The Scented Salamander: Perfume & Beauty Blog & Webzine: October 2008

October 2008 Archive

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October 22, 2008

Miss Dior Chérie: The Official Ads & The Unofficial One + A Perfumista Hit by Reverse-Associations {Perfume Images & Adverts} {Scented Thoughts}

Here are the new print ads for the fragrance Miss Dior Chérie shot with model Maryna Linchuk. Sofia Coppola has been hired by Dior to film the TV commercial version of the ad featuring the same model but the latter has not been released on the net yet as far as I can tell.

And here is an anecdote about the perfume: last summer as I had feasted on ripe French-bred strawberries and some were left on the table and forgotten, I started smelling Miss Dior Chérie in the air in a very distinct manner after a while. It is only after a few quizzical moments that I realized the strawberries smelled exactly like the strawberry note in the perfume, complete with its chypré overtones. I don't know if the scent of these strawberries have been enhanced or if Miss Dior Chérie just captures the natural scent of this varietal wonderfully, but it was funny.

I have been doing involuntary reverse-associations more and more by the way. I smell this cumin and I think, mmm, it smells like L'Autre or that other cumin and mmm, it smells like Kingdom...talk about living in a different world! It does not happen systematically but it looks like the world of perfumes is taking on a life of its own...

Continue reading "Miss Dior Chérie: The Official Ads & The Unofficial One + A Perfumista Hit by Reverse-Associations {Perfume Images & Adverts} {Scented Thoughts}" »

Previous Posts in Scented Thoughts:

Perfumes That Sing Vs. Perfumes That Eat: Rooting for the Return of the Aerial in Perfumery

Notes on Lavender in Eaux de Cologne & Further Thoughts on By Kilian Prelude To Love

The White Musk Trend In Paris...Really?

Posted by Marie-Helene Wagner | Permalink | Comments (2)

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Floris Discontinues Fragrances {Perfume News}

The house of Floris has confirmed to TSS that they will discontinue several fragrances from their catalog "...to make way for future launches." The perfumes which are going to be withdrawn from circulation are: Vetiver, China Rose, Zinnia and even the renowned Malmaison, a carnation scent of choice in perfumistas' circles. It is a lovely blend and will be missed for the history and charm it exudes...

Continue reading "Floris Discontinues Fragrances {Perfume News}" »

Previous Posts in Fragrance News:

Vincent Cassel to be Face of New Yves Saint Laurent Men's Fragrance

Thieves Love Frederic Malle Perfumes

Balenciaga To Revive Perfume Brand

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Badgley & Mischka Couture (2009): Red-Carpet Appeal {New Fragrance} {Celebrity Perfume}

To fête the 20th anniversary of their label, team Badgley & Mischka have concocted a new juice meant to embody the dreams and glamor that their company was able to foster. The idea is simple: as Badgley puts it "One zip -- or in this case, one spritz -- and you're glamorous!". It is a lighthearted reference to the much more arduous preparation stars go through to get ready for their big day or evening on the red carpet.

Called Couture, the scent was inspired by a roster of feminine celebrities, and even icons: "Teri Hatcher, Sharon Stone, Elizabeth Taylor, Eva Longoria Parker and Sarah Jessica Parker"...

Continue reading "Badgley & Mischka Couture (2009): Red-Carpet Appeal {New Fragrance} {Celebrity Perfume}" »

Previous Posts in New Perfumes:

Korloff Kn° I, II, & III (2008)

C-Thru Ruby, Purple Diamond, Blue Opal: Estee Lauder Cos.' New Mass-Market Line

Tova Ambre d'Oro (2008)

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October 21, 2008

Vincent Cassel to be Face of New Yves Saint Laurent Men's Fragrance {Perfume News} {Celebrity Fragrance}

French actor Vincent Cassel will lend his looks to a new masculine fragrance by Yves Saint Laurent to be launched next spring on March 2, 2009. YSL in this manner will follow up on the success of L'Homme which was well-served by the image of another French actor, Olivier Martinez...

Continue reading "Vincent Cassel to be Face of New Yves Saint Laurent Men's Fragrance {Perfume News} {Celebrity Fragrance}" »

Previous Posts in Fragrance News:

Thieves Love Frederic Malle Perfumes

Balenciaga To Revive Perfume Brand

New Official Serge Lutens Site

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Korloff Kn° I, II, & III (2008) {New Fragrances}

Korloff Paris will launch a trio of perfumes to pay homage to the 88 ct black diamond called the Korloff Noir said to be the largest black cut diamond in the world. Each perfume is numbered rather than named and meant to represent a different woman, a traditional idea also emphasized by the different colorings: Kn° I, Kn° II, Kn° III.

Juding from the ad copy, the portraits of these women sound particularly stereotypical; let us hope the juices are more lively...

Continue reading "Korloff Kn° I, II, & III (2008) {New Fragrances}" »

Previous Posts in New Perfumes:

C-Thru Ruby, Purple Diamond, Blue Opal: Estee Lauder Cos.' New Mass-Market Line

Tova Ambre d'Oro (2008)

L'Artisan Parfumeur Burberry Crocus (2008)

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Role of Scent in Reproductive Strategies: The Case of the Kakapo {The 5th Sense in the News}

Reading about the role scent may play in the mating behavior of Kakapos reads like a dream come true for a member of the human male species. Why? Because even more so than for women, the # 1 motivation for the average man to wear fragrance is to attract the opposite sex, or whatever sex they are interested in...

Continue reading "Role of Scent in Reproductive Strategies: The Case of the Kakapo {The 5th Sense in the News}" »

Previous Posts in The Fifth Sense in the News:

Talk by Christophe Laudamiel on the Future of Perfume Design

Smell of Outer Space Recreated for Nasa

For Some Wearing Fragrances Is A Criminal Act

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October 20, 2008

John Galliano by John Galliano (2008): Edgy Violets {Perfume Review & Musings}

John Galliano perfume ad featuring his muse: the fragrance just launched in Europe. Expect to see it in 2009 in the US and the Middle East

John Galliano by John Galliano

The Skinny:

Perfumers: Christine Nagel and Aurélien Guichard
Artistic Director: John Galliano
Fragrance company: Selective Beauty
Gender label: feminine; could be worn by a man in the spirit of a 19th century men's floral scent thanks to its tobacco and hay nuances; perfect for a modern dandy
Notes: aldehydes, violet, iris, rose, musks, woods
Characteristics: classic florals perceived through the filter of memory meet real-life realistic atmospheres = arty superimposition of freshly ironed couture dress on powdery lipstick-y floral bouquet and more
Personality: soft, tender, romantic and edgy
Wearability: easy - the "edge" might be too much for some
Price point: $$
Perfumes discussed: Berdoues Violettes de Toulouse, Borsari Violetta di Parma, Creed Love in Black, Editions de Parfum Dans Tes Bras, Guerlain Insolence EDP, Penhaligon's Violetta, Stephen Jones, Lalique Eau de Parfum, Caron Aimez-Moi

The Review:

The Larger Context: Violets Then & Here & Now

Major fragrance and flavors producer Symrise said in February 2008 that the scent of violet would be one of our notes of predilection in the future, and indeed we have seen this forecast, or perhaps better put, industrial push come to realization. They announced, amongst other things, that there would be "...a redefinition of classic notes like vetiver or violet..." I was mildly surprised to have to imagine that one of the signature trails of the 19th century bourgeoisie, when floral bouquets and soliflores were overwhelmingly in was supposed to waft anew in the near future as if reflective of our deep hidden meaningful unconscious need for it, only it just had to be brought to the surface. Why a violet "craze" redux now? What could its meaning be? Is it simply the tail end of the 2007 iris comet (see Galore of Iris Perfumes), a note often associated with it? Was this just a fashion diktat we ought to disobey like the violet, purple and plum colors trend of this fall 2008? And are we really begging to tattoo violet perfume, metaphorically speaking this time, into our skins as was fashionable for some at the peak of the violet mania?

The mid 19th century and early 20th century perfume-history chapter is full of excess and passionate addiction to this scent which was considered to be the epitomy of what "delicate" is meant to express. Violet was perceived to offer an "unsurpassed delicacy", an ideal and naturally refined aroma although many formulas were in fact attempts at capturing the illusion of the real thing. It is thus important to note that despite the label "violet" (soliflores) a good number of people were in fact aware that in many cases violet perfumes were illusory renditions of it. What I find very interesting in this case is that these original sources show that the so-called naturalism of 19th century taste in perfumes was actually linked to a higher level of perception of the abstractness of floral fragrance compositions than our contemporaries commonly think. The idea of a simple violet scent might sound charmingly naïve in retrospect but in fact 19th century perfumistas were much more astute consumers of it than we think...

The Marchesa Casati by Giovanni Boldini

Continue reading "John Galliano by John Galliano (2008): Edgy Violets {Perfume Review & Musings}" »

Previous Posts in Perfume Review & Musings:

Editions de Parfums Dans Tes Bras (2008): Futuristic-Nostalgic Violets

Eau d'Italie Baume du Doge (2008): Renaissance Italy In A Contemporary Style

Amouage Lyric for Woman (2008): Ornate Operatic Rose

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October 18, 2008

Talk by Christophe Laudamiel on the Future of Perfume Design {The 5th Sense in the News}

An interesting talk by perfumer Christophe Laudamiel entitled "Design for the Invisible" about orientations he sees for the future of perfumery defined very broadly as the art that has to do with olfaction in general not just fine fragrances as he is quick to point out. For example, he says he would love to see a scent curator be hired by MOMA to curate perfume installations and keep up to date with what is going on in the world in this field.

Watch his lecture given at MOMA in April 2008 as part of the conference Mind 08, courtesy of Seed Magazine,

Previous Posts in The Fifth Sense in the News:

Smell of Outer Space Recreated for Nasa

For Some Wearing Fragrances Is A Criminal Act

Coco Chanel On Lifetime TV: Critiques of a Biopic

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October 17, 2008

Smell of Outer Space Recreated for Nasa {The 5th Sense in the News}

Stellar Spire Eagle Nebula, Wikimedia Commons

Here's a short article in the Times describing the smell of outer space and explaining why company Omega Ingredients is working on recreating it for Nasa. The guy in charge of the project is Steven Pearce who confesses to stumbling upon the problem of offering a well-crafted dupe for the scent of hot metal.

"Outer space smells like hot metal, fried steak and the welding of a motorbike, scientists suggest. A chemist is recreating the smell to help Nasa to train its astronauts."

Read more...

Previous Posts in The Fifth Sense in the News:

For Some Wearing Fragrances Is A Criminal Act

Coco Chanel On Lifetime TV: Critiques of a Biopic

Clive Christian ≈ Queen Victoria, Who Knew?: Deconstructing The Royal Ad Copy

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October 16, 2008

A Rose Molinard for the Perfumery's 160th Anniversary & Another One for Le Prince Jardinier {Scented Paths & Fragrant Addresses}

This could be a post in a sub-category of our celebrity page called "Celebrity Roses". Tomorrow on October 17th 2008 will be officially baptized and presented for the first time to the public the Rose Molinard, a rose developed over more than 7 years by the Roseraies Delbard to celebrate the 160th anniversary of the Molinard perfumery in 2009...

Continue reading "A Rose Molinard for the Perfumery's 160th Anniversary & Another One for Le Prince Jardinier {Scented Paths & Fragrant Addresses}" »

Previous Posts in Scented Paths & Fragrant Addresses:

Amouage To Present Lyric At Aedes

Madison Perfumery, The First One Of Its Kind In Romania

Tame Jungle for Guerlain at Opéra Garnier

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October 2008 Archive

Page 3 of 5 • 1 2 3 4 5

October 22, 2008

Miss Dior Chérie: The Official Ads & The Unofficial One + A Perfumista Hit by Reverse-Associations {Perfume Images & Adverts} {Scented Thoughts}

Floris Discontinues Fragrances {Perfume News}

Badgley & Mischka Couture (2009): Red-Carpet Appeal {New Fragrance} {Celebrity Perfume}

October 21, 2008

Vincent Cassel to be Face of New Yves Saint Laurent Men's Fragrance {Perfume News} {Celebrity Fragrance}

Korloff Kn° I, II, & III (2008) {New Fragrances}

Role of Scent in Reproductive Strategies: The Case of the Kakapo {The 5th Sense in the News}

October 20, 2008

John Galliano by John Galliano (2008): Edgy Violets {Perfume Review & Musings}

October 18, 2008

Talk by Christophe Laudamiel on the Future of Perfume Design {The 5th Sense in the News}

October 17, 2008

Smell of Outer Space Recreated for Nasa {The 5th Sense in the News}

October 16, 2008

A Rose Molinard for the Perfumery's 160th Anniversary & Another One for Le Prince Jardinier {Scented Paths & Fragrant Addresses}

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