Songes is the latest fragrance release from the house of Annick Goutal. It was created by Camille Goutal in collaboration with perfumer Isabelle Doyen, and was said to have been inspired by the scent of frangipani flowers at sunset on the island of Mauritius. The notes are frangipani, tiare, jasmine notes, incense, vanilla, copahu balm, pepper, ylang-ylang absolute, vetiver, sandalwood, amber and styrax.
Songes starts with a trio of tropical flowers…
Annick Goutal has released a new Eau de Parfum concentration of Mandragore. It is available in a spray bottle, or in the gorgeous butterfly bottle shown at left.
I am looking forward to trying this; I liked Mandragore but the lasting power was not impressive in the Eau de Toilette…
Summer is winding down, and I am giving all my favorite citrus fragrances a last hurrah before putting them away until deep winter, when they will move to the front of my cabinet again so that I can pretend it isn’t really freezing cold outside. Annick Goutal Eau du Sud is one of my favorites (see my Top 10 of Summer list). It was launched in 1996, and has notes of bergamot, mandarin orange, grapefruit, lemon verbena, peppermint, basil, persian lime, and woods.
Eau du Sud starts with strong citrus, heavy on the bergamot and grapefruit…
Thank you to Ruth and Liz for pointing out that Chandler Burr has an interesting article titled "The Unbearable Lightness of Scent" in yesterday's London Times.
U.S. based real estate firm Starwood Capital has acquired a 65% controlling interest in Société du Louvre, the holding company which currently owns perfume house Annick Goutal. (via Guardian Unlimited)
Inter Parfums has signed a deal with Gap, Inc. to expand their line of fragrances and body care products. Look for new Banana Republic products next fall, and new Gap products in early 2007. (via Northwest Herald, link no longer working, sorry!)
Today I am wearing one of my favorite honeysuckle fragrances, Le Chèvrefeuille by Annick Goutal. Le Chèvrefeuille was released in 2002, and was the third in a series of limited edition soliflores, after Le Muguet and La Violette. It was created by Isabelle Doyen and Camille Goutal, and features honeysuckle, green notes, narcissus, jasmine, lemon petitgrain.
Le Chèvrefeuille opens with sharp citrus notes, and settles into a very green honeysuckle. There are hints of narcissus and jasmine, but the honeysuckle stays in the forefront. Honeysuckle is so often overwhelming in perfume, as though the flower had been placed on steroids, but the Annick Goutal is bright, sparkling, and summery, and not at all cloying…