Diptyque Le Sablier, 34 Boulevard Saint Germain solid perfume, Do Son Eau de Parfum: new scented products

In staging the sensory and the poetic, Diptyque and Sébastien Servaire present a singular and unique object, coupled with a patented innovation that reinvents the ritual diffusion of perfume inside: le sablier, a device which diffuses home fragrance and resembles... an hourglass.

Priced at 110 euros for 75ml of fragrance, Diptyque's Sablier isn't cheap but it can fit a recharge of the same quantity for 34 euros thereafter. The scent offered is 34 Boulevard Saint Germain, a fresh, green and spicy scent named after the Diptyque address in Paris. The home fragrance comprises atypically green notes, humid moss, crumpled blackcurrant leaves, fig leaves dried in the sun. Spices, as can be felt on the markets of Damascus. English garden flowers,in all their freshness. And finally, woods and balms, rich and dreamy, exotic, milky and comforting. The result? A fragrance that belongs to no olfactory family.
[Let it be said in passing that there is also a Home Fragrance spray in the above mentioned scent for those who prefer the spraying action as well as a hanging on the door knob "perfumed palette".]

 The 34 Boulevard Saint Germain scent is also now offered in a solid perfume form in the by now familiar black canister that all Diptyque solids are offered for using on the skin.

 Additionally, Do Son, a tuberose floral of untypical ethereal character inspired by a resort in Vietnam, is given a new interpretation in Eau de Parfum concentration (and in the new oval shaped bottle design), boosting its longevity and radiance, unfolding tuberose's mystery on a bed of berries and flowers.

 [news via Diptyque with comments by me]

The winner of the draw...

...for the package of assorted samples is none other than Michael (posting at 11:36). Please email me, using the Contact, with your shipping data so I can have this in the mail for you soon.

Thanks everyone for your enthusiastic participation and the kind words for the work on this site, rest assured I have taken notice of your requests for upcoming articles and please stay tuned for the next giveaway soon!

Perfume Quotes: "You have to feel like it's your own skin sweating perfume"

"There (should be) space between you and your perfume. It shouldn't be obnoxious and it should blend in a way that it almost gives you the feeling that it's your own skin that smells that way. I think that the intimacy between your perfume and your skin is very important. I envision my perfume of being, in a way, a no make-up make-up concept. You have to feel like it's your own skin sweating perfume. I love that idea." [It personally reminds me of concubines being fed raw musk to emit a pleasant scent when caressed in the distant past and of the swallowable perfume pill launched recently]

 Thus describes perfumer Francis Kurkdjian the two-plonged affair between perfume and wearer, a propos his newest perfume duo under Maison Francis Kurkdjian, Amyris for Women and Amyris for Men, disputing another famous perfume quote in the process too: "(Coco) Chanel used to say that you could put perfume wherever you want to be kissed. It doesn't work; I have tried. It gives a nasty taste when you eat perfume and it's the most horrible thing ever. No one wants to be kissed that way. I love to quote her sometimes but not that. Instead, put it next to where you want to be kissed."

Related reading on Perfume Shrine: Perfume Quotes 

[quote source] [pic source]

Robert Piguet Petit Fracas: new fragrance (1st Fracas flanker) & The Pacific Collection trio

The year was 1947. Perfume maverick Germaine Cellier created Fracas, the landmark tuberose perfume against which all others are measured up to till this day. In 1999, Fashion Fragrances & Cosmetics, current owner of the Piguet fragrances liecence, enlisted perfumer Aurelien Guichard to re-introduce Fracas on the modern market after a fallow period, with a slight reformulation, working on the original formula.

The legendary white floral is now accompanied by its first flanker for the first time, Petit Fracas, a lighter, more youthful interpretation of the 1999 reformulation with cocoa. Aurelien Guichard is the nose again.
Notes for Robert Piguet Petit Fracas: Bergamot, mandarin, pear,jasmine, tuberose, gardenia, musk, sandalwood and cocoa.  Petit Fracas will be available in September 2012, 100ml/$150.

The same perfumer also developed a trio of scents called The Pacific Collection according to The Perfume Magazine, named Blossom, Chai and Jeunesse. Please consult the link for more info as well as the official Piguet website (linked through the banner above).

[info via Robert Piguet press, release rephrased by me, first to report was The Perfume Magazine]

 Tuberose plus chocolate? Stuff of dreams or nightmares. We'll see...

Chanel Les Exclusifs Fresh Body Cream: new scented product for layering

"Subtly scented to flatter any fragrance in the LES EXCLUSIFS Collection, this exquisitely soft, light cream envelops the skin with pure luxury. The sumptuous cream is perfect for layering, for the ultimate LES EXCLUSIFS experience. Presented in a beautiful coffret."

This is the official presentation by Chanel of their latest fragrant offering: a Fresh Body Cream to layer with any of the Les Exclusifs fragrances in the Chanel perfumes line. [Available right now on their US site; It's interesting to note the French appellation bypasses the pitfall of calling it Crème fraîche, i.e. culinary "fresh cream". Or perhaps the need for "freshness" in body cosmetics is only necessary for Anglo-Saxon speaking audiences? At any rate, an interesting tidbit observed here, don't you agree?]

The description makes me feel it's a neutral enough body cream ~and thus not particularly scented enough~ to go well with just any of the diverse fragrances in the Chanel boutique line. At 130$ a pop for 150 gr., it's a posh option for layering some moisture and lipids on the epidermis to extend your perfume making it last longer.

Specialized body creams to anchor scent in posh brand exclusive-boutique fragrance lines might become a trend: See last season's Guerlain Delice de Peau reviewed here. 

Related reading on Perfume Shrine: the newest fragrance by Chanel, Coco Noir and Chanel news & reviews