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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by Suzanna

Red lipstick is a force to be reckoned with.  No other lipstick color can be so right…and so wrong.  Pick the wrong red and your skin and teeth might take on an unbecoming yellowish hue.  Pick the right red and watch your face (and teeth) light up.

I started wearing red lipstick at the dawn of the blog age, around 2005.  It seems like ages ago now, but blogger swatches made it easy to see colors in various lights and understand how they might work for you.  Red lipstick made my makeup routine easy:  I wear it and little else.  Nothing should compete for attention with red.

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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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