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September 2008 Archive
Page 1 of 4 • 1 2 3 4
 The niche house of Parfumerie Générale, headed by independent perfumer Pierre Guillaume, will add two new compositions to their already substantial catalog this fall in September-October 2008. The new duo of perfumes is called Felanilla, numbered PG 21, and Drama Nuuï, coded PG 23...
Continue reading "Parfumerie Générale Felanilla, Drama Nuuï (2008) {New Fragrances}" »
 Designer Bill Blass is symbolically reinforcing the crucial link existing between fashion and perfume by launching a brand new collection of four fragrances inspired by the couture spirit, and more particularly, fabric patterns featured in Blass's own fashion collections. The scents are titled Couture 1, 3, 6 and 7. They were developed by First American Brands and purport to be "very niche", a fact immediately apparent in their prices, at $150 each (down from a $175 quote last year). All four perfumes are homages paid to the four most beautiful dresses by Bill Blass seen on the catwalks. More are to be expected in the future, along the same theme and at the pace of two every year ...
Continue reading "Bill Blass Couture Perfume Collection: 1, 3, 6, 7 & More (2008) {New Fragrances}" »
 Advert by Raymond Depardon
Three years after its launch, Stella Cadente's debut fragrance Miss Me has been morally and concretely axed by Clarins. The group does not want to manage the design label's fragrance license anymore due to losses and difficulties seen with the international expansion of the product. The founder of the brand, Stanislassia Klein, is reported to be looking for alternative strategies for the fragrance and not ready to give up just yet. (via Fashionmag.fr)
 Mainbocher Corset, Horst P. Horst, 1939
Following my last article on the unadvertised, nay, covert trendiness of white musks in Paris, in complete contradiction of course with broadcast Gallic preferences for foul odors, here is a list of top white-musk trails to try out. By white-musk perfumes I refer and pay attention here to perfumes that are the animalistic equivalents of soliflores - I once used the term solabestia to point to those compositions that single-mindedly decide to achieve the smell (or reek, some would admittedly prefer to say) of civet or musk or castoreum or ambergris. Now, I am also starting to like the sound and the look of solibête. And by this therefore I do not mean the numerous fragrances - too numerous to count - that end with a white-musk sweep of the tail in the base notes. The more I think about it, the more I want to know who came up with that purely abstract antinomic idea of musk as and how come we do not have white civet and white castoreum bottled yet. In spite of the fundamental weirdness of the concept playing on symbolic inversion like black soap and black gloss or even black face-cream (cf. the new Le Soin Noir by Givenchy), not just people, but crowds love it. The particular selection I propose is based on a mix of historic, qualitative and trendy criteria: 1) they are included because they are are those fragrances that have been on the perfume scene long enough to suggest that, maybe, these specific cleaned-up musks are popular and are here to stay; 2) they are defining or paradigm-shifting, have enough personality to be considered the best in their categories and you simply must try them out to make up your mind about what suits you or does not; 3) finally, we bring in two newcomers because one always needs to keep updated and unearth new scents. TOP 7 WHITE MUSK PERFUMES TO TRY OUT: WHAT WHITE MUSKS PARISIANS MIGHT BE WEARING TODAY by Marie-Helene WagnerTHE BODY SHOP WHITE MUSK (1981)
The classic of classics as far as simple, unadulterated white musk fragrances go. It is probably the one that is the most easily accessible and affordable in Paris. In the US, it is one of the brands in this category that is the most imprinted upon people's retinas. If you are thinking: but hang on, what about Jovan White Musk sold at Walmart for a few miserly bucks? This one appeared a good 10 years later, in 1991 ( in case you don't know how to count). Jovan is more simplistic than TBS White Musk, nice, but somehow flatter and more one-dimensional. I did mention the fact that I would look at "simple" white musk scents, but there is a form of simplicity that relies on hidden ornamentation, as TBS White Musk shows... 
Continue reading "White Musks Part II: Top White Musk Trails To Try Out {Perfume Short (Reviews)} {Perfume List}" »
A funny, almost sensible article by columnist Kate Muir in which she spits fire at fashion derelict ways this season and at perfume-wearing in general. Wait till you hear what Karl Lagerfeld says and does to control his smell-environment...isn't his nickname Kaiser Karl? OK, I just can't resist a bitchy statement by Karl Lagerfeld because he always tries to wrap it up in gentle forewarning words as if what he was going to say next is absolutely a breakdown of his usual niceness and rules of polite conduct, but he has to burst. You have to love and appreciate the style of the master,
"I have no problem with journalists - many are friends," he once
said. "Only not if they are really stupid, or if they've got bad breath, or
if they smell. Yesterday [at a Chanel show] I had a problem. I said, 'I'm
sorry, you've got to tell this woman that she needs to be taken away. Her
smell is not possible.'"
...
Continue reading "How To Bitch About Perfume {The 5th Sense in the News}" »
 To me, perfumer Olivia Giacobetti is a little bit like the feminine counterpart to perfumer Jean Claude Ellena. Both are fascinated by the element
water and its smell. Both are obsessed with transparent, diaphanous textures. Both plow their paths in this perfumery direction in a very consistent, deep manner. Both not just do this kind of perfumery but enjoy less ethereal unusual gourmand accords (in fact both seem to love to eat good food). To compare their works more closely would be extremely interesting. The September 2008 issue of the magazine Atmosphères has a 1-page article about perfumer-composer Olivia Giacobetti, who reveals that she " cannot stand not to smell good". In order to be able to perfume herself while respecting the constraint of olfactory neutrality she needs to have for her work, she reportedly just dabs on two drops of a diluted version of IUNX Eau Blanche on her neck so that it has time to evaporate by the time she reaches her lab...
Continue reading "Article About Olivia Giacobetti: IUNX Is Back In Business {Fragrance News} {Fragrant Reading}" »
 Diesel has set up a micro-website for their new flanker to Diesel Fuel for Life, Unlimited. You can watch the commercial which is like a cross between the movie Barry Lyndon and a pajama party set in the Jazz Age. The new scent is being advertised as " for women only". Fuel for Life Unlimited Film
 Consider this recession-proof alternative: 7 Drops of Love for $1,60 at Divinafe.com, vaudoo ritual not included
Marketing Week, a UK trade journal, announced that Ralph Lauren will launch an ultra-selective perfume called Love in October 2008 at Harrods, available for the modest purchase price of £2000, or US $3515 at current conversion rate. If at first it seems and probably does borrow the idea of amped exclusivity from Clive Christian, the man selling the most expensive fragrance in the world for $200 000,
mostly for the bejeweled bottle (30 ml of the pure parfum costs only
$2, 350), it adds a psychological twist to it. As one of our guest
contributors, Christina Warinner, pointed out in her articles about her
experience as an ex-fragrance model,
women mostly seem to want to buy hope and dreams of love and a better
life when buying perfume. The fragrance itself is a
pretext. Indeed it gets even more transparently interesting when we
learn that the jus is aimed at young women 25 years old and more with " high spending powers"...  For a fraction of the price, you get Romance, not Love by Ralph Lauren, which is only fair. After all, it is not exactly the same quality (of feelings).
Continue reading "Ralph Lauren Puts A Price Tag On Super Premium Love {Fragrance News}" »
 Shocking by Schiaparelli (1937), still currently available in its modernized form at discount stores, has now been re-launched in style and in its original formulation by the Roja Dove Haute Parfumerie at Urban Retreat at Harrods, "Composed of over 500 ingredients, the original floral has been
re-launched in a limited edition Baccarat numbered crystal bottle, the
shape of which is based on the curvaceous torso of Mae West."
Roja Dove is an expert in historical vintage fragrances and as announced earlier, we can also expect a careful reorchestration of yet another classic, Weil Zibeline, thanks to his endeavors.
For more information or mail order please telephone 020 7893 8797
Via Urban Retreat website
 Fragrance expert Roja Dove has written his first book on the subject of his long-time passion, entitled The Essence of Perfume. While he is known for his lectures and frequent appearances in the media, as well as his temple of bon goût dedicated to the art of perfumery, the Haute Parfumerie at Harrods, he had not felt the need so far to write down his thoughts...
Continue reading "Roja Dove The Esssence of Perfume: New Book {Fragrant Reading} {Shopping Tip}" »
 UK Fashion label Bouddicca will introduce, not only what could just be a debut fragrance line, but a more revolutionary concept called Art Fragrance. This art is expressed through an Eau de Toilette called Wode, accompanied by a bottle of Wode scented blue paint with fading properties. "Wode" means "wood" but also "mad" and was used to describe at times the furor of a warrior. The word appears in a pun by Shakespeare in Midsummer Night's Dream: " And heere am I, and wod within this wood." Wode is directly inspired by the legend of the life of Iceni warrior-queen Boudica a.k.a Boadicea (died A.D. 60 or 61), whose name means "victory", known for having led an uprising of East-Anglian tribes against the occupational forces of the Roman empire. Author Cassius Dio described her in this excerpt, "...a terrible disaster occurred in Britain. Two cities
were sacked, eighty thousand of the Romans and of their allies
perished, and the island was lost to Rome. Moreover, all this
ruin was brought upon the Romans by a woman, a fact which in
itself caused them the greatest shame....But the person who was
chiefly instrumental in rousing the natives and persuading them
to fight the Romans, the person who was thought worthy to be
their leader and who directed the conduct of the entire war,
was Buduica, a Briton woman of the royal family and possessed
of greater intelligence than often belongs to women....In stature
she was very tall, in appearance most terrifying, in the glance
of her eye most fierce, and her voice was harsh; a great mass
of the tawniest hair fell to her hips; around her neck was a
large golden necklace; and she wore a
tunic of divers colours over which a thick mantle was fastened
with a brooch. This was her invariable attire."
She also reportedly went into battle with her daughters in front of her, leading a chariot and shouting words of encouragement... 
Continue reading "Boudicca Wode: Art Fragrance, Not Just Perfume (2008) {New Fragrance}" »
 Following TSS's announcement yesterday about the upcoming book by Roja Dove The Essence of Perfume, we are able to inform our gracious readers that Black Dog Publishing is offering, as of today, a 40 % discount off the purchase price of the book. The original price is £44 and $70 and the book is not meant to be released until a little later on this fall (depending on countries). So don't miss this opportunity to get an early copy! Description of the book from the ad copy: "The Essence of Perfume
is a lavishly illustrated journey through the history of perfume,
taking in the glamour and scandal of the industry as well the science
behind iconic scents.
Roja Dove is without doubt the world's leading fragrance authority.
Described not only as a perfume historian but also a storyteller,
Dove's genuine passion and often risqué wit are infused within the
pages of this authoritative guide to the world of perfume. The book
includes chapters encompassing the social and scientific history of
scent...
Parfumerie Diaphane advert, an illustration taken from The Essence of Perfume
Continue reading "40% Off Roja Dove The Essence of Perfume For Our Readers {Shopping Tip}" »
 Fashion jewelry brandRéminiscence, which reportedly were the first to introduce costume-jewelry collections following the rhythm of the fashion calendar for spring/summer and fall/winter shows, have released their two latest perfumes in that Notes Gourmandes collection which marked 2008.
Sol La and Si Do come after Do Ré and Mi Fa introduced in the spring of 2008.
Like their predecessors, the new Eaux de Parfum are inspired by gustatory notes, music, and queen Marie-Antoinette who is fast becoming a major cultural icon in France. The delightful charming pastel colors of the flacons seem to allude to the Versailles universe re-created by Sofia Coppola in her unconventional biopic about the former queen of France. And at this point I think that a post on all the scented products taking inspiration in Marie-Antoinette is warranted because there exists definitely a cultural and fashion trend in that direction going beyond yesterday's fad.
Another noticeable trend illustrated here is the one where perfumes are inspired more generally by queens (see
Continue reading "Réminiscence Sol La, Si Do (2008): Rich Inspiration {New Perfumes} - The Queen's Perfume {Trend Alert}" »
 Perfume house Fragonard has launched a new exclusive jus bottled in the same amphora-type flacon as Billet Doux re-introduced in 2006, but onyx-black this time. Called Caresse, the scent was originally introduced in 1929 by Fragonard in-house perfumers and has now been re-interpreted. Like Billet Doux, it wishes to pay homage to the flora of the Côte d'Azur. It is described as a gourmand and subtle perfume....
Continue reading "Fragonard Caresse (1929/2008) {New Fragrance}" »
 Niche perfumer Stéphanie de Saint-Aignan opened her first standalone boutique in the Marais neighborhood this summer 2008. Good choice! The Marais is certainly the area of Paris in which I have smelled the most numerous niche-perfume trails. She is not the only one to have recently decided to locate her perfumery there (see Diptyque, The Different Company) which makes that quarter even more one of the must-perfume-circuits-to-tour for perfumistas. Address: Boutique du Marais 26, rue de Poitou 75003 Paris Tel: 01 42 24 07 99
September 2008 Archive
Page 1 of 4 • 1 2 3 4
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Fin O'Suilleabhain on
Les Exclusifs: Bel Respiro, No 18, & 28 La Pausa by Chanel {Perfume Review & Musings} {New Perfumes}
: Hi ... can I ask about the Stravinsky / Chanel image. Is ...
Thalestris Dupont on
Fragonard Caresse (1929/2008) {Perfume Review}
: Lovely perfume! Reminds me of the spring 2011 when I was wearing ...
Karen Lindsey on
Long Lost Crabtree & Evelyn Fragrance: Help Please {Ask The Readers}
: I just found this site and I so need to find someone ...
Regina on
Happy New Year 2012!
: Valentine's Day will soon be here. Any recommendations?
C Sasich on
Easy Tricks To Create Golden Globes Hairstyles! {Beauty Notes - Hair}
: My fave was Michelle Williams - modern , effortless not overdone . ...
kelvin neo on
Victoria's Secret Life is Pink Wish Pink, Live Pink, Hope Pink (2010) *New Fragrances*
: Hi good day, Can i know where can purchase or order Pink ...
Alan on
A Funny Post About Scented Candles {Fragrant Reading}
: Hell-scent candle, lol.
Gina on
Two Organic Oud Scents: Sama Oudh Jasmin & Undergreen Black Classic (2011) {New Perfumes}
: I want to try Sama Oudh Jasmin but checked the websites. I ...
Tammy on
Top 12 Best New Department Store Fragrances of 2011 for the Holidays {Perfume List}
: Wish this came with a little print out sheet for my next ...
Toñi on
Dance with Givenchy (2010) {New Perfume}
: Where can I get Dance with Givenchy? It's impossible to find it ...
Toñi on
Dance with Givenchy (2010) {New Perfume}
: Where can I get Dance with Givenchy? It's impossible to find it ...
evageli karounzou on
Choppy Waters for Stella Cadente Miss Me {Fragrance News}
: at 2007 i was in paris an i bought this perfume.Since then ...
Mandy Aftel on
Aftelier Perfumes Secret Garden (2011): Featuring Real Civet & Castoreum {New Fragrance}
: Thank you so much Marie-Helene for your lovely review! You are great ...
Kay on
Mona di Orio Chamarré (2009): Perfume Review in Memoriam
: This is very interesting. First thing that came to my mind when ...
Maddy on
Bint el Sudan, The Other, African Chanel No.5: Interview with Nick Evans of International Flavors & Fragrances, Inc. {Perfume Q & A - The Scents of Africa}
: Interesting post. I've lived in Ghana but I don't remember encountering anyone ...
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