Brazilian Supermodel Gisele the new face of Chanel No.5 perfume

Gisele Bundchen has been announced as the new face of Chanel No. 5 perfume.
According to WWD, the 33-year-old Brazilian model was shooting a video for the campaign this week in the Hamptons, New York, with film director Baz Luhrmann.
She was chosen for her 'natural beauty and modern femininity,' a Chanel spokesperson said.

The leap was natural since Gisele has been gracing the Chanel makeup advertisements and the line Les Beiges de Chanel for some time now. Nor was the elevated fee (Gisele is the highest paid model working at the moment) since it was already into consideration by the Parisian family-owned company.
Still, that's 3 spokes(wo)men in 3 years which makes it a record for the perennial Chanel masterclass.

Avon Unplugged for Her & for Him fronted by Jon Bon Jovi: new fragrances

Avon Products has announced that the 50-year-old rock star is the company's newest celebrity fragrance partner. He'll appear in ads for both Unplugged for Her and Unplugged for Him. Why these two partners meshed? Call it a merging interest in philanthropy.

The company said "the inspiration for both scents is the unique feeling one has listening to a favourite song". The goal is "an emotional connection". The women's version is a floral oriental perfume, and the men's is a woody floral musk fragrance. Available through Avon reps and online in October 2012 (for the women's version) and November 2012 (for the men's edition). pic via starfetch.com

Manifesto by YSL: new fragrance fronted by Jessica Chastain

"Yves Saint Laurent is a brand that inspires me deeply. Since its creation, the brand has conveyed strong values that I cherish, such as an unwavering commitment, absolute love and feminine audacity. This new fragrance [Manifesto] is an emblem of it all. I am [excited] to be part of this beautiful adventure," said Jessica Chastain on WWD, the actress being mostly famous for being Oscar-nominated for her part in The Help and her acclaimed turn in The Tree of Life beside Brad Pitt.

Chastain follows British actress Emily Blunt into fronting an YSL perfume as its face, after the latter's turn as an Opium acolyte. Stephan Bezy, international general manager of Yves Saint Laurent Beauté at L'Oréal, stated that it was Chastain's "subtle strength", "solar charm" and "free mind" that drew her to the attention of YSL. "Jessica embodies the quintessence of Saint Laurent's femininity, a woman of her day and age, independent, determined, never where you expect her to be," he continued. The brand has recently changed its official name from Yves Saint Laurent to Saint Laurent Paris, effectively ruining one of the most perfect logos in fashion history. But I digress.

 Manifesto by Saint Laurent is a new fruity floral fragrance for women, set out to launch in September 2012 in France and invading the rest of Europe and the world at the end of the year and into the early 2013. The fragrance shares its name with the YSL photo periodical started by former creative director Stefano Pilati in 2008.

  Fragrance Notes for Manifesto by YSL:
Top Notes: Black Currant
Middle Notes: Jasmine, Lily of the Valley
Base Notes: Tonka Bean, Vanilla, Cedar, Sandalwood

 photo via fashionologie.com

Michelle Yeoh for Guerlain: new face

Famous faces haven't been in short supply these days at Guerlain: Natalia Vodianova (face of Shalimar, Parfum Initial and also the classic Shalimar), Nora Arnezeder (for Idylle) and Hilary Swank (for Insolence). This alpha team is joined by ~ageless! can you believe she's 50?~ Malaysian born, Hong-Kong based actress and producer Michelle Yeoh.

Funnily enough, it won't be just for her high cheekbones, balanced features and truly amazing skin that she Michelle Yeoh is promoted as a Guerlain ambassador (although she is used for all that too), but also for her potential to introduce the idea and magic of fragrance to the Asian market. "Beyond our success through our innovations in skincare and make-up, since 1828 the heart of Guerlain beats in perfume, still quite distant in the culture of our friends in Asia. Michelle Yeoh will be our guide to introduce our Asian customers into the magical universe of our perfume creations", according to Laurent Boillot, PDG at Guerlain. He adds: "“Beyond being a beautiful lady, Michelle defends several causes, she is a woman of conviction and we are pleased that she is now going to defend the causes of beauty and elegance in the French way, for a company which for 183 years has been transmitting the values of courage, creativity and refinement”.


It remains to be seen whether there will be separate advertisements for  existing Guerlain fragrances for the Asian market fronted by Michelle or whether there is a new fragrance in the works specifically targeted for that demographic.

Photo of Michelle Yeoh at the flagship Guerlain store in front of the famous chandellier with all the glorious Guerlain fragrances via Paperblog.fr
Photo of Michelle Yeoh with orchids via newzy.net 

Emily Blunt: New Face for YSL Opium

British actress Emily Blunt's new addiction has a loaded name: Opium. The iconic fragrance, that is. Emily Blunt will be the new face of Opium for Yves Saint Laurent, following in the footsteps of Jerry Hall, Linda Evangelista, Sophie Dahl, and numerous less well-known models. I don't know...there's something about miss Blunt, which I find petulant, despite her acting credentials. Is that the character she embodied on Devil Wears Prada was so and that image has stuck? Is that that I expect someone fiery and determined, apart from just hip and likeable, for Opium? A bit of both, perhaps. Though now that Opium has been surgically given a facelift (and given a flanker/ sister) to make it more "eternally likeable" things are just not the same anymore.

"Opium embraces the whole history and values of our house", said Renaud de Lesquen, president of YSL & Designer Brands. The new campaign will apparently "unveil a fiery, almost reckless woman with magnetic seduction, that nobody or nothing can resist". Blunt worked with photographers Romain Gavras and Patrick Demarchelier on the campaign, which airs in October. According to her statement: "I am very honoured to have been chosen to be the face of Opium. It is really exciting to embody a fragrance which has stood the test of time without its allure ever being diminished".

At any rate, I can't pronounce a judgment like usual until the official advertisements come forth. We will keep you updated!

Here is a teaser:


What do YOU think?

Tresor Midnight Rose: Lancome Underuses Emma Watson

The new Trésor Midnight Rose commercial film by Lancôme with Emma Watson, shot by Mario Testino (here is the long version lasting 1mn45)has arrived to promote the new feminine fragrance by the Parisian brand. Here it is for you, below.
I find it cute (a dash of Notting Hill due to the bookstore, a cute guy and a nicely enough turned out Emma Watson) but in the end rather meh (the cliché of the Seine bridge lovers' meet up and of the trilby hat as a prop). What about you?



And here is the Making Of, with Emma Watson talking about the part.



And the fragrance is apparently "sweet, warm and playful". It would be, wouldn't it? I'm praying for a "cold, bitchy, earnest" fragrance ad copy one of these days....

Eva Mendes: the new face of Thierry Mugler Angel

French beauty house Thierry Mugler, which is relying on itsaccesories and perfumes (operating under the Clarins Group) is perhaps most famous for Angel: a terrifically strong best-seller and a modern classic created almost 20 years ago, in 1992. The company has often changed its "faces" fronting the controversial love-it-or-hate-it juice, including Jerry Hall and Bianca Balti. Now, after Australian actress Naomi Watts, the brand has signed Eva Mendes to replace her in the new Angel campaign.

Mendes, who created lots of press starring nude in Calvin Klein's Secret Obsession perfume ads, [catch the banned commercial with Eva Mendes on this link] is supposed to add a "sultry" twist to the scent according to the official statements by the Mugler company: "While Naomi Watts' ethereal beauty embodied the angelic aspect of the fragrance, Thierry Mugler chose to reignite the enticing and explosive dimensions of the fragrance with the sultry Mendes," Mugler said in a statement.

The fiery Latina is certainly one of the sexiest actresses on the front row nowadays and is sure to bring on new interest in the brand. More news and the upcoming commercials will be available at the official Thierry Mugler site.
Catch some more news & gossip on celebrities fronting perfume campaigns on the New Face section.

Eva Mendes and Angel ad collage via fashionfoiegras.com,

Orlando Bloom on being the face of Boss Orange Man & What Scents he Likes on Women

'I wasn't really a 'fragrance guy' before, but Boss Orange is so easy to wear. It adds another dimension to my personality', Orlando says. 'I wouldn't have done it if it didn't fit my personality; it's so easy going, you can go mountain biking in it if you want!'
Thus describes Orlando Bloom ~the popular actor famous for his role of Legolas in Lord of the Rings, the lead in Pirates of the Caribbean and not only~ the scent of Boss Orange (for) Man, to which he will be the face from now on.



Boss Orange for men, the March 17th edition which was signed by Orlando Bloom as seen below is a Selfridges exclusive for now in the UK, while the scent circulates more widely of course, featuring "energizing top notes of crisp apple blended with the casual masculinity of Bubinga wood that creates a relaxed confidence with a genuine warmth". The full list of notes features apple, coriander, frankincense, Szechuan pepper, vanilla bean, Bubingawood. (45 GBP for 100ml)



Even though Orlando Bloom wasn't big on the fragrance experience, he did profess a keen nose for other smells: "The [London] underground has a really 'specific' smell which I remember from travelling to school and college. I also love the smell of fresh cut grass in summer, it reminds me of Kent (where Orlando grew up) and cricket".
He also admits a liking for that hallmark of cinematic olfactory exploration, the screen adaptation of the 1980s novel Das Parfum, screened as Perfume, the Story of a murderer. 'I really like the film Perfume, it's really hard but they definitely captured the spirit. It would be great if, like 3D cinemas, they could add smell to films'. Way to go Orlando!

And what does the pretty Orlando prefer on a woman scent-wise? "I always like the smell of a woman, the neck, behind the ear; she can be wearing a fragrance or not. I don't like fragrances that wear a woman though". Ladies, you've been warned.

Source of quotes: Elle magazine interview Orlando Bloom picture via thecinemasource.com

Kirsten Dunst poses for Bvlgari, all feline-like and...in the buff

The newest Bulgari advertisements for Mon Jasmin Noir, a new flanker to the established Jasmin Noir feminine fragrance (which we have reviewed previously) feature Kristen Dunst. She's appearing uncharacteristically glamorised and with nothing more than a sheer scarf hiding her more private parts. Right beside...a lion! Bulgari is obviously taking a page from 50s Hollywood stars who used to parade with felines right and left as an extention of their "wild" nature. Let us remind you that Julianne Moore had also posed with lion cubs for the Bulgari campaign, just last autumn. There's definitely a theme...But whereas Julianne is credible (and looks sexy), this one seems stretched to its limits.
So, what do you think about Dunst's new ad? Good, bad or just plain laughable?



"Modernity and sensuality of this fragrance is achieved by blending notes of lily of the valley, Sambac jasmine, musky nougatine and vibrant woods". The perfumer of Bvlgari Mon Jasmin Noir is Olivier Polge. Out soon!

top pic via racked.com, bottom via farispashion blog

Natalie Portman: new face for parfums Dior

Natalie Portman had signed a beauty endorsement deal as the new face for Dior, as far back as June 2010. The talented and beautiful young actress who announced just two days ago, on Monday 27th, that she's been engaged and is happily pregnant, has starred in such box-office hits as Star Wars as well as critically aclaimed films such as Closer and Black Swan. Good coup, Dior, as Natalie is so famous as to even have an MP3 download on Amazon titled "Natalie Portman Poops" (I kid you not! )
Christian Dior chief Claude Martinez called Natalie “charismatic and elegant.” The actress, on the other hand, who hasn't worked in the beauty business before, says: “I’m pretty casual in my beauty routine in my real life. Some might say sloppy.” She also regards beauty, for which she's often justifiably praised, as an obstacle or annoyance: “Beauty can be a hindrance, especially if that’s the only thing that matters to other people. I’m also aware that being considered attractive can be a huge factor in getting work in my profession. Beauty can be boring if you’re with a guy who is focused on his looks or your looks all the time. I know a lot of male actors who are totally obsessed with creating a certain look.” [source of quotes]



Her presence in the Dior portfolio will involve her fronting the new perfume campaign, substituting model Maryna Linchuk, for Miss Dior Chérie. The new commercial will again be directed by Sofia Coppola (see the on-the-set shot above), after the very successful clip she had shot with Maryna 3 years ago. It coincides beautifully with the reopening celebration of Dior’s 57th Street boutique in N.Y.C., where Portman appeared to celebrate alongside Dior’s head designer John Galliano.
The print campaign was shot by Tim Walker while Sofia Coppola directs the TV ads. The advertisements will see the sultry star, who's 29, with a hunky young model, appearing in glossies and on screens in March 2011. “I felt like a big old cougar. He’s, like, 20. The commercial is subliminal advertising for my film,” Portman quipped, as it features a shot of a white swan. If one feels that way at 29, though, just imagine...

We're very much looking forward to them all the same!

photos via fashion style and stylefrizz.

Christy Turlington: new face for Avon

Supermodel of the 90s and successful business-woman Christy Turlington has signed up with cosmetics giant Avon to appear in their new fragrance Slip Into (Avon, that is), according to WWD.


Even though the phrase is usually used to denote something comfortable (and slinky), the new fragrance is supposedly seeking "to capture the transformative power of stepping into a high-heel shoe" (Why not just don the darn thing already?). Avon VP Vanessa Reggiardo explained, “The idea of transformation is a very exciting one. It’s really about that moment of slipping out of flats into high heels — that act that makes women feel more confident, more sexy and more sophisticated.” Christy added, “I can really admire [high heels] because I don’t wear them too often. I’m not one of the moms who wears heels when dropping the kids at school.” [source] The super-mom is notoriously dismissive of all the accoutrements of her profession and the fake "glamour" it perpetuates, especially as she emerged herself in the No Woman, No Cry documentary: "There's nothing rewarding about modeling. It was a fun opportunity that allowed me to see the world, but spiritually and intellectually there is nothing rewarding about the profession at all." [source]

Interestingly, there is a divide on the name: The fragrance will launch in Europe as Slip Into in January 2011, and roll out to Latin America in March 2011 under the name Step Sexy. It’s slated to hit North America as Step Into Sexy in October 2011, pushed aiming at the holiday selling season. There is a difference in pricing and concentration though: This Avon fragrance will be available globally as a 50ml. eau de toilette for $22.50 and in North America as an eau de parfum for $28.
As to the scent it's purported to be "an oriental floral by IFF, has top notes of blackberry, freesia and violet leaf; a heart of rosewood, violet and butterfly orchid, and a drydown of Cashmeran, sueded orris root and golden ambers. The bottle is inspired by the curve of a women’s calf as she slips into a high heel. " [source]

pic via jezebel

Diane Kruger for Calvin Klein Beauty

German actress Diane Kruger has been announced as the new face of Calvin Klein’s upcoming women’s fragrance launch, Calvin Klein Beauty. Highlighted for her recent work in “Inglourious Basterds”, the stunning starlet is well known for her remarkable style, and joins a brand roster of fashion and beauty icons that includes Kate Moss, Scarlett Johansson, Christy Turlington, Natalia Vodianova and Eva Mendes.

The positioning is interesting: “This is one of our largest fragrance launch events ever,” noted Walsh "an upscale offering, positioned firmly at the premium end of the Calvin Klein fragrance portfolio". Hence the price difference of +5% versus Euphoria, another Klein fragrance and one which is popular.
Kruger attended the Costume Institute Benefit the other night at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, celebrating the night with Francisco Costa, Calvin Klein Collection’s Women’s Creative Director. Her look for the evening was in line with the Calvin Klein aesthetic of clean lines and understated elegance. Calvin Klein Beauty will debut in autumn 2010 and Diane Kruger will star in the global print and television advertising campaign.


Added 6th May: The juice for Calvin Klein Beauty is described as a new interpretation of the lily, “a sophisticated flower…that is the essence of femininity…radiant and powerful”. The calla lily also plays a key role in the heritage of Calvin Klein fashion, and was most recently channelled by Costa in his autumn/winter 2010-11 Calvin Klein Collection Runway Show. Labbé has combined ambrette seeds, jasmine and cedar wood to create a “neo-lily” fragrance. “It was an emotional brief…and I was inspired by the Calvin Klein woman who is feminine, sophisticated and radiates generosity, charisma and true inner beauty,” she explained. The gold-coloured juice is presented in a curved flacon, set atop a glass base. A metallic silver ring encircles the glass, while the metallic silver cap is said to evoke the sculptural shapes that are fundamental to the Calvin Klein aesthetic. The outer carton is a glossy white, with a silver halo.
[source]

Related reading on Perfume Shrine: Advertising perfume, New Face, Upcoming relases.

Diane Kruger, shot by Jean-Baptiste Mondino, on the cover of T Magazine.

Penelope Cruz for Lancome Tresor

Lancôme has signed Penélope Cruz , as the brand's third superstar spokesmodel, along with Julia Roberts and Kate Winslet. According to the official Lancôme blog she "will be the ambassador of Trésor, our iconic fragrance".
This piece of news at first surprised me, as it was so recently that we had raved about the choice of Kate Winslet for the 1990-launched classic of the house. I believed it would have been for another fragrance, probably the not so pushed Miracle Forever, previously fronted by Shalom Harlow. But no, after all, you can't get more official than the company's own blog, these days!


The new Trésor ads were shot in Paris starting April 29th with Mario Testino (and coinciding with her 36th birthday) and they will debut sometime this autumn. As you can see from the pics, Cruz is wearing an elegant one-shouldered black dress standing on the balcony at the Hotel Crillon.
The brand already has an all-star cast, with Julia Roberts, Kate Winslet, Anne Hathaway, Daria Werbowy, Ines Sastre, Arlenis Sosa and Elettra Wiedemannm alongside Sandy Linter and Michelle Phan. The Spanish-born actress is now joining them. Muy caliente!

Photo credits: KCSPresse/Splash News Online, Popsop.com

Paco Rabanne Lady Million: new fragrance

Puig, the Spanish company behind the Paco Rabanne fragrances portfolio, is launching a new fragrance, rumoured to be the feminine equivalent of the commercially successful masculine One Million, mistakenly reported as Swinging Paris (the mistake according to official info from Puig headquarters was due to a press release that mentioned the words, but in another context). The name will be presented in the press on May 25th, when the official launch will happen. Edit to add: The name is officially confirmed as Lady Million.
Fronted by Dree Hemingway, Mariel's daughter (who is in turn Ernest's grand-daughter), it will be aimed at the hip generation embracing modern aesthetics and fashion consciousness. You see, Dree is model du jour in the runway world (having participated in such prestigious shows as Valentino, Jean Paul Gaultier and Gianfranco Ferré) and hasn't been "burned" by overexposure just yet.

Paco Rabanne intends to present their latest feminine fragrance Lady Million, as the female alter ego to their recent masculine release, One Million. The scent was supposed to be available in July 2010 according to one source ~while Puig swears the launch will be in May (see above)~ and they continue: “Humour, gluttony and seduction,” will be characterised in the campaign, which will highlight the allure of the blonde ‘rocker.’ For the label Paco Rabanne, “the audacious Dree Hemingway personifies the glamour of today’s ‘femme fetale.’” No words on "notes" yet, but we will supplement as soon as available (something tells me we're faced with a fruitchouli?) Edit to add: It's a fresh woody floral with notes of citron, raspberry, neroli, orange flower, jasmine, gardenia, patchouli and honey and is composed by Anne Flipo, Dominique Ropion and Beatrice Piquet.
On a related note: Is the girl a little too thin for comfort or is it just cranky ol' me talking? Anyway...

Paco Rabanne is nowadays more fondly remembered for their classics (the lovely, easy-going Calandre and the cool Métal from the 70s as well as the animalistic La Nuit from 1985) rather than their modern offerings (Ultraviolet, XS, XS Black etc). So a major feminine release is in many ways a bet for the brand. Let's see what happens!

pics via models.com & fashionindie.com

New face for Cerruti 1881 for Men

The emblematic for the house of Cerruti fragrance Cerruti 1881 for Men (the date denoting the founding of the house of Cerruti) is set for a new advertising campaign starting June 2010 sponsored by the licencee Coty with a new, untarnished face that has never before been associated with beauty or perfumes: Marc Lavoine. The French singer and actor was established in 1985 when his pop sensation "Elle a les yeux revolver" (i.e. She has killer eyes) with its Far East instrumental passages made it to the Top 4 of the French charts ~staying in the top 10 for 13 weeks~ and thus catapulting his career. The pulling traits that got him chosen? "His allure, his gaze and his voice which lend him an undeniable magnetism; an accompished and authentic man". (Quote according to the International senior vice president of marketing of the European licences of Coty Prestige). Marc is reportedly flattered to be participating, fronting such a masculine standby from 1990. Marc has aged in an appealing way, foregoing the too cute hair of the 80s, so who's to argue?

May I just ask whether this is a return to more traditional masculine prototypes, away from the metrosexual images of recent? Could this be -coupled with Dior's decision to utilize Alain Delon's classic 60s photo for Eau Sauvage- a new welcome trend? I'm crossing my fingers.



Photo collage of Marc Lavoine with Cerruti cologne bottle by Perfumeshrine

Enrique Iglesias for Azzaro Homme: new face, new campaign

Azzaro pour Homme, the fougere classic from 1978 is gaining a new spin, that of the seducteur (a womaniser), in the face of Enrique Iglesias (full name Enrique Miguel Iglesias Preysler).

The son of Spanish legend Julio Iglesias is a singing star in his own right: Recognised at numerous awards (including Grammys, American Music Awards and the 2008 NRJ Music Award for Best International Masculine Artist) the top-selling Spanish-speaking singer worldwide according to data as of this minute, Enrique is successful, handsome and the "exotic" yet approachable type that would have consumers sit up and take notice. Enrique Inglesias's own track record is impressive with liaisons with Sofia Vergara, Christina Aguilera, Jennifer Love Hewitt, Shannon Elizabeth, Samantha Torres, and the ex Miss Universe Alicia Machado.

The press release is quite clear-cut into what they are aiming at: "It takes a certain kind of man to personify the distinctive style of this iconic fragrance: the eternal charmer, a man who loves and respects women. The proverbial "tall, dark and handsome"… good looks, unmistakable, innate sensuality, a magnetic personality and energy… "

Enrique is all that and we're elated he isn't lending his pretty mug for a celebrity scent now. His previous take on celebrity endorsement included a stint for Tommy Hilfiger's True Star (Refresh your memory with this). Under the auspices of Michel Mallard, Artistic Director of the new Azzaro pour Homme campaign, and with Steven Klein behind the lens at the Pier 59 Studios in NYC, the fragrance which was previously positioned as the professional type of the 80s overachiever is coming into a new image.

The new campaign for Azzaro pour Homme is set to roll this coming October and looks like it will entice a younger wave of wannabe "Latin lovers" into trying this woody classic. Good job, Azzaro team!

Charlotte Gainsbourg for Balenciaga's new perfume: the triumph of jolie-laide!

Now there's a cool face to front a fragrance!! I am almost jumping up and down from joy at the confirmation of news that Charlotte Gainsbourg, muse for Balenciaga's creative director Nicolas Ghesquière for some time now, will be fronting the new fragrance of the house coming out world-wide February 2010.
French actress and singer Charlotte Gainsbourg, the daughter of Jane Birkin and "bad boy" of French music Serge Gaisnbourg is taking the baton from her mother (who had commissioned perhaps the most daring "celebrity" scent, the skankilicious Eau de Rien to Miller Harris, lovingly reviewed here). What strikes me as particularly hopeful is that in Charlotte Gainsbourg we're breaking from the "mold effect", which I had playfully alluded to while talking about other releases with less promise (such as Kasia for Idole d'Armani), being the very embodiment of what the French call jolie-laide: a woman with a non classically pretty visage that manages to exude terrific charm nonetheless. There is a lithe and delicate quality about her, the "daddy-long-legs limbs" of her (gorgeous) mother coupled with her hippy-chic hairstyle as well, but also jarringly the cubist-friendly features of her father superimposed on the canvas. The total is unexpected, graceful in a way that defies definition and intriguing into casting a second and a third glance. In essence (no pun intended) a super-cool choice to front a fragrance, whose very charm lies on mystery and the intrigue it creates into questioning "who is this wafting stranger?" She also has the ability to metamorphosize into more accepted perceptions of sexy which is not without merit in the shallow industry of the glossy arts. (watch her styled by Carine Roitfeld photoshoot for Vogue Paris Dec.2007)

Charlotte, fresh from Cannes win of Best Actress with the film Antichrist by cineaste rebel Lars von Trier intimated to WWD: "I have the feeling that the house of Balenciaga has become my second home." Ghesquière, who described Gainsbourg as "one of the most inspiring girls in the world" and "really representative of what France is today," declared she personifies his upcoming fragrance. "Her unique sense of style, her graceful and intense talent have always been very inspirational for me," he said. "This fruitful and long-standing relationship Charlotte has with me and the house of Balenciaga gives all its meaning to this project."

On the other hand, the handling of the Balenciaga franchise by Coty is foreboding (even if it had been announced last October as a salvaging move to bring the house under Coty's aegis), suppossing the downturn of the prestige status of the once venerable brand of innovator François is anything to go by. Coty fragrances are sold...well, at drugstores and mid-market stores. Spanish-born Cristobal Balenciaga, the top couturier admired by all other couturiers, had always been about impeccable and understated luxury. Never mind that Catherine Walsh, Senior Vice President Marketing American Licenses Coty Prestige said: "Charlotte Gainsbourg, besides her close collaboration and friendship with Nicolas Ghesquière, truly embodies the unique Parisian chic of this new fragrance." Will the new fragrance have "unique Parisian chic"? Or will it remain a visual manifesto more than a nose-trip, pardon the expression?

The introduction of a new fragrance rather than the re-introduction of the illustrious specimens in the archives probably heralds the definitive death toll on the classic fragrant line-up (Le Dix, Ho Hang for men, Prelude, Quadrille, Michelle...): They were discontinued and hard to find anyway, but I doubt they will resurge under the Coty label with any aspirations as to preserving their soul. The latest IFRA restrictions do not help along either, as does not the cost effectiveness of bean counters at headquarters (Michelle from 1979 for example has a ginormous tuberose and rose heart that far exceeds the naturals ratio sanctioned today with an oakmoss and sandlwood base to scare horses, more of which later; it's supreme! ) That only leaves Cristobal, Talisman, Rumba and their respective flankers out. Which is sad...



Clip originally uploaded by unnouveauideal on Youtube

Dolce & Gabanna Rose The One: new fragrance and its pretty face

The One fragrance franchise is introducing its little progeny as soon as Rose The One hits counters exclusively at Saks next week (the fragrance will get wider, international distribution later on).

The yummy 24-year old Scarlet Johansson, D&G muse and the face of their makeup collection, is “the person that represents actual femininity most in this world,” (Dolce's quote, not mine, to WWD) and will front the campaign for the flanker, taking the baton from Gisele Budchen for The One. The print ads are shot by Jean-Baptiste Mondino. Scarlett was ecsstatic when she told People that Mondino “captured all of a woman’s graces, our quiet moments. That to me, is what makes this campaign so special, and it feels wonderful to have been a part of the collaboration”. Who can argue that the end result is pretty?
Fittingly Johansson is seductively (yet also romantically) "poured in" a custom-made, curve-hugging Dolce & Gabbana pink tulle dress. The typical for Johansson pose (accentuating the waist, baring the shoulders, pursing the lips) suggests lounging on a posh bedroom while her hair is changed into strawberry blonde to reinforce the rose-hued effect that name would suggest.


Coming to think of this, it was only the other day when I was questioning (in a comment to a friend's blog) the sagacity of marketing something fragrant in "rose" parlance, because to a young generation of perfume buyers rose can so often stand for "old lady" (No matter it is mixed in almost everything and most people don't discern it in the formula; such is the corruption our noses have suffered in this sanitized and techno-monopolised world, sadly). Thus naming the newest flanker to The One with the perfectly visible "Rose" moniker has me curious to its reception. I believe they're going on the visual strength of their muse, Scarlett Johansson, probably the best thing in young and feminine curvaceousness ideals since Beatrice Dall and those Alessi pepper mills. And there are several other fragrances which have the "rose" tag in the name (Rock n'Rose by Valentino anyone? Off the top of my head) while still appealing to a younger clientelle.
Predictably the fragrance sounds like a foregone conclusion with its berry-ish fruity top, clean heart of flowers and sweet base. Still, I am eager to see how this will play out commercially, especially in the huge American market. The D&G Anthology collection (issued this year) hasn't been very impressive according to reports so far.

Notes for D&G Rose The One:
black currant, pink grapefruit, mandarin, lily of the valley, rose, litchi, peony, Madonna lily, along with ambrette seed, sandalwood, musk and vanilla.

Dolce & Gabbana Rose The One will be available in 30ml/1oz, 50ml/1.7oz and 75ml/2.5oz bottles of Eau de Parfum.

Pic via style.com

Kasia Smutniak fronts the upcoming Idole d'Armani

Recently we had speculated whether the face of the upcoming feminine fragrance of Giorgio Armani would be Angelina Jolie when news of an agreement between the uber-mom and the designer had hit the newstands. Backed with the collaboration with David Beckhman for the eagerly expected advertising campaign we had even composed a collage for a prospective naughty shooting idea! Yet the reality as hinted by one of our most clever readers was different: it seems like the powerful celebrity duo will front another franchise in the Armani perfume-brand, especially since Victoria Beckhman has ended her one-year contract with the designer for the brand's Emporio Armani (but her husband has not). The news is that Idole will be fronted by Polish actress Kasia Smutniak.

"I chose Kasia to be the face of my new fragrance, Idole d'Armani, because she has a fresh and modern appeal which combines true feminine sensuality and rare beauty with inner strength of character. She embodies the spirit of the Idole d'Armani woman perfectly", said Giorgio Armani. {source} Judging by her model looks (look at her prominent bone structure!) I don't see many women identifying with her really, nor do I see anything distinctive and out of the expectedly pretty as proposed by the art directors, but maybe I am overpicky visually or premature in my impressions... And with a name like Kasia, I would have loved for the fragrance to be cassia-based. Oh well...

Idole d'Armani will be available in stores worldwide from September 2009 and you can read an article with preliminary (and perplexing I might add) quotes from mr.Armani on this link and some info on the juice and the bottle on this link.

Related reading on Perfumeshrine: Upcoming releases, Advertising series, Armani news and reviews

Pics of Kasia Smutniak via fashionindie.com and shoppingblog.com

Emma Watson for Burberry, not Chanel

Last year, at about this time, there were rumours flying that Emma Watson would front the new Coco Mademoiselle ads for Chanel and we had discussed a bit on the possibilities here. Later on the Chanel publicists shot this one down and we retracted. And if our article on the new Coco Mademoiselle print ad with Keira Knightley hasn't convinced you the above scenario is not in the cards, I don't know if this snippet will; but news on the block say Emma Watson, the Hermione character in the Harry Potter franchise (and a lovely little lady, if you ask me) is joining forces with Burberry. The info is official and she will be featured in the autumn-winter 2009-2010 advertisements, shot by Mario Testino in Westminster, London.

Emma Watson is thus succeding Kate Moss, Agyness Dain and Rachel Weisz. Considering that the latter had been the face for the Burberry London floral fragrance for women (20007), perhaps we might see the cute face of Emma peeking through our latest Vogue issue with fragrant strips soon. It remains to be seen.

I wonder what Karl Lagerfeld who used to dress her in Chanel has to say about this. Probably not much!