Classics from Guerlain: Eau de Guerlain, “heralding a hot, fragrant summer in Provence”; $94 for 100 ml at Neiman Marcus. Or, Vetiver in an alcohol-free Deodorant Stick, $27 at Bloomingdales…
Guerlain Idylle ~ new perfume
Guerlain will launch Idylle, a new fragrance for women, this coming September. The scent was developed by Guerlain’s house perfumer, Thierry Wasser:
A mist of flowers.
A bouquet of lilies of the valley, peonies, fressias [sic], lilacs and roses…
Guerlain Mitsouko Fleur de Lotus and Pacifica Lotus Garden ~ fragrance reviews
The scent of lotus flowers is one of my favorite floral aromas, but smelling lotus in bloom is a rare treat. Lotuses blossom three hours “down the road” in Portland, Oregon, but it doesn’t stay warm enough, long enough for them to flower here in Seattle. If you want to know what lotus smells like, find a lotus pond and sniff the newly opened blossoms; do NOT rely on perfumes that mention ‘lotus’ in their ingredients or you will be a Lotus Ignoramus.
Lotus in modern perfumes has been interpreted as a “watery” floral note: light, clean and smelling like fresh, and I mean fresh, water surrounding flowering lotus plants. Describing real lotus fragrance is difficult, but pink lotus flowers smell citrus-y, “green” and “spicy” and they possess deep, sultry floral aromas accompanied by a faint scent of sweet, marsh mud. The perfume of lotus blossoms is strange and intoxicating. (Smell the “living” flower if possible; once you cut a lotus stem the flower’s fragrance fades quickly.)
Guerlain Mitsouko Fleur de Lotus and Pacifica Lotus Garden proclaim their devotion to LOTUS. Both fragrances fail to capture the scent of real lotus blossoms, but there’s more to talk about than lotus in these perfumes…
Top 10 Spring Fragrances 2009
When spring arrives, the black and white world of winter seems to turn technicolor in splotches. The ground is mostly barren, but a patch of lurid daffodils lights up a parking strip, and a tulip tree looks like it has burst into white flames against the grey sky. Even the singing birds sound ridiculously cheerful, like a Looney Tunes short come to life.
Of course, I love it. And mostly I like choosing perfumes for spring that make the same garish splash in the cool, damp air. But sometimes moodier fragrances that reflect the dirt’s slow awakening seem more appropriate. Here are my current favorites for spring, not in any particular order.
Amouage Ubar. Nothing says spring like lily of the valley — light, ethereal, and tinged with green. Unfortunately, when I wear Christian Dior Diorissimo, I feel like I’m wearing someone else’s clothing. It feels cold on me. Ubar, on the other hand, is loaded with lily of the valley and sunny jasmine, but has a warm grounding of sandalwood and civet. I’m hoarding the few drops I have left in my sample sprayer…
Guerlain Mouchoir de Monsieur ~ fragrance review
Dear Gentlemen Readers: How many of you employ a mouchoir* during the course of a customary day? Are your mouchoirs made of fine Egyptian cotton? Linen? Silk? If you espy a lady, or gentleman, on the verge of collapse, overheated or overwhelmed, about to cry…do you rush to proffer your mouchoir? Is said mouchoir scented? Please advise your query-full Reviewer posthaste!
Okay, that’s enough stilted prose for now. The name ‘Mouchoir de Monsieur’ (Gentleman’s Handkerchief) sounds dated too, doesn’t it? While reading reviews and opinions on Guerlain's Mouchoir de Monsieur Eau de Toilette, the words “dandy” “of another era” and “old fashioned” are used repeatedly. (For the record — maybe I’m old fashioned myself — I always have a fresh linen handkerchief either in my bag or on my person and I use it exclusively to wipe my damp brow. I’ve never been in a position to offer a hankie to someone in need, and my mouchoir is unscented.)
Mouchoir de Monsieur, a Jacques Guerlain creation, was released in 1904; it contains lavender, bergamot, verbena, rose, jasmine, neroli, fern harmony, civet, patchouli, vanilla and iris…