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October 2008 Archive
Page 2 of 5 • 1 2 3 4 5
 Niche perfumery is becoming increasingly mainstream as the forums, blogs and magazines attest to the phenomenon, yet sampling some of the more selective and highly-priced brands can still remain a challenge; traditionally this is considered to be part of the game. Yet the elitist Frederic Malle brand has recently taken the step of making their perfumes available to a larger audience by setting up an online sample program; It has the advantage of being both flexible and low-cost as the price tag covers shipping only...
Continue reading "Tom Ford Private Blend Rollerball Collection Gift Set {Fragrance News}: Wind of Change?" »
 Estée Lauder Amber Ylang Ylang Eau de ParfumThe Skinny:
Perfumers: Honorine Blanc and Annie Buzantian
Artistic director: Aerin Lauder
Gender label: feminine; men could make it their own if they care to remember Macassar oil
Notes: Italian Bergamot, geranium oil, cinnamon SFE, Golden Amber, Ylang Ylang absolute, Bulgarian Rose absolute, Honey, Incense, Vanilla and Sandalwood.
Characteristics: modern soft ambery oriental with slightly old-fashioned styled florals
Personality: soft, sensual, warm, courteous, graceful
Wearability: a cinch
Price point: $$ (Eau de Parfum) and $$$ (extrait)
Bottle: "The parfum
bottle cap is adorned with semi precious stones of tiger eye, smokey quartz
and red agate. The eau de parfum bottle cap was inspired by an exquisite
hammered gold necklace and matching bracelet Aerin received as a gift from her
grandmother Estee."
Perfumes discussed: Estee Lauder Intuition, Yves Rocher Voile d'Ambre (just for pointers), Bourbon French Parfums Heliotrope
Estée Lauder Amber Ylang Ylang is the second installment in the Private Collection series inaugurated with Tuberose Gardenia last year. The Private Collection is the equivalent of the concept of the private reserve for luxury alcohols. It aims to bring an enhanced experience of refinement to customers by paying more attention to the raw materials used, letting them speak for themselves if you will. It is apparent to me now that the collection bears the personal mark of Aerin Lauder: Amber Ylang Ylang just like Tuberose Gardenia bespeaks of a certain brand of soft femininity and social grace. Exotic flowers that could be let loose as unruly, heady and erotic (tuberose; ylang ylang) come here to adorn perfect decoration-magazine pages (or silver-screen imagery) letting go of their reputation for unpredictability in exchange for a touch of gentility. Instead of using the word "polite" I want to use the term "courteous". Aerin Lauder explained the inspiration for the perfume, "To me, a perfect evening is a private one, spent at home with family
and friends. So the fragrance captures the essence of an
enjoyable evening in a warm, inviting room filled with the luxurious
textures of wood, velvet and cashmere. "Private Collection Amber Ylang
Ylang represents the relaxed intimacy and quiet comforts that we love
to come home to at the end of the day."
And again, "For me, there is nothing more inviting and warm than rich browns and gold - brown velvet
couches, gold accents in lamps, tables, vases and frames,"...
Continue reading "Estee Lauder Amber Ylang Ylang (2008): Cosy Cashmere Throw {Perfume Review} {New Fragrance} {Advert}" »
 Lyric for Man by AmouageThe Skinny:
Perfumer: Daniel Visentin
Artistic Director: Christopher Chong
Gender label: masculine, but easily adopted by women
Notes:
top: bergamot, lime; heart: rose, angelica, orange blossom, green galbanum, spicy ginger, nutmeg, saffron; base: pine, sandalwood, vanilla, musk, frankincense
Characteristics: a fresh and warm, dark and transparent green spicy rose oriental fragrance with a sustained aqueous facet and discreet powdery one.
Personality: subtle, elegant, offbeat
Wearability: very easy for a woman, easy for a man
Price point: $$$; worth it. Exceptional lastingness and diffusion
Bottle: an almost black-red glass (darker than on the picture) and a lighter black plastic cap than on the women's flacon but without feeling flimsy. Here the Swarovski crystal appears on the face of the cap and a crown motif appears on a metal appliqué on top of the cap.
Perfumes discussed: Penhaligon's Hammam Bouquet, Czech and Speake No. 88, Un Jardin Après La Mousson, Fabergé Brut, Yves Saint Laurent Paris, Lyric for Woman, Yohji Homme.
, and Gender Amouage, as is their habit, launched at the same time a duo of fragrances for women and men which in this case turns out to be a dual homage paid to the rose. They being a perfume house shaped by the culture of the Middle East (and that of Oman in particular), it was interesting for me to anticipate how the creative team would work on a masculine version of a rose perfume that would be made, in principle, to stand a few degrees of virility apart from the feminine version while, one could surmise, taking into account the cultural heritage of the rose traditionally considered to be a popular scent in Arabic men's perfumes. By opposition, modern Western perfumery broadly defined tends to interpret the lushness and floralcy of the rose scent, whenever it is showcased prominently, to be women's appanage; it was not so in the 19th century (see for example the literally sulfurous Penhaligon's Hammam Bouquet) and even today Czech & Speake No. 88, a men's perfume showcasing a dark even sombre incensey rose belying these proclivities. It may be due perhaps both thanks to the colonial history of Great Britain and the country's traditional inclination for floral fragrances including soliflores that this cultural perception of the intensity of the rose otto was never completely forgotten. For it is a given that the rose in such cases will be masculinized. The Western history of beauty reinforces the feminine attributes of the rose as this most desired and cultivated of flowers has been made to become in the end a stereotypical symbol of feminine beauty since the antiquity when the rose was sacred to Aphrodite. In the Islamic tradition however, the rose's aroma has been exoterically endowed with religious meaning, and if there is any gender association, it might be considered to be just as masculine as feminine through its connection with the figure of the Prophet Mohammad. It is thus said that the emanations of the rose are derived from the very sweat of the Prophet who invites " whoever" wishes to smell his person to drink it in. According to this tradition he expresses his own transfigurative mystical experience by referring to the intoxicating olfactory power of the rose, pointing at the same time possibly to a favorite perfumery accord: rose and musk, "When I was taken up into heaven, some of my sweat fell upon the earth, and from it sprang the rose; and whoever would smell my scent, let him smell the rose."
The mystical use of the rose trope to express the exquisiteness and ineffability of the divine, further popularized by images of Sufi poetical transcendance. It carries therefore a priori an universalistic message despite the fact that Arabian feminine beauty, as in the West, is also unavoidably and classically compared to that of the rose. Of the rightly-named Rose-in-Bloom in the 1001 Nights, it is thus said that "her name was Rose-in-Bloom; and the reason of her being so named was her excessive delicacy of beauty and her elegance."...
 October rose by Catmadogma: this picture is cool and warm like the perfume with a similar effect of watery transparency
Continue reading "Amouage Lyric for Man (2008): Unusual Rose {Perfume Review & Musings} {New Fragrance} {Rose Notebook} {Men's Cologne}" »
 Lyric for Woman by Amouage
The Skinny:
Perfumer: Daniel Maurel
Artistic Director: Christopher Chong
Gender label: feminine
Notes: top: bergamot, spicy cardamom, cinnamon, ginger; heart: rose, angelica, jasmine, ylang ylang, geranium, orris; base: oakmoss, musk, wood, patchouli, vetiver, sandalwood, vanilla, tonka bean, frankincense
Characteristics: a deep dark fruity and resinous rose encased in a classic oriental structure offering a nod to Shalimar and the guerlinade
Personality: opulent, rich, luxurious, classic, politely transgressive
Wearability: easy in the evening; you will get more noticed during the day
Price point: $$$; could have had more originality for that price, not just richness; sorry to haggle
Bottle: very nice; the cap is in a heavy good-quality plastic topped with a Swarovski crystal. The flacon is made of hefty dark, almost black-red (darker than on pictures). The
Perfumes discussed: Joy, Shalimar, Habit Rouge, Parure, Musc Nomade
This review is a composite picture of several impressions of the scent. Lyric Woman by Omani niche perfume house Amouage is rich enough to support a variety of interpretations and can surprise you overtime with its different accents, although I think it is safe to try to encapsulate it as a dark wine-y rose oriental. Although the rose is conspicuous at first, it tends to lose its centrality in the perception of the perfume as it develops further, for it is a very dressed-up rose in full regalia, bedecked with gold and carbuncles, including no doubt Burmese Pigeon Blood rubies. The rose here is less of a diva on its own than part of a general operatic atmosphere of ostentation with a decorative, ornate style although it blooms at times, especially peeking through a second layer of application. As I said earlier ( Perfumes that Sing Vs. Perfumes You Want To Eat), I am also more struck by the deep colors and tonalities of Lyric than by lyrical qualities, such as flight. The one criticism I have that stays with me with some persistence is regarding the use of a slightly juvenile, "easy" and regressive vanilla accord in the midst of rather convincing opulence and nocturnal ambiance... 
Continue reading "Amouage Lyric for Woman (2008): Ornate Operatic Rose {Perfume Review} {Rose Notebook} {New Fragrance}" »
 The house of Creed have announced that they have set up a new text-alert service to respond more efficiently to the numerous queries emanating from their fan base. According to the press release,...
Continue reading "Creed Text Alerts {Fragrance News}" »
 Zero Otto in collaboration with Italian Gold-leaf conceptual artist Anna Carla de Leonardis just launched a new line of perfumes in Rome. The trio of scents is meant to interpret her vision of art and creativity into fragrance. The perfumes are called after three nuances of the precious metal gold: Or Blanc (White Gold), Or Rose (Pink Gold), Or Jaune (Yellow Gold) with the tag line " From golden pictures to perfumes: art is transformed into its essence." The new perfume brand is also inspired by the spirit of the Italian medieval alchemical tradition and by exotic materials brought back by travelers in past centuries... 
Continue reading "1528 Parfums Or Blanc, Or Rose, Or Jaune (2008) {New Fragrances} & Gold-Trend Alert" »
 I am not sure I need to smell this one but it is so fun to see everyone and their neighbors getting to deh-ve-lo-peh a perfume that I couldn't resist posting about Hollyoaks by Hollyoaks, the new indispensable fragrance for soap opera fans... 
Continue reading "Everyone Has a Fragrance, Even Hollyoaks! + Am I Normal? Body Odour (2008) {New Perfume} {Celebrity Fragrance} " »
 Exciting news! Following Humiecki & Graef's interesting debut scent in 2007, Skarb (see review Part I, Part II and Tangent on Daniel Craig, Skarb & Jewish Escapees in Forests), the ambitious, arty and experimental perfume brand has launched no less than four new fragrances all at once this year. They are Askew, Geste, Multiple Rouge and Eau Radieuse. With these, Humiecki & Graef continue to explore the field of "emotional perfumery" together with "maverick perfumer" Christophe Laudamiel...
Continue reading "Humiecki & Graef Askew, Geste, Multiple Rouge, Eau Radieuse (2008) {New Fragrances}" »
 Samsung has launched a neat concept and object, the Lavender Cell Phone that looks like, nay is, a sleek modern perfume bottle (think Givenchy Play or Azzaro Now) and holds a small perfume container complete with spray nozzle...
Continue reading "Samsung Lavender Cell Phone: It Looks & Feels Like a Perfume Bottle {Fragrant Shopping}" »
 Time to get scary in the bath! Philosophy has launched a set of 3 gourmand scents for the bath & body aficionados and tricksters. If right now you are not satisfied with your Dial or Ivory soaps and want to feel the spirit of the season, here is Haunted House which comprises Pumpkin Spice Muffin, Black Licorice and Apple Caramel. All three are three-in-one products and triple as shampoo, shower gel and bubble bath...
Continue reading "Philosophy The Haunted House (2008): Halloween Bath Indulgences {New Fragrances} {Shopping Ideas}" »
October 2008 Archive
Page 2 of 5 • 1 2 3 4 5
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Angela on
Choppy Waters for Stella Cadente Miss Me {Fragrance News}
: I was given a sample of this perfume and have been searching ...
on
Touch of Spring & Hot Play by Lacoste {New Perfumes}
: touch of spring stinks in my opinion i wore it once and ...
k9crazy on
25th Anniversary of Tova Signature Fragrance {Perfume News}
: Is there a way for us to find out why the original ...
SL Fan on
Serge Lutens Nuit de Cellophane (2009) {New Perfume}
: Wow, great photograph. And the notes are promising. Are you sure it ...
Victoria Woeste on
Interesting Hybrid Perfuming Concept by Memo: Grapefruit from Argentina & Orange Blossom from Italy (2008) {Fragrance News}
: Stacy- Thought you would find this of interest. - Vicki
Cait on
Q & A With Serge Lutens - Part 2 {Perfume Q & A}
: I am impressed at all that you drew out of M. Lutens ...
Andrea on
L'Artisan Parfumeur Mechant Loup (1997): Magical Perfumes vs. Illusory Scents {Perfume Review & Musings}
: Thank you for this review! I love Mechant Loup, I did not ...
chichi on
Aquolina Tweety (2008): Yellow Is Good {New Perfume}
: I hope everyone realises that Tweety is actually a boy canary. It ...
MensNecklaces on
Calvin Klein Man (2007) {Perfume Review & Musings} {Men's Cologne}
: I just love that necklace, I actually have something similar to that ...
jenny on
Emeshel Nubia Yellow, Green, Red, Rose, Violet (2008): Sensually Inspired by Ancient Arabian Virility {New Fragrances}
: Sexy bottles! Anyone can tell me where I could buy one of ...
Flora on
En Passant by Olivia Giacobetti at Editions de Parfums by Frederic Malle (2000) {Perfume Review & Musings}
: Happy New Year to you too! I adore this perfume, if I ...
stephanie on
Perfume Review: Nina (The New Version) by Nina Ricci
: Crazy feminists trying to find an excuse to call anything "degrading". If ...
Mary on
Index of New Perfumes 2006, 2007, 2008; New Fragrances in Chronological Order {New Perfumes}
: I wore Must de Cartier Parfum (not EDT) from 1983 until 2001. ...
Paula Contreras-Carballada on
Perfume Review & Musings: Terracotta Voile d'Eté by Guerlain
: Totally agree with you and you are an excellent writer. I lo-lo-love ...
Anne Moralis on
Fashion Exhibition on the Second Empire, 1852-1870: Sous L'Empire des Crinolines {Scented Paths & Fragrant Addresses}
: Par ce site tu accède à de nombreuses descriptions de mode de ...
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