Creative Director Christopher Chong presents us the next chapter in the Amouage legend...Interlude Woman and Interlude Man, two aromatic stanzas steeped in the tradition of the Omani firm but with modern elements thrown in too.
Interlude Woman is a floral chypre fragrance projecting unity and serenity. Tart and bittersweet citrus notes of bergamot & grapefruit in the top notes allied to ginger and tagete create tension while rose, frankincense, jasmine, orange blossom, helichrysum, opoponax and sandalwood appear in the complex heart. This gives an unconventional combination of nut, coffee, kiwi, honey and agarwood. The base comprises sumptuous vanilla, benzoin, amber, sandalwood, oakmoss, leather, tonka and musk to provide the necessary warmth. The perfumer for Interlude Woman is Karine Vinchon Spehner . Top notes: Bergamot, Grapefruit, Ginger, Tagete Heart: Frankincense, Rose Absolute, Orange Blossom, Helichrysum, Jasmine, Opoponax, Nut, Honey, Kiwi, Coffee Base: Vanilla, Benzoin, Amber, Sandalwood, Agarwood, Oakmoss, Leather, Tonka Beans, Musk
Interlude Man is a spicy-woody fragrance opening on zesty bergamot, oregano and pimento berry oil, with conflucting intervals of notes of amber, frankincense, opoponax, cistus labdanum and myrrh. Eternal notes of leather, agarwood smoke, patchouli and sandalwood provide the anchoring base. The perfumer for Interlude Man is Pierre Negrin.
If you doubt your eyes, you can never doubt your nose, it seems. It is unmistakeably capable of discerning that which the promotional material might deny. It has the ability to get not only molecules stuck in its receptive velcro but also memories, associations and musings. And it was thus that Daisy by Marc Jacobs entered my consiousness: as the memory of another scent. Marc, darling, I know you have Sofia Coppola as a muse; you have made this clear many times from the bags to the shoes to the perfumes. I wonder does she use Light Blue by Dolce & Gabanna too apart from her other favourites? Because frankly this is what your latest reminds me of vividly; oh, so vividly!
At first I did a double take not willing to believe what I had read about it. I had even posted about its notes which come in quick succession; like a fussilade in the face of ugliness they read: top notes of wild strawberry, violet leaves and ruby red grapefruit, a heart of gardenia, violet and jasmine petals on a base of vanilla and musk. And yet, if we compare with the notes for Light Blue: Sicilian Citron, Bluebell, Granny Smith apple, Jasmine Sambac, Bamboo, White rose, Cedar wood, Amber, Musk ....what do we get? Close to nil... Because apart from jasmine and musk (which surely are in about 99.9999% of all feminine perfumes) I fail to discern what makes those two so similar. Granted, the citrusy burst of Light Blue and the woodiness of its base set it apart (and probably are to blame for the accolades it's getting right and left). Basically a classic in the making, Light Blue has been selling crazily and especially in the Mediterranean countries it's something akin to putting on your instant personal gelateria with icy cold smoothies to enjoy all day long. It gives the impression that if you lick it off your arm your tongue will climax.
The tendency to follow in a bestseller's shoes is not new of course and the examples of perfumes who did just that is legion - like the Antichrist, one might humorously say. This is neither the space nor the time to talk about it, we have other posts to concern ourselves with that in the near future. It is enough that fairly recently Moschino came out with something that is also quite close to Light Blue: his I Love Love ~arguably one of the silliest names in the known universe, yet a decent enough little potion. Of course if we compare notes, we see that it features: orange, lemon, grapefruit, redcurrant, tea rose, lily of the valley, cinnamon leaves, tanaka wood, cedarwood, musk. Ah...a bit closer. But still! Marc in a rare confessionary mood divulged that
“I don’t want to get too artsy about inspiration, but there is a sense memory, a reference, in fragrances”
Uh huh...thought so.
Not that Daisy smells exactly like Light Blue because it doesn't. And what would be the use of it, if it did? This is of course perfume no man's land as no one wants to answer this question it seems. But give a well-known recipe a little twist and it will sell like cupcakes. This tendency has resulted in an homogenization of the market that is to its detriment, alas, yet perfumers and companies persist regardless.
The promotional material for Daisy reads:
"a sparkling floral scent - fresh and feminine, with a touch of whimsy. A modern vintage that embodies effortless charm."
I have to admit that it is a very nice, inoffensive, pleasant little scent that would be a lovely foray of a budding into womanhood young thing that loves to have an adorably pretty bottle on her dresser. Because Marc, really, you outdid yourself after those spartan Splash bottles of yours! This is sooooo cute, so girly, so fashionably whimsical that fans will come in droves to the stores eager to give you their cash for this. Three little daisies of vinyl with a center of metallic gold adorn the cap, with a little matching "belt" underneath it. It's much better in person, because the petals are bendable and soft. And it makes me wonder why Marc was reportedly not content with it and thinking of changing it a bit. That would be miscalculation, Marc, I must warn you!
Of course daisies do not smell per se. But who gives a damn? This is fantasy land and Marc is saying it himself:
“Daisies don’t smell, but I wanted to evoke the feeling that you get when you see them — happy and youthful. My gardenia and jasmine scents [Marc Jacobs for women and Blush Marc Jacobs, respectively] are more singular and definitely more ‘designer’ scents. I don’t want to say they’re older, but they’re more sophisticated.”
I admit that Blush is my choice out of his mentioned scents for its crystalline transparency that weaves its spell to you despite your best efforts and his Winter Amber Splashwas powdery goodness to me. I don't know however if I would term them terribly sophisticated. It might have to do with different perceptions. Daisy is abstract, beginning on a tang of berries -a very popular note in noughties perfumery- seguing on to a floral theme of indeterminate fugue that ascertains Alberto Morillas's artistry, but perhaps betrays his innovative spirit (his list of creations is fascinating: click here). The sustained note of light musk on a lightly vanillic bed stays on the skin poised for hours.
All in all, Daisy is not a bad case of a fruity floral, if only because it is not overly sweet. And this is an achievement nowadays. It is sure to please and it smells good and will earn you compliments from people, most assuredly. If it comes in a too cute container, it's not its fault. It was drawn that way!
Daisy comes in an eau de toilette concentration at 1.7oz/50ml at 55$ and 3.4oz/100ml at 70$, as well as a shower gel (30$), a body lotion (32$) and a rich body butter (35$).Available from major department stores.
And for our lucky readers I have a very cute mini bottle of it available for one winner of a draw. Please post in the comment section if you want to enter the draw and good luck!!
Chypres will resume as scheduled later on...
Pic of eye from athinorama, pic of bottle from Marc Jacobs campaign
Have you ever dabbled into mixing one or two essences or even ready-made perfumes to create a third one that would be just so? This "layering" exercise sometimes ends up pretty and more often it ends up disastrously. It takes a bit of experience and training to be able to combine successfully, you see.
So the news of a specifically produced "palettes" (seriously, they look cute like eyeshadow palettes off MAC or something) comprising solid scents for mixing and matching was quite interesting to me. After all, I do get emails and questions about mixing one's own scent all the time.
Exclusive to CameoNouveau.com, Mélange Perfumes ($28 each) are a blend of fragrance notes artfully blended in a base of natural Beeswax and Jojoba, which produces a perfect solid perfume that glides onto the skin.
Each Mélange Solid Perfume Blending Palette contains four solid perfumes with blending instructions. All of the fragrances are designed to be worn alone, or blended with others in the palette to create a unique custom blend all your own (And I venture to add that one might even be tempted to combine freely from across the palettes, let's live dangerously!).
And of course the Mélange solid perfumes fit into any handbag for touch-ups throughout the day or for taking along on your weekend escape. They also sound like a great little gift for your girlfriends.
Le Bolshoi 2011 Edition Limitee is the new limited edition perfume (set to circulate in only 400 bottles retailing for $570) to be released on October 27th, a day before the official opening of the historical Main Stage of the Bolshoi theater. As the equally historical house of Guerlain is one of sponsors in the renovating, the Le Bolshoi 2011 fragrance, accredited (surprisingly!) to Jean-Paul Guerlain, will launch to thus celebrate the event. The limited edition bottle bears a label with the front of the Bolshoi theater on it.
Le Bolshoi 2011 by Guerlain comprises the following fragrant notes:
top: bergamot, bitter orange, petitgrain, neroli
heart: jasmine, violet, orange blossom, ylang-ylang
base: musk, tonka bean, vanilla and incense
Le Bolshoi is launching exclusively in Russia (not even Paris is supposed to have bottles, though I doubt there won't be a couple for reference or display or something...) and is rumoured to be a recalibration of Les Secrets de Sophie previous fragrance according to independent sources.
Let's not forget that Guerlain has also just issued the 4th installment in their scented travelogue series: Les Voyages Olfactifs, 04 London. The fragrance is introduced with the tag line "Guerlain reveals the atmosphere of afternoon tea with the freshness of rhubarbe" and the perfume puts the rose-rhubard-grapefruit accord within a semi-oriental composition. Fragrance notes include bergamot, grapefruit, rhubarb, violet, rose essential oil, rose absolute, and boiled sweets.
The bottles have been redesigned with a cityscape image visible on their glass front, each depicting landmarks of each respective city, as you can see below.
Among the many press releases that arrive at Perfume Shrine's inbox some make us pause and a few even Google up a name. The latest from Opus Oils had the latter effect: a new fragrance built upon Gretchen Bonaduce. Who the hell is Gretchen Bonaduce (nee Hilmer) was the immediate aporia tormenting our brain. Google to the rescue: it appears she is the ex-wife of "Dante Daniel "Danny" Bonaduce, an American radio/television personality, comedian and former child actor who became known as an adult for his tumultuous personal life" (per Wikipedia). Up to now, quite interesting if only for the reflected value of someone through their associations. Nevertheless Gretchen went on from there to become a TV personality in her own right, a musician singing with the L.A. based 'Muddflaps' (alongside Chris Doohan) and recently formed a new band called, Ankhesenamun (in case you are wondering, that is the name of King Tut's wife). And of top of that she is the designer of a fashion line, Bonaduce Fashion and is currently working on launching her elegant upscale line, Countess Couture. After years of being admired for her innovative style, Gretchen has finally decided to make her clothing available to fans, it seems. But the fragrance also poses another angle. It's named "An Unearthly Beauty?" With a questionmark, yes. Unusual, isn't it? They're teasing us into questioning it. And on top of that the fragrance supposedly recalls Swedish Fish Candy. Therefore I decided to run the press release, for the sheer fun of it.
Opus Oils, a Perfume Atelier located in the heart of glamorous Hollywood, CA announced today the creation of a Gretchen Bonaduce Signature Fragrance called "Unearthly Beauty?". The 1oz Eau de Parfum will be OfficiallyLaunched by Gretchen Bonaduce during VH1's 3rd Annual Big Shopping Day event("Old Hollywood Glamour meets Rock 'N Roll for the ultimate shopping experience- all to benefit VH1 Save The Music's work to restore instrumental music education in U.S. public schools."). The VH1 event will take place from 10AM-4PM April 26th, 2008 at the ultra hip BOULEVARD3, located at 6523 Sunset Blvd., Hollywood, CA.
With Gretchen's hit VH1 TV shows("Breaking Bonaduce 1&2") and successful high end clothing line ("Countess Couture") it was only natural for her to delve into the world of fragrance. "I was extremely honored when Gretchen chose us to do her Signature Fragrance." says Kedra Hart, Master Blender for Opus Oils "I've been a fan of her clothing lines, music, and TV Shows; I think she's an inspiration to all women." Gretchen will be on hand during the Launch to give out samples and mingle with all her fans.
About "Unearthly Beauty?" Eau de Parfum "Fresh and Alluring!" "Sweet and Juicy!" These terms are barely adequate when describing this ultra feminine and stylish scent that starts out with a sparkling blend of crisp Pink Grapefruit and exotic Ruby Red Grapefruit. It's warmed with delicious Red Raspberry and Indian Jasmine, which culminates into a sultry dry down of French Vanilla and Tonka Bean Absolute. "Unearthly Beauty?" is definitely Sweet and Juicy and its voluptuousness is reminiscent of Swedish Fish Candy. A perfect fix for the girl with an insatiable sweet tooth and a sensual soul... It comes in a 1oz/30ml Eau de Parfum spray and is in an alcohol base (not oil). Check bonaduce.biz/ for prices and availability.
Autumn seems far away for anyone who hasn't taken their summer vacations yet, but we like to be prepared! Traditionally it's the time to replace your light and fruity fragrances with warmer, heavier notes. However, Denise Estrada, owner of Mélange Apothecary in Sherman Oaks, California, is noticing that fruit-based fragrances such as Cassis (berry), Framboise (raspberry leaf) and Poire (pear) as well as crisp citrus are beating out the competition, no matter if it’s raining, snowing, or sweltering out. Well, we had a suspicion it was so, after witnessing the plethora of fruity fragrances out! Having worked in the fragrance industry for nearly 20 years as a formulator, esthetician and manufacturer, Estrada considers Mélange a “living lab,” where she is able to track and trend forecast what will be the next big scent in the world of fragrance. Here is what Mélange is creating for the upcoming autumn season:
Fragrances: Eau de Parfum: Casablanca Lily: Takes the warm and fragrant Oriental Casablanca Lily and blends it with a touch of rich Sandalwood oil. Pomegranate & Grapefruit: A wonderful combination of fresh, uplifting Grapefruit, blended with a tart, fresh Pomegranate fragrance reserved especially for this blend. Mandarin & Orchid: A blend of fresh Mandarin oil, Orchid, Jasmine and green accords. Feuille de Fromboise: A fresh Red Raspberry Leaf with sweet Green Tea. Parfum Concentrated Rollers: Athenewith Gardenia & Amber: A full ounce of Athene (a blend of Dark Chocolate, Guava, Vanilla and Tuberose) with sweet Gardenia and golden Amber. Natural Jasmine, with Mandarin & Cypress: A full ounce of sweet Jasmine, Mandarin Orange Blossoms and the clean scent of Cypress. Concrete Parfum Blending Kit: To mix and match in the following scents: Feuille de Fromboise (Red Raspberry Leaf); Tuberose (rich Floral); Green Tea (tea leaves with citrus and fruit accords), Grenade (sweet Pomegranate fruit).
For Home: Candles (with soy-blend wax, no dyes and cotton wicks) in Pomegranate & Citrus, Poire and Casis Noir (sic). There is also the accompanying home scent diffusers in Pomegranate & Citrus and Poire & Casis (sic).
Mélange is quite popular for its one-of-a-kind blending bar, with more than 70 permanent fragrances and essential oils are readily available to sniff, blend and play with (cool!) The products are available online at www.melangeapothecary.com.
Part of PerfumeShrine's regular Underrated Perfume Day feature,I'm inspired to talk of Calyx because it strikes me as the Prometheus of hardcore (if such a strong word can be used for the genre) fruity fragrances that have dominated the late 1990s, the 2000s and 2010s market so far (and in part a culprit for the emergence of fruitchouli). Coming out as far back as 1986, an uplifting tart tropical punch splashed all over a tan California blonde right out of the shower, it subsisted on the other edge of hope, pitted as it was against the likes of Coco by Chanel, Opium by YSL, Dior's original Poison or Giorgio Beverly Hills.
Still, the cosmetics brand that issued it, Prescriptives (since out of business, except for this fragrance which is still in production and now distributed via Clinique counters), part of the Lauder Group, had the necessary market cojones to sustain its sales for years. The pure, custom-tailored image of their cosmetics was a natural fit for the idea of a pure, celestially squeezed perfume which back then had none of the connotations of sugary hard candy stickiness and hair salon peach/apple waft we associate with fruity fragrances today. Its perfumer, Sophia Grojsman, is famous for her clean but potent accords, which make use of a very different idea of feminine allure than the standard "vintage" and European concept of animalic scents that enhance -rather than conceal- the odorata sexualis and hide cigarette smoke remnants off Old World garments. Calyx was the culmination of American Artemis versus European Aphrodite: the "lean, mean, clean machine" was coming on scene for good and Lauder (who oversaw Prescriptives) had already built a generous following thanks to their sparkling clean fragrances such as White Linen and Estee. Grojsman was put to record elaborating on the cachet of fruit as feminine nectar saying "some fruit accords, like the one in Calyx, have a very pure quality. It's a different kind of sexuality, more innocent than the animal notes…And men like innocence. To them it is sexy…Fruit also carries a connotation of sin. Where would Adam and Eve have been without that apple?"
This assertion is in a nutshell the axiom of feminine mental submission. In a way these fruity scents seem to me as if they're not so subtly introducing a regression on feminism. Woman becomes a pliable little girl again, fresh and unknowing in her virginal, not yet sexualized body, which awaits the all prescient male to do the plucking. It is important to note that contrary to similar concepts of youthful, nubile allure brandished in European brand fragrances of the time (such as Loulou by Cacharel) the girl in question is never presented to be aware of her own erotic capital as an authentic Lolita would be. Rather the innocence is poised as a halo around her, a scent message of total abandon of control. Where's the temptation of the knowledgeable apple, I question.
Calyx doesn't smell of apple either. It smells of a neon cascade of grapefruit (though like with Un Jardin sur le Nil with its illusion of green mango there is no essence of the illusory fruit in question in the formula), boosted by guava and papaya (which give an almost overripe scent bordering on garbage if you really notice it) and a cluster of more traditional, zestful fruit notes (namely the citrusy mandarin and bergamot for uplifting elegance and the lactonic peach and apricot for comfort & skin compatibility). The weird thing with Calyx is that the standard cool-steam-room of lily of the valley heart with its transparent florals from a distance is flanked by a little berry underpinning on the bottom and transparent woody notes that rely on bombastic synthetics. The feeling earned nevertheless is one of celestial, mental awareness rather than one of tropical languor on Bora Bora sand dunes all smeared in Coppertone lotion and for that unique reason it deserves a place in the lesser pantheon of perfumes worth giving a second chance to, feminism aside.
The full list of Notes for Prescriptives Calyx includes:
Top: mandarin, passionfruit, peach, mango, bergamot, grapefruit, papaya, guava, mint, cassia.
Heart: cyclamen, lily of the valley, jasmine, rose, neroli, marigold, melon.
Base: vetiver, oakmoss, sandalwood, musk, raspberry.
It never ceases to strike me as nothing short of magical how turning chopped onions in a pan over a hot stove fills the kitchen with the aroma of sweet caramel, succulent and penetrating to the very core of things. Usually the pleasantly invasive aroma, sneaking like Santa Claus down the chimney to offer gifts, complements the rich savory scent of meat or the naturally sweet and sour aroma of fresh tomatoes. It was for a vegetable & meat dish involving roasted eggplants and pork for which I stood over the stove the other day, browning onions slowly and thinking about the complexity of scent which man has added to the already rich palette of the natural world. By simply introducing the element of fire (simmering, browning, roasting over an open flame or over charcoals) man multiplied the pleasure of the olfactory sense exponentially. The reason is less romantic than my introduction, but fascinating to follow nonetheless.
Onions specifically offer a great glimpse into the mechanism of this aroma giving process. Their sulfurous "bouquet" has been likened to the scent of female sweat (as has grapefruit, another sulfurous material), but no matter what your view on that is (Flaubert and Baudelaire notwithstanding), most people classify volatile sulfurous components as unpleasant, more on which later. The organosulfur compounds called thiols present in onions (allyl mercaptan is the compound released upon slicing an onion) form a group, also called mercaptans in the older days; a portmanteau deriving from the Latin mercurium captans thanks to their superior bonding ability to mercury compounds. Thiols/Mercaptans are compounds with the -SH group bonded to a carbon atom.
Now you might be forgiven to think that mercaptans remind you of decay and stench; they're produced by animal and plant decay, are found in beer that has been exposed to ultraviolet light or in faulty wines (sulfur and yeast reacting in wild patterns) and are infamously contained in skunk secretions and in flatus. One form of mercaptan, T-butyl mercaptan, is routinely added to otherwise odorless natural gas to render a leak more likely to be detected. But they're not a damning thing per se: specific forms of thiols are responsible for the characteristic and coveted scent profile of grapefruit or ~interestingly!~ released upon roasting coffee beans, surely my idea of heaven this side of heaven.
The good part involving cooks and onions is that thiols can be easily oxidized to disulfides and higher oxidation products such as sulfonic acids, free from the associations had with their predecessor. Furthermore onions are comprised of 75% water and they contain complex sugars. By browning a sliced onion in the pan the increased temperature makes water evaporate and break the bonds that hold chemical compounds contained and we see the plant matter shrink in front of our eyes and become soft and miserable. Yet those complex sugars are thus broken into monosacharides, i.e. glycose and fructose, resulting in caramelization and a more intense, sweet flavor than previously.
The so called Maillard reactions, a non-enzymatic type of chemical reaction that happens a lot in the kitchen, even at room temperature, also accounts for the breakdown of a reducing sugar with an amino acid, rendering things brown (This is the chemical process responsible for the nicely brow appearance of baked goods). The larger the sugar, the slower it'd react with the amino acids. Last but not least, the cysteine in the stewed pork (another sulfur containing ingredient) reacts with the sugars in the onions in another Maillard reaction to render the umami of meat that fills the mouth with rich satisfaction and the kitchen with the sweet caramel goodness of a deceptively wholesome dish. How far the mind can wander while making dinner…
Christophe Jouany has been a fashion photographer for the last 28 years with a successful career shooting campaigns for L’Oreal, Revlon, and Maybelline, Sports Illustrated swimsuit editions, and numerous covers and fashion features for major magazines around the world, like Vogue, ELLE, Marie Claire, and Glamour. His life as a photographer and love of adventures took him to some of the most beautiful and exotic locations in the world, and inspired him to create an olfactory voyage through his new line of Jouany Perfumes. From a very early age, Christophe has been passionate about scents. Twelve years ago, faced with frustration at not being able to find a perfume he liked, he decided to create his own. Mixing essential oils at home, Christophe began experimenting to find the right composition, texture and strength to his fragrances, beginning with one that reminded him of his hometown of St. Barthélemy in the Caribbean. After wearing his own fragrance for a decade, and getting constant requests from many people to commercialize it, he finally decided to create his own line.
Saint Barthelemy:
The first stop on the JOUANY OLFACTORY voyage is St. Barthélemy. Inviting you to explore the magical luxurious beauty of the island of St. Barthélemy, this sensual, exotic perfume begins with head notes musk resolve with a spellbinding twist of crisp white grapefruit, followed by heat notes that mingle vanilla, coco Jasmine and cedar wood. Evoking the barefoot elegance of St. Barth, the perfume’s base notes of patchouli, sandalwood, vetiver, and white luxurious beauty of the island of St. Barthelemy.
Marrakech:
Like the great Moroccan city from which it takes its name, Marrakech transports you into the subtle but stirring pleasure of a Moroccan orange grove.The perfume begins with fresh, citrus head notes of orange blossoms, bergamot, and grapefruit. Next, heart notes emerge with delicate hints of jasmine and neroli. Finally, Marrakech concludes its intoxicating olfactory odyssey with woody base notes of patchouli and white musk.
Pricing: $125.00 / 1.7 Oz. Made in France.
Where to buy:
Henri Bendel New York, New London New York, Art of perfume Philadelphia, Sloan Hall Saint Antonio and Houston, CO Bigelow New York, Beautyhabit.com, Parfumerie Germain des pres Canada
Guerlain gives us a vacant eye zombie. Like Natalia Vodianova's baby blues look empty and not quite there in sepia pictures, lacking the density , the pathos, the slicing through paper that darker eyes carry, yet those vacant blues carry their own strange allure, Shalimar Parfum Initial L'Eau is a very pretty thing posing in a company that it probably shouldn't be among. Taken individually, it is a soft, enveloping, delicate scent of fairies. Taken as a member in the Shalimar company, it's too baby-ish to be taken seriously.
The commercially successful experiment ofShalimar Parfum Initial (2011), an introductoryShalimarfor those consumers who knew the brand through their cosmetics & skincare or for the young clientele that always associatedthe classic Shalimarwith older generations and longed for a version to claim their own (see alsoShalimar Eau Legere/Shalimar LightandEau de Shalimarfor previous efforts into this arena), gave us hope. For 2012 Guerlain, as we had early on announced, was bent on launching a flanker tothe modernised Shalimar Parfum Initial version (a flanker to a flanker, if you like) this spring, calledShalimar Initial L'Eau.Now, this is exactly why I usually tend to dislike the concept of flankers: it's so easy to lose track or confuse things, ending up discussing a completely different thing than your fellow partner in the discussion. Shalimar Initial L'Eauis both a lighter and drier new formula on the previous experiment, not just a different concentration or a new bottle edition (Shalimar in generalknowsmore limited editions than it can possibly count). The bottle is the exact same style as Shalimar Parfum Initial, only in a lighter hue with a baby pink ribbon on the neck (instead of a greyish blue one) bearing the familiar G medaillon. The similarity leads me to believe that they do intend to keep this version in the line as just a different concentration of the Parfum Initial, not only a one-time-thing limited edition. Especially if it proves a good seller.
Perfumer Thierry Wasser was put on record saying he chose a specific grade of bergamot from a Guerlain communelle (i.e. a special reserve that Guerlain keeps for each of their famous ingredients) which is a tad greener and zestier than usual. What is most distinguishable however, smelling the finished fragrance, is a premium grade neroli which gives a subtle, refreshing tonality, lightening the formula considerably and further making it fluffy and airy. If Shalimar Parfum Initial is a watercolour, this is a rinse. Despite the mentioned notes of "greenery" in the official press release, such as lily of the valley, freesia and hyacinth, the vividness of the bright citrus notes with a lightly sweet aspect is what stays with you. The new spin doesn't really boost the green freshness (like that inMiss Dior Chérie L'Eau) but focuses on the neroli essence and a tart grapefruit top note to counterpoint the traditional carnality of the original base of Shalimar (built on opoponax resin, all powdery splendour, Peru balsam and benzoin with their rich, treackly aspect and quinolines with their leathery, sharp, disturbing bite). Instead the leathery note in Shalimar Parfum Initial L'Eau has been further toned down than it was in the Initial (annihilated you could argue) substituted by an admittedly delicious crème brûlée note. Overall we're witnesses to the deliberate culling of the balsamic aspect that makes Shalimar so famous and recognisable. This leaves us with a spectre; a fascinating apparition amidst the shadows, blink and you'll miss its ethereal form, but is it related to Shalimar of old? No, it's not.
What I find most surprising for a Shalimar version is the relative lack of tenacity and sufficient projection: three generous spritzes on my arm (catching my trench-coat sleeve too) have lasted just 4 hours and no one but myself was aware of the fact that I was wearing perfume. For an eau de toilette concentration it's not totally unusual, but for Guerlain and for a flanker in that iconic oriental stable it is most peculiar.
Estee Lauder, the quintessential American collosus of perfumery, issued Pure White Linen, a "flanker" to their classic White Linen, in 2006, fronted by actress Gwyneth Paltrow. The scent was refreshingly upbeat without being silly, pleasantly modern, less sharply aldehydic than the classic soapy White Linen and aimed at capturing a segment of the market that was feeling too young for a classic aldehydic fragrance (they associate those with their mothers or grandmothers it seems) but rather sophisticated for a teeny fruity-bobber scent either. The success was guaranteed and Pure White Linen is a well crafted mainstream fragrance for women (which men could also sneak up on and use from time to time) that has its earned place among elegant and easy-going fragrances for every day.
2008 saw the introduction of a first flanker in pastel green hues, a sparkling citrus interpretation for the warmer season going by the name Pure White Linen Light Breeze. I am reminding you that there was a flanker to the previous, iconic White Linen mentioned above, named White Linen Light Breeze, an aquatic-ozonic fragrance in the 1990s which has been since discontinued; a little confusing, admittedly, but the moniker had been already copyrighted and it's so handy to recycle. "Wet citrus notes of luscious bergamot, orange zest and white grapefruit combine with Darjeeling tea, colorful florals and sheer woods". Despite the long name and the confusing connotations with the former Lauder progeny, Pure White Linen Light Breeze interpolates a shiny bitter and green note of grapefruit in the proceedings which ties extremely well with the already warmly bitter-ish tonality of the original and winks at the direction of the already successful tannic facets of Bulgari's Eau Parfumee au The Vert and a boost of Iso-E Super for diffusion and lasting power. As every summer I pick one "got to" fragrance for a no-brainer decision for every sweltering day that I can't summon any mental capacity for more difficult decisions (previous picks have included Extrait de Songe by L'artisan, Un Jardin sur le Nil by Hermes and Vetiver Tonka again by Hermes), I can see myself enjoying a bottle of this one this summer.
On the other hand, this spring's anticipated new version, Pure White Linen Pink Coral is more in step with the sweeter aspects of fruitier compositions that already take space at Sephora's and Macy's shelves and, although competently made, it lacks that individuality that the original exhibits. Pure White Linen Pink Coral is pastel pink and smells like one. The fragrance opens on the fruity notes of Chinese berries, apple blossom and pink pepper, seguing to a floral heart of standard flirty and light flowers such as jasmine, cherry blossom, and pink peony. The base is also classical, including the tried and tested combo of sandalwood, vanilla and heliotrope. The overall feeling is a little too sugary to make it stand out from myriads of fragrances that showcase those tonalities, although the diaphanous treatment ensures that it can never become too invasive or cloying, which is rather good manners on its part.
The bottles of both Pure White Linen Light Breeze and Pure White Linen Pink Coral follow the frosty glass design of the original, simply architectural Pure White Linen flacon and come at either 30ml/1oz, 50ml/1.7oz or 100ml/3.4oz of Eau de Parfum concentration.
Walking under a lightly tinted oriental umbrella fit for the hot sun, but also the sudden shower of the tropics, I find myself savoring the sights and smells of exotic Singapore again as I reminiscence. Besides the lush vegetation, olfactory stimuli exist in other venues as well.
One of the best ways to get to know a culture is through its cuisine. Singapore’s cuisine seems to have been a fusion of other cultural influences long before fusion became the “in” word it has since become. Encompassing elements of Chinese, Indian and Malayan gastronomy it is as rich and fragrant as the wildest imagination could fathom. Tamarind, turmeric and heavy smelling ghee (a class of clarified butter) feature heavily as does sampal, a common chili-based accompaniment to most foods. Fragrances such as Black XS for Her or John Varvatos have taken elements of that rich spicy tradition of Asia and wouldn’t be too out of place in this subtext.
The aroma of spices is evident in such dishes as Char siew rice (chā shāo fàn) and Char siew noodles (chā shāo miàn), a Cantonese-inspired dish of rice or noodles served with barbecued pork in a thick sauce. Satay bee hoon, thin rice vermicelli, is served with spicy satay sauce of crushed peanuts. Kare Kare is a Philippine-inspired dish of oxtail, similarly stewed in peanut sauce. Oyster omelet, combines the fishy, iodine odor of oysters with coriander leaves. Spicy kangkung, a dish of leafy green vegetables is fried in sambal, imparting a biting hot tang that excites the tongue’s buds.
The fruit selection is both amazing and surprising in its variety and fragrant goodness. Atis, the Philippine word for Cherimoya, are to quote Mark Twain "the most delicious fruit known to men." Mangos are a breed apart from what you get in the West. If your idea of a mango is the green, unripe one in the refreshing Un Jardin sur le Nil by Hermes (which smells more like a wounded grapefruit), you are in for a welcome surprise: the deep apricot color, sweetness and yumminess of aroma in mangos of tropical southeastern Asia is a feast for all the senses. To the other end of the spectrum, in the heavier oriental category, a complex mix of the spices and fruits of the southeastern Asia is encaptured in Jungle L’elephant by Kenzo. Kalamansi (citrus micracarpa) can also be found in Singapore, a small citrus fruit, often called sour lime, with which description it’d be hard to argue after one tongue-curling taste of the juice. Cold, served in cocktails, it imparts a zesty, tart and sweet aroma with shades of grapefruit and tangerine that is totally refreshing amidst the monsoon steam.
The desserts range from the interesting ice cream flavors like corn, cheese and ube (the Philippine word for taro) to halo-halo (pronounced hah-low hah-low), crushed ice with corn and fruit and jelly and Bubur cha cha, yam and sweet potato cubes served in coconut milk and sago, served hot or cold. Red rubies, a Thai-inspired dessert, is made by boiling water-chestnuts covered in rice flour and red food coloring, served over shaved ice, rose syrup and evaporated milk. The latter is sometimes referred to as "mock pomegranate", since the chestnut pieces bear a resemblance to the pomegranate seeds. Magical Moon by Hanae Mori includes coconut, milky lactonic notes and rose in a fragrance that reminds me a bit of this particular dessert.
After an orgiastic feast that leaves you a bit too full for comfort, seeking comfort of the soul is where your weary but satisfied feet take you. Singapore offers temples of Hinduist, Buddhist and Taoist credo and even Muslim mosques to cater for its cosmopolitan citizenship. Yueh Hai Ching temple and Thian Hock Keng temple are well known placed amidst the central part of the city. In front of the antique stores, a laughing Buddha is sitting to whom people clamor, to rub his belly and drop coins into the slot over his navel for good luck and karma.
In the relative quiet of the Hindu temple, full of the fragrant smell of what seems like Nag Champa incense and illuminated by numerous small candles under the enshrined deities decorated with flowers, one of the caretakers invites us to see the idol up close; he cups a metal bowl over our heads and gives us herbal leaves to chew on as well as red powder. The latter is used to mark a woman’s forehead.
In comparison the Buddhist temple is packed with people kneeling in prayer, chanting from dog-eared books and burning incense sticks which produce a thick smoke of what would be olfactory heaven if they had stuck to the alloted three sticks per burning, incidentally the lucky number for this. The smell of the temple overall reminds me of the peculiarly wonderful mix in L’artisan’s Timbuktu: one part incense to two parts living, breathing beings. People in their desire to please the divine universe, bowing their heads in supplication, have grabbed handfuls of sticks, their tips smoldering into ash which falls on their hands and on their clothes in fleeting moments of pain. I try to imagine what they’re praying for and fail: surely everyone is different and they have their own worries to think about, much different than what I contemplate myself. The mystical atmosphere of the temples will accompany me on the long, long flight home as I already long for visiting once again.
Pic of Wakm Hai Cheng Bio temple and Trishaws courtesy of Worldisround.com. Ati/Cherimoya pic courtesy of Wikipedia
A proud in its weirdness creation by nose Ilias Ermenides from 1990, this fragrance is now discontinued. Why bother trace it, you might ask: I like to talk about bygones; I’m really old beyond my biological years it seems, that embellishing, idealistic reminiscence being characteristic of older people, as stated very early indeed in the work of Aristotle’s “Nicomachean Ethics”.
And yet in the world of perfume everyone does it, I’ve noticed. Nary does one read a perfume forum where people don’t say with contempt “today’s perfumes are nothing like they used to be”. That would be a logical conclusion though, wouldn’t it? How is something so elusive by nature, so fleeting, so ephemeral, so closely tied to the zeitgeist as perfume not capable of following the times? And yet, the nostalgia about perfumes we have not even smelled overwhelms us and sometimes we let ourselves believe the golden age of Saturn has bypassed us and the future is all gloom.
Byblos is named after such a Saturnian concept of bygones, the ancient city of Phoenicia which was the centre for the trade of Lebanese cedar wood to Egypt back in 3200BC. Cedar was used in perfumery even back then, although it had other practical uses as well, such as mummification. The Phoenicians were famously the inventors of the alphabet, which was later taken by the Greeks and with the addition of vowels turned into the first real alphabet in the history of the world. Pity Phoenicians only used it for commercial purposes and not literature or science. They were the Marketing majors of the ancient world it seems, not the Bachelor of Art ones.
The fragrance of Byblos by Byblos however distances itself from both the name (which is after all merely the Italian clothing company’s brand name) and the cedarwood smell. On the contrary it gives the impression of peppery/spicy fruits! The opening of peach and cassis (a synthetic berry note) is tangy with the bittersweet grapefruit and mandarin rind smell. It goes on into a dense, rich mimosa and marigold scent that floats above the raspberry, musky base. It’s as if it invites you to bite, only to find the hotness has singed your tongue. But don’t be afraid: this is no Caron Poivre; it’s rather tame for that but still interesting. The cobalt blue bottle shaped like an ancient pyxis, a ceramoplastic type of clay vessel that was used for storing unguents or jewels, is topped with a most original stopper of a golden “plate” with an open flower in light peach pink on top. To be sampled, at least once.
Notes for Byblos by Byblos: Top: bergamot, mandarin, black currant, grapefruit, pepper, peach Heart: mimosa, lily-of-the-valley, lily, honeysuckle, violet and iris. Base: red fruits, vetiver, musk, raspberry, heliotrope.
February has landed and with it all the corny yet weirdly enticing thoughts of love potions and amorous gifts. So in the interests of brightening up your days and helping you dream a bit, Perfume Shrine will devote posts up till Valentine's Day to scents of love.
Many fragrances, especially feminine ones, include "love" or "amour" in their name. Whether they represent the romantic idea to your nose is another matter. For what is worth, here are some.
Kenzo Amour is one of the cuddliest offerings recently and the beautiful, design lacquer style bottles in white, fuschia or orange are enough to make you want to own one. The notes are: top of cherry blossom, rice and white tea; heart of frangipani and heliotrope, and base of thanaka wood, vanilla and musk. The whole smells slightly powdery and fluffingly vanillic with the merest hint of oriental sakura (cherry blossom). It also ran a beautifully shot, romantic commercial in Bali, which you can watch here:
(uploaded by Julie73b)
This year they have a new variation, a limited edition with graphic designs on the bottle called "Indian Holi" (click to see).
The most wonderful boxed presentation with lovely fragrances inside is by L'artisan Parfumeur: Les épices de la passion trio of 15ml/05.oz bottles of eau de toilette. Safran Troublant (saffron, vanilla, sandalwood and red rose), Piment Brulant (hot pepper, poppy, chocolate and clove), and Poivre Piquant (white pepper, creamy milk, liquorice and honey)
Available from Lucky Scent for 75$ and lovely to look at it is also a collection versatile enough to be worn in different occassions and various weather conditions (the Poivre is very nice in the heat)
Other companies also explored the love theme with varying results.
There is Amor Amor by Cacharel in its deep red bottle, bursting with fruity sweetness; if you are after that sort of thing, that is. It is pretty popular. Notes include: pink grapefruit, blood orange, sweet mandarin and black currant, apricot, red rose, jasmine melati flower, lily of the valley, vanilla. In 2006 they came out with their first flanker, Elixir Passion with a thorned rose depicted in white on the bottle and a rather more orientalised base. This year they have adorned the bottle with tiny silver diamanté in the shape of hearts:kitschy and cute.
Much obligingly they have also issued a men's version, Amor Homme (which isn't half bad! In fact I prefer it myself): a traditional introductory fougere.
Estée Lauder launched a variation on Beautiful last year, called Beautiful Love which plays into the lushness of tuberose with good results, as you can read here.
Guerlain have gone the Barbie way with their Colors of Love fragrance, "a powdery floral, the juice opens on notes of grapefruit, kiwi, passion fruit and violet, leading to a heart of rose, mimosa, cassia flower and iris. The base is a blend of musk and ambrette seed". Barring the promising ambrette seed there, I have failed to see the appeal of this one which is an uncharacteristic to Guerlain as is George Lezenby to the James Bond canon. If you want to get a Guerlain to celebrate Valentine's Day, get your man some <L'instant pour Homme: purring sex....
Or if the recipent is a lucky female, the iconic Shalimar , "the scent of temptation" inspired by the most romantic tale of them all, has a glorious Black Mystery version out: a limited edition in a collector's bottle in deepest black.
Last but not least, Ayala Moriel, the natural perfumer from Vancourer, has a great idea for a shared loving potion: Immortelle L'Amour perfume and scented tea that you can both sip to bring on the amorous mood... Immortelle L'Amour is a lovely fragrance that merits its own review soon, but suffice to say that it plays on maple-like nuances of immortelle absolute, paired with delectable rooibos touches and vanilla capturing the aroma of Tire d’Erable.
There is also a special offer for the upcoming days taken from her site:
Immortelle l'Amour Parfum + Tea Gift Set
Now on special discount - when you buy both, receive a $20 discount Original price $140 - now priced at only $120! - Essentially, you are getting the previous price for the parfum ($100) and tea ($20).
There are of course more traditionally "valentine's day" offerings, like Roses & Chcolate, although I haven't tried that one and can't vouch for how it smells. What is more interesting though is that she also offers jewelry with solid perfume captured inside, such as poison rings or pendants that make for a wonderful adornment, to be dabbed on when the crucial moment arises...
In the meantime and if you have a couple of minutes to click away, you can do a psychology test about your level of love on this site here.
Pics from ebay, parfumdepub, flickr, scandelines.de, luckyscent and ayalamoriel.com
From niche, indie brand Aftelier, headed by Mandy Aftel, comes a new fragrance, Candide.
Candide is a bright, uplifting floral, expressing its theme of optimism through sublime jasmine and age-old frankincense. Recent research in the Journal of Biological Chemistry finds that the scent of jasmine is better than Valium at calming and soothing. The sunny color comes from the orange shades of jasmine , pink grapefruit, and blood orange essences. The smell of jasmine is uplifting and cheerful in a sexy way – the perfect blend of high and low, sweet and dirty. The pink grapefruit is juicy and sweet; the blood orange smells of mouth-watering orange mixed with raspberries. The name is an homage to the great novel by Voltaire, with its theme of optimism.
Candide is available in one quarter ounce ($150) and 2 ml mini size ($45). Our one quarter ounce perfume comes with a complimentary mini kit. Contact info@aftelier.com
Trussardi launched Bianco, a limited edition fragrance for women by well-known nose Alberto Morillas, last summer in Europe but I only got to try it recently.
"Bianco": italian for white... And oh, how greek the colour white seems to me, nevertheless. In a land of hot rock and azure sea like no other, white is the emblem of the Aegean houses scattered on the slopes of bare islands, asbestos on the outside, human "fire" burning in the inside. One island in particular will always remain in my memory as the quintessential white place: Santorini or Thera, as it is also called; the island of legend of Atlantis and reality, intermingled in volcanic eruptions producing black sand, little wineries and archaological digs like no other place on earth. If you want to feast your eye on white, on the pure kind that reflects the light scorching your retinas, burning your skin and filling your soul with the longing of an ancient whisper flying in the wind, look no further. As the sun dips down in breathtaking beauty tourists from all over the world clap their hands in awe, sitting on cool verandas etched on the edge of the deepest existing caldera on the planet, sipping long drinks in a langorous mood fit for such a slow-paced existence, white linen clothes breezing in the wind.
The new Trussardi perfume does not evoke such gloriousness however, despite its suitability to the sensibilities of a greek lazy summer spent on a small island. Bianco is said to evoke the feeling of Trussardi Skin, a claim that I am not inclined to dispute although the two do not share more than a passing similarity that can be attributed to their skin-like scent and the way they meld on the individual upon application. However Skin is more distinctive, while in Bianco the white musk of the base lingers to the exclusion of all else in the later dry down. The opening is lightly fruity and has a watery floral element that smoothes its way on the skin, to leave behind a hint of a peppery interlay of warmth and cool that soon exits. The initial grapefruit note is nothing like the tart opening of cheeky upstarts like In love again or Baby Doll, nor the watery ambience of cool egyptian royal attendants of Un Jardin sur le Nil.Here it is temptered and smoothed out to the point that it loses its characteristic tang and bittery rind quality, a fact that could be lamentable. The lasting power of the mid notes is average and while the drydown does present a lingering impression, it is more evident on a blotter than on actual human skin. It is suited to summer in warm climates, but it would wither not blooming its full potential in winter, I'm afraid. Notes: pink grapefruit, water lily, gooseberry, magnolia, white pepper, woods, amber and musk.
Trussardi Bianco comes in 30 and 75 ml Eau de Toilette, available at european Sephoras.
Pics of Imerovigli in Santorini courtesy of George Meis/eu.art.com
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
