Andy Tauer Orange Star: fragrance review & draw

The newest Andy Tauer fragrance, Orange Star, is based on his previous soap-making for Christmas-giving for which he produced Mandarins Ambrées, a lovely, yummy concoction of mandarin and clementine essences steeped into ambregris tincture (or so it seemed to me). Rest assured that if you liked that soap (I did), you'll love the fragrance too!

Andy had written on his blog about that soap back in November 2007: "It took me a while and quite some fiddling around to get this ambergris hint, the little woody vibrant touch that I wanted to be there, lifting the green mandarins without transforming the bathroom into Givaudan’s Okoumal* production facility. In a sense, the ambergris line shall bring out the colours, point the nose to a mandarin that is fresh, green, clean.Les Mandarines ambrées have survived an extensive bathroom test for weeks in Zurich, they pleased the eye and the nose and the skin as well."

*Okoumal is a Givaudan aroma-chemical smelling ambery and fresh with powdery and mushroom-y nuances.

Orange Star , the fragrance which transforms that concept into a proper, complex fragrance, is an intensely sunny, citrusy (but never cologne-y) composition with lots of coumarinic tonka beans for warmth and comfort, fanning out the cheery glow of the fruits. The tenacity of ambregris is skin-like, a wee bit dry under the natural sweetness of the hesperides, but what I call the coup de grace is the inclusion of a fine spicy note (halg peppery, half clove-y) which makes the whole quite piquant instead of soapy blah. There's some floral element in there (orange blossom, violet, some lily-ofthe-valley for sudsy) but it's never overshadowing the main character. The base material, Ambreine, derived from cistus labdanum, is truly beautiful (but more on to that later, I'm promising you something spectacular!) In all, recognisably Tauer, high naturals ratio, good tenacity.

Spraying vs. dabbing makes for an expansive experience, the spicy note ringing truer, the mandarin juice dribbling more succulent.

Official notes for Andy Tauer Orange Star:
Head: Fresh citrus accord with mandarines and clementines
Heart: Juicy lemongrass, clean orange flowers
Body: Rich ambergris base with tonka beans and hints of vanilla

The best bit is that the bottle and presentation box looks truly gorgeous in deep cobalt blue (as far as I can see from the pictures and from the Milan exhibition) and is a definite redemption for the previous packaging that has been criticized as "cheap-looking" in the past (Le Maroc pour Elle, I'm looking at you!) As Tauer's business has flourished, going from one success to another, so did the budget and the new design showcases we have to deal with an artifact that has the exterior presentation it deserves. Bravo!

For our readers Tauer has provided a generous deluxe sample for a lucky reader. Andy will be at the Scent Bar (Luckyscent's brick and mortar store in LA) on Saturday 17th from 1-4 p.m , but you have your chance to try it out for yourself even if you can't make it to Los Angeles! Please state your interest in the comments. Draw will be open till Sunday 18th midnight. Draw is now closed, thank you for participating!
Samples and pre-orders for bottles will begin sometime before May 1, 2010 at Luckyscent

In the interests of full disclosure, I was provided with two samples directly from Tauer Perfumes: one for myself, one for the giveaway.
Painting Swimmer, 1998, by Colette Calascione via coilhouse.net

Honore des Pres We Love NY: new fragrances

The project by mischievously ~and fictiously~ named brand Honoré des Prés with perfumer Olivia Giacobetti at the stirring wheel is continuing: After the first batch of Eccocert-guaranteed "green" fragrances composed by only natural essences (but competently smelling like proper fragrance and not an aromatherapy blend or insect repellant), which we had reviewed in detail on this article, a new trio of fragrances, collecively called We Love NY, is launching. The house is boasting its credentials as "truly organic, terribly French" but it seems they're taking a west Atlantic coast detour with their new offerings which wink at the US market. Olivia Gicobetti according to the press release is intent on an "excess of raw essence" and to "extract the intense buzz of the Big Apple".

The three new Honoré des Prés fragrances are:
*I Love les Carottes, a composition blending carrot flower grains with Caribian vanilla, sweet orange and orris butter.
*Vamp à N.Y, based on tuberose (very au courant as a note), rhum and three secret balms.
*Love Coco , focusing on the marriage of coconut milk and coriander leaf is touted as "the ideal potion to get married in NY".


The We Love NY triptych of fragrances come in 50 ml (76 euros each) of Eau de Parfum in eco-conscious plastic containers, recalling coffee take-away packaging; so New York City it hurts!
Global launch on 17th of May 2010. More details on the official site soon.

Comme des Garcons Holygrapie, Holygrace: new fragrances

Two new fragrances are launching from the uber-urban,niche sophisticate Comme des Garçons brand with retro packaging that will have you doubting whether they come from Rei Kawakubo's braindchild or from a classic Victorian vignette!
Designer and artist Jun Takahashi has collaborated with perfume brand Comme des Garçons to release two new perfumes named after his own fashion label Undercover and inspired by his enigmatic universe, in particular his fantastic plush animals, the Graces. The fragrances are called Undercover Holygrace and Undercover Holygrapie. The duo symbolizes the relationship of mother Grace and child Grapie. Or so they say...

Holygrapie reflects the smell of babies, kindness and sensuality.
Top Note: ginger purple, tangerine, rhubarb, black pepper Heart notes: iris, frankincense, ylang-ylang Base notes: Australian sandalwood, cedar wood, patchouli, benzoin, vetiver

Holygrace, a perfume of elegance, soap freshness and poison, featuring notes of bergamot, ginger and pepper.Top : Bergamot, purple ginger, pink pepper, cardamom.Heart : Jasmine, incense, broom, red pimentoBase : Vanilla, amber, vetyver, styrax.

Both fragrances retail for 78 euros for 50ml of Eau de Toilette.

Top 13 Worst fragrances?

Uusally blogs post their Top 10 or so Best Perfumes etc etc. in a popularity stake that is easy for readers to browse through and can identify with; makes for light, pop reading. But what about a negative list? Those are less promoted by far, although far more illuminating on many levels. How does such a selection gain credence and isn't dismissed as snark, vitriol or plain ignorance? It's all very well for someone to say that they absolutely think something is stellar (no one gets offended and often the reader believes the author knows something they don't) but when someone bashes someone else's favorite scent, feelings can get quite hurt it seems!

I'm not going to attempt a Top Worst Fragrances List myself due to that very reason, but coming across one had all the right bells ringing and I thought I'd bring it for our readers for discussion: There's an article at MSN named Pe-ew! based on ratings of readers of TotalBeauty.com , comments of whom the article reiterates. The selection is rather tame (someone should send the readers some Secretions Magnifiques as a control specimen!) and the comments oscillate most often between the plain tired "old lady" (for lack of a better vocabulary) and the "heavy", while surprisingly the same things that are considered heavy to one are non-perceptible to another (or considered having no lasting power either). Makes one wonder just how our everyday choice of fragrance is really greeted by other people, doesn't it? What emerges from the poll is that under no circumstances can you:

1)Smell like a grandma (Why the hell not, if you want to? Is it a dirty thing?)

2)Smell cheap (Ditto)

3)Have something cost more than its perceived value in olfactory terms. (Blurry, but the only logical complaint and I'm afraid lots of brands and products are falling into this pit)

List of Top 13 Worst Fragrance from Total Beauty.com (in reverse order):

13. Aromatics elixir by Clinique : Predictably assumed "old lady in a bottle" and one reader likens it to "cats, mothballs and fruitcakes". Bernand Chant's bones are creaking, but no need. This is one of the MOST complimented fragrances on strangers, while it can be a bit too much on oneself sometimes. I had praised it profusely years ago and I still stand behind my credo. Personally I use the body lotion or the Sheer version; makes for less intense wearing.
12. YSL Parisienne: One reader notes the newest Yves Saint Laurent is a combination of her "grandmother and trees" (!), others find it "cheap" (can't argue) and "forgettable" and many consider it "not youthful at all". We can assume the sexy-teasy advertising missed their aim...
11. Lush Go Green: In the words of one reader "like a Christmas tree air freshener." That ties in with that green I guess!
10. M by Mariah Carey (Elizabeth Arden): Featuring a burnt marshmallow scent that is too sweet to the point of aversion it seemed condemned from the start. Proof people aren't swayed by a pretty bottle.
9. Lancome Magnifique: I had voiced my disagreement with the presentation and press about this one (basically a little misleading) but surely not the ghastly thing presented on that poll. "Cheap, incredibly strong and heavy, quickly fading": I can't say I agree with any of this. I can see how it can be polarising as a smell though; it's not among those I'd choose myself.
8. Aveda Pure Fume Essence: Haven't personally tried this one, but "musky and earthy" don't rate too well with today's audiences, at least on Beauty.com it seems. The Avedas I have tried, I wasn't impressed with.
7. Kenzo Flower : Isn't this a best-seller in the 30s-40s age bracket? The proof that powdery scents (alongside Cashmere Mist and Hypnotic Poison) are not only designated perfume solace for the elderly? I laughed with one reader insisting that she "shouldn't be hitting the bottom notes of a perfume within an hour". Really? Is this a new rule? Has she smelled any orientals? First time I hear about this concept!
6. Elizabeth Taylor White Diamonds: A reader who worked at Macy's says the salespeople called it "the old lady scent." "If you needed a gift for a much older woman, we sold you this!" All right I'm perfectly willing to accept this. Yet older women should be indulged too and what is Liz Taylor if not an older woman nowadays? (embarking on her 9th marriage no less!)

5. Harajuku Lovers Lil Angel : Possibly the least disliked in the Karajuku Lovers range gets bashed ("cloying, powdery, sweet, fading"). Typical.
4. Avon Timeless Cologne Spray: I can't really criticize the tried-and-tested poisoned arrows of "heavy," "musky" and "so very old" because I was jumping up and down like a demented puppy seeing again the little roll-on bottle I was handed down as an elementary school kid! I recall really liking the -problematic to classify- scent, even then. Goes to show you... 3. Tocca Stella: Again, isn't this really popular? One reader mentions it's reminiscent of gardenia or lilac like this is a criticism. I'm rather stumped.
2. Gucci by Gucci: Obviously tastes differ, but Gucci is selling quite well, so it probably pleases a lot of people. But reading through the comments, I get the sense that the major complaint is not lasting long enough or being perceivable for the duration it's expected.

1. Gifts of the Sea Spray by Caswell Massey : I have never smelled this, but now I'm psyched to hunt it down and get a sample. The complaint seems for it to be "dull". Somehow I think that could be said about half the current market...Anyway...

So: What do you think about the above? And which are your Top Worst Perfumes?

pic via enet.gr

Re-organising

It has been brought to my attention that navigating into the overflowing archives of Perfume Shrine has started to become difficult. Difficult in the sense that, even though there is a Individualised Google Search function on the right hand column (and it intends to stay put), if one merely wanted to search for specific themes, one couldn't get to them without having to wade lots of posts which marginally reference the search word used. One of the downsides of keeping a very active site for a number of years...The Quick Index on the right only highlights some of the subjects touched, although it has proven popular.

Anyway, for your convenience I will embark on a re-organising of the content very soon (as soon as my hectic schedule allows), and in the meantime I have made all the Labels/Tags (and they are plenty) in a single list on the right-hand column of the blog's front page (under the What's your Scent Profile quizz pic) for your ease. I'm going to further fine-tune them in the following days too.

So, for instance if you click on ART, you get a glimpse of essays and discussion on the art of perfumery, actual artwork in reference to perfume advertising, but also illustrations of famous artist Rene Gruau for Dior and Roudnitska's polemic on gaining recognision for perfumers as artists. If you want to find reviews and news about DISCONTINUED fragrances, you can do so just clicking the link. That way you can also search by perfume (dominant) note, by fragrance family or by perfumer. Kinda neat, huh?

As always I welcome your suggestions on how to make the site even more useful and handy for you, whether here or by email on perfumeshrine@yahoo.com
Thanks!

Photo from the film Les Enfants du Paradis.