Thanks to Octavian, who called my attention to a video on You Tube where Romano Ricci is explaining his line of perfumes Juliette Has A Gun, you can discover more of the personality of the founder of this new-generation-Ricci (of Nina-Ricci fame) niche perfume house,
Tattoo guru Ed Hardy will introduce a sequel to their debut duo of fragrances for men and women in December 2008 called Love and Luck. It is a follow-up to their unexpected success at convincing younger consumers that they are the it-brand when it comes to spraying on an edgy scent. Just like the initial two perfumes, Love and Luck will present themselves in strikingly visual packagings, but this time Ed Hardy is trying to reach out to Japanese tastes and, no doubt, to tap into the reservoir of hyper-hip Japanese youth culture that we will see also at play with the upcoming Gwen Stefani's Harajuku perfumes...
Don't you love those creams that were specially designed for countervailing the harsh effects of driving in a sports car by the Riviera (let's keep up with the glam factor) or sailing on a yacht around the Mediterranean ? OK, I am not so sure about the latter, but there is a countess who had a cream designed for her in the 1930s, no doubt, delicate skin, when driving in her convertible.
Now, Estée Lauder has come up with the brilliant idea of creating a Super Flight Creme (and let's hope it's a good product) for those of us that need a little extra beauty help when traveling the not-so-friendly-skies-to-the-skin. Reportedly, the humidity level can drop as low as 8 % when you are in a flight cabin becoming comparable to a crossing of the Gobi desert, if I am not mistaken...
Fashion designer Vera Wang, especially well-known for her bridal collections and innocent-to- ingénue perfumes wants to make a broader and, what seems to be a more mature statement, with her new perfume dubbed Look. After the Vera Wang and Princess pillars, comes a more assertive and far-reaching fragrance which aims to make the point that, "It's also making the statement that we are now a fashion house which
does bridal, rather than a bridal house that does fashion. And we're
not about a skintight evening dress; we're more artsy." Vera Wang also added that,
"It's really about building on the fashion aspect of my business -- it
represents that desire and that energy. Look also has a bit of
confidence to it, from both visual and olfactory viewpoints."...
From jeweler Boucheron comes a new fragrance to celebrate the 150th anniversary of its founding as well as the 20th anniversary of its first fragrance, Boucheron (1988). The new perfume is simply titled B and despite its luxury-fragrance positioning was conceived in several ways like a niche fragrance with, reportedly, no undue concerns for price limitations and focus panels.
To add further to the blurring of neatly delineated categories, this time between natural and non-natural perfumery, B is said to contain about 20 natural ingredients...
Following an earlier announcement in March, Avonunveiled their new celebrity perfume inspired by actor Patrick Dempsey at a launch party hosted by the company's Chairman and CEO Andrea Jung in the Skyloft Penthouse in Tribeca on July 22th 2008. The actor is no stranger to the company as Dempsey's wife, makeup artist Jillian Dempsey has been working with Avon since July 2006 as their Global Creative Color Director.
The new scent called Unscripted bears the tagline "Follow your passion", making a central reference to the mythical theme of the open road, and according to Avon, "...captures the true essence of Patrick and his belief that each individual should develop and write their own script for life."
Dempsey himself said, "I enjoyed the opportunity to play a different creative role by working on this fragrance from start to finish. Unscripted is about loving what you do and doing it in your own unique way."...
There is an interesting article about our individual capacities to smell which, as the way the research is conducted, seems to depend primarily on rather solidified given cultural and genetic variables. Certain pathologies like Alzheimer show a link with the sense of smell.
There seems to be a regrettable propensity to interpret the current data as information to be taken into account when designing flavors and scents to target people that will find them pleasant, which appears to me to be on the static side. I wished that the role of education were better emphasized in showing how the senses of taste and smell can be educated, improved, refined etc. According to this article however, it would seem that there might be genetic and cultural limitations to such an optimistic vision about (the possibility is not even considered here) making people be more intelligent and sensitive smellers and tasters....
This summer the Château de Versailles is organizing a nocturnal revelry rivaling with the festive past of the French court at the time of Louis the XIV th. And just like in the 17th and 18th centuries, the grounds are open to the public. Les Grandes Eaux Nocturnes (Great Nocturnal Fountain Waters) started on July 26th and will continue to be performed on Saturdays August 2, 9, 16, and 23, 2008 from 9: 30 pm to 11: 30 pm. Additionally, a "Parcours du Roi" (King's Itinerary) is offered from 6: 30 pm to 9 pm to visit the royal apartments at Versailles as the sun downs.
Fragrance lovers will be glad to know that part of the spectacle has been entrusted to perfumer Francis Kurkdjian who has recreated some of the scents that permeated the air at the time of the splendor of Versailles...
Aren't you excited about the forthcoming 2008 Olympic Games next month starting from August 8th? I know I can't wait to practice armchair-sports! 16 000 athletes are expected in the Olympic village, the competitive tension is mounting and meanwhile Beijing hostesses come up with cute hairdo ideas on how to wear the five rings. The tagline this time is "One world one dream".
Photo credit: Xinhua
Another soft way to pay homage to the Games - we are all about beauty here - is to wear sporty perfume and some that have been especially designed for the occasion at that, like Adidas Passion Game for Men and Adidas Energy Game for Women released as limited-editions in June 2008.
I think we will do something on sports perfumes in history to keep up with the excitement. Watch also for our guest contributor Pauline's upcoming two articles on beauty in China....
Elizabeth Arden will reactivate two of its most popular fragrance franchises, 5th Avenue and Red Door. After 5th Avenue and 5th Avenue After Five, the day continues to progress into the night with 5th Avenue Nights. Red Door is already looking forward to the festive Holiday season with Red Door Shimmer in what must be one of the earliest announcements and launches aiming the end-of-year celebrations and gift-giving rituals....
Fleur de Liane (Vine Flower) is a new upcoming scent by L'Artisan Parfumeur to be released this fall in September-October 2008. It was inspired by sensations gathered by perfumer Bertrand Duchaufour in the midst of a tropical jungle located in the island of Bahia Honda in Panama during the rainy season where he reportedly also produced visual materials to nourish and accompany his vision for the scent, such as photographs and watercolors.
The perfume is part of L'Artisan Parfumeur's collection of exotic, travel-inspired compositions called "Odeur volée par un parfumeur en voyage" (A Stolen Aroma by a Perfumer on His Travels). The series already comprises Bois Farine by Jean-Claude Ellena, which inaugurated this particular library of perfumes in 2003, followed by Timbuktu and Dzongkha, also by Bertrand Duchaufour who has recently been hired as L'Artisan Parfumeur's in-house perfumer.
Duchaufour is noticeably looking more and more the part, his look having evolved from professional to edgy perfumer-artist. It is a reminder that perfumers are part of the branding strategies of perfume houses, like Jacques Polge for Chanel, a current that should accentuate itself as more and more perfumers are coming to the forefront of public attention...
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