Balenciaga La Fuite des Heures (Fleeting Moment): fragrance review

There is no question that Germaine Cellier was a formidable woman and an innovative perfumer mapping history with her Balmain and Piguet creations. Hers is nevertheless the lesser known, but none the less majestic, La Fuite des Heures (pronounced la-fou-EET dez-erh and translating as Fleeting Moment) for Balenciaga in 1949; a Provençal herbs and jasmine formula of great radiance and tenacity.
There is an interesting snippet of fashion and perfume history pertaining to this Balenciaga fragrance, which was the second to be issued by the house: Initially composed by Cellier at Roure for the French market, it was modeled after the aldehydics established at the time (and hence in chasm with her bombastic creations for Piguet such as Fracas and Bandit).

Why is that? No.5 by Chanel was the prototype of the genre (and still is) due to its commercial success, especially after WWII when soldiers returning from the European battle-fronts had popularised it in the conscience of American bourgeoisie as the pinacle of French chic and the porthole of aspirational status. Let's not forget that even historic French houses, such as Guerlain, had followed the paradigm with their own creations, namely Liù (although the latter's history is a little more gossipy that that!). Balenciaga had already issued a fragrance, Le Dix (10), his first foray into scent, named after the address of his couture studio at 10 Avenue George V. Not unexpectedly, that one also happened to be a floral aldehydic! Another version of La Fuite des Heures, specifically aimed at the American market, was issued in the beginning of the 1960s, the Camelot days of the USA when "Parisian" didn't seem as far fetched as before. And as they say the rest is history...

The fragrance was available as an Eau de Cologne in tall cylindrical ribbed bottles with simple pastic caps and black labels with white simple lettering. My own extrait de parfum of Balenciaga's La Fuite des Heures in its shagreen container, (probably from the 60s) is well aged, thick and dark as its blobs ooze from the crystal stoppered flacon. Yet the suave jasmine and ylang-ylang glory with sweet accents of light amber in the base is still there.
The piquant herbs (anise? thyme?) and greens notes (vetiver?) along with an aldehydic vibrance (a little soapy & orris powdery the way Chanel No.5 is soapy & powdery) have mellowed significantly; they give way to the more tenacious woody and above all musky elements, a reality all too often met with when dealing with vintage perfumes. The drydown is fused with some of the most glorious musks this side of pre-banning of several valuable ingredients.
Despite its approximation to vintage forms of No.5 (such as the magnificent Eau de Cologne version), La Fuite des Heures stands alone sufficiently well and even presents itself as a most wearable specimen of an elegant creation of yore. Like a couture gown by the great Spanish master himself, lose the hat, the gloves and the pose and you might wear the lace ruffled dress with your modern stilettos soled in red and an air of bon chic bon genre socialite.

Related reading on Perfumeshrine: Balenciaga news & reviews, Vintage scents reviews

Balenciaga couture lace dress via fashionmodel.mtx5.com. Balenciaga La Fuite des Heures bottle pic by Elena Vosnaki

Christmas '09 Gift Ideas: Sample your Way into Oblivion!

In the pursuit of finding the perfect gift Sephora had the perfect idea: Why not cater your loved ones to the Deluxe Fragrance Sampler? It 12 fragrance samples (one masculine and one feminine set each), an atomizer, a fragrance guide, and a gift certificate. The recipient can redeem the certificate for a full bottle of whichever fragrance caught her or his fancy. talk about solving the dilemma of finding what one would like! (Full responsibility is on their shoulders!). Successfully introduced last year, this year's Sephora Deluxe Fragrance Sampler is available for 50$ (free shipping for the following fragrances:

The women's set includes:

- Aquolina Pink Sugar
- Donna Karan Cashmere Mist
- Juicy Couture Viva La Juicy
- Prada Infusion D'Iris
- Dior Addict 2
- Emilio Pucci Vivara Variazioni Acqua 330
- Kenzo Flower byKenzo
- Stella McCartney Stella Nude
- Dolce & Gabbana Light Blue
- Harajuku Lovers G
- Michael Kors Very Hollywood
- Versace Bright Crystal


The men's set includes:

- 1.0 oz Anthony Logistics For Men Shave Cream
- Giorgio Armani Acqua Di Gio Pour Homme
- Diesel Fuel For Life Men
- Juicy Couture Dirty English
- Ralph Lauren Polo Blue
- Dolce & Gabbana Light Blue Pour Homme
- Givenchy Play
- Lacoste Challenge
- Versace Man Eau Fraiche
- Jean Paul Gaultier Le Male
- Giorgio Armani Code Men
- Prada Amber Pour Homme
- L'Homme Yves Saint Laurent

Available at Sephora stores and online at sephora.com

Christmas '09 Gifts Ideas: Chanel Les Grands Extraits

Chanel in a gesture of "ginormous size equates luxury" thinking (a practice not unheard of and certainly one which was in effect for loyal customers of the house in the past decades) is issuing three of their fragrances into really big flacons of extrait de parfum (i.e. pure parfum). The biggest one standing 8.4inches of proud height is the equivalent of four cups of pure parfum, enough to last you a lifetime! Although last year the giga bottles of Chanel No.5 were only ones available exclusively through Saks Fifth Avenue, this year the availability is eshewing the ticket cost to catching a flight to New York City in favour of the ease of online buying. The scents have upgraded to a diverse trio too!

No.5, Coco Mademoiselle and Gardenia (suprisingly enough...) now come in the following sizes (you can see the comparison between smallest and biggest size in the picture on the left):

225ml for 1,700$US
450ml for 2,350$US
900ml for 3,200$US

All three big extraits are available for very limited quantities via USA Chanel.com . Through December 16th, there is complimentary free shipping and elegant gift wrapping, for US residents.

There is emphasis on the patrimoine factor (the project is presented as the Magnum Opus of Chanel Perfumery) as well as the labour-intensive baudruchage technique used on the bottles (more on this on this article), but absolutely no word on the lowering of the famous Jasmine from Grasse percentage in the formula as necessitated by the most recent & upcoming IFRA ingredients restrictions. Hmm...

Prada L'Eau Ambree: fragrance review

L'Eau Ambrée, maestra Miuccia’s latest fragrance, talks with the whispers of a ghost; an ectoplasmic take on the dry woody, patchouli and ~most imporantly~ ambery core of the original Prada fragrance mingled with the saline note of Eau de Merveilles that reproduced the scent of ambergris rather than sweet resinous amber (For more on the differences between amber and ambergris read this article). Ghost-like in its evanescence, gossamer-light, leaving behind but the memory of someone living in a grey-hued photograph that captures its ether.

This new gouache of an oriental is possibly the most skin-scent-like Prada ever issued, even more so than Infusion d'iris. One could even consider it an embryo of the idea of an "oriental" for the next decade and beyond: Will it induce hallucinations of orientalia beneath the gauzy veil to the modern day sylphids who worship at the altar of austere Prada? It remains to be seen. I see it as a step in that direction and the beginning of a new trend in perfumery.
Lovers of diaphanous ambergris creations and those able to smell Isabelle Doyen's L'Antimatière by Les Nez might find something to take them through every eventuality: The fragrance enters the scene in a light-through-the-tunnel vista, all hazy linings, via its refreshing top (which isn't quite as citrusy as purported nor is it rosy, but it's certainly cypress-like and with a micro-facet of white flowers tucked in someplace inside). And then it takes on a little tone of sweet, slightly salty sweat musk, not a tetrapod's raunchy howl, but the smell of seashore in spring and the bodies that lie down on its fluffy texture (cozy musks with no big sweetness have this effect). Yet the refinement of the drydown is so delicate that it could find its way along with your Prada frames and eponymous canvas tote to the office. And surprisingly for such a light scent it lasts too with a lingering trail, which as March put it: "It dries down and fades away but has a habit of popping up again and again, all day long".
According to Prada, 'L’Eau Ambrée is a perfume that ‘imposes itself discreetly with the perfect balance of classic influences and of modernity that is characteristic of Prada fragrances. This eau ‘twines complexity, freshness and harmony’ around a sleek, contemporary amber'.

L'Eau Ambrée, the latest in the Prada amber-based perfumes (amber is in the original Prada, as well as in Prada pour homme) was developed by perfumer Daniela Andrier and was launched this past September, with the expectation to be a permanent mainstay in the line unlike the ephemeron Infusion de Fleurs d'oranger.
Prada’s original bottle has taken a dark mantle here, adorned with a golden plaque instead of the silver of the original.

Prada L'Eau Ambrée is available through major department stores in Eau de Parfum 1oz/30ml, 1.7oz/50ml and 2.7oz/100ml.; Eau de parfum Deluxe refillable atomizer (with spray bulb) 2.7 oz/100ml and 2.7-oz./100ml refill; Body Lotion 6.8 oz./200ml; Bath & Shower Gel 6.8 oz./200ml; Body Cream 6.8 oz./200ml; Powder with powder puff 3.5 oz/100ml.

Notes for Prada L’Eau Ambrée:
Top: Citron, citrus, mandarin from Italy
Heart: Rose, gardenia jasminoides, patchouli
Base: Amber, vanilla, oppoponax

The advertisments are lovingly retro in an almost frieze-reprising way: a cheeky manner of eschewing the sexy-mania of other houses, a deliberate abhoring of seduction that comes from the mind of a true Marxist designer not interested in the man-hunting games of the western tradition, Miuccia Prada.





Michigan Central Station ghost, photo by Nicole Rork via michpics.wordpress.com
Acropolis Parthenon Hydrophoroi scene from the East frieze. Clips originally uploaded by gottalovebirds and stylistaonline on youtube

The fragrance of Ma-I: scent exhibition in Singapore

A scented exhibition is taking place at the Singapore Art Museum where the fragrance bar installated showcases fragrances with names like Squalor, Opulence and Pahinga (the last one evokes coconut massage oil memories of the creator's childhood.

"Filipino artist Christina Goldie Poblador has created the smells of a city: Think whiffs of gasoline or rotten eggs, which is supposed to remind people of government. There are more pleasant fragrances too, which are associated with friendship and family. Her fascinating mixed-media installation work, comprising 30 perfumes in handmade glass bottles, is titled Ang Halimuyak Ng Ma-I or The Fragrance Of Ma-I, the pre-colonial name of the Philippines.
The “fragrances” were created as part of her studio art graduation project at the University of Philippines in March. It created so much interest that it has travelled to three locations in Manila and made it to a prestigious Filipino art showcase here".

Read the rest of the article on this strange but interesting exhibition on The Malaysian Insider

Related reading on Perfumeshrine: Scented Memoirs.

Pic via travel-images.com