Guerlain Tonka Imperiale: fragrance review & draw

"From his brown and golden fur
Comes such sweet fragrance that one night
I was perfumed with it because
I caressed him once, once only".

Thus writes Charles Baudelaire in his poem Le Chat (The Cat) defining the tamer interpretation of le parfum fourrure ("fur coat perfume"; for more info on this concept please refer to this article and this one). That feeling could equally well apply to the newest Guerlain exclusive, Tonka Impériale (Imperial Tonka). That is, if you rolled your cat onto caramel and roasted almond powder, assuming via some paradox of nature this feline was sympathetic to humans' desserts and borderline torturous treatment! Tonka Impériale is such a strange and compeling dessert following the manner of la grande patiserrie chez Guerlain, but also underscoring the composition with alternating sweetness & bitterness, luscious deep backgrounds and the multi-faceted nuances of one of the most prized materials of classic Guerlains, tonka bean.

Tonka, with its rich coumarin load, takes pride of place in the notorious Guerlinade, the common "thread" which characterises some of the classic scents of the house, so an étude on this material within a line which focuses on new spins on standardised materials (L’Art et la Matière within Guerlain's boutique scents portfolio) was a natural. Rather in reverse to what Liszt did to Paganini's motifs however, Thierry Wasser, the in-house perfumer at Guerlain who also composed Tonka Impériale assisted by art director Sylvaine Delacourte, subtracts elements from the classical Guerlains to render a purer, more direct and insistent message, like abstract art interpreting an idea of the Baroque Masters. The fragrance doesn't waver or develop, but manages to appear modern while retaining the luxurious and saturated quality of the old creations. A solinote on this material was sorely lacking for a house who has made it the sine qua non of their olfactory tradition and this new offering is salivatingly tempting, even for non gourmand-following folks!

Tonka bean (coming from the South American tree dipteryx odorata) is an exceptional and costly material that presents fascinating facets of culinary delights; from aniseed and licorice notes as well as macaroons, salty toffees and blond tobacco all the way to hay and toasted bread. The comforting factor these facets naturally exude is here coupled to an overdose of rosemary (according to Olfactorum and Esprit de Parfum). The pairing is logical: the almost salty, andorgynous end of tonka is close to culinary herbs. But the comfort factor should in no way evoke an Earth Mother type! In a way this is a modern play on the unisex idea of Jicky: the fougère nuance of lavender (here replaced by rosemary) played on the more langoruous scale of a semi-oriental thanks to the vanillic base (here the more honeyed, caramel and woody tonalities are accentuated). But it will also remind to some the honeyed veil (mimosa, orange flower, heliotropin) of L'Heure Bleue and its bittersweet harmony. Like every great groumand oriental that respects itself, it is also a little bit "poisonous" thanks to the coumarin.

The effect materialising in Tonka Impériale is an amazingly restrained and balanced oriental gourmand (much more in check, less boozy than Spiritueuse Double Vanille; equally delicious and wearable to Cuir Beluga) that I voted for with my Visa, as you can see from my photographs. Wearing it on winter sweaters and scarfs (where it clings for days radiating seductively) is akin to getting caressed by a honey mink étole while smelling fine cigars in a salon de thé serving the most delicious almond pralines on panacotta. Those who would be intellectually intrigued to see Guerlain spin a David Hockney and who keep their lava lamp close by will be left critisizing Guerlain for bourgeoiserie. Those who appreciate keeping the heritage alive will embrace Tonka Impériale with enthusiasm.

Notes for Guerlain Tonka Impériale: rose, orange blossom, rosemary, honey, gingerbread, almond, tonka bean, hay, tobacco, amber, vanilla
Tonka Impériale is available exclusively at Guerlain boutiques & spaces at 168 euros/230$ for 75ml of Eau de Parfum, from February 1st.

For our readers, to give them a chance to try this fabulous new fragrance, a big sample will be handed out to one lucky winner. Draw is now closed, thanks for participating!

All photographs by Elena Vosnaki/Perfumeshrine. Click to enlarge.

The winner of the draw...

...for the La Via del Profumo fragrance is Aroseisarose. Please email me using the contact on the Profile page with your particulars so I have this in the mail for you soon.
Thanks to everyone for the enthusiastic participation and till the next one!

New Look & Open Poll

Exactly 63 years ago today, Christian Dior's New Look was introduced on February 12, 1947. The two lines of designs Dior had presented were code-named "Corolla" and "Eight" (including the new "Bar suit" silhouette) but the "New Look" catch-phrase which immortalised this particular silhouette came after Harper's Bazaar 's editor-in-chief Carmel Snow exclaimed after seeing the collection: "It's such a New Look!"


The New Look relied on a signature shape of below-mid-calf length, full-skirt, large bust (unheard of at least since 1912), and small waist. With it came a reprised feminity that had been romanticized anew after the vagaries of the war which had made women more dynamic-looking. And of course the perfumes followed, with the secretly naughty Miss Dior, the fruity chypre Diorama and the radiant Diorissimo in the designer's name, all through others which came in the 1950s and early 1960s by Balmain, Balenciaga, Lentheric, Carven et al, defining an era of petticoat crinolines underneath stiff taffeta whish-whashing their way down the Technicolour avenues of the everyday life. Metaphorically, as well as literally, the style demanded a certain demeanour from its wearer who had to exude some restraint and heaps of natural elegance.

So on to you: Which perfumes do you consider New-Look-compliant and which do you love out of this group?

Photo of Renee sporting the New Look by Dior at Place de la Concorde, Paris 1947, by Richard Avedon. Photo of New Look design via buctopia blog.

Alexander McQueen: 1969-2010

WhokilledBambie had mentioned something like: "Death and taxes are certain, but death isn't an annual event". The news is sad indeed this year, as Alexander McQueen, one of the pre-eminent avant-garde fashion designers of the 90s and 00s just died... following his muse Isabella Blow to the grave.
"British fashion designer Alexander McQueen has been found dead after taking his own life. The 40-year-old committed suicide just three years after his close friend, Isabella Blow - who plucked him from obscurity and helped him become a star - killed herself. A source at McQueen’s office this afternoon confirmed his death, saying: ‘It is a tragic loss. We are not making a comment at this time out of respect for the McQueen family.’"

Read the rest on this article and more perspectives on this one.

Let's proclaim this a Kingdom day in his honour!

Photo of Alexander Mcqueen and Isabella Blow by David Lachappelle via pdngallery.com

Prada Infusion de Tubereuse & Infusion de Vetiver: new fragrances

It was only last year that Prada decided to augment her uber-successful Infusion d'Iris brand with a seasonal Infusion Éphémère Collection (Ephemeral Infusion Collection), launching the soapy clean Infusion de Fleur d'Oranger in a fancy designed packaging that married art-deco motifs with the signature Prada pistachio green of the original "infusion". The limited edition suite was originally scheduled to offer fragrances meant to stick around as long as the summer fruits on the trees. After a few months the scents would be pulled off the shelves... This year Prada continues with the plan, offering two limited editions: Infusion de Tubéreuse for women and Infusion de Vetiver for men, again packaged in mosaic wrappers that will have deco-maniacs discussing their respective merits. The more geometrical masculine relies on hexagons of nuanced sombre colours, while the feminine one was based on an old print in the Prada textile archives, where the petals of the flower seem immersed in ink and pressed in a dégradé manner on the carton. I especially like a small details: the caps are "dressed" in the same material so as to co-ordinate!

Initial previews want the tuberose version to be really soft, with a piquant opening and a beautiful progression which doesn't remind one too much of Infusion d'Iris, in the manner that Infusion de Fleurs d'Oranger did (one of the moot points as per many consumers). We will update with reviews of the vetiver one as available.

Prada Infusion de Tubéreuse for women is a blend of notes of Indian tuberose, petitgrain bigararde, Italian blood orange and dynamone. Prada Infusion de Vetiver for men is featuring notes of tarragon, vetiver, Madagascan pepper and purple ginger.
Both Prada scents will be vailable April 1st 2010 onwards. They will retail at €67 for 50mls for the female scent and at €53 for 50ml for the masculine version, at major department stores.

Related reading on Perfume Shrine: Prada news & reviews, Upcoming releases

Pic via beaut.ie & sincere thanks to my lovely source ;)