The winner of the draw...

...for the newest Lutens decant is Katrina K. Congratulations and please email me with your shipping data using the contact in Profile or About page so I can send your prize out to you soon.

Thanks everyone for the enthusiastic participation and till the next one! (I have plenty of exciting giveaways planned shortly!)

Cartier Baiser Vole: fragrance review

“There is no lily oil or lily absolute,” says perfumer Mathilde Laurent, who wanted to introduce a floral scent in Cartier’s fragrance collection, a propos Baiser Volé, the jewellery brand's latest feminine fragrance launch. The name means "Stolen Kiss" reminiscing such romantic images as Fragonard's painting or Truffaut's film. “But I didn’t want it to be the 1,001st floral floriental, and I didn’t want to add a new floral composition.” Instead, Laurent likened wearing Baiser Volé to having on a necklace of lilies!

In Baiser Volé, in-house Cartier perfumer Mathilde Laurent explores the nature of lily three-ways (the leaves, the petals and the pistil) in a fresh powdery floral context and ends up with a surreal lily that isn't really about flowers, nor does it smell particularly spot-on "floral", but about the flowery nature of woman herself: opening up, "blooming", receiving, being at once pure and a little bit disorienting.

Laurent began by asking what smell men found enticing in a womanly way, to which the (fit to print, at least) prominent reply seemed to be "the lily". Colour me sceptical; isn't lily a symbol for purity and the need for cleansing? Maybe men are really leaning more onto the Madonna rather than the whore juxtaposition? Maybe they're asking them from a pre-arranged multiple-choice sheet?
At any rate, thus equiped, Laurent embarked on her 2-year long quest into fitting this stunning flower into a composition that would light up the room just lilies they do, without it being cliché, or surupy sweet, or headache-inducing cloying. If you are looking for the most realistic lily scent recreation, you might stop reading right now or read our article on Lily scent and lily flower types in perfumery; Baiser Volé doesn't even aim at that. But if you like fresh powdery scents, you might want to at least sample; it's very likeable.

The vegetal quality of the fragrance presents itself in an odd game of salicylates, solar notes which boom on the skin, a balance of bitter and sweet with a hint of citrus: The treatment, air-spun, meringue-like, delicate, is not unlike the one that perfumer Jean Claude Ellena reserved for the lightening up of vanilla through ylang ylang & lily notes in his fluffy Vanille Galante for the Hermessences. The vanilla and musks laced drydown in Baiser Volé recalls the sweetness of Un Lys by Serge Lutens, but the context is less poetic, more powdery, in a cosmetic-power-infused, slightly bittersweet way with a small subfacet of spice ~only minimal, a tad clovey; and a hint of violet ionones. It's safe to deduce that Baiser Volé transposes these niche sensibilities, pure, unadulterated exploration of perfumery raw materials's facets, in sleight-of-hand executions, into the mainstream. Compared with other lily fragrances, Baiser Volé stands alone and lacks the gaiac smokiness of real lilies which is reported to give them their "ham" brine-y facet. Cartier's interpretation is nowhere near the dense, ambery tinged radiant ambience of Donna Karan's Gold. Or the faux chypre structure of Ineke's Gilded Lily. Or the spicy corolla of Lily & Spice by Penhaligon's. And whereas Lys Mediterranée is a raspy, roughened salty-savoury lily that appeals to a certain Med sensibility with its hoarsey voice, while remaining irresolutely lily-like, Baiser Volé is smoother, more pliable, less floral, more traditionally womanly in its vanillic powdery kiss, and oddly at once old-fashioned and "clean".

On the other hand, and this is really interesting, Laurent takes no prisoners into embracing the latest trend of reinventing powdery florals for a generation that was afraid of anything powdery signifying "old lady perfume": From Esprit d'Oscar to Love,Chloé, the pink satin feel of ballerina shoes is taking on the sheen of flou through dusty, dry notes reminiscent of violets, talcum powder and sweet musks (if you're thinking of Lovely, by Sarah Jessica Parker, with an added dose of powderiness, you're not too far off); especially since this is a medium sillage fragrance, projecting politely while lasting power is good. Maybe it's code for "classy" or "different" in the milieu of hundreds of sweet things on the market. Maybe the generation who loved Flower by Kenzo and Cashmere Mist by Donna Karan have moved onto other things by now, leaving a void to be filled with new consuemers. The freshly powdery effect needs a true best-seller to shoot off as the new "craziness" in perfume (after "pink chypres" , fruitchoulis, and ethylmaltol-based ~aka cotton-candy smelling~ gourmands) and it remains to be seen just which fragrance that might be: Even though the concept and smell might be right for Cartier, I think we're dealing with a confusing name for Anglos: kissing the rodent seems to be many people's gut response, which might shoot the project in the foot (who can forget Rochas Poupée?).

Mathilde Laurent has been at jewellers Cartier since 2005 and she had been busy concocting Les Heures du Parfum, a series of niche-smelling fragrances sold exclusively at Cartier boutiques. Baiser Volé is the brand's first major feminine fragrance launch since Le Baiser du Dragon oriental in 2003 (Cartier de Lune of early 2011 not withstanding) and contrasted with the best-selling masculine Déclaration, which garners more than 60% of all Cartier's fragrance sales, this Baiser is set to be a serious bet on the part of the company; a recent Women's Wear Daily article tagged it as being intended as the scent pillar in the brand's feminine portfolio.It's definitely geared towards "a younger consumer", though like Robin I am at a loss on just how old the Cartier demographic really is to begin with.

The bottle of Baiser Volé is based on a stylised lighter design, for which the house is famous: In the 1970s there was no chicer way to light up (even today Cartier-embossed cigarettes are still produced in a small quantity in Europe), giving rise to the Les Must de Cartier, a boutique line from which Must perfume arose. Cartier Baiser Volé is available in Eau de Parfum (priced between $75-$145), also presented in matching Shower Gel and Body Lotion ($55 each) and deo spray, and is currently a Nordstrom Anniversary exclusive, but it will be available at major department stores in September 2011.

artwork via lunarki blog

Ineke new Floral Curiosities for Anthropologie

The new collection by indie perfumer Ineke Ruhland is coming: Ineke's new Floral Curiosities Collection for Anthropologie.  Based on inspirations from Ineke's garden, this limited edition collection will be available exclusively in all Anthropologie stores starting in August.

Four flowers with distinct personalities are represented in the collection. Each flower’s unique character is expressed through the artistically rendered packaging which will make the Anthropologie customer eager to showcase them on her vanity. Beautifully presented clear cylindrical glass bottles are enclosed in boxes decorated by prose in hand-drawn calligraphy. Soft watercolor paintings wash over the packaging and hint to the hues inside.

The Fragrances:
Eau de parfum spray vaporizer, 2.5 fl. oz., $68

Angel’s Trumpet (Brugmansia) Rich and Opulent
Angel’s Trumpet opens with refreshing notes of honeydew melon, Seville orange and leafy greens. The fragrance is then warmed by cinnamon leaf and allspice and supported by Virginia cedar and white musk.
Briar Rose (Rosa rubiginosa) Fruity and Powdery
Dark accents inspired by twisted thorns characterize Briar Rose. Black raspberry, bitter almond, exotic spices, black violet, patchouli and cacao absolute come together to form a unique fragrance.
Poet’s Jasmine (Jasminum officinale) Citrus and Herbal
A fragrance inspired by Poet’s Jasmine tea, replete with slices of citrus fruit. Added points of interest include star anise, rosemary, absinthe, frankincense, cardamom, hinoki wood and guaiac wood.
Scarlet Larkspur (Delphinium cardinale) Floral Oriental
The scent deepens with notes of claret wine, nutmeg, saffron, amyris wood, tonka bean and bourbon vanilla after a bright fruity opening consisting of blood orange, red currant and morello cherry.

info/image via press release

Aqua di Parma Gelsomino Nobile: new fragrance

This fall Acqua di Parma will introduce a new fragrance in its Le Nobili collection: Gelsomino Nobile. Centered around an exclusive and highly unique species of Jasmine grown only in the Calabria region of Italy, this new Floral Green-Musk style of eau de parfum creates the sensation of walking through lush Italian gardens, in bloom with Jasmine, while the breeze brings in the soft, salty air from the Mediterranean.

Adding to the elegant and regal women's collection which celebrates Italy's famous Italian gardens, and which already includes the acclaimed Iris Nobile and Magnolia Nobile fragrances; Gelsomino Nobile is also launching with a sumptuous body cream in addition to two sizes of eau de parfum spray.
Acqua di Parma celebrates the Italian spirit of excellence and craftsmanship in its quest to use only the highest quality of ingredients used in fragrance making today. All of the products are made by expert artisans in Italy, and even the labels, as in 1916 when the Acqua di Parma Colonia fragrance first launched, are still applied by hand. Neiman Marcus will feature the new fragrance in their stores starting in August, and the world wide launch is set for September 1, 2011.

A full review of Gelsomino Nobile now on this link. 

news/image via press release

Marc Jacobs on the Power of Internet & Perfume

During Marc Jacob's stay in Berlin, he gave an interview on July 6, 2011, as he was invited to be a judge for the “Designer for Tomorrow” competition by Peek & Cloppenburg. The following excerpts are interesting to perfume enthusiasts who follow his brand.
 
What is your opinion of perfume, and how is it important to you?
MJ: “Perfume is very important. I love being involved in different sorts of projects, and perfume was very interesting. I never dreamed that one day I will create one, but I think it’s a rite of passage to be being taken as a serious designer. When the opportunity came, I went for it. It was an incredible and exciting experience working with Coty- we are now on our fifth fragrance. Commercially, working with perfume it is very exciting because it reaches more people than haute couture because it is easier to obtain. It was also very interesting for me as well to collaborate on the imagery with [photographer] Jürgen Teller and to be involved in the invention of the bottle, the package and the juice – it’s very exciting work. I love it. ”

Can you tell us how important the Internet is for you?
MJ: “Our life has literally changed with the Internet- any type of information is now instantly available, and people have become more involved on all levels and are more open than ever before. As for the young generation, there is no border between male and female and as they consider “what’s right and what’s wrong,” their judgement is not as clearly defined as it is in older generations, making them more open to creativity, new forms of expression and views. At least that’s what I try to believe. The Internet is a wonderful mode of communication. It’s a very democratic tool, and just for that, it should be accessible by everyone.”

More on Marc Jacobs on our tag

via beautypress