Back with news...

Tired but stimulated and with several suprises to share with you during the course of the following days. For the moment however I have to let you know that the derisive Miel de Bois by Serge Lutens, after rumours and speculation to its potential demise which we discussed on this venue, is formally taking the road into the Exclusives line, that is the bell jars at Les Salons du Palais Royal which can be purchased only in Paris. Fans of its phenylacetic acid derived honey/urine note with no access to those are therefore advised to stock up!
L'Artisan Pafumeur on the other hand is issuing a second 100% natural and Ecofert approved organic fragrance after Eau de Jatamansi. Céline Ellena created Côte d'Amour which debuts in May. This time the inspiration has been the Breton coastline with its nostalgic Breton-top evocations (so Chanel, huh?) and the seascape smell with the iodine ambience of the sea air. Notes include: salty, hesperidic and woody accord, mandarin, pink grapefruit, rosemary, immortelle/everlasting flower, cypress, broom, rose, heather, gorse flowers, maritime pine.

The next post will be really meaty and provide a little controversy. Stay tuned!

Let the real Vincent Cassel stand up!

Yves Saint Laurent parfums chose Vincent Cassel for their campaign for their latest masculine La Nuit de L'Homme (haven't tried it yet). The clip is short and to the point with the emphasis firmly on the attractiveness pulse of joli-laide Vincent (thanks to the scent, we're led to wishfully think).


music : remix of "Suite Espagnole,op 47,n° 5 : Asturias" by Isaac Albéniz *
director : Gaspar Noé
actors : Vincent Cassel, Eliza Cumming, Sarah Freitas
production : Paranoid Projects
location : Grand Palais, Paris, France

*You can hear the original Albeniz suite here. (I have been fortunate to have accompanied this on the piano alongside a famous guitarist and it's as beautiful and as fiery as you'd guess from the recordings).

Personally I much prefer Cassel (whom I consider one of the very best) in darker, more nuanced roles than the smirking, alluring, self-mocking almost play-boy character. His charisma is so palpable you can't take off your eyes off screen despite him not being the prettiest of men. Or is it because of it? In any case, since I am not the only one to find him a prime material for darker associations, I decided to ask you what you would choose to have him front and present two clips.
First here is a little video made by a fan I found on Youtube with the appropriate tagline "Sometimes villains can be so much more fascinating than heroes" (That's when a great actor has been chosen instead of those "wooden" mannequins with the crew cut they often use is my guess!). The chaacter of Jean-François de Morangias as enacted by Cassel comes from the movie Le Pacte des Loups/Brotherhood of the Wolf (2001) and the song "Behind Blue Eyes" (a cover of the original Who song by Limp Bizkit) aptly highlights the strange allure of Vincent's baby blues...



In the more profound, thought-provoking and very distrubing (yet compelling) film of director Gaspar Noé (again, what a change of pace!) Irreversible, he is the tangibly real, tormented hero of acts that cannot be undone. The film unreals in reverse chronological order, acting as a study on the destructive nature of cause and effect, and how time does not allow things to go back. Highly recommended viewing, the same way Un Chien Andalou is, that is it definitely throws you out of your comfort zone (it's one of the most walked-out films in the history of the Cannes Film Festival) or might even traumatise you for life. The clip only gives a glimpse of what happens (so you're safe! do take a peek)



I realize cinematic art and commercials cannot be compared, but I will continue to lobby for the merging of the two...

La Pacte des Loups clip by pommekitty, Irreversible trailer clip by onomkeerbaar on Youtube.

Fifi Awards Voting begins!

Last year, The Fragrance Foundation sponsored the creation of three social networking pages, in MySpace, Facebook, and Iqons. The profiles became the main source for consumer voting, and home to exclusive FiFi Awards content. Online fragrance voters helped catapult fragrances like Marc Jacob's Daisy and Prada's Infusion d'Iris to top honors. Their response also led to the creation of the first FiFi Award for bloggers. This year, your favorite fragrances are relying on you even more. Online voting will begin at 12:01am, Monday, April 27th and closes at midnight on May 15th.
The 2009 Hall of Fame Award has already been announced here, with this year's honors bestowed on designer Marc Jacobs.
Check out the links:
Facebook FiFi-Awards,Iqons FiFi Awards,Myspace Fifi awards,FifiAwards.org

Home-Made in NYC Scents

An interesting article in the New York Times came to my attention focusing on the work of artisanal perfumers Dsanddurga. David Moltz and Kavita Ahuja collaborate and tell us how they begun their small-scale venture:

He distills some of his own oils, and he experiments and mixes his creations in his apartment in Manhattan with his partner, Kavita Ahuja. Everything is bottled and packaged by hand.“We thrive on the collective spirit of our friends in New York City who put their heart and soul into their own arts and crafts — jewelry designers, painters, screen printers, architects, clothiers,” Mr. Moltz said. “A good deal of our close friends make something with their own hands. We share information and wear each others’ creations, etc.”

Read the rest of the article following this link.

Thanks to Diavalano/mua.

Merci pour tout! New Boutique Merci in Paris

A new store with a unique concept has opened in Paris, set by Bernard et Marie-France Cohen ~Camille Goutal's aunt (Annick's sister)~ called MERCI. Some Goutal perfumes and scented candles will be sold there, as divulged to me by the good people at Annick Goutal. The concept of Merci is born out of a basic ethical principle, becoming a revolutionary idea within parisian stores, and it has been dreamed of for three years now. Orchestrated by Marie-France Cohen (the creator of the famous kid's brand Bonpoint), the new space of 1500 m2 at the Boulevard Beaumarche proposes a mix of fashion, homeware, books, cosmetics, hardware, haberdashery, vintage articles and even a restaurant. The list goes on...
And all with a good cause, as attested by the name which means of course "thank you": An aid foundation for child protecting organisations, beginning with those focused on Madagascar, one of the poorest countries on earth. Because our life isn't worth but in the desire to give, Merci was born out of that noble idea to become much more than a "concept store". With the enegy and enthusiasm of young and old alike it promises to become a ray of optimism in an ill-ravaged world.

The chances to enjoy Merci and contribute to a good cause are many: There's a café- library of hand-me down books with home-baked bread and marmelades and even a little snack for noon. A flower section offering ideas on how to "dress" your balcony, you garden or your house. The section PAP (Luxe and Creators) for women, men, children and accessoies, which will encompass brands that are doing away with some of their profit margin thus offering their products at -30/40% discounts.
Among them YSL, Stella Mc Cartney, Azzaro, Barbara Bui, Isabel Marant, Forte Forte, Swildens, GAS by Marie, Paul & Joe, Jérôme Dreyfuss , Goyard, Marie-Hélène de Taillac, Noguchi, Aurélie Biderman, Stone, Bonpoint, Bonton, Zef, Oona l’Ourse and their own name brand Merci Merci. Also there will be a section for house decor and textiles at comparable level of quality and price.

And what interests perfume lovers especially: A small Goutal "laboratory" orchestrated by Isabelle Doyen (with fragant juice based on natural essences) sold in simple flacons at -40% discount off their regular prices, thus making away with their own profits.
The address is Merci, 111 Boulevard Beaumarchais 75011, Paris and if you're in Paris it is recommended to check it out!

The design was created by Be-Pôles graphic studio, 6 rue Beaubourg, 75004 Paris — France.