The Mystery of Perfume Panel

By Jessica M

Barneys New York recently hosted a panel discussion on “The Mystery of
Perfume” at its Madison Avenue flagship store. The event was
moderated by Roberta Myers, editor-in-chief of Elle magazine, and the
participants were Frederic Malle of Editions de Parfums, Antonia
Bellanca of Antonia’s Flowers, Ben Gorham of Byredo Parfums, and
Fabrice Penot of Le Labo, names well-known to anyone who spends a bit
too much time at the Barneys fragrance counter. (Guilty as
charged...!)

Over the course of an hour, the roomful of listeners was treated to a
Wide-ranging conversation about the art and craft of “niche” perfume.
(We also learned which fragrances from these lines are best-sellers at
Barneys: Carnal Flower, Tiempe Passate, Gypsy Water, and Tubereuse 40, respectively). Fred’s Restaurant (on the ninth floor of Barneys) is a
fun space for a meal and a chat; unfortunately, its layout isn't
really conducive to this kind of event, so photography was difficult.
Instead, here is a sampling of quotations from the speakers, jotted
down to the best of this attendee’s note-taking ability!

On their reasons for founding their lines:

“I was working in a flower shop… I went shopping for perfume and I was
amazed to find out that nothing truly smelled like flowers.”
- Antonia Bellanca

“I realized that many perfumers were bored. They couldn’t do what
they wanted to do.”
- Frederic Malle

On the integrity of the product:

“I want to make perfume even more creative, even more luxurious, even
more exclusive, to bring perfume back to what it was.”
- Frederic Malle

“At the end of the day it’s the creations themselves that are
important, and the intention behind them… We focus on creation and we
hope for business.”
- Fabrice Penot

“Three generations of women are wearing Antonia’s Flowers now, because
the company is twenty-five years old. Mothers can hand the fragrances
down to daughters.”
- Antonia Bellanca

On (not) advising their customers:

“I try not to tell people what to wear, how to wear it – I can only
tell them what I envisioned.”
- Ben Gorham

“What you’re wearing on your skin is the most personal thing in the universe.”
- Antonia Bellanca

On the selective appeal of niche brands:

“Perfume, like fashion, plays upon people’s insecurities; but the
clients of niche perfumery are very secure about their choice.”
- Fabrice Penot

“It’s not just buy, buy, buy – it’s an experience, it’s a feeling.”
- Ben Gorham

“Fragrances are like people – if you try to seduce everybody then you
become incredibly boring and no one invites you to parties anymore.”
- Frederic Malle

On celebrity fragrances:

“Very cheesy.”- Audience member Simon Doonan, Barneys creative director

Catalog Lemmings

My Current Lemmings from the Barneys Fall Beauty Catalog.

Serge Noire by Serge Lutens

I am generally a fan of anything from the house of Lutens.
I own many including two precious bell jars.
So it brings me great pain to diss Noire.
This fragrance is quite foul. And not a grand and interesting foul like Tubéreuse Criminelle.
I hate comparing this scent to body odor. It always feels like a cop-out or a simplistic description.
But it is pure BO on a hot sweltering day.
It has all the notes I love from leather to smoke. But that opening note just sinks into your nose and just makes it wrinkle like Samantha Stephens in disgust.
It is available at Barneys and Aedes and is priced at $140.

http://www.aedes.com/home.php

Photo: Aedes

A Visit with the Lipstick Queen
By Angie W and Jessica M

Poppy King, the creator of the Lipstick Queen cosmetics line, appeared at Barneys New York on Madison Avenue this past weekend, and we two lipstick addicts had the opportunity to chat with her about Lipstick Queen and other lipstick-related topics. At Annie’s invitation, we’re here to tell you all about it!

Both of us admired Poppy’s stylish attire, which mixed feminine elements with unexpected details: her vintage dress of wine velvet was cinched with a tough-yet-elegant leather belt, and she combined a feminine, antique purple ring and a delicate, vintage bracelet with a chunky, oversized men's watch.

The influences that Poppy brings to Lipstick Queen are similarly romantic and eclectic. Her packaging, for example, blends artistic styles from all her favorite periods and sources. She has reinterpreted Art Nouveau floral motifs (including her namesake flower!) for the Saints and Sinners lines, Aubrey Beardsley drawings and Tarot cards for the Oxymoron glosses, black lace reminiscent of vintage stockings for the Black Tie Optional products, and the intricate religious-moral symbolism of the Middle Ages for her Medieval lipstick. All the products are unified by bold Arts and Crafts lettering; basically, this is not the stereotypical swirly, pink, pin-up ornamentation that many companies would have automatically chosen for a lipstick line.

As for the lipsticks themselves, their colors and textures are inspired by classic Hollywood glamour and European standards of chic beauty. In recommending products to us, Poppy emphasized that her own makeup preference is to wear very little eye makeup or any other makeup besides lipstick. Lip color definitely plays the starring role in her beauty aesthetic.

Angie’s “lip reading’: Poppy recommended a rich wine shade for fall. Wine Sinner and Saint Wine were tested, and Angie ultimately chose the Saint. (The Sinner was gorgeous, but it’s a stronger lip than she’s accustomed to.) Poppy's advice for trying an intense new color is to wear it around the house until it feels second nature, so that you are comfortable wearing it out. Poppy said that Saint Wine was very “Ophelia” on Angie, and since John Everett Millais’s Ophelia (see image) is one of Angie’s favorite Victorian Pre-Raphaelite paintings, she had to cave! Poppy also suggested Saint Rouge for a subtle pop of red, since Angie already owns and enjoys Saint Red and Medieval. Angie loved both new lipsticks because their texture is so moist and sheer, and both colors are wearable, neither too bright nor too dramatic for a pale brunette to wear in daytime.

Jessica’s “lip reading”: Jessica had brought along her mini-collection of brochures from the original Poppy cosmetics line (see photo), dating back to its launch at Barneys in the early 1990s. Poppy reminisced about past products and designs for a bit, and then she approved Jessica’s current love for Saint Natural lipstick and recommended a few other items. Jessica ended up joining Angie (and Annie!) in the Medieval fan club, since it’s the only sheer red lipstick she’s ever tried that’s sufficiently pigmented yet doesn’t overwhelm her round face. Then she was smitten with Oxymoron Matte Gloss in Minor Crisis, a soft, dusty rose. Poppy also dabbed Minor Crisis on Jessica’s cheeks as cream blush for a fresh-faced “Jane Austen” look (and Jessica couldn’t resist that concept, since Jennifer Ehle as Elizabeth Bennet is one of her beauty icons!).

Jessica and Angie were both eager to hear about future Lipstick Queen products, and Poppy indulged them by mentioning special talc-free blotting papers for lips, accessories including a Lipstick Queen mirror, and Big Bang Theory lip gloss, which will have subtle “fish scale” iridescence and a lip-plumping effect. A second book, on the subject of lipstick (of course!), is also in the works.

Overall, Poppy was wonderfully engaged in our conversation and seemed so pleasantly excited to speak with some of her customers. If you have the opportunity to meet her at a Lipstick Queen counter, don’t miss it!

Credit: Angie and Jessica for Blogdorf Goodman

Disclaimer: All products mentioned in this review were purchased by the reviewer.

Lipstick Queen's Oxymoron Matte Lip Gloss in Honest Politician

Oxymoron: A rhetorical device in which two seemingly contradictory words are used together for effect.

An honest politician is one who, when he is bought, will stay bought.
Simon Cameron

One of my favorite counters to visit in Barneys is Lipstick Queen. I love everything from the Aubrey Beardsley packaging to the satisfying snap of her lipstick tube. This company founded by the ultra glam Poppy King focuses on lippies. This year she launched one of the coolest lip products ever.

The Oxymoron line is her first step into the wonderful world of gloss. It applies like a standard lipgloss but leaves the lips with a matte finish. Matte finishes can often be drying and messy. Oxymoron manages to be creamy and moisturizing. It feels and looks amazing. The lasting power is also impressive. I did not have to do a touch up until the end of the day. That is remarkable for any kind of lippie.

The shade I caved on was Honest Politician.
This shade is like MAC's Spice liner and Nars Foul Play. It is the perfect fusion of brown and pink.
The other shades are Minor Crisis(a subtle pink), Deafening Silence(a beige nude), and Free Ride(a peach). Each gloss comes with a handy purse sized lip brush.

It is available at Barneys.com and retails for $20.

Disclosure: I purchased this product at Barneys in NYC.