1 Million by Paco Rabanne in gold bullion, new Guerlain Bois Torride and new L'Artisan Havana Vanilla

According to statistics, the N°1 in masculine fragrance sales of 2008 was 1 Million by Paco Rabanne; a fragrance that was against the trend of freshness and minimalism, which proved just the thing sales-wise to differentiate itself with its flamboyant appeal of gold-lined packaging and its sassy advertising directed by Paul Gore at the accompaniment of "Do it Again" by the Chemical Brothers. To celebrate this success the groups Puig, licensors of the Paco Rabanne fragrances are launching a new Gold Collector edition next September.
One Million Gold Collector, in a flacon of 100 ml covered in metal and lacquered gold glass, will sell for 68,50 euros in select department stores.

Other exciting news of a more niche nature follow: Patty on Perfume Posse, who is currently happily spending quality time at the London Sniffa, just announced the news of a new L'artisan fragrance, called Havana Vanilla. To me this sounds like the aromatized Havana Honeys cigars, which come in flavours of vanilla or rum or cherry and my excitement is high: imagine a vanilla laced with tobacco in the L'Artisan airy lingo ~should be perfection. The scent wasn't ready for launch yet and there was only some tentative testing from an advance bottle, but the impressions sound very interesting (and I am a L'Artisan fan myself, so this got my antennae up), therefore pop over to Perfume Posse and read the piece.

Oh and there is a release by Guerlain possibly named Bois Torride? Savvy Thinker has the scoop!

The winner of the draw...

...for the Scent Systems sample kit is Jarvis!
Thanks for your enthusiastic participation everyone, and might I remind you you have till Friday midnight for submitting entries for the Lutens draw below. (Hope to post the winner of that next Monday).

Les Nez in Paris

LesNez, an independent niche line based in Switzerland whose scents we have lovingly reviewed and talked about on this link, has finally arrived in Paris. "We are very grateful to Madame Cros, who has agreed to carry the perfumes together with her fabulous collection of antique bedlinen".


Les Beaux Draps de Jeannine Cros, Paris
11, rue d'Assas 75006 Paris
Tue. - Sat.11.00 AM - 13.30 PM14.30 PM - 19.00 PM
Closed on Monday ~Vacation 2009: August

Angelina Jolie and David Beckham for the upcoming Armani fragrance ads

"Oscar winner Ange [Angelina Jolie], 34, is set to front a new fragrance for the Italian fashion house [Giorgio Armani] which already has football ace Becks, 34, starr-ing in its ads".
David Beckham and Angelina Jolie are to get up close and personal for the “sex­iest advert ever” according to The Daily Star.
The "multi-million pound" Armani campaign will begin as soon as technicalities such as the spouses' of the respective beautiful duo approval is given and collaborators are firmly set. The thinking behind the new advertsiements isn't hard to see, as the two stars, one the best-paid Hollywood actress and the other the best-known footballer, will "send sales soaring".
Armani reportedly came to an agreement with Angelina two weeks ago, but that was after a courtship spanning three years in which he was vying for her services.

It seems that the upcoming advertising is intended for Idole, the latest Giorgio Armani fragrance for women which we had reported on last May in this article. If so, it does seem to distract from his stated aim to "celebrate the women who have influenced his life, both professionally and personally". Has Angelina been such a great influence so far? Who knows...it's supposed to be eye candy anyway!

Edit to add: Albert, one of my readers and contributors, tells me that it can't be Idole, as they have already signed Kasia Smutniak for it, and another reader, CedriceCcentric suggests they could pose as a duo for best-selling Armani Code for men and for women. Sounds quite plausible to me!

pic collage of Angelina Jolie and David Beckham created by PerfumeShrine

Will the upcoming Frederic Malle scent be a magnolia?

"Frederic Malle is the epitome of French elegance in a beige double-breasted gaberdine suit, crisp white shirt, polished brown shoes and wave of salt-and-pepper hair as he steps into Grandiflora, one of Sydney's finest florists".

This is how Frédéric Malle is introduced in an article on The Australian, on which he explains the concept of the smell booths that are installed in his boutiques (please see our Paris shopping Memoirs part 2 for more information). The story originally appeared in the July 2009 issue of Wish magazine. (a free insert inside metro editions of The Australian on the first Friday of each month).
In the photograph the caption reads: "Malle is developing a scent based on the magnolia-grandiflora". Therefore, after the unusual treatment that violet had in the hands of Maurice Roucel in Dans Tes Bras, another new Malle fragrance, after this season's Géranium pour Monsieur, is set to see the light of day, this time focused around this delightful blossom with citrusy and white floral facets. It remains to be seen which perfumer is undertaking this task (we will update when more info becomes available) and although Maurice Roucel has been credited with fragrances which feature magnolia notes (L'Instant comes to mind), let me point out that according to Luca Turin, who first mentioned this factoid in "Perfumes The Guide", it is magnolia leaf note and not magnolia blossom which is his "signature note". Bourdon is retired, Ropion had been all too recently working on the last one, Ellena has an exclusive contract he can't break, so this leaves us with interesting and unusual choices. Shall we propose a working title of "Magnolia pour Mademoiselle"?

Related reading on Perfume Shrine: Frederic Malle scents and news

Pic via The Australian.