John Varvatos just released limited edition Artisan Acqua1 — a flanker to John Varvatos Artisan. I was intrigued for a couple of reasons: I liked original Artisan and can always be swayed (at least enough to sample a scent) when a cologne is described as “beach-y” (especially in cool, damp weather).
Artisan Acqua is a softer, talc-y version of Artisan, with a warm, summer-y feel to it…
Elizabeth Arden has launched Green Tea Yuzu, the latest in their series of flankers to their popular 1999 fragrance, Green Tea. Green Tea Yuzu follows recent efforts Green Tea Lavender (2010), Green Tea Camellia (2011), Green Tea Cherry Blossom (2012) and Green Tea Honeysuckle (2013)…
John Varvatos will launch Artisan Acqua, a new limited edition fragrance for men, in January. Artisan Acqua is a flanker to 2009’s John Varvatos Artisan, and is described by Varvatos as a “lighter, beachy, summer kind of fragrance”…
Fleur de Louis was released by Arquiste in 2011; it is a woody floral with notes of orange blossom, orris and white cedarwood, developed for Arquiste by perfumer Rodrigo Flores-Roux, who has created several scents for this house.
Like all Arquiste fragrances, Fleur de Louis takes its inspiration from a historical moment. Its name refers to Louis XIV, the “Sun King” who ruled France from 1643 to 1715. Its story is the first meeting between Louis and his intended wife, Maria Theresa of Spain. In June 1660 the young king and his bride were brought face-to-face “under a newly assembled pavilion of pine and cedarwood on the French-Spanish border,” as Arquiste describes the setting. Fleur de Louis’s composition is designed to evoke that meeting place on the Isle of Pheasants, as well as the iris-scented creams and floral waters that were favored by Louis and his courtiers…
I grew up in Virginia, and all the summers of my childhood, I smelled the intoxicating scent of gardenias wafting through our home. My grandmother planted gardenia bushes close to the house: north, south, east and west. At night, when the windows were open, I could smell the heavy aroma of gardenias in almost every room, upstairs and down. Even the “industrial-strength” metal fan I always had blowing at full speed in my direction (an excellent mosquito deterrent) could not disperse the smell of gardenia. Since leaving home, I’ve always had gardenia plants wherever I’ve lived: in balmy L.A. and here in the Pacific Northwest. In Seattle, I have my gardenias in pots I can move — in summer I can bring them under my bedroom window, in winter they can be rushed into the garage when a cold spell hits town. Let’s call me a Gardenian.
I was excited to try Arquiste Boutonnière no. 7…