I would like to share a very interesting interview with Serge Lutens I discovered via Barney’s catalogue. After reading it, I feel inspired to wear Ambre Sultan today.

Why fragrance? After years as a make-up artist and photographer, what attracted you to this world?
I don’t think that I’ve switched from one world to another. I believe that it is an extension of myself in other realms of creativity. In that sense I can say that my fragrances make me grow creatively. As for my choices, things are not always what they seem. For instance, in the first part of my life, make-up for me was not really about make-up. Images were what it was all about. For me, perfume making is a language. Essences for me are what words could be for a writer. They are tools of expression. …

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Meeting Balmain Jolie Madame for the first time is an encounter that leaves one intrigued by the unpredictable personality of this beautiful stranger. The dazzling shimmer of the green floral notes has a lighthearted character, however as soon as one is ready to see a smile of its dewy heart, the veil of leathery smokiness falls darkening the gentle features.

Yet, predictability is not the quality that Germaine Cellier’s creations possess. One of the most avant-garde perfumers, she worked against the classical tradition by exploring the raw materials that most perfumers of her time would reject for their crude potency and strength. She was not afraid to overdose Balmain Vent Vert with galbanum, which made the fragrance seem as if it were exploding on the skin into the cascade of emerald dust. The original version of her Bandit possessed so much animalic robustness, it seemed almost shocking to wear in public. …

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

In contrast to the opulent oriental themes that dominate the Serge Lutens collection, the newest release from the house, Gris Clair… possesses a cool and restrained aura, painting a vision of a mountain pass veiled in damp mists. Clean and subtle is not the new direction for Serge Lutens and Christopher Sheldrake, whose Clair de Musc and Fleurs de Citronnier explore the sensuality of musk and its affinity with transparent florals. However, Gris Clair… is different still, because its simplicity and abstraction are explored to the greater extent than in any other composition by Serge Lutens.

The lavender and ash pairing, around which the composition is constructed, immediately might provoke comparisons with Encens et Lavande, a fragrance of herbaceous brightness laced with floral sweetness of lavender and resinous incense. However, the comparison would be misleading, because Gris Clair… does not approach the smokiness of Encens et Lavande nor its complexity. …

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L’Artisan Narcissus is another fragrance from the special harvest series that saw the release of Fleur d’Oranger in 2005. The new fragrance is composed using narcissus harvested on June 6th and 7th, 2005, in Lozère, southern France. Read about it and the millésime trend of L’Artisan and Givenchy fragrances in the article by Chandler Burr in NYT.

Narcissus oil is produced from several species of narcissus, Narcissus poeticus, N. tazetta, and N. jonquilla. The scent is heady and rich, reminiscent of dark green foliage hiding the scattering of jasmine and hyacinth blossoms.

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

A fan of scent strips in my hand allows me to travel through the hallmarks of the venerable house’s history—Jicky, Après l’Ondée, L’Heure Bleue, Mitsouko, Shalimar, Vol de Nuit…. The accords making these fragrances memorable strike me like a handful of colorful jewels, whether it might be the civet laced richness of Jicky, the violet melancholy of Après l’Ondée, or the burnished ambery glow of Attrape-Coeur. The common golden thread in these Guerlain fragrances is the velvety, powdery accord based around orris known as Guerlinade. Embellished with rose, jasmine, tonka bean, and amber, among other notes, Guerlinade is the silky veil that softens the sharp edges and lends a whisper of delicious sweetness with an intriguing incensy touch. Guerlinade can be subtle or obvious, a gentle accent or an unequivocal proposal; however its presence in most Guerlain fragrances ensures an ability to trace lineage from Shalimar to Attrape Coeur.

Plus Que Jamais is the fragrance created by Jean-Paul Guerlain to commemorate the reopening of La Maison Guerlain at 68, Avenue des Champs-Elysées in Paris (please see my article about the boutique here). Opulent composition, Plus Que Jamais is indeed “more than ever” Guerlain, with its arrangement sustained on the ornate oriental base layering vanilla, amber, iris and enchantingly earthy vetiver into a vision of silk shimmering with gold embroidery. …

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