Specials from lacremebeauty: through May 8, get 10% off any order of $50 or more with code bloom10, 20% off any order of $100 or more with code bloom20. Also a bunch of items marked down at this page, including Tocca, MOR, and purses from Hype & Lulu Guinness.
Perfume review: Andree Putman Preparation Parfumee
Andrée Putman is one of France’s best known interior architects. She has designed everything from home interiors to furniture to tableware. She redesigned the interior of the Air France Concorde jet, and she was responsible for the interior of the Pershing Hall hotel in Paris. For her first fragrance, Préparation Parfumée, which was released in 2001, she worked with nose Olivia Giacobetti, who…
…immediately understood what I wanted and succeeded in transforming my own personality into olfactory notes. We spoke about wood, wet wood, wood after the rain, driftwood, about water lilys and coriander leaf. I wanted it to be light and fresh, to be a fragrance for women, for men and even for children…I hope this fragrance evokes the same serenity and discretion present in all my other creations. (via cached copy from andreeputman)
Préparation Parfumée has notes of driftwood, grey pepper, water lily and coriander leaves…
Shopping notes
New at lacremebeauty: La Luz perfume oil in Ginger Fig, Citron, Angelica, and Dulce de Leche, also Pilar & Lucy Tiptoeing Through the Chambers of the Moon, and Monyette Paris lotion.
Marked down at scentsystems: Kirna Zabete 75% off, Le Jardin de Retrouve Cuir de Russie 50% off, Flora Napa Valley Cielo 50% off.
Celebrity perfume news: Sarah Jessica Parker, Ian Thorpe & Paris Hilton
Sarah Jessica Parker's new fragrance for Coty, due for launch in September, will be called Lovely. (via The Advertiser link no longer working, sorry).
Ian Thorpe, the Australian olympic gold medalist in swimming, has launched the Ian Thorpe for men line, including an Eau de Parfum and body products with "exotic spices and woody undertones". (via Sunday Telegraph another broken link!).
And while I wasn't looking, Paris Hilton went right ahead and launched her new fragrance line for men:
The unexpected initial impact is a combination of open Sky Air accord, with tempting wet Fig Leaf and fearless Green Mango. All the senses are triggered from the first instant. (via Macys)
Speaking of which, has anyone tried Donald Trump's new fragrance?
Fragrance of the day: Costes by Hotel Costes
Today I am testing Costes, the fragrance created by perfumer Olivia Giacobetti and Rami Mekdachi for the fashionable Hotel Costes in Paris. The notes are lavender, bay-tree, coriander, white pepper, rose, incense, woods, and musk.
Costes starts as an aromatic herbal, rather heavy on the lavender and consequently a bit sharp. After a few minutes the coriander and pepper add a heavy dose of spice. I tried this on a test strip last year at Takashimaya, and pegged it as a spicy aromatic, but this is one of those fragrances that really needs to be tried on skin. Over the next half hour, it settles into a lightly spicy, soapy incense-woods scent with just a hint of rose. Eventually it smells like a lovely sandalwood incense soap, very soft and soothing, and close to the skin…