April 2007: 13 posts

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

Chanel No 18 is startling. Unctuous and green at first, reminiscent of olive oil and green tea leaves, it becomes warm and floral, separating into soft billowing layers of fruity rose and powdery musk. The striking simplicity of this composition belies its inherent loveliness. It is gentle without becoming meek, delicate without appearing pale and feminine without being clichéd. …

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

Ganache is a mixture of chocolate and cream, which is blended until a soft, melting and decadently rich texture is attained. For the newest addition to Guerlain’s L’Art et la Matiere collection, which already includes Angélique Noire, Bois d’Arménie, Rose Barbare, and Cuir Beluga, perfumer Thierry Wasser took the richness of ganache as inspiration for an iris scent. If you are a regular visitor to Bois de Jasmin’s pages, you already know of my fascination with the iris note. I find the scent derived from iris roots quite beguiling—it is half way between flower and root, vegetal matter and mineral dust. Discovering Iris Ganache was quite an interesting experience. It proved that iris, when made overly sweet, can lose its elegant character and assume quite a flamboyant demeanor.

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“Perfume experts have helped prove that relics thought to have been those of Joan of Arc are forgeries made from an Egyptian mummy – by sniffing them. … when Sylvaine Delacourte from Guerlain and Jean-Michel Duriez from perfume maker Jean Patou sniffed the charred relics, they smelt hints of vanilla and burnt plaster, according to Nature, which published the study today. The plaster smell was expected, because the 19 year-old was burnt as a witch on a plaster stake to prolong the spectacle for the audience, but vanilla smells are not created by cremation. Philippe Charlier, a forensic scientist who led the study, said: ‘Vanillin is produced during decomposition of a body. You would find it in a mummy but not in someone who was burnt.’ ” Read the rest of this fascinating article in LifeStyleExtra UK News. Thanks to Karen for the link.

Classical oriental fragrances like Guerlain Shalimar (1925) used a large amount of citrus oil (30% bergamot oil in case of Shalimar) supported by a lush base of animalic and woody notes. The effect of this dramatic juxtaposition is unforgettable—the scintillating, icy chill of citrus melting into the languid warmth of the amber accord, rich civet and leathery castoreum. Such contrasting sensations not only serve to lend an intriguing and memorable quality, but also to lighten the intoxicating richness of the classical oriental notes—vanilla, benzoin, tolu, opoponax, civet, ambergris, castoreum, musk, sandalwood, and patchouli. The new generation of gourmand fragrances based on the chocolate accord has taken a similar approach—the heft of chocolate can be made more palatable when accented with bright and sparkling notes, be it the lemony jasmine of hedione and bergamot in Thierry Mugler Angel, the orange blossom in Missoni Eau de Parfum, or green ivy leaves in Lolita Lempicka Eau de Parfum. …

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

Aquatic and fresh masculine fragrances have never appealed to me beyond a brief period of infatuation in the 1990s when the trend was still novel and distinctive. After the hundreds of Cool Water and Aqua di Giò clones, I no longer feel interested in this genre. On the other hand, fragrances that explore earthy, smoky and leathery notes never fail to catch my attention. In many ways, their appeal lies in their distinctive character, very much different from the crisp, fresh, and ozonic creations that dominate the masculine market right now. While Santa Maria Novella Nostalgia is a perfume that should not be reserved only for men, it is a fragrance I want to smell on men around me.

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