the Ormonde Jayne fragrances in the potent concentration of Eau de Parfum.
Available from Ormonde Jayne Perfumery, 12 The Royal Arcade London W1S 4SL, UK and Ormonde Jayne Perfumery, Boutique 1 Jumeirah Beach, Dubai. Soon online.

Ormonde Jayne has also recently introduced a multiple-wick candle, in time for the darker season and the holidays, to lend a touch of fragrant luminosity into those cold nights ahead.
And because they want to spoil us to the point of no return, there is a special event on Thursday 20th November (with roasted chestnuts and Father Christmas appearences along the street) in which Ormonde Jayne perfumery participates with a discount of 10% off for in-person-purchases on that day or even by phone or online with code NOEL.
Furthermore, visit the official website Ormonde Jayne and profit of a 10% discount with code THANKS (duration of offer till 27th November).

As my loaded schedule tucks in projects, errands and duty travelling to other places, London visits have to wait till Christmas time, so I am eyeing a bottle of Ormonde Woman to stand beside my beloved Tolu prompted by this. What will you get?

Pic through press release.

The Linden Tree

Whenever I smell French Lime Blossom by Jo Malone my mind reels back to my childhood; to days sprinkled with insouciance, eyes open at the crack of dawn filled with eager anticipation on what each new moment will bring, hope for happiness and belief in all that is good in the world. And now that I look back on it with the experience of some years on my back it seems like nothing turned out the way I expected although the result is not unsatisfactory; far from it. Yet the nostalgia which fills me on this grey day for the innocence of days bygone is shaping like an apparition in the steam of my cup filled with linden tea.
Lime tree, also known as "linden" ~or "tilleul" in French and "φλαμουριά/flamouria" in Greek~ produces blossoms like no other: they possess a childhood innocence in line with their soothing properties when infused into a pale-coloured yellow, tinged with jade, tisane. Its limpid sweetness, whether or not I am soaking a madeleine or not in it, brings to mind the Northern tales of this holy tree and the German lieder by Franz Schubert Die Lindenbaum (verse by that great Hellenophile* Wilhelm Müller) that my mother used to sing as a lullaby to me when I was but a little girl, her voice as melodious as that of Nana Mouskouri singing in German.

By the fountain, near the gate,
There stands a linden tree;
I have dreamt in its shadows
so many sweet dreams.
I carved on its bark
so many loving words;
I was always drawn to it,
whether in joy or in sorrow.

Today again I had to pass it
in the dead of night.
And even in the darkness
I had to close my eyes.
Its branches rustled
as if calling to me:
"Come here, to me, friend,
Here you will find your peace!"
The frigid wind blew
straight in my face,
my hat flew from my head,
I did not turn back.

Now I am many hours
away from that spot
and still I hear the rustling:
"There you would have found peace!"



*Γουλιέλμω Μύλλερ τω ποιητή των Ελληνικών ασμάτων, ο ευγνωμονών Ελληνικός λαός (the Greek epigram on Pentelic marble on the doorstep of his house, commissioned in 1927)

Clip of composer Mikis Theodorakis singing Die Liendenbaum in Greek at his concert at Rosa Luxemburgplatz (then part of East Berlin) in 1987, originally uploaded by Ulco64 on Youtube