News: 582 posts

L’Artisan Parfumeur unveils Caligna, its newest fragrance inspired by Provence. Caligna means to “flirt” or “court” in the local Provençal dialect, and the perfume “evokes a warm breeze blowing over the land, a sense of freedom in the wild open spaces, a lightness of being with laughter echoing into the distance.” Caligna was created by perfumer Dora Baghriche-Arnaud.

L’Artisan Parfumeur, together with perfumer Dora Baghriche-Arnaud, honours an emblematic but less well-known ingredient of the Grasse region: the clary sage. Fresh and sensual, green and woody, fruity and ambery, the highly-faceted clary sage was the starting point for this perfume, and is married to, and enhanced with notes of fig and a jasmine marmalade accord, with all the natural richness of this iconic flower, resulting in an incomparable freshness and luminosity. The warm woody effect of the perfume’s base comes from the resinous depth of lentisk, a native plant of the maquis, and from pine needles, redolent of Mediterranean hillsides.

For the first time in L’Artisan’s history, a fragrance will have a spokesperson, Gudrun Ghesquière, a classically trained dancer. The ad is shot by American photographer Michael James O’Brien. Continue reading →

Givaudan has recently launched a series of videos about their perfumery school and the way fragrances are created. The first video is a fascinating glimpse inside one of the internal perfumery academies that produce creators who design your perfumes  (International Flavors & Fragrances, Firmenich, Symrise and Mane also have their own training programs). Presented by perfumer Jean Guichard, the director of the Givaudan perfumery school, this brief video takes you into the lab and explains how students are taught.

You can also then watch Video 2: The Structure of Perfume and Video 3: Introducing Olfactive Families.

Thanks to Jessica for a link!

Giorgio Armani is presenting its new fragrance Armani Eau de Nuit in February, along with the reissue of Eau Pour Homme (1984, perfumer Roger Pellégrino). Intended as a masculine launch, Armani Eau de Nuit features bergamot, cardamom, pink pepper, iris, nutmeg, basil, cedarwood, ambrox, and tonka bean. Described as “an epitome of elegance,” it was created by Firmenich perfumer Marie Salamagne.

Marie Salamagne also worked on another new Giorgio Armani release, Armani Privé Rose D’Arabie L’Or de Désert. It’s a richer twist on Rose d’Arabie, a Middle Eastern inspired rose perfume from the 1001 Nights Collection. It’s described as “a homage to the splendors of the East and the mysteries of the desert.” The perfume is mixed with gold flakes, which leave skin slightly shimmery.

Continue reading →

Balenciaga is launching its next fragrance, Balenciaga L’Eau Rose, in March, following Balenciaga Paris, L’Essence and Florabotanica.  Created by perfumers Olivier Polge and Domitille Bertier, it’s a variation on the original Balenciaga Paris. The violet motif of the original is accented with pepper, violet leaf, blackberry, rose, patchouli, cedarwood and vetiver.

L’Eau Rose Eau de Toilette will be available exclusively in Balenciaga stores from February 1, while the global launch will take place in March. 50 ml spray/$90; 75ml/$115. Via press release

Fragrances of the World 2013 edition is going to be launched this month. “My first guide book in 1984 listed just 38 new fragrances,” says the fragrance expert Michael Edwards. “Our 2013 book is notably bigger and heavier than past editions. We tracked 1,330 new fragrances in 2012, up from 1,065 in 2011. Whilst the volume of launches shows no sign of slowing, we are seeing brands being more resourceful. Brands are capitalizing on formulae modifications – eaux de parfums, eau de toilettes, elixirs and the like – to enhance the success of a current fragrance, with perfume collections gaining ground in certain markets.”

The book is intended as a guide for retailers and it lists the fragrances sold today. In addition, it contains discontinued, iconic and limited edition fragrances. The listings are indexed by gender and brand for ease of reference. The new edition is illustrated by the Australian photographer and florist team Saskia Havekes and Gary Heery from Grandiflora. The book is available at www.fragrancesoftheworld.com. Via press release