Perfume for the Occasion: Beachy Scents

Ah, summer..! The occasion for this month’s PFTO is versatile and malleable: a summery state of mind. Whether you’ll be making your escape to an exotic local, a cosmopolitan resort, a blindingly white Mediterranean isle set against the endless blue, a relaxed camping where you’ll be spending your days at the beach bar and your nights drinking frozen beer around a campfire on the sand or right here in the city, escaping every evening and weekend to the roof-garden of a hotel to sip cocktails by the poolside with your friends, forgetting every little worry, you’ll need the perfect perfume to enhance the experience, the perfect fragrance to complete the marvelous sensory pleasure-bomb that is summer.

When looking for a fragrance to accompany your picture-perfect summer memories, the best idea is to look for something that makes you feel sensuous and ethereal at the same time. Perfumes that achieve this effect are a perfect match for the looks we all associate with summer: bright colors, light, natural fibers, revealing cuts, billowing fabrics, chunky, colorful jewelry, high wedges and sexy flat sandals. The most common note for summery scents is of course coconut, and it is indeed the note this month’s PFTO mostly focuses on. A lot of people would probably reference breezy, marine scents with obvious ozonic or watermelon notes for this occasion, but I think warm, sensual scents that manage to avoid being cloying or suffocating are better suited to the erotic, fun-loving mood of the summer holidays. Aside from coconut, look for notes of strawberry, vanilla, jasmine, orange blossom, tiare, gardenia and ylang-ylang. Before we take a look at my favorite picks for the occasion, a word of warning: If you are traveling somewhere where you are expecting really warm weather, and especially if you are going camping, make sure to decant a small quantity of your perfume into a purse spray atomizer and take this with you instead of your precious bottle. High temperature is perfume’s most vicious enemy – you don’t want to leave your bottle boiling in the heat!

· Beach by Bobby Brown : For those of you wanting to recreate the feeling of a retro beach, complete with colorful towels, wet bikinis, blinding, blissful sun and the sound of the rolling waves as the heat lulls you to sleep, this is definitely the ticket. Bobby Brown’s Beach is the most accurate rendition of Coppertone sunscreen, bottled as a scent. Memories in a bottle.

· Fire Island by Bond No. 9: Another very successful rendition of Coppertone sunscreen, Bond No.9’s Fire Island can easily be mistaken for Beach – they are almost twins. Fire Island is rather more citrusy up top, has a stronger sillage and a woodier base, but the effect is truly the same. Sand between your toes, beach ball games, laughter and sun. Smelling both Fire Island and Beach at the same time, I find it hard to decide which one I like better. Beach is more realistically close to its sun-block inspiration, but if I were hard-pressed to choose I’d probably go with Fire Island, whose sweeter approach has a more fun-loving appeal and a more interesting development than the more linear Beach.

· Ipanema by Satellite: From the absolutely stunning bottle complete with seashell decorations, to the saturated turquoise color of the juice, which matches the golden trimmings so perfectly to remind me of gorgeous summer outfits, all the way to the beautifully summery scent, I am utterly in love with Satellite’s Ipanema. I want this on my dresser, and frankly I am not sure I would be able to resist grabbing this one with me on my summer vacation. Forget decanting, I want the luxury of being able to hold this fabulous bottle in my hands every time I am ready to go out! It would put a spring in my step! A yummy, light coconut note, blended with white florals, which dries down to the warmth and sensuality of vanilla and woods. Visit Luckyscent to grab a bottle online, or visit Satellite’s own website to ogle the fabulous jewelry and find a stockist near you.

· Strawberry Perfume Oil by The Body Shop: Yes, yes, I know what you’re thinking... Strawberry? Body Shop? Really? But yes, really, this is so very summery, so very happy, I couldn’t help but include it. A juicy, strong smelling, girly fragrance which smells both fruity and warm. Perfect for a day of exploring the labyrinthine alleys of a sun-drenched Cycladian island or an evening beach party. If you’re a strawberry lover, give this a try. Much better than Miss Dior Cherie. Hah!

· Vanille Coco by Comptoir Sud Pacifique: This is one of my summer staples and an absolute favorite. It is the fragrance that comes closest to my beloved Hawaiian Tropic suntan oil it terms of scent, and believe me, I have searched for that addictive smell everywhere! This is the most delightful, warm and delicious vanilla-coconut combination I have encountered. For me, it is the smell of summer. Arm-gnawing worthy, edible perfection. My boyfriend hates it, but it makes me truly, absolutely happy. Sometimes a girl has to make some difficult choices.

· Hula Hula by DSH: This is one of the most summery fragrances the absolutely lovely Dawn Spencer Hurwitz has created! Hula Hula’s opening is a mad cornucopia of fruit and cream that fills the mind's eye with swirls of interchanging colors. After the initial explosion of fruit, this delightful fragrance settles down to a creamy, beautiful combination of yummy coconut, pineapple, light florals and mango. This is one of the most innovative summer scents I’ve ever tried, and truly worth its spot in my summer fragrance wardrobe.

· Bronze Goddess by Estee Lauder: When all is said and done, Bronze Goddess is Azurée Soleil’s twin sister, a clever move by Estee, seeing as Azurée Soleil became a bestseller. Unfortunately, when it comes to packaging, Azurée Soleil’s bottle was far more summery and attractive, but the juice remains as lovely. Bronze Goddess is truly this summer’s must-have fragrance; if you’re going to invest in only one beachy scent this year, let it be this one! As last year's review of Azurée Soleil indicated, this one has it all: tropical dreams, coconut flavor, ripe fruit, narcotic blossoms, sea-spray and sensual, mildly animalic hints that make this fragrance scream of midsummer eroticism.

· Sampaquita by Ormonde Jayne: An absolutely unisex fragrance in my opinion, Sampaquita smells like grassy sambac jasmine and water lilies, surrounded by a warm cloak of spicy black pepper. An all-day round scent in the rest of the year, Sampaquita becomes an essential evening addition to a summer wardrobe where it perfectly reminds one of the day’s heat accumulated on streets radiating into the air in the nighttime and lovingly mixing with the scents of night-blooming flowers, which hangs thickly in the air. Sampaquita is one of the three Ormonde Jayne scents that also comes in the lovely pots of gold, Parfum d’Or Naturel, a dazzling, alcohol free way to wear your fragrance, perfect for summer evenings.

Lastly, before I close this rather long post, I have to mention three fragrances I have not personally had the pleasure of sampling myself as of yet, but which I have heard are perfect for the summer. These are: Patricia de Nicolai’s Cococabana, Anna Sui’s Dolly Girl on the Beach and Ava Luxe’s Venus Sands, which you can sometimes find in her Etsy Shop. For true beachy scent devotees, these are worthy of investigation!

What do you think of Beachy scents? Do you think they are bottle worthy, or do you hesitate before making an investment in a bottle that doesn’t often see the light of day during the colder months? Do you have a favorite? Let me know!

Images: Flickr by Januszl, Flickr by PinkMoose, wikipedia.

Father’s Day Gift Ideas

Have you already done your Father’s Day gift shopping? Judging by the hordes of last minute shoppers I encounter every year right before Mother’s Day and Father’s Day, most will be rushing out in panic to try and find something just a day or two before the holiday. This year, this sometimes forgotten –in comparison to the widely advertised Mother’s Day, that is- holiday falls on the 15th of July in most parts of the world. What will you be giving your dad this year? You’re probably expecting me to say that I will be gifting my father with a fragrance, and truth be told, he is a man that has worn cologne every single day of his life, ever since I’ve known him. He has gone through bottles of Jazz, Eau Sauvage, Fahrenheit, Photo, Jacomo, as well as a short, awful spell of Obsession, but for me the one perfume most closely associated with him will always be the utterly Mediterranean Paco Rabanne pour Homme, the perfume my dearest dad used to wear when my hand was still so tiny that he used to offer me his pinky finger to hold, instead of his whole hand. A simple memory, yet one so heart-wrenchingly moving for me, my tiny hand, trustingly wrapped around his finger. He’d offer it with a smile. Our secret handshake. But no, I won’t be giving my dad perfume this year, even though I still miss the way Paco smelled sweetly metallic, fresh and at the same time warm on his skin. I will be giving him beautifully smelling pipe tobacco, from the esteemed House of Hajenius, because I know this is what he really wants. Tobacco blended with flowers, tobacco tasting like malt whiskey. Even though he doesn’t look like the archetypical pipe-smoker - he’s slim, dresses in Lacoste sweaters and Italian jeans, never sports the merest shadow of a beard- great quality pipe tobacco is what he’d really like. Whatever it is I am giving him this year or the next, nothing can ever come close to showing him what I feel for him: Endless love and appreciation, love so warm and deep that makes my heart spill over. Admiration, for he is the most wonderful man I know: Accomplished, intelligent, funny, talented, caring, loving, loyal and faithful. He has always been there for me, like the strongest mountain that always shields me from bad weather. I don’t know what I’d do without him.

Many people see these types of holidays with the eye of a cynic. I say, life is too short for that. Let’s be honest, most of us live rushed lives that don’t allow us to show our deep appreciation as often as we’d like. These days are there to remind us to pay some extra attention to the ones we love. And they deserve it! Go on, get out there, buy your dad something. Wrap it up beautifully. Most importantly, write him a card. And if you’re not feeling too old for it, draw him a heart. Make him smile!
For those of you still looking for a gift, here are some ideas to help you narrow down your search:

· Every Man Jack’s Beginner’s Luck Kit: This is probably one of my favorite gift options this year, a perfect selection of grooming essentials you can get both easily and for a great price to boot! The kit contains Every Man Jack’s Body Wash, Body Bars, Face Wash/Face Scrub, Shave Gel and Face Lotion and includes a toiletry bag. I love the smart, masculine packaging of the products and I can’t help but gush over the price: $24.95 for the whole kit! You can find EMJ’s Beginner’s Luck Kit in Target stores all over the states.

· Hand-Made Naturals Calendula & Aloe Vera After Shave Balm for Men: This is the perfect addition to any Father’s Day gift basket. Both my father and my boyfriend are men with sensitive skin that needs conditioning after shaving, and a good calendula balm is the only thing that works wonders to eliminate redness, dryness and to provide a cooling, calming effect. I can definitely recommend this one, by Hand-Made Naturals, a great balm which is free of synthetic ingredients, and contains, along with calendula, also aloe vera, palmarosa, shea butter, rosehip seed oil and vitamin E. A yummy treat for the skin, filled with goodness!

· Aegean by Neil Morris: Summer is here, and even though I am most probably biased, summer for me means the endless azure of the beautiful Aegean sea. If you really want to pamper your dad, why not buy him a truly luxurious summer perfume? Neil’s Aegean evokes the summery Greek coastline with mouthwatering notes of mandarin oranges, fragrant basil and aromatic quince. I feel a little guilty for including this, for the only way to quickly get this is to actually live in New York, where it is available at Takashimaya. But as I said... I am biased. I dream of the Aegean more and more every day as the date of my holidays in July draws closer. So forgive me for teasing you a bit as well. For most of us not living in New York, Neil’s perfumes are available through his webiste, Neil Morris Fragrances.

· Acqua di Parma Shaving Cream: Most of us fragrance fanatics know and love Acqua di Parma for its fragrances, but the niche Italian brand actually includes the wonderful collezione barbiere, which is rarely talked about. Part of this luxurious shaving products and accoutrements collection, is the Acqua di Parma Shaving Cream, a rich, thick product which turns into creamy foam when used with a shaving brush and promises to tame even the roughest beards. Soothing and refreshing, it contains hydrolyzed wheat protein, almond oil and extracts of mallow, lemon balm and water mint.

Summer Special at the Posh Peasant

Are you planning on burning some cash on samples or decants any time soon? The lovely, warmhearted Abigail over at the Posh Peasant is having an early summer special! With any purchase of $50 or more, shoppers receive three 1.5 glass spray decants of the following perfumes for free:

- Estee Lauder's newly launched Sensuous
- This year's summer must-have, Bronze Goddess by Estee Lauder and lastly,
- Filles des Iles Floral Solaire, a fragrance which combines the salty coolness of the ocean breeze with the comforting warmth of amber.

This offer will expire on the 20th of July or when supplies are exhausted.

New Link List : Niche Sample & Decant Websites

I often receive emails and occasionally comments here on Fragrance Bouquet, from readers wondering where they can sample or purchase this or that hard-to-find fragrance. I have decided to create a new links section (easily found if you scroll down on the right hand bar), listing all the webshops I know of where you can purchase samples and decants of many of these elusive scents, not only to help you the readers, but also to show my support to the wonderful people that enable all of us to experience fragrances we wouldn’t otherwise have the chance to! If you are the owner of a decanting service I have missed, please do not hesitate to mail me and I will add you to the list.

Note: Fragrance Bouquet is not affiliated with any of the listed websites.

Pulp and Chembur by ByRedo : Perfume Reviews

Word on the street is that Ben Gorham is one of us. Yes, the ex-professional basketball player is really a perfume junkie, a fragrance nut, just like us. Mr. Gorham founded his own company, ByRedo (By Redolence) in 2006, and started testing the scented waters first with high quality candles, room sprays, soaps and body products. Earlier this year, he launched his first personal fragrance line, a collection of five unisex fragrances in Eau de Parfum concentration, named Green, Chembur, Gypsy Water, Rose Noir and Pulp. While the company’s logo bears striking resemblance to that of Parfumerie Generale, and the bottles themselves are quite reminiscent of the ones in the Frédéric Malle line, the premise behind the scents sounds very promising: They are all based on Gorham’s memories, little snapshots of life, places and people, that nose Jerome Epinette was entrusted with, in order to encapsulate them into precious, scented liquid. Now that is memorable. And so are the two scents I’ve had the pleasure of testing more extensively, Chembur and Pulp.

· Pulp: Even though I don’t generally get along with overly fruity scents, one of my most surprising discoveries this year was that there are indeed certain fruity perfumes that will beguile me. The first one this year was Tigresse, which I am sure you are all tired of hearing me go on and on about by now. The second contender certainly has to be Pulp, a scent I felt a certain attraction towards from the moment I first smelled it. This is an intense, no holds barred, incredibly bright and colorful fruity scent that is bound to fill any old grey day with sunshine. It is as summery as they come and then some, actually managing to smell deliriously, ecstatically happy. The most attractive feature of Pulp –aside from its happy, sunny disposition, that is- is this lovely, jammy accord that makes it feel absolutely edible. Lovers of fig fragrances who have grown tired of the one-track-minded, single note scents populating the market like mushrooms in the last couple of years, will find a new friend in Pulp, which makes a striking, utterly green fig note its star attraction amidst all the psychedelic, exotically sweet extravaganza. The lovely interplay between fresh fruits, caramelized sugar and slightly dissonant minty undercurrents manages to keep me interested for hours, until finally the scent turns earthy and slightly woody. I am quite intrigued by the fact that this is marketed as a unisex fragrance – I can’t imagine a man wearing this to work for example. Then again, this is not a work type of scent anyway, so why not be daring? If you are after something youthful, luscious and fruity, this is most definitely worth a try!

· Chembur: Chembur is a northeastern neighborhood on the outskirts of Mumbai, India, where Gorham’s mother was born and raised. Throughout his childhood, Gorham paid several visits to Mumbai, often enjoying beautiful picnics with his family in Chembur. The memory of the temples and shrines, the incense in the summer heat and the colorful garlands of flowers are all encapsulated in this perfume, possibly the most beautiful scent this Stockholm-based niche line has to offer. The opening is marvelous, all zingy lemon that is at once fresh and marvelously oily, like rind shavings, balanced by a rising warmth and sweetness. The heart is pulsating with deep incense, dark and delightful, hugged by mellow resins. A sharp vetiver note I absolutely adore cuts through the softness like a dagger of sadness through the heart. The base notes manage to retain a burning incense quality, while at the same time interjecting some much needed solace with a deep, sweet, musky-myrrh accord. A truly beautiful fragrance that stays close to the skin, a slightly unsettling and very moving companion for the colder months of the year.

ByRedo fragrances can be purchased from Cow in Stockholm, Colette in Paris, Les Senteurs in London, Barney’s in New York and Skins in Amsterdam.

Images: www.byredo.com, Flickr, originally uploaded by Roswitha Schacht and Utpal.

Divine by Divine : Perfume Review

One of the houses I feel a certain affinity towards is Divine, and to their credit, these feelings have been built not on artificial branding strategies or clever advertising, but purely on their scents. Their masculine scents, although perhaps a little safe, are elegant, luxurious and refined. Their female scents have had this rare effect on me, making me wish I owned them from the moment I first smelled them; a wish that did not prove to be a passing fancy. I own and love L’Inspiratrice and look forward to buying both L’Infante and L’Ame Soer sometime in the near future. Surprisingly enough, the only Divine scent that did not actually manage to move me the way the rest did, is the small niche company’s first, homonymous offering, Divine.

My reaction the first time I smelled Divine was both powerful and inexplicable: I was instantly gripped by the strangest feeling of déjà vu, surrounded by a fragrance so very familiar and yet so disturbingly out of reach, I just couldn’t put my finger on it no matter how hard I tried. Even more disquieting than the strange familiarity of the scent, was the way it was stirring my emotions, making me feel as though I was constantly on the verge of reliving some, until then suppressed, rather unpleasant memory. Only there was no such memory... Just the bizarrely unsettling feeling of coming across someone who had, in the past, been important enough to recognize, yet being utterly unable to do so. And this, coupled with a feeling of oppression from the scent itself: It is a perfume that feels like the grandest bouquet of heady, narcotic blooms in a tiny, moonlit room with door and window hermetically closed. A sadness accompanies the fragrance that fills the space...one last time of tearful lovemaking after saying goodbye.

“Open the window darling... Let the night in...”

Divine is beautiful, too beautiful perhaps. She’s got theater make-up on. She looks good from afar, but once you come close enough to congratulate her on her wonderful performance, you’re thrown, overwhelmed by the intensity of her over-defined features. Close up, she can be frightening and quite awe-inspiring. There’s something brutal about her, like a Grand Damme of the ‘80s. She’s a prettier, mellower Poison, but loses the battle, for even though far superior, she is not a recognizable classic and is thus left walking behind. She’s like a sister to Lauder’s Beautiful, only not as sparkly, loving and fun. Looking at her one last time and finally deciding that I do not indeed know her, I decide she is dated.

Image: Flickr, originally uploaded by Vanessa

Fragrance Bouquet Loves... Kanebo

Fragrance Bouquet doesn’t just love Kanebo, Fragrance Bouquet adores Kanebo! We were long overdue for another FB Loves feature, so today I would like to present to you the five Kanebo products I simply cannot live without.

First of all, a few words about Sensai, the line I use: Sensai means “delicacy” or “finess” in japanese, but it also expresses an ideal of beauty and grace. Perhaps it wouldn’t inspire too much confidence in some, but Kanebo actually begun as a textiles company and research into cosmetics was spurred by the fact that the women that worked with silk textiles at the factory had beautifully youthful hands, so the company begun researching the effects of silk on the skin. The first skincare products were launched in the 1930s and they have been featuring silk as an ingredient ever since.

My skincare regime begins with the Sensai Silky Purifying line to which I am absolutely devoted. Before I started using the three products I am about to present I had problems with clogged pores in areas in my t-zone, mainly on and around the nose as well as between the brows. Unfortunately I am averse to facials, which I find unnecessarily harsh. Not only do I find them unpleasant, but my sensitive skin actually reacts with long-lasting (more than normal at least) redness and once I’ve even had problems with a tiny broken capillary that vain as I am I had to remove with laser. However, after a couple of months of using Kanebo’s Sensai Silky Purifying products, my skin is not only radiant but also cleansed: No more clogged pores, no more little unsightly black dots that drive me mad every time I look in the mirror. Just pure, radiant, clear skin which I am actually really proud of!

· Sensai Silky Purifying Cleansing Oil (Step 1): As the name suggests, this product is an oil, used for cleansing the skin. It is not very thick, but it requires only a tiny amount per use, which makes it a great bargain in my opinion. Just a small amount in the palm is enough to clean the whole face of any trace of make-up. It melts away everything, from mascara to foundation without requiring excessive rubbing. A simple gentle massage is enough, which means that you avoid unnecessarily stressing the sensitive eye area, which is so susceptible to fine lines and wrinkles. I use this every night even when I have gone without make-up, just to cleanse my skin of any impurities at the end of each day. Despite its oily texture, it washes away immediately with water, leaving the skin feeling moisturized and clean.

· Sensai Silky Purifying Creamy Soap (Step 2): As I mentioned earlier, I have extremely dry skin. Every single soap I have ever used on my face –even foaming cleansers that contain no soap- have left my skin feeling dry, experiencing a ‘pulling’ sensation, as though my skin was two sizes too small for my face. Not so with this one. My skin actually feels moisturized after using this product. This is meant to be used after the cleansing oil, applied on moist skin. The amount needed is minute: you are only meant to use a pea-sized portion on the fingertips, with which you create a rich lather when rubbing them against the wet palm of the other hand. It feels beautifully rich and soft, a simple luxury I truly enjoy. Both the creamy soap and the oil have a delicate, not-quite-there scent that enhances the experience, since it actually smells really clean.

· Sensai Silky Purifying Silk Peeling Powder: My holy grail of peeling products, this is the softest, gentlest peeling there is. Having had problems with redness around my t-zone area in the past, I dislike using anything granular on my sensitive skin. This product is an enzyme powder that can be worked into a lather when it comes into contact with water. It thoroughly removes dead skin cells, old horny matter, dark pores and patches of rough skin, leaving one with a silky, retexturised surface, ready to soak up a mask or moisturizer of choice. The packaging is perfect, allowing one to obtain the right amount with precision just by turning the bottle upside down once. Those with oily skin can turn to the Sensai Pore Clarifying Essence for extra help with keeping the pores clean and sebum free, but those of us with dry skin should limit ourselves to the three products listed here.

The next two products belong to the Sensai Silk line as well and are my night-time staples. This line, meant for the younger skin, is created to prevent the early aging symptoms, as well as to correct existing early aging problems. These products promise to bolster the skin’s defenses against environmental aggressors, shielding, protecting and reinforcing the skin-cells, helping to preserve youthfulness and minimizing the need for corrective interventions later on.

· Sensai Silk Softening Lotion (Step 1): This product comes in either Light or Moist formula, the first one for normal, oily or combination skin, the second one for dry or very dry skin. As you’ll probably already have guessed, I use the Moist version. I was originally unconvinced that I needed to use a primer before my moisturizer, but I instantly changed my mind after being provided with a generous 30ml sample of the lotion by the amazing and helpful SA that always helps me choose my skincare products. The difference this makes is amazing. Using this before the emulsion means I wake up with ten times more moisturized skin that is absolutely, improbably radiant. This one is meant to enhance the effect of subsequent products used, and indeed, it does deliver as promised. You can apply this with a cotton pad, or simply gently pat the liquid with the palms of the hands, the method I personally prefer, as it is not only cost-effective (no product going to waste just soaked up by the pad), but it also seems to just work better, creating a better moisturized surface.

· Sensai Silk Emulsion (Step 2): This product comes in Light, Moist and Super Moist versions, depending on the needs of one’s skin. Having ultra dry skin I prefer the Super Moist formula, of course. The texture of this product is silky and feels rather more runny than other intensive, heavy-duty moisturizers I’ve used, something I am pleased about, since I do not have to work it into the skin, but can simply gently apply it. It comes with a pump applicator, meaning the product does not get exposed to the elements or contaminated with bacteria and foreign matter from the hands, keeping it good and fresh to the last drop. It is so very moisturizing, I have to actually remind myself to apply cream in the mornings when I wake up! My skin simply never feels dry ever since I’ve started using this, and my complexion is radiant and even. Thoroughly recommended!

What are your holy grail skincare products? Have you found anything that *really* works? Please let me know!

Images: www.sensai-cosmetics.com

MV2 & MV3 by MAC, Perfume Reviews

Drum-roll please! Made my last exams for the year – and with an excellent grade too. Am I happy? Proud? Elated? Well, yes, but most of all, I am tired. All I did for the last ten days was study. No, seriously, you don’t want to see what my house actually looks like from all the neglect. Thank you so much for your patience during my absence and for your supportive comments and emails. Usually the first Monday of the month is devoted to our regular feature, Perfume for the Occasion, but since I had no time to prepare during the previous week and was actually writing exams for four hours on Monday, this month’s PFTO is postponed until next week. Today Fragrance Bouquet returns with two unexpected sweet little sisters.

The girls in question are MAC’s Variation Parfumee MV2 and MV3, two gorgeous variations on the theme of vanilla. I don’t really consider myself a perfume snob, but I certainly did not expect to rate these as highly as I do. MAC is known for its make-up products after all, not its perfumes, and the way the fragrances are packaged and displayed doesn’t really do them justice either: Lined up one after the other in identical glass and plastic bottles with a simple variation on cap color does not really conspire to tell the customer that thought has actually gone into making each scent unique and valued. It is indeed a pleasant discovery to find that there is a MAC perfume for every MAC girl, and that the same attention to detail that goes into their fabulous make-up products, goes into the fragrances as well. I might not have found something to like in every single scent, but I have found two new loves in MV2 and 3. Variation 3 is the one I consider the best of the bunch, in fact I find its smell downright addictive. The opening is incredibly sensual and rather empowering due to its masculine character, a scent that would certainly put me in the right mood if I was getting ready for a night of partying. It is a scent sensitive to one’s own chemistry, smelling sweeter on some and rather more bitter on others (I fall in the latter category), something I certainly enjoy. It is a spicy, playful fragrance, which compliments the main vanilla theme with perfectly proportionate doses of dark coconut and cacao. Leather, vetiver and tolu balsam play great supporting roles, holding everything together and adding character and depth to the otherwise carefree mix. It is a quite effusive fragrance, allowing others to catch delightful whiffs of it every now and then even when the wearer has been prudently modest with application. Unfortunately, despite the fact that the fragrance is long-lasting overall, it does lose its beautiful richness after a couple of hours of wear, leaving one with a great many hours of a dry, less than playful base. I personally find I need to refresh MV3 two or three hours after the initial application, so that I can once again experience its delicious, addictive goodness. Fortunately, the bottle is tiny enough to not become cumbersome in my purse, but I can see how this would be seen as too much trouble for some.

In comparison to MV3, MV2, seems like the simpler, but most certainly not dowdier sister. Perhaps more apt would be to call her the daytime sister, the antipode to MV3’s darker, mysterious sensuality. The most salient trait of MV2, is its instantly recognizable, profoundly milky scent. Those of you that love scents with prominent milky accord (such as Miyako or Feu d’Issey) like I do, should definitely give this one a try, for it is the milkiest of milky scents I’ve ever tried. This beautiful, utterly comforting scent smells like luxurious, high quality Dulce de Leche, bathed in thick, creamy condensed milk. I do not actually perceive the scent of lavender in this perfume, despite it being listed as an official note. What I do smell now and then however is the milky scent of freshly cut grass, a beautiful background freshness that paradoxically manages to fit right in with the warm appeal of this fragrance. Despite all this sounding like a recipe for tooth-rotting disaster, MV2 somehow manages to refrain from being sugary: its sweetness is shy and refined, perfectly cuddling the vanilla heart in a soft-as-clouds, fluffy goodness. The passage of time makes this scent meld wonderfully with one’s own skin-scent , ending up smelling oh-so-sexy, like sun-baked skin. This makes this oriental fragrance smell bizarrely summery indeed.

My only axe to grind with these two beauties is their price: MAC’s philosophy is a promise for excellent, professional quality cosmetics that come in affordable prices. And indeed, the fabulous brand keeps its promise 99% of the time: the quality is indeed amazing, the collections are stunning, the products are of a professional caliber and the prices are great. However, at 26 euro a pop, the fragrances are far from affordable. Sure, 26 euro might seem like a great price initially, but each bottle actually only contains 20ml of juice. Which means that you’d pay 130 euro (about 201$ US) for the usual 100 ml (4 oz)! To be fair it has to be said that the price for bigger bottles is usually cheaper of course, but still, it wouldn't be that much cheaper. That said, they are a great perfume pick-me-up for the perfumista who’s just itching for a new bottle of something, but doesn’t have too much spending money at the moment those all too familiar urges kick in. Certainly, there is something to be said about the smaller bottles, which are becoming less and less ubiquitous nowadays.


Images: Author's own and commons.wikimedia.org

A Little Tip for Shoppers in Den Haag

Good afternoon lovelies,
I have already started studying hard for my upcoming last exams of the academic year, which are ten days away. I do not expect to be able to post much in the next ten days, but I will do my best to bring you at least a couple of smaller posts. Today just a little tip for those of you living in Den Haag and those of you that live close enough to shop there: Douglas Den Haag is currently having a half-price offer on a small number of fragrances. Underneath a heap of the usual trashy suspects I first uncovered Moschino’s Friends, a simple yet beautiful masculine of which unfortunately only the deodorants are left, but even more exciting was the discovery of several Ferre by Ferre eau de parfum bottles, going for just 31 euros each. Although Ferre by Gianfranco Ferre has not been officially discontinued, it is a hard to find fragrance. The price is great and the juice is just marvelous. It is a softly sweet floral-woody/musky scent that smells rather decadent, like a tribute to all the Italian scents which smelled like liquid gold in the very early nineties. It lasts forever and it is sexy and comforting at once, begging the nose to come closer whenever it catches a whiff of it. Fans of the discontinued, absolutely fabulous By Woman by Dolce & Gabbana are going to love this one – the two are very close. Snap it up! I am feeling rather regretful myself for not grabbing one last night...

Official Notes:

Top: Bergamot, Pineapple, Iris Leaf
Middle: Rose, Lily-of-the-Valley, Ylang-Ylang, Jasmine, Freesia, Magnolia
Base: Iris Root, Sandalwood, Vetiver, Amber, Vanilla, Musk, Basmati Rice

Image: www.marvistore.com

Would you Like this on Your Dresser? Greek Gems

Perfume containers in ancient Greece were most often earthenware, spun ceramics, whose shape reflected the type of perfume held within. Lekuthos, slim elegant vials, were often made of glass and were mostly used for liquid perfume. Aryballes were used for perfumed oils, balms and ointments. Alabastron bottles were very collectible perfume containers, often branded by the craftsmen who made them, rendering them even more collectible, especially amongst women. Tourists that visit Greece nowadays will be hard-pressed to find any original Greek perfumes today, despite the fact that this little, beautiful Mediterranean country has had a strong relationship with perfumes and cosmetics since ancient times. In addition to flower essences such as iris, rose, lily and violet, the Greeks also favored spices and herbs, such as marjoram, sage and cumin for their scents. Incense and myrrh were originally seen as only fit for the gods and were reserved for religious rituals, up until the 4th century B.C., when a shift in tastes and ideology occurred. Certain regions and islands still produce scents made with local plants and resins, but even these are hard to find even for natives. The island of Zakynthos (also known as Zante) for example, still has a small family operated perfumery business which makes six different scents, four marketed towards women and two that are considered rather more masculine. These are all made with local ingredients, the most beautiful of which is made by a local flower that resembles jasmine. However interesting, these modern Greek perfumes likely bear no resemblance to the Greek perfumes of ancient times. Still, we can admire the containers of these precious oils and essences while imagining a world in which perfume was once so popular it was feared that it would bring on an economic crisis...




· Aryballos shaped like a warrior’s head, wearing a helmet. Two-tone ceramic, 6th century B.C., found in Rhodes. www.museumdelperfume.com







· Alabastron bottles, ovoid-shaped. Particularly attractive image of woman looking in the mirror (far left). 4th century B.C., Egnatia. www.museumdelperfume.com







· This magnificent Aryballos stands only about 6.8 cm (2.7 inches) tall, yet manages to display no fewer than seventeen fully armed warriors. According to the text accompanying the picture on the British Museum’s website the warriors

“are locked in combat, thrusting their spears, jostling for position, or falling to the ground. Each warrior is armed with plumed helmet, spear and blazoned shield. Some are realistically streaked with blood. Two further figure scenes below show a horse-race and a hare-hunt. The upper part of the vase takes the form of a lion's head, its mouth open to display rows of fearsome teeth and a red tongue.”

This fabulous flacon dates from about 640 BC, was made in Corinth and is said to be from Thebes, Greece. www.britishmuseum.org







· This funny looking terracotta scent bottle in the shape of a rotund, squatting little man stands about 15 cm (5.9 inches) tall and according to the British Museum’s wonderful website, he is more of a “caricature, made for comic effect”. It was found in Kameiros, on the island of Rhodes, where reportedly, hundreds of other perfume bottles have been found. It dates from about 520 BC. www.britishmuseum.org








· I love the graceful lines of this perfume bottle, in the shape of a heron. This particular aryballos is clay earthenware and stands about 13 cm (5.1 inches) tall. It dates from about 580 BC. The piece belongs to the Cleveland Museum of Art, it is, however, not on display at the moment. www.clevelandart.org







· This beautiful alabastron also comes from Kameiros, Rhodes, and is made of clay. Standing 21 cm (8.3 inches) tall, it is in the shape of a woman wearing a veil on her head and a pendant around her neck. She is tenderly holding a dove against her breast. According the British Museum’s website alabastra were mostly used by women:

“Scenes on figured vases suggest that women were the main users of alabastra: they are shown being given to women as presents or being bought by women in the market.”

This particular one dates from 550 BC. www.britishmuseum.org





Images: www.arthistory.sbc.edu, www.museumdelperfume.com, www.britishmuseum.org, www.clevelandart.org

The Beat by Burberry : Perfume Review

The dry, wonderful skin-scent Burberry Classic, the lightly sweet, summery, honeyed Weekend, the exuberant, succulent Brit and the lovely, warm and comforting Brit Red, are all favorites, quality mainstream scents, that have made Burberry a brand that is well loved among perfume lovers. Even though neither the fragrances, nor the packaging and advertisements can be described as groundbreaking, Burberry has built a solid and rightly faithful relationship with consumers, largely due to the consistent quality of their scents. I count myself among the many that have come to expect good things from this brand, so I was eager to sniff their newest offering, The Beat.

Now, as I mentioned a couple of months ago in an unrelated post, my first impressions of The Beat were not entirely favorable. In fact, I found myself quietly disappointed by both the juice and the packaging. Yes, the juice was indeed nowhere near groundbreaking once again, but on top of that, smelling it on the blotting paper it seemed downright generic. Since then I have had the opportunity to test the scent more leisurely at home, both on my own skin and on the skin of a couple of friends and my impressions have changed to its favor. The opening is strangely incongruent, featuring a mildly citrusy, slightly soapy and intensely clean breeze over something very obviously warm. The effect can be likened to a clean smelling mantle of ice draped over a burning heart. As you might imagine, this feeble construction disintegrates almost instantly, the cool, clean top quickly melting away to reveal what it never quite managed to conceal anyway: a warm, gooey center of interesting, spicy sweetness. Unfortunately, like a miniature dragon that was bred to be someone’s pet, The Beat will never really blow fire or snort clouds of brimstone. The farthest it will venture into misbehaving is blowing a bubble or two when it hiccups. The spices never really scintillate the senses and the warmth never manages to spread like wildfire. In fact, the longer it stays on the skin the more it fizzles out, becoming milder and softer. Half an hour later we are left with the attractive sourness of a green apple dusted with black pepper and an aromatic tea blend, still dry. Nice enough and strangely familiar, like the face of an old friend whose name you can’t quite remember. Interestingly, what’s surprisingly more pleasurable than smelling The Beat on oneself, is smelling it on someone else. No, really. In fact, smelling it on someone else comes almost as a revelation. A single spray is enough to have this little baby lazily bouncing from wall to wall like an echo. It radiates from afar with quiet allure, never being obtrusive, but rather slowly coming in and out of consciousness, always as a pleasant surprise. It feels like a shining kind of warmth when it comes from another, spicy, pleasant, kind.

The Beat comes across as rather unisex, not particularly feminine and certainly not traditionally masculine, comfortably falling somewhere in the middle. The warm, slightly sweet and spicy scent is rather comforting, definitely better suited to the colder months of the year. The bottle itself echoes the unisex appeal of the fragrance, shaped like a spirit flask adorned with the brand’s signature plaid pattern. Definitely not the type of bottle I personally crave to display on my dresser, but I have no doubt this well designed, attractive object will appeal to many, as indeed, will the juice within.

Images: www.burberrythebeat.com

What's Fragrance Bouquet Up to?

Dear Readers,

The next post here on Fragrance Bouquet is due this Wednesday - I have to skip today's post due to a rather hectic schedulle. The reason? This week I am devoting most of my energy to a big project I have been working on for the past few months: I am directing a play I translated earlier this year and this will be staged for one night only this Saturday evening. We have gone from rehearsing two to three times a week to rehearsing every day now, and after that meeting with the stage crew, effects team, designers and everyone else until late in the evening, losing sleep over details. So, just a few more days now until the big day and I am bursting with enthusiasm, excitement and ...trepidation. Now, I know Fragrance Bouquet has many readers in this area, so I will go for a shameless plug: If you are thinking about joining us on Saturday, you can order tickets as well as find a little more information on the play itself on LAK Theater's website. Thank you for your patience.

See you all Wednesday!

Divina .~*

Lolita Lempicka : I Love You Just the Way You Are (Or How I Hate Flankers, and Fleur Defendue in Particular)

Long before it became en vogue to take vintage clothes and redesign, modernize and/or embellish them, Josiane Pividal did just that, soon becoming a success, and after designing for Cacharel for a while, she went on to create her own label in 1983. The label was christened Lolita Lempicka (correctly pronounced Lem-PI-tska by the way, even though the intro on the official website would have you think otherwise), a composite name paying homage to both Vladimir Nabokov’s novel and to Tamara Lempicka, Polish art nouveau painter. In 1997, the house of Lolita Lempicka launched its first fragrance, the homonymous Lolita Lempicka, in eau de parfum. Some fragrances are the same, with very little variation when comparing different concentrations (take Allure Sensuelle for example: the edt is slightly more citrusy up top and slightly less intense overall, but is indeed the same fragrance as the edp), while others vary extensively. When the eau de toilette version of Lolita Lempicka hit the market, it was immediately obvious that it belonged to the second category – it was almost like smelling a different fragrance. Releasing an edt that is so distinctly different was a clever move, for undoubtedly, there is indeed a market for the skinny version of the calorific, opulent vanillic gourmand-oriental. It wasn’t for me however, so I never really paid it too much attention: I remain now just as devoted to the marvelous original as I was then. A sophisticated, updated version of the bombshell gourmand Angel, Lolita Lempicka is playful, feminine, sexy, edible, incredibly long-lasting and immediately noticeable. It also happens to be the one fragrance in my wardrobe that consistently garners the most compliments – both by men and women. The fact that this self-proclaimed fairytale fragrance happens to come in a bottle straight out of a fairytale itself, means I have one more reason to never want to be without it.

What I don’t like about Lolita Lempicka, is that it has produced a sea of flankers so vast, it is enough to confuse the most savvy of sales assistants. Is LL under constant threat of assassination? With more -as exquisitely dressed and fabulously made-up to be just as fair as she- decoys than intergalactic royalty Queen Padme Amidala herself, one would rightly think so! We have Fleur de Minuit (Midnight Flower), a successor to 2004’s L’Eau de Minuit, amplifying the darkness and muskiness of the original, but curbing the ivy freshness and slightly sour cherry note that made it so special. (Worth a sniff though, since the powdery note of the drydown is particularly sexy) We have Les Caprices de Lolita (Lolita’s Whims) which comprise of three different versions of the original, playing up different notes: Caprice Amarena, playing up the Amarena Cherry theme, Caprice Violette, playing up the violet theme and Caprice Reglisse, playing up the licorice theme. We have Eau de Parfum Concentre, in its very own darling vial, a more concentrated version of the original, the exact same promise made by Fleur de Minuit... We have plain Midnight AND Star Dust Midnight Fragrance. We have Eau d’Ete Parfumee, an alcohol-free version. We have Transcendant Sin, the only one so far that rightly deserves its place in the range (and one I hope will become permanent), a limited edition in crystal, which is the pure extrait concentration of the original, with a magnifying glass poised over patchouli leaves and licorice. And finally, we now also have Fleur Defendue (Forbidden Flower), which I’ll have to admit I was quite excited about before actually smelling it. Fleur Defendue looked different, with its slightly anemic, mildly poisonous looking, yellow-green, ripe avocado colored juice. The similarly colored bottle further enhanced this mental association with poisonous, forbidden fruit, hanging in enchanted orchards. I was really hoping this would be a sufficiently different scent to the original, playing with the pure green of meadows and the stinging, yellow-green of bewitched marshes. Well, let me cut to the chase: Fleur Defendue has the fruity-green overtone of Fructis shampoo and just as much sex-appeal. The juice indeed plays with the idea of freshly cut grass, but the result is harsh and badly executed. With anis, licorice and vanilla waaaay back in the background and cherry nowhere to be found, this flanker manages to shed all of the warm, playful aspects that made the original so appealing. It is not quite generic, but it definitely does not deserve to be a shareholder of the fabulous bottle: it cheapens the whole image. It is not stellar. It is not even good. But it is passable and pleasant, clearly aiming at an even younger demographic which I suspect will actually be made really happy with this release during the warmer months.

What is my point? I guess my point is to raise a question on whether all those flankers were really needed and whether they do a good thing (or indeed the opposite) for the brand’s image. Catherine Dauphin, Pacific Creation’s CEO, was quoted in Emballage Digest saying:

“With Lolita Lempicka, we spent a lot of time building the foundations. The different versions and limited editions were designed to gain a strong foothold on the market and the figures would indicate that this approach was the right one: women find Lolita Lempicka very attractive and a genuine relationship has developed between the product and its users.”

Is this actually true, I wonder? How do all these flankers actually help in building a trusting relationship between the average consumer and the brand? Personally all these releases leave me confused and disappointed: Lolita Lempicka is a fragrance I absolutely adore, so when a flanker is released it does, of course, grab my attention. However, when the line becomes so prolific, I can’t help but feel lost and disenchanted. I cannot possibly afford to invest in every different version of the scent, especially when 99% of them are so very close to the original. Many lovers of the scent will be forced to buy these unsniffed, since most department stores only offer testers of the edt and edp. The only thing that comes out of this in my eyes, is disappointment for the true devotees of the scent, who end up feeling they do not have the means to explore each stunningly bottled version of their favorite. What this extraordinarily confusing line of flankers really is, is a bottle collector’s wet dream.

Images: Parfums Lolita Lempicka

Perfume for the Occasion : Spring and Summer Weddings (part 2, Bride & Groom)

For last month’s Perfume for the Occasion Feature, For the Love of Perfume and Fragrance Bouquet devoted a post on perfumed suggestions for the guests –both male and female- of spring and summer weddings. Now it’s time for the second installment of wedding suggestions: this time we focus on fragrances for the bride and groom.

I’ll be honest with you: when Tamara and I came up with the wedding theme for PFTO, I never anticipated how difficult of a task this would turn out to be: Nothing seems perfect enough for that special day. Indeed, how special a scent is for this particular occasion cannot be judged by the price (no, no Clive Christians or JARs on this list), nor by the rarity (you have enough on your mind already what with organizing the event, there is absolutely NO need to trawl auctions and thrift shops for that amazing vintage). Ideally that special scent would be special by association: A scent that actually means something for the couple. Too, I’d find it rather presumptuous of me to claim that I can pick out the perfect scent for anyone’s wedding day. Still, despite the aforementioned difficulties and dilemmas, I do want to rise to the challenge and provide a good number of suggestions, which will hopefully provide some direction to those truly needing it.

Some general guidelines and personal thoughts first: Since we are dealing with spring and summer weddings, your fragrance of choice should be one that performs well under warm weather. If you have your heart set on something spicy or heavy, by all means, go for it, but do make sure beforehand it is not something that will turn sour, unpleasant or distinctively reminiscent of BO in the event that you start perspiring. A gorgeous floral is an ideal –if obvious- choice for a spring bride, combining femininity with grace and sensuality all at once. The summer months lend themselves to fragrances with fig and tea notes - the former being utterly seasonal, exuberant and mouthwateringly delightful, while the latter keep one fresh, proper and delightfully scented all day. Considering you will already be a sight to behold (which bride isn’t stunning, after all), you might want to rule out fragrances with a very powerful trail in order to avoid becoming a parody of sensory overload personified. Don’t surprise your partner with a fragrance he or she has never smelled on you before, unless you are very sure of their tastes. Needless to say, if there is a fragrance that is special to the two of you, either because you wore it often while dating or because your partner tends to associate the particular scent with you, wear it fearlessly. If you are still uncertain (and if you are willing to relinquish control), how about agreeing to choose a perfume for each other? If you are planning to wear your mother’s wedding dress and especially if you are very close to her, how about wearing the same fragrance she wore on her wedding day? Lastly, don’t go for a discontinued or hard to find scent for your wedding... you want to have the ability to smell and wear this again and again.

Perfumes for the Bride:

· The Traditional: Carnations are the traditional symbols of marriage, pure love and bonding, which makes a carnation soliflore a most eloquent, thoughtful and quite obvious choice for a bride. If you decide to go the traditional carnation path, I wholeheartedly suggest Santa Maria Novella’s Garofano, a most realistic rendition of the gorgeous smelling flower. Don’t let the cologne splash bottle deceive you – this wonderful fragrance lasts all day long. For those of you looking for a sexier twist on the carnation theme, look no further than Maitre Parfumeur et Gantier’s Soie Rouge: The whole plant comes to the fore, but with enough supportive elements to make this not just an adoring tribute to the flower itself, but truly a story that the wearer gets to live out. Avoid at all costs: Etro’s Dianthus. A soapy, chemical smelling mess with a strange, oily aftertaste. The fragrance that almost ruined carnation for me.

· The Romantic: With all the stories built around it, Chamade can only be described as a mythical perfume, as closely approximating the perfect wedding fragrance as possible. Jean-Paul Guerlain allegedly worked on this beauty for seven long years, dismissing 1300 different attempts (a nice round number there...) before settling on the formula he was finally happy with. “Chamade” was the rhythm army drums beat to signal their surrender during times of war, and the perfume itself is named after this beat to symbolize the surrender of the heart in love’s battlefield. The incredibly beautiful bottle is in the shape of an upside-down heart, while the stopper is in the shape of an arrow that has successfully pierced it. A heart of narcissus surrounded by beautiful greens and soft, ethereal notes of lilac, seductive notes of jasmine and light, juicy tropical accents make this scent not only sensual, but also extremely memorable. The soft powdery overtones and the aldehydic fizz give this perfume the character of a timeless masterpiece.

· The Innocent: For the bride that will wear the traditional white gown, symbolizing her innocence and purity, for the bride that will be traditionally given away by the father, for the woman who still feels a little bit like a child, but first and foremost, for the ones who blissfully prove cynics wrong time and time again, Anais Anais is the perfect fragrance. The key-word here is innocence, and if wide-eyed, gladsome naïveté didn’t have such negative connotations in our day, it would have been a perfect descriptor as well. Girly and pure, I can’t imagine a more perfect scent for a young bride.

· The One: My number one choice for the occasion, the most perfect scent for a spring or summer wedding is none other than Carnal Flower from Frederic Malle’s Editions de Parfums line. What more could a bride ask for, than the most perfect white floral? This is a bright, lively, fresh rendition of tuberose that refuses to be decadent, is thoroughly modern yet at the same time manages to have the feel of a classic. The slightly minty, camphoraceous even, top notes of Carnal Flower are wonderfully disturbing while the development bizarrely leads the wearer down an ever more sensual path. The ending result is improbable femininity. Carnal Flower manages to last all day, giving the wearer something interesting to experience throughout, without ever getting exhausted. Perfection.

Perfumes for the Groom:

· The Devil-May-Care, aka It’s My Day: Andy Tauer’s L’Air du Desert Marocain will perhaps seem like a surprising entry for the warmer months. Despite its oriental nature and its sweet character however, I find L’air du Desert Marocain not only extremely wearable in hot weather, but also extremely intriguing. Perhaps it’s just the name, but I swear I can feel the warm air on my cheeks when wearing it now, a sensation I did not have when I first tried this sometime ago, when the weather was still chilly. This one feels like dark, sweet smelling smoke that is ravishing and ruggedly handsome in the opening, while the drydown is the sweetness of tamed, happy comfort.

· The Confident: In my opinion one of the best and most surprising recent male releases, Fahrenheit 32 is a difficult fragrance to pull off. It requires not only confidence, but for the wearer to actually feel comfortable with who he is. Its sweet, malleable core, is surrounded by a cooling, shining shell, which feels and tastes metallic. Marvelous and bizarre, this is made for the man-child whose smile is absolutely heart melting. Absolutely Special. A favorite.

· The Dandy: It might be marketed as a feminine fragrance, but you shouldn’t let that stop you: Eau de Merveille by Hermes is an excellent choice for a summer wedding. It might be a little too aloof for a bride, but on male skin this fragrance assumes a deep warmth that makes it radiate sensuousness. Its wonderful salty overtones work beautifully in warmer weather. Do be adventurous and give this a try.

· The Gentleman: Geoffrey Beene’s Gray Flannel is a beautiful fragrance that acts like a male chypre. The top notes of lemon, galbanum and citrus-leaf oils will give an initial air of freshness, while later this effect is prolonged by clary sage, geranium and oakmoss. The flowery heart adds mystery and seductiveness, while the rest of the composition ensures that the effect remains charming, but proper. Gorgeous smelling and sophisticated.

What are your thoughts on the perfect fragrance for the occasion? Would you allow your prospective husband or wife to pick out a fragrance for you? Would you ever go for a vintage or hard to find scent, or would you shy away from them for the reasons mentioned in the beginning of this post? Would you even consider a bespoke fragrance? Why?


Images: www.guerlain.fr and www.sxc.hu

Perfumed Thoughts : Natural Perfumery

Today I want to touch on a subject that is slightly difficult for me to broach, not only because of its slightly controversial nature, but also because, admittedly, I am not as well informed as I would like to be. Still, it is something that has been on my mind for over a week now and I would rather take the chance to share my thoughts with you while they are fresh, rather than wait. Today’s little piece is not a mandate, but indeed just my own personal thoughts on the matter, hoping to raise consciousness, provoke thought, consideration and hopefully discussion.

I was recently reading an article titled “The Scent of the Nile”, originally published in the New Yorker by Chandler Burr. The following excerpt (referring to Jean-Claude Ellena) quotes part of that article:

“(...)Even though Ellena’s perfumes often evoke the smells of nature, he believes that scents containing only natural materials are not, fundamentally, perfumes. The art of perfumery, Ellena believes, is the art of gracefully combining different chemicals, some natural, some synthetic. The first perfume synthetics were created in the nineteenth century.(...).”

I couldn’t help but find myself having an immediately negative reaction to this statement. Surely this can’t be right? What are the implications of this statement? That natural perfumery is not perfumery at all? That someone who composes all natural scents is not actually a perfumer? That whether creative expression can or cannot be considered as art depends on the medium used? I just couldn’t accept this... I just couldn’t validate this statement. Burr mentions that the first perfume synthetics were created in the nineteenth century; I would like to draw a parallel to express my feelings about this issue. Before the 15th century, painters worked mostly with egg paints, otherwise known as tempera. However, in the 15th century there was a revolution: European painters suddenly started using oil paints, popularizing the medium and changing the face of art as we know it. Suddenly hues that were never seen on a painting before materialized. Textures became so realistic you could immediately tell whether you were looking at velvet or silk. Candlelight reflected differently on silver than it did on crystal. Pearls shone softly. The eye saw in the painting, what it saw in real life. A whole new world was opened up for painters worldwide. You see, egg paints pose numerous limitations: it is hard, or nigh impossible to play with the elements of darkness and light when painting with tempera. There is no way to render light of different intensities. Painting different hues takes not only incredible skill, but these almost never appear realistic. Same with water – there is no way to paint water that appears natural with egg, and it is incredibly difficult to show objects submerged under water or behind a gossamer veil, because egg does not lend itself to see-through expression. Still, despite these limitations, wonderful works of art were created with just egg paints: simply being confronted with the skill of master visual hagiographers who managed to paint the legs of John the Baptist submerged in the river despite the aforementioned difficulties, is enough to bring tears of awe to one’s eyes. And despite the fact that painters can indeed do so many more different things with oil, egg painting is not a lost art. Just like natural perfumery, it is a craft that is not as conspicuous as oil painting, however, it is still very much alive. It takes many painstaking years of studious, extremely disciplined apprenticeship to become a master visual hagiographer today. Even though these artists are limited not only by their medium of choice, but also by the techniques that identify this art form, they still manage to tell their own story, express their own creativity and impregnate each individual piece with their signature. It is a mysterious form of art: the more you know about it, the more you can appreciate it.

I guess what I am trying to say is this: You cannot judge art by the medium used: Whether the medium is marble, steel, or scrapheap salvage, the result is still art, and the creator a sculptor.

Image: commons.wikimedia.org