2012 launches: 129 posts

Perfumer and Flavorist Magazine published an interesting overview of the autumn-winter  fragrance trends. Analyzed by  Seven Scent Ltd, a trend agency based in Manchester, United Kingdom), this biannual fine fragrance forecast looks at what might influence the launches a year ahead–the 2013/14 autumn-winter collections.

• “Tea accords: a move away from the classic or traditional green tea accords, towards a more unusual, sophisticated and rich fragrance
• Wood accords: the rich spice of oud is softened in a partnership with rose; a classic marriage of materials from middle eastern perfumery
• Leathers and suede: evoking a timeless elegance and quality in masculine scents
• Spices: such as cardamom, cumin and saffron inspired by the Middle East
• Amber: versatile and popular, it adds warmth and blends with oriental spices as well as soft musky notes
• Red berries: rich and dark notes will deliver an autumnal feel”

Nevertheless, it’s easy enough to find new perfumes that fit many of these categories: Tom Ford Jardin Noir series, Diptyque Volutes, Serge Lutens Une Voix Noire, Chanel Coco Noir, to name a few.

Photography by Bois de Jasmin

What can one expect from a fragrance inspired by Billie Holiday’s gardenia, called Une Voix Noire (Black Voice) and created by the dream team of Serge Lutens and Christopher Sheldrake? Heady, dark, convoluted, perhaps? Well, Une Voix Noire is none of these things. It has a surprising combination of softness and warmth. Its presence is generous, but it’s not overwhelming. It’s dramatic without being heady or dense. Une Voix Noire feels velvety the moment you put it on, and it gracefully moves from one stage to another. Frankly, if Lutens said that he was inspired by ballerina Maya Plisetskaya’s Black Swan, rather than by Lady Day, I would have believed him.

I admit that this Lutens wasn’t love at first inhale the way Bois de Violette or De Profundis have been for me.  I anticipated the heady, the dark and the bittersweet, and I missed them in this soft perfume.  Nevertheless, I’m glad that I went along for the ride, because Une Voix Noire forced me to take our courtship slowly and to fall in love with it one layer at a time.

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Arquiste Parfumeur is launching its 7th fragrance Boutonniere no.7 in November 2012. Created by perfumer Rodrigo Flores-Roux, it is a masculine rendition of a gardenia blossom.

“May 1899, Foyer of the Opéra-Comique, Paris

During the Opera’s intermission, a group of seven young men gather at the Grand Foyer in search of new flirtations. Women of all sorts are lured in by the crisp, green scent of the men’s gardenia boutonnieres, enlivened with the bergamot and lavender colognes they wear. As they draw closer, the “Opera Flower” exudes its elegant masculinity, the last breath of a bloom sacrificed on a black-tie lapel.”

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I already posted about the scented leather gloves L’Artisan Parfumeur created for La Collection de Grasse (The Grasse Collection), but today I wanted to mention two new candles from the same range. L’Automne (autumn/fall) and L’Hiver (winter) are inspired by the perfumes of Grasse, the heart of perfume industry and artisanal craft. L’Artisan Parfumeur pays homage to the Grasse “arrière-pays,” or back-country. “These two L’Artisan Parfumeur candles transport you to the Grasse back-country, creating a warm and cosy atmosphere for your home, redolent of the seasons.”

L’Automne
“A stroll through the wild landscape surrounding Grasse, where leaves and nuts fall onto the humid earth.
The L’Automne candle recreates this special muffled atmosphere, where leaves on the ground soften the sound of footsteps. The air is getting fresher, and more humid, the light is getting paler, comforting as the wind picks up. At first, we detect a lavender note, which carries us into the countryside, then chestnut, caramel and blackcurrant notes. Finally, a cedar and lichen accord brings to a close this promenade in the Grasse back-country.”

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Parfums de Nicolaï has just released a new fragrance inspired by the rich musks used in the classical fragrances. Created by perfumer Patricia de Nicolaï, Musc Intense is a deep and rich blend with notes of rose, jasmine, violet, carnation, clove, and musks.

“The fragrance I imagined is a flowery, soft, extremely sensual caress. Musc Intense is a union of rose and white musk. I like the liqueur top note, the elegant essence of Turkish Rose. Carnation and violet take over from there, sustained by jasmine and rose absolutes. Musc Intense is an explosive cocktail of musk notes… A sensuous and particularly sophisticated fragrance. So Nicolaï!”

Musc Intense is available from Parfums de Nicolaï boutiques and soon to be available online. 30ml Eau de Parfum/49 euros. Via pnicolai.com