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May 2006 Archive
Page 6 of 7 • 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Their groves o' sweet myrtle let Foreign Lands reckon,
Where bright-beaming summers exalt the perfume;
Far dearer to me yon lone glen o' green breckan,
Wi' the burn stealing under the lang, yellow broom.
Far dearer to me are yon humble broom bowers
Where the blue-bell and gowan lurk, lowly, unseen;
For there, lightly tripping, among the wild flowers,
A-list'ning the linnet, aft wanders my Jean.
Tho' rich is the breeze in their gay, sunny valleys,
And cauld Caledonia's blast on the wave;
Their sweet-scented woodlands that skirt the proud palace,
What are they?-the haunt of the Tyrant and Slave.
The Slave's spicy forests, and gold-bubbling fountains,
The brave Caledonian views wi' disdain;
He wanders as free as the winds of his mountains,
Save Love's willing fetters-the chains of his Jean. Their groves o' sweet myrtle - 1795
 • An article by Terry Kirby in The Independent of 24 May 2006 on the search for a perfectly scented rose: Flower Power at Chelsea: in Search of the Perfect Rose
•A new women's scent, Spirit of Scotland, inspired by Scottish malt whiskey will be released in Great Britain in the fall. Initial reviews appear to be vastly positive. Its author, perfumer George Dodd is the creator of a line of fragrances, drawing his inspiration from the Scottish landscape and history. They are available here. A precursor to the new fragrance is one called Robbie Burns named after the great Scottish bard; the masculine version, Robbie Burns - Gentlemen, is based on notes found in whiskey while the feminine version, Robbie Burns - Lady, is centered on a rose theme. The earthenware flacons are reminiscent of the types of flacons that would have been commonly used in the 18th century during Robert Burns' lifetime. • Manufacturer Lotus "...has blossomed into the driver-care business and launched its own perfume. Lotus eau de toilette fragrance is said to have an invigorating character reminiscent of the thrill of the cars. Each bottle is shaped like an engine cylinder, with the brand logo etched on the side, and is available only from the Perfume Shop (0845 601 1950, The Perfume Shop ) at Pounds 19.99 for a 50ml bottle." Source: The Sunday Times, 21 May 2006 • Elizabeth Arden had also announced earlier this year that the company would launch a fragrance called Daytona 500 "...to capture the exhilarating thrill of this racing spectacle and put it in a bottle." Its launch is planned for the second or third quarter of 2006.
Source: Brand Sense Partners  • Valentino V ete is now available at Neiman Marcus. It is described as a modern oriental fragrance.
Top notes of bamboo leaves, lychee, and violet.
Heart notes of Turkish and Bulgarian rose, peony, jasmine, and geranium leaf.
Base notes of musk, cedarwood, sandalwood, and patchouli
• A new Salvador Dali perfume called Purple Lips will be released in September. Notes are blueberry, crocus, pomegranate, violet, lilac, vanilla orchid, amber, sandalwood, musk.
Source: aromat.ru
I must confess however that, on occasions, I actually do like to compare perfumes. This week, for example, I undertook a systematic practical and empirical investigation that undermines Roudnitska's very ideal of unicity regarding the perception of a perfume; I deliberately attempted to unearth a collection of perfumes that address the same theme, namely, offer an interpretation of the same dominant note ( I will unveil the results of this investigation-cum-quest later).
One can wonder whether Roudnitska's distaste for artistic comparison entailed distaste for comparison at all levels of reality. I have not studied his method of teaching perfumery. The only information I have about his pedagogical method comes from an account by his son Michel. It appears that in this case too he priviliged a great economy of means and intense focus on a sole object of study.
His son recounts how his father's teaching method would be to ask him to re-create the formula of a given fragrance that he had composed and now handed to him as an exercise to complete. Michel Roudniska (the creator of Noir Epices and Bois de Paradis, among others) then had unlimited time to try to recompose it, guess the notes as well as their relative proportions to each others. He was not allowed to divert his attention apparently from that one task. It was a tremendously subtle and difficult enterprise that could take up from several months to a year. Edmond Roudnitska was interested in elevating perfumery to an art form. To this effect, he wrote aesthetic treatises on perfumes and sought his inspiration in the works of André Sourdel, an art historian. His efforts were aimed at making perfumery statutorily be less of a craft and more of an art. Nevertheless, it still remains, despite his best efforts, that perfumery continues very easily to be apprehended more as a craft than an art. And there is undeniably great pleasure to be derived from, in all simplicity, well-crafted scents. In this sense, certain fragrances are completely satisfying; they will not open new vistas onto an imaginary and visionary world, they will not cultivate dissonance, be revolutionary, but they will have the capacity to sublimate natural aspects of our world. This being said, the instinct of the craftsman was never dead in Edmond Roudnitska, for in the end, a perfume had to smell good to him; this still stood as the ultimate test. But if you think of perfumery as an art, liberated from all constraints of bourgeois good taste and necessity to please not only you, but others as well, then you would have to accept the idea that a perfume could smell bad, even foul intermittently, be disturbing, difficult to wear, provided it was thought out, interesting, and meaningful. This idea is probably still difficult to accept because at a fundamental level we use our noses in a very primary manner to distinguish between good and bad smells. The foul is linked with danger, poison, death, corruption etc. The pleasing smell is linked to sustenance of our life force; it is to be interpreted as a sign that a natural balance exists, that a food is edible, that a person is healthy, that all things in our environment were checked and found out to be normal. There is a strong sense of normalcy and harmony as reiterated values attached to our sense of smell. The basic sexual instinct is also a problem. The innate disposition in a perfume to be seductive and pleasing in order to attract sexual partners to allow for the reproduction of the species makes it less free to be just an art medium. Even the sublimation and transformation of scent as sex into scent as fashion in the 20th century pushed it further in the direction of being an harmonious medium of expression. A perfume has to go with your mood, with a certain social occasion, with your skin chemistry, even be a reflection of who you are. A perfume is not supposed to clash with any entities; it is supposed to take on an espousing contour. The intervention of our persons within the creative space allocated to fragrance creation makes this art form very tributary of our own inclinations. If we take the example of portraiture in painting, we can see that even it does not have to go to the extent of being a reflection of who you are, it can just be a reflection of you as seen by an artist. Renaissance portraits that were commissioned by wealthy patrons still reflect more the manner of an artist than the personal, unique individual style of the subject in the painting. The crucial difference is that Renaissance painters did not paint on bodies. Tattoos, for example, are more like perfumes because they adorn the skin and thus are made part of the representation of the self. You are also made morally responsible for the display of that art on your body, even if the author is not you. However, perfumes have more material to play with than flat tattoos; they have time and memory to play with. One should also keep in mind that perfumes are only contingently applied to the body.
Serge Lutens' creations are closest to this art conception that puts preeminent stake in the artist. His fragrances are the most indifferent to our skins, to our persons and center more on his vision, you be damned. The result is that his scents are sometimes truly difficult to wear, i.e. not "pleasurable" to wear, and I personally feel at times that I am just being used as rented space/ skin/ gallery for an exhibition of paintings. Being a person, I can resent being treated like a simple space, an ambulatory venue for art creations. This sentiment is not just about a good or bad fit between the perfume and me, it is more about a sense of self-respect - I am more than an inanimate object and a blank canvas - and therefore, yes, a certain conception of humanity.
So here again, we go back to this idea that perfumes have to do with human relationships and interconnections and not just with art. Perfumery - the most humane art form, the one that is most called upon to develop the idea of the common social and moral good, of life in a community of social ties. Of human bondage.
Many more things could be said, I will stop here for now.
 
Norell was created in 1967 by nose Josephine Catapano for couturier Norman Norell. It is one of the early American design fragrances; it was introduced in 1968 or 1969, according to different sources. Catapano is also the author of Estee Lauder Youth-Dew (some uncertainty remains regarding her authorship in this case) and Guy Laroche Fidji (1966). Catapano considered Norell to be her favorite fragrance amongst the ones she had created. She reportedly said, alluding to the neglect of Norell by the public in the 80's and 90's "It's a silly world. It's the best fragrance, and nobody buys it anymore"...
Continue reading "Perfume Review & Musings: Norell by Norell" »
Tonight I am only mentioning my two latest perfume desires. In reality, I went on a buying spree this week and added several more items to my collection.
 I have been very curious to try the re-edition of Lanvin My Sin for quite some time now. Believe it or not, I once had a nearly full big bottle of the original My Sin in my possession. What happened to it? I decided to pitch it because the red bakelite stopper with the mother and daughter logo carved in was slightly broken. Obviously, I was not the person that I am now. The bottle is now laying in some landfill awaiting to be discovered by the archaeologists of the future.  Oh! de London -- Because it harks back to the sixties and still has a particularly devoted and loyal following 30 to 40 years later. The description of the notes too is alluring. "Oh! de London Perfume has top notes of bergamot, Russian sage and Roman chamomile. Middle notes of Chinese geranium, clove bud, rose petal, violet, lily of the valley, ylang-ylang and heliotrope. Dry down notes of East Indian sandalwood, cedarwood, vanilla, oakmoss and vetiver." Perfumes are available from Long Lost Perfume
Violette-Menthe (Violet-Mint) was released in 2005. It is one of the perfume heirs to Ombre Rose, introduced in 1981 by the same designer, hatter Jean-Charles Brosseau. His latest fragrance in this series, which bears the title Fleurs d'Ombre (Flowers of The Shade), is Jasmin Lilas, only just recently introduced this spring. Another fragrance in the series, Ombre Bleue, was also released in 2005 although another source indicates 1987.
Violette-Menthe perpetuates the tradition of Ombre Rose, now a classic in its own category; it is a very powdery fragrance if ever there was one. The bottle comes also from the same mold, one that was used in the past for a perfume called Narcisse Bleu.
Some people appreciate a beautiful powder in a fragrance and others dislike this very trait in it. It seems to me that there are more people now in the camp of powder-haters. However, officially the American perfume market is perceived as powder-loving. It has been speculated that this preference only reveals the depth of early attachment to baby powder smell in America.
In seeking inspiration for his first fragrance, Brosseau wanted to recapture memories of his childhood, in particular, the memory of the powder used by his grand-mother, of Sunday luncheons spent at leisure with his family, of pastries, hats, and furs. Violette-Menthe recaptures once again those nostalgic olfactory memories, offering the same powdery base now perfumed with soft violet and cool mint. I cannot stress enough how much deftness and application are key in this case. Because the texture of the perfume is essentially powdery, it needs to be applied all the more judiciously. A light mist sprayed from a cautious distance is strongly recommended for the perfume not to transform itself into an obnoxious cloud of candied violets decorating you, the unwilling pastry du jour. If you apply the perfume lightly, it will render the texture of the powder finer and the scent will be allowed to develop subtly enough. It can make all the difference between creating the impression of a little girl's candy-sweetish scent or of a grown-up woman's sophisticated gourmand fragrance.
Although Violette-Menthe is classified as a green floral, I find that describing it as a powdery gourmand violet (floral) scent is also possible. The opening of the fragrance is somewhat herbaceous, minty, slightly woodsy, but the violet that shows its first petals make you think of sweets already. At times, the fruity wild blackcurrant note appears very prominent, as if forming a duo with the violet in the opening stage of the perfume.This sweet, fruity impression is confirmed by the development of the fragrance as the mint and herbs recede, now and then cooling down the powder, but not to the extent as to steal the show from the central impression: the sweet powder.  In fact, Violette-Menthe now starts to smell exactly like those delicious Japanese desserts called mochi which are made of pounded rice and filled with sweet red bean paste. It is the most unusual part of the fragrance. The powder becomes very softly sweetish, gourmand and even evokes very accurately the odor of the rice flour dusted upon the mochis. If you like L'Artisan Bois Farine, you might enjoy this aspect of Violette-Menthe. Further along, woods become more apparent, in this case sandalwood and oak. In the end you will have, hopefully, the impression that you are wearing a seductive violet powder with musky overtones but you might, alternatively, have the impression that your arm was rolled into some sweet Parma violet-scented flour covering a pastry chef's chilly marble board.
Top notes are bergamot, wild blackcurrant, peppermint, mint leaves Heart notes are Parma violet, peony, hawthorn, white flowers, rose Base notes are sandalwood, oak, sweet notes, musk
 •A review by Tim Radford of recently published book by Luca Turin, Secret of Scent: Adventures in Perfume and the Science of Scent, Faber & Faber, May 2006. The book is not yet available in the US but you can purchase it in the UK through the online Guardian bookstore. Brut Strength •An article by John Arlidge on a popular designer branding trend in Italy. Consider spending the night a the Bulgari hotel, having lunch at the Armani Caffe, and later sipping coffee at 10 Corso Como. Milan on a Plate The Armani cafe in Boston, 214 Newbury Street
• Tropiques is the first perfume in a new collection called "Collection Voyage" (Travel Collection) designed by Lancôme. The perfume will be exclusively distributed in duty-free stores. Tropiques edt 2006 is based on the original Tropiques created by Armand Petitjean in 1935. The original fragrance was part of a selection of five perfumes presented at the Brussels Exhibition that year to mark the debut of the Lancôme brand. The 2006 version is not a re-edition, but rather a re-interpretation of the classic scent. Tropiques is a fruity-floral. Top notes are cranberry, raspberry, and kumquat. Heart notes are mango, jasmine, blackberry. Base notes are Tonka bean and vanilla. • Fahrenheit Summer 2006 is now available in Europe. Price is 36 Euros for 100 ml.
• Armani Summer Mania (2006) is also now available in Europe. You can currently find some tester bottles for sale on eBay.
Ah, these jasmines, these white jasmines!... Thus opens the poem The First Jasmines composed by Rabindranath Tagore in order to pay homage to jasmine sambac the ubiquitous flower of South Asia. In it, he attempts to re-capture the essence of his childhood nostalgically linking it to the scent of the flower as well as conveying his deep love for the fragrant blossoms. For those, like me, who have lived in regions where these flowers grow in abundance, their smell as well as their sights remain with oneself like an enchanted souvenir. In India, Jasminum sambac is also called by the very poetic name of "moonlight of the grove". This refers to the blossoming of the flower at night around 11 pm. Jasmine sambac has a scent that is headier than that of jasminum grandiflorum grown under our latitudes. It is also sometimes called Arabian jasmine and Grand Duke of Tuscany. Ormonde Jayne likes to use the Tagalog term for it, sampaquita...
Continue reading "Perfume Review & Musings: Armani Code Pour Femme by Giorgio Armani" »
May 2006 Archive
Page 6 of 7 • 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
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bob on
Gai Mattiolo That's Amore Tropical Paradise Tahitian Vanilla & Tahitian Water (2010) {New Perfumes}
: wow, look at that, I'm already drooling, great color, looks superb. how ...
karin on
Parfums de Nicolaï or 3 News for this Spring 2010: l'Eau MiXte, Un Soir en Sicile, New Boutique - Update
: Would love to read an announcement that PdN has updated their website. ...
Trometter on
Are You in the Mood for Oud Aromania? {Trend Alert} + Oud Timeline {Sniffing Suggestions}
: You own a very interesting blog covering lots of topics I am ...
Lucy on
The Popularity of Clover Aroma and L.T. Piver Trèfle Incarnat in Literature and Perfume since the 19th Century - Part 1 {Scented Thoughts (on St Patrick's Day)}
: Wonderful post! I wish there were more clover scents available at this ...
Ruth Ann on
Le De by Givenchy (1957-2007) {Perfume Review & Musings} {New Fragrance}
: I too was so excited that Le De was again available! But, ...
mario on
Like This, Tilda Swinton by Etat Libre d'Orange (2010): Aphrodisiac Pumpkin {Perfume Review} {Celebrity Fragrance}
: Thank you for an excellent back ground on this fragrance.
Lucy on
The Pure White Trend in Fragrances: A Return to Fundamentals {Trend Alert}
: Yes, I agree this is a trend, and I am very much ...
sylvia r. on
Yves Rocher Rose Ispahan {Perfume Review In A Nutshell} {Smell-The-Roses-Till-Valentine's Day Challenge - Day 10}
: Desperate for Rose Ispahan - got it as part of a mini-set. ...
Mitsouko on
EOS for Him & Her (2009): Beer-Based Carbon-Neutral Fragrance Smells of the Future {New Perfumes} {Fragrance News}
: Oh, brilliant! I can't wait to smell like waste and rancid beer! ...
Mitsouko on
In Canada, Perfume Intolerance Mounts in Public Spaces, Honolulu Agrees and The Stinky Bus Trope in Pop Culture {The 5th Sense in the News}
: If there is one thing that I find more obnoxious than stench ...
Linda on
The Quest for The Civet Oil {Ask Marie-Helene & the Readers}
: I forgot to put the anti-spam number in my post so here ...
Linda on
The Quest for The Civet Oil {Ask Marie-Helene & the Readers}
: I too have been searching for the Civet Oil I bought in ...
Theresa on
Kim Kardashian Perfume (2010) {New Fragrance} {Celebrity Perfume}
: I smelled the fragrance in Sephora's and I was quite shocked how ...
Manhattan on
Beyonce Heat (2010) {New Perfume} {Celebrity Fragrance}
: Just purchased this Fragrance today in Manhattan, and I have to say ...
ruby on
Dior Escale à Portofino (2008) {Perfume Review}
: I have brought a bottle for my birthday last year and I ...
- Oriens by Van Cleef & Arpels (2010): Not Just Another Light Perfume {Perfume Review and Musings}
- Parfumerie Générale Gardénia Grand Soir, Bois Naufragé (2010) {New Perfumes}
- Gai Mattiolo That's Amore Tropical Paradise Tahitian Vanilla & Tahitian Water (2010) {New Perfumes}
- Clarins Eau des Jardins (2010): Wear it in Good Health {New Perfume}
- In Memoriam Perfumer Béatrice Piquet (1963-2010): Condolences Space Open
- Blugirl Jus No.1 (2010) {New Perfume}
- John Varvatos Artisan Black (2010) {New Perfume} {Men's Cologne}
- Elizabeth Taylor Violet Eyes by Elizabeth Arden (2010): It Begins with a Look {New Perfume} {Celebrity Fragrance}
- The Popularity of Clover Aroma and L.T. Piver Trèfle Incarnat in Literature and Perfume since the 19th Century - Part 1 {Scented Thoughts (on St Patrick's Day)}
- Prada Infusion d'Iris Eau de Toilette (2010): Fronted by Lara Stone {New Perfume}
- Parfums de Nicolaï or 3 News for this Spring 2010: l'Eau MiXte, Un Soir en Sicile, New Boutique - Update
- Guerlain Release Animated Film for Flora Nymphea {Perfume Images & Ads}
- Humiecki & Graef Bosque (2010): Content in the Company of the Gods {New Perfume}
- Two Scented Toilet Paper Commercials in the Style of Jacques Demy {Perfume Images & Ads}
- Like This, Tilda Swinton by Etat Libre d'Orange (2010): Aphrodisiac Pumpkin {Perfume Review} {Celebrity Fragrance}
- The Pure White Trend in Fragrances: A Return to Fundamentals {Trend Alert}
- Betty Barclay Pure Style (2010) {New Perfume}
- Cowboy-Boot Maker Back at the Ranch Mixes Beauty, Perfume & Fashion Senses {Fashion Notes}
- Viktor & Rolf Order Cake for Flowerbomb's 5th Anniversary at Hotel Le Meurice {Fragrance News}
- Persistent Rumor: Lagerfeld to be Replaced by Elbaz at Chanel {Fashion Notes}
- Drink Tea with Karl, Jean Paul, Naomi etc. {Fashion Notes}
- Demeter Releases Clover Fragrance for St Patrick's Day (2010)
- Lolita Lempicka Eau du Désir (2010): Eau de Cologne & Extrait in One...Who Knew? {New Perfume}
- Paco Rabanne to Launch Feminine Counterpart to 1 Million, with Dree Hemingway
- Etat Libre d'Orange Creates Advertising Visual for Tilda Swinton Scent {Perfume Ads} {Fragrance News}
- Narciso Rodriguez Go Iridescent (2010) {New Perfumes}
- Hermes Voyage (2010): Creativity Pause or A Voyage along Traditional Trails {Perfume Review & Musings}
- It's Official, Madonna will Launch a Material Girl Fragrance in 2011 {Fragrance News} {Celebrity Perfume}
- Jean Paul Goude Talks about the Behind-The-Scenes of Chance Eau Tendre
- Chanel Calls Chance Eau Tendre its Third Generation of the Chance Fragrance Family (2010) {New Perfume}
- You can Win a Kenzoki Set on Twitter until March 15, 2010 {Contests & Giveaways}
- Kenzo Kenzoki Perfumed Beneficial Waters/Eaux Parfumées Bienfaitrices Splash, Fizz, Shh, MMM (2010) {New Perfumes} {Beauty & Olfaction}
- Hanae Mori Sustain Their Efforts in Sustainable Perfumery with No2 (2010) {New Perfume}
- The Body Shop Launches Lychee Blossom/Fleur de Litchi (2010) {New Perfume}
All original content and translations herein copyright © 2006. All rights reserved; reproduction requires the author’s prior written consent. You are however welcome to provide a link back to the posts on this site as long as you explicitly mention their authorship, recognize the original source of the information you give, and acknowledge the site of origin.
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