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July 2006 Archive

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July 13, 2006

Perfume Review & Musings: Fire Island by Bond no 9

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The latest release by Bond no 9 is called Fire Island and was created by Michel Almairac of Robertet. It is the 26th fragrance issued by the New York-based perfume house. Almairac also composed their penultimate fragrance released last spring, The Scent of Peace. Almairac is the author of the wonderful Burberry London for Women, Lumière by Rochas, Voleur de Roses by L'Artisan Parfumeur, Cabaret by Grès, and Minotaure by Paloma Picasso, amongst others.

Like almost all of the fragrances issued by Bond no 9 the name of the new scent refers to a New York neighborhood or exceptionally, as in this case, to a place intimately connected to the history and pulse of the city. Fire Island, located on the southern shore of Long Island, is a favorite getaway for New York weekenders who regularly escape to its shores and frequent its beaches with much devotion and affection, despite the fact that they have to forsake their cars to go there.

Fire Island conveys a simple message in the sense that it is a beach scent, but it also contains a hidden level of olfactory meaning which makes it a pleasurable beach scent with an important twist to it. The complexity of the scent comes not so much from its notes as from its hidden and very effective ability to play with our memories while purporting to bottle future memories of happy vacations as well.

Introduced just a fortnight ago in the middle of summertime, Fire Island, according to Bond, aims at "...bottling the scent of bronzing" and beyond that at capturing the scent of happiness and of the relaxed mood commonly experienced during leisurely vacations spent sensually on the beach with our bodies half-naked basking in the sun. Fire Island is a beach scent-cum-comfort scent and illustrates a popular trend in perfumery nowadays. 

What is to me the most striking element in this fragrance is the manner in which it stands out as an olfactory monument dedicated to the memories, not only of upcoming, full-blown summer of 2006, but going deeper back in time, to that of the European seaside vacation experience of, roughly, the last quarter of the 20th century. During that time, virtually millions of people from Europe and outside of Europe spent their holidays on the French Riviera seeking a much sought-after fashionable dark tan. The perfume thus may be called Fire Island to pay homage to New Yorkers and to express Bond's love for the Big Apple while reinforcing its myth but what it conjures up to my nose, as I freely bet it will for others with a similar experience, is Saint Tropez...

Continue reading "Perfume Review & Musings: Fire Island by Bond no 9" »

July 14, 2006

Bonne Fête du 14 Juillet!

Bonne Fête du 14 Juillet! Et Vive La France et l'Amitié Franco-Américaine!
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Happy Bastille Day! 
 
Today I am wearing...what else could it be but Sacrebleu!   
 
Painting is La Rue Montorgueil by Claude Monet 

July 16, 2006

Fragrance News: Review by The Scented Salamander Featured by Kristopher Dukes

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Fashion writer Kristopher Dukes "ooh la loved" The Scented Salamander's review of Fire Island by Bond no 9 and has featured it on This Next Blog, "The Best-Show-and-Tell Ever; Favorite Things, Favorite Blogs, Favorite Shopcasts."

This Next Blog is dedicated to being a place "...where we identify bloggers and trends whose work aligns with our goal of helping communities unite, express who they are and find products that will help them live more happily and easily."

 

The 5th Sense in the News: Authorship in Perfumery, Popular Perfume Talks in New Orleans, Flavor Specialists' Secrets, Bug-Prone Scents, A Sour Trend in Cuisine & Much More...

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Is a Scent Like a Song? Oui and Non. A range of opinions on the issue of authorship in perfumery. The New York Times.

LABS OF TASTE ; Flavor specialists are field's secret weapon. The Times-Picayune.

Swanky new scent. The Guerlain gala in honor of Insolence and Swank's thoughts on what defines beauty. Gulf News.

• Colorado Inventor Develops Fragrances Emitting Jewelry in US Fed News...

Photo: Ed Alcock for the New York Times 


Continue reading "The 5th Sense in the News: Authorship in Perfumery, Popular Perfume Talks in New Orleans, Flavor Specialists' Secrets, Bug-Prone Scents, A Sour Trend in Cuisine & Much More..." »

Fragrance News: Style by Jil Sander

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Coty Prestige has announced the release for September/October 2006 of a new perfume by Jil Sander called Style. The perfume was created by Bernard Ellena of Symrise.

The perfume aims at being a sophisticated fruity-floral and targets 30-35 year old women: "The scent starts with freesia, mango (a first in fine fragrance, according to Ellena), cardamom and pink pepper. Its body mixes violet, magnolia, iris flower and jasmine while the base notes comprise vanilla, amber and musk."

The edp flacon was designed by Patrick Veillet who explains, “My aim was to evoke both a woman’s silhouette and a dress by Jil Sander, added with a spiritual element.” Mirrors reflecting violet light decorate the space between the two blocks.

The fragrance will launch first in Germany, Austria, Eastern Europe, the UK (with an exclusivity at Harrods department store to start with), Benelux, Switzerland and will roll out in 2007.

Source: Cosmetic News 

New Perfume: Fleur D'Oranger by Yves Rocher

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Yves Rocher has released a new eau de toilette as part of their Pur Désir de Fleurs collection, called Fleur d'Oranger (Orange Blossom). I find it always interesting to see how orange blossom is captured and made into a fragrance, a deceptively simple task. Gardénia and Mimosa in the same collection are already quite popular.

It retails for 16.50 Euros normally and is currently available with a 40 % discount. 

Source: Yves Rocher.fr 

New Perfumes: Sarawak & Nadira by Crabtree & Evelyn

The English house Crabtree & Evelyn has released two new fragrances called Sarawak and Nadira.

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• Sarawak is described as a green floral that was inspired by the people of Malaysia and the tropical forest found in Sarawak. Top notes are grapefruit, lime, and ginseng. Middle notes are wild ginger and rice flower. Base notes are bamboo and rare orchid.

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• Nadira is meant to evoke the sweet sensuality of Morocco and was inspired by the colors, spices, and blooming gardens of that country. Top notes are bergamot, nectarine, apricot. Middle notes are rose, jasmine, gardenia, and clove. Base notes are amber, sandalwood, and musks. 

Source: Osmoz 

July 17, 2006

Passion for Perfume: A Portrait of Perfumer Andy Tauer

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Andy Tauer is an independent perfumer from Switzerland. He has already made his mark on the world of niche perfumery within a very short period of time by launching three fragrances to connoisseurs' acclaim, Le Maroc pour Elle, L'Air du Désert Marocain, and most recently, Lonestar Memories. Tauer came relatively late to perfumery, yet he did not start his journey on this new path completely unprepared as he is a doctor in chemistry. He is also one of the perfume bloggers that I like and esteem and am glad to have as a neighbor in cyberspace. His always sincere and sometimes very funny posts on his blog, Perfumery, are recommended readings.

Please tune in again tomorrow or the day after tomorrow as I will review his latest release, Lonestar Memories.

I am hereby inaugurating a new series on TSS which bears the title Passion for Perfume - Portraits and which will be devoted to offering portraits of people who are passionate about the fifth sense and all things perfumey and aromatic.


TSS - I am struck by how the sense of place as well as your travels are made to be an integral part of your work... Morocco, Texas, not Switzerland. Is this distancing from the familiar necessary for you to create perfumes? [Note: In a way, I am reminded of the quest for light and colors by painters like Van Gogh or Gauguin -- northerners travelling to the south or to exotic lands for inspiration.]

Andy Tauer - Not really, part of my inspiration is based very much on my immediate surroundings and is nourished by jogging trips in the woods nearby for instance. Of course, the exotic ambiance of the uncommon helps trigger associations and sometimes is finally closer in memories than the settings of everyday...

Continue reading "Passion for Perfume: A Portrait of Perfumer Andy Tauer" »

Scented Quote of the Day, from Serge Lutens:

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 Given the question, "what is your philosophical recipe for happiness?" Serge Lutens answers:

 
One day I heard a sentence -- was it in a movie? -- that summarizes my philosophy pretty well: "When the gods want to punish you, they grant all your wishes." Very often, when we wish for something, what we get is something else. And it is that other thing that, in my opinion, is the most interesting. This applies to the making of a perfume. From the time the essences are arranged to reach a desired effect to the time when a result is actually achieved by their association, there is a world of difference. At that point in time I usually say to myself, "Thank God, my wish was not granted!"

(Translated from the French by Mimi Froufrou)

Image source: Aus Liebe zum Duft

July 18, 2006

The 5th Sense in the News: Guide Cosmetox by Greenpeace

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Greenpeace issued an in-depth study in 2006 on the level of toxicity of beauty products commonly used by consummers. A chapter on perfumes is included with a color alert classification of the perfume houses and manufacturers depending on their level of commitment to sound ecological and health-conscious practices. Green is for companies who guarantee that they are not using any of the toxic components targeted by Greenpeace. Orange is for brands that admit to using these targeted toxic substances but who have announced that they are in the gradual process of finding substitute ingredients for these components. These companies could either move to the green or red zones when information is updated. Red, which sadly regroups the overwhelming majority of perfume (and cosmetic) brands, codes companies who do not want to guarantee that they are not using these targeted toxic substances and who most of the time are not interested in implementing substitutive policies. The red-coded brands usually prefer to point out that they are following official legislations which, as Greenpeace stresses, were formed in a permissive context and are therefore lacunary...

Continue reading "The 5th Sense in the News: Guide Cosmetox by Greenpeace" »

July 2006 Archive

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