I can tell that we're going to be friends

Have you ever despaired of not having a place to gush over Frederic Malle's Carnal Flower?
The dream has been realized.
Frederic Malle has joined facebook.
http://on.fb.me/fmallefb

So far the page has discussed the candles, included quotes from the new book "Frederic Malle: On Perfume Making" and the greatness of Une Fleur de Cassie. This fragrance does not get enough love or appreciation.

Let us all wish for a Frederic Malle twitter account for 2012.
For now...go become buddies with the rascal that is responsible for all my fragrance lemmings!

Credit: Frederic Malle
Title: We're Going To Be Friends by The White Stripes from White Blood Cells.

I Love New York by Bond No. 9: A Review

I Love New York by Bond No. 9

Bond No. 9 is starting a new fragrance series in their collection. After the great success with the collaboration with the Warhol Foundation, Bond is partnering with the I Love NY brand for a series of 15 fragrances. This series will center on scents inspired by the Empire State. I have no idea what future scents are planned but the idea of a Hudson Valley or Catskills fragrance sounds appealing.

The series begins with three fragrances. I Love New York For Her (Pink Bottle), I Love New York For Him (Blue Bottle) and I Love New York For All (Black Bottle). I have been pledging my allegiance to all three fragrances during the labor day weekend. My first favorite was I Love New York For All. It is wildly quirky and compelling. It is a gourmand that centers on coffee,cocoa, creamy chestnut with a drydown of patchouli and vanilla. The overall effect is a cup of coffee with a dollop of thick cream and chocolate. Traditionally delicious. The drydown takes a turn into green pastures. A mixture of hay or grass. The ending  note is all about leather.  Buttery soft.  The whole thing is kind of a weird and kooky perfection. 
Promise me that you will give this scent a whirl.

I Love New York For Her is the crowd pleaser at my job. The ladies love feminine fragrances. Anything that veers masculine is given the "side eye". The notes for this fragrance is mandarin zest, spicy nutmeg and the boldest blueberry note ever captured in a fragrance. The middle notes are just a cornucopia of pretty. It is a bouquet of roses and pink peonies. The drydown is patchouli, musk, vanilla sandalwood and a naughty touch of leather. The lasting power of the blueberry note is much too brief. I wanted it to last forever.

I Love New York For Him was a runaway hit with the men in my office. They have tested fragrances for me in the past. But never have they bickered over who would keep the lab bottle. One co-worker offered me $25. I laughed the offer off. He proceeded to stare me down in a bullying way. The opening notes are ginger, juniper berry and grapefruit zest. It is a bright green. Peppy and full of energy. The middle notes are a lavender(soapy), geranium, patchouli (rooty) and leather. The drydown is a cloud of sandalwood, labdanum, musk and amber.

The lasting power for the three fragrances are good. I have found I Love New York For Her to be too fleeting on me. It lasted splendidly on my co-worker Gela. This made me jealous. I Love New York For Him was a smash with drydown and silage. The bully co-worker got compliments from men and from women. I Love New York For All has a very powerful drydown. You will smell chestnut and coffee all day.
Price points for the 50 and 100 ml. eau de parfum will be $105 and $175, respectively.

I LOVE NEW YORK by Bond No. 9 arrives on counter September 18th at Bond No. 9 boutiques, Saks Fifth Avenue and select Nordstrom stores. The limited edition, charm 100 ml bottles will be $255 each. These bottles will arrive November 1st, 2011.

Credits: Bond No 9 PR
Disclosure: Bond No 9 lab bottles were provided by the company

40 Days and 40 Nights Of Fragrance Notes: Oudh

Oudh by Ceil
aka MUA's Tussah

Well… I realize that there are experts that can tell you the details about and the history of Oudh in much greater detail and can give you an encyclopedic listing of fragrances that feature oudh. But, I am not going to attempt to cover this very fascinating perfume/note with that kind of expertise. I will instead tell you how I got interested in oudh and how I feel about it.

Oudh is a very personal and emotion note in perfumery. Very few fragrance friends of mine feel ambivalent about it. It’s love/hate all the way…and from what I’ve smelled in most commercial fragrances I have to say it is a note that I both adore and dislike at the same time. How it’s handled and the quality make an amazing difference in the final scent.

One of…if not the most expensive natural ingredient in perfumery is oil of Agarwood. Oudh. Used for centuries for religious, spiritual, medicinal purposes and in perfumery, oil from the resinous heartwood of Aquilaria and Gyrinops trees is a precious commodity. These evergreen trees from Asia become infected with a mold. In response to this they form a resinous substance in the heartwood of the tree from which the Agarwood essential oil is extracted. This aromatic oil has ancient and modern use for perfumery and incense. The rarity of this oil is due to depletion of the trees that are the natural source for this oil. There are now also synthetic aromachemical versions of this note as well, which is a much more affordable, but not the same way to introduce this representation of the natural oil into a perfume.

I got interested in wanting to smell “good quality” natural Agarwood/oudh fragrances from reading descriptions of it’s fascinating beauty. And…interested in reading about the huge difference that the quality of ingredients make to that smell. Quality oudh can smell woody, incense-y, sweet and rich, smoky, floraly resinous, and fruity, in a rich long lasting multifaceted way. The smell is calming and richly beautiful. Poor quality oil can produce oily, sharp, leathery, sour and bitter smells. Smells that are acrid and irritating.

I finally got to try this good quality oudh…and it is stunningly beautiful, and lasts days on the skin. I have yet to find a commercial fragrance that comes close. I also have the synthetic aromachemical and it is pleasant but thin, and not really any comparison to the real thing. But for the price, I use it, and can certainly see why it is used in commercial perfumery.

Oudh seems to be quite the popular ingredient these days in fragrance. Some I personally like and others not so much. I will say with the variations in quality and types of chemicals natural and synthetic, it is always worth trying oudh fragrances. They vary so very much, and react so individually with body chemistry that you never know how it will turn out on you until you really test it for yourself. Something that can smell really questionable on a blotter card can turn into something truly lovely when applied on the skin…and vice versa.

I have a love affair with natural quality oudh however…it’s stunningly gorgeous on or off of the skin. It is the stuff of dreams to me….beautiful, resinous, magical and spirtual.

Review by Ceil aka Tussah
Graphic Credit: Melanie Parker

40 Days and 40 Nights Of Fragrance Notes:Tuberose

The tuberose, with her silvery light,
That in the gardens of Malay
Is call'd the Mistress of the Night,
So like a bride, scented and bright;
She comes out when the sun's away.
- Thomas Moore,
Lalla Rookh--Light of the Harem

The best description of the tuberose note is from Luca Turin in Perfumes The Guide. It is located in his review for By Kilian's Beyond Love. Page 92 for the fragonerds.

"Not only is the smell of tuberose flowers wonderful, it isn't even, properly speaking, floral in the clean, vegetal sense of floral fragrances. Tuberoses smell of butter, rubber, leather, blood, and heaven knows what else".

Tuberose is strong, sweet, exotic, illicit, tenacious and heady. It is a slightly rubbery, loud, creamy white floral that has a Dr Pepper vibe. It is simply glorious.
The tuberose is a night blooming plant. Tuberose has a mistress of the night kind of reputation.
My favorite tuberose fragrance is Frederic Malle's Carnal Flower.
I have gushed about this fume on this blog before.

"This summer I fell very hard for Frederic Malle's Carnal Flower. This Malle has the highest amount of natural tuberose absolute in any fragrance. I am a girl that shys away from Fracas and any other tuberose based fragrances. They are too loud for me. Carnal Flower manages to be a loud whisper. No baseball bat impact for me! It has wonderful sillage and the dry down is gorgeous. Like a lush jungle. It was beyond perfect for this summer".

A legendary tuberose perfume is Fracas by Robert Piguet. This is a buttery tuberose with a soapy dry down. It was worn by Marilyn Monroe.
Michael by Michael Kors is the holy grail scent of my boss. It smells like power. The tuberose is strong in this juice. The sillage wafts through the office. It can breed fear.
By Kilian's Beyond Love is a greenish tuberose with a dollop of coconut. Slightly tropical with a camphorous (band aid) opening. Pilar & Lucy's Tiptoeing Through Chambers Of The Moon is a candied tuberose. Almost sugary. Serge Luten's Tuberose Criminelle starts out with an opening of gasoline and ends with just buttery heaven.
But those first few minutes are rough.
It will make you shudder and give up.
Be patient.
True heartbreakingly loveliness soldiers on through that opening!

Tuberose Fragrances

The Best: Frederic Malle's Carnal Flower
The Legends: Fracas, Creed's Tubereuse Indiana, Serge Lutens Tuberose Criminelle
Others:
L'Artisan Nuit de Tubereuse
Michael by Michael Kors
Diptyque Do San
By Kilian Beyond Love
Marc Jacobs
Pilar & Lucy Tiptoeing Through Chambers Of The Moon
Etat Libre Vierges et Toreros
Parfums Del Rae Amoureuse
Annick Goutal Tubereuse
Keiko Mecheri Tuberose
Toykomilk French Kiss
Miller Harris Noix de Tubereuse
Comme des Garcons Daphne

Dish in the comments on your favorite Tuberose fragrances.

Reviewer: Annie
Credit: Annie
Graphic Credit: Melanie Parker
Disclosure: All products mentioned have been purchases or sample vials scored at stores or through Makeupalley.
By Kilian's Beyond Love sample vial was provided by Bergdorf Goodman.
Luca Turin quote from Perfumes The Guide. This book is by Tania " Tbone" Sanchez and Mr T. I love this dynamic duo.

Oud To Saffron

Bond No 9 is launching a third oud based fragrance for Valentines Day. This oud is less masculine than the previous incarnations. It begins with a rich plummy top note followed by a truly spectacular saffron note. The saffron note just "sings" and is lightly peppered with orange zest.

The mid-intermission stars the oud note. This oud is thick and syrupy. It is mixed with a nosegay of roses, rooty orris, and a dirty patchouli. The earthy dry down is musky with smooth honey and vetiver. Each note is uncluttered and perfectly orchestrated. All the notes are given time to shine and shimmer!

The star bottle is gunmetal grey with glints of gold. The inspiration was the New York streetscape at twilight. Bond 9 New York Oud will retail for $310 and will appear at Saks counters and Bond stores in February 2011. This might be the perfect Valentine scent gift for your sweetheart!

Visit http://www.bondno9.com/ for more details.

Credits: A press sample/lab bottle of New York Oud was provided by Bond 9.

Just the memories of walking through Washington Square

Bond No. 9's Washington Square
Review by #1 BondGirl, Patti.
Also known as Makeupalley's Cavewoman

Many years ago, as an art student at Youngstown State University, I had the opportunity to do a six-month internship at our local museum,
working with my professor on photographing artwork from the permanent collection as well as works from new exhibits,for brochures and promotional products.
Our local museum is a masterpiece of art in both its contents and its appearance. The Butler Museum Of American Art is the only museum in the United States that is solely devoted to American art and American artists. I'd walk across the street from the art department building every day,
and it was always so exciting to see the majestic marble building and all the treasures it held.

The building was designed by the famous architectural firm of
McKim, Mead and White. It is the heart of our city's lively, thriving, and creative world of artists and all the people of Youngstown who love art. It's a gathering place for visual and performing arts, music, parties, and weddings, and a lovely place to spend a leisurly afternoon.

It was during this time as a student that I was given a class assignment. We were instructed to produce a slide show, topic of our own choosing, and present it to the class as our final project. I was leaving for a trip to New York City, to spend a few days with my sister and her group of fashion merchandising students from Indiana University. I packed a huge bag of my camera equipment (35mm! Yes, real slide film! Kodachrome!) and off I went with my plans for my "I Heart New York" slide show. While Regina was off with her students to visit showrooms and designer studios, I set off to explore the city through the lens of my camera, tripod hooked over my arm, and not even trying to pretend I was not the city-struck, neon-dazzled tourist that I surely appeared to be. Native New Yorkers indulged me kindly. I snapped seven rolls of film in three days.

One of the loveliest places I visited was Washington Square. I walked down a narrow street into the open space of the park, and it literally took my breath away. The famous arch is a gateway to one of the most important green areas of the city, a space filled with activity from the nearby university and the people who live in the Village. I approached a group of men who were seated at the checker tables, and they smiled and allowed me to photograph them. I sat on one of the old wrought-iron benches and took it all in, on sensory overload, feeling the history and tradition and the modern bustle of city life all in one space.

When I got home, photos developed and arranged on my light table, I started to sort through the images. I needed to research a bit to give information on all my pictures as I would narrate the slide show. In my research, I found out that the architect for the arch at Washington Square, Stanford White, was part of the firm McKim, Mead & White, who had designed The Butler. I remember feeling quite amazed at the connection I felt between my city and The City, and how excited I was to know both structures in my time as an art student.

Now, over 20 years later, I connect again. This time, not with visual art, but with the art of perfumery. Bond No. 9 has created a fragrance for Washington Square. I'm flooded with memories of my visits there. The perfumer for Washington Square is the amazingly talented Laurent Le Guernec (who has created about a dozen Bond scents, as well as many others including my beloved MAC Air Of Style.) He's taken all the diversity of the location, and blended it into a bottle of fragrance that evokes sight, sound, and scent. Washington Square, the fragrance, is a beautiful, warm-hearted rose fragrance with a little honey for sweetness and a little leather for edge. These are the most prominent of the notes on my skin. Le Guernec has a particular knack for adding spice to floral, and his addition of tarragon gives the floral notes a quirky little twist, and vetiver in the base delights me because it is so unexpected in a women's scent. I love vetiver on my husband and now I can wear it, too. I'm learning that rose-based scents are my favorites and are as varied as the flower itself. The rose note in Washington Square is as velvety as the petals of the flower. The familiar star-shaped bottle looks like a watercolor painting of the arch in pretty, misty blues and soft purples, a hint of the purple rose note inside.

It's been too long since I visited New York. I miss my friends, the excitement, the street vendors, the food, I miss it all. I hope to get there soon. But for now, I think it's time I headed over to The Butler to pay a visit to this old friend. I'm going to wear Washington Square for my visit. I will remember the connection between the art building and the arch, between Youngstown and New York, and between art and the art of fragrance.

Washington Square Eau De Parfum
Top Notes: Italian Bergamot, Geranium, Tarragon
Mid Notes: Purple Rose, Honey, Vintage Amber
Base Notes: Leather Accord, Vetiver, Musk

Disclosure: Press sample provided by the company.
Photo Credits: Bond 9 and Cavewoman
Title: from the song Washington Square by The Counting Crows

She's a hurricane in all kinds of weather

S by Shakira
Fragrance Review by Cavewoman

Lately I have been feeling a bit sorry for my postman. He's had to lug my September fashion magazines down the street and up the driveway, to my front door where the mail slot is located. Some of them are so large that he can't fold them and put them in the slot,so he just rings the doorbell and leaves them on the front step. With his load lightened a few pounds, off he goes to the neighbor's house,and I run to the front door to gather my goodies.I have to say that the September issues have not wow'd me much. Most of them have the same advertising pages that span nearly two-thirds of the way through the front of the magazines. The first thing I do is to flip through them to discover any scent strips that might be tucked inside.Surprisingly, there are not so many this month. But one of them captivated me not just with the beautiful photograph, but with the scent itself.It's not often that I peel away the entire fold of the scent strip and rub it on my wrists, most of the time I just take a little sniff, and think to myself, yeah, ok, another generic fruity floral, nothing exciting or unusual. But this one, it was different, special, surprising, and lovely.

I'm trying to remember when the disdain for "celebrity scents" started to appear in blogs and internet perfume chat clubs. I belonged to one of those groups for many years. I remember people snickering about offerings from Paris Hilton (whose Can-Can fragrance I really like) to Jessica Simpson (whose fragrances are quite nice and wearable, and in such pretty bottles, too.) Every time a new celebrity scent was launched, I'd see the comments and wonder why anyone would dismiss a fragrance simply because of its name or the name behind it. Is a fragrance less worthy of consideration if it's found at the drugstore and has a pop-singer name on it? Are fragrances at fine department store and boutique counters more beautiful because they're more costly, carrying a chic brand name and all the cachet that goes with it?

Maybe the very first important celebrity scent would be White Diamonds by Elizabeth Taylor. I can imagine some Blogdorf readers saying "ewwww" as I am writing this! But wait! Created for Ms. Taylor by the venerable perfumer Sophia Grojsman, White Diamonds is a complex and womanly fragrance that deserves attention and accolades. Grojsman has created some of the most beautiful fragrances in perfume history, and it makes me wonder if people would give White Diamonds a try if it weren't a celebrity scent. I've worn it since its launch. My Mom wears it too, and no other fragrance she wears is as perfect on her as White Diamonds is.


This is not to say that there are some real celebrity scent duds out there. And my own personal feelings come into play when I see a bottle of "Unforgivable Woman" - what in the world does this even mean! I don't even want to sample it! (But I did.) I admit I am as curious as a cat about a fragrance called "Cat Deluxe With Kisses" by Naomi Campbell! (Immediately I am remembering her famous fall on the catwalk. I've used the word "cat" three times in the last two sentences.)

It's almost like my closet. There's a fabulous Diane Von Furstenberg wrap dress that makes me feel like a million bucks whenever I wear it. Next to it hangs a $7 black knit dress that I found on a markdown rack at Target. I feel like a million bucks when I wear that dress, too. Costume jewelry from Forever21 sits next to hand carved Italian cameo earrings in my jewelry box. On my perfume tray, rare Guerlains and treasured Bond No. 9 fragrances stand in equal presence with Coty Vanilla Fields and Avon's Timeless. I'm equal-opportunity in all categories. But I digress.

My scent strip moment in my September magazine (I don't even remember which one right now) was S by Shakira. Can I say that I hardly knew a thing about Shakira until my Zumba teacher had us dancing to "Hips Don't Lie" and recently taught us a fun dance to Shakira's "Waka Waka - This Time For Africa." I saw the photo of Shakira in the ad, I don't think I even knew what she looked like. She's stunning. I peeled back the scent strip fold and found the stunning treasure it held. And it made perfect sense that this scent would be Shakira's scent. S by Shakira is sold at national chain drugstores, so on my way to Zumba practice, I purchased a one ounce bottle (and sprayed myself nicely with the tester!) for $27.

Exotic, sensuous, serious, and sexy, S by Shakira contains none of the girly-fruity attitude of many modern perfumes. With no citrusy-fruity top notes to bore or annoy, S gets right down to business with an opening of resinous woods and soft, feminine jasmine. Don't think of the nose-pinching jasmine that you don't like. The floral notes here are comfortable, harmonious, and well-balanced. There is depth, substance, and drama here. The sandalwood base note blends easily with some warming amber notes, and vanilla adds the perfect touch of gourmand.
Mysterious, a little bit dark, and very exciting, S by Shakira is the dress-up-and-go-out-dancing-all-night type of scent that holds nothing back and makes no apologies for being totally devastating and womanly. It is a tango in a red dress slit up to there, controlled and stylized, full of confidence and attitude. Wearing it makes me want to dance.

To me, a true lover of fragrance would want to try out anything and everything. Some may please, others won't. Price, name, bottle design, advertising style, in the end those things matter way less than what's actually in the bottle and how it makes us feel when it is on the skin. I'm delighted that I discovered S by Shakira in that big fat September issue of whatever magazine it was. Thanks to my postman, who dropped the heavy magazine at my doorstep, he will probably never know his part in my new fragrance love.

Disclosure: This fragrance was purchased by the reviewer.
Credits: Harry Belafonte(Jump in the Line) and Cavewoman

Tournament Of Roses

Bond 9's Harrods Rose
Review by Cavewoman

If you had asked me early in my perfume loving years if I were a rose-scent lover, I would have said no, and I would have said it emphatically! I have always been a big white floral lover, the bigger the better. My first impressions of rose scents were formed when my neighbor lady soaked herself in Ombre Rose and its scent-twin, Lutece. She was a lovely lady and a good neighbor, but when she wore these perfumes, I could barely be around her. Silly me, I thought all rose scents smelled like these two perfumes. I didn't like them at all, to put it mildly, and therefore declared to myself that I hated all rose fragrances.

A few years later, on a trip to New York City with my sister, we were in Bloomingdales for a Mary McFadden event (I have to say this because she was so cool!) and as we walked through the fragrance department, a very chic and sophisticated sales associate offered to spritz me with a new scent from Yves Saint Laurent, and the name of that scent was Paris. She handed me a silk rose petal that she had sprayed with the fragrance. I carried the petal around with me during our time in Bloomingdales, and before we left the store, I purchased a bottle. All thoughts of the offensive Ombre Rose were gone. This is what rose fragrances are supposed to smell like. I have used up six bottles of Paris, and several of the Springtime and special edition versions as well. A rose-scent-lover was born that day! And it was me!

Since that revelation-revolution of rose, I have sought out and loved many rose-based perfumes. I've shared samples and raves with a few other rose lovers, especially Jessica, who is the first person I think of when I try something new in the rose category. We both love Bond No. 9 West Side! Recently the Cleveland Gang assembled for some fragrance counter perusing and wrist-testing, and I discovered (and bought, in record time I might add) the beautiful Bond No. 9 Saks-En-Rose, and it brings a smile to my face when I remember one of the gang following me around the store remarking over and over again that this was indeed a perfect scent on me. I'm glad I caved on the large size bottle. I've been wearing it so often that I am worried about the level in the bottle!

And so, when I read on the Bond No. 9 website that Bond was launching another rose scent, I could not wait to try it! When my sample arrived, the box was opened and the juice was on my wrist within a New York minute. And I was instantly in love.

Harrod's Rose begins and ends with the rose. There is no crispy breezy top note of the stuff you always wish would dissipate quickly so you can get to the heart of the scent. This fragrance gets down to business immediately, sweet and delicious, womanly and big. The sweetness comes from the white narcissus enhanced with tuberose. White roses are the main focus of the scent, powerful and proud. This is the big white floral, rose-dominated, that I have come to love over the years. In the base, musk is listed as one of the notes although I don't detect it at all. Ambrette seed and cashmere woods are the other base notes. The wood notes are the perfect compliment to the florals. They appear quickly and hold up the rose as if presenting the prize bloom to the wearer.

The bottle design is an adaptation of the Harrod's Bond bottles, originally designed by my friend Shawn, this time in the softest pink with gold lettering. I love the shape of the Bond bottles, the way they feel in the hand, and did you know that the bottles are made in Italy? Just a little tidbit there for you!

It is no secret that I am a huge fan of Bond No. 9. I have purchased many Bond fragrances over the years. I like to think I'm their biggest fan. I am beyond thrilled to give Harrod's Rose this rave review. Harrod's Rose is a drop-dead, devastatingly feminine scent, self-assured and voluptuous.

As I turn 60 today, I've been thinking of how I would mark a birthday that ends in a zero. Starting the day with a big cup of coffee, chatting online with friends, talking to Mom on the phone, watching some fun television shows, and ending the day with TurboKick class, that is just how I want to spend the day. I'll be wearing Harrod's Rose all the while. I'll always associate this fragrance with this milestone birthday. A big day deserves a big perfume!

Editor's Note: Happy Birthday to my dear friend and frequent contributor to Blogdorf, Patti aka Cavewoman. Have a wonderful Bday!

Disclosure: A sample vial was provided by Bond 9

The Days of Bond and Roses

Review for Bond 9's Saks-En-Rose
by Cavewoman

Yesterday I was walking in the mall with my gang. We had started the day with lunch, meeting at our regular table, greeting each other with hugs. The girls commented on how lovely I smelled. And continued to admire my fragrance all through the rest of the day. One of them even said "you get great sillage with that scent!" - she said it at least twice. I'll back up a week and tell you about it.

We were shopping in Cleveland last Sunday. It had been ages since Ms. Blogdorf and I had been able to spend the day with the gang, and we were eager to see the girls and hit the stores. With no real agenda for the day, we set out to hunt, gather, sniff, and test. We're really good at browsing. We stopped at Saks to check out what was new and noteworthy and were lingering over the Chanel counter, and I turned around to say hello to Barb, the lady at the Bond counter. We chatted a bit over how adorable the new High Line bottle was (first time I actually saw it in person, it's just beautiful) and then I spotted something else. It was familiar and yet odd. It was the Saks Fifth Avenue For Her bottle, but with a pink subway token in the center instead of the usual black-and-white token. I asked Barb what this was, and she said "oh, it's the new Saks but in a rose version." Rose. The magic word, for me anyway. I love rose scents. I sprayed, I fell in love, I caved.

I was not even aware that Bond was releasing a new Saks scent, and Barb told me that this was to be a Mothers' Day promotion but the fragrance would be a permanent part of the Bond collection. I was so captivated by the fragrance that I didn't even remember the list of notes she had told me as I was spraying. For the rest of the day, my gang commented on how lovely the fragrance was on me, and I smiled as I carried around my little Saks bag, precious box tucked safely inside. I had truly stumbled on a winner. I can't even remember the last time I fell so instantly and completely in love with a fragrance. And aren't roses the ultimate flower of love?

Bond has done a few rose-based scents in the past, and they are all part of my collection. Bryant Park is a breezy, youthful rose, and I wear it mostly in the warm-weather months. West Side is a sophisticated, womanly rose with depth and maturity. Broadway Nite is a devastatingly feminine rose-violet fragrance that is as exciting and dramatic as a rose scent can be. Saks-En-Rose is modern and complex. There is a hint of green, some subtle spice, a heart of the rose, and a woodsy base. Notes of dry dates and mace combine to give the top an exotic but restrained sweet-spice and keep the green from becoming too prominent. In the heart, the combination of tuberose and rose is unusual and perfectly balanced. And in the base, soft sandalwood, my most favorite of all wood notes, and my favorite wood to combine with rose. I think they're perfect together. The amber is barely there, just for a bit of richness, and on me I don't get much of the musk at all.

The perfumer for Saks-En-Rose, Laurent Le Guernec, has created some of my other favorite fragrances, many Bonds (including the gorgeous, spicy Harrods) and the fabulous MAC Air Of Style. He likes the nutmeg. So do I.

So now it is day 8 of owning this beautiful fragrance. I have not worn anything else since the day I bought it. It has (GASP!) replaced Chinatown as my all-time favorite Bond scent. I never thought I would say that! A huge thanks to Laurice for this new fragrance!

Disclosure: This perfume was purchased by the reviewer

Nanette by Nanette Lepore: A Review

Nanette by Nanette Lepore is an affordable dupe of Parfums DelRae's Bois de Paradis.

Nanette is a pink peppered rose with a big bushel of almost ripe blackberries. It settles into a powdery neroli note. In mid-drydown you pass glimpses of rose petals, violets and muguet.

Bois de Paradis is an intoxicating mixture of shimmery french roses, dangerously ripe blackberries and figs. Fig is a very comforting perfume note. It smells like hay or dry grass with a creamy coconut center.
The sillage cloud is great. Bois de Paradis just wafts and orbits all around you. It is a "siren call"perfume. It beckons admirers and compliments. It is truly deserving to be called a great classic fragrance.

Nanette might not have the allure and magic of Bois De Paradis. There is something that is stopping it from achieving similiar greatness. It could be the lighter touches of floral notes. It could be that the blackberries are of a different grade of quality. I am might be a kook...but the blackberries do not seem to be as dark and twisted as Bois de Paradis. In the end it could be the glaring omission of the fig. The drydown for both fragrances is a heavenly mix of spices, incense, and ambery woods.

I have gone through 2 bottles of Bois de Paradis. I am patiently waiting for a beautyhabit sale.
I caved on a roller ball bottle of the Nanette fragrance at Sephora.
http://www.sephora.com/
The 1oz bottle retails for $48.
The 2.5 oz bottle retails for $68.
The roller bottle retails for $18.50

Bois de Paradis is located at Luckyscent. It retails for $135.
http://www.luckyscent.com/shop/detail.asp?itemid=37901

Disclosure: This product was purchased by the reviewer in Sephora.
Credit: Blogdorf Goodman

A Prairie Perfume Companion

High Line by Bond 9

Spring is really coming. You can smell it in the air. It is a mixture of damp earth and grass. This gets me in the mood for spring fragrances. I put away the incenses and thick ambers and fully embrace the flowers. I want to smell pretty.

High Line is bringing the pretty. This fragrance was inspired by the High Line park system. This green sanctuary hovers 30 feet above the street level of the meatpacking district. Wild flowers pepper the railroad tracks and concrete planks. Bond wanted to create a fragrance that captured the park setting amidst the city grit.

High Line is a green fragrance. It is not a traditional grass scent. This is not the freshly mowed lawn from your back yard. The grass is called Purple Love Grass. It is a prairie land perennial. It is dry and hay-like. This note is evident throughout the drydown of the fragrance.

As it settles, an earthy rose and Indian Rhubarb note appear. Rhubarb smells like a tarted up strawberry.

The middle stage of High Line is aquatic. It smells like water. Nothing like the Hudson. It does not smell like grime or metal. More like a pond filled with lily pads. Very prairie marshland. This watery vibe is created with sea moss and musk notes.

The finale is a heady mix of woods.

The official list of notes are bergamot, purple love grass, indian rhubarb, red leaf rose, orange flower water, tulips,grape hyacinth, sea moss, teakwood, musk and bur oak.

High Line will be at Bond counters at Saks Fifth Avenue this month. A 50 ml bottle will retail for $145 and a 100 ml bottle will retail for $220. Visit www.bond9.com for details.

Disclosure: A sample vial was provided by Bond 9
Credit: Bond 9

Perfume Pangs

“Wait! Come here.” She marched me to a Histoire de Parfums display that looked like a row of overturned martini glasses, picked one up and inhaled it like the next fix in her continuing ether jag. She sighed, handing the glass to me.
“You haven’t seen him yet, but you know this man.”

I did a nose-drag. It was emotion-seizing: the complex, expensive scent of a civilized man. A well-shaved European — wet pine, fire, cold Sauternes. I could almost taste the clean leather and tweed. It hit with a resonant pang, right below the belt into unfair, instant, knuckle-biting yearning.

We looked at each other in a mutual reverie.

“Unngh.” I moaned.
“Right?”
The fragrance — aromatique hespéridé — was created by the ridiculously handsome Gérald Ghislain, in honor of Jules Verne. The Hesperides were Greek nymphs of the evening, charged with protecting Hera’s orchard of immortality-granting golden apples of joy.

Damn. I think we all need to go smell this!

---Quote from Cintra Wilson's The Critical Shopper NYTimes via Fashion is Spinach

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/03/fashion/03CRITIC.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=cintra&st=cse

http://www.histoiresdeparfums.com/1-6296-NEW-INDEX.php

The Blogger and The Sea

L'Occitane Labdanum

This scent is part of the Voyage En Mediterranean collection at L'Occitane. The collection pairs a specific note with a destination in the Mediterranean from Tuscany to Corsica. Each package features a unique wind rose. This was a graphic tool that was used by sailors to help guide them on their travels. Sailors believed that the wind rose had special powers and protected them on their voyages.

The Labdanam fragrance is a stunning amber. It opens with honeyed citrus fruits and spices. The drydown is amber heaven with a dash of vanilla sprinkled in. The amber note is not as hardcore as Paul & Joe's Bleu or as dirty as Serge Lutens Ambre Sultan. Labdanam has a lighter feel. More sweet and pine-like.

It retails for $66 and is currently at your local L'Occitane store. You can also visit the website at http://usa.loccitane.com/FO/Home.aspx for details.

Disclaimer: A press sample of this product was provided by L'Occitane.

Kissing Asphalt

I Am Pavement Bound
(lyrics The Go Go's)

MAC's Asphalt Flower is a fragrance from the Trend 2009 collection. I believe this is a reissue from a previous collection. It is a dirty violet with ylang and buttery iris petals. The drydown is a powdery cloud of incense, patch and vanilla. The scent comes in a whippet slender bottle with a roller ball applicator.

Violet fragrances are usually ladylike and slightly prim. MAC managed to twist the violet into something quite wicked. Cavewoman from Makeupalley stated that it had a very downtown vibe. That description nailed it. It is a modern libertine, rakish fragrance.
I might be far from being a libertine due to age and opportunity.
But I want to be bad.
It retails for $20 and it is currently at your local MAC counter.

Disclaimer: I purchased this fragrance at my local MAC counter.

It was love at first sniff.

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

"24 Hours a Day of a Perfumed Life"

Maison Francis Kurkdjian at Bergdorf Goodman

By Jessica M

Even if the name “Francis Kurkdjian” doesn’t sound instantly familiar to you, you’ve probably worn one of his fragrance creations at some point: Narciso Rodriguez for Her, maybe, or Elizabeth Arden Green Tea, Armani Mania, Guerlain Rose Barbare, the first two perfumes from Juliette Has a Gun… the list goes on. Kurkdjian won the Francois Coty Perfume Award in 2001 (at the age of thirty!), for his accomplished body of work. Since then, he has also taken fragrance beyond its usual boundaries by collaborating on multi-media “olfactory installations.” He has even scented the historic fountains and gardens of Versailles and has recreated Marie Antoinette’s favorite perfume.

Kurkdjian recently introduced the first fragranced products bearing his own name: his Paris boutique opened on September 9, 2009 (he considers the 9/9/9 date very lucky), and his line became available at Bergdorf Goodman just a few days ago. The perfumer made an appearance at Bergdorf to discuss the products and his desire to scent every aspect and every moment of our lives.

Maison Francis Kurkdjian, as his company is formally known, offers some traditional fragrance formats. The line includes seven fragrances packaged in heavy glass bottles with zinc caps. Aqua Universalis, Cologne pour le Matin, and Cologne Pour le Soir are unisex eau de toilettes. Lumière Noire, a spicy rose-patchouli mix, and APOM (A Piece of Me), a blend of orange blossom and cedar wood, are both available in masculine and feminine formulas. (My favorite was APOM pour Femme, which seems like a richer, more complex cousin to Acqua di Parma’s Iris Nobile, another one of Kurkdjian’s earlier compositions.)

But Kurkdjian didn’t stop there: he also came up with candles, perfumed incense papers, fragranced laundry detergents, room spray, and—most intriguing of all—a bracelet made of a richly perfumed leather strip with a sterling silver clasp. He even developed a series of liquid bubbles that you can blow with a little plastic wand, just like the ones you had as a child, except that the bubbles from Maison Francis Kurkdjian are scented like freshly cut grass, mint leaves, and pears.


It would be wonderful to scent “every waking hour,” as Kurkdjian says, with these products from Paris. I’d probably start with the incense papers and a small bottle of APOM. And, just to show the setting where the perfumer demonstrated his line, here’s a view from the seventh floor of Bergdorf Goodman, at the heart of another “city that never sleeps.”

For more information, see the Francis Kurkdjian website (http://www.franciskurkdjian.com) or call Bergdorf Goodman at (212) 872-2581.
Maison Francis Kurkdjian is also available at Neiman Marcus, and will be coming to Aedes de Venustas in New York later this year.

Photo Credit: Jessica M

Her name was Lola. She was a Show Girl.

I am not a fan of Marc Jacobs fragrances. I do own his first scent offering but have passed on Blush or Daisy. So it is odd that I held high hopes for Lola. I think I wanted it to be full bottle worthy because the name and bottle are so damn adorable.

The bottle did not disappoint. The topper is a high density rubber in deep gorgeous colors. This might read cheap but it was surprisingly rich looking. The rubber petals were smooth, soft and floppy. Like rabbit ears. It is whimsical in every sense of the word. The design is very user friendly and fun. It begs to be picked up and sampled.
The glass bottle is a plummy amethyst shade with gold roping. It was weighty but not imposing. I really think this will take any packaging awards at the Fifi awards next year.

The juice is a mix of roses and fruit. The fruits are not jammy or sweet. This is a crisp fall pear and a sour grapefruit. The flowers are rose, peony(strong), geranium(strong) with a creamy yet weak vanilla/tonka ending. I swear that I detect a freesia note in this scent cocktail. The whole combination is slightly off. This was destined to be the older, vampy sister to Daisy. But the fruit takes it from Lolita to Miley Cyrus. It is not a bit naughty or deliciously skank. Lola does not flirt with any kind of wild side and is safe by most Disney standards. It is trying so hard to be bad but there is no wickedness or spunk.

You can currently smell this fragrance at Bloomingdales and Nordstorm.

Check out more pictures of the bottles on Vanity Fair's website:
http://www.vanityfair.com/online/style/2009/08/the-first-spritz-of-marc-jacobss-new-lola-scene.html

Twittering Teese

She answered the fragrance question! Thanks LucyAnneD!

I wore Quelques Fleurs forever, but lately have been wearing Dior's Pasage #4- BUT working on something special fragrance-wise...

more beauty tidbits...

My favorite foundation is L'Oreal True Match. I use N1. It's Cher's favorite too! :)

Sadly, matte lipsticks are becoming extinct, especially in the drugstore. Everything is glossy! I like MAC Ruby Woo.

I am currently writing a beauty book, in fact. It will probably be out this time next year. It's a big project!

I collect 30s/40/50s clothing. but love 40's nail, 50's eye, & fluctuate between 30s,40s,50s hair! But 40's is my fave era.

Visit http://twitter.com/DitaVonTeese!

Lets guess what notes will be in Dita's scent! I am going with a great big tuberose.

Secret Agent






Agent Provocateur is offering a FREE Signature Parfum Purse spray (worth $55) with a purchase of $150 worth of AG beauty products. This offer started on friday and will last until June 30th 2009.


This offer is available at Agent Provocateur boutiques nationwide as well as online at http://www.agentprovocateur.com/

Green grow the perfumes, oh! -- A review of Honoré des Prés fragrances
By Jessica M

Honoré des Prés is a new line of natural fragrances that recently arrived from France, bearing the “Ecocert” label. Four of the five fragrances were created by the well-known and much-admired perfumer Olivia Giacobetti, and all of them are blended from organic botanical essences without any synthetic ingredients. This line will appeal to “green” product-seekers, admirers of Giacobetti’s work, people who have experienced allergies to conventional fragrances, or anyone who is looking for a light fragrance for spring-summer wear.

Each eau de toilette from Honoré des Prés evokes a different aspect of the French countryside. Chaman’s Party is an earthy mix of vetiver and exotic woods; Nu Green is a minty herbal blend that has a revitalizing aromatherapeutic effect; and Honoré’s Trip (the only non-Giacobetti composition of the group) is a citrusy Mediterranean tonic. You’ll probably find your own favorite in this line, depending on your own personality and your own past encounters with nature. My own two favorites are Sexy Angelic and Bonté’s Bloom.

Sexy Angelic is a delicate gourmand fragrance that stays close to the skin. Its central notes are hemlock flower, angelica seed, and almond – specifically, the almond flavor of “Calisson” candy. Calisson is a Provençal speciality made from almond paste, similar to marzipan or nougat, sweetened with candied melon or orange. This almond note, in particular, makes Sexy Angelic feel like a little sister to Giacobetti’s Jour de Fête (from L’Artisan Parfumeur), but even softer and a bit more citrusy.

Bonté’s Bloom is outdoorsy without being a clichéd ozonic, “sporty” fragrance. It smells like a cluster of blooming herbs (including sage and chamomile), grasses, and wildflowers picked in a field. It develops gently with a few light, almost lemony, hints of rose and the most subtle base of iris butter. It’s unique, but it fits well into Olivia Giacobetti’s body of work: it feels like a cousin to other Giacobetti creations, such as L’Été en Douce from L’Artisan Parfumeur (which has a fresh linden note) or Eau de Lierre from Diptyque (with its green, vine-like heart).

The staying power of both these fragrances is, admittedly, on the mild side. You’ll probably want to refresh yourself with a few new spritzes at various points in the day. On one hand, I wish Honoré des Prés would release more concentrated versions of these scents – eau de parfum or even perfume oil. On the other hand, their airiness makes them perfect for summer wear, because they’re impossible to “overdo.” Even a generous spraying session won’t give you overwhelming sillage.

I won’t be traveling anywhere outside New York this summer, so I’m finding other ways to put myself in a vacation-like mood from time to time. Honoré des Prés fragrances are like mental picnics for me: just a few sprays, a deep breath, and I feel like I’m spending a day in the countryside.

To purchase Honoré des Prés fragrances from Bergdorf Goodman, call 212-872-2581.

For more information, and a list of online retailers, see http://www.honoredespres.com/

Honoré des Prés advertisement by Anouk Schneider.

Product photo by Jessica M, taken at Bergdorf Goodman.