The Scented Salamander: Perfume & Beauty Blog & Webzine

May 16, 2008

Porshe Design The Essence (2008) {New Fragrance} {Men's Cologne}

Porsche Design as the result of a joint effort between Groupe Clarins and the Porsche SE subsidiary will launch a new masculine fragrance in October of 2008 called The Essence. It is reported to have been originally inspired by a single molecule named "Artical" which has the property of conveying a sensation of extreme freshness without the usual reference to a marine atmosphere. In this case the freshness alluded to is that of the North Pole.

Historically this is very interesting as it is not a first despite the forward-sounding name of the molecule; the classic Chanel No. 5 is also said to have been partly inspired by the sensation of freshness experienced by its perfumer Ernest Beaux while in the vicinity of a lake in the Arctic region.......

Continue reading "Porshe Design The Essence (2008) {New Fragrance} {Men's Cologne}" »

Previous Posts in New Perfumes:

Jean Paul Gaultier Eau de Cologne du Male (2008)

Waterford Lismore (2008)

Cartier Roadster (2008)

Posted by Marie-Helene Wagner | Permalink | Comments (0)

Digg This Stumble Facebook Del.icio.us

May 15, 2008

Josh Hartnett to be Face of New Armani Fragrance {Fragrance News} {Celebrity Perfumes}

Actor Josh Hartnett will be the face of the upcoming Armani fragrance for men called Emporio Armani Diamonds pour Homme, to be released this summer according to one US source and in September of 2008 according to a French source, a country where the fragrance might make a delayed entry.

The new scent is meant to be the counterpart to Emporio Armani Diamonds fronted by singer Beyoncé Knowles, both borrowing from star charisma to seduce new scent aficionados......

Continue reading "Josh Hartnett to be Face of New Armani Fragrance {Fragrance News} {Celebrity Perfumes}" »

Previous Posts in Fragrance News:

Thierry Wasser Named New Guerlain In-House Perfumer

Vera Wang Princess Launched in Germany

Naomi Watts is New Thierry Mugler Angel Icon

Posted by Marie-Helene Wagner | Permalink | Comments (0)

Digg This Stumble Facebook Del.icio.us

Jean Paul Gaultier Eau de Cologne du Male (2008) {New Fragrance}

This summer of 2008, Jean Paul Gaultier is also being seduced by the garden of the Hesperides. As noted earlier with Dior Escale à Portofino, several brands are offering their own versions of the classic Eau de Cologne this summer......

Continue reading "Jean Paul Gaultier Eau de Cologne du Male (2008) {New Fragrance}" »

Previous Posts in New Perfumes:

Waterford Lismore (2008)

Cartier Roadster (2008)

Jennifer Lopez Deseo for Men (2008)

Posted by Marie-Helene Wagner | Permalink | Comments (0)

Digg This Stumble Facebook Del.icio.us

Thierry Wasser Named New Guerlain In-House Perfumer {Fragrance News}

In an interesting twist of events, Guerlain have announced that they have hired perfumer Thierry Wasser to be the exclusive in-house nose starting in June for the venerable institution which was established in 1828. This move is part of a trend of recapturing the identity and standing of a traditional perfume house by employing a nose who is more or less absolutely exclusive to it and whose creations in principle bear a common signature thereby reinforcing the image of the brand. Guerlain being owned by luxury group LVMH, an in-house nose is also probably felt to add to the representation of exclusivity conveyed by the brand name, like for example Demachy for Dior also owned by LVMH. It can be a very positive development from the point of view of perfume creation in the sense that it can encourage a perfumer to take more risks instead of having to compete immediately with other perfumers for a brief.

Guerlain since its founding has had members of five generations of the Guerlain family at its helm until its incorporation into the LVMH group in 1994. Jean-Paul Guerlain is the last nose from the Guerlain dynasty to preside over the destinies of the brand. Officially retired, he continues to officiate (see his latest Figue-Iris) and according to Cosmetics News will guide Wasser's steps as he moves into his new role while Sylvaine Delacourte will collaborate closely with him as artistic director......

Continue reading "Thierry Wasser Named New Guerlain In-House Perfumer {Fragrance News}" »

Previous Posts in Fragrance News:

Vera Wang Princess Launched in Germany

Naomi Watts is New Thierry Mugler Angel Icon

Jean Nouvel Recipient of the Pritzker Architecture Prize

Posted by Marie-Helene Wagner | Permalink | Comments (0)

Digg This Stumble Facebook Del.icio.us

May 14, 2008

Waterford Lismore (2008) {New Fragrance}

Waterford, the crystal ware brand will introduce a debut fragrance on July 11th 2008 called Lismore. Described as a "sensual-yet-light-hearted melange" and advertised as "The Most Romantic Perfume in the World" it was created by Firmenich.

According to the press release,

"A namesake of Waterford’s most popular design pattern, Lismore’s soft and romantic nuances make for a truly unique scent, so different on every woman that it can become their own individual fragrance signature......

Continue reading "Waterford Lismore (2008) {New Fragrance}" »

Previous Posts in New Perfumes:

Cartier Roadster (2008)

Jennifer Lopez Deseo for Men (2008)

Perry Ellis for Men (2008): Going Chic & Upscale

Posted by Marie-Helene Wagner | Permalink | Comments (0)

Digg This Stumble Facebook Del.icio.us

Vera Wang Princess Launched in Germany {Fragrance News}

Image © Wireimage

Vera Wang Princess continues to blaze the trail. It entered the German market on April 24th 2008. Designer Vera Wang attended the launch party at the KaDeWe in Berlin.....

Continue reading "Vera Wang Princess Launched in Germany {Fragrance News}" »

Previous Posts in Fragrance News:

Naomi Watts is New Thierry Mugler Angel Icon

Jean Nouvel Recipient of the Pritzker Architecture Prize

Miller Harris Cologne 1888: A Redux of Le Petit Grain?

Posted by Marie-Helene Wagner | Permalink | Comments (0)

Digg This Stumble Facebook Del.icio.us

May 13, 2008

Dior Escale à Portofino (2008) {Perfume Review}

The latest Dior Escale à Portofino (Port of Call in Portofino) created by François Demachy is quite the unconventional Eau de Cologne. It clearly borrows its main structural idea from the genre which first came to be known to the public consciousness in the 18th century under the name Aqua Mirabilis, but lets through an absolutely brilliant rethinking of the concept. Even the in-house reference to the tradition of freshness in perfumed compositions inaugurated by Edmond Roudnitska at Dior does not fully prepare you to experience this composition as one that would be entirely predictable.

Freshness, but also Transparency and Softness

Roudnitska the Elder, if we may so call him, (his son Michel Roudnitska is also a well-known contemporary perfumer) is famous for having brought to life fragrances playing upon sensations of lightness and clarity such as Eau d'Hermès (1951), Eau Fraîche (1953), Diorissimo (1956), Eau Sauvage (1966), and Diorella (1972) when full-bodied perfumes for women were a dominant norm. Like Poiret encouraging women to drop the corset and traditional focus on waist and hips, Roudnistka seems to have followed a comparable intuition with his non Femme-like fresh perfumes asking women to lighten the structural ornateness of their scents and make it more modern, different, perhaps more fluid......

Panorama of Portofino by Giorgiopix

Continue reading "Dior Escale à Portofino (2008) {Perfume Review}" »

Previous Posts in Perfume Review & Musings:

Mariah Carey M (2007): From Smells to Floriental

Balmain Ambre Gris (2008)

Chanel Sycomore (2008)

Posted by Marie-Helene Wagner | Permalink | Comments (2)

Digg This Stumble Facebook Del.icio.us

May 12, 2008

A Visit to the Exhibition on Marie-Antoinette at the Grand Palais {Scented Paths & Fragrant Addresses}

A Visit to the Exhibition "Marie-Antoinette" in Paris by Guest Contributor Pauline

“Moving” is the word that best describes the overall feeling I retained after I visited the exhibition “Marie-Antoinette” currently on view (until 30 June 2008) at the Galeries nationales du Grand Palais in Paris.

Although much has been written about the life of the last queen of France (1755-1793) and her private quarters can be visited at the Château de Versailles, it was the first time that I have had the opportunity to experience so palpably actual everyday objects that were seen, used and worn by Marie-Antoinette. The fate of the young Austrian archduchess - who was born in 1755 - was sealed when she was only 9 years old when her mother, Empress Maria Theresa of Austria, decided to conclude a political marriage alliance with the heir of the throne of France. She was married in 1770 at age 15 to the Dauphin, the future Louis XVI, and became queen at the age of 20........

The lunch set used by Marie Theresa empress of Austria, the mother of Marie-Antoinette. She had 16 children with Francis I Holy Roman Emperor and Duke of Lorraine.

Continue reading "A Visit to the Exhibition on Marie-Antoinette at the Grand Palais {Scented Paths & Fragrant Addresses}" »

Previous Posts in Scented Paths & Fragrant Addresses:

Exhibition on Impossible & Extinct Smells

The Perfume of the Belle Epoque: A Spectacle Dedicated to Olfaction

Perfume Expo America, May 12-14 2008: More Info

Posted by Pauline | Permalink | Comments (0)

Digg This Stumble Facebook Del.icio.us