Around-The-Launch-Of Series

Mona di Orio is one of the best known names in alternative, independent perfumery from Europe. On the occasion of the launch of her latest opus, Chamarré (richly ornate, brightly colored), we thought it would be enlightening to ask her about her visual tastes and more generally help us better understand her new perfume, an iris-laden composition.  



TSS: It is not easy to decipher your perfumes because you are not exactly where one expects you to be: why does a perfume called Chamarré starts on such dark, velvety and resinous notes in the initial stage?

Mona di Orio: Chamarré begins with a bunch of lavender followed by the clary sage and one aldehyde... It's a warm and deep departure, to give instantaneously a feeling of well-being and warmth...With a little touch of mystery at the same time ! The "real" essential oil of lavender is wonderful and has a lot of virtues too. In the symbolic language of the flowers it means "good luck"... And it's certainly not an old-fashioned note !

 Hygiene by Gustav Klimt


TSS: Was L'Heure Bleue a source of inspiration or a subject of study for you?

MdO: Absolutely ! When I smelt "L'Heure Bleue" for the first time, I was 15 years old, I had a real emotional shock ! I was so fascinated, so touched... I discovered a beautiful story under my nose, a mysterious travel to follow and such an intense emotion... I will always remember it, I don't have to smell it again, I have it my mind...

Continue reading "Q & A with Perfumer Mona di Orio around the Launch of Chamarre" »

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WienerBlut is a new perfume label that was founded by Alexander Lauber and launched with a first fragrance called Klubwasser (Club Water).

My early contact with the brand is through the website. Its welcoming image is striking with its shadowy black and white hues as it immediately puts the accent on the notion of impermanence: we are offered the sight of a multitude of by-now dead people; the music is slightly lugubrious. The texture of the image is that of an old movie frame left on pause indefinetly. You have not arrived at your standard fragrance website. For someone like me who is fascinated by old pictures of cities, I experience the reverse of what you most often see in antique pictures, the half-empty streets here are filled anew with an exhaustive list of ancestors.

The brand aims to capture the soul and spirit of Vienna in a rather single-minded manner and through it experience a certain set of values. I was intrigued initially most by this sense of roots and anchoring. Perhaps I asked myself more questions in this case simply because Vienna is not as much today of a global city as London, New York or even Paris, the latter which hovers more on the side of local identity yet is culturally stuck in the minds of people as an international reference. An insistence on Paris and "made in Paris" for a perfume feels completely of-course. The same stress put on perfume and Vienna requires further clarification. To me, after having smelled and written a review of Klubwasser, it can feel like it is more than about Vienna, but I don't think that I could place it as being outside of Europe unless we started thinking of it as an eau that would have been made in Vienna, a fact Lauber likes to insist upon, and then traveled to exotic countries.

Klubwasser was made by a fascinating Viennese perfumer specializing in emotional communication called Yogesh Kumar who asks you to bring an oft-worn garment to a private consultation when you ask him to create your own unique personal scent. He will smell your scarf or shirt, analyze and understand your personal olfactory imprint and create a composition around that non-replicable personal body scent component. Kumar has also a commercial line of fragrances I had never heard of which looks like a territory to be explored.

But back to WienerBlut. When fragrances are issued that come accompanied with an historic background it tends to trigger the reaction of wanting to elucidate some of the tradition that stands behind those scents. But as we know, "tradition" may be quite an illusory concept and in some instances it may just be a specific type of springboard to creation involving the historical imagination supported by some information and a good dose of retro sensitivity. Klubwasser is undeniably retro -- but see where "retro" leads us to: an all or mostly natural perfume that is like the past encapsulated in the present-day preoccupation for greenness and eco-friendly products. It is like a movement to go back to a perfumery that is closer to 19th century perfumery than ever...Will the 20th century be just an intermission?


Q & A with Alexander Lauber around the Launch of Klubwasser


TSS: Do you remember when you first became interested in the world of aromas and perfume?

Alexander Lauber: As a child, I lived in several different parts of the world. The scents of these places have always belonged to the most powerful memories: a food market in Bologna, the subway in Paris, the Atlantic ocean at Cape Cod, the carpet of my grandparents house. I often tried to conserve these scents in jars, books or clothes and take them with me. The first perfume I perceived as a brand and not merely as the scent of a certain person was Poison [by Dior]....

Continue reading "Q & A with Alexander Lauber Founder of WienerBlut around the Launch of Klubwasser {Perfume Q & A}" »

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Last year a rumor started circulating on the Internet that a classic perfume by couturier Jacques Fath, the mythical Iris Gris (Gray Iris), was going to be resurrected. It is nearly impossible to find it nowadays, although it surfaces on very rare occasions; a set of Jacques Fath fragrances including the very elusive Iris Gris just recently sold on eBay (picture below).
 


The perfume has not been lost to historic amnesia however thanks in part to perfumer Guy Robert who in the now out-of-print book Les Sens du Parfum counts it as one of the masterpieces of perfumery, one which was composed by nose Vincent Roubert. Guy Robert is quick to add though that his list is not exhaustive and presents a few of the best creations of a few of the best creators in perfumery. Vincent Roubert is thus included as the author of both Iris Gris and L'Aimant by Coty, the latter a much more readily available scent nowadays. L'Aimant was a spin-off version on Chanel No.5. 

For those interested in just smelling and not owning necessarily a perfume, a historically reconstituted version of iris Gris can be smelt at L'Osmothèque today thanks to the efforts of perfumer-curators. Needless to say it is now considered a museum piece. The sheer fact that the fragrance is nearly extinct in its original state has of course not lessened the levels of admiration for it but rather increased them. As it has become by historical accident even more exclusive and rare, we get the last ingredient needed for a perfume to become the stuff of legend: extreme exclusivity. Sometimes you have to wonder about that ultimate psychological element when perfectly wonderful fragrances can be had at drugstore prices and are not for that reason put on a pedestal, like L'Aimant for instance, the other masterpiece listed by Guy Robert.



I first learned about the project thanks to a reader who was wondering if I had heard about it and if one could give any credence to the rumor. After inquiring further and getting some helpful advice from Haarman & Reimer as well as Symrise later on, the company Panouge confirmed to me last summer that they were working on a reconstitution of the celebrated iris perfume which first appeared in 1946...

Continue reading "Jacques Fath Irissime (2009): From Iris Gris to Irissime: A Contemporary Version of Iris Gris {New Perfume} - Q & A with Fabrice Biré of Panouge around the Launch of Irissime {Perfume Q & A}" »

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Interview with David Pybus Around Scents of Time & The New Maya


David Pybus, by his own admission, is a chemist turned "aromancer" in order to satisfy the more artistic streak in his personality. He is also an author and has written three books: The Chemistry of Fragrances (with Charles Sell), Kodo, The Way of Incense, and Transports of Delights, an anthology of poetic texts following an aromatic thematic, excerpted from world literature.

He now hunts for ancient archaeological odoriferous remnants or manuscript records of fragrances in order to recreate them as wearable scents for today's perfume aficionados under his business label, Scents of Time (soon to become an e-commerce site too). His passion for bringing out long lost scents out of the vaults of history has earned him the nickname of "Indiana Jones of the perfume industry".

Pybus released three perfumes last year, as previously announced, while a new one called Maya just launched this fall. Next year people will have the opportunity of experiencing two more intriguing perfumes based on phials salvaged from the infamous shipwreck of the Titanic, a floral scent for women and a woody one for men, both called Night Star.

We wanted to understand better his venture, the reception it has received, and so asked him for his thoughts.
 

TSS: I was wondering what kind of interest have you seen manifested for your "Indiana-Jones" fragrances?

David Pybus: Early days yet as really only launched 3 weeks ago at major UK retailer and it's still 7 weeks to Xmas, but sales steadily rising. Hardest thing is still public awareness. I won £80,000 to create Scents of Time.  A major fragrance House probably spends that on one magazine ad or TV placement so I am up against it in terms of creating a presence.

 - Have you felt that the specialized scope of your venture spoke best to the usual suspects (history buffs, academics, museum-goers...) or have you experienced some surprises there?

First launch was at the British Museum which of course is serious archeological stuff! The range was a sell out on day one and has been steadily selling since. With 5 million visitors a year this is a great outlet for me. Wish I could get the Metropolitan Museum in New York interested!...

Continue reading "Interview with David Pybus around Scents of Time: Invitation To Smell Like Divine Divas {Fragrance Interview}" »

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When Ralph Wild by Ralph Lauren first discreetly launched in late 2007, we immediately became aware of its existence as we got an email a few days before New Year revealing a certain sense of urgency from a young reader named Terra,

"I'm looking for a new perfume by Ralph Lauren that a friend said she found
in Macy's called Ralph Wild, and I can't seem to find anything about it
anywhere. Have you heard of it? I don't see it anywhere on your blog."

We were able to provide her with a link to Dillard's, where it was already in store, and to make an announcement illustrated with an early preview of the ad found on Sephora with model Amanda Charlwood but without any further details given about the new Ralph. Later we were able to do a brief review of the perfume which we thought was better than expected, offering a nice strawberry jammy quality, like a more laid-back and younger version of Miss Dior Chérie.

This time, Ralph Lauren has decided to launch an internet-only communication campaign, including a contest to win a Vespa, and this is why The Scented Salamander got the opportunity to interview assistant vice-president for Ralph Lauren Fragrances Linda Kramer who developed the fragrance together with Olivier Gilotin and Jim Krivda.

It is not easy to break the reserve of a corporate officer working for the mainstream fragrance industry, but Linda Kramer graciously accepted to answer some of our questions. We think this Q & A gives you some insights into how a prestige, more mass-marketed fragrance comes about and how it is conceived. For example, the design and packaging inspire the scent composition. If any young people are interested in becoming fragrance developers, you know what to expect.

And by the way, Lauren, which is mentioned in the interview, used to be a great perfume. Bring it back! Pauline adds "Ralph Lauren Blue is a great office scent!"

 

 

Perfume Q & A with Linda Kramer

 

1 - How did the creative team decide to express the idea of “wildness” in Ralph Wild?

The first step is to identify the key elements of the brand – This fragrance was designed to represent a girl who is spontaneous, fearless and confident. We also look at the imagery and the color of the packaging. Based on all of these elements of Ralph Wild, it was clear to us that we needed to create a fragrance that would make a bold statement but would also tie in the Ralph Wild Girl’s personality and the color of the packaging.

2- Juicy candied nuances and fruity-floral perfumes seem to be very popular nowadays, why do you think that is?

Fruity floral fragrances with candy-like and edible nuances are indeed very popular right now. The reason being is the comforting, familiarity of these notes as well as the nostalgic effect they have on us. These types of notes have the amazing ability to olfactively transport us back to the happy memories of our youth......

Continue reading "Interview with Linda Kramer, Assistant Vice-President for Ralph Lauren Fragrances {Perfume Q & A}" »

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As people will see in the second part of our interview with Serge Lutens (see Part 1), he is a mind that always thinks beyond the predictable limits set by a question. Here he expresses himself regarding Baudelaire's legacy, his line of makeup, the mythical Nombre Noir fragrance, niche perfumery, and his contribution to contemporary perfumery.

Marie-Helene Wagner:

16 – Do you think that speaking of perfumery, we are the heirs to Baudelaire?

Serge Lutens:

- Perfume, in and of itself, is not just an aroma. It is potentially a carrier for the imagination. Perfume is thick; it is poison and pure desire. It is Eros in prison! I think that we are first and foremost the heirs to frustration, but also to revolt, with means that the ones who have not subjected themselves still have aspirations….

Continue reading "Q & A With Serge Lutens - Part 2 {Perfume Q & A}" »

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Comme vous pourrez le constater en lisant cette deuxième partie de notre interview avec Serge Lutens (voir la première partie), il est un esprit qui pense toujours au-delà des limites prévisibles assignées par les questions.  Ici, il s'exprime sur l'héritage baudelairien, sa collection de fards, le parfum mythique Nombre Noir, la parfumerie dite de "niche", et sa contribution à la parfumerie contemporaine.

Marie-Hélène Wagner:

16 - Pensez-vous qu’en matière de parfumerie, nous soyons les héritiers de Baudelaire ?

Serge Lutens: 

- Le parfum n’est pas en soi qu’une senteur. Il est porteur d’imaginaire. Le parfum est épais, il est poison et désir pur. C’est Eros en prison ! Je pense que nous sommes avant tout héritiers de la frustration, mais aussi de la révolte qui fait que les non-soumis aspirent encore…

Continue reading "Questions & Réponses Avec Serge Lutens - 2ème Partie {Perfume Q & A}" »

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In this Q & A with Serge Lutens, the discussion focuses on his latest creation, Five O 'Clock Au Gingembre (in the export range) and the notion of luxury, one of the key concepts that inspired the new scent. We had also wanted to ask him broader questions such as: are we still living with the legacy of Baudelaire where perfumery is concerned? Does Orientalism continue to nurture the creation and the imaginary world of perfumes? We decided to be more concise. But as it turns out, there was no need to put these words black on white. Baudelaire and colonialism (not Orientalism) are evoked. Here is an invitation to step into the Lutensian universe.

 

 

Marie-Helene Wagner:

1 - The rediscovered taste of ginger seems to have been your initial source of inspiration. Did you tell yourself something like, we are going to try to make a perfume, a beautiful, interesting one, around the ginger raw material? If yes, what olfactory facets or precise impressions around this fragrant rhizome did you want to bring out? Were there any surprises?

Serge Lutens:

 – Treating the ginger as a simple invigorating root did not interest me at all. I most of all wanted to bring out in this ingredient its candied aspect, the idea of luxury, associated with that of rarity.

As you know, the first time one takes a bite out of ginger, it is rarely appreciated. It is part of these things that require that our taste go through an “apprenticeship”. The first time I tasted it, it was in a Vietnamese restaurant in the early 1970s. I initially thought that it was foul. With time, I learned to appreciate it. It is a cultural refinement.......

 

Continue reading "Q & A With Serge Lutens {Perfume Q & A}" »

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Dans ce questions et réponses avec Serge Lutens, la discussion se déroule autour de sa dernière création, Five O' Clock Au Gingembre, et de la notion de luxe, un des concepts clés ayant inspiré cette nouvelle fragrance. Nous avions auparavant voulu aussi lui poser des questions du style: sommes nous les héritiers de Baudelaire en matière de parfumerie? L'orientalisme nourrit-il toujours la création et l'imaginaire des parfums à l'heure actuelle? Puis nous avons décidé de faire plus court. Nul n'a été besoin de coucher ces questions sur le papier, Baudelaire et le colonialisme (mais non l'orientalisme) sont évoqués. Voici une invitation à effectuer une traversée de l'univers Lutensien.

 

Marie-Hélène Wagner: 

1-    Le goût redécouvert du gingembre semble avoir été ici votre source d’inspiration initiale. Vous êtes-vous dit quelque chose comme, on va tâcher de faire un parfum, beau, intéressant autour de la matière première gingembre? Si oui, quelles facettes olfactives ou impressions précises autour de ce rhizome parfumé avez-vous voulu faire ressortir? Y eut-il des surprises?

Serge Lutens:

Traiter le gingembre comme une simple racine revigorante ne m’intéressait pas du tout. Je souhaitais surtout faire ressortir de cet ingrédient le côté confit, l’idée de luxe, associé au rare.

Comme vous le savez, la première bouchée de gingembre est rarement appréciée. Il fait partie de ces choses demandant un « apprentissage » du goût. La première fois que j’y ai goûté, c’était dans un restaurant vietnamien, au début des années 70. J’ai d’abord trouvé ça détestable. Avec le temps, j’ai appris à l’apprécier. C’est un raffinement culturel......

Continue reading "Questions & Réponses Avec Serge Lutens {Perfume Q & A}" »

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The internet is -- we perhaps tend to forget this in our daily practice of it -- a fascinating, revolutionary medium of communication. It is the most democratic source of unfiltered up-to-the-minute news -- the simple citizen can now access the type of information that was in the past only available to powerful professional or government agencies signed up for example with press wire services such as Reuters or AFP, and then some more -- and at the same time it is an infinitely more reactive one. News but also rumors and gossip can spread like wildfire and nowhere more efficiently than within a community of like-minded people who are passionate about the same thing, in this case perfume.

Online perfume communities were somewhat shaken last week by discussions over the trademark infringement upon a Bond No. 9 perfume called The Scent of Peace, a technical and legal debate a priori that hit on a nerve and was echoed from blogs to forums and back to commentary forms. The issue was, interestingly enough, quickly and mainly framed in terms of social justice as it was felt that a small artisan perfumer, Liz Zorn of Liz Zorn Perfumes based in Ohio, had been unjustly attacked by a bigger company, Bond No. 9 from New York city. The public outcry was also fueled by the symbolic significance accorded the word "peace", which many people felt, ought not be reserved for a private party given its universal connotation.

It might be useful to offer some context. Bond No. 9 had also been singled out last year by members of online perfume communities for having, supposedly, single-handedly deprived many perfume collectors of the possibility of purchasing cheaper perfume decants on eBay than what full bottles cost. We will not go into the questions generated by this type of issue. For some reason, people thought that the decanters' shutdown on eBay was principally due to Bond No. 9 and this probably added to some of the animosity felt towards a company that is perceived as being particularly aggressive and unsympathetic to the "little guy" although unofficially made decants are in fact very expensive. By contrast, Bond No. 9 offer, for themselves, a cheap sample program and even the possibility of purchasing their scents in less pricey bottles and decanted in smaller quantities. This antecedent nevertheless helps to explain why many people were quick to react negatively this time around based on popular perceptions, although Laurice Rahme of Bond No.9, when we asked her about the eBay issue pointed out that they were not the only company involved, which sounds like a reasonable statement.

We decided thus to ask questions directly to three persons who might help shed further light on the issue, namely, Laurice Rahme of Bond No. 9, Liz Zorn of Liz Zorn Perfumes, and Sarah Horowitz-Thran of Creative Scentualization. Additionally, we contacted Avon and might get a comment from them and if we do, will update this post. Their common point? They all have a perfume containing the word "peace" in it, at some point in time; Liz Zorn has now decided to give up her "Peace on Earth" title at Bond No. 9 legal team's behest and replace it with "Solstice" but some of her unofficial supporters publicized the event enough that it came to the wider public's attention.

It all started from our standpoint with a post by Liz Zorn who was describing her current predicament as a small artisan being attacked by the aggressive legal team of a bigger company, Bond No. 9, over her use of the word "peace" for one of her fragrances. Since then, she has decided to remove all of her posts, but we have kept one quote that you can read below. Liz Zorn released a holiday fragrance titled "Peace on Earth" at the end of 2007. Bond No. 9 had issued a well-publicized fragrance in 2006 called "The Scent of Peace" which, in an innovative take, was linked to UNICEF and a charity organization called Seeds of Peace. Liz Zorn expressed herself eloquently and concluded by announcing publicly that she had decided to change the name of her perfume in order not to fight over the very word that meant the opposite of that type of action.

She wrote on her blog,

"If it had been something else like the word yellow or flower. I might have considered taking them on. But to go to war over the word “Peace” is to me an abomination. To even think such a thing, is unthinkable. And the bad, karma, Ouch!......gives me the willies." .......

Peace by Pablo Picasso. The Picasso dove was an inspiration for the design of the bottle of The Scent of Peace by Bond No. 9

Continue reading "Trademark Questions Over The Use Of The Word "Peace" {Fragrance News} Q & A with Laurice Rahme of Bond No.9, Liz Zorn of Liz Zorn Perfumes, & Sarah Horowitz -Thran of Creative Scentualization {Perfume Q & A}" »

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Spiritueuse Double Vanille (Liquorish-y Double Vanilla) is a limited 2007 edition by Guerlain, a study on vanilla proposed by perfumer Jean-Paul Guerlain momentarily coming out of his official retirement (also for Vétiver Pour Elle). In 2007 there were at least three vanilla perfumes of note that showed that vanilla can be the main inspiration for a complex composition: Tihota by Indult (Francis Kurkdjian), Spiritueuse Double Vanille (Jean-Paul Guerlain), and Vanille 44 by Le Labo (Alberto Morillas; exclusive to Paris). 

Here is an interview with Guerlain artistic director Sylvaine Delacourte and pastry chef Pierre Hermé on their collaboration around Spiritueuse Double Vanille, courtesy of the Guerlain press service:

INTERVIEW WITH SYLVAINE DELACOURTE AND PIERRE HERMÉ

How is vanilla used in your two different worlds?

Sylvaine Delacourte: At Guerlain, vanilla is considered as an elegant ingredient above all else. It is always rendered to extremely high standards and is used in many of our perfumes. It is a key feature in “Guerlinade”, a compilation of Guerlain’s favorite raw materials, which include Tonka bean, coumarin, sandalwood and ylang-ylang. This olfactory signature gives our perfumes depth, and imprints them in our memories. If I were to compare vanilla to a woman, I would say that it is not a classic beauty of simple regular features, but rather that her face shows a great deal of character.......

Continue reading "Interview with Sylvaine Delacourte & Pierre Hermé + Article on Spiritueuse Double Vanille by Guerlain {Perfume Q & A}" »

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Crystelle Darchicourt is the owner and perfumer of L'Artisan Bohême. We reviewed her fragrance, Fil de Soie (Silken Thread). The discussion started with questions on this masculine fragrance then addressed broader questions later on.

 

Marie-Hélène Wagner: What was your inspiration for creating a masculine perfume such as Fil de Soie (Silken Thread), which seems to me to be somewhat of an atypical perfume? The name too is rather feminine. What I mean by that is that one could have expected you to put more emphasis on masculine stereotypes, regarding both its name and olfactory codes.

Crystelle Darchicourt: Fil de Soie is part of the concept-perfumes. I have two ways of working with skin perfumes; perfumes of emotion have to do with olfactory experience, with preferences. On the other hand, concept-perfumes or of-the-mind have to do more with thought associations than smell associations. Fil de Soie relies no doubt on my unconscious, on the interpretation of masculine symbols. The point of departure is the idea of a stroll taken in the forest in which the sylvestrian god lives under the mythological form of the satyre. One then guesses the idea of the woodsy notes, the animal one, and the imprecise atmosphere conveyed by the aromatics.....

Continue reading "Interview with Perfumer Crystelle Darchicourt of L'Atelier Bohême: A Perfume Must Make You Keel Over & Reflections On Masculinity {Perfume Q & A} - English Translation" »

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Crystelle Darchicourt est la propriétaire et le nez maison de L'Atelier Bohême. Vous pouvez lire notre compte rendu de son parfum, Fil de Soie. La discussion a commencé par se centrer sur ce parfum masculin puis s'est élargie un peu plus par la suite.

 

Marie-Hélène Wagner: D'où vous est venu l'idée de concevoir un parfum masculin comme Fil de Soie qui me semble quelque peu atypique? Le nom aussi est plutôt féminin. Je veux dire par là que l'on aurait pu s'attendre à ce que vous mettiez plus l'accent sur des stéréotypes masculins, du point de vue tant du nom que des codes olfactifs.

Crystelle Darchicourt: Fil de Soie fait partie des parfums concepts. J’ai 2 façons de travailler pour les parfums de peau ; les parfums d’émotions s’apparentent au vécu olfactif, aux préférences, par contre les parfums concepts ou d’esprit relèvent de l’association d’idées plus que de l’association de senteurs.

Fil de Soie fait sans doute appel à mon inconscient, à la traduction des symboles masculins. L’idée de départ c’est une ballade en forêt dans laquelle vit le dieu de la forêt sous la forme mythologique du satyre. On devine alors l’idée des notes boisées, la note animale, et l’atmosphère imprécise donnée par les aromatiques..........

Continue reading "Entretien Avec La Parfumeuse Crystelle Darchicourt de L'Atelier Bohême: Un Parfum Doit Faire Chavirer & Une Réflexion Sur La Masculinité {Perfume Q & A} - Original French Version" »

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We recently happened on the site of a young Hungarian perfumer named Zsolt Zolyomi. We asked him if he could tell us a bit more about himself and his brand, Parfums Zsolt Zolyomi. We were interested in knowing what perfumes he had created as we saw that he had been involved in several projects that typically included social events.

It turns out that he is currently hard at work setting up a perfume store in Budapest and being very conscious that this is an area of cultural appreciation that remains to be developed in Hungary, he is directing his efforts in this direction at the moment. His avowed goal is to reconnect with the roots of modern Western perfumery in Hungary, which famously took place in the 14th century with the creation of the Eau de la Reine de Hongrie, a rosemary-based perfume and lotion reputed to have rejuvenated Elizabeth of Kujavia (1305-1380).

Apart from that, his style, what we like to think of as a poetico-realistic style nurtured by nostalgia and memories of happiness but not exclusively, perhaps a little bit à la Christopher Brosius in the US, seems to be a strong one at the moment in his work. We are certainly looking forward to smelling a Hungarian summer in the countryside ......

Continue reading "A Hungarian Perfumer: Zsolt Zolyomi of Parfums Zsolt Zolyomi {Perfume Q & A} {Scented Paths & Fragrant Addresses}" »

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Franco Wright is the co-founder of Luckyscent, a perfumery located in Los Angeles, which is reputed for its edgy niche offerings and constant seeking-out of rare confidential fragrance brands originating from different corners of the globe. They have both an online presence at Luckyscent.com and a store called Scent Bar where you can go, chat with the scent barkeepers, and sniff the latest trends...........

Continue reading "{Perfume Q & A} with Franco Wright of Luckyscent - Tastes of Summer: 2007 Bestseller Summery Fragrances" »

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Kathy B. is the owner of Colonial Drug, a perfume store established in 1947 in Harvard Square, Cambridge, Massachusetts, and an institution both at the very local level and at the regional one. The shop easily evokes a jewelry box that would have been filled to the brim with fragrance bottles and grooming items (for pets as well) instead of gems and pearls. This image is quite literal as a matter of fact as the very top shelves of the store, the ones which seem to be an arm-length away the ceiling, are covered with giant factices of some of the most famous perfumes in the world and other shelves are touching the ceiling (see link for picture of the towering shelves). Colonial Drug is like an overfilled cornucopia of hard-to-find fragrances and as Kathy indicated when I asked her over the telephone (they do not do emails) what had been the summer of 2007 bestsellers so far, there was no clear bestseller because their customers order or come in to look for special and unique fragrances. There were rather several bestsellers that met with the favor of the public........

 

Continue reading "{Perfume Q & A} with Kathy of Colonial Drug - Tastes of Summer: 2007 Bestseller Summery Fragrances" »

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Senteurs D'Ailleurs is located in Brussels and on their website they define themselves as being "neither a straightforward perfumery, nor a concept store, Senteurs D'Ailleurs presents itself like an unique jewel case in order to open itself to a rare and exclusive olfactory universe. In other words [it is ] the alternative perfumery of the third millenium."

We interviewed with Dimitri Mouton from Sales & Marketing and Nathalie Granger, Sales Associate......

Continue reading "{Perfume Q & A} with Dimitri Mouton & Nathalie Granger of Senteurs D'Ailleurs - Tastes of Summer: 2007 Bestseller Summery Fragrances " »

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Giselle Richardson is the founder and owner of the Barfumeria, an upscale niche perfumery with an avant-garde sensitivity located in Madrid and established in 2003. She kindly accepted to answer our Q & A despite her hectic travel schedule these days. The Spaniards are reputed for their particular appreciation and love of fresh hesperidic scents and the list offered here seems to not go counter-current this trend.

Cosmetic News said that the boutique's standout features were: "The fragrance bar, generous samples and 'cutting edge' products discovered by Richardson and her assistant in their non-stop travels." And concluded that the boutique was "the height of chic".......

Continue reading "{Perfume Q & A} with Giselle Richardson of Barfumeria - Tastes of Summer: 2007 Bestseller Summery Fragrances" »

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We are continuing our world tour of trend-setting perfume boutiques founded by people who are known for their exceptional dedication to the world of fragrances. Today we visit Roja Dove Haute Parfumerie located at the Urban Retreat at Harrods in London. The Haute Parfumerie is one of the most select venues for fragrance discovery, education, and shopping in the British capital city but also probably in the world. It is the brain-child of Roja Dove (pronounced like Roger), a perfume expert of international renown. He has been active in particular in bringing back long-gone masterpieces of perfumery and has recently launched his own perfumes called Scandal, Unspoken, Enslaved......

Continue reading "{Perfume Q & A} with Clement of Roja Dove Haute Parfumerie - Tastes of Summer: 2007 Bestseller Summery Fragrances" »

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Raffy Dolbakian is the owner of Parfums Raffy, which is both a brick-and-mortar perfume boutique located in Sherman Oaks, California, and a discount online store. His careful selection includes both meaningful design and niche fragrances, including for the latter the full ranges of (discontinued) Crown Perfumery fragrances, Creed, Montale, and Amouage perfumes.

In French, a "parfumeur" can mean both a "nose" and a perfume store owner and in this case Dolbakian happens to be both as he was formally trained in the art of perfumery. He composes fragrances that can be custom-ordered. He is also the perfume expert on the MTV reality show, "My Super Sweet 16". This summer, there was one clear favorite for both women and men, Creed Virgin Island Water, which made the tops of both top-ten lists at Parfums Raffy......

Continue reading "{Perfume Q & A} with Raffy Dolbakian of Parfums Raffy: Tastes of Summer - 2007 Bestseller Summery Fragrances" »

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Karl Bradl is the owner, together with Robert Gerstner, of a perfumista's haven situated in the West Village in New York City called Aedes de Venustas. Their gorgeous (see the peacock art that mirrors the peacock in their window display) well-organized website is a treat to visit too and we can vouch for their excellent service.

Not surprisingly fresh, herbal-y, transparent, juicy, and discreet skin fragrances were favored amongst patrons. Anything to help beat the heat.....

Continue reading "{Perfume Q & A} with Karl Bradl of Aedes de Venustas - Tastes of Summer: 2007 Bestseller Summery Fragrances" »

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Régine Droin is a perfume expert with 30 years of experience and the owner of a trendy Parisian niche perfumery called Evody located in the midst of the Saint-Michel and Odéon quarters in the VIth arrondissement of Paris, which she operates together with her daughter Cérine Droin. We already featured their new boutique here.

Régine Droin pointed to an interesting distinction in taste appearing this summer between the clientèle from abroad and the local one, which is understandable as the historic district in which the boutique is located is very tourist-y. The weather on the whole this summer in Paris was cool creating a psychological yearning for notes that were sunny and warm at the same time.......

Continue reading "{Perfume Q & A} with Régine Droin of Evody - Tastes of Summer: 2007 Bestseller Summery Fragrances" »

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We thought that it would be really interesting to ask some perfume experts who are trendsetters within the world of fragrances and amongst perfumistas to tell us what had been the bestsellers of the summer of 2007 in their boutiques.Thanks to their constant quest for new perfume creations and their vast collections of fragrances and beauty products, they influence people's tastes, but at the same time, trends and patterns emerge that through a mysterious alchemy reveal that certain products will meet the favor of the public more than others. So what happened in the summer of 2007? Any further tips for easing the crossing of the dog days (in principle from July 24th to August 24th)?

We also asked for further recommendations of summer perfumes that they do not carry and also for some celebrities' favorites, if any.We hope that you will enjoy their answers and find them a source of inspiration for your purchases and own personal quest for some very special fragrances.

George Wuchsa is the owner of First in Fragrance also known in German as Aus Liebe Zum Duft. His business is located in Bruchsal, Germany........

Continue reading "{Perfume Q & A} with George Wuchsa of First in Fragrance/Aus Liebe Zum Duft -Tastes of Summer: 2007 Bestseller Summery Fragrances" »

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Each perfume has a history and a story to tell, some more than others it seems. When we learned that Le Labo Tubéreuse 40 had been worn by Kirsten Dunst to better enter the role of Marie-Antoinette in Sofia Coppola's biopic Marie-Antoinette about the former French queen, we wanted to ask a few questions to the founders of perfume house Le Labo who created the perfume for her. Fabrice Penot (on the left on the picture), one of the two co-founders with Edouard Roschi, answers our questions.

TSS: How did it come about that Kirsten Dunst wore this perfume for her role as Marie-Antoinette in the Sofia Coppola's movie?......

Continue reading "Q & A with Fabrice Penot of Le Labo: The Lowdown on Tubéreuse 40 & Kirsten Dunst {Passion for Perfume - Portrait}" »

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