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Saturday, December 17, 2011
Lemon Cloud dessert, enhanced by lemon & bergamot fragrance, by chef Joredi Roca
Jordi Roca is the youngest of the Roca brothers, owners of Celler de Can Roca, one of the best restaurants in Spain. He is the pastry chef, and his desserts based on popular fragances like Eternity, Tresor or Carolina Herrera are famous.
Lemon Cloud is now a stand-alone fragrance available online, inspired by his depicted dessert!
Friday, December 16, 2011
Cartier news: Baiser Vole new extrait de parfum & Le Baiser du Dragon discontinued
The quite lovely Baiser Volé by Cartier is now coming in an extrait de parfum concentration for the ultimate experience of immersing your head in a fresh,green lily bouquet.
Among the prettiest (if not most exciting) releases of 2011, Baiser Volé is now more concentrated in order to cater for indulging our posh genome. The new bottle is shaped like a metal lighter, continuing the tradition of Cartier which began with Must de Cartier (1981).
You can read a review of Baiser Volé on this link and information on lily fragrances on this one.You can find a guide into perfume concentrations on this link.
On the other hand, Le Baiser du Dragon, a sumptuous and hold-no-prisoners oriental from 2003 with bitter almond/amaretto notes and jasmine-gardenia in the heart, is getting discontinued. The reason offered is a desire to focus on the more upscale Les Heures de Parfum line in the Cartier portfolio, developed by in-house perfumer Mathilde Laurent.Odd decision, given that the gorgeous name (which translates as Kiss of the Dragon) is used in an orientalised motif inspired jewelry line of the historical house.
It's hard to think the recalibrated focus is the only reason, as Délices de Cartier, So Pretty and several flankers on L'Eau de Cartier still are included in the Cartier portfolio, as strongly as ever. We can hypothesize that slower sales than anticipated thanks to the changing zeitgeist have something to do with it (Le Baiser du Dragon shares the fate of similarly smelling Kenzo's Jungle L'Elephant, if so) or possibly restrictions on some or other ingredient making it impossible to recompose satisfactorily (doubtful). Or perhaps a desire to break loose with the old and establish a new identity with nose Laurent on the helm (naturally Déclaration by Jean Claude Ellena is safe, as it's the biggest Cartier seller by several miles).
Among the prettiest (if not most exciting) releases of 2011, Baiser Volé is now more concentrated in order to cater for indulging our posh genome. The new bottle is shaped like a metal lighter, continuing the tradition of Cartier which began with Must de Cartier (1981).
You can read a review of Baiser Volé on this link and information on lily fragrances on this one.You can find a guide into perfume concentrations on this link.
It's hard to think the recalibrated focus is the only reason, as Délices de Cartier, So Pretty and several flankers on L'Eau de Cartier still are included in the Cartier portfolio, as strongly as ever. We can hypothesize that slower sales than anticipated thanks to the changing zeitgeist have something to do with it (Le Baiser du Dragon shares the fate of similarly smelling Kenzo's Jungle L'Elephant, if so) or possibly restrictions on some or other ingredient making it impossible to recompose satisfactorily (doubtful). Or perhaps a desire to break loose with the old and establish a new identity with nose Laurent on the helm (naturally Déclaration by Jean Claude Ellena is safe, as it's the biggest Cartier seller by several miles).
Vintage Perfume Bottle Sale
The Perfume Bottle Sale
17th December 2011
Auction Atrium
97C and 101B Kensington Church Street, London W8, UK
London online auctioneers Auction Atrium will be selling a single owner part collection of vintage perfume bottles and related ephemera in their specialist online auction which commences at 3pm on Saturday 17th December 2011
The collection comprises a diverse and stylish selection of vintage scent bottles by the major perfume houses from the 1920’s to the 1980’s including Worth, Schiaparelli, Coty, Guerlain and Chanel, many with original contents and packaging and by the major glass manufactures of the day including Lalique and Baccarat, together with related magazine advertisements and ephemera.
With estimates starting from £30 up to £700, the bidding closes from 3pm on Saturday afternoon. The lots can be viewed on online by going to www.auctionatrium.com and clicking on ‘The Perfume Bottle Sale’.
Viewing takes place at our Kensington showrooms situated at 97C Kensington Church Street, London W8, Thursday 10am-6pm, Friday 10am-6pm and Saturday 11pm till 3pm (after 3pm by arrangement)
If you have any enquiries or questions you can contact on 0207 792 9020
info via press release
17th December 2011
Auction Atrium
97C and 101B Kensington Church Street, London W8, UK
London online auctioneers Auction Atrium will be selling a single owner part collection of vintage perfume bottles and related ephemera in their specialist online auction which commences at 3pm on Saturday 17th December 2011
The collection comprises a diverse and stylish selection of vintage scent bottles by the major perfume houses from the 1920’s to the 1980’s including Worth, Schiaparelli, Coty, Guerlain and Chanel, many with original contents and packaging and by the major glass manufactures of the day including Lalique and Baccarat, together with related magazine advertisements and ephemera.
With estimates starting from £30 up to £700, the bidding closes from 3pm on Saturday afternoon. The lots can be viewed on online by going to www.auctionatrium.com and clicking on ‘The Perfume Bottle Sale’.
Viewing takes place at our Kensington showrooms situated at 97C Kensington Church Street, London W8, Thursday 10am-6pm, Friday 10am-6pm and Saturday 11pm till 3pm (after 3pm by arrangement)
If you have any enquiries or questions you can contact on 0207 792 9020
info via press release
Diane by Diane von Furstenberg: fragrance review
The masstige in mainstream fragrances by famous designers these days is such that expectations have hit an all-time rock bottom: Rarely does a perfume enthusiast come upon a fragrance that defies both the lowered budget and the detrimental focus group admonishments for the lowest common denominator invariably resulting in dull, lackluster compositions with as much excitement as watching paint dry (See Chanel's No.19 Eau Poudré; or even worse Chance Eau Tendre, which might be shampoo for all you know. Also Yves Saint Laurent's technically-challenged Belle d'Opium).
My friend Gaia, the Non Blonde summed it up well: "the perfume, Diane, is a mass-market/designer perfume. It's created to appeal to first and foremost to the non fragonerd crowd, to sell by the bucket and end up heavily discounted on every online retailer website. Rarely the stuff dreams are made of."
Nevertheless, on some occasions perfumers working in the mainstream do manage to create something quite good (see Elie Saab Le Parfum, Baiser Volé by Cartier, Prada Candy perfume or Love,Chloé) or even go above and beyond the call of duty (see the stupendously wonderful Bottega Veneta Eau de Parfum, though to be fair this one had probably as much attention to detail given to as an art restoration on a Vermeer); to mention only 2011 releases.
Diane by Diane von Furstenberg is rather in the former category; it lacks that above and beyond element to make it into the great ones, but this shouldn't deter you from sampling or receiving as a Christmas gift with relative pleasure. It's easy to expect something as intensely feminine in a devil-may-care attitude that maps its own trajectory as its famous designer stood for: the von Furstenberg wrap dresses especially are the epitome of "smart woman on the go who hasn't forgotten her pudenda at home". This is not quite it, but it's not totally traitorous either.
For Diane the fragrance perfumer Aurelien Guichard created an old-school feminine violet composition that goes for a very long-lasting clean and woody ambience, reminiscent of retro bath products; not quite as spectacular as Furstenberg's fashions, you might say. But brownie points for not going for the easy route of too sweet, too fruity (thankfully Diane doesn't like fruity fragrances), too air-headed, too fleeting... Diane is a real fragrance, ladylike, to be best appreciated probably by the high-street consumer who has not totally lost the concept of what perfume is: a manufactured, non photorealistic impression of something in the artist's mind (that something usually is your dessert spilled on your favourite dress these days, so hallelujah for this small favour in Diane).
Additionally, violet scents are becoming trendy again, after their first resurgence when niche perfumery first erupted into the scene a decade ago. It probably signals a mini comeback of class and restraint, after the atrocities of bosom-spilling & visible thongs over one's jeans fashions. Witness Tom Ford's Violet Blonde (chosen to be distributed in the mainstream line rather than the Tom Ford Privé one), or Love, Chloé, both this very season's releases. Hardly tramp stuff.
In Diane Eau de Parfum especially the treatment of ionones (these are the molecules that give that violet, retro scent) via a clean incense note of great dryness deducts the usually candied take that the note takes and thus, instead of intense "powdery", the formula is twisted on its axis to go for a "soapy scent". The woodiness, provided by that fractionalized patchouli that makes the rounds in hundreds of modern releases, is well tempered, pleasant, even with a hint to chypré coolness. I also detect clean musks radiating from the blotter and sticking on the skin with their tenacious tentacles.
Likable and very wearable, just not remarkable enough. Decent, non air-headed bottle.
Notes for Diane by Diane von Furstenberg: frangipani, violet, patchouli, myrrh, and musk.
Diane by Diane von Furstenberg ($85 for 50ml/1.7 oz of eau de parfum, there is also an eau de toilette version which is lighter & "simpler" in texture) is available at Sephora (online too)
Pic: Princess Diane von Furstenberg and writter Alain Elkann photographed by Helmut Newton
Nevertheless, on some occasions perfumers working in the mainstream do manage to create something quite good (see Elie Saab Le Parfum, Baiser Volé by Cartier, Prada Candy perfume or Love,Chloé) or even go above and beyond the call of duty (see the stupendously wonderful Bottega Veneta Eau de Parfum, though to be fair this one had probably as much attention to detail given to as an art restoration on a Vermeer); to mention only 2011 releases.
Diane by Diane von Furstenberg is rather in the former category; it lacks that above and beyond element to make it into the great ones, but this shouldn't deter you from sampling or receiving as a Christmas gift with relative pleasure. It's easy to expect something as intensely feminine in a devil-may-care attitude that maps its own trajectory as its famous designer stood for: the von Furstenberg wrap dresses especially are the epitome of "smart woman on the go who hasn't forgotten her pudenda at home". This is not quite it, but it's not totally traitorous either.
For Diane the fragrance perfumer Aurelien Guichard created an old-school feminine violet composition that goes for a very long-lasting clean and woody ambience, reminiscent of retro bath products; not quite as spectacular as Furstenberg's fashions, you might say. But brownie points for not going for the easy route of too sweet, too fruity (thankfully Diane doesn't like fruity fragrances), too air-headed, too fleeting... Diane is a real fragrance, ladylike, to be best appreciated probably by the high-street consumer who has not totally lost the concept of what perfume is: a manufactured, non photorealistic impression of something in the artist's mind (that something usually is your dessert spilled on your favourite dress these days, so hallelujah for this small favour in Diane).
Additionally, violet scents are becoming trendy again, after their first resurgence when niche perfumery first erupted into the scene a decade ago. It probably signals a mini comeback of class and restraint, after the atrocities of bosom-spilling & visible thongs over one's jeans fashions. Witness Tom Ford's Violet Blonde (chosen to be distributed in the mainstream line rather than the Tom Ford Privé one), or Love, Chloé, both this very season's releases. Hardly tramp stuff.
In Diane Eau de Parfum especially the treatment of ionones (these are the molecules that give that violet, retro scent) via a clean incense note of great dryness deducts the usually candied take that the note takes and thus, instead of intense "powdery", the formula is twisted on its axis to go for a "soapy scent". The woodiness, provided by that fractionalized patchouli that makes the rounds in hundreds of modern releases, is well tempered, pleasant, even with a hint to chypré coolness. I also detect clean musks radiating from the blotter and sticking on the skin with their tenacious tentacles.
Likable and very wearable, just not remarkable enough. Decent, non air-headed bottle.
Notes for Diane by Diane von Furstenberg: frangipani, violet, patchouli, myrrh, and musk.
Diane by Diane von Furstenberg ($85 for 50ml/1.7 oz of eau de parfum, there is also an eau de toilette version which is lighter & "simpler" in texture) is available at Sephora (online too)
Pic: Princess Diane von Furstenberg and writter Alain Elkann photographed by Helmut Newton
Top 10 Most-read Fragrance & Flavor Stories of 2011
P&F magazine (Perfumer & Flavorist magazine) has a neat list of the top 10 most-read stories on the subject, ranked by unique page views, providing a picture of what the industry read and took an interest to this year. Follow the links to read the articles on P&F.
- Kerry In Talks to Acquire Cargill Flavor Systems
- Firmenich Inaugurates New Grasse Naturals Facility
- Flavorists Featured on 60 Minutes
- Takasago Purchases Brazilian F&F Facility
- Cavallier to Become In-house Louis Vuitton Perfumer
- Frutarom Acquires Aromco
- Wild Acquires Assets from A.M. Todd
- IFF Teams with Evolva
- IFF to Expand Flavor Encapsulation Program in UK
- Symrise Expands in Singapore
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