Frequent Questions: How to Extend the Life of your Scented Candles

Sometimes scented candles can bite hard on a budget: It's not the initial outlay, it's that they get burned too much or lose their throw over time. So when you're buying a luxurious scented candle from the likes of Diptyque, Cire Trudon or Slatkin or put your favourite luxe brand here), what can you do to make that candle last and perform as indulgently as it should?

Here's advice from the expert, NEST Fragrances founder Laura Slatkin (via boston.com):
"Luxury scented candles are much more complex than non-luxury scented candles, so they must be taken care of in order to fully enjoy them. When lighting one for the first time, always make sure to burn it for at least three-to-four hours to achieve a fully melted pool of wax that reaches the perimeter of the glass. Wax has a memory and if this is not done, the candle will tunnel upon subsequent lightings.
Also, when burning a candle, black soot accumulates on the tip of the wick. It’s very important to remove that soot and trim the wick to one-quarter of an inch before you light it again, because it can cause the candle to smoke, or it can fall into the wax, which will adversely affect the fine fragrance oils used in luxury candles."

Move Over Clive Christian, Golden Delicious gets Blinged!

Clive Christian and his diamond encrusted bottles of haute scents might want to do a rethinking regarding their "costliest perfume in the world" ad routine: DKNY Golden Delicious by US-basedd clothes brand Donna Karan gets totally blinged, with a bottle that is so full of diamonds that it fetches the hefty price of a cool 1 million dollars!

The juice remains the same, but the bottle of DKNY Golden Delicious gets the luxe treatment with tiny skyscrapers ~recalling the urban landscape of New York, the city which served as an inspiration for the DKNY brand in the first place~ encrusted with small diamonds. This luxurious edition will only be available at the Facebook page DKNY Fragrance and the profits will go to Action Against Hunger.

Aqua di Parma Gelsomino Nobile: fragrance review & bottle giveaway

First things first: I have a brand new bottle of the to-be-launched Gelsomino Nobile for a lucky reader, from which only a 5ml decant is missing for reviewing purposes. To be eligible, all you have to do is answer to these questions: 1)What do you find pleasurable/helpful in a frag review? 2)What are the subjects on our pages you would like to read more of? Now on to reviewing this upcoming Aqua di Parma fragrance focused on jasmine...

Gelsomino Nobile (Noble Jasmine) by Aqua di Parma belongs to the Le Nobili sub-collection: 3 women’s fragrances, all in eau de parfum concentration, with a secondary Eau de Toilette for Iris Nobile. The “Nobili” are therefore Iris Nobile, Magnolia Nobile, and the new Gelsomino Nobile. Much in tune with its sister scents, Gelsomino Nobile is also an ethereal, refined, greenish rhapsody in melodious Italian, which could be worn by lovers of all things airy and romantic who want to remain chic and effortless at all times.

The scent of Gelsomino Nobile starts on exhilarating citrusy accents with a peppery bite, much like natural bergamot and the more green neroli distillation from the orange blossom (although neither is listed in the notes), soon accompanied by sweeter elements. The vista opens into a grove of fragrant white vines, dewy jasmine (non indolic), a smidge of the greener parts of tuberose (and none of the danger), and what seems like a clean freesia accord. Although freesia accords can project as screechy and sterile sometimes, the rendering here is subdued: One gets the (illusory) waft of a budding flower, rather than the intense pong of profuse aromachemicals. It's elegant, if predictable.
This stage remains poised for the rest of the duration on the skin, gaining polished nuances of clean, skin-compatible, expensive-feeling musks from one angle; a tad more austere green woodiness from another. I had written on Magnolia Nobile that "the woody musky base is also echoing in my ears like speakers in the car left on some news-relating channel in a sub-human frequency that can be felt more than heard" and I can sense the continuation here as well. Lovers of the Nobili line by Aqua di Parma should be pleased. It's not exactly my speed, but then you know I'm a die-hard indolic jasmine lover, don't you.
The overall effect is recognisably a jasmine fragrance without, at the same time, appearing as suffocating floral or intensely projecting even though Gelsomino Nobile possesses both good lasting power and pleasurable sillage. For that reason jasminophobes or those who do not want to offend may have just found their perfect green floral for all occasions where intermingling might make a more voluptuous, more combustible white floral a bit de trop.

According to the ad copy, as announced on Perfume Shrine a while ago: "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.

Notes for Aqua di Parma Gelsomino Nobile: mandarin, pink pepper, orange blossom, tuberose, Calabrian jasmine, cedar wood, and musk.

The fragrance has just debuted at Neiman Marcus and will be available worlwide in September. Available in Eau de Parfum 50ml ($108) and 100ml ($170) ml and matching body cream ($80 for 150 g).

Related reading on Perfume Shrine: Jasmine Series

Painting: Eugene de Blaas, Young Italian Beauty

In the interests of full disclosure, the perfume was sampled through a promotion.

TopNotes: Scent Education at the Click of a Mouse by The Fragrance Foundation

A core mission of The Fragrance Foundation is its commitment to educate both the industry and the consumer about fragrance. Therefore, the Foundation is very pleased to announce the launch of TopNotes, an exciting new online educational course and resource developed specifically for those who want to keep on top of the most current information and trends in the ever-changing fragrance industry.

Mary Ellen Lapsansky, Vice President of The Fragrance Foundation and the guiding force behind the continuing education program notes that “both industry insiders and consumers who have a passion for fragrance will be able to able to keep their fingers on the pulse, tap into trends, scent styles, new notes and track top sellers with the TopNotes course. We have collaborated with the best minds in the business to deliver up to the minute and comprehensive insights.”

TopNotes was conceived to build on knowledge gained through the Certification Program for Fragrance Sales Specialists - justifiably considered the industry gold standard for fragrance education. Registration for TopNotes is $50.00 per person, open to all and all are welcome. The program cycle begins live online today with TopNotes Course #1: Olfactive Trends 2011 – 2012 and covers the following topics:

➢ Current Consumer Insights.
➢ Historical Reference & Current State of the Fragrance Industry.
➢ Why do olfactive preferences change among consumers?
➢ Historical references & key fragrance launches of the past.
➢ Women’s and Men’s Olfactive Preferences.
➢ Top 20 Fragrances, USA and Global, as reported by Givaudan iPerfumer.
➢ Future Olfactive Forecasts.
➢ Olfactively-significant recent fragrance launches.
➢ Women’s and Men’s olfactive forecasts.

At the end of the course, participants can further assess their understanding of what they have just learned by answering the “Key Learnings” questions. No scores are given, questions are either correct or incorrect with a correct answer provided if that is the case. Once the “Key Learnings” have been completed, a Certificate/Proof of Participation will be generated, available to save or print.
The content for each course will be updated every 12 to 18 months as new trends emerge.

Future TopNotes courses will cover: consumer buying habits, global fragrance preferences, new ingredients and new technologies in fine fragrance creation. TopNotes is a valuable new fragrance resource just a few quick clicks away at www.fragrance.org educational programs.
You can register at this link.

info via beautypress

Scents for a Sultry Summer

The weather has been acting crazy all over the planet for some years now and the temperatures soar and plummet at the drop of a hat. To analyze global warming and the heat wave patterns would be beyond the scope of an online magazine devoted to the sense of smell, yet its effects have a significant impact on our choosing our personal fragrance when the weather is no more conductive to perfume-wearing than it is to sporting a mink coat and lighting up the fireplace. So what’s to wear when the going gets tough?

There are two schools of thought on this: The first one suggests choosing only the crispest, lightest fragrances, usually based around citrus and fruity notes, which should (supposedly) create a feeling of upbeat euphoria and cleanness amidst the dog days of summer. The other one has a much more laiser faire, nonchalant attitude about it: If you’re anathematizing change, why embrace it in what is such a personal aspect as your own scent? Acolytes of this school of thought carry on with their preferred signature scent/scents regardless of the Fahrenheit and Celsius scales. For all the rest who don’t fall into either group, here are some recommendations for surviving the sultriness of mid-summer.

Scents of crispy audaciousness

• Eau de Gentiane Blanche by Hermès: Currently Eaux seem to be everywhere from Dior s Escale a Pondichéry, Miss Dior Chérie L’Eau and J'adore L Eau Cologne Florale to Cristalle Eau Verte and the instigator of it all Eau de Cologne by Chanel. Still Hermès and Jean Claude Ellena, much like Sinatra (or Sid Vicious, take your pick!) "did it their (own) way" and the magnificently androgynous and distinctive result is taking another direction: a mineral effect of dry white dust and rock as far as the eye can see at dawn before the sun rises.

• Musk Nomade by Annick Goutal: There is a delicate insolence in the vegetable-like musk of this fragrance. Much like No. 18 by Chanel Les Exclusifs, it possesses that quality of appearing prismatic: different from different angles and multi-billowed when in fact it is deceptively simple. Isabelle Doyen worked her magic into producing something that is etched precariously between machine-washed clean and human.

• Cristalle by Chanel: Why go for a typical citrus when you can go one better and opt for a zingy chypre? This enduring classic by Henri Robert has something to recommend it; most people seem to like its cutting through the heat like a saber and it’s got enough pedigree and unisex character in the Eau de Toilette to suit both sexes.

• Eau d'Hermès by Hermès: Not only an eau (classic summer fit), but with citrus and lightly sweaty leather accouterments, this quirky little thing is unknown enough to garner an inquiring sniff around and has the pedigree of perfumer Edmond Roudnitska composing it sometime in the early 1950s. Considering everyone looked as if they were extras in a movie back then, elegance is guaranteed. For men and women.

Scents of deceptive orientalism

• Shalimar Light or Eau de Shalimar by Guerlain: Someone someplace had to invent it; a lemon cupcakes accord over what is essentially the bronziest fragrance in all perfumery, right out of the 1001 Nights. Foregoing the heavy elements, yet still retaining the lovely citrusvanilla-opoponax accord of the original, this modern odalisque can fit into summer wearing like those harem sandals you were planning to wear with your linens trousers. Another version you can try is Shalimar Parfum Initial; light enough to withstand the heat.

• Organza Fleur d’Oranger 2008 Harvest by Givenchy: The popular Organza scent is getting an injection of precious essences that conspire into having you adorn yourself with a big hibiscus behind the ear. Sensual, lush but not heavy, this is an interpretation of a floriental on jasmine, honeysuckle and orange blossom that will have you hankering for more warm days ahead!

• Fille en Aiguilles by Serge Lutens: Caramelized pine needles peek through the Bakelite-beads curtains at some warm place in the eternal south. The newest luminous oriental woody of perfumer Christopher Sheldrake is suited to both men and women and should prove that Lutens creations can be worn in the warmer months as well.

Scents of floral quirkiness 

• Lys Mediterannée by Frederic Malle: Salty seaspraying air lands on big, fat lilies just out of the tiny rural church and you are transported to the Riviera. Perhaps the freshest interpretation of lily on the market without losing character. The effect is akin to strolling along the Saint-Tropez haunts that Brigitte Bardot made famous.

• Tubéreuse Criminelle by Serge Lutens: Inhaling on a Kool-mentholated cigarette seems like the cooling sensation that greets you upon smelling this most unique take on tuberose. After the emanations settle, you’re left with the most polished, silky and quiet tuberose on the market, a smell that is truly panseasonal and could be worn by both sexes.

• Manoumalia by Les Nez: A small wonder by Caledonia perfumer Sandrine Videault, this offering of the independent Swiss brand Les Nez, Pafums d’Auteurs has all the gusto of an olfactory voyage to the South Pacific. Forget touristy Elvis Hawaiian shirts and go native in a composition redolent of earthy grassiness of vetiver under the effluvium of ylang-ylang and tiare that will have everyone in your wake demanding what your fragrance is.

So when faced with the dilemma what can withstand the heat next time, just remember that besides your sarong and sandals you have more options than you thought possible!


post based on a previous article of mine appearing on Sniffapalooza Magazine

photos/stills from film Noz wi wodzie (Knife in the Water) by Roman Polanski (1962) with Leon Niemczyk and Zygmunt Malanowicz, Plein Soleil (1960) with Alain Delon as Thomas Ripley, Evil under the Sun (1982) based on Agatha Christie's novel with Peter Ustinov as Poirot, Maggie Smith, Diana Rigg, Jane Birkin etc.