Chypre Rouge will join the export line as the newest fragrance from Serge Lutens. Available as Haute Concentration EDP, it will be released in the fall of 2006. Thanks to Cédric of Basenotes.

Yves Rocher is releasing two new fragrances for Valentine’s Day. Ode a l’amour tendrement contains almond, hawthorn, Mirabelle plum, may blossom, musk. Ode a l’amour passionnement is comprised of apple, Szechuan pepper, Mirabelle plum and vanilla. Both fragrances are available from the Yves Rocher website for $9/1oz (special internet offer price). I have not tried these fragrances yet, but I should note that many of Yves Rocher fragrances are very good and are created by famous noses. For instance, the latest Voile d’Ambre was created by Olivier Pescheux and Pur Désir de Lilas (also Lys, Rose, Gardenia and Lavande) were composed by Annick Menardo.

With only a few weeks before the Valentine Day, I shall start writing about the flower that is full of symbols, many of which are pertinent to the day celebrating love. “A floral symbol sacred to Venus and signifying love, the quality and nature of which was characterized by the color of the rose. A symbol of purity, a white rose represented innoncent love, while a pink rose represented first love, and a red rose true love,” says the Dictionary of Art. At the same time, rose conceals many secrets under its silky petals. ‘Mystery glows in the rose bed, the secret is hidden in the rose,’ sang the Persian poet and perfumer, Farid ud-din Attar, in the twelfth century. Is love ever an easy to understand concept anyway?

Therefore, I shall try to cover as many different aspects of rose as possible, from its innocent side to its seductive, femme fatale persona.

Please come back on Monday to read my review of the newest fragrance by Les Parfums de Rosine Rose d’Amour.

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

Contemplating a quintessential classical fragrance, Chanel No.5 and Lanvin Arpège immediately come to mind. The aldehydes add shimmer to the flowers in the opulent floral bouquets of these great classics, interspersing the petals with the diamond dust of aldehydic fizz. Creating a fragrance in the classical spirit is an exacting task, because composing something novel becomes more challenging. In this sense, Van Cleef & Arpels First encompasses both the classicism and the spirit of innovation. Intended as the first fragrance for the jewel house Van Cleef & Arpels, a fragrance that would sparkle like a jewel, First transforms luminescence into the form of scent. From its brilliant top note to the resplendent heart and radiant base, it shines like a perfectly cut diamond and feels like a smooth South Sea pearl.

First was the fragrance that marked the inception of Jean-Claude Elléna’s great career. Even though his Sisley Eau de Campagne came out in 1974, First’s debut in 1976 was an even bigger success. Experiencing the fragrance, it is not difficult to understand why, because the composition has a seamless and perfectly polished quality with the notes melding one into another, drawing one into the languid sensation of the composition. …

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P.Diddy caused another stir with his racy ad shot for the new Sean John label fragrance Unforgivable (if you are curious, you can read my review of the fragrance). The ad shows Sean Combs wrapped in sheets with two women, one Caucasian and one Asian. The ad caused such a stir that the parent company Estée Lauder began to shoot a new “store-friendly” ad. The original ad will be used by Sephora (the only retailer to use it) and the billboards.

The global brand president of Estée Lauder John Demsey stood by Sean Combs’ original decision, “We believe the ads represent the true spirit of Unforgivable. This fragrance is about a man who lives his life with passion and, unapologetically, we respect Sean Combs’ creative perspective and support him in his vision. While it’s unfortunate that some retailers were so uncomfortable with something with that much sexual presence, we respect their decision to do what is right for them.” Via New York Post and other news sources.

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

Update 9/5/2011: The IUNX line was reintroduced to the market, and the fragrances are currently available at the store next to the entrance of Hotel Costes in Paris.

Ether, the substance that according to Greek doctrines was the celestial essence breathed by the gods and which was considered to be “less than the vehicle of visible light” by the ancient phisophers, cannot be a more appropriate name for a IUNX creation by Olivia Giacobetti, whose fragrances are marked by weightlessness and radiance.

If L’Ether cannot be called “the divine celestial fire”—the Greek word aither is derived from the root aith-, meaning “burn”—it is only because its beauty is available to mere mortals. In many ways, L’Ether is the example of compositions Giacobetti excels in—sheer luminosity modulated by the mysterious smokiness of incense. The effect is at once delicate and powerful. It is most closely related to Costes and Passage d’Enfer through the transparent incense that fills its base. …

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