Frederic Malle Carnal Flower: fragrance review

Carnal Flower by Frédérick Malle alludes to the perception of tuberoses as flowers of "spiritual ruin"; at one point in time they were actually thought to provoce an instant orgasm to the fair maidens who might smell them!! Imagine the prudish customs of yesterdays challenged by that thought....In reality, Frédérick Malle seeking to author a white floral (no line is complete without it), visited California, where both surroundings and ladies exude scents of gardenia and tuberose apparently. But Malle is also Louis Malle's, the famous film director's, nephew, and therefore related to actress Candice Bergen, Malle's wife from 1980 till his death in 1995.

Inspirations
Candice Bergen, a Californian by birth, despite the "cool ice princess" facade proved how there is fire and passion beneath it, both in her personal choices and -relevantly to our discussion- in one memorable film, Carnal Knowledge by Mike Nichols in 1971. As Susan, shagged by Jack Nicholson and shared (and eventually married to) Art Garfunkel, the safer bet of two wandering males, she gives a bleak and blunt portrayal of the inherent mortality of romance and the decaying beauty of sex. The young Frédérick Malle had thus one part of the illustrious concept of his fragrance down pat! Carnal Flower it would be and the star would be a man-eating flower.

Composition
The rest was masterful orchestration: Composed by Dominique Ropion, renowned creator of the wonderful Ysatis by Givenchy , the horrifically flamboyant and attention-grabbing Amarige by the same designer and the controversial Une Fleur de Cassie for Malle again (no mean feat, its strong animalic base acting as a conversation piece among the brave), the new fragrance on the sketching board naturally presented an olfactory challenge as tuberose is one of those smells that can be heavenly or hellish, no in-betweens : the orchestration and interpretation is all that matters. A flair for the intense on the recipients' part is also mandatory , it would seem....

Perufmery Tuberoses: Where does Carnal Flower Stand?
The history of tuberose in perfumery passes through that parfum phare as the French say (a "lighthouse perfume", a landmark more like it): Fracas, conceived by the fauvist Germaine Cellier for Robert Piguet, with its fleshy, lush contradicting qualities edged upon the two extremes: creamy, candy-ish beauty and violent hystrionics leading to decay. Blonde by Versace is its poorer , aspiring -and rather successful- imitator with a flamboyant style that is very Italian, a civet come-hither innuendo and quite pleasant in calculated moderation especially in extrait de parfum. Serge Lutens Tubéreuse Criminelle presents a peculiar problem : one has to wait for the crucial first 15 minutes, when the demonic camphor note subsides, giving reign to the glorious creaminess and silky softness of the flower. Caron's Tubereuse is very radiant , yet perfume-y although lighter and not suited to today's sensibilities, I find. Carolina Herrera (the original one by the famous designer) is a bit too operatic, being so much infused with another bombshell : jasmine. Some of the rest (Lauder's Private Collection Tuberose Gardenia and Do Son by Diptyque) are either more positioned towards gardenia or too light for carnal aspirations. Vamp a NY by Honore des Pres is more candied than that and with a generous helping of pink jasmine, although equally magnificent. Tuberose perfumes are a real continent: there are variations in the verdure to suit everyone.
Carnal Flower was from the beginning a mission into offering something different.

Scent Profile
Studying the odor of the real living blossom, which is apparently everywhere in California, the quintessentially French company Editions des Parfum Frédéric Malle has managed to capture the air of a tropical garden at dusk, full of the breeze and the richness of the dangerously seductive blossoms inside the austere looking bottles of Carnal Flower. Malle himself was encouraging Ropion to go the extra mile, per their official info, while the concept was in the cards from the very beginning, going into speed dial when Ropion was introduced to a new "corrected" absolute de tubereuse: Americans love tuberose flowers. Hence the addition of a coconut note and strong salicylates with musks, boosted with orange blossom absolute, all familiar apertures, which channel a warm and inviting quality. But they also want a seemingly fresh scent, something that will titillate the nostrils and the mind. The camphor note, reminiscent of eycalyptus leaves, is a necessity: At once freeing the weight of the inherent indolic character of the blossom, which browns as it decays, and imitating the exhalation of tuberose in nature: greenish and somewhat mentholic from afar.  Yet the mentholated note does not make a grand appearence in Carnal Flower like it does in Tubéreuse Criminelle: the composition is therefore less striking, arguably less thought-provoking, but more wearable by more people as a result. Not a jarring note in sight; even the fruitier notes, like coconut and melon, are interspersed through sleight of hand to evoke freshness and sensuousness. Like Candice Bergen, it's beautiful, but then again, not without wits or substance, and although undeniably sensual and sexy, it is high class and a lady, not a slut, at all times. (For slut, if you choose, you can resort to Musc Ravageur by the same niche perfume company)

The development of Carnal Flower is smooth, into a heart of pure tuberose absolute with a sweet coconut-like facet (like Coppertone suntan lotion, another California reference) and solar salicylates (a natural pheromone of blossoms that aids pollination), without great changes throughout its drydown. The amount of tuberose absolute used is the greatest in use in all current perfumery: any more of this and you might burst! The initial opulence remains intact while after some minutes a slightly bitter-sweet, rubbery quality ascends to the surface, a natural effect of the real flower. It should be advised not to overdo the application because of this element. As it weaves its magic though, it never becomes cloying, but it does seem to steal the scene and all the best lines audible from several paces away. Carnal Flower is loud enough to be a classic-in-the-making.

If you're among those who find the fragrance overwhelming (and it can be), the exquisite Beurre Exquis in Carnal Flower (a body butter infused with the gorgeous smell of the fragrance) might be a lighter, subtler option for you with decent sillage and lasting power. Highly recommended and worth the monetary outlay.

Notes for F.Malle Carnal Flower:
Top: bergamot, melon, camphor
Heart: tuberose absolute, ylang-ylang, jasmine, orange blossom
Base: tuberose basolute, coconut, white musk



pic of Candice Bergen via youlookfiine.wordpress.com

IFRA 46th Amendment is Out

The International Fragrance Association (IFRA) has officially issued the 46^th Amendment to the IFRA Code of Practice as part of the industry's ongoing safety program*.
There are six new restrictive Standards based on the Quantitative Risk Assessment (QRA)** and one new Standard prohibiting the use of 2,4-Octadienal.
IFRA has also withdrawn the Standard for Vanillin, which was first put in place with the 44^th Amendment. This Standard was put on hold on 1^st December, 2009, has now been officially withdrawn. Following the Vanillin Standard's notification additional information was submitted, which allowed for a re-evaluation of the material. After further additional testing and a critical evaluation of all available data today, IFRA has decided to withdraw the Standard and not set a revised Standard.
IFRA has also updated various guidance documents as part of the 46^th Amendment.

• QRA Information Booklet Version 6.0 Final 2011 (including guidance on classes for IFRA Certificates)
• Annex 1 to the IFRA Standards which has been updated with contributions from other sources for o-Methoxycinnamaldehyde and Safranal
• Index (list of all IFRA Standards)
• Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) for the implementation of IFRA Standards

All the new Standards and related guidance documents are freely available on the IFRA website: http://www.ifraorg.org
1.    Six new Standards, based on the QRA

CAS             Name                                      Status
                                                            
    7492-44-6     alpha-Butylcinnamaldehyde                   
    39189-74-7    2-Heptylidene cyclopentan-1-one                  NEW
    1504-74-1     o-Methoxycinnamaldehyde                       RESTRICTED
    68922-13-4    3-Methyl-2-(pentyloxy)cyclopent-2-en-1-one      (QRA)
    13257-44-8    2-Nonyn-1-al dimethyl acetal
    13144-88-2    1-(2,4,4,5,5-Pentamethyl-1-cyclopenten-1-yl)
                  ethan-1-one

2.    One new Standard prohibiting the use of 2,4-Octadienal

2,4-Octadienal has been reviewed by the RIFM Expert Panel and, due to lack of adequate data (Dermal DNA Adduct study), it was concluded that it should not be used as or in fragrance ingredients in whatever application until additional data is available and considered sufficient to support its use. The presence of a structural alert as defined in the Human Health Criteria Document justifies this ban which already concerns several materials of the same structural family.

CAS           Name                     Status

    30361-28-5    2,4-Octadienal            PROHIBITED

How the whole thing works, for those who missed our previous posts on the subject of perfumery ingredients restrictions:
The fragrance industry's safety program is founded on testing fragrance materials and either establishing 'Safe Use Levels', or prohibiting their use, based on studying their potential effects on people and the environment. Currently the safety program contains 186 'Standards', which restrict, or prohibit, the use of selected fragrance materials.
To ensure that the fragrance industry adheres to its safety standards the International Fragrance
Association (IFRA) has a Compliance Program. Every year 50 products from a selection of 450, gathered from stores in 10 different countries, are tested. If a product does not comply with its Code of Practice and Standards, IFRA works with the manufacturer to ensure compliance.
The IFRA Code of Practice is a comprehensive document that supports the IFRA commitment to provide products that are safe for use by the consumer and to the environment.
The Code of Practice applies to the manufacture and handling of all fragrance materials, for all types of applications and contains the full set of IFRA Standards. Abiding by the IFRA Code of Practice is a prerequisite for all fragrance supplier companies that are members of IFRA (either directly or through national associations). The majority of client companies (including producers of toiletries and household products) expect their fragrances to comply with IFRA Standards as set out in the Code.
The IFRA Code of Practice is distributed worldwide and is in the hands of all member associations and their member companies, in addition to governmental regulatory bodies and many other stakeholders. It is also available to all on our website: http://www.ifraorg.org

**Quantitative Risk Assessment (QRA)

In 2005 IFRA introduced a new Quantitative Risk Assessment or QRA approach to restrict fragrance materials that have a potential to induce contact sensitization. This new approach is a much more refined approach for evaluating sensitizing materials, and so provides more precise guidance on use levels of materials depending on the situation and the product in which they are used; ultimately it should better protect the consumer from becoming sensitized to a specific material.

SOURCE: The International Fragrance Association (IFRA), Brussels 27th June 2011

Beauty & the Beach, The Fragrance Edition: Beachy Scents for Varied Tastes

It's enough to think about the beach and a dip in the ocean to have a hankering for that particular ambience which involves not only the tactile feelings of cool spray and sugar-spun sands, we're so familiar with, but also a scentscape of the mind. The remembrance of those scents that enhance our exprerience, be it in swimming lazily off the costa del Sol in the Spanish Riviera or plunging one's self oh-so-carefully in the vastly wild waters of eastern Australia, keeps us going even in the dead of winter. The aromas that comprise this scentscape however are varied, depending as much on the particular circustances of the place and time, as of our own preference for the elements that compliment it, such as peripheral activities (sipping those Pina Coladas in Miami Beach and oiling up with monoi in Hawaii).

the Sarakino beach on Milos, Greece

Generally speaking however in fine fragrance "beachy scents" have formed enough of a niche to form their own unofficial category. Usually they involve accords reminiscent of suntan lotion with the unmistakable hint of coconuts and/or aquatic notes (marine/ozonic or just "watery"), but they can also bypass the actual elements of just the beach and expand into tropical florals (gardenia, tiare and tuberose mostly, with the occasional pikake/sampaquita inclusion) or the fruity cocktails served at the beach-bar.
Other times in this category we could lump sweet, ambery scents that reprise the "skin baked in the sun scent" of a good holiday on a sunshide basking country, or the salty, ocean-dipped smell of a body that has dried up with the salt still on it. Sometimes, they can even be inspired by the driftwood found in beaches across the world, more abstract, poised between "wet" and woody, producing interesting combinations. Local cosmetic products in tropical parts also provide inspiration for "notes" in fine fragrance, the most famous being monoi.

Monoi, in its authentic state, is simply tiare (Tahitian gardenia) macerated in coconut oil; a viscous, gorgeous oil that is supremely nutritious to skin. Both Nars and The Body Shop make their own version, although the authentic product can be easily got at tropical islands at drugstores and souvenir shops.
For the purposes of this guide of scent to take with you on a beach holiday, I divided them into categories of evocation. 

the Vai beach at Preveli, Crete, Greece

THE SUNTAN LOTION BRIGADE

Dissecting the "suntan lotion accord" we come up with two categories: the Coppertone inspired ones (more coconutty) and the Ambre Solaire ones (more floral), the latter rich in salicylates which naturally occur in the flowers of the tropics and which are referenced often as "solar notes". Both of these are skin scents, but they can vary in intensity. Here are some of the best examples.

Bobbi Brown Beach
An authentic experience of sunny mood, straight suntan oil smell, melting in the sun, relaxed and a small subfacet of sea mist mingling in the air and a hint of jasmine. Guilty pleasure in the winter, and a no brainer for summer holidays.

Bond No. 9 Fire Island
Immediately recognised as the scent of Ambre Solaire , beloved of Euro-sunscreen using people at the Riviera, Capri and Mykonos, Fire Island fragrance encapsulates the pleasing aroma of warm sand and warm skin.

Estee Lauder Azuree Soleil & Bronze Goddess
Inspired a frenzy when it launched as a body oil spray as the anchor of the Tom Ford Azuree collection, it also featured subsequently an Eau Fraiche Skinscent version. Azuree Soleil was discontinued when the contract with Tom Ford was over and substituted with Bronze Goddess. Beware, the new 2011 edition of Bronze Godess Soleil is a different fragrance (read our comparison).

Guerlain Terracota Eau Sous Le Vent
A specialized body mist which moisturizes the skin while enhancing its color (via Tan Booster complex), but it also lightly perfumes the skin with Tiare flower. Another one of the suntan lotion type scents with decent sillage.

CB I Hate Perfume At the Beach 1966 
Old school Coppertone never had it so good in an alcohol formula, and the addition of a "North Atlantic" accord by Christopher Brosius makes this a cult favourite among perfume enthusiasts.

TROPICAL EMISSIONS CAVALIERS

Comptoir Sud Pacifique Vanille Abricot
The addition of vanilla and sugar sweetens the already sweet, fruity aromata of papaya and apricot. It's cuddly and soft and a perennial best-seller in the line.

Guerlain Terracota Voile d'été
This solar fragrance by Guerlain is composed out of the combustible notes of spicy carnation fanned on salicylate-rich ylang ylang. It smells succulent, while non fruity or particularly sweet and is an underrated marvel. 

Escada Pacific Paradise
Part of the limited edition summer fragrances by German brand Escada, Pacific Paradise wasn't surypy, nor was it sanitized. The fruity floral core kept a bit of balance between sweetness and dryness, resulting in a pleasant offering.

Moneyette Monyette Paris 
Decidedly tropical, rather heavy smelling floral and warm fragrance with a coconut-amber base, it comes in oil form and was especially popular with young Hollywood a few years back.

Chios island, Greece

WARM, BISCUIT-COLOURED, SAND DUNES & SKIN

Lancaster Aquasun 
Not to be confused with "Sunwater" (to which the name amounts anyway!), this is a warm amber evoking caramel-hued sands, as if seeing them from an helicopter flying above the Sahara desert, dunes forming and rippling at the gusts of wind. Wonderful for winter-wear as well.


Dior Dune & Dune pour Homme
A clever construction (more smoky oriental than "marine":  bitterish interplay between the tarriness of lichen ~alongside the distinct bracken feel of broom~ with the sweeter oriental elements of the base. Dune is a marvellous, diaphanous oriental and unique! Also credible in the men's version, which is less orientalised.

Prada L'Eau Ambrée
The refreshing top, cypress-like and with a micro-facet of white flower progressed to sweet, slightly salty sweat musk in Prada's L'Eau Ambrée; not a tetrapod's raunchy howl, but the smell of seashore in spring and the bodies that lie down on its fluffy texture.

Ava Luxe Johri
A unisex fragrance that smiles through slightly sweet, slightly coconutty elements, producing a delightful skin scent.

Greek seascape in the Aegean sea

OCEAN SPRAY & SEA SALT SERVED RIGHT UP

CB I Hate Perfume Monsieur Hulot's Holiday
Commentably not sharp, it incorporates a hint of algae into the sea breeze proceedings and a trace of leather, like carrying an old suitcase on some Mediterranean adventure.

Ava Luxe The Beach
Like its programmatic name suggests, salt-air-and-ocean-and-driftwood.

Hermès Eau de Merveilles 
One of the few feminine fragrances devoid of floral notes, this is a harmony built on woody notes, an abstract orange top, salty skin  and a saline effect; very easy to wear on whatever occasion. It wears beautifully and lasts very long, like the most delicious imperceptible aura. Its Eau de Parfum counterpart, Elixir des Merveilles, is more orangey and chyprish, great for winter as well.

Heeley Sel Marin
A salty fragrance with backbone and a true niche offering. 

Christiane Celle Calypso Marine
More in line with what "marine" came to mean: sharpish, aqueous, with a good dosage of ozonic notes for good effect, but not eye-watering in this case. 

beach at Elafonissos at Southerneast Peloponnese, Greece

DRIFTWOOD BOG WATER AMBIENCE


Comptoir Sud Pacifique Aqua Motu 
Aqua Motu is the steady best-selling eau de toilette in Europe since its release in 1995. What's the secret? It recreates perfectly that shore-ambience blend of marine views, warm sands, kelp and a hint of lily of the valley. A very credible "beachy scent".

The Different Company Sel de Vetiver
Inspired by exactly what its name suggests, a glass of vetiver water, letting the salty nuance of the Eastern grass permeate the liquid, it's refreshing and sophisticated.

Andree Putman Preparation Parfumee
The quintessence of a large body of water, a little bit left to its own devices, driftwood coming down the stream, a hint of decay.


DSquared2 Ocean Wet Woods
Take the woody goodness of the original Dsquared2 Wood He and splash it with ocean spay. You're there!

the Myrtos beach, Cephalonia, Greece

COLOURFUL UMBRELLA-DECORATED COCKTAILS
 
Creed Virgin Island Water

Lime and coconut and tequila with sticky tanginess that last well throughout the day. Even fit for work, when you're feeling that boredom setting in at the beginning of yet another week at office months away from your paid leave.

Guerlain Homme L'Eau
Referencing the refreshing recipe of Mojito cocktail, this minty cologne is fresh enough for casual summer wear and not totally predictable, although it lacks the backbone of a proper Guerlain. 

JLo Miami Glow
A sweet, heady mix of fruits (passion fruit with its erotic undertone, blackcurrant with its slightly sour whiff) blended with musk, warm amber and sweet vanilla. Latina-inspired and quite good for a celebrity fragrance.

Do you have other favourite beachy fragrances? Let us know in the comments.

Color Trends Stimulate Perfumers in the Creation of New & Different Fragrances, Study Shows

We have long suspected it. In fact we have even devoted a whole essay with empirical data to support the case on how colour plays a big role when choosing scent. But now research comes to confirm it, even though it reads much like promotion for a company promoting top-to-bottom colour & fragrance design.

"A comprehensive study from the fragrance company Arylessence says that our sense of sight and smell are closely linked and work together to help consumers make buying decisions. Color trends stimulate perfumers in the creation of new and different fragrances, the study says, and the distinctive colors of a product and its packaging set expectations among consumers about how the product should smell. Conducted among female consumers in Atlanta, the study demonstrated that people can describe the 'scent' of selected colors, and typically use the same words to describe the scent's emotional effect.
'Traditionally, perfumers have depended on the product itself for creative inspiration – or on how products in a category should be perceived,' says Arylessence President Steve Tanner. 'Our research shows that color works even more effectively to shape consumer expectations, and that the colors of a product and its packaging translate into winning fragrances that reflect the power of the whole brand.'

Don't let me catch you decanting that powerful leather juice into a bottle with pink frou frou or that sweet girly gourmand into a smooth sand-blasted aluminum can...

Chris Sheldrake: "I taught a little bit of English to the perfumers and a retired perfumer taught me a little bit about perfume"

Sheldrake didn't intend to be a perfumer when he was young. He wanted to be an architect. His father thought he should learn a European language before he started his architectural studies so Sheldrake took a three-month work-experience job at Charabot, a fragrance company in the south of France.

''I taught a little bit of English to the perfumers and a retired perfumer taught me a little bit about perfume. After about three months, he said, 'I think you've got a nose. Would you like to stay?' So I stayed another three months, then another six months, then two years, then three years and architecture was the past.'' Sheldrake worked at another fragrance company, Robertet, before going to Chanel in Paris and working with Polge in the early 1980s. He left after ''three fantastic years'' for more experience at global perfume manufacturer Quest International. He has fond memories of creating a rosy, fruity fragrance for a Unilever shampoo called Lux Super Rich when he was in Japan. ''It was probably the biggest-selling perfume [product] for Quest at the time,'' he says.

Thus reminisces Christopher Sheldrake, perfumer known for his work at Serge Lutens perfumes and currently head of research & development at Chanel fragrances, a propos the upcoming Chanel No.19 Poudre. Please refer to our previous quotes from Sheldrake on the new Chanel flanker and our announcement on Chanel No.19 Poudre. More on how Christ Sheldrake works and views industry "bedroom scent" demands on this link.

Read the entire article at Smh.com.au

pic via knackweekend