Isabela Capeto by Isabela Capeto (2007) {New Fragrance}
Brazilian designer Isabela Capeto introduced her debut signature perfume called Isabela Capeto. While designers love to use their own names on perfumes to publicize the brand, they seldom use their logos as the shape of the perfume bottle itself. This time the first thing one will remark when opening the package is an adorable stylized plastic red doll inspired by toy art and a trademark of the designer. The packaging already made a splash, winning one of the Worldstar Packaging Awards in 2007 ........
Gentlemen of the human species, please take note! The male orchid bee might be your new master in scented courtship. There is a lovely and interesting article on the Channel 4 News website where we learn that males of this species need to blend a multi-layered complex individual perfume to attract females. The scent features notes of decaying wood, sap, and flowers...mmm......
Lino Nel Vento, Aqua Di Lomone by Jo Malone (2007) {New Perfumes}
Jo Malone has released two perfumes to scent your bed sheets and every other kinds of textiles that decorate your home called Lino Nel Vento and Aqua Di Limone. The first one is based on lavender while the second one features lime and woods.
A 100 ml flacon retails for 45 €. (via Madame Figaro)
Interview with Sylvaine Delacourte & Pierre Hermé + Article on Spiritueuse Double Vanille by Guerlain {Perfume Q & A}
Spiritueuse Double Vanille (Liquorish-y Double Vanilla) is a limited 2007 edition by Guerlain, a study on vanilla proposed by perfumer Jean-Paul Guerlain momentarily coming out of his official retirement (also for Vétiver Pour Elle). In 2007 there were at least three vanilla perfumes of note that showed that vanilla can be the main inspiration for a complex composition: Tihota by Indult (Francis Kurkdjian), Spiritueuse Double Vanille (Jean-Paul Guerlain), and Vanille 44 by Le Labo (Alberto Morillas; exclusive to Paris).
Here is an interview with Guerlain artistic director Sylvaine Delacourte and pastry chef Pierre Hermé on their collaboration around Spiritueuse Double Vanille, courtesy of the Guerlain press service:
INTERVIEW WITH SYLVAINE DELACOURTE AND PIERRE HERMÉ
How is vanilla used in your two different worlds?
Sylvaine Delacourte: At Guerlain, vanilla is considered as an elegant ingredient above all else. It is always rendered to extremely high standards and is used in many of our perfumes. It is a key feature in “Guerlinade”, a compilation of Guerlain’s favorite raw materials, which include Tonka bean, coumarin, sandalwood and ylang-ylang. This olfactory signature gives our perfumes depth, and imprints them in our memories. If I were to compare vanilla to a woman, I would say that it is not a classic beauty of simple regular features, but rather that her face shows a great deal of character.......
JC Ellena - Again! - On Perfume & A Petite Rant {The 5th Sense in the News}
Uniformity, Inez Storer, 2005
This morning we wanted to make sure we would quote another perfumer besides Jean-Claude Ellena before we would call your attention to his latest interview. He is obviously the darling of the media - some, more nastily, call him a "media whore" (courtesy of The Perfect Scent by Chandler Burr). Sorry, this is nothing personal because we do not know him on a personal level, but we are experiencing JC-Ellena fatigue, what with his prestidigitator gestures each time he meets members of the press showing them the magic smell arising from two blotters meeting on his lab table. Is this a parlor trick? Please, there are other noteworthy, interesting perfumers that breathe air on this planet and know how to articulate their thoughts on perfume. And please don't refer yourselves for inspiration to his own list of perfumers in his little book on perfume, Le Parfum, because he makes it sound like the perfumers' community has been depleted by WWIII.
A fire in the fireplace is an olfactory symphony [...] (follows a long beautiful poetic evocation of all the smells that emanate from the fragrant woods and plants in the fireplace and mingle about in the room). These smells are important but let us recall that they are linked with the warm atmosphere, the crackle of the blazing fire, to its colors, shapes, shifts. The nose needs all the other senses to savor fully. The smell of the fire in the fireplace would be nothing without this mise-en-scene which stages a fireplace, blaze, and crackle. It needs this jewel case......
Note: Maurice Maurin is the creator of Amazone by Hermès and Vanilia by L'Artisan Parfumeur, amongst others. He is also a perfume author.
After Ralph, Ralph Cool, Ralph Rocks, and Ralph Hot, designer Ralph Lauren has launched a new perfume targeting younger people called Ralph Wild. It is described as a fruity-floral and includes notes of wild strawberry, juicy watermelon, and cherry blossom musk.
The Eau de Toilette retails for $28.50, $45.00, and $59.50. It is available online at Dillard's and should be carried soon by Sephora where currently one finds its advert. It is available in store at Macy's as well.
Andy Warhol Union Square by Bond No. 9 (2008) {New Fragrance} {Celebrity Perfume}
After Andy Warhol Silver Factory, the first in a series of 12 fragrances inspired by the life and work of Andy Warhol and New York city in a project co-sponsored by Bond No. 9 and the Andy Warhol Foundation, the collection will see the addition of Andy Warhol Union Square in March of 2008. The scent was composed by perfumer Stephen Nielsen of Givaudan......
Chocolate Amber by Bath & Body Works (2007) {New Fragrance} {Perfume Review in a Nutshell}
Following Velvet Tuberose, Bath & Body Works have just released a new perfume in their Signature Collection called Chocolate Amber, which is presented as "A sophisticated and more complex version of Chocolate Amber™ than the more casual Body Splash."........
Une Histoire de Chypre by Molinard & Aedes (2007) {Perfume Review & Musings} {New Fragrance}
As announced previously, the estimable perfume boutiqueAedes de Venustas, which is based in New York city collaborated this year with the Molinard perfume house to release a limited-edition fragrance called Une Histoire de Chypre (A Chypre Story). The perfumer behind this creation or re-creation rather, reportedly based on an old formula exhumed from the archives of the house is Dominique Camilli.
Upon discovering the perfume, one is suddenly tempted to interpret the name of the fragrance as loosely meaning "a history of chypre" as this review starts with a puzzle regarding the historicity of the fragrance. Une Histoire de Chypre smells familiar at first for two reasons. The first reference is not very uplifting; the scent smells like an improved version of Chypre d'Orient by Molinardalso released in 2007, which we still have trouble understanding what it is doing exactly in the market except offend (very interestingly since we reviewed it, Molinard has removed the descriptive pyramid of notes for the scent on their website, while the other perfumes still have them. We of course now regret not taking down some notes but felt it was unnecessary given the quality of the scent). The second reference is more interesting; Une Histoire de Chypre feels familiar because it is reminiscent of the crystalline chypre personality of Diorella by Dior. In other words, it immediately offers a classic signature that people familiar with classic French perfumes will recognize.
When using the expression "classic chypre" people often mistakenly point out that Chypre by Coty (1917) is the first chypre fragrance to have ever existed and therefore take it as a main reference point. It is more complicated than that. It is just the most famous chypre in modern times. Chypre perfumes have existed since Roman times. The Coty Chypre did not appear in a vacuum but was preceded by a continuing lineage of manufactured chypre perfumes in the 19th century that were usually simply called "chypre" in reference to Cyprus island from where this type of perfume is said to originate and in reference to the oakmoss used in the composition most famously harvested originally from that locale....
Outrageous by Kerry Katona (2008) {New Perfume} {Celebrity Fragrance}
Kerry Katona, who is more frequently advertised as being the winner of the TV reality show I'm a celebrity....get me out of here! is also a TV presenter, former singer of the Atomic Kitten band, Mother of the Year, and last but not least, a writer of both non-fiction and fiction. She has written two books of autobiographical characters which aim to provide advice: Survive the Worst and Aim for the Best: How To Get Your Life Back On Track and Kerry Katona: Too Much, Too Young: My Story of Love, Survival and Celebrity. Besides these two books, she has written two novels, Tough Love, and a second upcoming one, Rough Justice, which will be published in April of 2008; she is not a WAG herself but her second novel, "delves into the WAGs (wives and girlfriends) lifestyle of Premiership League footballers" (cf. Amazon).
The only thing missing was a fragrance to round off her image; Outrageous by Kerry Katona, not to be confused with Outrageous! by Frederic Malle, will be gracing store shelves from May of 2008........
Oudh Perfume by Ajmal: It Is About Beauty, Not Money {The 5th Sense in the News}
Business 24/7 reports about a particular extremely fine-grade limited edition oudh perfume in the Dahn Al Oudh collection created by Ajmal, a fragrance brand based in the United Arab Emirates. The scent is dedicated mainly to the beauty of oudh, profits being secondary in this case.
It is a noteworthy attempt to maintain balance between profit and cultural dedication to the art of fragrance thanks also to the support of customers that are collectors. Since 2005, 1000 flacons have been sold and 1500 more are available. A 12 ml flacon of this perfume retails for 5,000 Dirhams or US $ 1,360.......
Mo's Bacon Bar by Vosges: The Latest Idea in Chocolate Decadence {Fragrant Recipe}
As far as we are concerned, we are still feeling the atmosphere of the holiday season and bent on prolonging it! Decadently rich food is one of the signs that this time of the year rings a time for indulgence.
Vosges is a chocolate brand that proposes a range of chocolate bars with quirky adventurous taste associations. They do not hesitate to mix savory and sweet for example or to add red chili (in the spirit of a molé), Wasabi, or black olives to their concoctions. Their latest creation is Mo's Bacon Bar, in their collectionExotic Chocolate Bars , and as one can see, it is based on the idea that dressed-down bacon has its place of honor in a fancy niche chocolate bar......
Gaultier2 Eau d'Amour by Jean Paul Gaultier: Limited Valentine's Day Edition (2008) {New Fragrance}
Yuletide has not quite subsided yet, but designer Jean Paul Gaultier is already teasing Christmas shopping survivors by announcing the February release of a limited edition of Gaultier2 for Valentine's day 2008 called Gaultier2 Eau d'Amour (Gaultier2 Love Water)......
Justin Timberlake To Be The Face for New Givenchy Men's Fragrance {Celebrity Perfume} {Fragrance News & Rumors}
Justin Timberlake, it is only rumored at this stage, could be the next celebrity to lend his appearance to the promotion of a Givenchy perfume after Liv Tyler for Very Irresistible. According to WWD (subscription only),
"Justin Timberlake could be the face of the next Parfums Givenchy men's fragrance, according to rumblings in the market. Neither the pop star's manager, David Schiff, nor Parfums Givenchy executives in Paris could be reached for comment."
Editions de Parfums in Moscow, Luxury in Russia {Fragrance & Luxury News}
FashionMag.fr (subscription only) has announced that Editions de Parfums have opened a boutique-within-a-store on November 29th 2007 at the venerable Tsum in Moscow. Many other Western beauty and luxury brands are establishing themselves in Russia and at the Tsum in particular. A quick look at the picture indicates that the Tsum department store has undergone a total makeover since the Soviet period when a certain air of grandeur was mixed then with more prosaic offerings. Next stops for maximum expansion for Frederic Malle are Ukraine and Kazakhstan.
The high-end niche perfumery Malle founded, which proposes new standards of refinement, such as greater creative freedom for its stable of perfumers, authorial signatures on flacons, a refrigerator for optimal preservation of the perfumes, and scent columns to isolate oneself to smell the perfumes, will fit right in the new Russia which is developing an impressive taste for luxury, apparently as big as mother Russia itself.......
Lush have started to offer a noteworthy post-holiday shopping deal; for each pre-December product that you purchase you get another one for free! While supplies last. More details available on the Lush website.
The rose-patchouli-amber accord was particularly popular in 2007 in women's perfumes although it is fair to say that it has always been popular. If a competitive exam topic had been handed down from the skies to the perfumers' community asking them to come up with their own rendition of this accord, it would not have felt any different. To some extent, it all goes back to the agricultural roots of the trade. Just like one might visit an annual agricultural exhibition where the best Camemberts and Charolaises from France are shown and compared, one might be standing in front of shelves with perfumes such as Gucci by Gucci, YSL Elle, Dior Midnight Poison on them and see who got the gold medal of excellence. It is perfectly respectable that perfumes be about the refining of a traditional idea. In this case, originality is partial, and like good perfumes, subtle. Or if you prefer a more palatable comparison brought about by the thought association between Midnight Poison and 'Round Midnight and the idea of circularity, it is like a jazz standard that would be interpreted each time in different, personal, and creative ways.....
The popular children's hero Kirikou has inspired the creation of a perfume called Petit Vaillant (The Little Valiant One). Based on an African tale re-imagined by Michel Ocelot, the lushly illustrated movies and books featuring the ever-clever and helpful diminutive Kirikou has proven to be a hit in Europe although, "...his success in the more conservative markets of the UK, U.S. and Germany has been restricted by a mixed reaction to the realistic and non-sexual, but nevertheless omnipresent nudity in his breakout film Kirikou et la sorcière."......
Dior Homme TV Ad by Hedi Slimane with Jamie Dornan {Scented Images}
Ex-artistic director of Dior Hedi Slimane directed the TV spot for the fragrance Dior Homme, which he helped compose. The ad features model Jamie Dornan and the song "For Lovers" sung by Pete Doherty.
One of the most beautiful perfume ads ever: the flow of the garland, ribbon, and tassel all align suggesting lushness, richness, and elegant nonchalance as well as a subliminal cornucopia shape. The black and white contrast done in quasi religious chiaro-oscuro tones reflects the introspective qualities of the scent well. The image is even a bit haloed; the perfume and the decorations glow as if a pristine white light were shining through stained glass in a Scandinavian church set in a snowy landscape in a Dreyer's movie.
Burt's Bees Cologne (2007) {New Perfume} {Men's Cologne} {Perfume Review in a Nutshell}
Burt's Bees has launched a reportedly 100% natural oils cologne for men in its Natural Skin Care for Men collection, simply called Burt's Bees Cologne. From the ad copy,
"Exude confidence and appeal with this all-natural blend of essential oils. Fresh citrus oils of lemon and orange and energizing bergamot are blended in the warm, spicy depth of cypress and fir oils for a crisp, woodsy scent." .......
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