August 2007: 8 posts

Elegance is one of Chanel’s hallmarks, and the new packaging donned by Coco Mademoiselle illustrates this perfectly. 7.5 ml pearlized white purse-size flacon will contain the parfum version, while the sleek gold-and-white compact is intended for the limited-edition solid perfume. Lacking the sharpness of the EDT and the EDP versions of Coco Mademoiselle, the parfum makes me appreciate its luscious rose and peach set against the backdrop of patchouli and transparent mosses much more. Even if it might not sway those who are not Coco Mademoiselle fans, the richer concentration is undeniably striking. If you have tried the solid perfume, please comment. I am curious to know who it compares to the original. Although the non-alcoholic versions of fragrances are rarely produced these days, I find the idea of wearing solid perfume very appealing given its retro spirit.

The parfum (7.5ml) is priced at $100.00, while the solid perfume (8 g) is at $120.00. Available from Neiman Marcus, Saks 5th Avenue as well as directly from Chanel.com.

Star rating: 5 stars–outstanding/potential classic, 4 stars–very good, 3 stars–adequate, 2 stars–disappointing, 1 star–poor.

Although Fracas and Bandit are the fragrances most firmly linked with Robert Piguet’s name, the perfumes credited to this house include a range of other memorably named creations: Calypso, Hirondelle, Mimo, Cattleya, Futur. Visa was created in 1947, its seductive and voluptuous form contrasting markedly with the restrained elegance of other fragrances launched during the same year – Christian Dior Miss Dior, Caron Farnesiana, Balenciaga Le Dix. …

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“I would imagine a fragrance that evokes her inner personality, her fragility, her quest for perfection and her sense of no compromise, the Absolute. … My vision would be a floral bouquet fragrance based on a tuberose accord, with a soft, spicy trail of fresh clove buds and green cinnamon bark that wraps your body and soul, the same way Maria Callas’s voice attracts you and gives you uncontrollable emotions,”  says Francis Kurkdjian in response to Marian Bendeth’s question about a custom fragrance for his favorite historical personage. Bendeth also interviews Christophe Laudamiel, Jean-Michel Duriez, and Maurice Roucel, all of whom give fascinating answers to this interesting question.

Read the article written by Marian Bendeth in Canada’s National Post

Frédéric Malle has always called perfumer Sophia Grojsman a mother of modern perfumery, and at last, he had a chance to collaborate with her. His 16th fragrance, Outrageous is launched under Frédéric Malle’s label for Barney’s New York Co-op (see the photos from Outrageous launch on Getty Images). As Cosmetic World (vol xliii, no 31) reports, Malle noted that he “wanted an adrogynous, super sexy scent, something like a good pair of jeans.” Outrageous includes notes of orange blossom, Caipirinha (lime, green notes, mint), clean laundry, green apple, amber and cedarwood. Finally, as Malle sums his project, “I dream of new molecules bringing scents that no one has ever smelled.”

Outrageous will be sold exclusively at Barneys NY Co-op stores across the country starting in October. It will be priced at $110.00 for 3.4 oz (via Cosmetic World.)

Ethical Disclosure: Outrageous is made by IFF.

Taking page from the vintage principle, Thierry Mugler Angel shall receive a new treatment. As the press release explains, Angel La Part des Anges “is macerated in a cherry wood cask for a more subtle fragrance. In this experiment, the Perfume Extract comes into contact with elements that are usually incompatible in the process of making a perfume: air and time. The wood allows the Perfume Extract to “breathe” and with the air and the passing of days, it is gradually transformed into the famous “part” or “share” which delights the Angels. And as with Eaux-de-vie, time reduces the volume to an Extract whose fragrance transcends the original.”

The Swarowski crystal decorated .33oz bottle ($220) will be available in November 2007 at Nordstrom, Neiman Marcus, Saks5thAvenue and Bloomingdales.