2012 launches: 129 posts

Odin New York introduces 08 Seylon, a perfume inspired by the South Asian island of Sri Lanka. It is a vetiver fragrance that “takes us on a journey through the damp soils of untamed Sri Lanka.” The notes include yuzu, bitter orange, bergamot, nutmeg, resinous elemi, wormwood, benzoin, oakmoss, and vetiver. The perfume is part of the Odin New York collection that features 01 Sunda, 02 Owari, 03 Century, 04 Petrana, 06 Amanu and 07 Tanoke.

“Harvested from the wild landscapes of Sri Lanka comes a scent that truly represents an authentic interpretation of pure vetiver. Seylon opens with the watery crispness of fresh yuzu followed by the tartness of bitter orange and bergamot. Middle notes of spicy nutmeg, resinous elemi and wormwood merge together with a rich base of warm benzoin, damp oakmoss and the soft earthiness of calming vetiver.”

Odin perfumes are available at Odin New York, Aedes de Venustas in New York, Barney’s New York, Colette in Paris, Liberty in London, Quartier 206 in Berlin, Lane Crawford in Hong Kong, and Isola in Madrid. $165/100ml. Via press release

What happens when a talented photographer and a perfumer cross paths? To figure this out, I take a close look at the striking sunshine filled image by the Italian master Massimo Vitali and apply a drop of Lumière Blanche to my wrist. The idea behind this perfume by the French niche house Olfactive Studio was to capture the intense white light saturating Vitali’s photograph of a Sicilian beach.

It’s easy enough to fall under the spell of suggestion with something as intangible as a scent and as vivid as this image, and I could tell you that I smell “white” and “radiance.” What I feel above all is just pleasure. As I press my nose into my wrist, I notice a comforting warmth from the perfume’s blend of spices, almonds and sandalwood. There is a beautiful synergy between picture and a scent, but even on their own, they are striking.

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Serge Luten has unveiled his newest Paris exclusive fragrance called Une Voix Noire. “The stars rise in chorus. The night sky is filled with the light of the moon.  It is a tribute to the singer Billie Holiday, a reference to a gardenia she wore in her hair.

The perfume is now available via sergelutens.com, 75ml is 130 euros. Via sergelutens.com

“Flowers can have a dark enchantment,” says Tom Ford of his new Jardin Noir series. “When you showcase their darker and less innocent aspects, flowers can become so thrilling and beautiful, they could almost ruin you. That was the sensation I was after.”* For a flower from a collection called Jardin Noir, Lys Fume upon first impression is not all that dark. For a perfume named “Fume”, which I take to mean “smoked lily” in French, the smoke is quite subtle.

But even if Tom Ford is after the “film noir” glamour goddesses in theory only, Lys Fume is an enjoyable fragrance. Real lilies smell intensely indolic–of ink and moth balls–and while perfumers Rodrigo Flores-Roux and Shyamala Maisondieu  tone down the animalic components, they didn’t shy away from exploring some surprising twists to create this blossom.

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Guerlain’s Les Déserts d’Orient trio of Rose Nacrée du Désert, Encens Mythique d’Orient, and Songe d’Un Bois d’Été is now available at Bergdorf Goodman in New York.

A tribute to enchanting Arabia with three iconic creations that represent the Orient in all its original splendor… There has always been a beautiful love story, an undeniable and faithful bond, between Guerlain and the Orient. Superb compositions are the prestigious proof. With the creation of Shalimar (1925), Jacques Guerlain founded the great oriental olfactory family. As rounded as a waltz, it majestically combines the sweet, opiate notes of balms, precious woods and vanilla with flowers and exotic essences to embody the opulence of faraway horizons imbued with mystery… Thierry Wasser, Guerlain’s perfumer-creator, wanted to demonstrate this concept in his own way, with sumptuousness and freedom, while giving dazzling expression to the notes that make these lands an inexhaustible source of inspiration.

Via Bergdorf Goodman