Classical perfumes smell of another era and are the best way to time travel, but if you’re new to this style of fragrance, it can be challenging. In my fragrance  column, Picking an iconic scent for a perfume wardrobe, I explore classics that would be best suited for beginners. In addition, I mention some interesting modern fragrances that have a classical character.

“I have no luck with classic perfumes,” confessed a friend. “My grandmother wore Jean Patou’s Joy, my mother loved Chanel No 5, but when I wear these fragrances, I feel as if I’m playing dress up.” She wondered why she completely missed the allure of fragrances that are widely considered to be iconic. It is easy to attribute it to personal tastes and associations, but I decided to embark on a classics challenge. Please read the rest by clicking here.

What beginner friendly classical perfumes would you recommend?

Image via FT/HTSPI

Every year since 2006, Guerlain has been reissuing its limited edition Muguet perfume for the May 1st holiday. In France, May Day is associated with lily of the valley (muguet in French), a symbol of purity and a reminder of spring. The fragrance was originally created by Jacques Guerlain in 1908, although the current formula has been reinterpreted by Jean-Paul Guerlain and Thierry Wasser and features green notes, lily of the valley, lilac, jasmine, and rose.

This year’s limited edition (only 1 872 numbered pieces will be made) is a bee bottle encased in an embossed white porcelain holder. The mold is created by the Parisian ceramic artist and painter Brigitte de Bazelaire, and it features a lily of the valley design. Elle.fr explains how the bottle is made and shows photos of the process.

Muguet will become available for sale starting May 1st at Guerlain boutiques and retail points. 125ml, 400 euros.

Via Guerlain boutique, Elle.fr

Bois de Jasmin is turning 9 years old this spring, something that I find hard to grasp. Has it really been this long? But what I need not reassert for myself is my love of jasmine. The small white flowers don’t have the Hollywood glamour of roses or the regal elegance of iris, but their scent is so luscious and complex that it has few rivals. One of the first articles I had written for Bois de Jasmin was about jasmine. I described how jasmine essence is obtained and mentioned representative jasmine perfumes but an update has been long overdue.

Although most jasmine used by perfumers comes from Morocco, Egypt, Italy and India, the five petaled flowers are still the symbol of the French art of perfumery. At one time the hills of Grasse in the South of France were thickly planted with jasmine, the picking of which involved the whole town. It is one of the most revered and intriguing materials in the perfumer’s palette. Jasmine smells of bananas and apricot jam but also of horse sweat and mothballs. One moment you notice the springlike freshness of white petals and the next you’re seduced by its hot animalic breath. Even a hint of jasmine essence can lend a seductive, voluptuous layer to the composition.

Romance aside, most perfumes named jasmine don’t contain any natural jasmine essence. It’s one of the most expensive ingredients, and few brands can afford it.  Depending on the origin and quality, a pound can fetch anywhere from $4,000 to $9,000. The sheer effort involved in producing jasmine essence is astounding. The flowers have to be picked by hand and processed immediately, before the rot darkens the delicate petals. Six million flowers are needed to create 1 kilogram of jasmine absolute. That means more than 800 hours of picking.*

Continue reading →

The Different Company is offering a new candle line. “Collection des Rêves” and “The Modern House” collections comprise eight scented candles, developed by perfumers Alexandra Monet (Songe, Apesanteur, Nuit Blanche and Wood), Corinne Cachen (Leather, Steel and Roof Top), and Delphine Jelk (Lumière).

Collection des Rêves

Apesanteur
“A moment between awakening and sleep, a feeling of uncontrolled and astonishing lightness.
Floral, musky and iridescent.”

Songe
“Head in the clouds like wrapped in cotton and lulled by soft and flimsy tones.
Floral, aldehyded [sic] and musky.”

Continue reading →

Elisa talks about gardenia, tiare, and leather as she reviews Aftelier Cuir de Gardenia Extrait.

Searching for a natural gardenia perfume is a little like hunting for unicorns – gardenias, notoriously, don’t release a natural oil. As Victoria once put it, “gardenia, temperamental flower that she is, does not give up her essence to any distillation methods.” Accordingly, gardenia in perfumery is necessarily a re-creation, using other materials to approximate the flower’s scent: sweetly tropical, but with an earthy element often likened to dirt or mushrooms.

I was surprised, then, when I heard that Mandy Aftel of Aftelier Perfumes was releasing a gardenia scent, since Aftel is known for her all-natural creations. As it turns out, Cuir de Gardenia is based on the Tahitian gardenia, or tiare flower, which can be made into a (costly) enfleurage (termed monoi when using coconut oil). Aftel has bolstered this material with jasmine and benzyl acetate, an isolate that occurs naturally in jasmine and ylang-ylang and is also used as a solvent in plastic and resins.

Continue reading →