Archive for March, 2007
Lady Vengeance is hardly an appropriate epithet for Shakespeare’s Juliet, yet that’s exactly the name of a perfume by the new French line Juliette Has A Gun, a creative project of Romano Ricci, the great-grandson of Nina Ricci. It seems to be trendy these days to deviate from the conventional and come up with new visions of perfumery. The examples range from the regal Parfums MDCI to the downright scandalous Etat Libre d’Orange. Juliette Has A Gun falls somewhere in between, I suppose. It makes no hefty claims, has a decent dose of originality, and some Gothic mischief. There’re currently two scents in the line, and I’ve only had a chance to smell Lady Vengeance (a sensual rose) which instantly fascinated me. Miss Charming (a playful rose) sounds quite promising as well. How can they not, ladies and gentlemen, when both are created by none other than Monsieur Francis Kurkdjian!
The main idea behind Juliette Has A Gun is pretty much self-explanatory: a particular femininity, far from stereotypes. She has a gun and is not afraid to use it. Lady Vengeance, however, is more benign than you might initially assume. It’s primarily a rose scent, done just the way I like it – complex and intense. The only three notes given (rose, patchouli, vanilla) are clearly not all that went into it. However, rose is what you smell – luscious, somewhat dark, and fervent. It’s a sibling to the rose in A*Maze, minus all the spices. The patchouli and vanilla are but accentuating notes, and the drydown is marked by a warm, creamy undertone. Lady Vengeance is mostly amicable, with a slight devilish streak that only adds to its appeal. I’d very much like to own a bottle.
Juliette Has A Gun scents are available at Colette and other department stores in Paris. Pretty please, make them available for sale in the U.S.!
Image source: uliettehasagun.ovh.org
March 19th, 2007
A pesky thing called life once again got in the way of fragrant musings, so I’m late on my post. Please stay tuned for a review of my new love, Lady Vengeance by Juliette Has A Gun. Ah, if only I could be in Paris right now…
March 18th, 2007
I’m neither sick nor overworked, yet I have nothing for today. Writer’s block, lack of inspiration, pure laziness – whatever you call it. To sum up the week (and to make it somewhat on topic), here’re the perfumes I’ve worn and enjoyed:
What are yours? Happy weekend, all!
March 16th, 2007
Effortlessly beautiful… how can this be achieved in perfume? I’ve always marveled at such a thing. Perhaps, if you take a simple, elegant idea and a talented perfumer to give it life, a masterpiece is bound to happen. Ellie D, the new scent by Jessica Dunne, is exactly that. Inspired by the memories of her grandmother Eleanor (Ellie) Dunne, an artist and an art collector, the scent is infused “with a youthful and modern sensibility, born of nostalgia”. The perfumer, Michel Roudnitska (the son of the legendary Edmond Roudnitska), has more than proven his mastery in such creations as Noir Epices by Frederic Malle, Amoureuse, Bois de Paradis, Debut, Eau Illuminee by Parfums DelRae. It comes as no surprise Ellie D is so delicately beautiful – no other words are necessary.
Very much in the style of the DelRae creations, Ellie D is perhaps the most delectable lily of the valley I’ve ever encountered. I’ll be bold enough to say it’s the modern day Diorissimo, a little more tame, a little less animalic/indolic. The top notes of bergamot, tangerine, and cyclamen are green and stemmy. The flowers unfold in the heart – a fragile blend of lily of the valley and jasmine. The drydown rests on soft, muted vetiver and sandalwood. Ellie D came to me as a breath of fresh spring air, on the first warm day of early spring, and such it will always be. Beautiful. Effortless. Elegant.
Ellie D features the notes of bergamot, tangerine, cyclamen, lily of the valley, jasmine, gardenia, rose, fig leaves, vetiver, sandalwood, musk, vanilla, and coconut. It’s available exclusively at Henri Bendel’s in New York City. For more information, please check the Ellie D Perfume web site.
P.S. Victoria at Bois de Jasmin did an excellent interview with Michel Roudnitska.
Image source: elliedperfume.com
March 15th, 2007
Please welcome my other contributing writer all the way from Sweden, Tove Solander! She will cover the much neglected Smell-alikes section of Aromascope.
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I’m taking up on Ina’s great idea of spotting “Smell-alikes”, and for my first post the smell-alikes chosen are Robert Piguet’s Bandit and Cabochard by Grès. It’s no wonder they’re scent siblings. Here are the notes I’ve found for each, with common notes in bold:
Bandit: bergamot, gardenia, aldehyde, jasmine, clove, rose, iris, musk, castoreum, patchouli, vetiver, ambergris, leather, woody notes.
Cabochard: bergamot, mandarin, galbanum, ylang ylang, jasmine, rose, clove, oakmoss, tobacco, musk, iris, sandalwood, vetiver, leather, castoreum, patchouli, labdanum.
Reviewers on Basenotes seem to agree that Cabochard is like a lighter and more wearable Bandit. For me, it’s more like the other way around. This may be because I have the “real deal”, i.e. the vintage version, of Cabochard (at least I think my sample is vintage), while Bandit is the contemporary eau de parfum, which is supposed to be softer and more floral (with the pure parfum being the softest and prettiest) than the sharper and harsher eau de toilette (which I’d love to try).
I remember when I first smelled Bandit eau de parfum, I thought it was unbearably sour and sharp and musty and herbal, a real old-fashioned scent. When I revisited it this year I fell in love, wrote a rave review in my blog, and changed my Basenotes rating from one star to five! In the company of Cabochard, Bandit is the feminine and pretty one, yet I don’t find Cabochard unwearable or old-fashioned at all, that’s how much my taste has changed – or developed, if you like. They are definitely sisters: dry, green, bad girl scents with leather undertones and light floral overtones. Bandit is softer and more powdery, while Cabochard is sharper and drier. They share a sort of juicy sourness, without being citrusy, but the sourness of Cabochard is more pungent, more like fresh-cut grass, while Bandit is almost sweet-and-sour. Speaking in colours, I envision Bandit as a bright yet creamy light green/yellow, and Cabochard as more of an acid green/yellow with specks of brown.
Bandit smells like it could give you hay fever, but don’t envision old, yellow hay, envision still green straw. Straw and pollen in the air and perhaps a hint of florals but very green florals, like dandelions. After about half an hour it develops this amazing warmness, like warm skin. I’m guessing this is the leather. It does not smell like a horse or a cow, but it feels like one, the body heat radiating from a large animal, indicating its presence. Or, if you’d like to get down and dirty: a tumble in the hay – or in the meadow – the sweetish smell of sunburnt skin and fresh sweat mingling with crushed stems.
When I first smelled my Cabochard sample I thought it was a dead ringer for Bandit, only denser and more hardcore, but smelling them side by side I discern some differences. Cabochard is the greenness of Bandit without the hay fever and animals, it’s a field or a forest (deciduous) rather than a farm. In the opening I get the vintage-style bitterness of oakmoss, but not very strongly, not a monster chypre (then again, considering my first reaction to Bandit, it might just be that my bittersweet meter has gone bananas, perfumista style). It’s cooler than Bandit, the level of coolness you could expect from a green scent. It’s also drier, the way lichen is dry, or wood, that’s where the brown hues come into the picture. It does have some amount of soft, powdery sweetness though, especially in the drydown, it’s nowhere near, say, a hardcore masculine vetiver in bitter greenness.
I conducted this experiment by putting one scent on each wrist, then swapping wrists and doing it all over again. One thing this taught me is that I prefer the scent I smell first, and/or the scent on my left wrist. When I smelled Bandit first I found Cabochard too sharp and thin, and when I smelled Cabochard first I found Bandit overly sweet, almost like dandelion-flavoured candy, if that’s fathomable. Whichever I smelled first had the perfect “Bandit scent” as it is in my mind. In the end, however, Bandit is the winner because of the wonderful animal warmth it radiates, while Cabochard is a little flatter and fades faster. Now I only wonder what outcome this experiment would have had if I had compared Bandit eau de toilette or vintage Bandit to the reformulated Cabochard?
March 13th, 2007
Bois Blond and L’Ombre Fauve (as well as Ether de Lilas Blanc sur Feuillage Tendre which I haven’t had a chance to smell yet) are the Very Limited Editions by Parfumerie Generale. What that means is the scents will only be available from the company’s online shop through the end of March, and will not be widely distributed, with the exception of Luckyscent which has a few bottles in stock for a limited time. I can’t say I’m particularly fond of the limited edition concept unless it’s a Paris Hilton fragrance or Jessica Simpson footwear (apologies to fans) – the sooner they’re gone, the better. In this case, I’m only partially bemoaning the fact these scents will be so short-lived. To my nose, they’re not as spectacular and trendy as their predecessors. Nevertheless, Bois Blond did appeal to me quite a bit, and I’d very much like it to be part of the regular selection.
“One evening in August, the time of the harvest” is the inspiration for Bois Blond. With notes of cereals, grass, galbanum, cedar, hay, blond tobacco, amber, and musk, it is a bit less complex than it sounds. Bois Blond is all about dry hay and smoky-sweet tobacco on my skin. The note of hay has already been explored in perfumery. It usually adds a somewhat dusty quality. It’s particularly appealing when blended with floral notes, like in Fleur de Narcisse by L’Artisan or Hiris by Hermes. In this case, it’s accompanying tobacco, woods, and amber, and seems to be amplifying these notes. In short, Bois Blond is a balmy, woodsy hay and sweet tobacco blend. It does indeed take me to warm evenings of late summer.
L’Ombre Fauve doesn’t quite inspire too much eloquence. This doesn’t have as much to do with its composition as with its effect. For a scent described as “bestial” and “feline”, it’s rather feeble. Once again, the good old MKK serves as a measuring tool, and the result is hardly animalic. L’Ombre Fauve is a somewhat mediocre blend of patchouli, amber, musk, and woods. It neither impresses nor disappoints. It sort of leaves me wanting for more action, more character. Instead, what I smell is a soft, slightly sweet, ambery patchouli.
Image source: luckyscent.com
March 12th, 2007
The last few days have brought the first whiffs of much longed for spring to the Midwest. Besides turning the clock an hour ahead, I also turned my olfactory radar to Spring, i.e., I have now officially switched from heavy, woodsy, amber-laden perfumes to lovely floral blends. Yesterday I dug out my beloved Orris Noir by Ormonde Jayne that fit absolutely perfectly. Then it was Ta’if, another wonderful scent by Ormonde Jayne, a sparkling saffron rose. Then it was Ambre Sultan by Serge Lutens. Yes, I can imagine what you’re thinking now. What? Spicy amber? Didn’t she just say… ? Let me explain. I smelled Ambre Sultan on a woman at work, and experienced slight pangs for abandoning my ambers (I think the King of All Ambers was channelling it), so off I ran to douse myself with it. The result: an excruciating headache. I got the message.
In view of the above-mentioned circumstances, my review of the new Parfumerie Generale scents, Bois Blond and L’Ombre Fauve, is to appear tomorrow. In spite of the above-mentioned unfortunate circumstance, I will remain true to lovely florals on my skin and spicy ambers – in my heart.
Image source: corbis.com
March 11th, 2007
Marina from Perfume-Smellin’ Things and myself are starting a new joint venture: we’re literally venturing into our sample stash, completely blindfolded, to procure a random sample for review. We figured if we don’t take measures now, the stash will only grow bigger, and many a sample will get neglected. Please be advised of the uttermost honesty on our part – it is indeed done without looking.
That said, I was rather excited about the project until I actually did put my hand in the sample box – ladies and gentlemen, I know nothing of the scent I pulled out of there. It’s Moment Volé by Fragonard (Stolen Moment). First, let me tell you it’s a discontinued Fragonard and very likely quite old as the scent is done in a very classic chypre-aldehydic tradition. The top notes are slightly reminiscent of Chanel No 5 but a bit juicier, more intense. The heart acquires a somewhat animalic jasmine undertone, something meaty that I can’t quite put my finger on. Once again, this meaty note gives away the scent’s age – it brings to mind such scents as Arpege, Joy, even Shalimar minus the vanilla. Further research yielded that Moment Volé was created in the 1940s, so it is indeed a vintage perfume. As for its availability, I’ve seen a couple of bottles on ebay, and Fragonard online shop shows a set of minis that includes Moment Volé.
As always, please do comment if you have more information about the fragrance. Also, please be sure to check Marina’s catch of the day.
P.S. Funny what you can find in your sample box. I had no idea I even had such a scent! Oh, and I groped about, too.
Image source: basenotes.net
March 8th, 2007
My perfume wishlist changes all the time, sometimes several times a day. There’s also a sub-wishlist of hard to obtain or obscure scents I’d love to try. Here’s what’s on my current Must Try rotation. If you’ve smelled any of these scents, please comment, I beg you.
La Mome by Balmain (rose, freesia, pink berry, violet, raspberry, myrrh, iris, musk, opoponax, amber). Exclusive to Marionnaud in France. The scent is released alongside the film La Mome dedicated to Edith Piaf.
Miss Charming by Juliette Has A Gun (mandarin, rose, lychee, musk, gourmand notes)
Lady Vengeance by Juliette Has A Gun (rose, patchouli, vanilla).
Essencia do Brasil by Natura (breu branco tree resin in Brazil). Supposed to be a smoky, honeyed, resinous scent.
Eau Hegemonienne by Guerlain (bergamot, lemon, lavender, herbs, sandalwood, vanilla). Originally created in 1890, right after Jicky. An aromatic hesperidic scent with a hefty price tag.
Miss Carlota – a French beauty salon and spa.
Lait Miel (bergamot, peach, apricot, jasmine, violet, tuberose, heliotrope, tiare, monoi, honey, coconut milk, chocolate, vanilla, dried fruits, caramel).
Rose Jasmin Fleur d’Oranger – a voluptuous floral bouquet.
Ambre Musc Santal (citrus, floral notes, patchouli, sandalwood, cistus, vanilla, benzoin, musk).
Images source: osmoz.com
March 7th, 2007
Please welcome my first contributing writer, Elena Singh! She shares her experience with the new Chanel Les Exclusifs at the boutique in Las Vegas.
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Las Vegas is the city that, like a giant funnel, pulled all human sins into its neon-lit innards and these sins spin around in an endless mad dance. The vices charge the city with electric energy through the vigor of their sheer multitude and force of their longing for something else: a new beginning, a promise of better life, a desire to forget the past and detach oneself from the present.
This last weekend, Las Vegas amplified my own little penchant for fine perfumes and I ended up with three bottles of Les Exclusifs in my overstuffed suitcase. As a perfume fanatic, I always thought of myself as being one of those sinners who is never happy with her possessions and who, like a pathologically unfaithful lover, is always looking for something or someone better beyond the horizon.
As I approached perfume counters or unpacked another set of decants I realized that my chances of being serene desire-free celestial being anointed with her “signature scent” are pretty nil. Like a gambler trying her luck over and over again and enjoying the thrill of the game, every sniff of new perfume puts me in a bliss-like meditative state. I finally realized that for me the pursuit of happiness is more significant then happiness itself and quite frankly, I am not sure if I want to reach the perfume nirvana just yet. Being an insatiable desire-driven sinner is way more fun! Now let’s hit the casino floor and continue our glorious perfume gamble!
The Chanel boutique at the magnificent Wynn hotel met me with bright lights, fourteen hundred dollar sets of candy-colored plastic bangles (yes, plastic), Saturday morning Vegas crowds, stressed out assistants and depleted stand of Les Exclusifs. Where are the ambery Coromandel and the aromatic 31 Rue Cambon? Why are there two bottles of Cuir de Russie and tester cards for only six fragrances? How do I get rid of my family so I can really concentrate on resolving such upsetting issues? And – most importantly: why did Eau de Cologne disappear within the course of three minutes that it took me to find a salesperson? Oh, in what a scary world we live…
As the lovely and enthusiastic Liz informed me later, they sold out of Coromandel and Rue Cambon almost right away, and I was buying the last bottle of Bel Respiro (which was actually true, as she grabbed the last bottle from the shelf). Aside from Bel Respiro I purchased No.18 and my beloved Bois des Iles in Eau de Toilette form. Liz also included all samples of Les Exculsifs and two beautifully crafted Chanel booklets describing the entire line. Lucky me.
Today I would like to talk about No.18. The second I sprayed it and walked through its cloud I thought to myself: “This is definitely a Chanel.” I do not think of myself as a type who easily falls for marketing lines, but maybe Monsieur Polge is right: there is a bright and dry aspect to the fragrance, almost reminding of luminous sparkle of a clear Tiffany diamond. I did not realize that the ambrette seed that became this composition’s main theme had such complex facets and would lend itself to such fresh interpretation.
As I smelled the fragrance for the first time, almost immediately I had an image of a young bride, her face covered by a sheer stiff white veil. She is standing in a sun-filled room, with dust floating in soft yellow light as warmed roses and irises decorating the space give off their odor. The bride is shy and a bit scared of the uncertain future awaiting her, but she is also excited to spend her life with a young man she loves so passionately; she smells a bit of musk and soap and she is relieved that their affair will not be clandestine anymore. They are going to be man and wife.
I feel that the last thought is brought to me by a certain level of formality that No.18 retains. Yes, it has the powdery opening and the sunny citrus note to it and it has the flowery aroma developing later, it does resonate with a bit of musk and a hint of good soap, but it also possesses a clear, dry, almost architectural angle to it. For myself, I concluded that it must be a dry iris note that gives the scent this sparkling crystal feel. This angle almost decisively underlines the entire composition, lending it a beautiful and distinct tone.
As for me, I am quite happy with No.18 – it is easy to wear and will be wonderful for warm summer days. But – the gamble continues as I have been promised a call as soon as Coromandel is back in stock.
March 7th, 2007
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