2014 launches: 51 posts

The first time I smelled Guerlain’s L’Homme Idéal, I chuckled, because clearly, their ideal man is wearing a little black dress. Yes, L’Homme Idéal is a masculine twist on La Petite Robe Noire. But this kind of borrowing, right down to the toasted almond and praline details, is clever rather than boring. This is not just another bland and safe sports cologne, that’s for sure.

The quest for an ideal man is nothing new, in life or in perfume, and Guerlain’s approach to L’Homme Idéal is rather humorous. Instead of using notes that for reasons of accident and culture came to be seen as the only ones appropriate to men, like lavender, herbs, cedarwood or mild spices, perfumer Thierry Wasser loads the composition with gourmand accents.  It tries to tempt men with the same delicious notes that made La Petite Robe Noire such a success. Continue reading →

I divide the contemporary fragrance world into the children of Thierry Mugler Angel and the children of Dolce & Gabbana Light Blue? Well, the Angel clan can welcome a new sibling, Viktor & Rolf Bonbon. A textbook gourmand, Bonbon is exclusively for the lovers of sweet. If you like your cotton candy with a dose of peach syrup, then you’re in  for a treat. If not, then you can count on a headache.

When Angel was launched in 1993, its caramel and vanilla overdose was so novel that it at once attracted and repelled. “It’s not a perfume, it’s a flavor blend,” said some perfumers. “Unsophisticated, vulgar, crude,” said others. But after a slow start, Angel proved that it had much more than sweetness and that it could create a new family of perfumes. Today, over-the-top vanilla and caramel are nothing new, and as Bonbon demonstrates, they make a commercial, easy to like scent. We’ve been well-trained by Angel.

Continue reading →

If you love Shalimar Parfum Initial as much as I do, consider stocking up, because Guerlain is discontinuing this gourmand perfume with an iris twist (along with its flanker, Parfum Initial L’Eau). There will be a new Shalimar interpretation called Shalimar Souffle de Parfum. It’s described as tender, warm, and enveloping, featuring notes of bergamot, lemon, mandarin, jasmine sambac, orange blossom water absolute, vanilla from India and Tahiti, and white musk.

“To emphasize and give to the orange blossom its honeyed notes, Thierry Wasser used orange blossom water absolute. This absolute is the result of a very specific process. First step, distillation, to obtain the orange blossom water, then, extraction, to collect the precious absolute. This powerful absolute accentuates the floral trail of the fragrance.”

It will be available next month at Guerlain boutiques and counters. Via Guerlain.com (thank you to Jaime K for the news)

Jean Patou is relaunching three fragrances from its archives: Adieu Sagesse, Amour Amour (now called Deux Amours), Que Sais-Je? The perfumes were originally created in 1925 and were to represent three phases of love, seduction, doubt and abandon. In-house perfumer Thomas Fontaine brought them back, along with the earlier reissues of Chaldée, Eau de Patou and Patou Pour Homme.

Adieu Sagesse created by legendary perfumer Henri Alméras is a floral blend dominated by gardenia. It includes notes of jonquil, lily of the valley, neroli, carnation, tuberose, opopanax, civet, and musk.

Deux Amours (formerly Amour Amour), a classical floral bouquet, was created by Georges Reboul and Henri Alméras. It features notes of bergamot, black currant, narcissus, neroli, carnation, jasmine, rose, and vetiver.

Que Sais-Je?, another Alméras perfume, is a classical chypre. It includes orange blossom, apricot, peach, carnation, iris, jasmine, rose, amber, cistus labdanum, and civet.

The Heritage Collection is available at Jean Patou boutiques and counters. Via press release

Cartier is introducing a new flanker to its Baiser Volé perfume called Baiser Volé Lys Rose. Created by perfumer Mathilde Laurent, it’s a fruity interpretation of the original Eau de Parfum released in 2011. It plays up the lily notes with rose and red berries.

“A perfume that leaves a lingering trail. Every aspect of the lily, a flower of pure femininity, is explored for the first time. A flower of passion for highly charged emotions.”

Baiser Volé is also available as Eau de Toilette, Essence de Parfum, and Extrait de Parfum. All variations build on the lily theme, but they have different accents and characters.

If you’ve tried it already, please comment. I’m very curious to hear what it’s like.

Baiser Volé Lys Rose is available in 50ml ($88) and 100ml ($128) ml Eau de Parfum. Via press release