Bex London "Londoner W1X": fragrance review

Londonder W1x is part of a new line in niche fragrances, Bex London, (and by now you know how I feel about hundreds of new lines coming onto the market, yes?), but let me assuage you: its prettiness is convincing "beyond the retro" and it lacks enough dullness for a contemporary release to warrant a separate review on its own merits. Which is to say, if you want a compliment-getter, read on, because I was inundated with those by all ages and all strata when I wore it myself.

via vintagefashionlondon.co.uk

Bex London, under the steady hand of Rebecca Goswell, its founder, apparently took a page off Bond No.9 and their ~exhausted by now~ concept of segmenting New York City into regions with their own scentscape and transposed it to a new, fresh place with more possibilities, the historic city of London that is; this time more exciting and on-the-pulse thanks to the 2012 Olympics. W1X is indeed inspired by West End and its bohemian atmosphere "where things happen" and is the most "feminine" of the lot smell-wise (the line comprises four unisex-aimed fragrances so far), composed by perfumer Francois Robert.

Though presented as a "neo-vintage" in the official press, this is strictly accurate only if you consider as "modern" the fruity florals and fruit-patchoulis miasma of the mall. W1X is quite forward-thinking in fact, with a very appealing contemporary and distinctly musky floral character that is trailing in the wind when on a generous wearer. If I were to assign it an ideal wearer I'd say it suits younger ladies who want something distinctive, with enough indefinable floralcy in it, which wouldn't clobber them down nevertheless. The sort of wearer that would put a cameo on a pashmina scarf worn over her jeans.
The mere fact that the main alliance of ingredients relies on the slightly metallic, sharpish iris-violet accord with a little bit of rose is indicative that we're dealing with something beyond the same old, same old syrupy sweet that we smell coming & going at any social gathering of 20-something year olds.

Antonio Marras, from the SS 2012 collection

 In W1X the powdery fragrance vibe of iris and violet that we have come to expect from "retro" scents ~reminiscent of pancake powder and lipstick~ is refreshed with a smidgen of white flowers (plus the fresh, eletric pepperiness of freesia as well as the clean, green nuance of lily of the valley which help provide the necessary "air" between the notes, giving the lighter, contemporary feel of the fragrance). Small surprises delight the senses when the fragrance is sprayed in the air: it gains a spicy, cinnamic pepperiness with touches of "round" peachy rosiness underneath (a lactonic warmth), hinting at the traditional ladylike femininity of pink satin scalloped undergarments peeking through a modern chemise like in an Antonio Marras fashion show. However don't let that convince you this is a dramatically evolving melody that will have you thinking about it all day long like vintage perfumes; the tune catches the ear from the start and continues unfazed.

But it is perhaps the fact that the sweetish musk peers through, with the support of indefinable woods and a wink of oakmoss to anchor everything down in an autumnal haze that seals the deal, giving new sense to neo-retro, actually having me perplexed as to which season to ascribe the fragrance to: it's pan-seasonal.

I can't say W1X reinvents the wheel, but I can't deny I'm smiling smelling it; it's the Narciso For Her effect.

Bex London has just launched this past June and their site is still under construction (a very European trait!), so I couldn't really find more information on availability and distribution. What I know is that the fragrance is available as eau de toilette in 100ml bottles going for 81GBP at Les Senteurs and Zuneta in the UK for now. 

In the interests of full disclosure, I sampled this thanks to a PR promo.

A Lady's Guide to Wearing Peoneve by Penhaligon's (or Any Perfume Really!)

A fun, quintessentially British little film, brought to you via the kind people at Penhaligon's a propos their newest fragrance launch for women, Peoneve.

 

Ramon Monegal Mon Patchouly: fragrance review

Mon Patchouly, part of the impressive new Ramón Monegal perfume collection from the former owner & perfumer of Spanish Myrurgia (since swallowed by Puig), straddles the line between woody oriental fragrance and oriental "gourmand", intended for people of either sex persuasion who love soft, rich, deep scents that invite you closer with a delicious Jon Hamm hum rather than proclaim their aggressive intentions with mock bravado. It's patchouli reinvented; traditional, yet new; an overdone fragrance note of the 2000s which here gains a precious, quietly exciting patina.

via http://nowandthan.tumblr.com/post/19390848880

The association with the suave Midwestern actor is reinforced by the subtly retro "masculine cologne" hint ~with its herbal indefinable rosy touch under the musk and woods~ that Mon Patchouly exhibits, further enhanced by the rum & whiskey tonality it gains as it unfolds its dry cocoa powder opening on the skin. It's enough to induce daydreaming of more elegant times, when men were virile and women were femmes. Aside from the phenomenal lasting power of the fragrance on my wrists ~withstanding an entire extended weekend that involved 2 showers, one prolonged sea dip (!) and several hand washings, obviously~ Mon Patchouly is also distinguished by its variability according to the skin it performs on.

On my own feminine skin, this RM perfume sweetens, mollifying the intense gourmand dryness of French roast coffee dregs & cocoa of Borneo 1834 by Serge Lutens. Fans of Montale Boisée Vanille and L'Artisan Havana Vanille/Absolument Vanille might find a similar boozy, darkish, real vanilla pods note hiding; rich and resonant, full of complexity and sub-plots, sometimes the latter even slightly repelling but always compelling. On my significant other's male skin Mon Patchouly dried down more resinous ambery, though not quite the thick, beer-belly-amber we know from elsewhere; I detect a hint of raisin and smoke too which provide contrast, probably revealed by skin Ph magic. The fragrance has the right balance and artistry not to fall into the over-familiarized (Just think, how many sweet amber patchoulis can you name at gun point? This isn't one of them).

The mossier, greener, woodier elements come forth from the back like dark secrets of a life behind closed doors, trysts during lunch break and hushed phone-calls, while still retaining the cigar box elegance and connoisseur complexity. I'm absolutely sure that come autumn and winter, Mon Patchouly will be delegated on the very front of my perfume closet (alongside the more panseasonal marvel Mon Cuir of the RM line which I sport as I write and on which I will write a separate review), its snuggly warmth a comfort for hectic days when its escapist fantasy will consume my commute and daily chores. I just can't fathom how bind-blowing Ramon Monegal's Mon Patchouly will be on a mohair scarf shared between lovers...you'll have to wait for me to divulge in due time!

Bottom line: scrumptious! I'd love to get one of those beautiful inkwell bottles for myself.

Notes for Ramon Monegal Mon Patchouly: Patchouli, olibanum, oakmoss, geranium, jasmine, amber

Available at Luckyscent in eau de parfum concentration.

In the interests of full disclosure, I was sent a sample from the manufacturer.

Dolce & Gabbana pour Femme & pour Homme: fragrance videos

A social media promoted campaign with a new video presentation of the best-selling and (by now classic) fragrances in the Italian brand's portfolio is launched to capture the attention of a new demographic. Naturally, this is will be spread via print later on as well. The aesthetic ~which incidentally captures my own vacation holiday spirit perfectly!~ compliments the autumn-winter 2012 collection campaign look (starring former D&G fragrance face Monica Bellucci, seen here) which capitalizes on Italian (and specifically Sicilian) heritage.

 

 This new black-and-white video stars French model, actress and the Dolce & Gabbana Pour Femme current ambassador Laetitia Casta as she recalls time spent with a lover and debates whether or not to leave everything behind for him. Her love interest is played by American model and actor Noah Mills while the song is “Città Vuota” by Mina. The commercial was shot on location in Sicily, Italy, at the baroque village of Erice and the beach of La Riserva Naturale dello Zingaro by Mario Testino.

According to reportage at Luxury Daily: “Dolce & Gabbana is trying to make the fragrance sexy, provocative and exotic – emphasis on the sexy – to a younger demographic that relies on social media for information about new products, and aspires to the carefree, glamorous and uninhibited life of the characters featured in the video,” said John Casey, founder of Freshfluff, New York [non affiliated with the brand].

And just for the heck of it, for memory's sake, I'm reminding you of the IMHO magnificent Giuseppe Tornatore directed classic commercials (reminiscent of his work at Malena) for the now ~bafflingly~ discontinued aldehydic floral Sicily fragrance by Dolce & Gabbana and the steadier selling duo of Pour Femme and Pour Homme, starring the voluptuous Monica Bellucci circa 1994 (and the chiseled Chistian Monzon for Sicily).

The Smooth, Creamy Scent of SunTan Lotion: From Oils to Perfumes

The languor of sun drenched holidays by the beach, the sea lapping at your feet, tan legs seemingly going for miles against realism (that is the effect of a bit of golden glow for you!), an intriguing book, dog-eared and lying loose on your bare belly button... all these things naturally induce scented thoughts associated with this kind of lazy pastime. The creamy, tropically floral or more edible nuance of suntan lotions and tanning oils reinforces the experience as only sensory experiences that do not engage our rational mind can. Is it any wonder that my sun-dazed mind is buzzing around them like a greedy insect hovering over the golden pollen of a ripe flower? I don't necessarily claim laurels of originality, we all -people with an interest in smells I mean- think of this subject on those occasions, I guess. And is it any wonder that fragrance de croisière remains a popular market trend? There are surely many of us out there, more than initially thought of.

by George Marks, via Getty Images

Much as the reference seems universal, not all suntan lotions and potions are created equal nevertheless. The divide can be cultural: The all American scent of Coppertone is heavy in coconut lactones (such as gamma-Nonalactone), milky-smelling, rich, sometimes overwhelming even, to this Med-born nose. The European equivalent of Ambre Solaire is rich in salicylates, ylang-ylang naturally occurring floral components that translate as tropically floral, sweet, inviting, rather gardenia-leaning. Bain de Soleil is another old brand in the same vein. A suntan product can be ~predictably enough~ exotically laced, as Les Polysianes by Klorane or the Hei-Poa sun oil line attest: Tahitian tiare (the local gardenia steeped in sandalwood & mainly; coconut oil) is at the heart of their creamy, South Isles evocative bouquet, sometimes containing wine lactone or massoia lactone, which have a lighter, creamy coconut odor. Hawaian Tropic is poised somewhere in between: tiare and thicker coconut flesh in some sort of equal balance.

A cursory Google search before embarking on my own holidays while preparing this post a while ago revealed vintage brands I hadn't even heard of before; with funny-sounding names, such as Skol, Gaby, Tartan, Diana or QT, or with outright functional ones such as the 1970s billboard material Sea & Ski products.

yup, that's Renee Russo in 1976 via pzrservices blog, click to enlarge

The transition from tanning product for the body to actual fine perfume can be subtle or bolder, according to who makes it. The perfumers at old-guard Guerlain, for instance, were inspired by the isles "sous le vent" (which also inspired the classical Sous le Vent by Guerlain perfume) as well as their popular cosmetic tan line, the famous Terracotta, for the Terracotta Eau Sous le Vent fragrance mist and its accompanying Huile de Voyager dry oil; these products can compliment your sunscreen to give an illusion of old style tanning preparations now that the sun is frowned upon and we all slather ourselves with SPF 50+. Lys Soleia in the Aqua Alegoria line is Guerlain's newest interpretation of the sun tan lotion European floralcy in all its lily-laced spiciness, while the older Terracotta Voile d'Ete is carnation-spicy and fiery like the sunniest days spent under the Antibes blue skies.

A most refined version is met by parfums Hermes, a vanguard of the "not trying too hard" school of thought; Vanille Galante in the boutique-only Hermessences line is redolent of the vanillic-spicy facets of lily, while Santal Massoia in the same posh line utilizes the lactonic facets of fig leaf and classic sandalwood to render the ambience of beach holidays with a winking helping of suntan lotion in the distance. An unapologetic, no-holds-barred approach in all its coconut & vanilla calorific indulgence on the other hand is Comptoir Sud Pacifique's Vanille Coco: Coppertone till you beg to be released.

Cosmetic line Nuxe had no choice but to follow their super-popular (with celebrities and mere mortals alike) golden-flecked Huile Prodigieuse beautifying oil with a similarly fragranced, dedicated perfume product (L'Eau Prodigieuse); the recreation of holidays at the flick of a sprayer! Nars Monoï Body Glow II also has this suntan lotion scent in its core, a mixture of coconut and Tahitian gardenia that is decidedly tropical.
Bobbi Brown created her Beach fragrance to give a compatible scent to what she felt would go well with her tawny, bronzed makeup collections; the fragrance became a long-lasting cult deservingly, recreating the familiar Coppertone association under a gloomier, more East Coast sky.

photo borrowed from blogdorfgoodman blog

Estee Lauder is no stranger to either makeup or perfume, but it was under the tenure of Tom Ford that the infamous "Bronze Goddess" line was first conceived (Originally under the name Azuree Soleil; there are since MANY updates, so please consult our article on the Azuree Soleil vs.Bronze Goddess scent comparison for detailed info. The latest version for 2012 is Bronze Goddess Soleil).
Dior is a similar example: Though Dior's Dune perfume didn't begin its long career as a suntan evocative scent, but rather a demure, monastic yard by the seafront reminiscent perfume for the 1990s with the bracken hint of broom, it soon expanded its main accord into Dior Sweet Sun (an alcohol-free version of a sun-dried, warm biscuit scent that is close to tanning products in the line with a peachy-apricoty nuance) and of course the alcohol-free flanker Dune Sun, to capitalize on the success of the summery evocative name. They have since launched Escale aux Marquises as another "warm sun and tiare" fragrance, now that the above mentioned lighter concentrations have been discontinued, albeit with different aesthetic results.

via pzrservices blog

Some tanning products have an amber-like sweetness to them, like toasted biscuits, with a slight gingerbread warmth. Lancaster's (another cosmetics line, this time famous for its tanning preparations since the 1960s) ambery Aquasun fragrance is a good substitute of beach holidays in a bottle; the drydown reminds me of the intensity of sunscreen on my skin after I have sat under the intense sun of Sardinia for a while and before leaping into the sea, in a frog-like leap, exhausted by the heat. Obsession for Women by Calvin Klein also reminds me a bit of sun-warmed skin, possibly the evocation of a sun-watched tryst.

Celebrities haven't been immune to the trend: I'm only citing Jennifer Lopez and her Miami Glow with its cute havaianas flip-flops on the neck and its tropical suntan feel of a scent because celebrity perfumes isn't a field I consider myself proficient in, for better or for worse. This one is good enough to wear without any guilt nevertheless.

If you prefer oils, Monyette Paris is a cult reference, girlish and floral with coconut overtones, while their more recent Coquette Tropique is somewhat airier, though it is rather too sweet for my personal taste. Sage Onyx by the same jewelry line designer who makes the trinkets is darker, ambery, with the coconut hidden under the suntan and famously made popular by Kate Beckinsale who pronounced it her husband-luring charm. And if you appreciate a sense of humor, the fragrance library over at Demeter (brain child of perfumer Christopher Brosius) stocks Suntan Lotion fragrance spray; what's more overtly obvious than that?

There are probably hundreds of suntan products that smell delicious enough and accompanying perfumes and scented oils recreating that holiday touch; do YOU have a favorite one?

Related reading on Perfume Shrine: Beauty and the Beachy; beachy fragrances for every style & taste, The Scent of Nivea cream: nostalgic blue-tin reminiscences