Breaking News: Silk Scarves Signed by Serge Lutens

The maestro of Palais Royal forays into the the realm of style with his introductory 2 silk scarves (foulards) which have just been launched.

Constructivisme foulard en soie Serge Lutens

In two characteristic designs recalling familiar styles of either Russian Constructivism or Motifs Berberes inspired by the culture of Morocco they're available for purchase on the online boutique for 350€ each. Signed Serge Lutens!
Each headscarf is handcrafted in Japan from the finest silks using the chidori maki technique to ensure a perfect finish. Limited series for each collection.

Signes Berberes foulard en soie Serge Lutens

Reader's Mail: Suggest a Beautiful, High Class, Uncommon Perfume

Sweet husbands are worth their weight in gold. One of them, Ronald, wants to surprise his wife with a beautiful, high class smelling new perfume. He gives me a couple of pointers to work with: she likes Alien by Thierry Mugler, has liked the original Miss Dior Cherie eau de parfum and uses Tommy Girl for casual daytime.  Not bad; a perfume expert can work with these guidelines.

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I imagined the wife as a fashionable, but not too trendy, woman who enjoys a decent silk scarf and grainy leather handbag when she sees them, and has a mildly sweet tooth in what concerns fragrances. Without making Ronald jump through hoops I suggested the following rich-smelling and quite classy fumes.

First of all since she's already familiar with the prolific Thierry Mugler brand, why not upgrade to the truly gorgeous Thierry Mugler Alien Essence Absolue? It retains the jasmine and amber scent of the original Alien, and is not miles away in concept, but adds a soft luxurious undercurrent of resinous myrrh, orris and a leathery scent impression which nudges it into true luxury; the difference between an Hermes purse and a Coach one...

Next came the following recommendations I made.

Staying in the Mugler universe, there's Mirroir des Envies; still sweetish but classy and with a jasmine-y heart. Quite uncommon too!

Sarrasins perfume by Serge Lutens is jasmine scent heaven. The scarcity is also a plus in this instance. Not to mention it even has a soft fruity hint via osmanthus.

Exploring the jasmine and white floral theme with a cocoa-vanilla overlay: Christian Dior  Pure Poison Elixir. Less common than the original Pure Poison and a tad softer too.

On the subject of white chocolate (and the patchouli hinted at by her like for Miss Dior Cherie), I suggest the perennial classy favorite Chanel Les Exclusifs Coromandel. Drop dead gorgeous!

If a fruitchouli is considered, then Badgley Mischka eau de parfum is a good option, classier than most in the genre and not well known in order to smell herself coming and going.

Finally, for daytime, because a girl needs a clean floral sometimes, I went off the beaten track and suggested the ethereal Le Cheuvrefeuille by Annick Goutal. She might also like Gelsomino Nobile by Acqua di Parma. 

What do you think? What would you suggest he surprises her with? 

Polly Bergen TorTue: vintage fragrance

Sometimes what had been filed under "tidbits" in my mind resurges thanks to the unending stimulation that my readers provide. Jean, one of my favorite people in Perfume Shrine's elite readership, pointed out that a "tortue" perfume was advertised by Polly Bergen.

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Indeed it is so. 

The American actress Polly Bergen, best known for her role in the original Cape Fear movie, founded the Polly Bergen Company which sold cosmetics in 1965. The concept and catchy marketing pitch was the inclusion of turtle oil (the snail mucus of yesterday I assume). Hence the name Tor Tue (turtle in French, please note the parted writing which looks fetching on the actual product label) for her first perfume, introduced in 1973. The scent came in a tubular shaped spray perfume bottle with either a silver metal colored cap or a deepest brown one. The label was deep brown itself, lined in silver, to reflect a upmarket interpretation of the tortoise scheme, I presume.
There are also specimens of rounded bottles with a dark navy round cap, resembling the Lanvin Clair de Jour fragrance minis. Same glass manufacturer obviously, mass market mould. 

The ambery color of the juice accurately reflects the heavyweight feeling of the scent, full bodied and not conceding to modernities of the times, even if not the fragrance family in which it technically falls. From what I recall from a tiny sample a fellow collector had once shared generously out of her own derelict little bottle, Tortue is a chypre fragrance with fresher top notes of hesperides which had unluckily degraded over time leaving a rather resinous feel (I seem to detect myrrh and vetiver in the mix). The mossier elements made it a classy perfume-y scent , something to wear with tweet suits or gabardine pants and a twin set, which lovers of vintage often hanker after. 

Seeing as the prices on auction sites and collectors' sites are extremely friendly (due to low demand I wager) it's not a risk investing in a bottle or mini of TorTue by Polly Bergen.

The Great White Shark in Plain Sight

The sleek contours of Clinique's Aromatics in White had just been the stepping stone; the trigger that pushed the thought bullet into motion spinning through my brain. White shone everywhere. White shone blindingly.
I was sitting on something that was staring me -unlike the big white shark- straight in the eye.

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White code is now a specific meaning in contemporary perfumes of the last couple of years or so. Without breaking with the "white floral" world of feminine and pretty fragrances it touches on a smooth unisex abstractedness at once eerily close to polishedness and to blandness.

My article which came out of this train of thought aided by observation appears on Fragrantica as "The Great White Code". You can reach it on the link for more info touching on white tobacco and cuir blanc (white leather) as well as white musk and the impossibility of opaqueness in white perfumery.
You're welcome to comment here or there of course!

Acne "Rita" motorcycle jacket in white leather

You might also want to check out my previous Perfume Shrine article The Truth about Patchouli Chypres or Floral Patchoulis which discusses some of the perfumes which appear in the "white code".

The winners of the draw...

...for the 5 Aedes samples sets are:
Droneclone
Kokorico JP
Birte
Mandarin90 
and JanieK

Winners please email me with your shipping data using Contact so I can have these out to you soon. Your email should have AEDES DRAW in the title and your username in the body of the mail.  Thanks everyone for the enthusiastic participation and till the next one!