Fragrance News: More on Aura by Thierry Mugler
I wanted to call your attention again to the semi-official news that Aura, the virgins' perfume in Das Parfum, will be commercialized on a wider scale, probably next year. I also wanted to add further information about the conception of the perfume other than the one I presented in my post yesterday.
Christophe Laudamiel has explained that together with Christophe Hornetz they sought to compose a perfume that would offer perfect equilibrium between the different ingredients used. It was conceived of as a perfume in which you would not be able to distinguish the different elements going into the composition, but that you could wear with all other existing perfumes...
In other words - and to me this is very much an universalistic ambition in step with the dominant ideas of the 18th century in France which gave birth to an universal encyclopedia - it was conceived of as an universal "sublimateur de parfum" that is, a scent that combined with all other scents would add "un supplément d'âme" (that's my expression of choice) or as Laudamiel says, "un je-ne-sais-quoi" that is, something intangible, difficult to define, yet very much present and felt by people who come under its influence. Aura is therefore destined to improve any perfume you might fancy wearing and could be seen, in more prosaic terms, as a perfume primer of sorts. They conducted tests and reportedly, it works.
How did they manage to achieve that goal? Laudamiel and Hornetz selected one ingredient from each and every existing perfume families. This has amounted to choosing between 80 to 100 ingredients.
I find this experience fascinating and cannot wait, of course, to try Aura.
Source: Isabelle Cerboneschi, Le Temps
Photo of Laudamiel by V.Ferval, from S-Perfume.
Fascinating. So it may be something along the lines of DSH's Formula X or the universal base in Guerlains or Carons? Designed for wearing layered OR alone? I'm confused but also intrigued. Thank you for the post!
Hi cjblue,
My sense is that Aura is conceptually more sophisticated than DSH's Formula X but one would need to ask DSH how she designed FX.
What do you mean by the "universal base in G and C"? They have their own signature bases that are part of the juices they make. Guerlinade was issued at some point but generally speaking these bases are not designed to serve as primers for other perfumes.
I was told that Aura is meant to be worn layered with other perfumes in order to enhance them. I would have to sniff it to be able to tell you if it can be worn alone.
Thanks for your response. Sorry, I was unclear on the Guerlain & Caron comment. I meant universal to their own fragrances. Caron's base is universal to Caons. Guerlain's base is universal to Guerlains. Aura, it seems, wants to be universal to all fragrances. I'm intrigued but withhold judgement until I sniff it myself. It sounds like a whole lot of concept - we'll see if works in reality.
Hi cjblue,
Thanks for adding me to your blogroll:) Will do the same. Glad you're back, I didn't realize it was you at first.
Thank you for posting this...I can't wait to get my hands on this.
:)
Did you manage to get your hands on this? I really want to buy a bottle but can't seem to find this anywhere...
I have the version that's in the Das Parfum coffret. It never got widely commercialized as such. The Clarins Group which includes Thierry Mugler have launched that new perfume Aura for Swarovski which bears the same name but is a different composition.