The Scented Salamander:The French Edition/L'Edition Française
Notre contributrice Yasmine nous a ramené un reportage en mots et en photos de l'inauguration le 15 avril 2010 de la nouvelle boutique des Parfums de Nicolaï sise 45, rue des Archives. On peut y admirer la nouvelle senteur appelée L'Eau Mixte inspirée par une étude sur la note pamplemousse avant même que de s'être vue enrichie ultérieurement par les souvenirs d'un voyage en Sicile. Pour le compte rendu olfactif du parfum, suite au prochain numéro. -- MH
Une Nouvelle Boutique Parfums de Nicolaï où Règne la Simplicité, Une Eau Mixte Toute Fraîche Fleurant Bon les Agrumes par Yasmine
« La Sicile ? C'est
l'un des plus beaux voyages que j'ai fait ! » nous a confié Patricia
de Nicolaï, la créatrice des parfums Nicolaï. Elle est allée à Taormine au
printemps dernier, alors que les orangers et les citronniers étaient en fleurs.
Où qu'elle aille, de bosquets en bosquets, sur la route qui serpente vers
l'Etna, dans la ville qui domine la mer, tout embaumait les agrumes et la fleur
d'oranger. A cette époque, contrairement aux idées reçues, la nature y est
particulièrement verdoyante et généreuse !...
Elizabeth Arden just released a new twist on Pretty launched in 2009 called Pretty Eau de Cologne Splash, going the way of Marc Jacobs Splashes in terms of size, to cool you down this spring and summer. It now has new fruity notes like White Peach and Pink Lady Apple and is bottled in a big splash bottle which you can elect to use as a spray if you prefer. It's here for a limited time only and we're hosting a giveaway of one free 6.8 fl. oz bottle for US readers only until tomorrow noon...
Singer Fergie of the Black Eyed Peas band is preparing to launch her first fragrance by Avon and it's called Outspoken. "Strong and outrageously bold, Outspoken is for the
woman who needs no introduction; she is fearless, true to herself and
her beliefs." Fergie appears on the advert with a megaphone to drive the point home further. And the fruity-floral perfume itself features a floral note often beloved by powerful women: Tuberose. This season, ladies, tuberose absolute is really a hot trend. I don't know if this means that there are more high-powered women or if it's time to clamor and roar a bit after licking your recession wounds or such, but you read it here first loud and clear. By the way, Fergie is rumored to wear Amarige by Givenchy (from mini $5,95 & 1 fl. oz $25,83 scentedmonkey.com) a big tuberose-y floral, so it seems that this signature scent is important enough for her to keep a trace of it in Outspoken. I also found a quote from hubby Josh Duhamel saying he loves to smell Comptoir Sud Pacifique Vanille Abricot (sample $3 luckyscent.com) on her...
They had me at "violet-mint"; so refreshing! It also makes me curious, reminding me of the violet-mint accord in Jean-Charles Brosseau Fleurs d'Ombre Violette-Menthe (powdery) - and how could I forget? - the original and unique Caron Aimez-Moi which mixes violet, mint and anise with rose...
After introducing an anti-age perfume called Ageless Fantasy, Harvey Prince & Co followed suit with an Eau Flirt in the fall of 2009 which was launched with the tag line "Eau Flirt is the perfume that flirts for you!" promising that it is "Clinically proven to attract men." I just happened on it and am going back to this advertised effect after having reviewed Like This, Tilda Swinton (2010) which prominently features a pumpkin note and other ingredients and came across to me as a covert man-magnet perfume benefiting from scientific studies which have been popularized by the press...
Irish perfume house Inis (pronounced "Inish") launched a flanker to Inis: Energy of the Sea called Inis Moonlight on Saint Patrick's Day 2010. The inspiration is a nocturnal marine scent.
"A sister fragrance to Inis energy of the sea, the warm, rich, Moonlight
eau de parfum encapsulates the magical feeling of a midnight, moonlit
stroll by the ocean."...
Her Iridescent Fragrance by Narciso Rodriguez is the newest flanker to the very successful Narciso Rodriguez for Her franchise which debuted in 2003. Narciso Rodriguez perfumes - it is my contention - do so well because the designer behind the label is really interested in fragrances.
Contrary to what the laconic explanations given by the brand might lead you to believe, the change is not just about a lighter construction or shimmer added to the scent. "This
light and luminous interpretation of 'for her' eau de parfum leaves
skin delicately scented and iridescent, like a veil of silk. The
perfect product for spring."
It is not even a straightforward lighter twist on the sweet fruity Egyptian musk sillage (orange blossom + osmanthus) which has become such a standard attractant note in neo-chypres today. If copycatting can be irritating from an author's perspective (perfumers Francis Kurkdjian and Christine Nagel here), the upside of it from an industry-of-desires perspective is that like in fashion, it co-feeds collective lust for similar - and hence predictable - signs and objects.
As is often the case, the words used here of "light" and "luminous" only describe the scent partially. Mostly they are felt in the need to reapply the scent often despite its narcotic feel and perhaps also because it is a perfume which is on the addictive side. And if these words were put there to fulfill a psychological function such as raising your expectations in a given direction and then overtaking you by surprise, it worked...
Bond No9 have once again partnered with New York city department store Saks Fifth Avenue to offer this
time a homage to the classic of classics among flowers, the Rose. The
new scent is called Saks-en-Rose (lit. "Saks in Pink" in French with a double entendre, "Saks in a rose perfume"). The previous comingling of the "uptown-downtown DNA of these two businesses" resulted in a memorable, for me, gardenia fragrance, Saks Fifth Avenue for Her and a men's cologne Saks Fifth Avenue for Him. "Saks-en-Rose, as the eau de parfum will be known, marks a departure from your grandmother's rose. This is an ease-ful rose, self-possessed, future-oriented and multi-functional--beguiling on an evening out, informal over the weekend."...
Following the news of Jennifer Aniston's upcoming perfume was playing a game of semantics in the past few weeks. It's now been confirmed that the fragrance is called Lolavie (rather than Lola Vie.) But the guessing game is not quite over yet and probably will not be anytime soon as Aniston reveals that the meaning of this newly coined word is too complex to be divulged to the public,
"It's a long story and honestly it's too personal to tell," she said. "But it has special significance." ....
Balmain Parfums will reintroduce their classic men's cologne Ebène (Ebony) originally launched in 1983 this summer. The aromatic leather fougère in the style of the 70s-80s had been discontinued while being still visibly on demand. Repeated "out of stock" mentions at online discounters continue to signal its enduring desirability...
Mail service French beauty brand Isabelle Desrroisné, which is part of the Yves Rocher group, has launched a new perfume titled Jardin de Bali (Garden in Bali) which like its predecessor Jardin de Sicile by Vincent Ricord surfs on the wave of a return to an ancient type of perfumery based on natural ingredients. This cultural movement is however oriented towards the future of a sustainable and healthy environment and uses new sophisticated technological means which did not exist in the past. The tuberose composition is signed by perfumer Cécile Matton who wanted to capture the memories of her travel to Bali...
Cologne Intense Iris and White Musk by Jo Malone from the new quatuor of Colognes Intenses opens on an olfactory oxymoron: the scent of a dirty white musk. For
an American nose, the musk here will probably be most reminiscent of the musk cocktail found in Alyssa
Ashley Musk at this stage at least. The perfume suggests initially an overbearing violent animalic musk but which is at the same time clean and snow-capped thanks to cool Polar aldehydes. There is a good amount of Animalid, Galaxolide, with nuances of Lactoscaton and Cetalox, and more, to create this feral intensity. The iris note at this point mostly seems to be present to offer a textural effect creating a glacé, frosty finish to the perfume. It makes one think of a road covered by chilly snow drifts but where the macadam would smell of musk and white soap (and later, face powder.) The fragrance after some time seems to release some discreet fizzy soapy bubbles which shed further light on the clean facet of the nether-regions musk accord. As the name of the perfume indicates, a "white musk" thematic (see here also) was deliberately sought out but it is one which interestingly has been vilified more than is usual and stripped off its most commonly accepted nuance of fake innocence thanks to perfumer Christine Nagel's interpretation. Here the musk is white but not coy. If anything, the soap is overtaken by the furry note in the battle of clean against dirt...
As announced previously, Jo Malone are preparing to launch a new quatuor of Colognes Intenses this summer from July 2010 which are inspired by the culture of the Middle East but with a dash of British attitude. The Scented Salamander is pleased to bring you a sneak preview.
In the brand's own words, the scents are "Inspired by centuries old
Middle Eastern rituals of layering scents, incenses and oils, and the beauty of
classic ingredients but with Jo Malone's hallmark simplicity and elegant
restraint,"
All four perfumes were created by perfumer Christine Nagel, an award-winning fragrance composer who lives in Paris. Lately there has been a cultural movement towards getting more literal inspiration from the Arabian style of perfumery, a current that can be felt precisely in Paris and I believe in London too where I've seen tours advertised to visit Arabian perfumeries. The upcoming Jo Malone collection meshes with this trend while continuing their own exploration of world perfumeries, an interest they revealed with the very well done Kohdo Wood Collection (see here and here) inspired by the ceremony of incense in Japan...
Kate Spade is making further forays into the fragrance world from September 2010 with a new perfume called Twirl. The move is said to be part of a desire to expand and consolidate the lifestyle positioning of the brand for a label which was originally created as a leathergoods one in 1993.
Scent-wise, Kate Spade currently also offers a range of three scented home candles as well as their signature fragrance which had become hard to find but whose license was taken over by Elizabeth Arden, Inc in 2007 from Estée Lauder cos who had given it up in 2004. The flacon of Twirl reproduces some of the lines and colors of the original Kate Spade Eau de Parfum (2002) but now leans in the direction of a disco ball filled with perfume the color of sparkling champagne....
Attention lilac lovers, there is a new lilac perfume in town and it's called Beloved Purple Blossom by American Beauty. This is the latest addition to the collection of clean, sweet-faced florals - at least on the face of it - which is fronted by actress Ashley Judd...
The Scented Salamander: The French Edition/L'Edition Française
Une Nouvelle Boutique Parfums de Nicolaï où Règne la Simplicité, Une Eau Mixte Toute Fraîche Fleurant Bon les Agrumes par Yasmine
« La Sicile ? C'est
l'un des plus beaux voyages que j'ai fait ! » nous a confié Patricia
de Nicolaï, la créatrice des parfums Nicolaï. Elle est allée à Taormine au
printemps dernier, alors que les orangers et les citronniers étaient en fleurs.
Où qu'elle aille, de bosquets en bosquets, sur la route qui serpente vers
l'Etna, dans la ville qui domine la mer, tout embaumait les agrumes et la fleur
d'oranger. A cette époque, contrairement aux idées reçues, la nature y est
particulièrement verdoyante et généreuse !...
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Elizabeth Arden just released a new twist on 
{A 
Singer Fergie of the Black Eyed Peas band is preparing to launch her first fragrance by Avon and it's called Outspoken. "
They had me at "violet-mint"; so refreshing! It also makes me curious, reminding me of the violet-mint accord in 
After introducing an anti-age perfume called Ageless Fantasy, Harvey Prince & Co followed suit with an Eau Flirt in the fall of 2009 which was launched with the tag line "Eau Flirt is the perfume that flirts for you!" promising that it is "Clinically proven to attract men." I just happened on it and am going back to this advertised effect after having reviewed 
Irish perfume house Inis (pronounced "Inish") launched a flanker to Inis: Energy of the Sea called Inis Moonlight on Saint Patrick's Day 2010. The inspiration is a nocturnal marine scent. 
Her Iridescent Fragrance by Narciso Rodriguez is the newest flanker to the very successful Narciso Rodriguez for Her franchise which debuted in 2003. Narciso Rodriguez perfumes - it is my contention - do so well because the designer behind the label is really interested in fragrances. 
Bond No9 have once again partnered with New York city department store Saks Fifth Avenue to offer this
time a homage to the classic of classics among flowers, the Rose. The
new scent is called Saks-en-Rose (lit. "Saks in Pink" in French with a double entendre, "Saks in a rose perfume"). The previous comingling of the "uptown-downtown DNA of these two businesses" resulted in a memorable, for me, gardenia fragrance, 
Following the news of Jennifer Aniston's upcoming perfume was playing a game of semantics in the past few weeks. It's now been confirmed that the fragrance is called Lolavie (
Balmain Parfums will reintroduce their classic men's cologne Ebène (Ebony) originally launched in 1983 this summer. The aromatic leather fougère in the style of the 70s-80s had been discontinued while being still visibly on demand. Repeated "out of stock" mentions at online discounters continue to signal its enduring desirability...
Mail service French beauty brand Isabelle Desrroisné, which is part of the Yves Rocher group, has launched a new perfume titled Jardin de Bali (Garden in Bali) which like its predecessor Jardin de Sicile by Vincent Ricord surfs on the wave of a return to an ancient type of perfumery based on natural ingredients. This cultural movement is however oriented towards the future of a sustainable and healthy environment and uses new sophisticated technological means which did not exist in the past. The tuberose composition is signed by perfumer Cécile Matton who wanted to capture the memories of her travel to Bali...
Cologne Intense Iris and White Musk by Jo Malone from the new 
As 
Kate Spade is making further forays into the fragrance world from September 2010 with a new perfume called Twirl. The move is said to be part of a desire to expand and consolidate the lifestyle positioning of the brand for a label which was originally created as a leathergoods one in 1993. 
