The winner of the draw…

…for the preview decant of Tralala is MariaKoph9. Congratulations and please email me with your shipping data using Contact so I can arrange this getting to you in the mail.

Thanks everyone for the enthusiastic participation and till the next one! :)

Penhaligon's Tralala: Win an Exclusive Preview Decant of the Latest Fragrance Launch

Tralala by Penhaligon's, which we announced on these pages (where we posted the fragrance notes) a few days ago, was presented in London  the other day and yours truly managed to get her little paws on some preview juice. [Yeah!] So yes, you know what that means, one lucky winner gets free perfume that hasn't even hit the stores yet (and will actually hit them in May, so wow!)! To enter the draw, leave a comment on this post; draw is open internationally till Sunday midnight and winner will be announced on Monday.

gap by ssilence on deviantart.com (via Pinterest)

So…Tralala by Penhaligon's and eccentric fashion duo Meadham Kirchhoff, aka the latest fragrant opus by the British niche brand. It presented two major stumbling blocks for me, when I first heart about it. Luckily I was able to sample it in real time and see whether my qualms were founded in reality or they were a figment of my imagination. I wrote a full review on the scent for Fragrantica which you can find on this link. [You're welcome to comment either  here or there on it.]

Tralala will launch exclusively at Harvey Nichols on April 21 and at Penhaligon's boutiques and at www.penhaligons.com on May 5, priced at £150.

Parfumerie Generale Isparta 26: new fragrance

“Rose is sent to earth by the gardeners of paradise for empowering the mind and the eye of the spirit.”
~Rumi

Such must have been the thoughts of perfumer Pierre Guillaume who chose the summery rose of Isparta, in the Anatolian plateau, in Turkey, to infuse his latest fragrance offering, offered in the midst of this harsh winter. Poised between chypre and oriental, the new opus is tagged Isparta 26 and incorporates mysterious resins and an animalic base over the sweet lightly spicy floralcy of the prized Isparta rose.

Fragrance notes for Parfumerie Generale Isparta 26 : Red Berries , Rose of Summer Isparta , Balsam of Peru , Calamus , Patchouli, Frankincense, Benzoin, Agar wood , Ambroxan , Moss

Aqua Allegoria Limon Verde: When Guerlain Looked Towards Brazil (new fragrance)

The fact that Brazil is an emerging market for perfume companies is no big news to readers of this blog.  We have noted the phenomenon for some time, with niche perfumeries taking an interest in the country of Pele, favelas and endless beaches (see Batucada by L'Artisan Parfumeur for instance) as well as more mainstream luxury houses, such as Dior with their Escale sub-line. Now another European house of pedigree, the French Guerlain, joins them with a new fragrance in their light-hearted declination, the Guerlain Aqua Allegoria line.

Limon Verde ( limón verde refers to lime and literally translates as "green lemon") is inspired by the refreshing note prominent in the national "drink" of Brazil, the Caipirinha, which routinely includes lime alongside sugar cane liquor and sugar. House perfumer Thierry Wasser married this Caipirinha accord with lime to a tropical green accord, fig and tonka bean for some tenacity in the new Guerlain eau de toilette.

Brazilians are not very far removed from the Mediterranean concept of a refreshing splash as a much needed pick-me-up in the hot throe of a summer spent under an unrelenting sun, where fragrance isn't seen a weapon of seduction as it is seen as a necessary sensual pleasure out of life that pertains to all sexes and all ages. In that spirit Guerlain can't do wrong.

It remains to be seen whether the local market will view it as homage to their "emblematic" lime cocktail note or they will use it as an effortless casual splash to be enjoyed all summer long. If you want to get a taste of what "clicks" for that particular market (which please note places a very high tax on all "western" luxury products and has very little "niche" infiltration so far, you can see the Best Seller perfumes list for Brazil for 2011-2012. )
Usually perfumes "inspired" by specific cultures necessarily bypass some elements to appeal to a wider audience, which is got to be true in the case of Limon Verde as well, seeing as it will come to North American and European markets.

Limon Verde by Guerlain's Aqua Allegoria line is launching internationally in spring 2014.

Esxence: the art perfumery's event for 2014

Like every March in the last 5 years and counting, Esxence: The Scent of Excellence is taking over Milan for the 6th edition of the art perfumery event during which creators, perfumers, distributors, critics and perfume lovers alike will be participating into the biggest exhibition this side of the Atlantic this spring. The event will space itself during 3 days, from March 20th till March 23rd, Thursday to Saturday from 10:30am to 6:30pm and on Sunday from 10:30am till 4:30pm at the Triennale di Milano.

The official site can be accessed here and full list of exhibitors can be seen on this link. Exhibitors interested in participating need to apply using this form, while journalists can download their invitation for attending on this link.

Surely an event not to miss, Esxence will be the meeting place for all the brands who excel at niche perfumery. Catch you there!