Thanks to Vicky for letting me know that Fragonard has a new fragrance, Canisse:
An evocation of those early yet already warm hours of Mediterranean summer mornings when every fragrance is burgeoning: the spicy smell of basil and oregano, the sharp scent of tomato leaves, the delicate perfume of vineyard peaches, all wrapped in a full-bodied bouquet of white flowers dominated by jasmine.
Cumming: the fragrance is the brainchild of actor Alan Cumming, nose Christopher Brosius and creative director Jason Schell. It features notes of bergamot, black pepper, scotch pine, whiskey, cigar, heather, douglas fir, rubber, leather, Highland mud, peat fire, and white truffle.
According to the Cumming: the fragrance website, this is “a scent that is all about Sex, Scotch, Cigars and Scotland”. The top notes have all of the above, plus a heavy dose of pine and some burning rubber. It does not strike me as a perfume that is likely to sell based on the first whiff from a testing strip, and I wonder how it is doing in Sephora, where it will be competing with fragrances that are designed to smell better on paper than they do on skin…
Here is the ad campaign for the new Sarah Jessica Parker perfume, Lovely. The ad copy reads: Lovely on the inside….
Christopher Brosius started exploring the world of fragrance while he was working at Kiehl's. In 1993, he left Kiehl's and founded Demeter, where he eventually built up a huge “fragrance library” of individual smells translated into perfume. You can hear Christopher talking about his work at Demeter on the radio show Studio 360.
In 2004, he left Demeter and started a new line, CB I Hate Perfume. He was also the nose behind Cumming: The Fragrance.
On his website, you can read a brief biography, find out why he named his new company “I Hate Perfume“, and discover why he doesn't use alcohol in his new line…
New at perfumebay: Fresh Scents by Terri Shimmer Sprays, Lolita Lempicka Midnight fragrance, and several 2005 limited editions: My Givenchy, Essenza di Zegna Acqua D'Estate (men), Kouros Eau d'Ete (men).
New at imaginationperfumery: J Lo Miami Glow, L'Eau Bleue D'Issey Pour Homme.
New at parfum1: Agent Provocateur, Michael Kors Island, testers of Paul Smith London. Get 10% off all summer long with code SUM2005BPX99999.