News: 582 posts

Santa Maria Novella launched Acqua di Colonia Alba di Seoul at the end of last year. The new fragrance from the one of the oldest pharmacies in the world was created in honor of the South Korean capital city.

The fragrance is a woody blend, with fizzy, green accents. Pine wood and oriental notes form the drydown. Available in 100ml bottles.

Hermès has released a special edition of 24 Faubourg inspired by one of their famous silk scarves. This year’s patter is the Quadrige scarf. It was first created in 1973 by Pierre Péon, and it features “the heads of four horses and their harnesses which fit together like pieces in a puzzle to create a stylized, Hermès version of the quadriga, a two wheeled-chariot which appears on the Parthenon frieze.”

Eau de toilette 24, Faubourg, Quadrige limited edition, 100ml, €123. Available at Hermès boutiques.

Via hermes.com

“A lot of people give Chanel No. 5  for the same reason they might buy an Apple computer—because they think they can’t go wrong,” says Frédéric Malle. “But perfume is more personal than that. It’s not about choosing a ‘good’ fragrance. It’s about choosing the one that’s a good match with the person who will be wearing it.”

Vogue.com features a fun article called Perfume by Personality: Frédéric Malle’s Guide to Fragrance Gifting.  I particularly enjoyed Malle’s choice of fragrances. For the Minimalist, he recommends Frédéric Malle L’Eau d’Hiver Eau de Parfum; The Urban Bohemian–Estée Lauder Youth Dew; The Outdoor Adventurist–Les Exclusifs de Chanel Bel Respiro; The Art Collector–Dior Miss Dior (original) and Bulgari Eau Parfumée au Thé Vert Extrême; The Vintage Enthusiast–Rochas Femme and Caron Pour un Homme. To read the rest, please follow this link.

Also, the French edition of Vogue.com includes a beautiful spread on solid perfumes, Jolies Concrètes. It’s in French, but the pictures say everything.

Perfumer & Flavorist’s December issue includes my article L’Heure Bleue at 100. It talks about the recent celebration of this Guerlain classic’s centenary held by the French Society of Perfumers in Paris. I touch a bit upon the history of this perfume and include quotes from perfumers who consider L’Heure Bleue to be an inspiration. Perfumer & Flavorist is a magazine aimed at the professional audience, but if you are curious about raw materials, you should check their article archives for some fascinating research.

According to Guerlain’s archives, Jacques Guerlain was inspired to create L’Heure Bleue in 1912 during a walk along the Seine when he noticed the vivid blue color of the sky as dusk fell over the city. “I felt something so intense, I could only express it in a perfume,” he later wrote in his notes. To read more, please follow this link.

What are your thoughts on Guerlain L’Heure Bleue?

Serge Lutens is releasing a new perfume in the export collection called La Fille de Berlin. It’s based on an accord of roses and pepper.

Those who love Serge Lutens’s photography will be excited to know that the fragrance launch is accompanied by Lutens’s new book, Berlin à Paris. This book is described as “a 176-page journey through an imaginary world inhabited by striking personalities with bold expressions, in a sui generis of its own. The focal point of each image is the model – the sole subject and true aim of each shot – for whom Serge Lutens designs objects, accoutrements, jewellery, staging, hairstyles and makeup with a view to portraying a desired expression. Taken between 1967 and 2008, the photos in the book transport us to a visit where dreams grapple with fantasy.”

If you’re in Paris between now and December 21st, don’t miss the exhibit of his work at the Galerie Marcilhac. The exhibit includes 30 photographs that appear in Berlin à Paris. Galerie Marcilhac, 8 rue Bonaparte, 75006 Paris, www.marcilhacgalerie.com

La Fille de Berlin Eau de Parfum, 50 ml/€78. It will be available in March 2013, with limited availability at Serge Lutens boutiques in February. The book is €100, and it can  be found at Electaweb.

Via Vogue.