The Fragrance Foundation has announced that the winner of the redesign of The Fragrance Foundation’s FiFi® Award trophy is Denis Boudard of QSLD Paris and QSLD New World — USA. The new trophy will be presented at the 2007 FiFi Awards. The winning design turned out to be a drop of perfume dissolving into a crystal glass.

As Dennis Boudard, President of QSLD, said “I wanted to create a sculpture which embodied the blending of glass and fragrance, because in this industry one cannot exist without the other. When combined together, glass and fragrance embody the Excellence of Luxury. Both elements are indivisible and form a unique entity. I am honored that my design was selected and anxiously await its unveiling at this year’s FiFi Awards ceremony.” The FiFi trophy used since 1975 has been created by Pierre Dinand and represented a man and a woman embracing a droplet symbolizing fragrance. FiFi is the annual award ceremony, which can be described as the Oscars of the fragrance industry. Information and picture via The Fragrance Foundation.

Bond No 9 is presenting a perfumista’s custom blending box, which offers a selection of Bond’s 15 fragrances in refillable, travel-ready, foil- wrapped spray flacons, plus an empty one intended to be used for mixing your own custom blends. A booklet of Bond’s favourite blending recipes will be included ($240).

The kit includes the following 15 fragrances:

Little Italy
Eau de New York
Wall Street
Madison Soiree

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As the evenings are getting colder, the prospect of staying in becomes much more attractive, especially when one can look forward to curling up under a blanket with a great book and a steaming cup of tea. For someone who is interested in the inner workings of perfumery and the creative process behind fragrances, books written either about perfumers or by perfumers themselves provide an extraordinary glimpse into the complex world of scent. The latter are rare, because as master perfumer Guy Robert explains, “Real perfumers create perfumes. They have neither the time, nor the inclination nor the desire to tell all.” Thankfully, there are some notable exceptions. The selection of four books below is based on several criteria: first, they are books I personally love; second, while being accessible to a beginner, they offer a wealth information for an advanced fragrance lover; third, they are written by experts whose enthusiasm and passion for scent are almost palpable, which lends a special appeal to the finished work …

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Black pepper as a fragrance note (Armani Privé Bois d’Encens, Hermès Poivre Samarcande, Lorenzo Villoresi Piper Nigrum, by way of example) has a vibrant character — citrusy, resinous and ever so slightly smoky. It is not the rasping sensation of pepper powder, but the warm woody dryness of a dark glossy berry. When cooking, I often crush the peppercorns just to inhale their aroma. Needless to say, from steak coated in pepper to ripe strawberries dusted with sugar and freshly ground spice, black pepper finds its way into numerous dishes. A Spanish inspired potato salad is a dish that allows me to enjoy the perfume of pepper to the fullest.

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

The exclusive Guerlain fragrance Nuit d’Amour turned out to be a fairly predictable floral oriental, but nothing could have prepared me for the new Ralph Lauren masculine, a sensual and unconventional offering. In part, this is due to the fact that I began my exploration of the Ralph Lauren line only recently, discovering the legendary Polo and Lauren as well as the gardenia petal softness of Ralph Lauren Blue. The masculine fragrances from the line have always struck me as quintessentially American, portraying the clean shaven and casually clad ideal frequently appearing in Lauren’s menswear ads. Polo Double Black likewise maintains the same laidback aura, yet its seductive oriental twist lends the fragrance a certain unexpected allure.

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