Robert Piguet Parfums, the maker of infamous Fracas, introduces Nouvelle Collection of five new perfumes: Casbah, Bois Noir, Notes, Mademoiselle Piguet and Oud. All five fragrances were created by perfumer Aurelien Guichard.

“From the corners of the souks of Marrakech with Casbah, to the heart of a balsam forest with Bois Noir, each of the five Nouvelle Collection conjures vivid images and visceral reactions in their wearers. Like the moving sounds of a symphonic masterpiece, Notes romances and inspires. The seductive Mademoiselle Piguet is a glamorous jaunt on the most coveted red carpet. Oud, the scent that completes the new family, is a jewel from the sands of the middle East.”

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When Denyse of Grain de Musc shared that she would be coming out with a perfume memoir, it was intriguing enough. However, to learn that The Perfume Lover will also be accompanied by a fragrance makes the news even more exciting. Séville à l’aube, created by perfumer Bertrand Duchaufour, will be launched by L’Artisan Parfumeur. As Denyse shared in her recent post, it was “inspired by one of the most beautiful nights in my life, in Seville during the Holy Week under an orange tree in full blossom, wrapped in incense smoke and the arms of a Spanish boy…”

Séville à l’aube is “is an orange blossom oriental with zesty, green and balsamic effects, with notes of petitgrain, petitgrain citronnier, orange blossom absolute, beeswax absolute, incense resinoid, Luisieri lavender absolute and Siam benzoin resinoid.” It will be launched in July. Meanwhile, The Perfume Lover is about to land on the bookshelves in the UK next month and can be pre-ordered on Amazon.co.uk. You can read an excerpt on Denyse’s blog.

Despite the name George Wilson gave to his book, The Complete Course of Chemistry, he was not a chemist by training. Instead, the volume first published in London in 1691 and subsequently reprinted contained an impressive collection of recipes for herbal preparations, elixirs and alchemy experiments. Glancing through this fascinating compilation, I came across a recipe for Sweet Honey Water that Wilson used on King James II. He describes it as having many wondrous effects on one’s well-being, but it was his remark that this water “gives one of the most agreeable scents that can be smelt” that finally caught my attention. Honey, vanilla, coriander, cloves, and musk certainly sound wonderful together, don’t you think?

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What is a romantic perfume? A few years ago, I structured my Valentine’s Day post around the perfume notes that I found romantic and seductive: jasmine, saffron, sandalwood and furs & ambers, leather, honey, fig. I still like the idea of conveying a certain mood through scent, but I realize that there is much more to the romance of perfume than its list of notes. The most romantic perfume is not a magic potion designed to seduce him, but rather a fragrance that makes me feel beautiful. An opulent composition like Annick Goutal Grand Amour does the trick on some days, while on others the austere Bulgari Black seems more appropriate.

However, a range spanning Grand Amour to Black encompasses just about all fragrance genres. To narrow them down to a list of ten, I included those perfumes that both make me feel good and elicit compliments from my friends, family and my Valentine. In other words, they are the fragrances I enjoy wearing and sharing with those around me. And what is more romantic than sharing pleasure!

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There is something captivating about darkness. It conceals, it frightens, it beguiles. In perfumery, dark notes like smoky woods, balsams and leather can give a new dimension to familiar impressions. Nowhere is this more obvious than with rose. Infuse the rose accord with patchouli and amber and the composition suddenly smolders, taking the rose out of the conventional prim and pretty territory. Instead, the sensuality of dark rose blends evokes a film noir set with a brooding femme fatale in the leading role.

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