Snapshots of Phantasmagoria

Sights and sounds of an impending Christmas, ghost-like and semi-transparent in the most bitter cold, still flicker before my eyes as I write these lines; the sweet nostalgia of meeting with gregarious people with a wicked sense of (dark) humour mingling with the sense of bygones and the desire for new beginnings the New Year brings upon us.

The stall market alongside the big arch at Champs, a couple of blocks before Place de la Concorde, filled with kiosks yielding under the weight of small gifts and unexpected delicacies. The lights on the trees directed upwards, forming what looks like giant chalices. Children's eyes (lots of them) filled with awe and anticipation at the sight of the big carousel and the Wheel at the square. The delectable and oh-so-sinful chocolates by Patrick Roger at Bld St.Germain in the shape of bumblebees as well as the crunchier nougatine; everything the child in all of us marvels at with unbridled glee! (If you can't get the chocolate, at least get the books). A quiet morning at Société de Géographie, its doors flanked by classical caryatids, peering over shadowy maps which delineated in their own way ~and my own interest~ the decline of the Ottomans; chased by a demi-tasse lounging and studying on the red sofas of Café Mezzanine for hours on end. The phantasmagorical shop windows on Haussman Avenue and in full contrast the sketches of a couple of clochards looking for a haven from the bitter cold under the bridges.


And what perfumes do the French wear, you might ask? The top sellers according to the info I gleaned at Sephora, Marionnaud and Galeries Lafayette (the latter comprising a lot of tourists sales as well) are Chanel No.5, J'Adore, Angel, Coco Mlle, Kenzo Flower for women and 1 Million, Eau Sauvage, Le Mâle, Boss and Terre d'Hermès for men. I suppose some of it falls under the "if it smells good and enough people buy it all the time" adage...My own nose accounted quite a bit of Lolita Lempicka, Hypnotic Poison and Guerlain's Vétiver.
Interesting all the same, all these best-selling lists, no?

Black & White photo Les Amoureux de la Bastille by Willy Ronis, painting L'Arc de Triomphe, Paris, Winter by Edouard Léon Cortès.

Slip the Sable Under the Tree

Paco Rabanne Full Bottles Giveaway

A fun holiday treat for Perfume Shrine USA-based readers (only): the Paco Rabanne distributor promised us to provide Lady Million and 1 Million products as a special giveaway for the end of the year to two lucky recipients.

Please state what the Paco Rabanne brand represents to you or your favourite Rabanne fragrance (and why you like it) in the comments section and I will pick two winners.
Draw is open till Sunday 26th midnight.
The winners will be announced on Monday 27th and they need to send their full name, mailing address and phone number in order to collect their prizes.


NB. In the interests of full disclosure, we are not affiliated with the Paco Rabanne company, their distributors or PR company in any shape or form. This is a public service giveaway as a small thank you to our readers.

Parfums Boucheron Change Hands

Parfums Boucheron, sprung out of the famous jewellers by the same name and until recently in the hands of L’Oréal, will soon join Interparfums, a dynamic group of no less than 259 millions of euros in sales last year. The agreement will be effective January 1st 2011 and will last for 15 years.

Founded in 1982, Interparfums control the licences of fragrances for Burberry, Paul Smith and Jimmy Choo (a new, upcoming fragrance by the celebrated shoe-maker is in the works), while they also own parfums Lanvin.
Boucheron, on the other hand, is making its presence known in the Far East with the launch of 6 to 10 jewellery boutiques in the following 5 years in the Chinese market, in accordance to Sparkle Roll Group Limited of Hong Kong.

The fragrance portfolio of Parfums Boucheron is fairly restrained: Five fragrances comprise the current line-up, invariably of high quality (and in the case of Boucheron de Boucheron, to majestic effect): B de Boucheron, Boucheron (femme), Boucheron pour homme, Miss Boucheron et Jaïpur Homme. Boucheron Trouble and Initial have been discontinued, according to our sources.
Usually take-overs spell news on the fragrant front, be it in the way of repackaging (usually with a face-lift to the scent itself) or a new plate of advertising opportunities. Let's hope for the latter, rather than the former. Parfums Boucheron are fine as they are.

Patricia de Nicolai: Portrait of a Woman in a Man's World

"When I started, the big manager of the company was the brother of my grandmother. He wasn't the perfumer but he was the big manager. He wasn't an artistic man. First, he said 'you're a woman --' " and secondly, referring to the many years of training and apprenticeship required to become a master perfumer, she explained, "he told me, 'You'll get married, you'll have children, you will stop your job after a while.' " It's a typical tale across many occupations, even ones where, like fashion, the mythology and creative muse is female. "In Guerlain they are very machiste," de Nicolai continued, lifting a clenched fist to illustrate the emphasis. "The family who worked in the brand was only men, no women. And they like to embroider on those love stories!"

Thus elaborates Patricia de Nicolaï, 54, great-granddaughter of Maison Guerlain founder Pierre Guerlain, an ISIPCA graduate herself who was awarded best perfume creator in 1988 by the French Society of Perfumers and currently president of L'Osmothèque, the perfume museum in Versailles [you can read more on the Osmotheque on this link]. On her own site she graciously states "Jean-Paul Guerlain was her coach and thanks to him she has been trained in the best possible companies, places where you really learn the job to become a perfumer".

Whatever the case might be, her extensive line of perfumes enjoys a cult following, from the delectable masculine New York (which Dr.Turin has been wearing for years by his admission), the iris-strewn Balkis and the creamy tropical Juste un Rêve to the lush and balanced Maharanih, the more-than- just-a-cologne Carre d'As and the springtime in a bottle Le Temps d'une Fête. Some even come up as instant spontaneous fragrance recommendation whenever one searches for a creamy, delectable grown-up vanilla (Vanille Tonka), a melancholy heliotrope with feminine mystique (Sacrebleu), the definitive sophisticated summery cologne (Cologne Sologne) or the perfect mimosa (Mimosaique).
All the way right down to the candles and home fragrance which kickstarted her perfume company back in 1989 alongside Jean Louis Michau, back when the concept was still novel and romantic, her line breathes elegance and quality. Someone even once said that one of her candles was enough to start a minor religion...
She admits being influenced by the Guerlain tradition, the rich timbre, the beauty of the scents, the distinction of a signature style, and the tenacious sillage they impart. After all, her own personal fragrance as a young woman had been Après l’Ondée. She grafted those qualities into her own line to much success. In a world populated by men, Patricia de Nicolaï is a woman who has proven her own mettle and that's to be respected.

Read more on the article by Nathalie Atkinson on the National Post.

Related reading on Perfume Shrine: Perfumer's Portraits


pic of Patricia via her own site