Victoria: 2669 posts

Oscar de la Renta newest fragrance live in love is “inspired by passion for life. The scent is a reflection of the woman who lives each day with joy, whose life is filled with beauty and inspiration. For her, there is no other way to live- she loves life.” Have you tried it already? If so, please comment.

“live in love opens with sparkling ginger orchid and bergamot, merged with lush hyacinth, green muguet and galbanum. The scent has a heart of florals, including jasmine sambac, orange flower and rose. Creamy white woods and sensual musk intertwine with amber, sandalwood and cedarwood at its base. The complexity of live in love evokes that of a classic scent, made with ingredients of the highest quality.”

Available at more department stores and online via Oscar de la Renta’s website. live in love 3.4 oz Eau de Parfum Spray/$98.00, 1.7 oz EDP/$78.00, 1.0 oz EDP/$58.00, 6.8 oz Body Lotion/$49.00. Via press release

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

I now know that the worst thing after a perfume reformulation is a relaunch. You mourn your long lost favorite, stock up on bottles and brace yourself for the day when a spray releases nothing but a few scented puffs of air. Then you learn that the brand valiantly decides to reissue the fragrance and your hopes are resuscitated once again. You seek out a sample, eagerly apply the liquid to your skin and—it is not the same! That is exactly what I experienced with M7 Oud Absolu, a relaunch of the marvelous and polarizing Yves Saint Laurent fragrance M7.

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A couple of months ago at the Elements Showcase, I had a chance to sit down with Neela Vermeire of Neela Vermeire Créations to ask her a few questions about her trio of fragrances inspired by India. A native of Calcutta, Neela currently lives in Paris, where she launched a line of three fragrances: Trayee, Mohur and Bombay Bling. The perfumes were developed by Bertrand Duchaufour, who was moved by Indian scents and Neela’s stories. I thought that it would be interesting to share with you what motivated her to plunge into fragrance development, what it was like to work with Duchaufour and how her memories of India shaped the perfumes.

What motivated you to start your own fragrance line?

I have always been passionate about perfumes and wanted to create a few based on my past. It was more organic than simply wanting to start my own line. There was a part of me that wanted to pay homage to the country of my birthplace, India. Having very close ties to it yet living so far away, I wanted to revisit parts of my life whilst I lived there with my family and all my travels back. I wished to pay tribute and also, in a way, to reconnect with the India I had left behind. This had to be done with a highly skilled perfumer who appreciates nuances and gives the best effect without excess—sumptuous, but never smothering, since some natural raw materials can be quite heavy and rich.

I researched three broad periods for the first trio. These will be the guidelines for the future, though there are so many other periods from which to draw inspiration as well. I developed my concept and delved into the periods – not just through history books but using all that is India for me: my olfactory experiences and memories from my childhood to the present times. In a way I wanted to create three perfumes for myself but also to share with others. These perfumes are meaningful to me because it is a personal journey.

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

It is rare that a movie sequel outshines the original. More frequently, the plot feels strained, the characters tired and the ideas bland. In the case of flankers, the perfume version of cinematic sequels, the same holds true. The original Chloé—the 2008 original, I mean, not the 1975 bombshell–was a lychee spiked rose that smelled simultaneously sharp and cloying. Given this inauspicious association, I did not think that its flanker L’Eau de Chloé would be different. And how wrong I turned out to be! L’Eau de Chloé is a spicy green chypre, with a bold rose note. It has enough retro glamour to wear like a full length ball gown and enough modern simplicity to feel as comfortable as a silk slip.

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What have you tried recently that you absolutely loved and would recommend? What disappointed you?

I have been enjoying a good perfume month so far, as I have been smelling new launches. L’Eau de Chloe, A Lab on Fire What We Do in Paris is Secret, Viktor & Rolf Spicebomb, Serge Lutens L’Eau Froide and Etat Libre d’Orange Fils de Dieu are the new fragrances I liked. I was not thrilled with Estee Lauder Bronze Goddess Capri, but I did not have particularly high expectations for it.

Image: Yellow Magnolia by Bois de Jasmin.