Trend Forecast: Autumn-Winter 2013-2014 Fragrance Notes

We're not even into spring yet (and February can be a dreary month to drag on seemingly forever) and the upcoming fragrance releases are shaping into resounding trends.
Seven Scent Ltd. (Manchester, United Kingdom) has released its biannual fine fragrance forecast for the key trends influencing 2013/14 autumn-winter fragrance collections, citing a number of fragrance notes ranging from wood accords to red berries.

via x47.com

 “This season always encourages more intense, heavier, longer lasting fragrances to evoke a feeling of warmth and comfort during the colder months," said Bruce Furlonger, Seven Scent's head of marketing and innovation. "These traditional notes will still be evidence, but we have identified a number of creative fragrance accords which are growing in popularity with consumers and look set to influence direction."

 Based on research into the world of fashion, design and fine fragrance, the company forecasts fragrances that feature:
*Tea accords: a move away from the classic or traditional green tea accords, towards a more unusual, sophisticated and rich fragrance
*Wood accords: the rich spice of oud is softened in a partnership with rose; a classic marriage of materials from middle eastern perfumery
*Leathers and suede: evoking a timeless elegance and quality in masculine scents
*Spices: such as cardamom, cumin and saffron inspired by the Middle East
*Amber: versatile and popular, it adds warmth and blends with oriental spices as well as soft musky notes
*Red berries: rich and dark notes will deliver an autumnal feel

via photosof.org

Sources:  http://www.sevenscent.co.uk./ , http://www.perfumerflavorist.com/fragrance/trends/170980631.html

Etro Rajasthan, Floris Cherry Blossom, Tom Ford Sahara Noir: new fragrances

The newest Etro fragrance in a gloriously paisley-motif presentation that recalls its previous splendor and the regal decoration of Indian textiles, is called Rajasthan and vividly depicts the sumptuousness of a Maharaja's palace.

The fragrance notes of Etro's Rajasthan include lemon combined with rich Damascus rose and yellow mimosa on the top. The heart is reprising the mimosa via acacia farnesiana softened with the rosiness of pink pepper, while the base includes amber, labdanum and white musk.

Available from March 2013 in 100 ml Eau de Parfum.



Floris on the other hand is inspired by Japan and its tradition of sakura and hanami, the blossoming of the cherry tree and the celebrations surrounding it for their latest, Cherry Blossom fragrance.
The fresh, luminous blend of bergamot, orange and pink pepper gives way to the floral bouquet of cherry blossom, osmanthus, rose and peony with a fruity note of cherry. Warm sandalwood and musk finish off the composition.

Cherry Blossom by Floris is available as 100ml eau de parfum.



Tom Ford is augmenting his line of department store available fragrances with Sahara Noir, his newest perfume for women inspired by the Middle East.
This woody oriental is encased in a gold bottle that reprises the design of Black Orchid, Violet Blonde and White Patchouli, this time in gold.

Sahara Noir opens with bitter orange, sweet oasis grasses and Levantine cypress. The heart is composed of frankincense that is offset with cinnamon, Egyptian jamine and Moroccan rose. Sahara Noir finishes with cedar and vanilla tones.The name is inspired by the makeup shades by Tom Ford under the tag Sahara Haze.

via relaxnews.com

According to the Moodie Report: "The oriental woody juice is crafted around a heart of frankincense. This key ingredient is complemented by top notes of cistus essence Orpur® (Orpur denotes a natural ingredient of exceptional quality and purity), bitter orange, Jordanian calamus – an oasis sweet grass – and Levantine cypress, famed for growing in the gardens of the 1001 Arabian Nights.The heart blends frankincense essence Orpur® , cinnamon, cool papyrus extract, Egyptian jasmine templar and rose absolute from Morocco. A beeswax extraction from Burma lends body and a supple, honeyed-animalic richness. The warm dry down is laced with amber. It is formed by a special blend of labdanum – labdanum absolute and a rich natural fraction of labdanum known as ambreinol – combined with benzoin, vanilla, cedar, frankincense resin, agarwood (oud) and balsam."

Launch date is set for March 2013 for the Middle East and May for the rest of the world.

Tom Ford is also launching a new Private Blend soon, more details on which will be revealed as soon as they let me into it.

Prada Infusion d'Iris, Infusion d'Homme, Eau de Parfum Absolue, L'Eau d'Iris: differences between various Infusion d'Iris editions (with pics)

It's not an overstatement to claim that Infusion d'Iris has become the Chanel No.5 reference point of our times; alongside Narciso for Her by Narciso Rodriguez, it has not only garnered the status of a best-selling and well respected "modern classic", but it also has shaped the market via its elegant, sophisticated trail that blurs the line between wearer and added-on fragrance in perfect synchronicity with modern sensibilities. 

The reality of an influential perfume release is that soon a horde of versions, new editions and differing concentrations crop up (much like with the confusing Narciso for Her editions, the Merveilles Hermes perfumes, the Kenzo Flower versions, the Dior J'Adore different editions etc.) to make things slightly harder for the consumer. Which to choose? And which was the one I once bought and loved, again? So here's a small guide into the various editions of the Prada Infusion d'Iris scent up to this point in time. Please note that for the purposes of this exercise I am not including any of the other, programmatically ephemeral Prada Infusion editions (Infusion de Rose, Infusion de Fleurs d'Oranger, Infusion de Vetiver, Infusion de Tubereuse), which you can read on in their own separate entries on the site. 

 

Prada Infusion d'Iris Eau de Parfum (2007)

The original edition. More a warm incense with soapy-powdery notes than a true iris, this Infusion d'Iris is the fragrance that started it all. Almost universally approved and fit for almost any occasion, it is both subtle and definitely present.
Available as 50ml (1.7 fl.oz.), 100ml (3.4 fl.oz.) and 200ml (6.9 fl.oz.) Eau de Parfum. The same composition was issued as pure perfume/extrait de parfum in 3.5ml (0.12 fl.oz.) and 7.5ml (0.26 fl.oz.) sizes. Uniform, rectangular glass bottle with silvery metal tag with the Prada logo. Light green cap reprising the shade of the box.
Notes: Italian mandarin, Tunisian neroli, orange blossom, galbanum, lentisque (mastic), iris, cedar, vetiver, Somalian incense, Laotian benzoin.

Prada Infusion d'Homme Eau de Toilette (2008)
The men's version of Infusion d'Iris seems very similar to the original, a bit tweaked, with less of a powdery aspect.
Same bottle and presentation as the women's eau de parfum, but with Infusion d'Homme written on the box. Available in 50, 100, 200, 400, and 750 ml of Eau de Toilette.
Notes: Tunisian neroli, iris pallida, vetiver, cedar, incense, benzoin.

Prada Infusion d'Iris Eau de Toilette (2010)
A lighter interpretation of the original scent with a pronounced softness and powderiness, "cleaner" floral with even more pronounced soapy nuances and less of sharpness in the opening.
Available in 50, 100 and 200ml of eau de toilette. Uniform, rectangular glass bottle with silvery metal tag with the Prada logo.The glass is frosted, the cap is lighter in shade still, while the box is a rather more vivid green than the Eau de Parfum edition.
Notes: neroli, lily of the valley, violet, iris, heliotrope, galbanum, cedar.

Prada Infusion d'Iris Eau de Parfum Absolue (2012)
A richer, lightly sweeter and more orientalized take on the original eau de parfum edition, although NOT a more concentrated one as the name would imply. Infusion d'Iris Eau de Parfum Absolue is less powdery than the original with a more lady-like character and a hint of leather and baby oil rather than the incense trail of the original.
Available in 50 and 100ml bottles of eau de parfum. The bottle is the same but the metal tag with the Prada logo is in gold, as is the cap.
Notes: Tunisian neroli, orange blossom, Florentine iris, lentisque (mastic), Laotian benzoin, Venezuelan tonka bean, Madagascar vanilla, white musk.

Prada Infusion d'Iris L'Eau d'Iris (spring 2013)
Limited edition, inspired by iris and laurel in the gardens of Tuscany. 100ml of eau de toilette.
The bottle has a green degrade on the bottom which is different than the other uniform editions and the box has white floral designs on the green with the label & Prada heraldry in soft peachy pink, reprised in the cap.
Notes: Moroccan mint, Tunisian neroli, pink laurel, lily of the valley, rose, iris, orange blossom, white musk, woods, vanilla.

All the Infusion d'Iris editions/concentrations have been created by perfumer Daniela Roche Andrier (at Givaudan).

Valentine's Day Fragrance Selection: Scented Duos for Her & for Him

There are some couples you come across that just obviously click; visually as well as instinctively you know from the moment you see them that like a salt & pepper pot duo they're meant to be displayed together. Psychologists tell us that couples who look alike can have a head start in relating to one another.  I don't know if this is the Barbie & Ken conditioning we have been spoon fed since childhood, the rather logical manifestation of common traits that brought people together in the first place (same level of attractiveness, similar tastes, probably analogous socio-economic status) and the equally logical supposition that "a couple" sorta re-invents itself into a single entity, or -in the case of tried & tested couples of some time- a case of "growing up together one gets to look like their dog" (which poses its own delicious problem: who's the dog in that relationship?) The thing is sometimes superficial stuff isn't as superficial as it looks like.

Source: imgfave.com via Shannon on Pinterest

Which nicely brings us into todays' theme:  matching each other's scents for Valentine's Day -or any day beyond. Nothing is more fun than co-ordinating a couple's fragrances, for an occasion or for a special day (or even on a more durable basis, but let's not make this too committed right now). If you have matched in style with your mate during a formal occasion (instead of one showing up in jeans and the other in a floor length gown or one is olives & browns and the other in striking red and black) you know that playing matchy-matchy can be rewarding in photos. Well, fragrance matching can be rewarding in memories, since scent memories are the photos the mind takes in absence of a camera. So here is a small guide with my suggestions for doing just that; creating special memories! I have carefully chosen the fragrances combos to click together in spirit and not clash.

For the purposes of this article the duos are presented (in classic Barbie & Ken fashion, we can't escape!) in  "mood" suggestions for Her and for Him, but gay couples should by no means feel excluded. All the fragrances can be interchangeable and be worn by both sexes.

Source: listal.com via Hannah on Pinterest

Romantic Duo
Amouage Lyric Man and Lyric Woman
I had presented Amouage Lyric Man in my Best Rose Fragrances list previously. The version aimed at women is by no means lesser. Short of the smokier incense note it reprises the loveliness of the masculine version, a rich, nuanced rose that sings melodiously of l'amour!

Guerlain Shalimar Parfum Initial and Guerlain Habit Rouge
The haze of these powdery, soft as a duvet, cuddly as cat's paws scents can only be explained via the romantic references they make to the legendary love affair that inspired the first, classic Shalimar. This recent feminine version is less "tragic love story" and more playful, while still lovely, and the men's version with its opoponax tenderness has always been the "male Shalimar".

Source: oldloves.tumblr.com via Karen on Pinterest

Casual Duo
Cartier Declaration and Eau d'Hermes
The juxtaposition of fresh tonalities to more risque magnetism is effortless. They seem like the first thing that came to mind that morning, but they feel like there is a bred intimacy about them, the familiar scent of someone you know too well not to feel inhibited into showing up in flannels.

Frederic Malle L'Eau d'Hiver and Patricia de Nicolai Kiss me Tender
Heliotrope with its almond-like facets is both a yummy and gloriously innocent, tender note. These two takes are among the very best; an eau chaude for him, a butterfly kiss for her.

Sexy Duo
Serge Lutens Fleurs d'Oranger and Ramon Monegal Mon Cuir
The common thread of a honeyed, dense note of orange blossom is tied to a refined but lush animalic, intimate quality about both scents. They're perfect for a romp between the sheets as they're for a candlelit dinner preceding that.

Victor & Rolf Spicebomb and Tom Ford Tobacco Vanille
The two fragrances share the spicy, sweet tobacco bouquet and project as inviting as a soft mattress someplace with a lit fireplace.

Source: flixster.com via Eliette on Pinterest

Glamorous Duo
Chanel Coromandel and Ramon Monegal Mon Patchouly
The almost chocolate tonality of patchouli is peeking underneath a cluster of amber, balmy notes and fresh accents. They're sumptuous and not at all what you'd associate with patchouli's hippie image.

Source: listal.com via Shannon on Pinterest

Sophisticated Duo
Frederic Malle Dans tes Bras and Geoffrey Beene Grey Flannel
There's something about the scent of violet leaf and violet notes which has a twilight, otherworldly quality to me when done with a restrained hand. They're a bit wistful too, so perfect for those of us who secretly love love stories gone awry.

Source: portraitscollection.tumblr.com via Sezgi on Pinterest

Retro Duo
Yves Saint Laurent Rive Gauche pour Homme and The Different Company Jasmin de Nuit 
A classic nostalgic barbershop scent for him (a prototype fougere). A jasmine with spices reminiscent of fragrances of older times. Star anise at the heart of both. At once sensuous and brainy.


I just realized: all the photos I picked are in black & white. Well, maybe there's something to start contrasts as well. ;-) Happy Valentine's Day to anyone celebrating!

Chemical Communication by Humans: Beyond Pheromones

The concept of being able to communicate emotions & conditions through body smell signals (i.e. signals of a chemical nature, same as other animals), has been at the bottom of lots of research into how humans interact. Pheromones haven't been proven to be a conclusive given yet (though theories abound), but other signals seem to have been at the focus of new research.

via simplovore.com

"To find out, researchers had male subjects watch two movies. One was scary, and the other made viewers feel disgusted. The researchers then collected the participants’ sweat. Female subjects then smelled the sweat, while the scientists recorded their facial expressions. And the women who smelled “fear sweat” actually produced fearful facial expressions. While those who smelled the “disgust sweat” made disgusted faces. The inference is that the chemical compounds impelled the female subjects to remotely experience the same emotions felt by the sweaty males. The study is in the journal Psychological Science." [Jasper H. B. de Groot et al, Chemosignals Communicate Human Emotions]

snippet via Chris Bartelett