Posts filed under 'Spotted'
Seems like ages since I’ve written here but what can you do, when work sends you to New York with plenty of free time to sniff, your priorities change drastically (plus I had no internet access). But I’m glad to be back and report on my fragrant adventures. The first time I traveled to New York was about three and a half years ago when I had barely started out in my perfume addiction. I was thrilled to visit the fancy perfume shops but was also highly intimidated by the abundance of scents I knew nothing of, so the result was quite lamentable - I barely sniffed anything and bought nothing (the fact of accidentally kicking a dog in a shop didn’t help either). Many a times since I’ve looked upon that adventure with piercing regret - ah, if only I had savored the experience! That’s what you do when you find yourself surrounded by the multitude of perfumes - you savor and partake. This time around, I did just that.
My first fragrant stop was Aedes de Venustas, a posh boutique in West Village that’s an absolute must for any self-respecting perfume aficionado. I could literally spend hours in that store (it was close to two this time). Besides charming and very knowledgeable owners, the selection of niche/hard-to-find scents is simply incredible. Having previously smelled a lot of what the shop offers, I must say I didn’t so much discover as rediscover - Musk by Lorenzo Villoresi (powdered rose musk), Bursch by Acqua di Biella (warm, boozy spices), and, new to me, Yu, the $5,000 perfume that smells gorgeous and very much along the lines of Gardenia by Chanel.
Bergdorf Goodman required a couple visits. The beauty and fragrance department is one of the best around. My first point of attraction was obviously Guerlain. Iris Ganache, while a bit weaker now, is still a lemming. From the one drop I was able to spray it was a lovely mix of Cuir Beluga and Insolence. The Garden Ouds I whimpered about earlier are a disgrace to the house of Guerlain. Not only there isn’t anything remotely oud-like about them but the utter flat character is inexcusable, especially for such a hefty price. Thankfully, there was one fragrance I fell for upon first sniff - Mayotte, the reissue of Mahora, with a couple distinct changes (a separate review to come soon). Another magnetic appeal at Bergdorf’s was the new Tom Ford scents. I must say the appeal waned the minute I found myself standing in front of the display table - 12 scents in identical bottles with lots of similar sounding names (there’re lots of “noirs” and “blacks”), all smelling suspiciously like clones or distant relatives of Black Orchid. Frankly, I was overwhelmed. I started picking them up, one by one, and spraying on a card, only to discover one heavy smell after another, with not much identity or charm. But I won’t judge them yet as I still hope to obtain samples to conduct further thorough testing. What I found deplorable, however, was the presentation - way too many perfumes, way too alike, with nothing to back them up (what’s behind the name, for instance?) The conclusion: exclusivity doesn’t equal mastery.
My other stops were Barney’s and Takashimaya, neither of which had any substantial thrill (although still worth visiting). A real highlight, however, was the L’Artisan Parfumeur boutique on Madison Ave. It was my first time visiting the boutique, and I fell all over in love with the line. The perfumes are neatly and tastefully arranged on the shelves for you to interact with, the staff is ever so smiley and helpful (and French!), the whole atmosphere is just charming. I fell in love with the Mood Swings coffret again as well as the new Jatamansi organic body care products (I hear the body mist is due to be released in May).
Pardon my eloquence today - too many fragrant impressions at once. That’s what four days in New York would do to you. Ah, I want to go back already.
April 16th, 2007
Today I just want to dream (and drool) about a few scents from my wishlist. Being a Guerlain maniac, I can’t help but get all atwitter about the following new releases:
Chamade Pour Homme - bergamot, black pepper, violet, hyacinth, nutmeg, precious woods, vetiver, leather. Available at the Paris boutique since February.
Le Muguet - originally created in 1914 and released yearly since 1998 as a one day limited edition (300 bottles only), on April 28. A luxurious lily of the valley! Ah, the bottle makes me weak in the knees.
Garden Oud Oils - yes, I kvetch about the price (200 Euro for a mere 20 ml bottle) but, truth be told, I’m dying to smell these. Garden Sensuel for Women - neroli, ylang-ylang, gardenia, peach, tonka bean, vanilla, sandalwood. Oud Sensuel for Men - neroli, cardamom, geranium, iris, oud, cedarwood, tonka bean.
In my book, Guerlain can do no wrong.
What’s on your wishlist?
Image source: parfumessence.com
April 4th, 2007
I did my own mini sniffa this past weekend - I hit Nordstrom’s and Sephora. I hadn’t done it in what seemed like a long time, and there seemed to be so many new scents out plus my nose is always eager for new fragrant adventures, so off I went. A little sniff here, a little sniff there, and I came home with a firm (and frightening) conclusion: ladies and gentlemen, we’re being invaded by clones. I see clones everywhere. There’s a whole army out there. There’s a conspiracy the purpose of which is to basically reprogram our olfactory receptors to only like scents of one particular kind - the Fresh Fruity Florals (further referred to as the FFFs). The danger is imminent, and we must take immediate action! We must create a detailed plan on how to, first, raise public awareness, and, second, take practical steps to prevent such an audacious attack.
To start with, I’ve put together a list of the most recent FFFs detected, and they are:
- Chance Eau Fraiche by Chanel
- IN2U For Her by Calvin Klein
- Incanto Shine by Ferragamo
- Burberry Summer For Women
- Cherry by Masaki Matsushima
- Very Irresistible Summer by Givenchy
- Sugar Lychee by Fresh
- Rock’n'Rose by Valentino
Warning signs of the FFFs: they usually contain such notes as watermelon, pink grapefruit (or pink anything), freesia, peony, pineapple, lychee, lotus. The frequently used code words to describe them are: “dewy”, “frosted”, “crystalline”, “neon”, “caramelized”, “celestial”, “oxygenated”, “hydroponic”, and the like.
I urge you to aid me in this endeavor - if you agree with the above statements, I’d like to hear your ideas on how to make our fragrant world a better place!
April 2nd, 2007
It seems I’m going through the lemming-free stage which quite often feels rather uncomfortable and downright wrong. I don’t mind it as much this time, however. I have an indecent amount of samples sitting on my dresser, and I can’t seem to get around to conducting proper testing sessions. I fear they’ll just end up in the bottomless pit, i.e., my sample box, and their only chance for survival will be the luck of the draw for my Needle In A Haystack project (which, by the way, Marina and I are still planning to continue). Such are my fragrant musings for today. Nothing too profound, I’m afraid, but I won’t leave you famished (ha!). Here’s a potential Lemming Of The Year:
Iris Ganache, the new addition to the Guerlain’s L’Art et la Matière collection, due to be released this June. I’m practically salivating just typing this: “Iris Ganache reveals an iris butter “worked like a pastry ganache”. A mouthwatering scent, like “white chocolate shaded with floral notes” and enhanced with cinnamon, bergamot, patchouli, white musks, cedar and a slightly ambery vanilla note” (Osmoz.com). Can I just say I’ll tear all my hair out and scream bloody murder if it even so much as dares to disappoint? I’m not particularly fond of Thierry Wasser’s creations (Addict by Christian Dior, Hypnose by Lancome) but the man knows how to work the gourmand theme. I find comfort in the fact Iris Ganache was created in collaboration with Sylvaine Delacourte who heads fragrance development at Guerlain. Meanwhile, I should really work on those samples.
What are your fragrant musings for today?
Image source: osmoz.com
March 22nd, 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
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
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
There’s an amazing slideshow article on classic perfumes on Style.com highlighting the scents of the time, with background information on perfumers, notes, etc. I highly recommend checking it out!
November 30th, 2006
Rich Hippie, the natural and organice perfume line, will be doing a 25% off promotion starting September 18 through September 25 on all orders. Use the code “RICHHIPPIE” at checkout.
September 10th, 2006
Osmoz.com finally posted official notes for Chypre Rouge, the newest Serge Lutens creation. They are: thyme, pine needles, honey, beeswax, jasmine, fruit gums, patchouli, moss, amber, musk, vanilla. VERY surprised it has jasmine! I get none! So, where’s the caramelized pecan note? I so wish I got more of the pine needles-honey-moss-amber. Sigh.
July 31st, 2006
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