Mother's Day suggestions

Many wonderful suggestions out there for the one person in our lives who loves us no matter what: our mother. Perfume Shrine presents you with some of them.

From Beautyhabit:

Beautiful solid fragrances encased in antique gold compacts in the In Fiore line. The scent comes in a base of jojoba oil and honey-scented beeswax. They look wonderful and they come in 6 scents:

Bois d'ete (with begamot, neroli and vetiver)

Fleur Orange (with neroli, jasmine sambac and Oman frankincense)

Fleurs blanches (with tuberose, jasmine, rose and orange blossom)

Fumee d'ambre (with incense, patchouli, vetiver and sweet amber)

Night Queen (with jasmine, bergamot peel, rose, oud and patchouli)

Patchouli Royale (with antique patchouli, oud, sandalwood and exotic balsams)

Rose Noir (with saffron absolute, Assam oud, galbanum and damascena rose)

From Hqhair.co.uk:

The Mama Mio Supermama Kit kit is filled with daily essential skincare for you to enjoy. Starting with Mama Mio Moisturising Shower Cream: it is actually a baby cleanser! Mama Mio felt that every mama can use a little babying sometimes. That explains why it is so gentle – it won’t strip your skin like a harsh soap. And of course it is sodium laureth sulfate free – it’s from Mama Mio.

Next is the important exfoliation stage. The Supersmooth Body Buff will gently and effectively remove the dead skin cells that stop nourishment penetrating your skin. The tiny granules are micro-ground natural pumice blended with Sweet Almond Oil to ensure that the Body Buff slides easily all over and isn’t too harsh.

The Super-rich Body Cream is a must for every mama. It’s rich yet quickly absorbed, nourishing but light, and makes skin feel silky and, very importantly, smell gorgeous. So lavish your skin with this super-nourishing cream and glory at the glow and softness.

Mama Mio Wonder-Full Balm really is. Named Wonder-Full Balm because you will find a million different ways to use it. Nine natural oils in a beeswax base, it is really a solid oil that melts in contact with your skin and provides rich intense moisture. Best lip balm ever, fantastic cuticle cream, adios dry elbows, run away rough heels… You will pull it out of your bag five times daily and you will never travel without it.

Mama Mio Supermama Kit contains: Moisturising Shower Creme, 300mlSuper-rich Body Cream, 200mlBody Buff, 200mlWonder-full Balm, 30ml

From Ayala Moriel:

Pamper your Mom on Mother's Day with an all-natural fragrant gift. Nothing can beat a custom scent, especially designed for her. We particulary encourage mothers and daugthers to come together to the studio for a shared Olfactory Journey - an unforgettable experience of essences from around the world, where the exotic meets the familiar in the most magical way. At the end of a journey, your memories and passions will be bottled in an elegant parfum flacon and a pendant.
In addition, a few specials* just for the occasion: - Perfumed Teas are on special for $20 (instead of $30). These organic and wild crafted teas are TO DIE FOR! - Purse size perfume oils, for only $65 - Perfumed Pendants are on sale now for $125 (instead of $150) - Gift Certificates for $100 or for any amount you'd like can be emailed or printed as well. Email us with the amount and message you'd like on the gift certificate and we'll send you a PayPal payment request. - And of course, if you are looking for something different check out Etsy shop for rare collectibles such as poison rings and vintage pillboxes filled with our delicious crème parfums.

* Offers expire May 30th.

From Origins:

From May 1st through May 6th, there is an offer of 25% off your next purchase. And when shopping online, the code 0508FF gets youstandard free shipping.

After my Own Heart by Ineke: fragrance review

"April is the cruellest month, breeding
lilacs out of the dead land"

says the famous line from the Waste Land.

Lilac has always stood for me as the very emblem of April, "stirring dull roots with spring rain". So inextricably has the month been linked to the bloom's Greek name. Πασχαλια/Paschalia (Pa-scha-leeA) means "Easter blossom" simply because lilacs bloom exactly around the time of Orthodox Easter in April. But like the festivities and the spring rain, alas they last all too briefly. The much needed rain is a brief occurrence in our warmer climate.

The hunt for a realistic soliflore that replicates the lush character of this elusive bloom has occupied me for years, ever since I was a child, buying little oils at herbalist shops with my pocket money after school.
Lilac's odour profile is unique in that it incorporates the clean and the dirty rolled into one and is romantic as well as sexualised. When one buries one's face into the large panicles, the smell of intimacy, like worn musky undergarments by a lover scintillates, mingled with the honeyed pollen and the translucent dewiness of soft petals; conspiring into a spring plot to ensnare you into surrendering all thought and yield to its fragrant message to howl "the eternal yes".

And yet perfumers have never been able to extract a good and abundant enough essence for use in perfumery, therefore the combination of other natural oils and synthetics such as Apo patchone, Lindenol, Nerol 800/900, Terpineol Extra, Dimethyl Benzyl Carbinol to replicate the scent of the living flower are used. Too often the final product turns out to smell like tin foil and unappealing to anyone who has had the good fortune to have had cut branches of the real thing adorning their homes at spring, emitting their heavenly aroma beneath gauzy curtains gushing in the wind.

Syringa (Lilac) is a genus of 20–25 species of flowering plants in the olive family (Oleaceae) which are usually a light purple (commonly referred to as lilac or lilas in French) or less often light pink or white. Native to Europe and Asia, it is said that Syringa Persica has been brought to Europe at the end of the 16th century, from the Ottoman gardens, while Syringa Vulgaris grew in the Balkans. The Holy Roman Emperor's ambassador, Ogier Ghiselin de Busbecq, is credited with supplying lilac slips to Carolus Clusius, in 1562. Botanists of fame, like the herbalist John Gerard, soon had the rarity in their gardens: he notes lilacs growing “in very great plenty” in 1597. In the American colonies lilacs were introduced in the 18th century.
It is also interesting to note that purple lilacs symbolise first love and white lilacs youthful innocence (see Language of flowers).

In Ineke's After my Own Heart, I found a satisfying lilac interpretation that is innocent, yet not without the throes of first love vibrating its delicate heart strings. Described as "the scent of fresh lilacs floating on the early breeze" it fulfils its promise of a fresh perfume with a romantic inclination. The fragrance opens on a lightly powdery burst of greenery with a slightly bitter background of chilliness, like the rush of wind on a cool evening, bringing up goosebumps on warm skin. Almost instantaneously, however, a warm sweetness like that of pollen is surfacing to mollify and caress, with the delicate touch of a dot of marzipan paste on a plate of berries drizzled with a touch of Alsatian Riesling not short of its goût petrol. The composition is modern, with a more or less linear presence on the skin, meaning there is no distinct development, sustaining the impression of flower and dusty air for a good while.
To compare After my Own Heart with another modern approach on a lilac soliflore, F.Malle's En Passant, by nose Olivia Giacobetti, I would venture to say that the latter is pronouncedly more limpid and aqueous, with a slightly sour note, like sniffing fresh yeasty bread dough. Although both go for the fresh approach they divert ways very soon, as Ineke's rendition is a little dustier and sweeter and probably less dependent on particular skin chemistry. They resemble watercolours for which the artist thought of light green tones and white opalescence of a cool, bracing morning (for En Passant) and of the pinky blue skies of afternoon warmth (for After my Own Heart).
Guerlain's Angelique Lilas in the Aqua Allegoria line is another interpretation, this time with the watery theme veering into the bitter terrain of rained upon angelicas, but the pronounced Calone element in it might seem harsher than Ineke's approach.

Contemplating whether my personal lilac-strewn Eldorado has been reached, I find that like the mythical town it is best to dream and find elements of it in the fragrances on offer. Perhaps the search will never end until technology and analytical chemistry sufficiently unravel the thread of Ariadne. Until then, real stems of lilac in a vase along with pleasant fragrances that echo its sweet message such as After my Own Heart will keep me company.

Notes: bergamot, raspberry, green foliage, lilac, sandalwood, heliotrope and musk.

Info on how to obtain the fragrance and samples at Ineke.com
You can read an appreciation of the whole line from A to E clicking this Ineke article.




Les Atelies du Parfum has posted a lovely lilac poem for those of you who read French.

Clip of Erik Satie's Gymnopédie No.1 uploaded by Kyromaster on Youtube.
Pic originally uploaded by princesshaiku.

Many Wishes

Easter Eve

The Holy Week has slowly and majestically drawn to a close culminating to the midnight mass tonight.

Like last year, when I presented you with our Incense Series, I will be wearing Messe de Minuit, contemplating the secret pagan awakening of spring perpetuated in Christianity, and especially Orthodox tradition, in which Easter coincides with the beginning of the warm season, the fertility of the fields and the ourdoors lifestyle. The candle procession of sharing the holy light, from man to man, will be like a litany of hope for unifying all people, whatever they might believe in, and the sky will be filled with fireworks, pyrotechnics and gunshots spent for joy and festivity and not for warfare.

From our house to yours, may the spirit of hope eternal light up your lives and bring a smile to your lips.

Click to hear the song:

Get this widget Track details eSnips Social DNA

Pic from Xeropotamos monastery in Athos Mountain Monastery Community in Greece, courtesy of Eikastikon.gr
Audio clip of "My Sweet Spring", the traditional hymn of Good Friday sung by Glykeria, courtesy of esnips.com, uploaded by Ειρηνη

Waiting for Tommy: a tragicomedy

“Nothing happens, nobody comes, nobody goes, it’s awful.”

Two perfume lovers, let’s call them Vladimir & Estragon (together they sound like a Russian contraceptive!), are waiting for the revelation of the sublime through a bottle of Tommy Girl. Tommy Masterpiece is rather late to their appointment and they pass the time waiting, testing the fragrance.

Estragon struggles to extricate some substance out of the white box. He peers inside it, feels about, turns it upside down, shakes it, looks on the ground to see if anything has fallen out, finds nothing, feels inside it again, staring sightlessly before him.

ESTRAGON: Oh, there it is! Finally. Shall I spray it on?
VLADIMIR: (musingly). The last moment . . . (He meditates.) Hope deferred maketh the something sick, who said that?
ESTRAGON: Will you help me?

They spritz and sniff. Blank stare to the great unknown. They sniff some more.

VLADIMIR: Do you remember the Gospels?
ESTRAGON: I remember the maps of the Holy Land. Coloured they were. Very pretty. The Dead Sea was pale blue. The very look of it made me thirsty. That's where we'll go, I used to say, that's where we'll go for our honeymoon. We'll swim. We'll be happy.
VLADIMIR: You should have been a poet.
ESTRAGON: I was. (Gesture towards his rags.) I was writing honest perfume reviews. Isn't that obvious?
VLADIMIR: Well? What do we do?
ESTRAGON: Don't let's do anything. It's safer. Let’s place all our faith on experts.
VLADIMIR: Let's wait and see what she says.
ESTRAGON: Who?
VLADIMIR: Tommy Girl.
ESTRAGON: Good idea. Does she say anything to your nose?
VLADIMIR: No. But let's wait till we know exactly how we stand.
ESTRAGON: On the other hand it might be better to strike the iron before it freezes.
VLADIMIR: I'm curious to hear what Tommy Girl has to offer. Then we'll take it or leave it.
ESTRAGON: What exactly did we ask her for?
VLADIMIR: Were you not there?
ESTRAGON: I can't have been listening.
VLADIMIR: Oh . . . Nothing very definite. Just to be a masterpiece, five-star caliber creation.
ESTRAGON: A kind of prayer to be the perfect department store fragrance at an affordable price. The composition coincidentally happened to fall neatly into several blocks, each typical of a native American botanical.
VLADIMIR: Precisely.
ESTRAGON: A vague supplication.
VLADIMIR: Exactly.

Silence as they contemplate.

ESTRAGON: And what did she reply?
VLADIMIR: That she'd see. It’s not that she could be definite. She has been formulated 1100 times to arrive at this result with the tea accord inspired by sniffing the inside of Mariage Freres shop in Paris, no less.
ESTRAGON: She said that she couldn't promise anything.
VLADIMIR: That she'd have to think it over and get back to us.
ESTRAGON: In the quiet of her home.
VLADIMIR: Consult her family.
ESTRAGON: Her friends.
VLADIMIR: Her agents.
ESTRAGON: Her correspondents.
VLADIMIR: Her books.
ESTRAGON: Her bank account.
VLADIMIR: Before taking a decision to be an at least decent fragrance.
VLADIMIR: Say, do you smell anything of interest?
ESTRAGON: Other than belcher, fartov and testew?
It's the normal thing. To try to be an at least decent smell.
VLADIMIR: Is it not?
ESTRAGON: I think it is not.
VLADIMIR: I don’t think so either.
ESTRAGON: (anxious). And we?
VLADIMIR: I beg your pardon?
ESTRAGON: I said, And we?
VLADIMIR: I don't understand.
ESTRAGON: Where do we come in?
VLADIMIR: Come in?
ESTRAGON: Take your time.

VLADIMIR: Come in? On our hands and knees. Begging for the revelation to come on us lowly ones who cannot see the miracle behind the masterpiece.
ESTRAGON: As bad as that?
VLADIMIR: Your Worship wishes to assert his prerogatives?
ESTRAGON: We've no rights any more?
Laugh of Vladimir, stifled as before, less the smile.
VLADIMIR: You'd make me laugh if it wasn't prohibited.
ESTRAGON: We've lost our rights?
VLADIMIR: (distinctly). We got rid of them. The day we relinquished our faith for the one placed on experts.


*Tommy Girl is the ultimate McGuffin, as Hitchcock used to say: a plot device about which the characters care desperately, but the audience isn’t meant to give a damn.

With loving admiration of Samuel.



For other interesting takes on Tommy Girl, please check out Scent Signals and Perfume Posse.

Pics courtesy of hrc.utexas.edu and samuel-beckett.net

How the Gods trick us into hubris ~Alpona by Caron: fragrance review

I distinctly recall the first time I tested Alpona: it was the holiday season of 2006 and I had come very late to the cult, considering my perfume habit dates back to the time I was collecting minis and mixing (nay, ruining) my mother's expensive perfumes as a child. Having tested myriads of fragrances by then and having almost exhausted the Caron subject studiously and laboriously as most of them were not available to my country, with only a few sitting pretty on my skin, my nose and my sensibilities (the rose accords have to be a certain way for me to be moved) I had almost no hope of liking Alpona.
How the Gods trick us into hubris...

I had read of it described as a bitter chypre and I imagined it as very harsh and wasted a la Cabochard reformulated, one of the major disappointments of my perfume life because of the precious memories it had held for me personally.
Leafing through hefty tomes of arcane perfume lore I had come across authors describing it as fruity perfume as well and it was at that moment that I became convinced that I wouldn't like it in a million years, given my antithesis to such proclivities. Yet , the desire to test it even to formally and terminally "diss" it was persistent. I was a snob in reverse on the hunt of the elusive: Alpona had been created as extrait de parfum and those were only available through the "urns", Baccarat crystal fountains of liquid gold to be had at the Boutique Caron in Paris and New York City.

It was in a friendly exchange with a lovely lady that I had been able to procure some, opening the little bottle with trepidation not unlike the one shown by the bishop annointing France's Charles VII Dauphin upon his crowning in Reims with Clovis' Sacred Ampoule holding the Holy Oil.

And then.....I put it on! And it took only seconds for me to not only like it , but to positively love it for its peculiarity, its dry and sweet mingle, its character, its depth. Its weird grapefruit-rind note and the rich oakmoss marriage. These two elements dominate the composition. Another devotee was at that very minute approaching the Altar of Alpona, shyly skirting the edges of the marble, gingerly grasping the golden handrail, laying bouquets of piety at the Goddess' feet. And it solaced my soul that she forgave and welcomed me into the Order like a deflowered Vestal Virgin who has entered the priesthood of a secret cult.

Caron launched Alpona in 1939, in tandem with the New York Exposition, inspired by the Garden of the Hesperides. Hercules according to the Greek mythology defied the nymphs Hesperides, guardians of the garden, and stole from the Greek gods the secret of immortality, the "golden apples". Alpona was the first acclaimed fragrance to combine flowers with lemon and grapefruit inaugaurating the “Hespéridé” family. These tart citrus fruits (known as "hesperideans") give the perfume its modernity. Sun-ripened fruits basking in an orchard in the last foothills of the Alps with considerable darkness and richness underneath thanks to the inclusion of oakmoss and the infamous Mousse de Saxe base was at the mind of its creator Ernest Daltroff.
Alpona is recommended according to Caron "for immoderate indulgence by every woman who wants to get the juice out of life".

My fallacy that it would turn for the sour were dispelled by the reality of it unfolding its fruit rind swirls on skin. Alpona is actually quite sweet in the drydown, rich and full-bodied.
It has personality. Backbone!
Alpona smells like a weird holiday in the mountains, but not the snowy Alps, there is no cool snow theme here, despite the name. It's as if you are squeezing grapefruits and oranges for the morning juice, drinking it in a lichen-overgrown attic on the slopes of an autumnal mountain lodge; gorging the sunrays coming through the open window, basking in their warmth, with a little plate of candied orange and bergamot rind by your side, leafing through old textbooks of your granny who was learning Russian as a hobby. Decked in light woolies and breathing in the moist air, the trampled upon tree branches and just dead leaves, sighing with pleasure and abandonment, savouring the spicy dryness, Alpona is like discovering long-forgotten trinkets and family heirlooms in a cedar chest tucked away in the attic.

According to the official Caron site:
Notes: Lemon, Grapefruit, Bergamot, Rose, Orange, Jasmine, Orchid, Thyme, Patchouli, Myrrh, Cedar, Sandalwood, Musk, Oakmoss

I will never again say I won't like something just because. That's a promise Alpona made me give. I will sorely miss it now that they discontinuing it...
You can still get it at NYC boutique located in the Phyto Universe day spa on Lexington Avenue at West 58th Street, so take your chance while supplies last.
HOT FROM THE PRESS:
Paris Caron boutique representative refutes the rumours on discontinuation. Please note that this is not definitive and it might mean that they will keep it only in Paris or the plans are for later on.

Painting by John William Waterhouse, Diogenes

To distract...

Bad news don't have to be announced beforehand, they strike like lightning in a sudden summer storm getting you out of your comfort zone into the realisation that things follow their own course no matter how you think they're going. I was about to do a little article on Caron in light of the recent discussions pertaining to their reformulation by Fraysse and how this affects them or not, intending to procure samples of the current version to compare with my own older batches. All in the aim of accurate reporting, bien sûr!

Alas, at least one gem I was anxiously waiting to see if it had been altered significantly (at least from the version that I enjoyed) was Alpona, that weird beast which fascinated me. Yet, according to The Scented Salamander, Alpona is no more... Shed a loving tear for this individual chypre that would have celebrated its 70 years in 2009. Probably succumbing under the weight of oakmoss restrictions, it has been discontinued. An urn perfume no less, which is foreboding.
Your last chance to grab it before it goes away for ever is at the Caron Boutique for $100 for a 1/4 oz of extrait de parfum to $ 520 for 200 ml. The New York City boutique can be reached at (212) 319-4888. An Alpona review is in the works and will appear on Perfume Shrine shortly!

But enough with the fragrance world gloom and in a playful attempt to distract you from such sad occurences I am hosting a little contest.
Here is a clip that acts as a collage of perfume clips for several fragrances. The reader who identifies the perfumes seen in the correct sequence wins a decant of one of my spring perfumes.



(uploaded by arturdvm)

Check back again for review and surprise posts!

Luca Turin and Tania Sanchez TV and Radio Interviews

Thanks to the amazing skills and generosity of IrisLA, a truly lovely, generous lady and a reader of this venue, Perfume Shrine is in the position to offer you the clip of the interview by Luca Turin and Tania Sanchez on occassion of issuing their new book Perfumes The Guide on Good Morning America.
Here is the TV interview clip then. Enjoy and kudos to Iris LA!



I do have to say that Luca comes across as quite shy! Watch those clasped hands, that downcast gaze. And that Tania is animated and good fun. Of course this is merely my impression, but nice to know that the snark coming off the pages is for entertainment purposes.
The questions are mostly basic and there are no surprises for perfumephiles, but it's interesting to see some myth debunking on a big mainstream channel. The one about personal chemistry is especially relevant and it was good that the authors segue on to give us their differing opinions (Luca doesn't believe in it, Tania says she experimented with friends to that effect), but finally they converge into what seems like an approximation of what really happens: namely that perfumes have an initial difference on different people only to drydown to a similar result. Makes some degree of sense, otherwise how on earth would be able to recognise them when we smelled them on strangers?
Nice trivia that the interviewer is referencing on two occassions Diane Sawyer who is by all accounts a perfume lover with her own collection and whose favourite scent is Sabi.

On the other hand, there was also a radio interview with Luca and Tania on On Point, WBUR 90,9 Boston's NPR station. The segment was called "Perfume Appreciation" with guest host Jane Clayson on which there was supposedly a part devoted to Patty Geissler of Perfume Posse. An esteemed blogger, someone who does have an extensive collection and a reputable seller of fragrance decants, it would make all the sense in the world if they had let her speak her mind instead of cutting her off to let a Creed representative go on about the line in what seemed like promo copy, refuting the Love in White review. Of course this was a particularly vitriolic review in the book (basically -and I am paraphrasing for copyright reasons- implying that if you had been confined to sleeping for two months in the rough like a homeless person and you had been presented with Love in White as your shampoo for your first bath thereafter you'd prefer to keep the lice instead). And it's understandable that they wanted to give both sides of the argument.
Nevertheless, it would have helped a whole lot more if there was some discussion with an impartial perfume lover who has actually tested the scent and read the review as well. Still, you can listen to the interview through your computer even if you're a continent away, clicking this link. (Choose Windows Media or Realserver on top of article and click)

Ineke: Fragrant Presentation

It is often that I am taken by surprise in not having sampled lines which are making a ripple in the pond of niche perfumery: After all one can test only so much! My surprise turned into elation when I got the Deluxe Sample Pack that contains samples of all the current collection by Ineke. Not only is the presentation modern and aesthetically fabulous, it has the distinct air of care and understated luxury printed all over it. Coming in an anthracite box of velvety feel it opens like a matchbox to reveal five small cardboard boxes with different designs on them which you slide to open. Inside are little spray vials (actually there's quite enough quantity in each to allow for numerous tests!), each wrapped in correspondingly coloured paper. So cute! Perhaps the loveliest presentation of fragrances I have seen in sample form and a lesson for all niche brands.
The fragrances themselves reveal vignettes in Ineke's mind which she was searching a way to communicate to the public, given her preceding love for literature.

Ineke Rühland is a Canadian perfumer, the soul behind the Ineke line. She is a classically-trained perfumer who creates beautiful, original scents in her independent studio in San Francisco. She studied perfumery at ISIPCA in Versailles, France (the only official school of perfumery), under the guidance of Yves de Chiris who also helped her train at Quest thereafter and with formidable mentors such as Dominique Ropion and Isabel Doyen.
She apprenticed for three years at a fragrance house in Paris, making pilgrimages to Grasse, perfume capital of the world. Ineke finally decided to move to San Franciso, where she makes her luminous, modern fragrances.

The innovation of the collection is that each fragrance begins with a consecutive letter of the alphabet: A - After My Own Heart; B - Balmy Days and Sundays; C - Chemical Bonding; D - Derring-Do; E-Evening edged in Gold (the latest which came out recently). This original concept allows for both a little literary word play as the fragrant stories pick up from a word starting with each letter and it also serves as a wonderfully practical reminder of which perfume is the latest one, easing the customer into experiencing the evolution of the line.

The Deluxe Sample Collection contains spray samples of all 5 fragrances wrapped in a beautiful soft box with almost the tactile feel of brushed suede and the price is fully redeemable with any product purchase: A great way to try the scents!

After My Own Heart, which Ineke describes as "the scent of fresh lilacs floating on the early breeze" will get a full review shortly. To whet your appetite, I will merely state that it is a soft, subtly sweet, realistic enough lilac scent full of the airy feel of mid-spring. Lilac is an elusive blossom (because it can't be successfully distilled or a true essence extracted) which I dearly hold close to my heart indeed, so some more attention will be given to this one on Perfume Shrine. It has notes of bergamot, raspberry, green foliage, lilac, sandalwood, heliotrope and musk.

Balmy Days and Sundays veers towards a green floral scent with a lightly earthy backnote. It derives its name from The Carpenters' song "Rainy Days And Sundays" but it is in fact its antithesis. Sunny, optimistic and laid back, not rainy at all. Officially described as "a perfume about perfect moments on a relaxing Sunday, lying in the grass, breathing the smells of sweet scented flowers and fragrant leaves", it encompasses notes of freesia, leafy greens, grass, honeysuckle, rose, mimosa, a chypre accent and musk. There is an ozonic note mingled with the freesias that somehow doesn't clinch it for me, although I have to admit that it is not the usual screechy ozonic that we have come to associate with 90s perfumery. The feel is limpid and airy, without the dreaded feel of getting your nose hairs singed by the intense icy "freshness".

Chemical Bonding has uplifting citrus notes with a powdery, clean musk dry down. It is a fragrance that "playfully juxtaposes Chemistry 101 principles with human attraction", comprised of notes of smooth citrus cocktail, tea, blackberry, dewy peony, vetiver, amber and powdery musk. Although musk (as well as powder and vetiver) always catches my attention and I was fully prepared to love this above all others, it proved to be my least favorite in the lineup. Perhaps it is the wrong feel of fresh, a little too high pitched for what I imagined as a soft powdery and earthy with the grass musk. However I can fully see how it fits a summery mood of laid-back lifestyle, cotton clothes drying in the breeze and a cool juice sipped on a bright morning shared between a loving couple.

Derring Do is "an ode to the literary rogue" and comes from old English; a masculine with aromatic touches in the fougère family. Built on a fresh citrus blend, rain notes, cyclamen, magnolia, fougère accents, cardamom, pepper, guaiacwood, cedarwood and musk, the composition is really pleasant, soft and nicely unisex with its subdued woods and spices.
With its effortless character it managed to garner two compliments the day I wore it and its remnants on skin were beckoning me to apply again and again.

Evening Edged in Gold is a departure for the line in that it misses that sparse and translucent feel of the Jean Claude Ellena and Olivia Giacobetti school of thought going instead for a full bodied floriental that aims at serious evening seduction. Like munching Life Savers and plums under a blossoming tree in the heart of summer, it shows that Ineke has diversity and explores new horizons. Who knows what the next one will bring! It comprises notes of notes of osmanthus, plum, angel's trumpet, saffron, cinnamon bark, midnight candy, leather and woods. Angel's Trumpet and Midnight Candy are both plants (poisonous! closely related to datura) which project their sweet smell far in the evening breeze to aid pollination. Their magic is rendered through synthesis and married to the heavenly apricoty aroma of osmanthus, a flower prized in the East, they render a charming composition with a subtle leathery, slightly spicy and woodsy drydown that holds the whole in check, vaguely reminiscent of Daim Blond by Lutens.

Fragrances come in a sparse, hefty glass bottle of 75ml/2.5oz Eau de Parfum concentration and retail at 88$.
They are available at: Beautyhabit, Takashimaya, Begdorf Goodman, Fred Segal, Louis Boston, Luilei online, Holt Renfrew in Canada, Liberty in the UK, Bioty Bar in France, Sundhaft in Munich and Department Store Quartier 206 in Berlin, Germany, Profumeria Scarazinni in Milan, Italy and with plans to expand in many more countries (take a look for full list of stores)
To try the Ineke Deluxe Sample Pack, click here.

Pics through Ineke.

Mother's Day Specials

Bond No. 9 and Swarovski team up to create Bond No. 9 Swarovski Stars in best-selling Bryant Park, Bleecker Street and Nuits de Noho scents. These three blinged out Bond No. 9 scents sparkle with thousands of Swarovski crystals, so tiny that they shimmer and gleam as one. Bond No. 9 Swarovski Stars Limited-Edition Collectibles will arrive in May, in the Mother’s Day nick-of-time.
The three fragrances will now be available housed in 50ml bottles completely crystallized—like a second skin —with thousands of Swarovski crystals so tiny that together they shimmer and gleam as one. Instead of the classic bottle designs, these Swarovski Stars are covered in one single hue—either pink, green or blue. Somehow, the effect manages to be sleek, fun and a bit tabula rasa all at the same time.

And for moms on the go -from soccer to socialite- Bond No. 9 offers Swarovski Stars Bon Bons, a chic collection of all three scents (plus Eau de New York ) in crystallized 6ml purse-sprays. In a word: Brilliant.

Availability: 50ml for $650 · Swarovksi Stars Bon Bons Collection for $700
At Bond No. 9 boutiques, 877-273-3369, bondno9.com,
saks.com and Saks Fifth Avenue nationwide.

Pic of collectible Swarovski bon bons courtesy of Bond No.9

An Unearthly Beauty?

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.

More info on Opus Oils at www.opusoils.com/

Pic courtesy of Opus Oils

With One Eye on Summer

Perfume Shrine presents you a glimpse of the upcoming lists of top fragrances for summer. Never too early to get prepared in the perfume stakes! In the new issue of Allure magazine (page 134) Frédéric Malle recommends some of his fave summer scents:

Cristalle by Chanel
Eau de Fleurs de Cédrat by Guerlain
Armani Eau Pour Homme with notes of lemon, basil, oakmoss
Light Blue by Dolce & Gabanna
Eau Sauvage by Dior
Pleasures by Lauder
Diorella by Dior
Lys Méditerranée by Malle
Cologne Bigarade by Malle
Eau du Ciel by Annick Goutal

The punchline? "The smell of the ocean, lemon paired with greens, and lilies are a few of Malle's favorites for summer." As reflected in his fragrant choices obviously, agreeing or not.
Which ones would you pick?

And because Friday should herald the joys of the weekend, a little diversion with a trully summery song for you, a big hit in Europe: Ville Vallo from HIM and the actress Natalia Avelon from the the "8 Mile High" film.



Next on Perfume Shrine: a niche line gets a detailed presentation, reviews of new scents and other wonderful surprises!

Pic of Greek beach sent to me by mail unaccredited.

Optical Scentsibilities: bottle design

Art apparently not only imitates life, but art itself as well! Here today is photographic evidence of design borrowing concerning perfume bottles.

The most classic example is of course the couturier's dummy by Schiaparelli for her legendary Shocking.

The torso has a seamstress's tape on the neck and a head of flowers. Very 30s.
While Gaultier decided to give it a corset in his take on Jean Paul Gaultier Classique. Very 90s...

Weird shapes and precarious balances also inspire. Hermes did this tipsy bottle that sits on an angle first for Eau de Merveilles and then for Elixir de Merveilles (depicted).

Missoni liked the idea and borrowed the almost on the side, ready to fall but not quite balance on their eponymous scent and later on their Aqua by Missoni.
Youth Dew is a classic by Lauder: their first fragrance. Its shape above (coming from a later design on the original bottle) is echoed though in another perfume bottle.

Madeleine Vionnet, as a couturier, made sure she had a thimble-shaped cap on her fragrance. The rest is quite similar. The sketchy filigree design by Jane Birkin's hand proved successful for the ultra pared-down, functional bottle of Miller Harris L'air de Rien.

Lostmarch opted for a slightly more nostaligic design on theirs, lifting the sparse bottle a bit. Laan-Ael it is. L'artisan Parfumeur designed new caps for all their bottles recently (Why? Completely redundant, they were perfect anyway ~OK, perhaps they needed to inject a shot of masculinity to the image of their unisex fragrances, I am hypothesizing).
Yves Saint Laurent followed with their cap for L'Homme.

Perles de Lalique has one of the most arresting bottles in their extrait de parfum, as you can see.

Until one sees the vintage parfum bottle for Arpege by Lanvin that is.... Sisley came out with a moon-cap for their Soir de Lune. After all lune does mean moon in French.
But apparently Songes, which means dreams, is also tied to moon imagery, according to Annick Goutal. Good night, sleep tight...

Pics from osmoz, amazon, artcover, doctissimo.fr, scentedsalamander blog (for soir de lune), parfumflacons, flickr, official Miller Harris and Schiaparelli sites.

Who is questioning the Guide?

No fragrance company has taken an official stance on "Perfumes The Guide" yet. Nevertheless, at least a handful have personally contacted me with questions on what was mentioned about their products following my review of the new guide by Luca Turin and Tania Sanchez. Therefore I am deducing that it's still early and developments will follow. Hopefully those will be for the greater good of the dedicated perfume lover and not to the detriment of free expression and critique.

However upon perusing perfume boards and especially those who are not as simpatico to Luca as Perfume of Life is, such as the huge fragrance board of Makeupalley and the populous forum of Basenotes, I came across this scathing questioning which provided pause for thought.

Upon discussing the authors' opinions on current Caron perfumes, someone asked just what exactly happened to Caron to which this is the reply.

"They don't go into many details {about reformulations}. They just say that everything has been given a "soapy rose drydown" and is now thin and wan.
Both assertions are untrue.
And last week I tested four new Carons on my skin and let them dry down for hours. Not a trace of "soapy rose"!
Yep, and they claim that it's happened very recently (within the last year). Well, last week I went to the boutique in New York myself and compared the current perfumes with some older (1-3 years old) samples and decants that I have.
There was no difference. They haven't been "ruined" at all. It's a lie".

~posted by MizLiz211 (an avid Caron collector) on 4/15/2008 12:02PM on MUA

The criticism of Richard Fraysse's work on the Carons is worth pondering on, especially in light of Turin's raves on the recent reformulation of Mitsouko by Edouard Flechier for Guerlain; a reformulation which had most of the perfume lovers up at arms about it ruining the iconic chypre by seriously reducing the oakmoss base due to restrictions on the material's use by IFRA and the EU.

Hot on the heels of the above quote, comes this one, which I think applies to much more on the Net than the issue at hand (but let's not digress):

"An opportunity to rant: Have you noticed how often in LT's writing it turns out that something you will never be able to sniff (Nombre Noir, original Whatever) is the VERY BEST, transcendent, fabulous, and what you can buy now is SWILL?
Perhaps this is in fact true. Perhaps everything gets ruined.

But also perhaps:

1. Memory is faulty, even LT's memory.
2. Some things do get improved.

And isn't it convenient that I, the reader, cannot sniff LT's comparison for myself and therefore judge whether he has rocks in his head or not?
I think LT is a very very gifted writer -- I wish I could write as well. I'm thrilled that perfumes are being given the attention they deserve - if people are going to make money assessing wines, why not perfumes?

But the only sort of guide I'm interested in right now is something that would tell me what to buy now that Violette Precieuse has been changed. (Worsened? Depends on what you like. It happens to not have been changed in a direction I want to wear. But is it worse? Dunno.)"

~posted by Sarasotagirl (herself a book critic and journalist) on 4/15/2008 11:44AM on MUA

These are some serious doubts and they are stated by respected members of the fragrance board on Makeupalley, a place which Tania Sanchez credits as an infinite source of fragrance education.
It would be really enlightening and useful if the authors chimed in to clarify and reply to them and I am giving them the opportunity here, if they wish to pursuit it.

To be fair and striving for impartiality, as is customary to Perfume Shrine, I have to point out that in this truly Titan task they undertook, they reviewed almost 1500fragrances. Doing the math and supposing it would suffice if they didn't try them all out on both their skins, that's 700 each in less than 1.5 year! Some relative haste had to be in action if only to be professionally on time for the deadlines of the editor.
Furthermore, someone could question the memory of any individual ~and certainly in some cases it transpires through the writing that not all different concentrations of certain perfumes had been put to the test, such as was the case with Chanel No.5 till very recently per Luca's admission, or still remains so with certain others). But, and this is a big but, I wouldn't doubt the gas chromatograph and mass spectrometer on Luca's side. An objective and definitive test to be sure! Then again, it wouldn't be easy to run all classics in different batches through it to ascertain differences with the current versions.
The matter is terribly complicated.

Perhaps after all is said nothing sinister is at play and simply expectations are set very high because Luca Turin has earned the position of authority in fragrant matters and members on perfume boards act in proviso to that.

Now that Turin is leaving Flexitral after patenting several molecules to pursue a different path we wish him to go ahead and sell the innovations to the fragrance industry, if that means that a sufficient quality level would be attained to please us all. Because that is the crux of the matter which unites us all.

One silly question remains: what will they do with all those bottles they have accumulated (almost 2000 bottles per Tania's words)? Do they have a contingency plan?

Pic courtesy of Athinorama

What's Brewing Now?

It's always great to find that a house one admires releases something new and exciting. I got the info on this through Perfumista.org who attended the NYC Snifapalooza. The new Eau de Liane , another Bertrand Duchaufour composition for L'Artisan Parfumeur, forms part of the "Fragrance captured by a perfumer on his travels" line, inaugaurated with Bois Farine and followed by the unusual and wonderful Timbuktu.
The new scent was influenced by travels in Panama and is launching in October 2008. Of course Liane is a river in Pas-de-Calais in France and not Panama, but I am assuming they're after another thing: possibly the plant! We'll find out in due time I gather.
The description sounds enticing enough, what with the watery kelp-ish notes along with the deep green and the fruit and perhaps we're in for a ground-breaker (always in need of one of those!)

On a completely different note, it seems that perfume brands are not the only ones endlessly repeating themselves and recycling the same ideas. Cosi fan tutte... It happens to make-up lines as well, as attested by this piece of sleuthing by The Non Blonde. The time span of recycling is dropping as well. Well, with so many releases on the market, I wonder how they could possibly re-invent the wheel every time!
It's also infuriating to hear that one can buy the whole but not the individual items of a promotional set at Bobbi Brown! Thankfully there are a couple of cosmetic sets that prove good value for money. But they don't come by every day nor does the offer last for long!

Lastly, there are new fragrances already out, fresh like buns from the oven. Union Square by Bond no.9 in the Andy Warhol series which started with Silver Factory ; and The Beat by Burberry. Since I have no idea what they smell like yet, I refer you to Karin's reviews on both.
And for our French-reading audience, Poivre Bleu is focusing on patchouli scents, with Borneo 1834and Reminiscence Patchouli at the forefront.
Enjoy!

Pic originally uploaded by glemcol gilles

Twin Peaks: Chanel No.19 and Heure Exquise reviews & comparison

Two sisters cut from the same cloth, but parting ways in their pursuit of self-fulfilment is not an uncommon scenario in real life, but when it happens to fragrances the comparison warrants exploration. A beautiful icy queen in contrapuncto to a bohemian lady of pedigree is how these two seem.

In Chanel No.19 I find every bit of that confident self-assurance that few women project without appearing displeasingly haughty. Composed by Henri Robert in 1971 for Coco Chanel herself, who supposedly overlook its creation from start to finish and first commissioned it for herself while in her 80s, it's one of the compelling masterpieces of perfumery and I personally love it dearly.
A very cool and powdery iris sings in soprano voice above the greenest vetiver and crunchiest galbanum this side of pre-reformulation Vent Vert; green jasmine vine dew and a little wood and leather give it aloof sophistication. It wears equally well on a hot day or a cool rainy one and this is an admirable trait, making it a perfect spring choice. Poised between green floral and green chypre, to me it definitely leans to the latter, a very elegant and confident one at that, that does not demand dressy clothes but could be just as fetching with something more casual. I picture it with a crisp white shirt on and silver bangles on a warm day, hair down; carefree and free-spirited and a little audacious to contrast with its primness of character. It would be a grave mistake to pair it with twin sets and pearls, all the paraphernalia of prim and proper, subtracting from its strict-boss sexiness.

The three concentrations are quite different from one another and thus worth comparing.
The Eau de Toilette comes in a refillable spray bottle, same as the classic No.5 but in silvery brushed aluminum instead of black; or a flat oblong spray bottle with a rectangular black or silver cap. The Eau de Parfum comes in the classic flat Chanel bottle with curved edges, with a spraying mechanism, just like No.5 in Eau de Parfum. Parfum is of course encased in the loveliest flacon of the three, with the excellent craftmanship reserved for the top products of the line.
Each of them hides a different aromatic secret: Eau de Toilette is the sharpest, dewiest and startingly greenest of the three, an affair of iris and vetiver in a naughty tryst after the executive power breakfast.
On the other hand Eau de Parfum, a creation of the 80s, highlights the crystalline Rose de Mai, along with jasmine, appearing more amply floral and curvaceously richer, justifying the green floral categorisation. Parfum is closer to Eau de Toilette, with a subtler projection however, the green whisper of violet leaves and vetiver embracing the coolness and powderiness of iris. The hint of undergrowth via oakmoss is also a bit more pronounced, which might signal the toll of death for the precious formula in light of IFRA and EU restrictions in the near future (let's hope not!)

Myself I have a preference for the translucent, icy clarity of the Eau de Toilette. In fact I am perfectly satisfied with it to the point I don't feel the need for parfum in this one, unless one is concerned with sharpness and projection.
The Eau de Parfum has a tendency towards turning sour on me, adding to my frustration with rosy accents that I am forever trying to come to terms with. But for rose lovers, this is the concentration to go after.
There are also two distinct formulae on this one, as attested by two differently hued bottles in the same store, which were of slightly different batches: one more emerald green, another more yellowish. Light or time deterioration could not be the culprit for the difference, as the first pigments to deteriorate are blue-toned ones, then red, then yellow, much like it happens with wines (a purple or green hue in red and white wine respectively -both shades containing a bit of blue in them- is a sure sign of a fresh batch and not an aged vintage).
There is discussion of reformulation, which is especially poignant regarding parfum, if so. The Parfum flacons I have come across do not present shade differences (yet) and are uniformely an ambery colour juice, but this is not to indicate that it will not follow the other concentrations in the future.

Notes for Chanel No.19:
Top: lemon, galbanum, bergamot
Heart: violet Leaf, rose de Mai, jasmine Grandiflorum from Grasse, ylang ylang, orris Root, lily of the valley
Base: vetiver, leather, sandalwood, oakmoss


Heure Exquise by Annick Goutal means "exquisite hour" and refers of course to what Guerlain poetically called l'heure bleue: the moment when the sun has set, but the night sky has not yet found its stars.
There is a wonderful poem by Paul Verlaine titled "La lune blanche"/"White Moon" which uses the very phrase in the end and it would be magnificent to think that it might have served as an inspiration:

"The white moon shines in the woods.
From each branch springs a voice
beneath the arbor.
Oh my beloved...

Like a deep mirror, the pond reflects
the silhouette of the black willow
where the wind weeps.
Let us dream! It is the hour...

A vast and tender calm seems to descend
from a sky made iridescent by the moon.
It is the exquisite hour!"

~Translation from the French by Grant A. Lewis (indiana.edu), referenced through this link with a comparison with the French text.

According to Michael Edwards, if you like Hermès Hiris or Chanel No.19 (both boasting a hefty amount of iris and in fact sharing a similar skeleton of perfume structure with Heure) you will like Heure Exquise. And in this case the correlation is eminently apparent!
Composed by Annick Goutal and Henri Sorsana (her perfumery mentor) in 1984, at a time when such cool and shady compositions were not the norm, it departs with its soapy iris note.
Goutal pegs it as:

"A sophisticated trail of Turkish rose, a gentle powdery base of iris from Florence and Mysore sandalwood. This fragrance recreates the atmosphere of a rose garden that blossoms with the passing of each exquisite hour."

Heure Exquise is a gentler, less astrigent sister of Chanel No.19, drier even and more powdery, with a more romantic, presque bohème streak due to its animalic submantle. Despite it being a newer creation than the Chanel it posseses an Art Deco vibe that is more old-fashioned than No.19.
Ravishing green pepperiness of galbanum provides the arresting first impression while the mysterious mists of iris with its powdery note enforces the similarity. Rose blossoms emitting their aroma in a dusky garden peak through in true feminine form.
However on closer inspection there is an almost incense-like feel of woody resiny aroma which contributes to the sui generis character of the whole. A subtle vanillic hint plays hide and seek in the woody base, never sweet. The progression does not change much on a blotter or on the skin and the tenacity and sillage are a bit more subdued than No.19. It is less cooly composed, less correct in its demeanour, with hair slightly out of place perhaps and clothes that might defy the rules of ineffable chic, but more spontaneous and passionate as a result.

The comparison between the two fragrances reminds me of the two sisters in the film The Heart of Me, based on the novel by Rosamond Lehmann. Set in 1930s London, it features two sisters - Madeleine and Dinah, played by Olivia Williams and Helena Bonham Carter respectively - and their contrasting characters: one marries Rickie (Paul Bettany), a debonair City businessman; the other falls in love with him. He begins an affair which is to have repercussions throughout their lives.
To feel the differences between the two sisters, you can watch the trailer, clicking here.

Heure Exquise like Dinah "might not be the most elegant creature, but it has passion". If No.19 becomes seriously compromised it is an excellent alternative and a wonderful stand alone perfume in any case.

Notes for Heure Exquise:
Top: Turkish rose
Middle: Orris
Base: Mysore sandalwood

Pic of Chanel No.19 ad courtesy of Parfum de Pub, pic of Goutal bottles courtesy of Annick Goutal official site.

Break This Bittersweet Spell on Me ~Douce Amere by Lutens: fragrance review

Douce Amère's sonorous name, meaning "bittersweet" in French, brings back memories of childhood with a Prustian rush: the precarious balance of bitter and sweet like a poisonous plant, like bitter sightshade; the smell of danger and dare of a bitters sip coupled with the comfort of a vanillic dessert consumed long after playing truant and getting grounded for it. Or even the strange macaroon-style cookies my mother baked comprising of coconut, dusting sugar and strong ouzo: a recipe concocted in hell, I'm sure, but tasting like a fresh slice of heaven. Bitter food and drink have the perverse tendency to make you yearn for them several years later and this is no exception.

Yet Douce Amère remains one of the most underappreciated fragrances in the Lutens oeuvre for some reason, even though it came out in 2000; 8 years ago, enough time to make its mark and lure in accolytes.

Jean Poiret, a French actor and playwright who wrote and starred in the original 1973 Paris production of La Cage aux folles, is the author of Douce Amère , a comedy written in 1970.
However upon looking around a bit, I also found another synonymous theatrical happening:

"[...]Madame Douce-Amere (Mrs. Bitter-Sweet) is a female Marcel Marceau, whose curious antics and invisible dog take her beyond the walls of her home and into the laps of the audience. Madame invites you to help yourself to her hot chocolate and cookies and then sit back to watch the fun".

~through Theatrehorizon.org

I am not sure if Serge Lutens was inspired by either (or even by the Solanum Dulcamara "nightshade" plant) nudging "nose" Chris Sheldrake into embottling the satyrical and funny along with the poignant. But it would have been interesting to contemplate that he would. His fragrances often evoke heavy costumed dramas to me, with secondary actors in the wings, getting a quick turn on the stage for some precious moments before they disappear like in a Euripedean episode.

Cinnamon fondles the herbal constituents of Douce Amere into submission while the naughtier peppermint-like accents along with what seems like citrusy oils raise their naughty head from time to time in wistful yet tantalizing temptation. The medicinal opening of aromatic wormwood -the plant that gives absinthe drink its green pungency- belies the hedonistic, Epicurian progression into a velvety gourmand meant for gustatory appraisal. Soft, woody accords finish it off in a kiss of sweet departure.

In a way, Keiko Mecheri's Paname is a poor man's substitute for Douce Amère (and the line has been criticized for drawing heavily on the Lutens line for inspiration). They have a very similar start, but ultimately the Lutens fragrance remains more compelling. Paname has a sharper, more astringent tone with heavier sweetness in the coda, unlike the infinite tenderness of the Lutens's base.
The liquorice feel of Douce Amère also recalls a grown up, tipsy Lolita Lempicka after a round of absinthe cocktails; while its sweetness is vaguely reminiscent of the pudding notes of Casmir by Chopard, although much more airier, less clotted.
Unlike many in the Lutens canon, Douce Amère never veers into the amber highway to the orientalised Silk Road and remains an enigma, perched like a Prodikean Hercules on the brink of two roads. Or one party of unrequited love with equal parts happiness and despair.



Notes (provided by Serge Lutens.blogspot): artemisia absinthium, anise, cinnamon, marigold, foamflower*, jasmine, lily, tagetes, vanilla, musk, cedar.

*Foamflower is scientifically called Tiarella cordifolia or Tiarella trifoliata (two separate species within the same genus).


Douce Amère comes in a 50ml/1.7oz bottle of Eau de Parfum and is available through Aedes, Luckyscent, the Perfume Shoppe, Escentual.co.uk and select department stores around the world.




The title of the post comes from the song "Bittersweet" on the clip above.

Clip: Apocalyptica featuring Ville Vallo (from HIM) and Lauri Ylönen (from The Rasmus) "Bittersweet" , originally uploaded by xxtasteofinkxx on Youtube.
Pic Scent of Green by Bolandrotor/Flickr.

When We Take Things for Granted

Some things are taken for granted. Well, they shouldn't be! One of them is that Baby Doll by Yves Saint Laurent was a separate, individual creation. Or so I thought, till very recently. I am sure most of you did as well. Not so! Leafing through the new Perfumes The Guide by Luca Turin and Tania Sanchez I came across the statement that Baby Doll started its arguably adolescent career as a flanker* to Paris, also by Yves Saint Laurent.
I was a bit dubious to that and mailed the authors to clarify and they confirmed that it is indeed so. In the beginning it was called Baby Doll Paris and the box with "Paris" in the same typeface as the original Paris fragrance and similarly designed and hued bottle do have a passing resemblance to the classic rosey fragrance Paris by nose Sophia Grojsman. Who would have thought?
It didn't help that Baby Doll has slowly but surely accumulated a whole clique of flankers itself. I did a little research: From Baby Doll Light (predictably) to Baby Doll Lucky Game (which is lighter by all accounts and less sweet);

through Baby Doll Angel Bleu (which is a twisted kind of name, confusing it with other fragrances which bear those monikers)
to the latest limited edition of minis in all the colours of chewing gum, er, the rainbow.
And counting...

A flanker with flankers. Now, that's a sad thought indeed!


*Flanker is perfume-speak for a new fragrance that launches on the tail of a successful one by the same house, utilizing the same name with a slight variation/addition and design of the packaging, to capitalize on the previous success.

Next: a surprise review! Stay tuned!

Pic of Baby Doll Paris with box from Ebay, of Baby Doll Angel Bleu from Ebay, of Baby Doll Lucky Game from MUA, of Baby Doll minis from Sephora.