After a short interruption of our program, here is Take 2: The Lifestyle Fragrance Review for the new Acqua di Gioia, the practical-minded sister to the Long Review.
In this section, we answer questions the fragrance raises about wearability, taste, appropriateness for social occasions and everything else more practical. You can always ask for more details.
Notes: crushed mint leaves, Calabrian Limone Primo Fiore Femminello /
pink pepper, aquatic jasmine and dewy peony / cedarwood heart, brown
sugar and labdanum.
Acqua di Gioia means "Water of Joy" in Italian and is intended as a pun upon the first three letters of designer Giorgio Armani's name as well as to recall its masculine counterpart, one of the top fragrance bestsellers for men, Acqua di Gio. When pronouncing or wearing the fragrance you will know that brands often like to use letters from their names so as to strengthen their brand image phonologically. A famous example is Dior <---> J'Adore.
The bottle is better-looking in person than on the picture and I particularly liked the 1 fl. oz / 30 ml size which looks flatter and therefore even sleeker. It feels a bit like a worry stone and is practical for carrying in your purse...
The thought struck me today (after nearly 4 1/2 years of blogging, cough, cough; the simplest things are the hardest, is my defense. It once took me 3 months to finally devise a "course lecture" on fragrance for 4 to 5 year-old toddlers, so I know or I think I know) that it might be a good idea to offer a doublet review of a particular fragrance for people who care less about context and more about practical tips, wearability and matters of personal taste. I had been toying with the idea more or less and suddenly, it all became crystal clear: I just need to focus on the wearability factor and social-occasions questions for the doublet review which I usually don't find room for in my longer reviews.
Notes: citrus grove accord, rose water / night
blooming jasmine, wild violets, Amazon lily /
sensual musk, golden amber, sandalwood.
Lifestyle-wise, I would qualify the new Jennifer Aniston perfume (longer review here) as an elegant, sunny and clean, but not-too-clean clean fragrance which succeeds in bringing together a certain old-world charm and clean American feel. Jasmine lovers should check it out as it's a well-balanced, medium-grade jasmine scent which feels neither too raunchy-animalic nor too girly-floral. It's a bit transparent but without feeling aqueous...
Malibu Lemon Blossom by Pacifica was released in 2009. There are not too many lemon-blossom perfumes available on the market. A more upscale and well-known version is Serge Lutens Fleurs de Citronnier. This relaxed jus presents the further interest of being "100% vegan and gluten-free." Brook Harvey-Taylor, the founder of Pacifica, explains on the brand's website,
"When I am dreaming of California, of dreamy surf and lemon blossoms
scenting the salty ocean air with their sweet perfume, of long warm
summer days at the beach - this is the fragrance of my memories. An
olfactory ode to the sun, surf and flora of Southern California beaches
- from Rincon Point to Malibu. I set out to capture the magical moment
of surfacing - coming up out of the saltiness of the Pacific ocean
waters into the morning sun and clean California air."
As I pick up the new Tuca Tuca by Lush and Gorilla Perfumes, I suddenly realize that this is the origin for
the scent of violet leaves which I have been catching on from time to
time in the past two days because I had left the perfume on a
side-table. Tuca Tuca by Gorilla Perfumes is not about coconut and
banana but about violet, I am reminded. It was inspired by a catchy Italian song and dance overheard by the perfumers while traveling in Venice.
"The scent of a bright pop song. Tuca Tuca is whimsical; it teases with
a fantasy violet accord and works its way into your subconscious. As it
settles, you get hints of jasmine and vanilla, too."
Notes: The fragrance's 3-tiered structure is reportedly seen as illustrating the three
periods of the day: morning, noon and evening. In the morning: a blast of fresh summer air, violet; at midday: warm vanilla and ylang ylang; sundown: "a slightly naughty violet leaf and vetivert bottom."
The perfume, a violet leather, opens on a
heavy, deeply ambery and leathery impression with some grape-y violet
adding a dark, almost black violet thickness and cast to the scent. Violet
originates from Africa so it might be an inspiration taken from this
notion of a black continent which ties up well also with the Gorilla
theme. On second thought, the leather accord is suggestive of the vision of the thick leathery palm of a gorilla.
Like many but not all of the Lush perfumes, it hints at a
nostalgic reminiscence of the 60s-70s hippie headshop turned for better
profitability into the international Lush brand of scents and
toiletries but still betraying their old libertarian roots. How so? The
Lush medley of scents which escapes from their stores and soap mounds
and bath bombs casings somehow do not care about structure and
hierarchy. They whirl around and occasionally jump on you as you walk
by one of their boutiques...
Hermès Eau Claire des MerveillesEau Parfumée is the
latest addition to the Eau des Merveilles collection which debuted in
2004 with Eau des Merveilles co-signed by perfumers Ralf Schwieger et
Nathalie Feisthauer. Hermès in-house perfumer Jean-Claude Ellena took
over from 2005, first with a collaboration with Ralf Schwieger for a
Parfum des Merveilles, then in 2006 with Elixir des Merveilles under
his sole responsibility. Eau Claire des Merveilles launches in
September 2010.
Eau
Claire des Merveilles opens on a fresh citrusy note, then a sweet
cosmetic powdery iris one and a sweet coca-cola musk note as in Musc
Ravageur, but they are all like false lures as soon these are followed
by an intensely oily indolic accord, the one I have smelled recently in Narciso Rodriguez Her Iridescent Fragrance and Gucci Guilty, which seems to be a quasi perfect replica of the way wisteria exhale heavy indoles in the spring and
summer. Like for the original Eau des Merveilles which is a
composition the perfumers wanted to build "back to front" you find in the opening sequences heavier notes than is customary to find in the head notes...
This spring / summer 2010 we are seeing a series of new launches that sign the
return of dirty musks in a mostly white sea of musks. It is inevitable
that when there is an action there will be a reaction, at some point. In
2008 I was struck by the popularity of white musks in the traditional official
stronghold of carnal musks, Paris, and wrote two articles about it: The White Musk Trend in Paris... Really? and Top White Musk Trails to Try Out.
This spring, if white-musk trails still prevail, - inevitably one might
say given their overtake of the world of laundry detergents, dish-washing liquids and even candies - several
launches invite you to reconsider your musk options and step over
to the darker side.
Smelling a number of new creations made me realize that at least six of them are cozying up anew to animalic musks.
Réminiscence Eau de Patchouli
I will go back to this perfume in a more detailed review, but this new iteration of the Réminiscence Patchouli classic,
especially appreciated as far as my field notes indicate in the center
of Paris and the Latin Quarter in particular, has been not so much
lightened up as made muskier. Its delicious musk accord is similar to the one found in a higher-end perfume which was reformulated in 2008: Profumo by Acqua di Parma. Musk lovers must check it out.
Caron Parfum Sacré Intense
Caron
are also offering a new version of one of their classics, Parfum Sacré,
and like Eau de Patchouli above, Parfum Sacré Intense takes on a new muskier signature
while intensifying the whole composition with even more black pepper
and resins. It is a cattier version of its forebear thanks to the
pungent musk. There is also a new ad campaign fronted by Italian actress Luisa Ranieri.
The scent impresses with its new force but is not as lasting
as one could hope for. Could "intense" mean also "enduring" as an added bonus?...
Foreword: This is a review I wrote in April 2010, which I thought I would complete but re-reading it, I feel there is no need to wait forever for a more complete form. I was a bit weary of my own enthusiasm for the perfume so decided to wait. I might be more down to earth about L'Eau today. But why not just be sincere and a little less critical? I can always write another review of the same fragrance if I feel the need for it, something I am tempted to do not infrequently but there are time constraints, and new launches!
This is why for instance, I have not included remarks on Bas de Soie nor Boxeuses nor insights gained from his other oeuvre, his house in Morocco although I am not sure it would have brought anything vital to my initial take on L'Eau.
One thing I won't budge about is that this is not essentially or just a soap
perfume. There are soapy accords, but it actually
resolves into a beautiful magnolia composition.
L'Eau Serge Lutens:Renewing the Mythology of Perfume: Between Water and Smoke
Serge Lutens is an aesthet and artist who debuted his career in the world of beauty as a very young hair stylist, then a makeup artist and a photographer of his own work. His photographs are stunning and reveal a high degree of perfectionism and visual achievement. He is often reported to have been inspired to turn to perfumery after an olfactory shock derived from the scent of a piece of cedar he picked up one day in Morocco which led to the creation of Féminité du Bois in 1992 although his first ever opus in the art of perfumery was really Nombre Noir in 1982, a composition which he retrospectively has labeled as being "too safe" in an interview he gave to the blog in 2008.
In a way, his own brand can be seen to have been built based upon this intrinsic fear of the artist of not going far enough in a certain direction, of being too timid and weighed down by conventions, including after a while, the ones he creates for himself. The fact that he does not compose himself his fragrances but rather acts as creative director and critic towards them while working with perfumer Christopher Sheldrake, who is one in a more technical and interpretative sense, may contribute to this quality while liberating him at the same time from the thinking-in-the-box aspect of a professional perfumer who will have undergone a certain training and received more conventional education in this field....
Hampton Sun is a sun care luxury brand dedicated to "smart serious sunbathing." They launched Privet Bloom edt and edp in 2007 which are inspired like the rest of the brand's products by the "beautiful beaches of the Hamptons." The only problem for me is that this (I received the edp version) really should be advertised as a home fragrance rather than a personal one. I know some people wear home fragrances knowingly. Privet Bloom cannot really pretend to be a full perfume - I will say why - and should be taken a few pegs down in terms of expectations (and pricing.)
Notes: lily of the valley, white hyacinth, sea spray, dune grass, blue plum, privet blossom.
Privet Bloom opens on a very floral and grassy, musky-green impression going in the direction of boxwood and then becomes stronger-smelling with nuances of gasoline and burnt rubber. It then calms down and brings out a shampoo note which feels like a giant soap bubble ready to burst in your face. Ambery and musky nuances then warm up this jus which smells better from a distance...
Magnolia Nobile eau de parfum which came out last fall, is the latest opus in the series of Le Nobili collection by Italian niche brand Acqua di Parma, which is dedicated to celebrating each time a single flower seen as an "...emblematic flower, a sophisticated and elegant expression of the Acqua di Parma lifestyle." After Iris Nobile edt in 2004 followed by an edp version in 2006, Magnolia Nobile centers on a floral accord inspired by the Magnolia Grandi Flora species taking inspiration from "a truly noble and majestic flower that reigns oversome of the most prestigious gardens ofhistoric villas that line the shore of Lake Como." The fragrance is signed by perfumer Antoine Maisondieu of Givaudan.
Notes: Calabrian bergamot, lemon, citron, Bulgarian rose, jasmine, tuberose, patchouli, vetiver, sandalwood, vanilla from Madagascar.
The perfume opens on a woody-floral impression with fruity, citrusy and even camphoraceous overtones (the tuberose); there are nuances of citronella and lychee. The warm yet not-too-heavy body of the fragrance can be felt readily as well with its blend of amber and creamy white vanilla. To an American nose, the citronella nuance is easily reminiscent of a garden or patio summer candle meant to repel mosquitoes; perfumer Antoine Maisondieu once confessed to an immoderate love for bergamot when talking about Eau de Jade by Armani which explained to me why I find sometimes his citrusy top notes to be rather overdosed (see Rossy de Palma Eau de Protection.) As the ensuing stages in the fragrance show, it can be seen to be in-character with the summery atmosphere of the perfume....
Pretty by Elizabeth Ardenwas launched in the spring
of 2009 and not surprisingly went for a "pink floral" concept to go with the
"pretty" idea. Although one can detect some similarities with a
fragrance like Pink Jasmine by Fresh, which also uses pink as a code
word for citrusy, light, fresh and slightly tart, neither perfumes
smell literally pink like Yves Saint Laurent Paris does, say. It's more
in the line of Pink Sugar by Aquolina: "pink" here is meant to make you
feel you've entered the pink zone where you have license to feel
unabashedly girly, pretty and carefree - and one could add - at any
age. Just turn to Betsey Johnson for advice. Arden despite their targeting young women via their advertising campaign are also proposing the slogan "Every day, everywhere. Every woman wants to feel pretty." Elizabeth Arden creative director Mark Dixon explained that he had been inspired by memories of seeing his mother and sisters apply makeup in front of their mirrors before going out. You know, this aura of intensity around a woman who is concentrating on putting on her game face...
My first impression of Flora Eau de Toilette by Gucci when it came out in 2009 was a positive one, but I never got around to reviewing it. So here's something to sink your teeth into, a review from the Daily Makeover*. This account is for the new version of Flora out this year in the more intense Eau de Parfum concentration.
Try it and let us know what you think!
"We've seen our fair share of floral fragrances,
but this one is anything but your typical flowery perfume....
The Pâtisserie Collection by Marc Jacobs is a new limited-edition trio of perfumes in the Splash series which was inaugurated in 2006 with Ivy, Violet and Amber. In 2010, the inspiration are macarons, the trendy, ubiquitous, urban pâtisserie du jour. In Paris, they are everywhere, in all colors, one shape, and incessantly reinvented flavors. You can even wipe the muck off your shoes on their images with the new macaron doormats just out this spring. It was only a matter of time before a savvy perfumier understood that fragrances needed to express their inner macaron. The concept here is to evoke eating delicious pastries on a beautiful summer day.
The Marc Jacobs trio comprising Apple, Biscotti and Pomegranate ($68 each for 300 ml) is actually not that literally about macaroons but rather uses the images of adorable macarons on the advertising as a sign of playfulness, gourmandise and trendiness. This is also exactly what takes place in Paris now: people use macarons to signal other things than just a bite of the dainty sweet sandwich. I even saw a modern painting gallery use those pretty signs to call attention to serious art.
The fragrance is signed by perfumer Yann Vasnier of Givaudan and is offered as a "fruity-citrus."
Top Notes: green apple, lemon, grapefruit; Heart notes: rosemary, jasmine, magnolia; Base notes: coriander, cardamom, driftwood.
The
composition opens on the scent of a crisp raw apple slice cut fresh but is
soon followed by a more gourmand, dessert-y development in which the
apple has been sweetened with some sugar and even sugar cane syrup. It
is not sticky-sweet but feels like the consistency of a lemonade with
an extra helping of sugar (the lemon accord.) The sweet notes are
counterbalanced by a more woodsy, mustard-y, almost prickly impression
that cuts through the sweetness. This is the spiciness of coriander and
cardamom allied with the driftwood note which comes across as close to
cedar wood...
Trésor in Love by Lancôme is the latest flanker to Trésor (1990), which is by now considered a "modern classic." It's survived the ebbs and flows of the perfume market and women still identify with its apricot-y, peach-y rose. Created originally by perfumer Sophia Grosjman for herself, it is considered an innovative perfume which gave pride of place to the linear structure in fragrance, i.e., one that tells you from the beginning how it will smell from start to end, with no or little surprise.
Trésor was an instant hit judging from the sillages that filled the streets of Paris at the time in great part thanks to the neo-romantic style of the advertising campaign, and it still does today as this is one of the most frequent feminine trails I encounter. Paris, the mythical city of romance par excellence for many, was made a focal point of the advertising campaign with a radiant Isabella Rossellini lending her luminous charm to the perfume. 20 years later, Trésor in Love is out and symbolically fronted by the daughter of Isabella Rossellini, Elettra Rossellini Wiedemann. The jus as well as the bottle have been adapted to "speak" to the women of today and refresh the image of the perfume, a necessity if one is interested in longevity. Chanel showed the way by repainting its own building with fresh paint with Eau Première, a 21st century version of Chanel No.5...
Trésor in Love de Lancôme est le dernier venu dans
la famille de Trésor (1990), considéré comme un classique moderne. Les femmes de tous âges continuent d'après ce que je peux en voir à s'identifier à l'accord rose-pêche/abricot tendre, moelleux et poudré de Trésor. L'original a survécu aux aléas du
marché de la parfumerie, un terrain notoirement imprévisible et peu porté à une fidélité inconditionnelle malgré le mythe de la signature parfumée unique. Un mythe moteur d'ailleurs qui contribue aux bonnes recettes car il faut bien le trouver ce parfum parfait pour soi-même.
Trésor fut créé à l'origine par la parfumeuse
Sophia Grosjman pour son usage personnel et fut adopté par la suite par Lancôme.
Trésor est considéré comme un parfum à la structure innovatrice car très simplifiée et composée de quatre blocs principaux. Il démontra la popularité de la structure linéaire, c'est-à-dire une
construction qui repose sur peu d'ingrédients et change peu d'un
bout à l'autredu développement du
parfum vous laissant voir dès le départ ce qu'il en sera par la suite.C'est une construction qui peut être
considérée comme un peu mastoc mais en même temps elle rassure et apparaît fiable car elle est sans ambiguïté psychologique...
Tubéreuse by Caron was composed by in-house perfumer Richard Fraysse in 2003 and is advertised as the latest of the so-called "parfums fontaines" (fountain perfumes), the more selective and luxurious range of extraits at Caron boutiques which is exclusive to both their standalone and in-store stores in Paris, London, Bahrein and New York City. The collection comprises some of the house's classics and rarer, less talked about and worn compositions, soliflores in particular, like Tubéreuse. The Baccarat fountains represent both the niche and "haute parfumerie" sensibilities of a perfume house which already retains this cachet despite having a bestseller like Pour un Homme and being distributed via Sephora. Somehow, in your mind's eye Caron remains small and exclusive.
I went back to their Avenue Montaigne boutique some time ago and was struck by its quiet, provincial charm despite it being located in a prestigious artery of Paris; it could be a notions store.Their sense of exclusivity is not left to chance however, and like stepping inside further inner circles that make you feel it was worthwhile to see things in situ, they have a perfume which is advertised nowhere and bears not a name but a number.
Due to the fountains collection's goal which is to find an exclusive and faithful audience, the perfumer can take more liberty with the imperative of pleasing the crowds by coming up with a lowest common denominator like sugar (translation: vanilla) or simply happy or pleasing notes. It's a little bit like knowing in advance that in order to win your audience you won't have to put out a feel-good movie like Shakespeare in Love, which won the Oscar for Best Movie in 1998 mostly thanks to this quality: it was indeed the happiest and most hopeful one of the lot (and let's not forget thanks to aggressive industry networking.) No, here you can try something darker and less easy to smell...
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Hampton Sun is a sun care luxury brand dedicated to "smart serious sunbathing." They launched Privet Bloom edt and edp in 2007 which are inspired like the rest of the brand's products by the "beautiful beaches of the Hamptons." The only problem for me is that this (I received the edp version) really should be advertised as a home fragrance rather than a personal one. I know some people wear home fragrances knowingly. Privet Bloom cannot really pretend to be a full perfume - I will say why - and should be taken a few pegs down in terms of expectations (and pricing.) 
Pretty by Elizabeth Arden 
My first impression of Flora Eau de Toilette by Gucci when it came out in 2009 was a positive one, but I never got around to reviewing it. So here's something to sink your teeth into, a review from the 
The Pâtisserie Collection by Marc Jacobs is a new limited-edition trio of perfumes in the Splash series which was inaugurated in 2006 with 
Apples and Driftwood by 
Trésor in Love de Lancôme est le dernier venu dans
la famille de Trésor (1990),
Tubéreuse by Caron was composed by in-house perfumer Richard Fraysse in 2003 and is advertised as the latest of the so-called "parfums fontaines" (fountain perfumes), the more selective and luxurious range of extraits at Caron boutiques which is exclusive to both their standalone and in-store stores in Paris, 
