Jean Paul Gaultier will launch the latest limited edition of his Le Mâle fragrance in September, the Kilt Collector Edition. (via vogue.fr) Gaultier has long included kilts in his runway collections, in fabrics ranging from the traditional plaid to black mink. The Le Mâle fragrance includes notes of wormwood, bergamot, cardamom, lavender, orange blossom, cinnamon, cumin, wood, musk, amber, and vanilla.
Kylie Minogue Darling, Etro Dianthus: new fragrances
Kylie Minogue Darling will launch in November. The fragrance was created under licensing arrangements with Coty:
Perfumer Thierry Wasser of Firmenich, in collaboration with the pop star, developed the fragrance that aims to reflect the singer’s personality and Australian heritage. The scent therefore incorporates notes of Australian sandalwood, star fruit, freesia and Boronia flower, a plant that flourishes throughout Australia. (via cosmeticsint)
Kylie Minogue Darling is available in 30 ml Eau de Parfum, and 15, 30, 50 and 75 ml Eau de Toilette…
Valentino V Pour Homme ~ fragrance review
Being a huge fan of Valentino’s couture collections, I’m always a little dismayed by the fact that I only own a single Valentino fragrance — 1991’s masterpiece, Vendetta pour Homme. Although a couple of Valentino’s women’s perfumes intrigue me, I’ve never really gotten to know them; likewise, 1999’s Very Valentino for Men smelled pleasant enough, but never really grabbed me. So, it was with high hopes that I tested the new V Pour Homme, a subtly sweet blend of bergamot, mandarin, basil, pink peppercorn, transparent floral, jasmine, mace, cumin, ambrette seed, cedarwood, sandalwood, vanilla, dry amber and musk.
Last year’s initial launch in the V family of fragrances, V Pour Femme, was a soft, ambery floral and I’m pleased to say that V Pour Homme follows the theme rather well with sweet floral notes lifting the warmer amber and woods. V opens with a light and fresh yet peppery accord of citrus and jasmine. As the fragrance progresses, the sweetness of the jasmine becomes slightly more pronounced before finally relaxing into the background of darker base notes…
Perfume in the news: Marie Antoinette, unconventional fragrances & more
Elisabeth de Feydeau's biography of Marie Antoinette's perfumer, A Scented Palace, inspired Hannah Betts of the UK Times Online to pay a visit to Versailles:
…And, most evocatively, a powder-blue cabinet room, festooned with peacocks (an emblem of motherhood), with chair handles carved in the image of her favourite dog. This was the queen’s refuge, her powder room, in effect, and one still holds one’s breath in anticipation of its rouged, fragrant occupant. It was here that Marie Antoinette sought solace from stifling palace etiquette. As with today’s celebrities, chief among her confidants were her fellow image-makers: her couturière, Rose Bertin, her hairdresser, Léonard, and her perfumer, Jean-Louis Fargeon.
Read the rest of the article here, and many thanks to Ruth for the link.
The UK's Daily Record has an interesting article on some of the more unusual fragrance releases this year…
The Fragrance Wardrobe, part 5 ~ All The Rest
As I wrap up the week of scents for the twelve categories I so confidently described on Monday, I’m left with a lot of bottles in my cabinet and a lot of situations that call out for a particular perfume. Clearly, I’m full of baloney. Twelve is not enough. So let’s get on with it:
The Killer White Floral: Everyone needs a spectacular, lush, white floral perfume in her arsenal. Some of you may think you’re not the type, and for a long time I thought the same about myself. So I stuck to my spicy, incense-y scents. Then I smelled L’Artisan Fleur d’Oranger. I realized that white flowers don’t always mean Ricci L’Air du Temps, but can mean Woman (with a capital “W”). If not now, then some day you’ll want to smell the knockout funk of indolic jasmine, the dreaminess of frangipani, the diva hit of tuberose, and creamy gardenia. Put away a bottle of Annick Goutal Songes or, if you’re up to it, Piguet Fracas, Chanel Gardenia, or Serge Lutens Tuberose Criminelle. You’ll be glad you did…