Frequent Questions: Perfumes, the Guide ~which book edition contains what?

People often pick up Perfumes, the Guide as a starter into getting more seriously involved on perfume. There are also those who are already into the aficion and check to see whether the snark or the praise corresponds with their own established views. For all practical purposes there are a few editions of the exact same entertaininh and informative book with minimal differences depending on when they came out which makes for some confusion, at least going by the questions appearing on perfume discussion boards. Let's see the various editions according to continent and chronological order of coming out.




First edition of Perfumes, the Guide (2008): Hardcover, blue Dawamesk/Coque d'Or bottle by Guerlain on the white book jacket.

Second edition of Perfumes, the Guide, also called Perfumes, the A-Z Guide: Paperback, contains the exact same content of the first edition, with added reviews that had previously appeared on the three Supplements that had been available through subscription at the authors' site (the first one of those was free for download) and an extention of the essays, with some updates on the "best of" lists at the end of the book.
There are two versions of the 2nd edition of Perfumes, the Guide: One for the US market, another for the European one, but they share the same content as described above.



the US 2nd edition of Perfumes, the Guide with many little bottles in colour on the cover



the European 2nd edition of Perfumes, the Guide, in black & white stripes on the cover


The above are NOT to be confused with the newest upcoming edition, reprising some material from the other book, called "The Little Book of Perfumes: the 100 Classics", which basically takes Luca and Tania on a hunt to re-smell the 100 classic fragrances they had reviewed to see (and wittily comment, of course) whether they stand up to closer scrutiny after the lapsed 3 years and perfumery changes since.

Aftelier Haute Claire: fragrance review & Bottle Giveaway

Before we begin, here's the giveaway, courtesy of Mandy Aftel who will send the bottle to the winner: A 5 ml spray bottle of Aftelier Haute Claire in Eau de Parfum. How to be eligible: Leave a comment, telling us what it is you like or don't like about natural perfumes and if you have experiences with them.

I have respect for Aftel's work; her technique is solid, her knowledge on raw materials, the intricate melding process and the mythoi of aromatics insanely immense. I have learned many things from her books and her work. Her recent creation was therefore something that, hadn't she volunteered to sample with bloggers, I would have sought out myself to try anyway. Mandy Aftel describes Haute Claire as “high and bright” and the juxtaposition of two ordinarily clashing components, the lush floral of ylang ylang and the bitter green, resinous touch of galbanum, is an arc that extends high with a brightness that shines far; somewhere over the rainbow, sort of.
On one end the green elements are reinforced by vetiver, an earthy element that gets licorice facets and salty nuances revealed on skin. On the other end, the natural sweetness of the floral is embraced by the sinful, calorific touch of vanilla. The vanilla is given an extra kick through a slightly spicy kick that whispers at the end. Haute Claire is an all-natural perfume that feels complex and with a very decided message, not some sort of aromatherapy mix which you would endure for the sake of itsbeneficiary effect. I don't know if there is some veritas in the -perhaps partly placebo- effect of some essences, but Haute Claire is certainly uplifting and optimistic, a summery scent for mental summers even in the heart of winter.

Notes for Aftelier Haute Claire: galbanum, Mexican lime, wild sweet orange, ylang ylang Co2, honeysuckle absolute, ylang ylang extra, clary sage, ethyl phenyl acetate, vetiver, vanilla absolute
In the interests of full disclosure, I was sent a sample of the fragrance directly by the perfumer.

Guerlain Delice de Peau: new scented product review

Guerlain is not just perfume or makeup; it's also an illustrious history of scented skincare and haircare preparations that help complete the ritual of beauty. The new cream Délice de Peau à Parfumer is a unique product by Guerlain.

"Délice de Peau
This sleek and stylish little white jar contains a moisturizing body cream with a unique ability: wherever it blends with perfume (neck, décolleté, wrist, arms, etc.) it enhances its sillage, intensifies its olfactory power and prolongs the pleasure of the senses..."The scented cream is meant to be used with any fragrance in the Les Elixirs Charnels and L’Art et la Matière lines, both prolonging their effect and boosting their radiance, acting as a "developer", extending the bouquet, letting all facets shine.
This is possible through a synergy of common and complimentary ingredients that run through the gamut of both lines: a warm, intimate aura, much like the more old-fashioned, but legendary "myth" of the Guerlinade accord.The new "chord" is built on musk and benzoin (a warm, sweetish resin that has vanilla facets) , echoing the "Muscinade" that is advertised as the secret "accord" in the new Guerlains, such as Cruel Gardenia and Tonka Impériale (or even Insolence).

The creams' scent is very perceivable, to the point of sufficing as a stand-alone fragrance. My suggestion is it pairs really well with Cuir Beluga, extending its suede feel through the muskiness and reinforcing its vanilla background. The texture of Guerlain Délice de Peau is soft and light, with a slightly nacreous, satiny finish, that is especially welcome for summer. The white pot is sold as is, with a retro paper label embossed in silver and gold, without an external box, thus reminiscing the packaging of the 1950s. The retail price is 95$ for a pot of 100ml, somewhat pricey for all over use, so you might want to save this for the décolleté or bare armsl. It is currently available at Neiman Marcus and the Guerlain boutique in Paris.


Related reading on Perfume Shrine: Guerlain fragrance reviews, Guerlain news.

Guerlain News: Habit Rouge L'Eau, Idylle Parfum, re-edition of L'Abeille

Habit Rouge L'Eau is Thierry Wasser's interpretation on a scent he holds near and dear: the classic Habit Rouge by his mentor Jean Paul Guerlain.

The new version is "softer, easy-to-wear and less contracted adaptation of the original. Delicately fresh, but with a less intense citrus opening, and a lighter base without any leather". Might we remind our readers that Habit Rouge apart from the vintage Eau de Cologne version and the standard Eau de Toilette, also comes in a (slightly recalibrated) Eau de Parfum and the glorious extrait de parfum edition available only at Guerlain boutiques.
[For a comprehensive guide on what perfume concentrations mean, refer to this article.]
It's also one of the few masculines in the range to have a flanker: Habit Rouge Sport.

Guerlain Idylle, the feminine fragrance by Wasser which already boasts one flanker, Idylle Duet, will soon be joined by an Idylle extrait de parfum version as well. I doubt that this is news sending a shiver down the spine of perfume lovers of a more serious aficion, but it might be nice introduction to the ritual of dabbing parfum for the beginner Guerlainophiliac.

Last but not least, for those on a bee-hunt for Abeille: the Abeille extrait by Guerlain , the precious edition of the 17.000 Euro price-tag (!)  in the Baccarat bottle is out again, this time re-orchestrated by Wasser.

pic of bottle via Pluises blog, news & quote via mr.guerlain,

Chewing the Cud on Givenchy's upcoming fragrance Dahlia Noir

Givenchy' upcoming feminine fragrance, Dahlia Noir (i.e. black dahlia), is the first house scent overseen by couture creator Riccardo Tisci in collaboration with perfumer François Demachy, but it already presents something of a challenge for reasons we elaborate on below. Fabien Baron is the creator of the bottle and the ad campaign, featuring Maria Carla Boscono, which is set to hit glossies and screens later this year, in an image of almost fetishy gothic-inspired clothing of black lace and chiffon.

The fragrance notes for Givenchy Dahlia Noir comprise such vague terms as "rose vapour, peach milk, iris powder and precious/sacred woods" and since dahlia has no smell, we are left guessing with only Tisci's feedback on what to expect. The childhood memories & associations of Tisci, on which he drew inspiration from for Dahlia Noir, include the iris-scented scent of his sisters' cosmetics (including lipstick and a shared bottle of Rive Gauche) as well as a classic scent from Italian brand Santa Maria Novella.
According to him, the concept was an abstract, geometrical floral, which leads me to believe we're dealing with a floral that will not be obviously floral (in the mould of many modern floral fragrances aimed at young people who sneer at being presented with "traditionally feminine" pretty flowers in their scents) . Tisci goes on to elaborate that the concept alluded to by the name has to do with romanticism, sex and darkness: a well-played theme by now in many a "noir" fragrance, but also supposedly standing for what Givenchy stands for as well. I think Hubert might have other ideas in his mind than "sex and darkness" back in the day when he was dressing Audrey Hepburn and Jackie Kennedy, but even though he is very much alive, his own patrician image has subtly, discreetly exited the picture on what concerns his brand.


It remains to be seen whether the darkness of Eau Demoiselle (a previous release by Givenchy played on the allure of a black mantle-dress) will now transpire into more than the innocuous woody floral musk the former fragrance equated into.

The new Givenchy fragrance reportedly "has nothing to do" with the James Ellroy novel Black Dhalia, which takes upon itself to explore and partly fictionalise the facts of an infamous real murder case, or with previous Givenchy releases; but the association with the unsolved murder case of brutally  butchered Elizabeth Sort (nicknamed "The Black Dahlia" in the call-girl circuit of late 1940s LA she was part of, due to her predeliction for wearing black) is too close to home to escape criticism of milking an infamous catch-phrase for money. LVMH, to which Givenchy belongs, is no mom & pop establishment that would fail to research a trademark adequately, at any rate, and the French posters for Brian De Palma's film a few years ago have it emblazoned all over the Internet. Let's not forget, MAC Cosmetics, another big player, who issued a comparably similarly named makeup collection. What's up with that?

Givenchy Dahlia Noir is released on 22 August in France for 57 euros for 30ml of Eau de Parfum.