Guerlain Aqua Allegoria Bouquet No.1: fragrance review & giveaway

What do you get when you cross-polinate a popular feminine theme from the early 90s with the desire to break away from the simplistic fruitiness of the latest Aqua Allegoria fragrances? You get Guerlain's Bouquet Numéro 1!

Guerlain Aqua Allegoria Bouquet Numéro 1 was created by Thierry Wasser comprising notes of bergamot, freshly cut green grass, white flowers, delicate fruity notes, peach and jasmine. The fragrance arrives in a newly designed flacon with golden honeycomb, a bulby stopper with seperate cap (former Aqua Allegoria scents had no cap on the incoroporated bulbous sprayer) and a golden label, packed in an outer carton decorated with a pink bee, as you can see from the photographs I took of Bouquet No.1. [click to enlarge]. It really does look luxurious and pretty, doesn't it? Even though I personally preferred the more impressionistic outer cartons of yore.

According to the official blurb pains were taken to link it to the linage of the company: The name itself reflects Guerlain’s fragrance heritage, as it references the compositions of Pierre-François-Pascal Guerlain, founder of Guerlain, and his heir Jacques, namely: Bouquet du Roi d’Angleterre, Bouquet du Jardin du Roi, Bouquet de l’Impératrice, Bouquet Napoléon, Bouquet Duchesse, Bouquet de Paris and Bouquet de Faune. Personally I am not so sure the interweaving of quite so much history in what is definitely a modern juice is really helping either group of potential buyers: hard-core traditionalists or hip modernists. It seems poised in between, with a nod to the 90s (read further on) but not much beyond that to justify historical references that far back. It must be terribly difficult to reconcile the two, we've said it before.


Guerlain's Bouquet Numéro 1 reminds me of both a less sugary or dense 90s Trésor and of Estée Lauder's Pure White Linen Pink Coral from last spring minus the powdery aldehydes. Add the intense peachiness of MDCI Pêche Cardinal and you're almost there! (The same aromachemical as the latter ~which I hypothesized is Decanoic acid 5-hydroxy-lactone~ is used in this composition for the peach note). The introduction on a sharpish note of citrus plus green is meant to be refreshing. Almost immediately, the core chord of peach plus rose is palpable; that velvety, tender, very feminine lactonic vibe which was so obiquitous in the early 1990s through the bombastic popularity of ~mostly synthetic anyway~ Trésor and the products that followed in its zaftig steps. Today, when that theme has been exhausted in commercialised deodorants, body creams, even fabric softeners, it seems a little passé. Enter the bolstering of the peachiness in Bouquet Numéro 1 to render a contemporary fruity note plus ever popular white flowers deprived of their more conniving Gloria Swanson proclivities or animalistic meowing in heat.


They mention that "Guerlain in-house Perfumer Thierry Wasser has chosen to lighten the generous accents of jasmine and rose in the heart of the fragrance. Jasmine offers its light petals, and their lingering scent. Mirroring this emblematic ingredient, rose blend magnifies the heart. At the very core of the fragrance, rose epitomizes femininity. Guerlain uses the rarest essential oils of 'May rose' with a hint of honey for sensuality and 'Damask rose' for fresher and more spicy smell. These two emblematic ingredients optimize the signature of Guerlain's Bouquet n°1." Even though jasmine is touted as a core ingredient, there are no decaying indoles, or nighttime lushness; what I perceive is more of an abstract orange blossom plus a wink of honeyed lilac pollen which gives a little of an effet lessivière, polished though, while the rose, yes, it's discernible all right. The bouquet is therefore a fantasy one, much like the gardenia in the lovely Cruel Gardénia is a the idea of a flower on the drawing board seen through a camera lucida: what you see is assuredly not what you smell. Not that it matters of course! This concept of transparency and abstraction has been utilised also in their other Aqua Allegoria launch this spring, the more mainstream Flora Sudséa Nymphéa. It leaves me wondering how a perfumer of the Transparency School, like Bertrand Duchaufour or Jean Claude Ellena, would go about this kind of concept, yet I fully understand that Guerlain cannot deviate from the curvaceous path they have paved on for centuries.

The scent remains through its base notes a trail of sweet juicy peach and white musks, clean throughout. A gentle fragrance cloud rounded up at last with a delicate hint of almond aroma. The formula is more tenacious on clothes than on my skin where it retains the squeaky clean floralcy better and longer and I can report it doesn't stain. Certainly not "me" in any "cushions of white flowers thrown in a mad sexy war between lovers", but I'm at least happy it signals a deviation from the route of the last few (catastrophic in my humble opinion) Aqua Allegorias.

Aqua Allegoria Bouquet Numéro 1 is Guerlain's first global travel retail exclusive fragrance and available in 75ml of Eau de Toilette.

A sample of Guerlain Bouquet No.1 will be handed out to a lucky reader, randomly picked from the comments. Draw is now closed, thanks!

The bottle was purchased by me. All Guerlain photos taken & copyrighted by Elena Vosnaki.

Guerlain Cologne du Parfumeur: new fragrance

News for Guerlain lovers and haters alike: A new Eau de Cologne in the classic mould but with a modern twist is being introduced in May 2010. Osmoz reports that "Guerlain and Cologne go way back. Each of the house’s perfumers has invented his own. Following in the footsteps of L’Eau de Cologne du Coq (1894), L’Eau de Cologne Imperiale (1853) and L’Eau de Fleurs de Cedrat (1920), in 2010, Thierry Wasser presents ‘La Cologne du Parfumeur’ [sic] a creation that Thierry admits having originally thought of for himself. The key note is a lovely Calabrian orange blossom intertwined with other citrus fruit. Yet this fairly classic cologne also has a ‘modern twist’ thanks to green, musky and sweet facets. The designer also acknowledges that it can be worn alone or layered with your usual scent. For the occasion, Guerlain’s various Colognes have all been graced with a new label on which you’ll find their date of creation and the name of the perfumer who designed them. Look out for La Cologne du Parfumeur from May 2010" .

Perfumer Thierry Wasser is reported to be a great lover of "green" (in olfactory terms) and to have been selfishly enjoying this new cologne which he composed simultaneously with Idylle in his downtime. The really interesting part is that the launch of the new cologne coincides with a revival of a very old tradition dating back from the conception of the Eau de Cologne (Read more on the history and composition of Eau de Cologne on this article). When Eaux de Cologne were considered a panacea for all ailments, people had been known to actually drink them by the gallon! Naturally in those days the alcohol was indeed drinkable, not perfumer's alcohol like today. But this old ritual possibly inspired Guerlain to introduce the new cologne with an accompanying cocktail drink that will be served to all customers at the boutique 68, Champs Elysees and which will include similar aromata as the fragrance itself, namely notes of lemon water, orange blossom, orange juice, lavender syrup, mint and rosemary! Sounds rather good.

Another interesting aspect is that the bottles of all the Guerlain Eaux de Cologne are revamped for the occasion: Each Eau flacon from now on will bear the name of its "author": Pierre-François-Pascal Guerlain, Aimé Guerlain, Jacques Guerlain and Jean-Paul Guerlain (for the lovely Eau de Guerlain from 1974). To that illustrious line-up Thierry Wasser is now adding his name too, F.Malle-style. A propos, please note that the recent Cologne du 68 (2006) by Sophia Labbe isn't included in this "classics" line-up, probably because despite the name it aims at providing a different, less traditional concept. Hence its exclusion.

A turn such as this regarding the positioning of the Cologne du Parfumeur leaves us musing about both Guerlain's and LVMH's (who own them) motivation into tapping into such a revered legacy, as well as Thierry Wasser's uphill battle to position himself firmly at the helm of the historic house as head perfumer. In my opinion, this move both attests the desire to make this position plainly obvious on behalf of the management and the motivation to let Thierry create fragrances that may appeal to both the classics clientele and the younger/more modern crowd who prefer a lighter scent. Clearly the well-familiar Eau de Cologne recipe is a prime target for reconciling both: who really hates it, I ask you?

The practice of hereby chronicling the heritage of the house by naming each successive perfumer on the eaux bottles themselves also indicates that the more cynical amidst the perfumeland ~who have been bemoaning the LVMH takeover as the cultural ruin of Guerlain for long~ are being heard. Possibly (but not conclusively) this is also a move to assuage the negativity of the Guerlain detractors being vocal on the Net. Whatever it is, it is a move that is bound to be discussed and dissected. We did our part and will return in due time.

Edit to add: Full review on this link.

pic via osmoz

Prada Infusion de Tubereuse: fragrance review

The newest Prada fragrance Infusion de Tubéreuse (announced here alongside the masculine Infusion de Vétiver), the latest in the Ephemeral Infusion collection, seems like a triumph of looks over essence: literally!

The gorgeous packaging is 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. In short, it looks supremely lovely in a 70s Five Easy Pieces way: you suddenly become enamored with cross-eyedness! A new Infusion by Prada would be just as well be launching as "Infusion of a Longing", as the Prada line has so many fans. Obviously someone at the marketing and designing team has a pretty good idea of what they're doing. But, alas, those hunting for a true tuberose scent, that strange mystical mistress of the night with its intense mix of blood, rubber (methyl salylilate) and even meat aromata, will be more than a little crestfallen by this dematerialisation.

In drawing terms it is the opposite of Albercth Dürer's Underweysung der Messung (Instruction in Measurement), showing an artist viewing his subject through a window, compartmentalized into squares, in the hopes to methodically understand and record each detail on gridded drawing paper.
The press material talks about an unexpected tuberose from India, but having familiarised myself with that incomparable, intoxicating essence I remain a little sceptical (Thank God they do mention it's a "fantasy infusion"). No rubbery wintergreen start like in the icy Tubéreuse Criminelle (Serge Lutens), no creaminess as in the diva-esque Fracas, no coconut smidge alongside the mentholated greenery as in Carnal Flower (F.Malle), no decaying indoles to talk about. The woody-musky drydown of the Prada ~and especially the Infusion~ line is there though. Like in Infusion d'Iris, there really isn't a dominant effect of iris ~but rather of a woody blend (much like in Infusion d'Homme too). Was the idea to do a brief impression with a lustrous, cheery beginning like they had done with their Prada boutiques exclusive #6 Tuberose (also opening on neroli notes) or was it simply in line with the Infusion concept of olfactory poltergeists, a "Pradanade" so to speak, spoken in hushed tones and felt in its effect more than being seen?

Perhaps there really is no reinvention of the wheel after all: Do Son by Diptyque was a timid, introductory tuberose gouache with a subtle almost skin-like effect in drydown. Not very true to the essence rendered from the flowers, even though it feels like a composition with naturals; and this is the diverging difference with the Prada. To the pastoral theme of Diptyque, Prada and Daniela Andrier intentionally juxtapose futurism, via more amped up synthetics, which account for a superior staying power, even though it's discreet enough to have those familiar with the Grand French Manner (I assume you're taking the hint) bound to be complaining about it.

As anyone who has a hankering for seeing how "notes" of aromachemicals find their way into the commercial blurb for consumers on the other hand, I have to give them credit for mentioning "dynamone", a Penta chemicals manufacturing product with a sublty amber aroma that is indirectly derived from cistus ladaniferus, in the composition. Why haven't you heard of it before?, you ask. (In fact you have, if you paid attention; it's also included in Closet Queen by Etat Libre d'Orage) Because it's hard to harness into a formula due to technical problems, even though its diffusiveness and tenacity provide a helpful hand in prolonging "skin-scent" accords, such as this one (see a similar concept of that via another route in Prada's L'Eau Ambrée). Personally I wasn't too impressed by the previous limited edition, Infusion de Fleurs d'Oranger , and this one seems to be riding the fast way to nowhere just like Bobby Eroica Dupea. I'll stick with the excellent L'Eau Ambrée myself.

Prada Infusion de Tubéreuse for women is a blend of notes of Indian tuberose, petitgrain bigararde, Italian blood orange and dynamone. It retails at €67 for 50mls at major department stores, available starting April 2010.

Related reading on Perfumeshrine: Fragrances with tuberose, Prada reviews

Photo of borken model dolls by Daikichi Amano via Who Killed Bambi

Roxana Illuminated Perfume Chocolate Fragrances Giveaway

I have been the recipient of a generous giveaway coffret offered by an all naturals perfumer who has appeared on these pages before. Namely Roxana Villa and her cute solids, this time perfectly timed for those who are too old for the Easter Bunny but who have something of the bunny in their heart of hearts. So, do read down, there's a generous giveaway of assorted solids from the collection below to be given to a lucky reader who leaves a comment!

Inspired by the South American seed of the Theobrama cacao tree, also known as The Food of the Gods, Roxana has created a series of Natural Solid Perfumes based on the love elixir Chocolate. Creamy, luxurious unguents in a botanical chocolate base made with Scharffen Berger 99% cacao, cocoa butter, organic cocoa powder and theobroma cacao extract from South America. The completely natural formulation also contains unfiltered beeswax, jojoba seed oil, infused vital plant materials and botanical fragrance accords. Embellished with the artists signature icon wax bee stamp each pot is contained in a gold foil cup within an adored box. A feast for all the senses awaiting to seduce and enchant. It's advisable to rub just a tiny bit and add more as you wish and they can be layered too!

The Chocolate collection includes:
Figure 1: Noir Like it's edible counterpart, this chocolate is deep, dark and mysterious with a strong musk note.
Figure 2: Cerise Succulent cherry weaved with a base of rich chocolate.
Figure 3: La Forêt A dense conifer forest meets an ocean of chocolate.
Figure 4: L'Orangerie Mouth watering citrus in a base of rich chocolate.
Figure 5: Bois de Chocolat Smokey woods and chocolate.
Figure 6: Épices Spice, a hint of vanilla and chocolate.
Figure 7: Pétales is rich with Rose, the Queen of fragrances.
Figure 8: Coeur de Jasmin Rich heart of jasmine enveloped by creamy chocolate.
Figure 9: Fleurs de Orange A buzz with orange blossom flowers, honey and chocolate. Figure 10: Blanc, opposite of Noir, is a a milk chocolate truffle, featuring the Vanilla Orchid Bean at center stage.
Figure 11: Chêne A tribute to the mighty Oak with notes of wood, resin, moss, and oud. The cacao note is more subdued.

I have tried 4 out of the collection and they're quite different from each other even if they share the chocolate theme. I guess I'm not helping you weed out the selection, am I? Typical of a fragrant omnivore...but I digress.
Figure 1 Noir is fabulous for those who want their chocolate patchouli-deep and appreciate the earthier blends in which some good old-fashioned patchouli is really amping up the sexiness, which is pretty much saying I love it! There is a citrusy top which really lifts the fragrance and compliments the patchouli. Figure 3 La Forêt has a pine-y scent to it, also a bit oak-ey, at a crossroads between summer and autumn, warm Mediterranean settings alongside more shady magical branches of the North. Figure 5 Bois de Chocolat is woody again, close to Figure 3, but a little less sunny in lieu of some smoked woods which gave me a more crepuscular impression. This could make a great masculine. Last but not least, Figure 11 Chêne is the less chocolate-y of them all, but curiously (curiously because I am a chocolate fiend, be warned) it's probably my most favourite thanks to its complex scent redolent of tannic notes & moss which shine through, evoking an oak forest or big oak barrels hiding rich red wine. Fans of her Q perfume should definitely try this version, as I think the bouquet of resins and oud in this are sublimated by the chocolate touch and render it very friendly and sensual. As a matter of fact I can see these little solids easily incoroporated into a promising erotic session. Oops, did I actually write that or just thought it? Anyway, a lucky reader commenting will be the recipient of the solid chocolate fragrances giveaway to find out for themselves *wink*
Draw will remain open till Easter Sunday, midnight. Draw is now closed.
You can of course buy some of the chocolate perfume solids either on this link on Etsy or the whole collection presented like chocolate candy in a heart-shaped box on that link on Etsy. (And while you're there browse around, there are individual samples and solids lurking as well at affordable prices)

Giveaway coffret was provided by the perfumer. I swapped for mine.

Takashimaya: Bad News Ahead

WWD revealed that elegant Japanese department store Takashimaya which occupies more than 37,000 square feet for retail and office space on New York City's posh Fifth Avenue will close its flagship store in June. The building is owned and controlled by Takashimaya Fifth Avenue Corp. and Takashimaya Singapore Ltd. "Takashimaya said it plans to sell the real estate and dedicate the proceeds to faster growing markets in Asia," the paper reports in a short blurb. [source]

Somehow this reminds me of what I had said (a propos LVMH expanding into new markets via Tony Blair's consulting, scroll the article to the last paragraphs) in regards to the move of western companies into the Asian expansion being the only solution right now. Hermes as we had reported a while ago is even launching an exclusively Chinese line called Shang Xia!

The current issue of WWD reveals that the Takashimaya closing will be effective come 10th of June 2010. "This June, the company will shutter its New York flagship at 693 Fifth Ave., between East 54th and East 55th streets. It has been at the building, which it owns and plans to sell, since 1993, though its first store on the gilded Fifth Avenue strip opened in 1958" [source] while WWD mentioned that the store "will no longer be merging with H2O Retailing Corp., parent company of Hankyu and Hanshin department stores". Apparently not only is the Fifth Avenue store closing but another 6 stores have already closed in Japan. The reason isn't hard to see: Low sales have given the kiss of death. Given that they recently announced carrying the elusive (and unjustly underrated) Mona di Orio line, let's hope it didn't jinx it. (This is only a joke, folks!)
On the whole it was a matter of time before the hen that lays the golden eggs, namely the sector of niche fragrances, becomes oversaturated and confuses the consumer who cannot be fooled into paying, especially in this economy, for triple-the-price concoctions which are made the same way as mainstream fragrances but circulate in a je ne sais quoi way supposed to make them more "luxurious" and "exclusive"...

If interested to follow my thoughts on this track, I had posted an article wondering How Much Will the Niche Market Bear? on this link and recently discussed Niche Degeneration on that link on the Perfumism website.

Pic of Takashimaya New York via Atherton Bartelby