Archive for January, 2007
Perfume bottles is a subject I haven’t yet touched upon, and in today’s post I’d like to raise an issue of bottle size. Any self-respecting perfume fanatic or pretty much any consumer will tell you how much they wish perfumes came in smaller bottles. For a fanatic, bottle size matters for practical reasons: storage space and likelihood of wear. It is likewise practical for an average consumer to be able to carry your favorite perfume in your bag. Another aspect is the hesitation that often takes place when faced with a purchase decision - are you ready to commit to 50 ml or 100 ml size? In my experience, unless I’m madly in love with the scent and/or it’s discontinued, I’m quite happy with just 10 ml or 30 ml. Hence, I’m making an official plea to perfume houses to please produce more smaller bottles! After all, some have already done an excellent job:
Parfums de Nicolai 30 ml bottles Beautyhabit.com
L’Artisan Parfumeur Charmer Trio, 10 ml each, at Luckyscent.com
Frederic Malle 10 ml Travel Sprays at Barney’s New York
Fifi Chachnil 10 ml Purse Spray at Beautyhabit.com
Comptoir Sud Pacifique 20 ml Purse Sprays at Sephora
Susanne Lang Layering Wardrobe, 7 ml each, at Luckyscent.com
Chanel Fragrance Wardrobe 2006, 3.5 ml each, at Gloss.com
Bond No 9 7 ml Travel Pocket Sprays at Fragrancesandmore.biz
Stella McCartney Roll-On Set, 10 ml each, at Sephora
Robert Piguet Fracas 7 ml Roll-On at Sephora
Narciso Rodriguez Valentine’s Day Set, 7 ml each, at Nordstrom’s
Fresh Fragrance Quartet, 30 ml each, at Neiman Marcus
Estee Lauder 10 ml Purse Sprays at Nordstrom’s
Tom Ford Youth Dew Amber Nude 30 ml at Esteelauder.com
January 30th, 2007
My major perfume anticipation at the moment is the new Chanels due to come out this February. The subject has already been discussed in perfume blogosphere but I was quite fascinated to see yet another article in the February issue of the W magazine, “Hot Coco” (page 138). Just wanted to share a few bits and pieces that made me go all atwitter. Jacques Polge, the perfumer of Chanel, said in reference to No.18, one of the new scents, “there’s never been anything that smells like this, and maybe there never will be again”. No.18 features a rare ingredient, ambrette seed, and Polge describes the scent as “musty, dusty” and “dry”. Five of the six fragrances are named after places and things from the life of Coco herself. 31 Rue Cambon (the address of Coco’s couture atelier), for instance, is “a surprisingly spicy, patchouli-based scent with hints of rose and jasmine”. Coromandel is “a blend of amber and wood with an unexpected hit of creamy vanilla”, inspired by the Chinese screens that Madame Chanel had in her apartment. Bel Respiro (named after Coco’s country house), is a “very stemmy” fragrance (love the description!). 28 La Pausa (inspired by Cote d’Azur) - a powdery iris scent. “Iris extract - which is taken from the root other than the flower - is one of the fragrance world’s least-used ingredients because of the large number of plants that must be harvested in order to obtain a single drop”. Finally, Eau de Cologne is made in the French tradition of unisex, neroli-based colognes, with added notes of musk and vetiver. Such amazing sounding scents, and 6 of them! I’m already losing my sleep.
The fragrances will be available at Chanel boutiques only, as far as I know. They will be priced at $175 for 200 ml.
January 30th, 2007
With such a dubious subject, this post will only say two things. First, I’m back from a short trip up north to the land of deadly winter (aka Minnesota). After much family fun and feasting, I’m in need of a day off. Second, I’ve been utterly, unbelievably, thoroughly obsessed with Muscs Koublai Khan by Serge Lutens. I can’t get enough of it! For those that don’t know, it’s a deeply animalic, “stinky”, velvety musk like no other. Moreso, it gets you compliments, as paradoxical as it may seem. So, off I go to chill. Meanwhile, share if you have a scent you can’t get enough of, if you so desire.
January 29th, 2007
The end of a busy week leaves me reaching for comfort in everything, and perfume is no exception (when is it?) This made me wonder what scents I find comforting and why. In food, I’m more likely to reach for salty comfort foods than sweets. Likewise in perfume, I don’t need cuddly, vanilla based, “blankets in a bottle”, so to speak. What helps me keep my head above the water is some herbal-incense-woody concoction.
My comfort scent of choice lately has been Messe de Minuit by Etro. Inspired by a Catholic mass, it’s a brooding medley of incense, spicy, and woody notes. To me, the scent is akin to finding yourself in your grandmother’s attic and stumbling upon an old, dust covered chest, filled with long-forgotten family treasures. Nothing is more comforting than a healthy dose of mustiness, mold, dust, and old wood. Messe de Minuit’s notes: orange, bergamot, mandarin, labdanum, incense, myrrh, cinnamon, patchouli, honey, amber, musk.
Other comfort scents I enjoy:
Piper Nigrum by Lorenzo Villoresi
Bois d’Armenie by Guerlain
Bois d’Argent by Christian Dior
L’Air de Rien by Miller Harris
Bois d’Encens by Giorgio Armani
Eau Noire by Christian Dior
Angelique Encens by Creed
L’Eau du Navigateur by L’Artisan Parfumeur
What are you favorite comfort scents?
January 26th, 2007
It goes without saying, Angel by Thierry Mugler is the Poison of the 90s. Olivier Cresp, its perfumer, intended to create “a perfume that was also a drug” (Perfume Legends, p.283). Its ingenious blend of caramel, chocolate, and patchouli has indeed accomplished that. Whether you favor Angel or not, it’ll be sure to alter your existence simply because you’re bound to smell it on others, and, once you smell it, you won’t forget it. My first encounter with the scent happened roughly four years ago when I instantly fell into a state of euphoria - I practically bathed in it, applying several spritzes per day (when one spritz would suffice perfectly). It was truly a drug. However, instead of developing a severe addiction, I actually grew intensely weary of it. Today, I still appreciate the scent but cannot bring myself to wear it. The latest addition to the Angel Garden of Stars collection (Lily Angel, Violet Angel, Peony Angel), Rose Angel is the only rendition I absolutely love and wear on occasion.
Rose Angel is not just Angel with a rose note. While its gourmand character is still present, the composition is all about honeyed rose enveloped in delicious berries and whipped into a chocolate pudding, with a little caramel on top. The patchouli in Rose Angel is but a connecting note, not the dominator. Rose Angel strikes me as a very smooth, lush, simultaneously satiny and velvety scent. In spite of being a fruity floral, it doesn’t follow the trends. It’s so versatile it can be easily worn with a comfy fleece robe and a sultry evening gown.
Rose Angel features the notes of rose, bergamot, jasmine, honey, dewberry, red berries, vanilla, caramel, patchouli, chocolate, coumarin. It can be purchased at department stores and online.
Image source: www.sephora.com
January 24th, 2007
Oiro is the newest creation by Mona di Orio, a French perfumer whose work is inspired by the legendary Edmond Roudnitska (she was also his apprentice). Portuguese for “gold”, the scent is indeed woven in golden, yellow hues. Her other creation, Nuit Noire, was what introduced me to the line, instantly winning me over with its seductive, indolic floral heart. I detect the same base in all of Mona di Orio scents - dirty, animalic, borderline unpleasant, yet inexplicably appealing. Oiro very much continues in the same vein, with perhaps one exception - it has a sheer, translucent character.
In spite of such an array of substantial notes - green mandarin, sweet pea, spices, jasmine, Oliban, heliotrope, vetiver, ylang-ylang, immortelle, cedarwood, musk, amber - Oiro touches my skin with soft jasmine and shimmering citrus. The blend is so intertwined it’s hard to say if I smell more jasmine or mandarin. The velvety, slightly spicy heart has that same indolic, sultry backdrop of Nuit Noire. Oiro is a luminous, exhilarating scent. Composed chic, just like this Versace dress:
Oiro is currently available at Auz Liebe Zum Duft. It’s expected to arrive at Aedes in the near future.
Image source: monadiorio.com, style.com
January 24th, 2007
“The scent of New York’s frenzied fashionistas” is what Bryant Park, the newest offering by Bond No 9, claims to be. Inspired by Bryant Park of New York, home of the Fashion Week, its bottle design alone suggests a hip and trendy scent. The Pucci-esque motif as well as the choice of colors instantly put it right at the very top of all Bond No 9 bottles for me. I only hoped the scent wouldn’t disappoint, and I’m happy to say it does not. After all, in my world, the notes of rose, patchouli, pink pepper, lily of the valley, rhubarb, raspberry, and amber can only mean two things: it’s either really good or really bad.
Bryant Park strikes me as a very aromatic fruity floral. Its tart rhubarb and vibrant lily of the valley leave a very pleasant impression upon first sniff. Raspberry comes into play a bit later and pretty much dominates the composition. The drydown is sheer and colorful at the same time. Bryant Park resembles fragrant soaps that were extremely popular and very rare (people had to stand in long, aggravating lines to obtain them) back in the Soviet times when I was a child. We’d often place them in linen closets since using them for their actual purpose seemed like a huge waste. Ah, the momories! To compare Bryant Park to another scent, I’d say it’s along the lines of Hot Couture by Givenchy or Balkis by Parfums de Nicolai but a bit lighter. It certainly appeals to me more than West Side, and I might make room for it on my dresser.
Bryant Park is due for official release March 1. For more information, please check Bond No 9 Blog.
January 22nd, 2007
A.Maze is the second fragrance that comes to us from the hip Dutch fashion house - People of the Labyrinths. Its predecessor, Luctor et Emergo, is anything but boring, and, while not appealing to all, is truly one of a kind, unconventional creation. Needless to say, A.Maze came into existence faced with great expectations and hopes to demonstrate the same amount (if not more) of creativity, innovation, and edge. But let me be more specific: A.Maze does not disappoint. I’m still at the point of evaluating it’s amazingness factor but one thing you can be sure of - it is not a maze.
A.Maze supposedly took five years to make, and from what we know it contains 100% natural ingredients (I’m always hesitant to mention such a fact as it’s often not the case). In spite of the claim, it doesn’t quite “strike a somewhat lighter note”, mostly due to the fact it’s predominantly a rose scent, spiced up with saffron to boot. In its character, it’s very much along the lines of Aoud Roses Petals by Montale, except the medicinal, metallic rose is replaced by “meaty”, jam-like rose. The drydown is much softer and less intense, with the rose-saffron fling still going strong, and just a touch of sandalwood and musk. Overall, A.Maze is an excellent perfume but one that takes some warming up to (which I’m presently experiencing).
A.Maze features the notes of henna, saffron, Taif rose, orange blossom, Wardia rose, agarwood, sandalwood, musk, civet.
The scent is currently on pre-order at Beautyhabit and Luckyscent.
Luckyscent is doing a promo on A.Maze - get free shipping on the fragrance with the code “amaze”.
Image source: www.labyrinths.nl
January 21st, 2007
After browsing the Spring 2007 Ready-To-Wear fashion shows on Style.com, I got inspired to post pictures of my favorite dresses. To keep it on topic, I’ve also picked a perfume for each of them. Feel free to add your own ideas! Enjoy this eye candy!
Bill Blass - Jean Patou 1000
Bill Blass - Attrape Coeur by Guerlain
Etro - Aoud Damascus by Montale
Etro - Orris Noir by Ormonde Jayne
Carolina Herrera - L’Ame Soeur by Divine
Carolina Herrera - Lipstick Rose by Frederic Malle
Luca Luca - Bois d’Armenie by Guerlain
Badgley Mischka - Songes by Annick Goutal
Valentino - Iris Silver Mist by Serge Lutens
Valentino - Aimez-Moi by Caron
Images from Style.com
January 18th, 2007
Looks like The People of the Labyrinths have struggled and emerged into A.Maze, their new fragrance soon to debut at Beautyhabit and Luckyscent. Its predecessor, Luctor et Emergo, has won and shattered many a hearts. It’s also been named a cult perfume by Style.com So, now we have A.Maze. What will it be like? We shall see. Meanwhile, Beautyhabit promises us this:
“This new perfume strikes a somewhat lighter note. On top you find Henna and Saffron, a combination which gives your senses a surprising opening boost. In the bouquet you find the delicate Taif Rose from Saudi Arabia, Orange Blossom, Wardia Rose and many other natural components. Lastly, you experience precious woods, Agarwood from Cambodia, Sandalwood and Musk.”
Also, please read Luckyscent’s description of A.Maze.
Image source: www.beautyhabit.com
January 17th, 2007
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