Stella McCartney has launched the 2009 version of Stella Sheer (shown above left), the yearly limited edition summer flanker to 2003's Stella fragrance:
Sheer Summer by Stella McCartney is a new version of the original Stella fragrance that lets soft summer shadows reflect the delicacy of fresh rose petals. The elegant bottle design mirrors the sophisticated, light-hearted spirit of the scent.
The notes include lemon, green apple, rose and amber.
Stella McCartney Stella Sheer 2009 is available now at Sephora; $58 for 100 ml Eau de Toilette. (via sephora)
See also: Stella Sheer 2007, Stella Sheer 2008.
Bath & Body Works has introduced Sheer Japanese Cherry Blossom (shown above right), a lighter variation of their Japanese Cherry Blossom scent:
To create this sheer, spring-like rendition of our exclusive, award-winning Japanese Cherry Blossom, master perfumers have accented our seductive blossoms with mandarin zest, fresh lychee, Asian pear and beautiful white florals.
Additional notes include Fuji apple, crushed leaves, cassis, jasmine, peony, water lily, vanilla rice, violet woods, skin musk and sandalwood.
Bath & Body Works Sheer Japanese Cherry Blossom is available in 75 ml Eau de Toilette; $26.50. (via bathandbodyworks)
Other recent launches from Bath & Body Works: Black Amethyst, Vanilla Noir.
Well, I will probably once again venture into B&BW to sample the sheer cherry blossom and see if I like it any better than the original. I'm always enticed, but then my nose is just assaulted by the strength of their scents. Restraint is not their forte.
It's smelly in there! Same with VS. I always wonder if they just purposely spray the stuff in the air, or if they just have bad ventilation systems.
On my last trip to VS as I was leaving I heard a manager tell an associate to start spraying their new fragrance in the fitting room and work her way up to the front of the store! So yes, they purposely spray, and it made me laugh out loud at the time.
Funny, that reminds me of Hollister. What's up w/ that? They obviously send whatever that fragrance is through their ventilation system. I can smell it all the way down the wing of the mall. Eesh
And Abercrombie! I can hardly stand to even walk by the outer door.
Apple does seem to be the “it” note this season, doesn't it?
I have almost no perception of the regular Cherry Blossom as it is, and what I can smell I don't like. Don't know if this will help.
But I'll try the Stella just to see. Not sure about all these apples – all I can think about is Be Delicious. Pew.
I agree with you. I tried the original Japanese Cherry Blossom, and as it developed on my skin, I developed an overwhelming urge to scrub it off! Even several applications of soap didn't make it disappear entirely. Unfortunate, as I am very sentimental about cherry blossoms in the spring, and would love to find a scent that matches my idea of them. However, all these fragrances smell like the fruit instead, and I don't enjoy fruity scents.
Well gosh, you must be in the majority — otherwise all those stores would be empty, right?
Agree wholeheartedly, nobody has made the perfect cherry blossom scent yet.
Last 5 years, more like! Actually, the earlier (pre 2008) versions of Stella had apple, & wondering if this is just a repeat of one of those?
The Sheer doesn't sound like my thing, but I think it's a lovely bottle.
Is the new Stella anything like the Rosine Rose d'Ete?
OH MY GOD
You don't even know.
I am the biggest Bath and Body Works fanatic there is, probably (and yes, I can fully admit that some of the scents are either crap, or outdated)(but I believe there are a lot of good ones).
I work there part time, and I am a member of two MySpace forums where we discuss the fragrances and products and such at length. I ALWAYS know about something before it comes out.
BUT
You've shocked the caca right out of me. I never saw this coming. I seriously am going to buy it the SECOND my store gets some it. It's available online right now, and it is also going to have a Dry-Oil Spray and a Sake Oil Bath/Wash thing (which I also just found online). So, thanks very much for posting this! ^_^
AugAmbre, they usually are really nice bottles, but I also usually like them better in pictures than I do in person.
I haven't smelled it yet, but past Stella Sheers haven't been.
Hey, I only found it by accident while looking to see if that Butterfly thing had launched yet!
I went up to the store and bought all three products.
I really like the Eau De Toilette, actually. I've always loved Japanese Cherry Blossom, but I hate how all of the products smell slightly different. This Eau De Toilette is very true to the original, so it still smells like [Japanese] Cherry Blossoms, but without being too heavy. The packaging for it is Gorgeous, as well.
It really is lovely packaging — glad to hear the juice is nice as well.
I've been wondering the same thing. I think Sheer has the same notes year after year, they just create a new bottle (my favorite was the one with the hummingbird! Gorgeous and impossible to find now, unfortunately). I like the original Stella and the Sheer, to my surprise, as I don't usually like it when they “freshen” scents. Anyway…no worries about the green apple smelling like Be Delicious–it's very well blended. The citrus is more evident than the apple. I think I may finally buy Stella Sheer this summer.
I also agree. Cherry Blossom smells intriguing for a minute, then it morphs into–forgive me, fans–something reminiscent of bathroom cleaner products. I'd love to see what Guerlain would do with the cherry blossom…
Wooops! I guess they have done it?? “Lovely Cherry Blossom”? Hmm…doesn't look promising given the reviews. Looks like it was marketed to the younger crowd.
The 2008 version was supposedly “new”, but think before that they were all the same, and this one sounds like the pre-2008. But guessing here…
They do a version of that every year, I think, and market it in Asia. And yes, generally they look geared to a very young audience. Don't know where else they sell it, but think it's hard to find here.
Thanks for the info. Has any house come *close* to capturing the cherry blossom?
I'm probably the wrong person to ask…I have not done anything like an exhaustive search. But most I've smelled smell more like cherry than cherry blossom, and I would also note that the cherry blossom trees I've smelled have a VERY delicate odor (and some varieties have no odor at all) …not sure how much you could do with it w/o adding the fruity notes. I'm almost sure that Sakura tea, which is supposedly green tea scented w/ cherry blossoms, is scented with cherry (the fruit) as well. THAT (the tea) is the smell I'd like to see duplicated, and no, haven't found anything close.
Sakura tea sounds wonderful. Wonder if Bvlgari is listening. 😉
I agree with you that there has to be some of the actual cherry fruit smell incorporated, but somehow making it greener…drier…*something* other than the actual fruit would be nice. As much as I love the smell of cherries, I don't want to smell OF them. 🙂
You've inspired me to do a little digging. Here are some Sakura-inspired fragrances:
http://theperfumedcourt.com/Products/Lush-Sakura-Fragrance—Limited-Edition-From-2006__LUSHSAKURAdw.aspx
http://www.your-cosmetics.com/p/terranova_sakura_cologne_mist.php?products_id=1138
Also read your review on Miya Shinma Sakura. I'm intrigued!
Bvlgari could do it, or Kenzo.
And I have not tried the Lush or the Terra Nova.