Perfume Review- Serge Lutens Borneo 1834

Posted on January 12, 2013 by Kafkaesque

Borneo 1834.
Source: Fragrantica

Serge Lutens wants to take you on journey to the heart of 19th century Borneo, an island on the equator, north of Java, and which now consists of Indonesia, Malaysia and Brunei. He wants to take you on the Dutch trading ships with their bales of raw silks and cocoa as they traversed the exotic seas on their way to the shops of Europe. And he does it via Borneo 1834, a perfume created with Lutens’ usual cohort in olfactory adventures, the famous nose Christopher Sheldrake. It was released in 2005 and, until 2010, was exclusive to Lutens’ Paris salon as part of the “non-export” line. At the moment, however, it is available worldwide via the Lutens website.

Fragrantica classifies Borneo 1834 as an “oriental woody” and lists its notes as:

patchouli, white flowers, cardamom, galbanum, french labdanum and cacao.

Bois de Jasmin, however, also adds in camphor and cannabis resin. The latter led me to some Google searches, with extremely amusing results, on what constitutes the exact smell of cannabis when in resin form. (My conclusion is that some people lead very… interesting… lives.)

On his website. Lutens explains his choice of name and the theory behind the scent:

Why did I pick 1834? That was the year Parisians discovered patchouli. In those days, it came wrapped in silk.

Imagine a woman of that time wearing a patchouli fragrance: she awaits her carriage, draped in her sable stole.

The famous perfume expert and critic, Luca Turin, provides even more explanation in his book, Perfumes: The A-Z Guide. In his four-star review of the fragrance, he says:

Patchouli Leaves

Apparently Lutens has determined that the first olfactory point of contact between Europe and the Far East took place there and then, in the form of the patchouli leaves used to wrap bales of silk. The patchouli was intended to keep moths away from the precious fabric (insects hate camphoraceous smells), but when the silk reached Western shores, elegant ladies wanted more of the smell. In other words, patchouli’s career in perfumery is a rise from bug repellent to luxury goods, a trajectory meteorically traced in the opposite direction by many contemporary fragrances. As often happens with Lutens-Sheldrake creations, the first sniff comes as a complete shock: the overwhelming impression is one of dark brown powder. Seconds later one realizes that this nameless dust is made of two components, patchouli and chocolate, skillfully juxtaposed (how?) so that neither the earthiness of patchouli nor the familiarity of chocolate prevails. Borneo 1834 is like Angel in reverse: instead of jumping out at you, it sucks you into its shadowy space. All the materials used are firmly rooted in the “orientalist” (aka hippie) style, yet the size, grace, and complexity of the overall structure make it the direct descendant of orientals proper like Emeraude and Shalimar. [Emphasis added for the names.]

Borneo 1834 in one of Lutens’ famous bell-jar bottles.

The opening blast of Borneo 1834 on my skin is glorious. I absolutely love it. There is wonderfully resinous, boozy, sweet patchouli with bitter chocolate. The latter is more like the small, dark, cocoa nibs that you find in baking. There is a faint hint of camphor, but it’s light and plays off well with the smokiness of the patchouli and labdanum. It’s not the sort of smoke that you find in incense but, rather, a sweeter, much nuttier smoke accord. It makes me think of siam sesin, only amplified and combined with patchouli and cocoa. (You can read more about siam resin, along with labdanum, galbanum and some of the other notes in Borneo 1834 in my Glossary.) The patchouli has a great earthiness, almost like rich, black earth — moist, loamy and heavy. There is a faint hint of a musky, animalic note, too, almost like the sort of body funk that you would get from civet.

I don’t smell cardamom or the white flowers to any noteworthy extent. There is a floral note there, faintly peeking its head over the mighty patchouli, but I don’t think “white flowers” would really come to mind. If there is a floral note, I’d think of a pale rose more than white flowers, but it doesn’t really matter as the note is so faint as to be barely noticeable.

As for the notes given by Bois de Jasmin, I have never smelled a fresh, growing cannabis plant, let alone cannabis resin, so I set off to do some research. Google informs me that the former smells like slightly herbal, sweet, cut grass, while the latter can supposedly smell of anything from skunks to motor oil. I don’t smell fresh, sweet grass in Borneo 1834, and definitely nothing even remotely resembling skunks. I suppose one could say that there is a faint scent of car oil, but I think that the tarry, black note is more typical of a dirty, black patchouli or labdanum. Overall, the scent is dry in its sweetness, not cloying or synthetically sharp.

Cocoa Nibs. Source: A Man of Chocolate.

Thirty minutes in, the dark cocoa is on equal footing with the patchouli, and the light camphor note has vanished. There are times when the final result almost smells a bit like mocha coffee. It is too rich a smell to be considered “cozy,” especially as that is a word which I associate with softer scents that wrap themselves around you like cashmere or that make you want to snuggle under a blanket. Borneo 1834 is too dark for that. It is also too dry to be an edible gourmand scent, but it has some mystery and layers, especially in its opening. I truly adore those opening notes of patchouli which make me think, “this is what patchouli should smell like more often!”

I’m much less thrilled with the middle stages and the dry-down. Two hours in, the musk and animalic notes start to become much more pronounced. It is at this stage that the sillage lessens a little, though it is still somewhat noticeable. (Three hours in, the perfume becomes close to the skin, though there is still great longevity.) The animalic notes become more and more prominent with every hour, and the final dry-down stage is almost entirely earthy, slightly intimate body funk.

It’s hard to explain the scent here. It’s not intimate like someone’s private parts, it’s also not exactly musky, and it’s most definitely not like ripe, extreme, unwashed body odor. It’s sort of a mild variation of the two, a “skank” note like that from a very warm, faintly sweaty, slightly sweet, almost musky body after a long session at the gym. Perhaps, musk and sweet “dried sweat” may encapsulate some of it, but only a portion of it. Either way, there is a linearity and earthy singularity in the middle and final stages which is fine, if you like animalic notes. I don’t. Which is why I much preferred that absolutely lovely opening with its boozy notes evocative of siam resin, its luscious patchouli and its dry cocoa.

That dark, black, and faintly bitter, cocoa accord is just one of the things that separates Borneo 1834 from Christopher Sheldrake’s other patchouli creation: Coromandel (for Chanel‘s Les Exclusif line). Created with Jacques Polge, both perfumes share chocolate and patchouli notes, which is probably why they are so frequently discussed in the same breath. To me, however, Coromandel is an extremely different scent. In fact, I’d consider them to be like night and day. I found Coromandel to be all burning smoke, white cocoa and powdery vanilla, resembling a chai latte at times. The strong incense and frankincense notes dominated the sweet patchouli; it was a frankincense and incense perfume first and foremost. At its heart though, Coromandel is a cozy scent with powdered vanilla and tonka; it is light and somewhat multi-faceted. Borneo 1834, in contrast, is a dark powerhouse of patchouli, bitter cocoa dust and earthiness, and it’s not extremely complex. In fact, I’d say that it only has two stages, each of which is quite direct: patchouli chocolate with some camphor, resin and smoke; and earthy, animalic notes.

Freddie from Smelly Thoughts, a great perfume blog, loved the perfume throughout all its stages and didn’t seem to note any animalic body funk. His review is useful, especially as it compares Borneo 1834 to Thierry Mugler‘s infamous Angel:

So patchouli + chocolate = Angel? Not quite. The patchouli here is lavishly sleek, whilst being familiar in its dank, deep scent – it remains tame and completely in control. The sweetness in Borneo, unlike the Mugler, is also in complete control, richer – more exotic, with a delicate camphor laying over the top – adding an almost medicinal astringency to the patchouli and cocoa. The camphor is far from the intensity of Tuberuese Criminelle (for example), and instead has the sheer, sharp aspect that some great ouds have. It adds an age and a chilling subtlety to the foggy atmosphere.

I get a very subtle tobacco, as well as a liquorice note – in the same, but more toned down, style of Parfumerie Generale’s Aomassai. All intermingled with the cocoa and bitter patchouli, Borneo 1834 is dark and perplexing whilst being light and delicate on the skin.
The fragrance remains relatively linear, with a wonderful resinous base acting like a dark, sticky veil. The resins give off that breathy/slightly sweaty feel that they sometimes do (I normally get this with myrrh), I’d almost have thought there was the tiniest bit of cumin in here, but the fragrance isn’t spicy at all.

I think Freddie’s reference to cumin indicates that he may have smelled some animalic funk too, but obviously, it was in no way as extreme on him as it was on me during those final hours. All in all, Borneo 1834 lasted about 9 hours on me, with the animalic funk being a large part of the last (low sillage) 6.5 hours (and all of the final 3 hours). It is the main reason why I didn’t love the fragrance, though it’s an absolutely gorgeous scent in its opening notes.

Borneo 1934 is a scent that is definitely well-suited to winter and, if you love patchouli, well worth a sample sniff. If you try it, let me know what you think. I’m particularly curious to know if you have a similar experience as I did during the final hours.

Details:

Cost & Availability: You can find Borneo 1834 on the Serge Lutens website. In the famous bell-jar shape, it costs $290 for 2.5 fl oz/75 ml. However, in the smaller size and regular bottle, it costs $140 for 1.7 fl oz/50 ml. In general, Serge Lutens is usually available at fine retailers like Barney’s, Lucky Scent and a few other online sites. Lucky Scent carries the 1.7 oz/50 ml bottle for $140 but, oddly enough, I’ve seen it sold on Amazon for $125 via Beauty Encounter. You can only do a search online to see if it is available at a discount from discount perfume retailers. Sample vials to test it out can be bought at Surrender to Chance (but not Lucky Scent) starting at $3.99. Surrender to Chance also has a special Lutens sample pack of 3 non-export perfumes which includes Borneo 1834 and which starts at $11.50 for the smallest sized vials.

Perfume Review – Tom Ford Private Blend Noir de Noir: Henry VIII’s Tudor Rose

Posted on January 11, 2013 by Kafkaesque

The Tudor Rose, emblem of the royal house of King Henry VII, King Henry VIII and Queen Elizabeth I.

If the royal medieval dynasty, the Tudors, had a perfume to go along with their rose emblem, I suspect it would probably have been something like Tom Ford‘s Private Blend Noir de Noir For Women and Men. It is a scent that is as rich, baroque, lavish, and earthy as the bawdy, gourmand Henry VIII himself. Noir de Noir is not the delicate flower of Diana, Princess of Wales, whom Elton John called England’s Rose. No, this is Henry VIII’s prime rib to Diana’s scones and clotted cream. It’s rose turned rich and decadent, spiced and meaty, with an earthiness that hints at faintly musky intimacy. It is a scent that I think rose lovers will absolutely adore.

Fragrantica categorizes Noir de Noir as a “chypre” eau de parfum. You can read more about chypres on my Glossary but, in the most basic nutshell, a chypre perfume has a foundation consisting of oakmoss, or oakmoss in conjunction with certain other notes (like patchouli). On his website, Tom Ford describes Noir de Noir as follows:

A dark Chypre Oriental, this scent opens with an earthy mantle of richly woven Saffron, Black Rose and Black Truffle, with hints of floralcy. Underneath, Vanilla, Patchouli, Oud Wood and Tree Moss soften the intensity, making the scent a sensual experience.

Noir de Noir opens with the darkest, blackest, most luxuriously rich rose possible. I should confess that I am not someone who is crazy about rose scents (I overdosed on YSL’s Paris when I was 13), but I was very impressed with the opening of this one. This is much more my kind of rose! It made me think of dark, damask Persian or Bulgarian roses with their much sweeter,

A damask rose.

headier scent than some of their pale European cousins. It’s a very narcotically ripe sort of rose note and so plush, it’s almost boozy. I don’t get the red wine notes that many refer to, but that booziness is such that it actually verges into a fruity realm. To be specific, I have a very strong and distinct impression of Welch’s grape juice or grape jelly. Despite that, Noir de Noir evokes a dark, medieval world of baroque velvet, sumptuous fabrics, rich wood-paneled rooms hung with elaborate hunting tapestries, and tyrannical, grumpy Henry VIII in bejeweled robes striding to a long dining room table covered with ornate silver and mounds of red-blooded, meaty dishes. This is most definitely England’s rose of a different century than Elton John’s pale, blonde Diana!

The sweetness of the rich, damask rose is accompanied by what seems to be a faint flicker of oud but it is so light, I think I may have imagined it. It is definitely not the medicinal oud I’ve encountered in Montale or By Kilian‘s agarwood fragrances, nor the oud of YSL’s reformulated M7. In fact, I tried on Noir de Noir twice to be sure, and, the second time, I was convinced that there was absolutely no oud at all. Zero. Others, such as Perfume-Smellin Things, have reported the same, but Undina’s Looking Glass reported quite a bit of oud when she gave it a test run.

Oakmoss or tree moss.

Equally undetectable to me: oakmoss. At no time did I ever smell the pungent, almost mineralised dusty grey-green bitterness of oakmoss and, again, I don’t seem to be the only one. Perfume Posse also found no oud or oakmoss in Noir de Noir. Given the IFRA regulations on oakmoss, Tom Ford would have had to use either synthetic oakmoss or have the real thing be in such minute proportions as to be basically nonexistent. Judging by the perfume, I would guess that he went with the latter route because this is as much a “chypre” on my skin as Welch’s grape jelly is….

Instead, there is a definite note of sweet saffron with its faintly woody hues and a strong note of black truffle. I’ve cooked with and eaten real black truffles, and its earthiness is profoundly apparent here. The richness of the black truffle adds heft and meatiness to the rose. It also adds an earthiness that creates a faintly bawdy, sensuous note of body funk to the scent. It is not always apparent and, by the end, it flitters in and out like a ghost. Sometimes, especially in the opening hour, it is stronger and I sniff my arm with a faint trace of concern; I smell a wee bit ripe. At other times, it’s delightfully subtle and just a faint whisper that adds a note of sensuality to the perfume.

The earthiness of the black truffle explains why Noir de Noir is consistently described as a “high-class” or elevated version of Tom Ford’s Black Orchid fragrance, another one of his perfumes which has black truffle at its heart. In fact, there may be more than just an unintentional similarity between the two scents. My best friend, who so kindly sent me my sample of Noir de Noir, was informed by a Tom Ford sales lady that Noir de Noir was apparently the scent that was initially supposed to be Black Orchid. I’m not wholly clear on her meaning, and neither was my best friend, but it seems that Tom Ford may have originally intended for Noir de Noir to be the scent called Black Orchid. The latter came out one year before in 2006, while Noir de Noir came out in 2007, so who knows the accuracy of that story. Still, it is indisputable that the two scents share a similar “Noir” or “Black” theme of florals mixed with earthiness and black truffle.

I haven’t tried Black Orchid but, judging by Black Orchid Voile de Fleur and several other Tom Ford scents that I have tested, Noir de Noir smells far more expensive and not very synthetic. It lacks that almost shrill screeeeeeeeeeeeeeech of the opening, that clanging, loud, almost nose-burning olfactory assault that can be quite brutal at times. I attribute the latter to a very synthetic quality in some Tom Ford’s fragrances: Neroli Portofino comes immediately (and painfully) to mind, followed to a lesser extent by Black Orchid Voile de Fleur, White Patchouli and Violet Blonde.

No, Noir de Noir is a much better perfume than any of those other scents. Luca Turin seems rather enamoured of it, too, giving it a four-star rating in his book, Perfumes: The A-Z Guide. He also called it a “rose-chocolate,” as do legions of others. I assume the combination of black truffle and patchouli gives rise to that impression amongst so many, but I’m afraid I can’t smell any chocolate. What I can smell, however, and what I am convinced Noir de Noir encapsulates more than anything else is Turkish Delight. If you’ve ever had a box, or if you’ve ever read C.S. Lewis’ The Lion, The Witch & the Wardrobe from the Narnia series, you will know what I’m talking about immediately. Turkish Delight is a sweet dessert that is often made from rose water and covered with white confectioner’s powders. It smells strongly of candied violets and that note of candied, sometimes powdered and vanilla-y, violets is an enormous part of Noir de Noir.

As time passes, Noir de Noir becomes more and more like powdered rose-vanilla with a hint of candied violets. At no time did I ever smell rich chocolate, though I do get that faint earthy note of body funk from the black truffle from time to time. Commentators on MakeupAlley seem to share my rose-vanilla impressions for the most part, and one even noted the Turkish Delight comparison, too! In contrast, Fragrantica commentators seem to fall predominantly into the chocolate camp.

One area where I depart from the majority in both camps is sillage and longevity. Even for my skin, Noir de Noir is of very short duration. In fact, it may be the shortest-lasting Tom Ford I have encountered. It became close to the skin about 1.5 to 2 hours in, and lasted for a grand total of 4 hours. There have been a few comments on Fragrantica and elsewhere about the 2 hour mark, so it may not just be me but we can be counted on one hand (or maybe just under two). Contrary to us few oddballs, the vast majority of people report that Noir de Noir lasts eons and eons on them, with some giving 12 hours or more!

If Noir de Noir lasted anywhere close to that amount of time on me, I might be a little more enthused about it. As it is, the very boring dry-down of powdered vanilla rose and violets with ghostly hints of earthy bodily funk is really not fascinating enough for the very high price of the perfume. The smallest bottle — the standard 1.7 oz/50 ml size — costs $205. That’s a bit steep to smell like Turkish Delight, no matter how lovely (and it really was lovely!) the opening notes of boozy, heady rose with saffron. The steepness might be a little more tolerable if the ~~Turkish Delight~~ er… Noir de Noir actually lasted on me but, again, it didn’t.

It’s probably at this point that I should bring up the other perfume to which Noir de Noir is repeatedly compared and you’ll probably be very surprised by what it is: the celebrity scent, Queen, by Queen Latifah. According to Fragrantica commentators on both the Tom Ford entry and the Queen one, it is an almost exact dupe for Noir de Noir! I haven’t smelled it, so I can’t comment, but the reportedly striking similarity may be of interest to you given the price differential. A 3.4 oz bottle of Queen eau de parfum retails for $59 and is currently being sold on the Walgreens website for $28.19 and on eBay for $15.16! In contrast, that same sized bottle of Noir de Noir retails for $280. eBay sellers are also offering the smaller 1.7 oz size of Queen for only $8, whereas the analagous 1.7 oz bottle of Noir de Noir retails for $205.

If the comparisons are true — and at least 44 people voted that they were — then that is quite a spectacular price difference! To be honest, I’m rather tempted now to buy the Queen just to see if they’re right! I’m sure there will be a difference in quality, as even its critics admit that the Tom Ford Private Blend line is of high quality. Plus, according to the Scentrist blog, the reported perfume strength of the Private Blend line (26%) is higher than even the regular Tom Ford line (18%). But, despite that, I’m still tempted to try out the Queen Latifah perfume. Have I mentioned how much I love a bargain or how curious I am?!

All in all, I liked Noir de Noir, though I’m far from its ideal, targeted audience as I’m not usually a fan of rose scents. Still, I’m surprised by how much I liked its opening. As a whole, though, I would have liked the perfume better had its sillage, longevity, dry-down and cost been different. But its richness and earthiness make it something that I think would appeal to many people, men and women alike.

To be totally clear, this is definitely a scent that a man can wear. And, judging by the comments on Fragrantica, a lot of men really love it. Amusingly enough, two of my closest friends — one of each gender — had very opposite reactions to Noir de Noir. My male friend (someone who wears such masculine scents as YSL’s M7) adores it and succumbed to a full bottle after just a few sniffs of the sample. In contrast, my female friend found it a touch too masculine (and she loves Tom Ford’s Oud wood)! I think the dispositive factor will be how you feel about rose. My female friend is, like me, not a huge fan. If you are — and if you like heady rose scents in particular — then I absolutely recommend that you try giving this sniff. Beyond a shadow of a doubt.

But the Henry VIII lifestyle is not included….

DETAILS:

Cost & Availability: Noir de Noir is available on the Tom Ford website where it sells for: $205 for a 50 ml/1.7 oz bottle, $280 for a 100 ml/3.4 oz bottle or $495 for a 200 ml/8.45 oz bottle. In the US, you can also find it at fine retailers such as Nordstrom, Neiman Marcus, Bergdorf Goodman, and others. In the UK, you can find it at Harrods where it sells for £135.00 or £195.00, depending on size. Elsewhere, Tom Ford fragrances are carried in numerous different countries; hopefully, you can find one near you using the store locator on the Tom Ford website.

Samples: If you like rose scents and are intrigued, but are also sane enough not to want to spend such a large amount without testing it out first, I suggest ordering a sample. You can find them starting at $3 on Surrender to Chance, or on other decant/sample sites like The Perfumed Court. I think Surrender to Chance has the best shipping: $2.95 for any order, no matter the size, within the U.S., and $5.95 for most orders going overseas. (It’s a wee bit higher if your order is over $75.)

Perfume Releases: Endless Flankers, More Ouds & Some New Fragrances

Posted on January 9, 2013 by Kafkaesque

Every now and then, I think it’s fun to post about some of the new perfume releases that are either already out on the market or that soon will be. At the very least, you’ll see some pretty bottles. All posts are taken via Now Smell This (NST), Fragrantica or other, credited sites. (If I could figure out how to properly re-blog a non-WordPress article, I would but, alas, my technical knowledge does not go that far. I have tried to give credit via full quotes and source citation. Almost everything is a direct quote from the original site and/or the press releases that they are relying upon.)

ROBERT PIGUET:

Already out on the market is a new flanker version of Fracas, Petit Fracas, for those who are supposedly “not ready” for the power of full-grown Fracas. Joe Garces, CEO of Robert Piguet Parfums, spoke to Basenotes about it in an interview that you can read here. To me, it basically seems like a fruity, sweet version of Fracas that is designed to appeal to the younger demographic. I am not particularly thrilled about the fact that the notes include cocoa, which seems like a bit of a travesty for something labelled, even partially, as “Fracas.” From the article:

Garces talks about Petit Fracas in the video below. The scent is for women who are not yet ‘ready’ for Fracas, and as well as Fracas’s signature tuberose contains notes of bergamot, mandarin, pear, jasmine, gardenia, cocoa, musk and sandalwood.

To see the video, you can go to the Basenotes article linked above. There are already reviews for it out on Fragrantica, where one person states that Petit Fracas was made because the CEO’s daughter did not like Fracas. I will abstain from comment and try not to thrust my fist through the monitor. No, on second thought, I will not abstain. It’s all well and good for someone not to like Fracas. It’s totally understandable, in fact. But if you’re not a fan, then don’t make your new release something under the Fracas name, especially if its notes seem extremely different and only one-tenth the complexity of Fracas. In other words, don’t try to capitalise on the legendary Fracas name to launch something totally different. You have about 12 other scents. Make this one #13. And tell your daughter that Fracas is not meant to be a fruit cocktail with cocoa!

GAULTIER:

In February, Jean-Paul Gaultier will releases a flanker for his 1995′s Le Mâle called Le Beau Male.

It is developed by perfumer Francis Kurkdjian, who also developed the original Le Mâle fragrance. Notes include mint, lavender, vanilla, sandalwood and musk.

Source: NST.

LUTENS:

Also in February, NST states there will be a new Serge Lutens called La Fille de Berlin:

Serge Lutens will launch La Fille de Berlin, a new fragrance in the “Selective Distribution” series (formerly known as the export range), in February.

La Fille de Berlin is a rose-based floriental fragrance, and is being launched in conjunction with his upcoming book of photography, Berlin à Paris.

Serge Lutens La Fille de Berlin will be available in 50 ml Eau de Parfum.

VERSACE:

Versace jumps on the increasingly mainstream, extremely popular oud bandwagon with Versace Pour Homme Oud Noir

Versace Pour Homme Oud Noir

Versace has launched Versace Pour Homme Oud Noir, a new fragrance for men geared towards the Middle East market. Versace Pour Homme Oud Noir is a flanker to 2008′s Versace Pour Homme.

The seduction of a sunset on a desert; a sensual heady aroma. A fragrance for men designed for lovers of oriental fragrances, for a man with a strong personality. An intense and regal composition; spicy and with a deep scent of leather.

Versace Pour Homme Oud Noir is available in 100 ml Eau de Parfum.

DIOR:

January sees the launch of yet another Dior Poison flanker called Hypnotic Poison Eau Secrète. NST states:

Christian Dior will launch Hypnotic Poison Eau Secrète, a new flanker to 1998′s Hypnotic Poison, which was a flanker to 1985′s Poison.

The notes include citrus, bergamot, jasmine, neroli and vanilla.

Christian Dior Hypnotic Poison Eau Secrète will be available in 50 and 100 ml Eau de Toilette.

GUCCI:

In February, Gucci will release flankers to its Guilty line of fragrances. NST states:

Gucci Guilty Black

Gucci will launch Gucci Guilty Black, new flankers to 2010′s Gucci Guilty and 2011′s Gucci Guilty Pour Homme.

Gucci Guilty Black (above right) ~ an ‘intense and elegant’ oriental floral, with red fruits, pink pepper, raspberry, violet, amber and patchouli. In 30, 50 and 75 ml Eau de Toilette.

Gucci Guilty Black Pour Homme (above left) ~ ‘intense and energetic’ woody aromatic fougere, with coriander, lavender, orange blossom, neroli, patchouli and leather. In 30, 50 and 90 ml Eau de Toilette.

ARTEMISIA:

Artemisia Natural Perfume has launched Saveur de l’Abricot. NST describes it as a new fruity floral fragrance and quotes the press release:

Picture plucking a ripe apricot from the tree and taking a bite. Feel the velvety, golden skin on your lips. Taste the juicy tang of the flesh on your tongue. Multiple layers of ambrosial sweetness explode with earthy voluptuousness and piquant twist.

Saveur de l’Abricot means the flavor of apricot. Most of what we perceive as flavor is actually scent. With the fruity-floral richness of Chinese osmanthus and real apricot essence, Saveur de l’Abricot is an impressionistic fragrance capturing the sensuality of eating an apricot.

Artemisia Natural Perfume Saveur de l’Abricot is available in 7 gr Solid Perfume and 17 ml Eau de Parfum. Samples are also available. (via artemisiaperfume).

NST also lets us know that the brand has a sale until February 28, 2013: “everything 25% off through 2/28, no coupon code needed.”

HUGO BOSS:

I don’t really have words for this as it seems like an extraordinarily odd combination of notes, so I will let NST take it on:

Hugo Boss Hugo Red

Hugo Boss will launch Hugo Red, a new fragrance for men, in January. Hugo Red will be fronted by actor Jared Leto.

Hugo Red was inspired by “the dual nature of metal” and features a cold metal accord with grapefruit, rhubarb, and metallic notes; and a hot metal accord with cedar and amber.

Hugo Boss Hugo Red will be available in 50, 75 and 150 ml Eau de Toilette and in matching grooming products.

OSCAR DE LA RENTA:

On the light, flowery front, Oscar de la Renta has launched Something Blue, a new bridal-inspired fragrance. NST provides the details:

Oscar de la Renta Something Blue

Introducing Something Blue, a fragrance to cherish forever. Inspired by life’s most magical moments, this romantic fragrance opens with a sparkling burst of mandarin and linden blossom and warms to an irresistibly sultry finish with notes of bourbon vanilla and white musk. A removable ring engraved with the designer’s signature logo is a symbol of Mr. de la Renta’s abiding devotion to his beloved clientele.

Additional notes include stephanotis, lily of the valley and lychee. Oscar de la Renta Something Blue is available now at Saks Fifth Avenue, in 50 and 100 ml Eau de Parfum and matching candle.

DAVIDOFF:

Davidoff The Game NST has the press release for the new Davidoff scent which is called The Game and which will be launched some time in 2013.

NST states:

Davidoff will launch Davidoff The Game, a new woody aromatic fragrance for men:

Never underestimate the stakes.

Always play fair.

Master the rules and leave nothing to chance.

Because life is a game and the winner takes it all.

The Game was developed by perfumer Bernard Ellena; notes include gin fizz accord (juniper berry), iris, precious woods and blackwood.

Davidoff The Game will be available in 100 ml Eau de Toilette.

Davidoff also has another new scent and it’s already out on the market. It’s a flanker for Hot Water called Hot Water Night and it contains oud. Fragrantica has further details:

Men’s fragrance Hot Water was launched in 2009 and announced as a fiery fragrance woven from powerful red chords. Its composition highlights red basil, red peppers and hot resin, embraced by warm earthy tones of patchouli. The night version—a successor of the first—Hot Water Night, appeared in 2012 as a darker and tawnier version of the original fragrance.

Hot Water Night brings a very masculine and intense composition, which puts an emphasis on hot spices. The top notes of the new edition are intertwining black pepper and aromatic juniper berries. The heart blooms with rose absolute reinforced by the notes of cedar, which are gently laid on the base made from oriental oud and gray amber.

DAVIDOFF HOT WATER NIGHTjuniper berries, black pepper
rose absolut, cedar
gray amber, oud

Davidoff Hot Water Night is presented in a bottle of the same form as the Hot Water release, but this time painted black. The black body of the bottle is graced with contrasting red details, which certainly announces the vigorous and virile chords of the composition. The fragrance is available as 110 ml Eau de Toilette Intense.

CARTIER:

Cartier has a new flanker to its Eau de Cartier line and this one is all about roses. Fragrantica has the details:

Cartier has launched a flanker to their best-selling Eau de Cartier from 2001, called Eau de Cartier Goutte de Rose. The new flanker follows Eau de Cartier Essence de Bois from 2011 and Eau de Cartier Essence d’Orange from 2010, as well as the various collector’s editions of the original Eau de Cartier through the years.

The new fragrance is taking the rosy shades of its name into the packaging which differentiates it from the violet-leaf focused original in the white box.

Created by in-house perfumer Mathilde Laurent, Goutte de Rose is a bright and joyful “eau” infused with the delicate essences of freshly picked roses upon which dew is still attached, aiming to inject immediate freshness, femininity and the well-being of a bright morning.

50ml EUR €73.42 – 100ml EUR €98.71

LA MAISON DE LA VANILLE:

La Maison de la Vanille has three new perfumes, including one that is an oud fragrance. NST does not have a date for the US releases, but it seems that they are all out in Germany. NST has this information:

La Maison de la Vanille Intense Patchouli

La Maison de la Vanille has launched three new fragrances, Intense Patchouli, Ambre Secret and Royal Oud. Along with 2011′s Absolu de Vanille, they make up the Les Parfums d’Absolu collection.

Intense Patchouli (shown) ~ “A thoroughly surprising and extraordinary patchouly composition. Perky lemon aromas and Lavender blossom provide a brand new fragrance experience and a real element of surprise. The floating and ethereal lightness of citric notes and lavender let the strong patchouli note dance and almost fly.” Additional notes include white musk, sandalwood and vanilla.

Ambre Secret ~ “Ambergris at his best. Peppery spiciness and soft, warm shades of ambergris. Shining brightly at the start, always dark, smoky and becoming more sophisticated until it ends in pure seduction.” The notes include white musk, sandalwood, cedar, patchouli, Peru balsam, labdanum and vanilla.

Royal Oud ~ “Beguiling Oriental roses and feminine jasmine blossoms underline the precious nature of the perfume. A powerful and expressive Oriental accent leads us into the depths of the mystical and mysterious Orient where new sensory worlds are waiting to be explored. Authentic agarwood exudes supreme opulence and complexity.” Additional notes include patchouli, lignum vitae, sandalwood and white musk.

La Maison de la Vanille Intense Patchouli, Ambre Secret and Royal Oud are available now at First in Fragrance in Germany, in 100 ml Eau de Parfum.

Well, that’s it for this blog post. I tried to cover both niche and main-stream perfume lines, so hopefully, there will something you find intriguing in the list. There are numerous other releases out on the market from new flankers for Coach’s Poppy line, a limited edition version of Clinique’s Happy, a new light Eau flanker for Fan di Fendi, and more. If you’re interested, you can find more information on these (and the numerous other) releases at NST’s New Releases page or Fragrantica’s similar page for new fragrances. Just be prepared to be deluged by a thousand flankers.

By the way, for those of you who may be interested, the Lancome L’Autre Oud fragrance in that drop-dead gorgeous bottle which I posted about in my last New Releases entry is supposed to be out on the market now. However, I don’t see it listed on Lancome’s website and have no idea where on earth one could possibly find this. If you do, or if you get the chance to give it a test whiff, let me know. I think that is one of the most beautiful bottles I’ve seen in a while.

Perfume Review – Robert Piguet Fracas: The History & The Legend

Posted on January 8, 2013 by Kafkaesque

“There are perfume legends, there are perfumer legends, and then there are perfumes that become obsessions. Fracas is all three, which is a hat trick less common that you’d think.”

Fracas Eau de Parfum.

Thus begins The New York Times‘ review for Fracas. It is a five-star review by the highly respected perfume critic, Chandler Burr, for a perfume that he rates as “transcendent.” And I couldn’t agree more. [Clarification: this post and piece is about vintage Fracas, both the very original versions and late 1990s Fracas, not the horribly mangled, modern reformulations.]

As a very small child of six or seven, and one already obsessed with perfume, there were two fragrances that I loved above all others: YSL’s Opium and Robert Piguet‘s Fracas. Out of the vast array of expensive French bottles littering my mother’s mise à toilette, out of all the Lalique jars and containers filled with various mysterious, adult things, out of all the things that made being a woman seem so fun and magical, there was really only Opium and Fracas that mattered to me. It was the 1970s, we lived in Cannes in a villa on the side of the mountain, overlooking the whole city below. There were exciting and often turbulent things going on, new things to explore, and make-believe adventures to be had. And, yet, I was always drawn back to that table. To be honest, it was primarily for the Opium which is still, to this day, my favorite perfume in all the world (in vintage version). But Fracas was a close second.

It was the empress of all white scents. It was a perfume that, as I recall, brought every man who passed by my mother to a stumbling, stuttering halt as they wondered what was that marvelous, incredible, hypnotic smell. It was a scent that I always thought was exuberantly joyful and happy, but which seemed to seduce whomever came within ten feet of it. It seemed like some cloud of happy white magic, all in one jet black bottle. It was the perfume worn by Marilyn Monroe (when she wasn’t wearing Chanel No. 5), Rita Hayworth, and Brigitte Bardot. And its modern die-hard fans range from such polar opposites as: Madonna to Martha Stewart, Ivana Trump to Courtney Love, Princess Caroline of Monaco to Bianca Jagger. It intoxicated them all. And it intoxicated a tiny seven-year old, too.

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