New Donna Karan fragrance Red Delicious will debut this spring. It will have the green apple notes of the original Be Delicious amplified with sweeter, fruitier notes. The red bottle is very lovely, and I wish I had a scanned photo on hand.

Also, when searching for a photo of the bottle, I came across this interesting article in Sunday Times about the use of apple extracts in cosmetic preparations and apple notes in fragrances.

Apparently, like gunpowder! “It is really a strong smell,” radioed Apollo 16 pilot Charlie Duke. “It has that taste — to me, [of] gunpowder — and the smell of gunpowder, too.” On the next mission, Apollo 17, Gene Cernan remarked, “smells like someone just fired a carbine in here,” reports Science@NASA. Read the rest of the article here. Thanks to Tania.

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

The grand reopening of the Guerlain flagship store at 68, Champs Elysées brought a number of new perfumes, from the regal Vega to the reintroduced Attrape-Coeur, Metalys, and a few others. Rose Barbare joined the Guerlain line under the auspices of “L’Art et la Matiere,” which also includes Cuir Beluga and Angélique Noire. Created by outside perfumers, the perfumes are nevertheless like visions of Guerlain through non-Guerlain eyes. The creamy vanilla that is the characteristic note in many classical Guerlains is made richer and creamier. The powdery opulence of Guerlinade is rendered soft and luxurious.

Rose Barbare, created by the perfumer Francis Kurkdjian, is my favorite so far, even if it is the least Guerlinesque of the three. Unlike Cuir Beluga and Angélique Noire, it is not adorned by the plush sweetness or the gilded richness…

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WWD article announced that Jo Malone and her husband will resign from the company. In her letter of resignation, Jo Malone states that “After much soul-searching, I believe that this is a good time to make this decision as the brand is in a secure position and I have many other dreams and passions I would like to fulfill. Every moment of building this special business – from the first day we opened our doors through today and all the wonderful moments in between – has been a magnificent journey. I want to thank everyone who has helped and encouraged us, and I remain particularly grateful to (Lauder chairman) Leonard and (senior corporate vice president) Evelyn Lauder for their mentorship and friendship.”

Jo Malone company became a part of the Estée Lauder group in 1999. The resignation does not seem to be connected with the acquisition, however. Thanks to Cedric for the news.

New Guerlain Boutique at Bergdorf Goodman will be officially opened on February 7th. The boutique will include the following fragrances for the limited time only: La Voilette de Madame, edt 100ml, Snail shape bottle, $1300 (3 pieces only will be available), Plus que Jamais, edp 60ml, Limited & numbered by Jean-Paul Guerlain $350 (10 pieces only), Rose Barbare edp 75ml, Angelique Noire edp 75ml, Cuir Beluga edp 75ml, Cherry Blossom 1oz perfume (30 pieces left, the fragrance is discontinued in the States).

Future Launches for March inlcude Vega, Baby Guerlain, Room Scents, Candles & Guest Soaps. Call (212) 872-2734 for prices and ordering information. Attrape-Coeur and Metalys are not included among the fragrances available. (from BG email notification)