Magical Fragrances

"Un bon son brut pour les truands" by IAM greets the viewer upon setting eyes on this amazing, impossing commercial for a classic fragrance of the late 1970s.



In the process we get a sense of how "black magic" transforms via an elixir of scented alchemy ...like Magie Noire by Lancome.

So, on the subject of "magical" fragrances, those which have the power to transform things around you, people's reactions, people's perceptions and ultimately your thoughts, which are your favourites?

EnVoyage Perfumes Giveaway

EnVoyage Perfumes has just launched a new all natural collection, the Rubicon Collection, featuring L’Emblem Rouge eau de parfum and L’eau de Emblem Rouge matching perfumed water. We have one roll-on of the former and one mini-spray of the latter for 2 lucky readers. Please state your interest in the comments.
Prizes are free for US residents, but winner should shoulder postage costs if outside the US (sent directly by the company). Draw will remain open till Monday 26th midnight.

The first fragrance of the series,  l’Emblem Rouge,  and it’s accompanying perfumed water (hydrosol),  l’Eau de Emblem Rouge,  are a collaboration by EnVoyage perfumer Shelley Waddington and master distiller Dabney Rose.   L’Emblem Rouge, composed by  perfumer Shelley Waddington, is a lush rose soliflore based on organic Iranian rose otto.

Top Notes:  Cassie, Mace, Cinnamon, Bitter Orange, Juicy Grapefruit, Green Pepper, Iranian galbanum, Violet, and Cistus
Heart Notes:   Iranian Rose Otto, Ylang-Ylang, Heliotrope,  French Jasmine sambac, Violet, and Honey
Base Notes:  Guaiacwood, Sandalwood, Copaiba, Vetiver, Cedarwood Virginia, Tolu Balsam, Benzoin Siam,   Tonka, Vanilla and Ambergris.


Designed to pair with the perfume is  L’Eau de Emblem Rouge.  Distilled from the perfume and additional rose petals by Master Distiller Dabney Rose, this perfumed water is a light and lovely fragrance to spritz on bed linen and lingerie.   L’Eau de Emblem Rouge also fulfills the famed function of traditional rose water that is greatly nourishing for the face and hair.  It additionally acts to refresh the perfume.

Emily Blunt: New Face for YSL Opium

British actress Emily Blunt's new addiction has a loaded name: Opium. The iconic fragrance, that is. Emily Blunt will be the new face of Opium for Yves Saint Laurent, following in the footsteps of Jerry Hall, Linda Evangelista, Sophie Dahl, and numerous less well-known models. I don't know...there's something about miss Blunt, which I find petulant, despite her acting credentials. Is that the character she embodied on Devil Wears Prada was so and that image has stuck? Is that that I expect someone fiery and determined, apart from just hip and likeable, for Opium? A bit of both, perhaps. Though now that Opium has been surgically given a facelift (and given a flanker/ sister) to make it more "eternally likeable" things are just not the same anymore.

"Opium embraces the whole history and values of our house", said Renaud de Lesquen, president of YSL & Designer Brands. The new campaign will apparently "unveil a fiery, almost reckless woman with magnetic seduction, that nobody or nothing can resist". Blunt worked with photographers Romain Gavras and Patrick Demarchelier on the campaign, which airs in October. According to her statement: "I am very honoured to have been chosen to be the face of Opium. It is really exciting to embody a fragrance which has stood the test of time without its allure ever being diminished".

At any rate, I can't pronounce a judgment like usual until the official advertisements come forth. We will keep you updated!

Here is a teaser:


What do YOU think?

Back from the Dead: A Creamy Floral Many Loved

It's always a bummer having a favourite getting discontinued, be it a make-up item or a particular accessory (or even foodstuff you used to munch on) but when it comes to fragrances, people get peeved even more. Maybe because the bond with perfume is an intimate one and one's signature scent can be precious.

For all those who had lamented the demise of Stila's fragrance Crème Bouquet, the definition of a creamy, sweet & fluffy floral, rejoice: The 1.7oz/50ml bottle is back again on the official website of Stila for 40$US.

Roxana Illuminated Perfume: To Bee or not to Bee?

The resounding answer to above question is to Bee, all the more so since bees are a reminder of the endless circle of existence and renewal in nature. Because To Bee is that unusual thing in our days: a holistic fragrance inspired by the perfumer's own apiology experiences. When was the last time you heard that? Vaguely referenced in Moss Breches by Tom Ford, but I doubt very much mr.Ford has ever ventured really close to a bee hive, let alone tended his own pet bees. Yet this is exactly what Roxana has been doing, chronicling her efforts on her journal.

To Bee is emblematic of the warm, musky scent of the hive. Indeed, few animalic scents are naturally available these days, due to ethical concerns on the treatment of animals (see Musk deer) and increasing concerns on the sustainability of those which come from cruelty-free sources (ambergris is truly scarce).
Lusty basenotes have been crafted into a series of accords with spice and clover. The result is a delicious inviting aroma at once sweetly impassioned and steadfast.



Smelling To Bee I find myself lulled into a childhood reverie of sipping honey-laced smoky tea in the evenings, on the cusp of summer entering into autumn, when the gardens were getting duskier and duskier by the day and the approaching chill of the night made its appearence like an owl fluffing its feathers upon awakening. The dark colour of the liquid in To Bee somehow cements this impression; boozy, nuanced sweetness creeps underneath the smoky muskiness (coming from mimosa absolute, an intimate and at the same time staggeringly beautiful aroma) creating a mysterious, resinous trail which is not entirely about honey, but so much more. Those who are averse to plainly sweet, foody fragrances will find a nuanced scent to transition them into the harvest delights of autumn.

The synergy for the perfume is made with: essential oils, c02 extracts and absolutes (Resins, Wood, Spice, Mimosa, Sweet Clover Absolute and Beeswax Absolute) with many of the perfumer's own unique accords in a base of tinctured and infused honey comb from local bee rescues in Los Angeles.The best surprise is probably that unlike many other natural perfumes, this one, thanks to the resinous basenotes and the beeswax, lasts quite well.

To Bee is available both as a liquid and solid perfume. Find samples, perfume lockets, compacts and flacons at Roxana's E-shop


imagery ©RoxanaVilla, used by permission
In the interests of disclosure, a sample was sent directly from the perfumer.