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Tuesday, November 23, 2010

Korres: New Fragrances & One Discontinuation

It's no secret that Greek brand Korres has created a cult following around the world. The trio of fragrances in old chemist's apothecary-style bottles were named after the main scented materials entering the composition and they became an instant hit shortly after their introduction in 2009. They were originally meant to be limited editions in the USA, the stock quickly dried up and became the object of fervent hunting on international online venues. The fragrances of course are a mainstay in the Greek market.



The original trio included the intriguingly appealing Pepper Jasmine Gaiacwood Passion Fruit (woody oriental) the majestically deep Saffron Agarwood Cardamom (spicy oriental) and Rose Blackcurrant Cyclamen (floral). Of them, one is discontinued even from the Greek market my sources reveal to me, namely Rose Blackcurrant Cyclamen, the weakest link in the chain in my opinion.

EDIT TO ADD 25th Nov: One of my readers, Iliana, kindly notified me that the one she had trouble finding in her city was Saffron Agarwood Cardamom. I'm pleased to say that this is still in production beyond any doubt, as shown on the official Korres site today (choose country option International), showing two of the previous trio (exactly as I had mentioned above) on their index page alongside the new ones (Oddly enough they don't show the Heliotrope Ylang Ylang Citron one, see below). See attached screenshot above for proof (click to enlarge).

You can look at the frag-zine KORRES created especially for its fragrance launch, the editorial concept of which was developed by the brand’s global Communications Director, George Anthoulakis on this link by the Greek page in English on Yatzer. (It's an interesting read with quite some info and is visually very appealing)

However new fragrances are being introduced as of this minute (they're not up on the official Korres site at the time of writing this post), after the success of the former trio, which Perfume Shrine is proud to introduce to the international fragrance community.
The newest Korres fragrance collection includes:


  • Heliotrope Ylang Ylang Citron
  • Vetiver root Green tea Cedarwood
  • White tea Bergamot Freesia
  • Iris Lily of the Valley Cotton
  • Vanilla Freesia Lyche
  • Paeonia Vanilla Amber Pear




I was positively impressed by the Heliotrope Ylang Ylang Citron which is a floriental, not too sweet and with a piqant, "sharp" top note which blends well with the almond/cherry pie note of heliotrope. For those who want a nice "clean" woody-musk that doesn't punch you with its synthetic fist, Iris Lily of the Valley Cotton is surprisingly smooth, with a perceptively rooty-metallic iris note in the background. This is a perfect everyday fragrance which could pass for the natural smell of your skin and clothes.
In my opinion the Paeonia Vanilla Amber Pear was the least original, as it reminds me of Coco Mademoiselle. Of course that might prove to be its strong selling point, although the average Korres consumer is sophisticated enough to not be searching for dupes from what I've seen.
Expect to see international launches in the foreseeable future! The price point is comparable to the previous trio, i.e. good value for money.

The remaining three new fragrances by Korres are reviewed on this page.


photo via yatzer.com

11 comments:

  1. Hello, Helena. I have a full bottle of "....Gaiacwood passion fruit" which is a very conforting scent, a well crafted, classic scent for something to find in a pharmacy shop. I am especially curious about the new one with heliotrope and ylang ylang and hope to find it soon in the greek market. Follow you everyday. Wishes.

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  2. Anonymous13:22

    Fantastic news! Thank you for this. You're as good as your word and you always deliver.

    I fell in love with saffron agarwood a while ago and postponed buying it and then regretted my procastrinating as these disappeared from my neck of the woods. But now I can rest easy, they're not completely gone, I could theoretically still find some if they're in production.
    And I can be excited about the new ones!! The heliotrope caught my eye as I love that note.

    Best,
    Elaine

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  3. Anonymous18:39

    Another heliotrope fan here, and the freesia ones are also catching my eye. (I'm having trouble putting freesia with vanilla and lychee in my head but I'll keep watching to see how it does in your assessment, which I trust!)

    cheerio, and thanks for the advance notice,

    Anna in Edinburgh

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  4. Valentine06:12

    I've always been interested in Korres' fragrances--really wish these were carried at Sephora, as I'd love to finally be able to give them a sniff.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Σ'ευχαριστώ πολύ Έφη!

    I agree about the Jasmine Guiacwood (but also the Saffron), they're very well made and really stand on their own two feet. Certainly not to be looked down upon!
    The new ones I tried at a chemist's at a non particularly central part of Athens, so I'm sure they're traveling everywhere soon. :-)

    Thanks so much for your loyalty and your wishes, I'm honoured to have you as a reader.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Elaine,

    glad I came through. :-)

    There is stock in the Greek market, even though they were limited edition in the international market to begin with, so if you have a connection or can find some Greek site that carries them, you're set.
    The Heliotrope is very nice, very classic in its mould, very soft and appealing.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Anna,

    I promise to supplement the reviews, have a plan to go check the rest later today or tomorrow.

    You're welcome, this was a scoop only someone in the land could have landed (no pun intended), so it was practically calling my name. LOL!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Valentine,

    I believe they were carried at Sephora once upon a time, along with the skincare, weren't they?
    I bet you can find some on online greek pharmacies (the price point is so good you can afford to buy unsniffed I bet; you could also swap them or sell them if you end up not liking them)

    Take note they're discontinuing the Fig line entirely as well. (Well, the "mists" weren't really perfume, more a body spray type, so no great loss)

    ReplyDelete
  9. Any ideas on how how to get these in the US? I have been dying to try these!

    ~Trish

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  10. Anonymous00:41

    Wow! I had no idea Korres had such a collection of fragrances. I have a very limited awareness of Korres, only through the home shopping network. hsn.com

    And on there it's just their rose shower gel/body lotion and some facial products. Very, very nice formulas though.

    ~ Susan

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  11. etavlonia16:18

    I bought Iris Lily of the Valley Cotton & Paeonia Vanilla Amber Pear from here: http://stores.ebay.com/SHOPPINGREEK/Fragrance-/_i.html?_fsub=1646648011&_sid=957199971&_trksid=p4634.c0.m322

    Excellent fragrances!

    ReplyDelete

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