October 2011: 20 posts

Paris and perfume… These words are synonymous for most perfume lovers, and shortly after creating Bois de Jasmin in 2005, one of my first long articles was devoted to perfume shopping in Paris. Part I and Part II offered a walking tour of the capital’s best fragrant treasures. Since then, I have been meaning to update these posts with a directory of Paris fragrant destinations, based on my visits and new discoveries. This directory will include various perfume shopping destinations as well as my other favorite addresses.

The directory is frequently updated, therefore please check back periodically to see new additions, changes and updates. L indicates Left Bank, and R—Right Bank. If you have your own favorite places in Paris, whether perfume, food, fashion or art related, please do not hesitate to share. Of course, if you visit any of these places and have your own experiences (and updates!), please comment!

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This fall the perfume lovers will have some new books to anticipate. Pictured above is the English translation of perfumer Jean-Claude Ellena’s Le Parfum. Perfume: The Alchemy of Scent contains Ellena’s views on perfumery, marketing, materials and composition. The book is full of many interesting details about his own creative process, but on the whole, it is a general analysis. Available for pre-order on amazon.com. The official launch is November 2011.

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Another new launch from Thierry Mugler is the Eau de Toilette version of Angel. It is composed by Robertet’s perfumer Amandine Marie. The press release describes it as “Oriental—Gourmand—Powdery.”

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Thierry Mugler is unveiling a new collection called a “Taste of Fragrance.” The existing fragrances, Angel, Alien, Womanity and A*Men, were reorchestrated to include a taste enhancer. Thierry Mugler Parfums also worked with Hélène Darroze, one of the leading Michelin-starred French Chefs, to create four recipes inspired by the new interpretations of these four fragrances. The olfactory description of a Taste of Fragrance collection and the corresponding recipes appear below.

Angel

“For the ‘Taste of Fragrance’ the red berries, jam and caramelized almonds in the praline are combined with pure cocoa powder preserving its natural bitterness, making Angel infinitely succulent.”

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

Reading reviews and impressions of Serge Lutens Muscs Koublaï Khan can be both frightening and hilarious. Just consider Tania Sanchez’s “the armpit of a camel driver who has not been near running water in a week!” Out of my respect for your sensibilities, I will spare you further colorful descriptions I have found. All I can say is that I do not get why Muscs Koublaï Khan instills the same fear as the Mongol horde once did. Either I have had enough of clean fragrances or have enjoyed too many animalic ones, but I find Muscs Koublaï Khan glamorous and sophisticated in the style of great oriental classics like Dana Tabu, Myrurgia Maja, and a more recent vintage, Calvin Klein Obsession. Unlike these “Venus in furs” fragrances, however, Muscs Koublaï Khan is drier and sharper, which makes it more modern. If your tolerance for animalic notes extends only to the soft suggestion of “freshly laundered linen,” then Muscs Koublaï Khan will be offensive. On the other hand, if you love the sensual richness of animalic notes, it is a must try perfume.

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