Nubile Forms, Their Voices Echoing in the Woods

Cacharel produced a romantic (and I bet to be discussed) commercial for the first flanker of Anais Anais in 3 and a half decades (the original was issued in 1978), Anais Anais Premier Délice.
Sarah Moon gives her place to Olivia Bee (barely 19 herself) for this time around, shooting what looks like teenager models having a hippie good time in the woods. Dora Baghriche and Olivier Cresp of Firmenich have composed the new fragrance (eau de toilette 50 ml sells for 39,90 euros at the time of writing, international launch set for April 2014). The scent of Anais Anais Premier Délice starts with green pear, bergamot, galbanum and orange, with the heart familiarly floral with peony and hyacinth, while the anchoring notes include cocoa and cedarwood.

It's an interesting, though not novel, approach, since the flanker is supposed to capitalize on a well-established brand, which however has lost much of its fresh, youthful appeal now that its original audience is comprised of mothers with their own daughters. So, in order to capture the daughters, L'Oreal, who hold the licence to parfums Cacharel came up with this plan. After all, three quarters of the sales of Cacharel come from the perfume sector!

What do you think? Wow or Yawn? (I refer to the advertising aspect, rather than the list of notes)

Aromaforks: Scent Gadget to Enhance Food Experience

"A techy new fork boasts a special panel that can be infused with scents.
The Aromafork has a built-in spot for strips whose scents, when paired with actual food, can be registered by the brain as a new flavor combination.
The strips are made of materials not unlike facial blotting papers, and can be loaded with scents including chocolate, banana, basil, coconut and wasabi, among others."Read more on the Daily Mail.

pic via the dailymail/Molecule-R Flavors Inc.

Of course flavor is in big part smell, so this makes sense. I bet dedicated foodies however might have a dissenting voice or two among them.

What do you think? Wow or Yawn?

Win Guerlain's La Petite Robe Noire Scented Surprises

La Petite Robe Noire started as a curio a few years ago, mingling the Chanel "little black dress" concept with fragrance, illustrating the bottles with playful SATC black dresses cartoons which sorta alienated the regular Guerlain perfume die-hard yet jumping off the exclusive boutique circuit into the mainstream distribution after the scent proved a best-seller in the line. How things change, eh? Today La Petite Robe Noire boasts an entire line of concentrations and flankers with noticeable differences between the scent of each to keep women interested and buying.

Guerlain is organizing a contest which gauges your Glamourometer (yup, that's the word used) and allows you to win lots of LPRN fragrant surprises (including a large bottle of the perfume!) and you can enter it on this link, all you have to do is skip the film with the Nancy Sinatra tune. Good luck!

Light of the Morning Star

Hand me some spearmint to smell,
some verbena and some basil,
with these to kiss you, but what shall I first recall.
The cistern with the doves, the archangel's sword,
the orchard with the stars and the deep well?

The nights I strolled you
across the other end of the sky
and watched you ascend,
like the sister of the morning star?

Marina, green star,
Marina, light of the morning star,
Marina of mine, wild dove and
lily of the summertime.

The poem Marina by Odysseas Elytis was put into music by Mikis Theodorakis and sung by  Soula Birbili.

Providence Perfume Samarinda: fragrance review

Samarinda was an unexpected surprise in my mailbox replete with an eco-benefit (more on which below) and it was a pleasant one which prompted this review. Independent perfumers come with the benefit of being able to both experiment with no concern of focus groups and with the passion that comes with doing what you believe you should do instead of what you know you should do in order to sell well. Not that artisanal perfumers are beyond the scope of a true business, if they have leaped off the amateur description concocting elixirs in their back kitchen, but you know what I mean; wouldn't you rather have someone disregard trends, likability stakes, IFRA restrictions and focus on what seems "like a good idea, let's try it out and see"? Charna Ethier of Providence Perfume Co. is one such.

Ethier is a botanical perfumer, working with natural essences and what I believe are extractions from materials not common in mainstream (and even niche) perfumery, such as choya nakh, a roasted seashell  essence which is truly unique and which I personally find captivating thanks to its evocation of the animalic marine world. Samarinda is using this essence, alongside many others which initially seem incongruous (the above mentioned choya nakh side by side with Sumatran coffee alongside jasmine rice, oakwood, leather, rum ether and flowers), but the blend is quite astonishingly tempered and uplifting. The cardamom note on top is so fitting to coffee that it transports me instantly to a warm morning sipping a demitasse in a middle-eastern setting. But there's further along the map that this perfume can take us…

The sweetish floriental has a delectable boozy (richly rum-like for armchair travelers on the high seas seeking pearls in oysters down the depths of the Indian Ocean) and a lightly smoky vibe which engulfs you with none of the intensely floral  -and then magically dissipating- pong of some all natural perfumes. Maybe the choice to do an orientalized take on Indonesia, as Samarinda aimed to do, is a wise choice olfactory-speaking, or maybe Ethier came up with just the right balance in her palette; the result is that Samarinda is a joy to wear on skin from the lightly spicy, juicy opening with its vanillic underpinning right down to the  smoky-warm woods of the drydown. It's certainly smelling better than actual Indonesia with its yeasty trail in the air.

And what's the eco-benefit? 5% of all sales of Samarinda will be donated to the World Wildlife Fund to promote the protection efforts in Borneo and Sumatra, home of hundreds of endangered rhinos, tigers, elephants and orangutans and thousands of identified and as yet unidentified plants.

In the interests of disclosure, I was sent a sample vial by the perfumer directly. 

The human nose is seemingly an infinite smell detector

The latest news, as reported by The Guardian, attributes 1 trillion of separate scents to the human nose, as opposed to the till now standard 10,000 ones. This is based on a study led by biologist expert Dr.Andreas Keller of Rockfeller University, published in Science magazine (so you know it's not trash reproduced on the Net) and puts humans in a much more elevated capacity than previously anticipated for differentiating smells.

You can read the news article with quotes from Keller on this link. 

What do you think: Wow (so fascinating!) or Yawn (what does it matter to me anyway)? Vote!

Guerlain Chypre 53: fragrance review & history

Some perfumes, like the best kept mysteries, keep their secrets close at heart and do not intend to be easily deciphered. That's part of their charm. Chypre 53 by Guerlain is the latest in this row of scented mysteries and I will try to break down its coding today with Chabollion determination, but non conclusive results. Let's call it the Linear A of Guerlain. :-)

via mbymystery.blogspot.com

My research indicates that there are actually two formulae of the elusive Chypre 53 and it would depend on which edition one gets hold of. The original Guerlain Chypre 53 was issued in 1909 in the standard quadrilobe extrait bottle with the phallic cap, holding 30ml, which we have come to associate with Guerlain extraits in general. The perfume was soon discontinued leaving more commercially successful Guerlain fragrances such as Mitsouko, Shalimar, Vol de Nuit or L'Heure Bleue in the limelight while it retreated in the shade of the archives. The year 1948 saw a re-issue of the Guerlain fragrance. The concentration of eau de cologne was opted for Chypre 53 and indeed "flacons montre" (the familiar round disk bottles with the gold pyramidal stopper which routinely hold the eau de cologne version of Guerlain fragrances) hold the splash edition of the more effervescent take.

via Pinterest

Besides those two types of bottles, there is also the amphora extrait bottle and the "goutte" (which means drop or bead in French) bottle for the eau de toilette concentration of Guerlain Chypre 53. The amphora and goutte bottles, as well as the montre one, were circulating well into the 1950s, according to the Guerlain archives. There also seems to exist a Lotion Vegetale which was intended as a grooming product, canonical to Guerlain standards of providing scented exhilaration while preparing one's hair and skin. [a collective imaging of the various bottles can be found here]

The providence of my review sample is a collector, a serious and well intentioned one, who was generous enough to share with me and request my opinion. Unfortunately I do not know the providence of the juice, though I assume it comes from some online auction where the rare fragrance makes a sporadic appearance. Exactly because the origin and authenticity of the fragrance is something that cannot be guaranteed, the exercise is tentative at best, colored by a highly subjective impression at worst.

via Photobucket/bbBD

What strikes me in my edition of Guerlain Chypre 53 is the inkiness and leatheriness of the acrid note coming from the depth of the perfume, indicating the use of isoquinolines plus oakmoss. The skeleton of the chypre fragrance dictates the use of the latter, so this is no surprise. Considering that the 1948 edition of Chypre 53 comes one year after the launch of Piguet's Bandit with its butch, described as "for dykes"ambience, the inclusion of the former isn't far fetched at all either. Although Chypre 53 was intended by Guerlain to be a feminine fragrance my olfactory appreciation informs me that men could wear it very convincingly as well. The boldness however is gentler and less bitter green than Bandit, with richer elements of spices (carnation) and Provencal herbs (thyme mainly) that bring it close in feel to both Caron Tabac Blond from 1917 (with its distinctive carnation leather) and Chanel's Cuir de Russie  from 1924 (with the same carnation, the spiciness of styrax and the background of a refined animality comprising clary sage, new car upholstery and precious flowers). This mental tie can be explained by sampling the 1948 edition but not the 1909 one, therefore my understanding is that I am experiencing the later one.

The overall feeling is dry but also warm, with a rustic touch, savoury sweet at various instants and with the cinnamic-eugenol facets I mentioned before. This carnation-leather combo is perplexing, as it's so indicative of the 1920s (where these garconnne leathers reigned supreme as well as carnation florals like Caron's Bellodgia), which is unsettling considering the chronology of either edition, additionally the opening seems like a different segment with the vetiver being more prominent.

Like all Guerlain perfumes of vintage cut there's a lot to recommend testing it out on your own skin, although it would be perhaps counterintuitive to pay through the nose for an old Chypre 53 specimen, unless you happen to land on a very lucky incident of value for money, an exceedingly rare sight in the world of online auctions. Having provided this caveat emptor, I'm very happy that I managed to round up my perfume knowledge of rare, historical Guerlain perfumes, from Atuana and Fleur de Feu to Loin de Tout and Guerlain Cuir de Russie through Coque d'Or and Djedi. Now that Chypre 53 has joined the ranks, my appreciation of la maison Guerlain has gained one more shade of the rainbow.
Maybe now that Guerlain is re-issuing the parfums de patrimoine (heritage perfumes from their archives, for exhibition purposes only), Chypre 53 is a good addition to the collection that is just waiting to happen ;)
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A shout out

Some of the US winners of the Tauer new launch sample opportunity haven't contacted me yet with their shipping address.
The winners I haven't head from are: Holly F., Haider Lakhani, Fmc and Phyllis Iervelo. Please email me using Contact with your shipping data, your username and full name, so I can have these out to you soon. Thanks!

The winner of the draw…

…for the Lauder bottle of WL is KatieVonDiesel. Congratulations and please email me with your shipping data, using Contact, so I can have this sent to you soon.

Thanks everyone for the enthusiastic participation and till the next one!

Free Perfume Draw

Many people wrote to me, in addition to the comments section of the blog, to comment and add their own take on what proved to be a not so underrated perfume, White Linen by Estee Lauder which I reviewed the other day. I realized that there are some who are better disposed to actually wearing it, instead of just admiring it from the bottle and rarely on skin. as well as there are those who want to complement their aldehydics collection with one of the brightest and sparkliest in the genre. There are also newbies who would like to own some to conduct their own learning experiments.

For all these reasons I decided to giveaway my own White Linen fragrance bottle (withholding a small quantity for my reference and wearing, about 10ml) to one eager reader who is interested.

To be eligible, please share with us in the comments section how you feel about "difficult" fragrances or fragrances you admire very much on others but rarely wear yourself. Draw is open internationally till Friday midnight. Winner to be announced sometime in the weekend. So, fire away!

Estee Lauder White Linen: fragrance review & history

Would you appreciate a fragrance that projected around the way knitting needles would stick inside your nostrils, the equivalent of a scent porcupine? The "needles up the nose" characterization has never found a more apt bond than the one spontaneously created in the mind of one perfume lover on the board of Perfume of Life years ago regarding White Linen. The phrase has since entered the online perfume lingo as a casual but evocative definition for the painfully sharp, supremely stinging feeling that certain perfumes heavy in aldehydes (i.e. synthesized molecules with a "bright", soapy and fizzy aspect), such as this particular Lauder perfume, produce in those who smell them.

White Linen is possibly among the most distinctly aldehydic floral fragrances of all time, an honor it shares with Chanel No.22, but whereas No.22 goes for the snuffed out candle waxiness and smokiness (which recalls incense if you glint your head just this way), White Linen, its American counterpart and about 50 years its junior, goes for the steam of an iron pressing on a crisp, starched shirt which has been washed with the harshest lye soap on earth. In short, memorable! (You'd never mistake it for "white noise fragrance")

White Linen was launched alongside Lauder's Celadon and Pavilion in 1978 as part of the makeup and scents collection "New Romantics" (in itself influenced by the music trend that was just emerging). Composed by Sophia Grojsman, White Linen bears her signature style of impressive cleanness projected via loudspeakers fit for a Guns n'Roses concert. For a Russian emigre Grojsman has acquired throughout her career a particularly American ideal of femininity, no doubt thanks to the exigencies of the American giant of aromatics who employs her, International Flavors and Fragrances; well scrubbed, athletic, spick & span, Athenian rather than Venereal.

1993 print ad

Coming on the heels of the sporty leathery Azuree, the bitterish chypre perfume Private Collection and the bright and soapy-smelling aldehydic Estee, it's not difficult to see how White Linen also fits in the canon of Lauder and in the zeitgeist of the late 70s, when women began to make a career of executive positions and started in earnest to 'bring home the bacon, fry it in a pan' as one commercial* of the times claimed.

Although ubiquitous and always in production since its launch, without any detectable changes in its formula, it's one of those fragrances that fly under the radar, so I am archiving White Linen in my Underrated Perfume Day feature. Its monolithic structure (built on huge single blocks of materials, much like later Grojsman oeuvres such as Tresor by Lancome) White Linen packs a punch.
But the aldehydic knock-out comes with an astounding discovery: the aldehydes contribute just 1% to the formula, with equal parts of Galaxolide (synthetic clean musk, garlanded by at least 3 other synth musks) and Vertofix (giving a cedar wood note) accounting for almost half of the ingredients! The secret is that unlike most other aldehydic floral fragrances it lacks the modifying, mollifying caress of bergamot and ylang ylang.

late 1990s print ad

1986 print ad

A fresh rose core, so fresh that it borders on cleaned-up orange blossom, bring a kinship of White Linen to Calandre, while the overall genealogy brings it as a modern classic that derives from Madame Rochas and Chanel No.5. The sheen of squeaky green lily of the valley boosts the sharp cleanness, the sparkle of hedione brings luminosity and vetiver gives its own freshness and subtle woodiness alongside a powerful amber note. The latter two elements give White Linen a touch of sophistication which could tilt it into unisex territory.

White Linen is a powerful, titanic Aurora and although it is removed from what I (and many other people) find comfortable, I can't fail but to admire its guts and its blinding brightness, white-washed like a house directly carved out of white volcanic rock in the Aegean.

*that's actually the slogan for Enjoli. 

The advertising photos are all so charmingly appealing that I decided to include them all. 

1978 print ad

New fragrance editions from Ramon Monegal and Acqua di Parma

Spanish perfumer Ramon Monegal has been commissioned to produce an exclusive fragrance for Bloomingdale's Dubai, called Dubai Next to Me, a special edition of 50ml eau de parfum in a specially decorated box. The fragrance aims to marry the magic of the traditional Arabic perfumery with some Spanish flair, via its Spanish leather touch. The top of Dubai Next to Me contains notes of fruits (coconut, peach, melon) alongside spices (Spanish saffron, nutmeg and black pepper), while the heart is floral and resinous with jasmine, rose (oil and absolute), frankincense and labdanum. The base is resting on woody notes (oud, sandalwood) with a leather touch as well as musk, tonka bean and ambraceme absolute.

Acqua di Parma on the other hand is issuing a 75ml bottle of their Acqua Nobili across the range of the female fragrances: Gelsomino, Magnolia and Iris.

There is also a Special Edition of Gelsomino Nobile, the fragrance in an exquisite refillable bottle (above) with hand-drawn features, fine engraving and 24K gold silk-screen-print. You can watch a video of the production process on this link.  The fragrance formula remains the same.

info via respective press releases, rephrased by me.

Guerlain's Mademoiselle Guerlain & Eau de Cashmere: new fragrances

In a christening that strongly recalls Chanel (and their ultra-successful Coco Mademoiselle) Guerlain is reissuing one of their past fragrances in their Les Parisiennes collection sold at Guerlain boutiques in the classic bee bottles.

Alongside this May's Guerlain Muguet 2014, summer will see Mademoiselle Guerlain take her stand proudly alongside the other re-issues in the Parisiennes collection, such as Cherry Blossom, Mon Precieux Nectar or Liu (the collection also includes L'Heure de Nuit which isn't a re-issue so much as a reinterpretation/modernisation of the iconic L'Heure Bleue).

The fragrance is a rebottling of a briefly circulating version of La Petite Robe Noire, in fact called La Petite Robe Noire Modele No.2, which consisted of different fragrant notes than the original La Petite Robe Noire (which continues to be sold very successfully in declinations of Eau de Parfum, Eau de Toilette, Extrait and La Petite Robe Noire Couture eau de parfum, all slightly different from each other). We're therefore talking about a renaming. Mademoiselle Guerlain, aka the former La Petite Robe Noire Modele no.2, comprises perfume notes of orange blossoms, marshmallow, galbanum, orris, leather accord and musk. (I can see die-hard boutique-only Guerlain-o-philes up in arms about the marshmallow note and the pink hue! You can read a review of La Petite Robe Noire Modele no.2 on this link.) To vintage hardcore fans may I remind there was a 1880 Bouquet Mademoiselle fragrance by Guerlain, composed of floral essences.

Let it be mentioned in passing for those who missed it that Guerlain has recently, to celebrate the centenary anniversary at 68 Champs Elysees and the renovation of the flagship, recreated several of the archived perfumes using the original formulae, affectionately called the recreated heritage Guerlain perfumes (more on which on the link). These however are NOT for sale, only for exhibition purposes for inquisitive Guerlain perfumephiles.

Mademoiselle Guerlain will be available starting June 2014 at Guerlain espaces and boutiques.

Guerlain is also augmenting their fabric scent options with Guerlain Eau de Cashmere, a unisex fabric scent that won't hurt delicate woolens and cashmere, and which reinforces the warm, soft ambience of those fabrics with its mandarin top notes and cedarwood and powdery drydown. This newer entry comes as an addition to Eau de Lit (a bed linen scent) and Eau de Lingerie (a scented water for underthings) in the Guerlain fabric scent collection.

[thanks to Mr.Guerlain Facebook page]

Esxense 2014 Calendar of Events

Esxence has announced the full calendar of events for the more popular perfume exhibition of niche creators in Milan.

Thursday, MARCH 20 

12:30 pm	Conference Artistic Perfumery: on the Links between Art and Perfumery with Prof. Claus Noppeney, Bern University of the Arts / Bern University of Applied Science
3:00 pm	Book Presentation I Giardini di Saffo by Prof. Giuseppe Squillace, Universita della Calabria
4:30 pm	Presentation Conversation about the Images with Mustafa Sabbagh interviewed by Ermano Picco, LaGardeniaNellOcchiello.com
5:30pm	Perfumed Cocktail Polysensorial Journey Inside the Perfumes of Edmond Roudnitska Marika Vecchiattini, BergamottoeBenzoino.com

Friday, MARCH 21

10:00 am	Workshop From Conflict Management to 'Pas ded Deux': Towards a Harmonious Niche fragrance Brand/Retail Interface Chairman: Sarah Colton, ThePerfumeMagazine.com and Beauty Fashion Magazine
12:30 pm	Workshop Artistic Perfumery in Middle East (R)evolution Parfumée Chairman: Alireza Khazal, LuxAssist & Co
2:30 pm	Conference The Chemistry in Perfume: Source of Creativity with bernard Bourgeouis, Osmotheque
4:30 pm	Lecture Smells of Saudi Arabia with Nicola Pozzani, S Sense The Senses of Perfume
6:00 pm	Olfactory Tasting Amarone: Smell and Taste the Great Red Italian Wine and its Perfumed Notes Danilo della Mura, Confraternita dell'Amarone and Stileltalia.tv

Saturday, MARCH 22

11:00 am	Book Presentation Michael Edwards - the Man behind Perfume Legends,Fragrances of the World and The Fragrance Wheel Michael Edwards interviewed by Mark Behnke, Colognoisseur.com
12:30 pm	Workshop by Mouillettes & Co Olf'Evolution with Maria Grazia Fornasier and Emanuel Rupi
2:00 pm	Lecture Scent Culture in East Asia with Chi Wai Tang, fragrance Moment
3:30 pm	Presentation by Sultanate of Oman Tourism Office Fragrance and Myths of Arabia Felix: The Frankincense Route and the Roses Gardens with Wanda Benati, Nadia Bizzarro, Sara Cusma
5:00 pm	Presentation Les Lignes de Parfumerie Alternatives Maisons de Luxe vs. Maisons de Niche with Carine Lanteri

Sunday, MARCH 23 

10:30 am	Tribute to Sandrine Videault
11:00 am	Book Presentation Parfums Rares Sabine Chabbert and Laurence Ferat interviewed by Tessa Williams
2:00 pm	Contest - Award Ceremony The Art Of Scent
3:00 pm	Workshop by Mouillettes & Co Olf'Evolution with Maria Grazia Fornasier and Emanuel Rupi

Please note that this year for the first time the Conference Room will be open to everybody, visitors and operators, for the four days of the event.

The winners of the draw….

…for the Eau d'Epices samples are:

In the USA (10):
Holly F.
Gail
Alica Cleis
Haider Lakhani
Woodgirl
Michael
Caragh Girl
Yuki
Fmc
Phyllis Iervelo

In rest of the world (4):
Liisa Wennervita
Patuxxa
Nadja Sand
Chanteuse des Iles


Congratulations!
Please email me using Contact specifying:
1. "Epices draw" and your country of residence in the title of your message for my ease
2. your alias/username with which you entered the comment
3. your full shipping address,
so I can have these sent out to you soon, please.

Thanks everyone for the enthusiastic participation and till the next one!

Serge Lutens Laine de Verre: fragrance review

One of my preferred short stories in the canon by American author Edgar Allan Poe is William Wilson. Less popular than many of his more exploitable, creepy or evocative stories, such as The Fall of the House of Usher, The Pit and the Pendulum or The Tell-Tale Heart, it manages to speak to the soul in a way that reminds me of a later favorite author, Herman Hesse, and his profoundly soul-searching novels with characters struggling to find their fate and to get to know themselves. This preface comes as  a necessary explanation on why I found Laine de Verre, the latest fragrance launch by Serge Lutens, as chillingly puzzling as the double face of Janus, the two antiscians in the above mentioned short story.

via tumblr

Maybe this was all an idea that was suggested by seeing Uncle Serge pacing up and down as if somnabulating against himself in a clip worthy of utter puzzlement… [watch the clip here]

The cryptic text is -as always- a springboard for discussion or a chance for ridicule; it all depends on your worldview:
"It is only after he had been penetrated by the winter that,
laying down his arms, the Lord of Glass came to place
at the feet of the Lady of Wool flowers and ferns which had frosted on him."

Laine de Verre means fiberglass (yes, the one used as insulation) and as odd as a perfume inspiration this sounds (the actual material being a potent sensitizer creating an instant itch on the skin it touches) there comes a point in perfumery that one has to drop the "noble essences from the Comores islands" and the "ethically sustained eco-certified ingredients" schtick and just reinvent the wheel. This moment in perfumery has arrived. Fiberglass, then, why not!! After Serge Lutens fragrances with names such as Tubereuse Criminelle (criminal tuberose), Fille en aiguilles (you'll have to read the review to find out on that, it's more complex than it sounds), Nuit de cellophane (cellophane night), Vitriol d'Oeillet (carnation's vitriol) and La Vierge de Fer (iron maiden), Laine de Verre shouldn't come as a shock, at least in what has to do with semantics.

The "eau" line, with its initial L'Eau de Serge Lutens providing the first chasm with the hardcore Lutens clientele and with L'Eau Froide as the second installment to curdle the blood (in a good way), Laine de Verre continues in this collection that is differentiated both in packaging as well as in concept from the regular Marrakech-inflected line: these are "anti-perfumes", scents which aim to be perceived as an aura emanating from the wearer, legible the way supersonic whistles are legible to higher frequency listeners.

The metallic berries and citrus from Mars and the sharp aldehydes from Pluto opening predisposes for the character of the scent which is alien for the modern consumer of apple-scented shower gels and giant fake peaches standing in for latheriness. Lutens marries the abstract idea of "clean" from the middle years of the 20th century (aldehydic florals, such as Chanel No.22 and White Linen) and injects it with modern signs for niche: frankincense, sharp lily of the valley, a mineral and cedar-musk like haze which one can't put their finger on (actually Cashmeran or blonde woods).

Although I still prefer the more incense-y L'Eau Froide (and cannot wear the super sharp and starchy L'Eau), Laine de Verre has to be the second best in the Eau fragrances by Lutens, subdued but there, average lasting power and throughout ironic the way Comme de Garcons fragrances with no-names such as Odeur 53 made their (well) name. It might sound like sacrilege to the average Lutensian fan, but what Lauder did with their Pure White Linen in relation to White Linen is what the French maestro is doing here as well with a tiny helping of that weird, bleach note that made Secretions Magnifiques so horrifically memorable. Anyone who is mentally striking this off their list, now that I mentioned THE HORRIBLE ONE, might be appeased: uncle Serge hasn't totally went out of his way to make us notice, no. Laine de Verre isn't shocking.

In the end it all boils down to intent. With the Eau series, Lutens is authoring a new grammar of "clean": decidedly cool, with prominent use of aldehydes but also incense, mineral and metallic, maybe with a hint of chalkiness like a crushed aspirin, no sign of dewiness or soft muskiness, they perfectly encapsulate a spick & span minimalist loft or a white padded insane asylum, again depending on your worldview. This hygienic approach is in violent clash against the very idea of an added on fine fragrance, much like William Wilson came crushing down violently against his own self and consolidates my belief that Serge Lutens is pulling our collective leg in a deliciously playful way.

pic: Man Ray, Andre Breton before L'enigme d'une journee by Giorgio de Chirico, 1922.

In the interests of disclosure I was sent a sample in the context of the brand's regular promos.  

Free Fragrance Draw for the Upcoming Launch of Tauer Eau d'Epices

It was a few days ago that I came forward and announced that Andy Tauer is relaunching one of his less well known perfumes in his line: Eau d'Epices. Personally I'm a huge sucker for spicy things (and if you've been following this blog you know it well) and Eau d'Epices is a hardcore spicy wonder, keeping your eyes (and nostrils and attention span) peeled to the last drop, but with sleight of hand, not crude clumpsiness. To give an analogy, it's the Dario Argento of spicy colognes, so you know it's love & hate territory, don't you.

And of course I have a draw which will let you sample if you hadn't had the chance in the past the re-issued Eau d'Epices before anyone else!

via pinterest/asri flickr

The specifics: I have 4 deluxe samples for the international readership (Europe, Canada, rest of the world) and 10 deluxe samples for the USA one. Please enter a comment posting your impressions regarding spicy scents and/or Tauer's line and you're eligible. Draw is open till Wednesday midnight and winners will be announced sometime on Thursday.

You know what to do. Keep them coming! I want to read them all.