Lisa Hoffman has introduced the fourth fragrance in her Variations collection: Madagascar Orchid. Like the earlier Variations scents (see French Clary Sage, Tunisian Neroli and Tuscan Fig), it is packaged in a set of four versions designed to be worn at different times of the day…
Parfumerie Generale has launched two new fragrances, Felanilla and Drama Nuuï:
No. 21, Felanilla: (shown) ~ a soft, spicy oriental; “Ferociously luxurious. A feline Vanilla on the coat of Iris and Saffron”. With notes of vanilla, saffron, iris, banana wood, hay and amber…
Someone made the assertion in the comments recently that flankers are never an improvement on the original fragrance*. I'm sure there are a few exceptions (although I can't think of one offhand; if you can, please comment!), but I'd agree with the rule in theory. Still, there are certainly flankers that I'd rather wear than the original, even if they aren't “better”. Kenzo's Flower Oriental (2005) is one example. I wouldn't argue that it's “better” than Kenzo Flower (2000), but Kenzo Flower, brilliant though the composition may be, wears like a mess of sweet girl-powder on me. I'd just as soon admire it from afar. Flower Oriental added a dash of spice to the mix, and floated the whole thing over a darker, drier base, thereby rendering it wearable for those of us who found the original a tad too ironic for everyday use.
Winter Flowers is Kenzo's latest flanker for the Flower fragrance:
An ancient precious winter flower is the star of Kenzo’s new, limited edition eau de parfum, FLOWERBYKENZO WINTER FLOWERS. This powdery, floral scent is inspired by Hellebore rose, which is known for its startling blossoms and fragile beauty against the stark winter landscape…
The Six Scents Fragrance Initiative is a new, ongoing collaboration between Symrise, Metaproject and Seven New York. The group plans to launch six new fragrances every year with a percentage of the proceeds going to charity. Six Scents: Series One will launch next month, and will benefit Designers Against AIDS' International AIDS Awareness Education Center in Antwerp, Belgium.
Each of the six fragrances was developed by a celebrated designer working in conjunction with a Symrise perfumer. The fragrances for Series One, curated by Joseph Quartana of Seven New York, are:
Fragrance 1: Urban Tropicalia ~ by Alexandre Herchcovitch. According to perfumer Joachim Correll, “The inspiration for this fragrance was driven by the way that Alexandre creates fashion: The creative liberty he uses to design fashion which can be used equally by men or women…”
Ralph Lauren has launched Polo Modern Reserve, a new take on the original Polo fragrance intended to capture a younger audience — “the sons of the Polo customer”:
Much like a special vintage, Polo Modern Reserve is a unique blend, crafted in the spirit of the original scent, using advanced ingredients of the highest quality…