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!

Guerlain Petite Tortue: new fragrance & re-issue of historical "tortoise" bottle

The Baccarat "turtle" bottle has just been re-issued in precious few numbered bottles by Guerlain and Vogue Russia dedicates a chapter to it, hence the info on notes, availability and design below.

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The original "turtle" bottle (la tortue) was commissioned to the Baccarat studio in 1914 [ed.note: Vogue puts it as 1913] to celebrate the change of address to 68, Champs-Elysées to hold the appropriately named Parfum de Champs-Elysées. The scent was composed by legendary perfumer Jacques Guerlain. The shape of the turtle was an inside joke on the protracted construction work that it took to complete the new beauty shrine. 

Today Guerlain re-unites with Baccarat to issue a contemporary "turtle" bottle, the 4th re-issue* since its original opus, to house the new Petite Tortue perfume. The new tortoise like crystal design follows the craftsmanship of the famed house. The crystal is faceted into more than 80 facets to shed light from all angles and holds 60 ml/ 2 fl.oz.

Guerlain Petite Tortue is an extrait de parfum composed by in house perfumer Thierry Wasser. The scent of Petite Tortue is a spicy floral woody which opens with mandarin and pink pepper into a heart of osmanthus blossoms and fruits accord. The base of Petite Tortue is rounded with incense, vanilla and tonka beans recalling the tradition of Guerlain perfumes. 

Les Dames de Table are responsible for the finishing touches of the special presentation: the enamel cap holder can be accessorized with the customer's initials; in a choice of color and with a golden rim.

The special edition of Petite Tortue is presented internationally by Guerlain in only 47 numbered bottles, each retailing at a whooping € 9500.

*The last time Guerlain re-issued the "turtle" (or sometimes referred to as tortoise online) bottle it held  Extrait du 68 (an increased concentration of Cologne du 68 fragrance by Guerlain)

EDIT TO ADD: New information from Fragrantica suggests the Petite Tortue scent is indeed Extrait du 68.

Related reading on Perfume Shrine: 

Really Expensive Perfume Bottles to Feast Your Eyes On

The Guerlain series: Guerlain News & Perfume Reviews

Upcoming fragrance releases

Aedes de Venustas: fragrance samples set draw

We have all come to rely on Aedes de Venustas for the most exquisite niche brands in perfumery. But their own brand is also quite fearsome to behold with perfumes created with some of the world's top perfumers working right now; from the award-winning Iris Nazarena to the fiery Oeillet Bengale to the mysterious acqua incense of Copal Azur  Aedes de Venustas has proven its mettle many times.

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The discovery set of Aedes de Venustas comprising 3 x 10ml perfumes has launched and I happen to have samples of all three scents.
5 lucky winners will get 1 of each of the 3 scents so they can decide which appeals to them most; or upgrade to the mini bottles for more prolonged enjoyment! Draw is open internationally to those who comment below this post saying what they'd like to read next on Perfume Shrine. Winners to be announced early next week.

An Interview with Yours Truly on Enscent Me

My love affair with the Italian culture is a known quantity. The fact that I discover new nuggets of fragrant passion in the beautiful language of Dante is one of the perks of the Internet. Laura Lecce is the latest, a blogger who has founded enscent.me written bilingually in both English and Italian. Laura was kind enough to interview me on some fun scent questions. It is my pleasure to share it with you; you can read my interview to Laura on this link (in English).
You're also welcome to comment on Laura's blog if you like.