Victoria: 2669 posts

Two weeks ago my husband and I had a picnic at the Brooklyn Botanic Gardens, one of the most serene spots in New York. The pink confetti of cherry petals kept getting caught in my hair and the sky looked a perfect robin egg blue. I felt lightheaded and happy, both from our surreptitious sips of well-concealed champagne and the fragrance of peonies and wisteria. Two weeks later, the cherry blossoms were swept away, the rains robbed the lilacs of their perfume, and the weekly routine of meetings and household chores threatened to suffocate me. Since I live by my nose, scent invariably becomes my escape. That’s how I became determined to find a perfume that would put me in a springtime mood no matter what the calendar month.

The Financial Times “How to Spend It” Magazine has published my article called The Myriad Scents of Spring. In this piece, I search for spring in the bottle and discuss a few of my favorite fragrances. Since our East Coast spring has slowly segued into summer, I already miss the perfume of cherry blossoms and bluebells.

Why do you wear perfume? If I were to judge by fragrance marketing, all of us wear perfume to make the opposite sex fall down in a dazed stupor at our feet.  Now, the good thing about Valentina, the latest perfume from Valentino, is that it avoids the tired clichés; it presents a young woman who plays by her own rules instead of following the conventions. I must have watched the TV ad with its terrific Via Con Me soundtrack by Paolo Conte at least a dozen times before I finally smelled the fragrance.

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Guerlain is launching a trio of new fragrances called Les Déserts d’Orient: Rose Nacrée du Désert, Encens Mythique d’Orient, and Songe d’Un Bois d’Été. “There has always been a beautiful love story, an undeniable and faithful bond,” says Les Déserts d’Orient press release, explaining that the collection is “a tribute to enchanting Arabia with three iconic creations that represent the Orient in all its original splendour. This legendary and historic birthplace of perfumes is the earliest land in the collective Western imagination, one that bears the most symbolic essences.” All three fragrances were created by Guerlain in-house perfumer Thierry Wasser, who sought to illustrate the oriental concept in his own way, “with sumptuousness and freedom, while giving dazzling expression to the notes that make these lands an inexhaustible source of inspiration.”

Rose Nacrée du Désert (Woody Floral)

“An intense rose, a bold flower, an established mystery… This oh-so delicate creation brings to mind a rose quivering with morning dewdrops. It showcases a magnificent Persian Rose specially selected by Thierry Wasser. Its characteristic essence gives a delicate, clever feel to this composition in which oud wood with smoky and amber accents finds full expression and adds a complex intonation with its deep presence. A single flower is nothing but a scent. It requires adornments to bring out its lasting nature with grace and subtlety. This intimate echo is strewn with saffron and other sweet and spicy notes. Subtle and voluptuous, it represents a continent where beauty is tangible from the first promise of dawn.”

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The Fragrance Foundation held its annual FiFi Awards on Monday, May 21st in New York. It’s the 40th Anniversary of the FiFi Awards and an actress, comedian, and singer Jane Lynch was hosting the ceremony. Without further ado, here are the winners:

Perfume Extraordinaire of the Year winner is Bond no 9 New York Oud created by perfumer Laurent Le Guernec

Luxe Women winner is Tom Ford Violet Blonde – Tom Ford Beauty

Luxe Men winner is Gucci Guilty Pour Homme – P&G Prestige

Nouveau Niche Women winner is Tom Ford Jasmin Rouge – Private Blend – Tom Ford Beauty

Nouveau Niche Men winner is Tom Ford Jasmin Rouge – Private Blend – Tom Ford Beauty

Fragrance Hall of Fame Men’s winner is Giorgio Armani Acqua di Gio

Fragrance Hall of Fame Women’s winner is Hermes 24 Faubourg

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When you approach the Estée Lauder counter you will see the slender bottles of Pleasures, the heavy flacons of Knowing, the ribbed orbs of Sensuous. Occasionally, you spot an hourglass bottle filled with dark as molasses Youth Dew. But to smell Azurée you often have to ask the sales associate for the tester. At many Lauder counters I’ve visited it is kept under the counter, reminding me of Soviet-era shopping. “From under the counter” was the magical phrase that produced things rarely seen on the store shelves. Something as commonplace as a packet of sugar obtained in this way seemed even sweeter.

Its special “under the counter” status isn’t the reason I crave Azurée. It’s big and bold, with a distinctive presence. Since it has been around since 1969, it bears a whiff of the era—you will not mistake this moss festooned beauty for another pink fruity floral, but it’s stunning. Anyone who loves woods, earthy notes and leather would enjoy Azurée’s generous presence. Among great chypres (the mossy and earthy perfumes that are the scent equivalents of film noir), Azurée holds a special place.

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