Comme des Garcons Wonderwood: new fragrance & short film

The new fragrance by Comme des Garçons is called Wonderwood and focuses of course on...woods! The unisex fragrance is acompanied by a short film shot by the Quay Brothers who are highly renowned for their stop motion filming technique. The story involves a man for whom the love of trees simply cannot be put into words. The edgy video has been uploaded on Youtube where you can watch it with ease (the video had debuted exclusively at Love Magazine UK). The video medium is fast becoming the new vehicle through which top brands choose to promote their products, often assisted by artistic direction by top creators.

Fifi 2010 nominee Giveaway 10

As we announced previously, the Fragrance Foundation is giving away bottles of the nominees of the 2010 Fifi Awards every day starting Monday 17th.

Today's fragrance giveaway is Only the Brave by Diesel. Three perfumers worked on the masculine scent at IFF: Alienor Massenet, Pierre Wargnye, Olivier Polge. The focal notes are amber and labdanum.

All you have to do is connect to the FIFI Facebook page and leave a comment until 5pm (the sooner the better obviously) for a chance to win one of the free bottles.

Certain terms and conditions apply.
Disclosure: We are not affiliated with either the Fragrance Foundation or the companies which provide the fragrances for the giveaway. This is a public service announcement.

Beauty Awards & Giveaway

Women’s Health just revealed their 2010 Beauty Awards—a list of 55 of the best hair, face, body, and makeup products—in the June issue of the magazine, on newsstands now. Among the fragrance choices there is Light Blue by Dolce & Gabanna, Armani's Aqua di Gio for men in the best fragrance for women and for men category, Flora by Gucci in the sexiest new scent and Jo Malone London Vanilla & Anise Body Crème in the best smelling body lotion category. Hmm... can't say they're unexpected, these are all predictably selling well.
What's perhaps more interesting is that there is a giveaway for all the products featured, a prize valued at over $1,380. You can enter online on this Women's Health link.

There's Hope for the Average Perfume Customer Still

I don't make a habit of reporting my fragrance consulting services, as I believe one person's qualms against jasmine and another's perception of patchouli as "mothballs-like" are of no particular interest to others, unless they happen to share them. Yet a recent session proved so particularly surprising and satisfactory on multiple levels, one of which is reinforcement of the belief that the consumer isn't a fool after all, that I thought you might get a kick out of it and maybe start a dialogue about similar observations you have made. At any rate, you'll be the judge in the comments!

My subject was a girly girl in her 20s, style-aware and groomed, interested in fragrances in general, exposed to mainstream market scents and marginally familiar with basic perfume vocabulary. Her skin is normal and lightly-toned and she has dark hair and light green eyes. She initially professed a like for floral fragrances, noticing two I wore in the preliminary conversations (Insolence Eau de Toilette and Lys Mediterranée) with no particular "NOs" pointed out. She possesses what is commonly called "a mathematical mind" and considers fragrance wearing a feminine touch but also a delight for the senses. This info is routinely amassed to summarise preferences and peculiarities, although I follow a complimentary technique based on a quick pop-quizz with multiple choices that seem out of the loop ~which you will please allow me to keep to myself for now, after all I have a business to attend to.

I organised the list of fragrance bottles to try so that most would be accessible without too much trouble where she lives, that they span across different fragrance families and different eras and that they embody some of the characteristics which came out of the short interview and test she took. I also took pains to propose fragrances which for the most part could be worn in a warmer climate, with a couple of exceptions.

So what did I present her with? Here's the list!

1. Diorella by Dior (A classic green-fruity chypre with summery appeal)
2. Cristalle by Chanel in Eau de Toilette concentration (A fresh citrusy "green" that is higher pitched)
3. Eau d'Hermès (A mid-of-the-century classic built on citrus-leather accords with a "dirty" musky underside)
4. Lys Mediterranée by F.Malle (A salty, spicy floral of lily and a foray into niche)
5. Insolence by Guerlain in Eau de Parfum concentration (A metallic and hair-spray violet & berries scent that is especially lasting)
6. Grand Amour by Annick Goutal (A heady floral bouquet that veers into floriental)
7. Rumeur by Lanvin (A modern woody musk with undefinable florals thrown in)
8. Shalimar by Guerlain in vintage Eau de Cologne (The classic oriental standby with a bronze-y feeling of smoked vanilla and oppoponax).
9. Theorema by Fendi (The discontinued marvel that combines the gourmand aspects of orange chocolate and traditional resinous heritage into an oriental fit even for summer)
10. Fumerie Turque by Serge Lutens (A milky take on a masculine theme, tobacco, and the trial by fire on baroque compositions)
11. Mitsouko by Guerlain in vintage parfum concentration (The very essence of rich fruity chypre with a murky depth of oakmoss sensuality)
12. Eau de Merveilles by Hermès (An odd duck out, fitting in no particular category, poised as it is between a salty ambergris skin-scent and woody overtones of non-definable nature)

A dozen does not a dime make: The testing period involved at home living with the fragrances for a few days, before choosing one as a favourite which would be the compass into more specific and nuanced suggestions (and to that end, I welcome your ideas!). Her pick?

No drumroll emoticon could be enough, as the choice although perfectly transparent for the two of us, is quite surprising to the rest of the world I guess: The unisex masterpiece from 1951, bring niche before there was niche, and the one which one of its accolytes, perfumer Jean Claude Ellena professes to like "one among a handful of people in France who wear it". Eau d'Hermès then, my friends, and don't let me catch anyone bad-mouthing youths as uncouth. Some of them know a good thing when they see it!

Related reading on Perfume Shrine: Fragrances for Myers Briggs types, Questions & Answers with a Fragrance Consultant, In Which I Fragrance Consult

photo collage found via troktiko , bottles photo by member Guerlain/Susana on Fragrantica's public board

Fifi 2010 nominee Giveaway 9

As we announced previously, the Fragrance Foundation is giving away bottles of the nominees of the 2010 Fifi Awards every day starting Monday 17th.

Today's fragrance giveaway is Flora by Gucci. The inspiration for the floral motif (and name of the fragance) comes from vintage collections by Gucci in which the big, romantic distinctive patterns of flowers and butterflies were strewn across silks and canvas on scaves and bags respectively. The fragrance developed by Firmenich for Procter & Gamble ~who owns parfums Gucci~ is a sophisticated floral (of course!), aimed at the younger clientele featuring citrus accords, peony, rose, osmanthus, pink pepper, and sandalwood.

All you have to do is connect to the FIFI Facebook page and leave a comment until 5pm (the sooner the better obviously) for a chance to win one of the free bottles.

Certain terms and conditions apply.
Disclosure: We are not affiliated with either the Fragrance Foundation or the companies which provide the fragrances for the giveaway. This is a public service announcement.