Sitting quietly, doing nothing, spring comes, and the grass grows by itself

Such a Zen feeling as that of today's title engulfs my psyche as I let myself bask in the sunny goodness, lazy like a spoiled cat that has seen some winters and some springs come and go but never lost her sense of contenment, sighing at the first warm days she's finally free to chase fat pigeons on the terracotta-laid rooftops.
Spring is univocally here as you can see and my mind wanders on avenues of floral and green fragrances that like a breath of optimism promise some fresh air blown over the ashes of burnt winter thoughts; that like a re-invigorated kittie is eager for some mental stretch.

"Every spring is the only spring - a perpetual astonishment", said Ellis Peters, and I couldn't express the feeling in a more awe-struck way at the eternal Dionysus's return.
The following fragrances, some of which might get a full review later on, if the mood strikes, are listed in no particular order but that of making me yearn for every dawn like it's the first one.


Tocadilly by Rochas
If a spring fragrance can combine warmth and coolness like the mark of one's breath on the window-pane on an ambiguous chilly morning that will later thaw, then the armload of lilacs hiding in this fragrance's heart are just what is needed. Christopher Sheldrake worked with a delicate palette that weaves jade-greens and wisteria-mauves into mixes that blur and leave you wondering at its ethereal beauty, much like watching a dance perfomance that defies gravity. Most unfairly overlooked and making me appreciate its rarity value even more!

Snob by Le Galion
The unusual green, licorice-bittersweet aspect of estragon, among the so-called "simples", one-remedy herbs, used by Hippocrates and possibly (?) named after a corruption of the middle-French esdragon (derived from the plant's Latin specific name artemisia dracunculus, "little dragon") is reputed to help in treating bites of insects and snakes. I wouldn't dream of wishing you any occurrence in which you should need its medicinal properties, but if you are simpatico to its charms, the combination with the classical floral bouquet of rose and jasmine is producing something very close to Patou's Joy and yet a little different in a cocky way in this -by now obscure- French firm's of the 1930s offering.

Cristalle by Chanel
If a cartload of juicy lemons is smiling my way on its embarkment spot in Sicily via an architectural austere flacon then I know I am in the presence of Cristalle in Eau de Toilette. If by some fateful chance I am garlanding my hair with yellow bits of honeysuckle blossoms while drinking said lemonade at an outdoor cinema just opening its gavel-strewn lawns in May after months of inertia, then Cristalle in Eau de Parfum is winking its seductive, youthful wiles at me. The night is nostalgic and promising and I am smitten by its pedigree and effortless elegance.

Lentisque by 06310
The at once fluffy and oleaginous flavour of mastic or lentisque, a resin from a variety of the pistachio tree growing on the island of Chios in the Eastern Aegean sea is hard to convincingly capture. In this Grasse family-owned company's fragrance, the beloved culinary lentisque is blended with essences of amber seed, iris, jasmin, Turkish rose, musk, amber and vetiver to render an amalgamation of aromata that seem to hazily blur like watercolours running into each other on thick drawning paper, mixed during a nonchalant Sunday afternoon.

Flora Nerolia by Guerlain
There is nothing more March-like than the smell of bitter orange trees blossoming, their waxy white petals infiltrating the glossy green of the leaves and some fruit still hanging from the branches, like a reminder of what has been already accomplished. Guerlain captured the ethereal vapors of steam of these delicate, ravishing blossoms and married them to a pre-emptying summery jasmine and the faint whiff of cool frankincense burning inside a Greek Orthodox church preparing for the country's most devout celebration: Easter. Flora Nerolia is like a snapshot of late Lent in Greece and for that reason is absolutely precious to me.

Vanille Galante by Hermès
One of my latest infatuations, this water-ballet of lily and vanilla pod is uttely charming on skin that is coming out of hibernation like migratory habits of exotic birds which come back to nest on one's roof, their happy melodious sounds signalling the final coming of warmth. If Vanille Galante were a bird it would be a Kookaburra.

Fiori di Capri by Carthusia
If wood is the Chinese symbol of elementals for spring, then Fiori di Capri is not out of place, thanks to its distinctive oak-y vibrance beneath an intensely indolic peppery carnation and some innocently coy lily of the valley. Allegedly based on an original fragrance by Father Prior of the San Giacomo Monastry on Capri, made in 1380, the scent is just this side short of being a ticket to either the verdant Capri itself or the vertiginous heights of the Balcon de Europa in Nerja, Malaga.

Une Fleur de Cassie by Frédéric Malle
The catty-animalic pong of cassie hiding in this gem floral in the Editions de Parfums line-up is an emblem of a formidable perfumer, Dominique Ropion. Cassie flower is succulently and troublingly feminine with its intimate aura of consumed bodies and here it reveals its facets unapologetically, with a little carnation as a counterpoint sumptuously combined with vanilla and sandlwood. Wearing it makes me feel like La Veuve Aphrodissia in Marguerite Yourcenar's Nouvelles Orientales collection of short stories: the impossible alliance between passion and social conventions.

Tubéreuse Criminelle by Serge Lutens
If Carnal Flower is my default tuberose for summer thanks to its green humid airness and slight coconutty deliciousness that makes it tropical and modern to the 9th degree, Tubereuse Criminelle is just the right rite of passage worthy of a Stravinsky suite to prepare the grounds for summer and thus perfect for this transitional period. Its camphoric opening is akin to spectacular and beautiful weirdness.

Amoureuse by Parfums DelRae Roth
Pry under a delicate constellation of petals and you come face to face with something more naughty than you would ever imagine at first: the genitals of a living organism; on this occasion a flower's! The spicy, heady, at once green and floral coalescence of Amoureuse, seguing to musky perfection is unashamedly sexy and reminiscent of what spring is all about: nature's season for mating!


If you have a moment to spare the following little online test might tell you which flowers' scented style might suit you best.

What are you wearing or planning to wear this sping?


All photos copyright Helg/Perfumeshrine

Questions & Answers with perfumer Harry Fremont of Firmenich (with focus on new All American Stetson)

Harry Frémont needs no introduction really: He is a perfumer at the top brand Firmenich and famous for several bestsellers such as Lancome Ô oui! and Miracle,Calvin Klein cK One (with Alberto Morillas), Kenneth Cole Black (with Sabine de Tscharner), Ralph Lauren Romance and the new Romance Always Yours , Nino Cerruti Image for women, the upscale jewel-glam-into-fragrance project for David Yurman, as well as more esoteric niche offerings such as Avaritia in the 7 Sins line of S-Perfumes by artist Sacré Nobi.

Although born in the world-famous resort of Cannes, in the south of France (therefore growing up in an environment of wildflowers and lush gardens which remained an inpiration throughout his career), Harry Frémont has lived and worked in New York for almost 20 years. Graduating from one of the most elite perfumery schools in France, the ISIPCA at Versailles, he went on to receive not one but two consecutive awards for his olfactive creations by the prestigious Societé Technique des Parfumeurs de France in both 1984 and 1985. In fact he is the only two-time winner! In 1987, Harry Frémont joined the Firmenich International Fragrance Center in New York after spending three years at the Corporate Headquarters in Geneva. Harry is attached to beautiful flowers, naturally: mimosa, Bulgarian rose, jasmine sambac and broom as well as interesting raw materials such as tagetes. It's not therefore surprising the pefume he admires is the cool and unusual Coriandre de Jean Couturier. Citing his love of gardening, his wife and their three daughters (Lauren, Joy and Estée ~I know, incidentally all names of existing perfumes!)as sources of inspiation and as perfumers he looks up to Alberto Morillas and Edmond Roudnitska, Harry was available for some questions and answers via the Coty team on the occassion of the launch of All American Stetson which he composed. Enjoy the glimpse!


1.Tell us about what it means to create a new Stetson fragrance?
My vision was to capture the essence of the “American” man and the Western spirit.

2.What makes All American different from Stetson Original? Any similarities?
Stetson Original is very classic and warm, being more of a classic oriental. The All American is more modern and youthful, as its fresh aromatic woody character gives a very outdoorsy feeling. Both fragrances are bold and masculine.

3.What was your inspiration for All American Stetson?
The inspiration behind this fragrance was the outdoorsy, adventurous guy that everyone admires. He has a very likeable, youthful “All American” spirit, with an exciting modern edge.

4. What are the core values of this fragrance from your point of view?
Authentic, modern, outdoorsy, performance

5. How would you describe the fragrance in general terms?
All American is fresh yet warm, vibrant yet sensual.

6. Which family does it belong to?
The fragrance is in the Aromatic Woody family.

7.Could you tell us about the olfactive structure? Top/heart/base notes?
All American opens with the cooling freshness of cedar leaf, ginger root and guava NaturePrint®*, exuding an invigorating sensation. The heart of the fragrance is built around rich notes of black suede and nutmeg offering an intriguing sensuality, while notes of sage and water fern capture a vibrant confidence that is both rugged and modern. The fragrance dries down with the sensual warmth of amber wood and musks, flawlessly blended with notes of vetiver and patchouli giving it depth and masculinity.

8. Are there any unique ingredients that make All American Stetson special or different?
A unique combination of top Firmenich aromatic raw materials (plicatone), blended with Firmenich musks (muscenone) and woody notes (norlimbanol, z11)

9. When and where should All American Stetson be worn?
All American Stetson should be worn all the time! It has a rugged freshness for daytime and warm rich tones that are perfect for the evening.

10.Could you tell us how you would imagine the All American Stetson man?
Bold and adventurous, fearless, always pushing his limits, always looking at the brighter side of life.

Thank you to Harry Frémont and the Coty team.

*"Natureprint" is the Firmenich copyrighted name of headspace technology, a technique of collecting and then mimicing the living air around a plant in the lab, thus producing life-like-smelling essences.

pic of water fern via patrix/flickr (some rights reserved)

All American Stetson: Let the Games Begin!

You can't get more All American than the hunky quaterback Tom Brady of the New England Patriots or Stetson, the synonym almost for cowboy hat for over a century and the emblem of cinematic hero Indiana Jones! All American Stetson tries to combine both in one in a fragance bottle. Tall order!

"All American Stetson is a fresh, modern, new addition to the Stetson fragrance family. Best described as an aromatic woody fragrance, All American Stetson features notes of black suede (spokesman Tom Brady’s self-professed favorite), cedar leaf, ginger, musk, and fresh water ferns. Developed by master perfumer Harry Frémont of Firmenich, All American Stetson is for the fun-loving, athletic, adventurous and rugged "All American" guy". The fragrance is available now at mass retailers and retails for $14.50-$26.00.


To support the launch of All American Stetson, Tom Brady and Stetson have also collaborated to create Tom Brady's All American Stetson Challenge. It’s a fun, interactive online game that lets guys compete head-to-head with Tom in extreme sports, including Kayaking, Motorcross and Snowboarding. The top scorers can win a dream 3 day adventure trip packed with horseback riding, rafting and a Hummer 4x4 excursion, plus autographed Tom Brady memorabilia, and of course, All American Stetson! You can check out the game at allamericanstetson.com/.

Official press pics

From March....."August"~ an explosion of mouthwatering vitamins!

In Robert Graves's historical novel "I, Claudius", the ill and eldely emperor Caesar Augustus ~commonly referred to as Octavian~, suspicious of his conniving and megalomaniac wife Livia finally trying to make away with him for the benefit of her son's from another marriage succession to the throne (the emperor to follow, Tiberius), adjusts his diet into relying on the sole consumption of fruits cut straight from the tree. Those cannot be tampered with, he falsely reckons!

My thoughts revert to the Roman emperor as I contemplate a Greek proverb denoting the quick passage of time, one which involves the month to which he gave his name: "From August winter and from March summer". Although the former I can assure you is not climatically sound for this part of the world (winter doesn't really hint at its arrival till the middle of November!), the latter part is certainly true. As sping-like and summery thoughts have been crossing my mind these sunny days when the temperatures are often reaching 18-20 Celsius and bergamot and citrus fruits have occupied these pages, I remember a scent named August which I ironically discovered in the heart of winter.

August by Erik Kormann is a very refreshing, simple and uncomplicated summery splash to enjoy while staying in the sun under an umbrella, or when donning a big staw Panama on your head, traipsing along bazaars, in the search for the ultimate teakwood jewel-case with the just right marqueterie. It's so refeshing that it's like a drink that is succulent and full of vitamins! It's very fitting to call it August, but since the main notes are fruits that I usually consume throughout autumn, I think it's not bad for the colder season as well, to which it brought many moments of pleasure. I seem to get a HUGE note of mandarin/tangerine out of it initially, an orange rind that wraps everything in its bright halo. A slightly bitter note of petitgrain (the steam-distilled essence from the leaves and twigs of bitter orange tree, ie. citrus aurantium) provides a counterpoint of balance into the succession of greener floral notes (hedione) foiled in warm sandalwood and an abstract veil that radiates from the inside. I admit I don't get base notes per se: the oils last well, which means they're anchored with something which is not surfacing through by itself, nevetheless. The basic ingredients to do that are a light "clean" musk (Galaxolide) and a woody synthetic aromachemical (the ever popular Iso-E Super). And the lasting power is exceptional!

If my own bottle is any indication, you can see I have almost exhausted it... August is so deliriously happy and optimistic it would be excellent with matching body products to complete the vitamin-infused experience. I think Erik should definitely think about introducing them!

August is available in Eau de Parfum in transparent bottles with a Chinese ideogram on the front and the digit 8 (symbolising the 8th month in the year, which is indeed August).
Available at:
1001 Seife, Xenia Trost & Erik Kormann, Rosenthaler Straße 36 - In den Rosenhöfen, 10178 Berlin
Telefon: 0049. (0)30. 28095354
Fax: 0049. (0)30. 28095355

KOPFARBEIT, Haltenhoffstr. 28, 30167 Hannover, Germany. Telephone: 0049. 511. 18838

Bad und Balsam, Jägerstrasse 11, 14467 Potsdam , Germany. Telephone: 0049. 331. 2701064
More info in German here

One sample will be offered to a lucky winner!


Painting Mandarins with Waterfall by Natalie George. Pic of August bottle copyight ©Helg/Perfumeshrine.

New Frederic Malle scent by Dominique Ropion: Geranium pour Monsieur

"A new fragrance named Geranium Pour Homme has been created for niche brand Editions de Parfums Frédéric Malle by perfumer Dominique Ropion. It is expected to be available from Frederic Malle stockists, including Les Scenteurs, later on this year", according to today's Basenotes reportage by Danielle Cooper. Update 1: Later confirmation from Malle representatives corrects the name as Géranium pour Monsieur and sets the launch date in May.

Geranium is a rosy note distilled from the leaves of the plant and is traditionally used to render rose notes in masculine and unisex fragrances instead of more opulent rose essences traditionally considered more feminine. "An adventurer who abandons himself to instinct, Ropion is on a quest to create new, harmonious accords by pairing ingredients which are extreme opposites. His work is special because of the tension between precision and freedom." If indeed we take into consideration how Ropion usually works with his materials, we can expect a counterpoint of tense antithesis or the exagerration of the essence into its most baroque interpretation.

Update 2~"Now, after 18 months of "editing" with three-time contributor Dominique Ropion, Editions is poised to release an eighteenth scent, Géranium pour Monsieur. Though the perfume business is drenched in tradition, and there are plenty of flower petals where this one came from, make no mistake: this is a modern operation. Malle and Ropion used state of the art technologies to assemble an unlikely blend of raw Chinese geranium extract, mint absolute distilled at the molecular level, and cinnamon extracted with CO2.

"It's exactly like Photoshop," says Malle of his scientific manner of "amplifying" scents. A female friend of mine described Géranium pour Monsieur as smelling like a "cozy fireplace with fresh mint and licorice thrown in." Which is pretty close to the effect the two were going for. "It's super fresh, but it evolves to something warmer," says Malle, who will release Géranium in June then open his first stand-alone stateside boutique on Madison Avenue later this fall. [...] We came up with this idea by looking at toiletries from the 1920s. They all had mint in them, geranium, anise. When you think of mint you usually think of gum. These scents are associated to other things, but they're also truly pleasant. My son who desperately wants to be a playboy thought it was an asset, and he was wearing it the whole time we were designing it.[...]It's like a Darwinian chain. [The ingredients] all share things in common. Geranium and mint have things in common, mint and anise work together, anethol works with mint, and floralozone works with anethol. Then there's another facet—the cinnamon, clove, sandalwood, and incense—which creates warmth."

(via Interviewmagazine.com)

Notes for Géranium pour Monsieur by F.Malle include: mint, Chinese Geranium, Rhodinol, Anéthol, cinnamon, clove, white musks, floraozone, incense, and benzoin.

Might I remind you that Roaster by Cartier was one successful launch of the previous season.

Dominique Ropion began his training at the acclaimed Roure Bertrand Dupont laboratory, later going on to work with Jean-Louis Sieuzac (the creator of Opium among other gems). Some of his most famous creations include Amarige, Ysatis (both for Givenchy), Dior Pure Poison, and Calvin Klein Euphoria. Ropion had been outsourced for the Frédéric Malle brand for exceptional and striking creations such as the masterfully realistic tuberose Carnal Flower, the wet cobblestones of Vétiver Extraordinaire and the deliciously animalic, meowing floral Une Fleur de Cassie. Ropion currently holds one of the major creators' seats at International Flavors and Fragrances.



Pic via F.Malle