Guerlain has launched Mayotte, a re-release of the 2000 fragrance Mahora. Both names are derived from the “Island of Ylang Ylang” that is known as Mayotte or Mahoré, where perfumer Jean Paul Guerlain vacations and where the house of Guerlain has ylang ylang and jasmine plantations. Mayotte joins the Les Parisiennes collection…
Forever and Ever Dior and J’Adore fragrances by Christian Dior
Christian Dior is to release Forever and Ever Dior in travel retail in July:
The fresh, soft floral bouquet has top notes of ivy leaves, freesia petals and water jasmine for freshness. The delicate floral heart contains wild rose and almond blossoms, subtly enhanced by the spicy hints of geranium. The base notes of vanilla, musk and ambrette seeds bring velvety softness and subtle sensuality, according to the house…
The Christian Dior Poisons, part 3: Pure Poison
Pure Poison was launched by Christian Dior in 2004, 6 years after Hypnotic Poison and nearly 20 years after the original Poison fragrance. It was created by perfumers Carlos Benaïm, Dominique Ropion and Olivier Polge, and has notes of jasmine, sweet orange, bergamot, mandarin, orange blossom, gardenia, sandalwood, musk and white amber.
Pure Poison attempts to appeal to modern sensibilities (and modern tastes in fragrance) while hanging on to the original conceit of Poison as the venom to catch your man:
Pure Poison — though very different from the original Poison, which launched in 1985 — is a modern spin on the same concept. It is designed to appeal to young women of the 21st century who are passionate, down to earth and able to turn their wildest dreams into reality, but lack the selfish front that characterised the 1980s. (via Cosmetics International; 7/9/2004)
It is rather a stretch conceptually: one might ask whether a down to earth, emotionally generous woman needs or wants a fragrance called Poison at all. For that matter, the fragrance itself cannot hope to live up to its name, for pure it might be, but there is nothing even remotely venomous about it…
The Christian Dior Poisons, part 2: Hypnotic Poison
Yesterday’s subject was the original Christian Dior Poison fragrance and the follow-up effort, Tendre Poison; today I am continuing with Hypnotic Poison.
Christian Dior launched Hypnotic Poison in 1998, four years after Tendre Poison. Created by perfumer Annick Menardo, the fragrance is designed around four accords instead of the traditional top, middle and base pyramid:
Those are a bitter almond-caraway accord, a sambac jasmine accord, a moss-jacaranda wood accord and a vanilla-musk accord. The jasmine is particularly potent…It’s also the link with the original Poison. (via Women’s Wear Daily, 7/10/1998)
Hypnotic Poison was also the first fragrance released after John Galliano was brought in to revitalize the fashion side of things at Christian Dior, and was meant to resonate with his modern, theatrical design aesthetic…
The Christian Dior Poisons, part 1: Poison and Tendre Poison
Poison was launched by Christian Dior in 1985. The fragrance was intended to revitalize the brand’s fragrance offerings, which had taken on a distinctly old-fashioned aura — before the release of Poison, the brand’s biggest seller was the 1947 fragrance Miss Dior.
Poison represented a break with Dior’s past in more ways than one. It was considerably more expensive than the fragrances which preceeded it in the Dior line, and had a more modern, youthful image. The name, however, is what caused most of the early controversy. Maurice Roger, the president of Parfums Christian Dior, noted at the time:
Finally, I realized you can afford to be a little controversial as long as your product is noble. There are some 56 launches a year in Europe and some 35 in the U.S. That’s a lot of noise….