Exciting News!

As always we have the extreme pleasure of bringing you news that will delight or trouble, depending on your tastes and expectations.
Without further ado, here is the latest:

1. Madonna who has been rumoured with issuing her own celebrity scent for ever (and who is by all means a fragrance hoarder) is finally doing just that: She has striken a deal with Coty, brand to the stars, and will launch a fragrance named "Enlightment Forever". Inspired by her own spiritual journey through the years, it will be coloured bright red to match the little red Kaballah bracelets the stars are wearing with a cap in orange, colour of spiritual awakening. Despite Coty's average licences for celebrity perfumes, Madonna's will be featured only at select doors and will retail at the higher end of the price range, perhaps as a nod to her upscale British living.
She has plans of issuing children's scents next, inspired by her own offspring. Best of luck to her!

2. Chris Sheldrake, the prodigy behind the Serge Lutens line and up till now collaborator in the creative department of parfums Chanel, has announced artistic disagreement with Jacques Polge and is leaving the house. Rumours want him to become the in-house nose of Gucci, following in the steps of Duriez for Patou and Ellena for Hermes.
Effective come June of this year. Can't wait!

3. Scientistis and perfumers collaborate on the ultimate personal, bespoke scent. A concept of a fragrance based on a person's individual DNA. Yes, it's as you heard: a cotton swab will take a small sample from inside your cheek CSI-mode-like and then perfumers will work on accords that suit your individual chemistry and of course tastes (you will be asked, I presume). The service promises that after use of a person's DNA, no data or specimen is kept but they are destroyed to protect individual rights. The idea sounds terribly futuristic but wonderful, no?

4. Chanel has announced they are issuing a parfum version of their most lauded perfume from Les Exclusifs: 31 Rue Cambon. It was about time! I always thought the Eau de toilette was doing it a disservice being so light and fleeting. Unfortunately to do that they are officially discontinuing the parfum strength of Bois des Iles and Cuir de Russie, due to allergen issues with birch tar for the former and environmental issues with Mysore sandalwood depletion for the latter. It was a long way in the coming, as we have discussed before... Sad, though.


But don't despair! Not everything you read is true. It's just phrased to sound like it, in typical perfume-industry mode. You did look at the date above, didn't you?
So, a little April Fool's GAME: spot the true from the false and you will win a decant of a niche scent. Alors!

Artwork La Joconde by Gelitin, courtesy of the New York Times