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Scented Thoughts Archive
Page 6 of 8 • 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Iris Noir (Black Iris) by Yves Rocher is the latest and third installment in the brand's more upscale collection of perfumes called Secrets d'Essences (Secrets of Essences). This new perfume is already out in France but US-based customers will have to wait until the beginning of 2008 to be able to purchase it.
Iris Noir comes after Voile d'Ambre and Rose Absolue. Each fragrance is dedicated to the showcasing of one key exceptionally sourced ingredient be it amber, rose, or iris. The stress for the collection is put on both this use of rarer ingredients and the partnership with "talented perfumers" although it must be noted that Yves Rocher has always had a policy of recruiting excellent and even great perfumers, such as Sophia Grojsman, Annick Ménardo, and Francis Kurkdjian, even for their more mundanely presented fragrance creations. According to Osmoz, 86% of natural ingredients were included in the composition.......
Continue reading "Iris Noir by Yves Rocher: The Reassuring Smell of The Middle Class {Perfume Short (Review)} {Scented Thoughts} {New Fragrance} " »
As advertised, each bottle of Dior Midnight Poison is said to be unique, reflecting the demanding haute-couture spirit that presided over its creation. Here is a picture of the slightly more tantalizing bottle for the extrait or pure parfum. I cursorily reviewed Midnight Poison mostly under the heading of it being a smell-alike. I should probably just smell it on its own to be both fair and realistic given the context of hyper-production of scents these days. This year is significantly more frenzied than last year. Could this get even more feverish next year? I'm afraid to ask lest the deities have major plans for the exponential development of the perfume industry in the years to come.
I am somehow reminded of the episode of I Love Lucy at the chocolate factory where she has to frantically hurry more and more to try to wrap, then eat, then stuff her clothes with all the chocolates passing in front of her on the conveyor belt. Just put perfume bottles instead and do a remake of that scene. Enlightenment guaranteed! Perfumes are becoming more and more of a zapping activity.
Why do we zap? That is the question. Because the program is shallow and bad? Because you are afraid you are going to miss a good program? Greed? Because it gives a false sense of freedom and choice? Because you are bored and hopeful? I'm sure I'll have occasion to return to the topic. Meanwhile......
Continue reading "Dior Midnight Poison Extrait de Parfum {New Perfume} Too Many Chocolates, Too Many Perfumes {Scented Thoughts}" »
The Italian group Eurocosmesi is going to unveil a new niche perfume brand in October of 2007 at the TFWA World Exhibition in Cannes, which was christened Memento. The collection is dedicated to presenting an olfactory tour of Italy. Their first creation is a women's fragrance called Venice. Interestingly, Italian perfume brands lately seem to offer an almost nationalistic flavor and derive inspiration often from the national landscape. It might be that it is this idea of turning perfumes into objects that tourists will feel moved to buy as souvenirs from their trips or it might be that there is some sort of ideological current running......
Continue reading "Venice by Memento {New Perfume} The Beautiful-Italy Trend {Scented Thoughts} {Trend Alert}" »
Perfume bottles this fall are adopting the sexy fishnet look to stress their sex appeal, sense of style, and surprise the consumer -- Le bas résille a le vent en poupe cet automne en parfumerie sélective et même dans celle dite de niche! Témoins, trois parfums qui optent pour plus de provocation vestimentaire et de références fétichistes à la Bunuel:......
Continue reading "Fishnets on Perfume Flacons are In! Les Flacons de Parfums Adoptent le Bas Résille! {Scented Thoughts} {Trend Alert}" »
Dear Andy Tauer, We learned about the passing away of your mother and wanted to express our sincerest condolences to you and your family. Thank you for the beautiful perfumes you create and the gift of happiness found in them that comes from your mother, from all mothers. May she rest in peace. -- The Scented Salamander
 After having mentioned yesterday the iconic Revlon Charlie perfume ads of the 1970s as presenting the counter-archetype of the woman seen as object as proposed in several recent perfume adverts, we decided to revisit some of these 1970s and 80s ads to reconnect for a time with Charlie's bouncy step.
Many of us remember energetic Charlie walking with a conquering spring in her step. She wore pants and to show off that she really knew how to wear them, her stride was amplified, made almost exaggerated at times, like the stylized idea of independence and confidence. Man, she could walk some giant steps on behalf of all women.
Here are some images to remember Charlie who could even reveal herself to be on occasion (unfortunately) paternalistic, if provoked by the behind of a man; sexual harassment you said? Connais pas. What a change of scenes in the current adverts we talked about yesterday which contain allusions to a rather crude sexual assault, a woman with half a face who is really the dream of an inflatable sex doll, and submissive femininity in general. Blame it on cultural eclectism and trends rather than on an overall ideology but still.....
Charlie in 1978 for the UK
Continue reading "Remembering Charlie.....{Scented Images} {Scented Thoughts}" »
The other day, I posted a picture of a street in Paris, located in the IVth arrondissement, which is called "Rue du Petit Musc"(literally reading as "street of the little musk"), thinking that I should double-check its meaning and learn more about the history of that street. I have found a couple of books which will offer more complete information, but for right now I was already able to determine that the word "musc" here does not make reference to "musk", but to a history of illicit pleasures in the city......
Continue reading "Rue du Petit Musc, Quid? {Scented Thoughts} {Fragrances of Paris}" »
Happy 4th of July! We are reposting articles published last year on the blog regarding perfumes and politics and in particular what fragrances are good to wear on the 4th of July! Patriotic (American) Perfumes to Wear on the 4th of July: Some Modest Suggestions My National Parfum Photo from allposters.com
Guerlain will introduce a new feminine fragrance called L'Instant Magic on September 1 2007. As reported by the brand, the new perfume has no filiation whatsoever with the original L'Instant except for a sensation of freshness that cuts across the whole fragrance. Wouldn't it be more exciting to give it an altogether new name then? Apparently the needs of branding have overcome. Not only are the juices becoming more stereotypical, but the names of the perfumes are following that trend as well. Although please note that in this case, the perfume will be different, but the name will be confusingly similar to the original L'Instant........
Continue reading "L'Instant Magic by Guerlain {New Perfume} {Scented Thoughts}" »
Today, I was planning to propose a review of Serge Lutens Encens et Lavande followed the next day by the latest Sonia Rykiel Belle en Rykiel as they both offer a central incense and lavender accord. It amused me to no end to read that the perfumer for Belle En Rykiel had told his customer that this accord had never been done before. We can also have a pious thought for Guerlain Jicky and see it as an illustrious predecessor of that main never-done-before accord. I will however have to postpone this project for the next coming days, hopefully starting tomorrow. Instead, I wanted to share some thoughts with you about an upcoming reflection theme for the blog......
Continue reading "Taming The {Perfume} Notes {Scented Thoughts}" »
The Total Chanel Look in the 1960s In the weeks leading to the release of Les Exclusifs by Chanel (please read our previous post for a description of the line) what we had to go with were the names of the perfumes, the descriptions of the notes, and the interviews of the perfumers who composed the new fragrances, namely Jacques Polge in association probably with Christopher Sheldrake although this last point is left rather vague. One could identify two aesthetic orientations in the comments: the evocative-artistic one and the tradition-bound house-of-Chanel-inspired one. Names like Bel Respiro, 28, La Pausa, Coromandel were almost Baudelairean or Proustean in their appeal promising us an art of evocation, what perfumery is best at creating: immediate emotion, a sense of place. We would travel on the wings of La Pausa and alight in the villa haunted by Chanel's spirit while feeling the soft breeze caressing the palm trees and even hear the creaking noises of the furniture and smell the fresh velvets of the cushions or something like that. Coromandel would be, could only be terribly poetic and rare. Instead it seems that the tradition-bound Chanel-inspired current of thought has weighed in heavily in the creations of the perfumes......
Continue reading "Les Exclusifs by Chanel: An Overview {Perfume Review & Musings} {Scented Thoughts}" »
Valentine's Day is upon us; don't you feel the excitement? I have a date with my husband and I know what cologne I will be offering him (see below included in the list of perfume recommendations for V Day.) I have taken this opportunity to compile a list of perfumes I think are particularly sexy - men on the street tend to sniff harder around these or smile brighter smiles - or which alternatively have that reputation and that I plan to try. They are usually one of two kinds for me; either they offer a kind of dry, feminine, and sophisticated sillage which puts a certain seductive distance. Or they are perfumes that have been made to blend in particularly well with your skin. I am not referring to one's personal body chemistry but to fragrances that explicitly use ingredients or bases that enhance the scent of one's skin.
Perfumes as Love Potions In popular parlance, terms like "love elixir" or "love philter" and even more commonly "love potion" have come to designate perfumes that have such mysterious effect ascribed to them as to be capable of arousing extreme sensual thoughts and even invite deeper amorous feelings through the sheer power of their scents. The very word "philter" speaks of love as it comes from Latin "philtrum" which borrowed the term from Greek "philtron" which in turn is derived from Greek "phileo" meaning "to love". We see a transfer of meaning from the original notion regarding what a love potion is. Originally - and nowhere else is it more famously illustrated than in the myth of Tristan and Isolde in the West - a love potion would have had to have been ingurgitated so that the magical combination of the various ingredients contained in it would have had the effect of securing eternal love through their absorption.....
Continue reading "Love Potions Or My Top Super Sexy Scents for Valentine's Day & Beyond {Scented Thoughts} {Perfume List} {Shopping Tips}" »
Before the very moment of olfactory apprehension of a perfume, there are those important preceding instants where the perfume lover anticipates smelling the jus, dreams about it, fears disappointment, and finally lets the dices of fate roll by taking a stroll to the perfumery. [...] On my way to Etat Libre d'Orange, I stop in front of the attractive window of a store called Les Mille Feuilles and lose myself in the contemplation of an array of whimsical objects. One item catches my attention: a bust of an 18th century-looking masculine figure with a feminine virginal narrow bejewelled crown on its head. It suddenly reminds me of a terrifying anecdote told to me by a friend whose grand-father had indulged in the heights of, seemingly, ancien régime libertine debauchery. Namely that the marquis' moral cruelty and esprit de libertinage had led him to spend his wedding night with revellers all the while dressed up in his new wife's bridal gown and virginal veil. To crown it all, the marquis' wife many years later ended up being institutionalized by the family......
Continue reading "Overview of New Perfume Line Etat Libre d'Orange: Libertinage of the Nose or Porno-Chic? {Scented Thoughts}" »
 We got an interesting comment by perfumer William Andrews regarding Rock 'N Rose by Valentino. He turns out to be one of the creators of the fragrance and not its sole conceiver. In this case also we had initially quoted our information from Cosmetic News. Here is the correction that he added:
Continue reading "A Comment by Will Andrews On TSS About Rock 'N Rose By Valentino, Some Thoughts on Authorship in Perfumery {Perfume History & Facts} {Scented Thoughts}" »
This is a follow up to my previous post about Mitsouko Eau de Toilette. During my recent trip to Europe I made a point of sampling Mitsouko by Guerlain in different places and in different concentrations because it was so hard for me to believe that the perfume's quality had completely gone down the drain. I still believe in a Guerlain gold standard of quality I suppose. As I already mentioned in that previous post I was in shock when I tested Mitsouko at Marshall's last fall because it was so bad-smelling but at the same time thought there was perhaps a possibility that a cheaper version might have been dumped on sections of the export/US market....
Continue reading "Hoping To Sing Another Te Deum For Mitsouko by Guerlain {Scented Thoughts} {Perfume Short Reviews}" »
Scented Thoughts Archive
Page 6 of 8 • 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
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Fin O'Suilleabhain on
Les Exclusifs: Bel Respiro, No 18, & 28 La Pausa by Chanel {Perfume Review & Musings} {New Perfumes}
: Hi ... can I ask about the Stravinsky / Chanel image. Is ...
Thalestris Dupont on
Fragonard Caresse (1929/2008) {Perfume Review}
: Lovely perfume! Reminds me of the spring 2011 when I was wearing ...
Karen Lindsey on
Long Lost Crabtree & Evelyn Fragrance: Help Please {Ask The Readers}
: I just found this site and I so need to find someone ...
Regina on
Happy New Year 2012!
: Valentine's Day will soon be here. Any recommendations?
C Sasich on
Easy Tricks To Create Golden Globes Hairstyles! {Beauty Notes - Hair}
: My fave was Michelle Williams - modern , effortless not overdone . ...
kelvin neo on
Victoria's Secret Life is Pink Wish Pink, Live Pink, Hope Pink (2010) *New Fragrances*
: Hi good day, Can i know where can purchase or order Pink ...
Alan on
A Funny Post About Scented Candles {Fragrant Reading}
: Hell-scent candle, lol.
Gina on
Two Organic Oud Scents: Sama Oudh Jasmin & Undergreen Black Classic (2011) {New Perfumes}
: I want to try Sama Oudh Jasmin but checked the websites. I ...
Tammy on
Top 12 Best New Department Store Fragrances of 2011 for the Holidays {Perfume List}
: Wish this came with a little print out sheet for my next ...
Toñi on
Dance with Givenchy (2010) {New Perfume}
: Where can I get Dance with Givenchy? It's impossible to find it ...
Toñi on
Dance with Givenchy (2010) {New Perfume}
: Where can I get Dance with Givenchy? It's impossible to find it ...
evageli karounzou on
Choppy Waters for Stella Cadente Miss Me {Fragrance News}
: at 2007 i was in paris an i bought this perfume.Since then ...
Mandy Aftel on
Aftelier Perfumes Secret Garden (2011): Featuring Real Civet & Castoreum {New Fragrance}
: Thank you so much Marie-Helene for your lovely review! You are great ...
Kay on
Mona di Orio Chamarré (2009): Perfume Review in Memoriam
: This is very interesting. First thing that came to my mind when ...
Maddy on
Bint el Sudan, The Other, African Chanel No.5: Interview with Nick Evans of International Flavors & Fragrances, Inc. {Perfume Q & A - The Scents of Africa}
: Interesting post. I've lived in Ghana but I don't remember encountering anyone ...
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