Tag: fragrance

COULD THIS BE THE END OF BEAUTIFUL PERFUMES?

Bad news for those who have allergies or not. 

A team of EU scientists are testing whether a key ingredient from a fragrance, a naturally occurring type of tree moss causes allergies. Tree Moss has always been an important ingredient in high end fragrances of its’ specific earthy and woody scent. FYI, under rules implemented by the European Commission in 2006, 26 common ingredients including the tree moss and eugenol (found in rose oil), must be declared on the packaging of perfume because they are potentially allergenic. 

And now the Commission’s Scientific Committee of Consumer Safety, whose in charge to protect citizens from harmful substances, want the tree moss (reportedly used in Chanel No 5) to be banned. Meanwhile, it’s still a guideline and not law, so The International Fragrance Association will conduct further research of this serious matter, I’ll keep you posted.

Personally, I believe that it’s impossible to change ingredient(s) in a classic and probably the most loved fragrance that has been around since 1921 and sold every 30 seconds in the world. Don’t you think so too? 

‘FOR A WOMAN WHO DRESSES FOR HERSELF"

… who doesn’t follow trends but is sophisticated and also maybe a little eccentric,“ said Marni’s creative director, Consuelo Castiglioni about Marni’s first ever fragrance.

You read it right, Marni has (finally) join the scent-making industry with the help of Estee Lauder company. Simply called, Marni, the notes that described as very modern, bold and more mature, with fruity, floral and woodsy scent, also includes an intense rose oil infusion to add a bit of depth. The little "Huggy” doll comes with the purse spray and dressed in a matching spotted skirt, just like the bottle. The bottle itself, is inspired by an old flacon that Consuelo found at a flea market 20 years ago, unique rounded shape with polkadots. The line will be priced from US$50-US$155 and includes body lotion, shower gel and body cream.

So if you ever feel like you fit to the description Consuelo mentioned above, feel free to have “MARNI”.

PERFECT PAIR

This is a serious question: if you’re wearing a fragrance, do you really know who is the real master behind the fragrance? The real genius who created it from scratch based on their own inspiration or others? 

“Perfumers used to be behind the curtain, because the fragrance industry is more driven by the fashion houses. But lately, there are more recognition from the industry for the perfumers,” said Marc Chaya, President &co-founder of Maison Francis Kurkdjian Paris, when he visited Jakarta, Indonesia yesterday. We’re lucky to have Francis’ creations for Maison Francis Kurkdjian’s fragrance collection in Jakarta, as they selected their retailers very carefully. Over 150 premium retailers around the world carry their collection, to name a few: Bergdorf Goodman, Harvey Nichols, Neiman Marcus, Isetan and Joyce. 

Marc who met Francis about 5 years ago, was in Jakarta to launch the latest fragrance from the luxury fragrance house. This time, they come in pair, Amyris. The inspiration behind the name? “It’s a very beautiful name. In French, Amyris comes from the word Ame (means: soul) and Iris. Amyris is an essential oil that grows from a beautiful little tree in Jamaica which have orange powdery scent.”

“Amyris is a definition of effortless sophistication. Amyris can be a fragrance for hard working women, either working as a career woman or simply raising children, who still wants to have fun by the end of the day but have no time to get ready. The idea is just to wear the fragrance and you can feel extra sophisticated in an instant,” he later explained.

In this case, sophistication really didn’t come cheap, as Iris from Florence (used as one of the ingredients) counts as one of the most expensive essential oil in the fragrance industry. “There are only five flowers in the world that can be extracted to essential oil. And Iris is one of them. It’s more expensive than gold. One liter of essential oil cost 110 thousand Euros. And to produce one liter of essential oil, we need 10.000 kg of flowers. Yes, Iris is one of the beautiful and rare flower in the fragrance industry,” Marc added. 

Amyris from Jamaica and Iris from Florence, Californian Orange, Vetiver from Haiti and Amber, created a floral, woody and luminous scent for Amyris Femme. Meanwhile, Amyris Homme retain its luminosity by combining Amyris and Iris with Rosemary from Morocco, Mandarin from Sicily, Tonka Beans from Brazil and sandalwood. Unlike the previous Aqua Universalis that can be share and considered a genderless fragrance, I wonder why divide them into two genders? Marc gave me and some media friends an explanation, “Lot’s of women love to use men’s fragrance. Like you can wear a man’s shirt and look sexy in it. But, the other way around, I don’t think so.”

Being one who doesn’t go with the flow and never in life using a man’s fragrance, or either using my other half’s shirt to look sexy or appear sensual, I’ll stick to Amyris Femme, thank you. Do I like it? No, I love it! It’s ultra feminine and it comes in Eau De Parfum which will stay forever if you spray it on your hair. It melts really well with my skin in this crazy hot climate and yes, it makes me feel expensive. As for Amyris Homme, I can feel the freshness of green notes with just a touch of masculinity, which left me questioning myself, should I begin my experience with a men’s fragrance? 

MALE MAGNET FRAGRANCE

As fashion lovers, we all know one must have fashion item in our closet which will make us look sexy, elegant, ultra chic and efficient for any events in our life. Little Black Dress, who doesn’t have it?

Just like a concept of Little Black Dress that every women should (read: must) have in their closets, Guerlain, a classic beauty brand since 1828, launched La Petite Robe Noire (means LBD in French). And just like LBD, that makes you feel good and powerful every time you wear it (which explained why we all have more than one inside our closets due to addictiveness to LBD), Guerlain La Petite Robe Noire does exactly that. Once you sniff it, it becomes addictive.

I attended the launch at Grand Hyatt Hotel, Jakarta yesterday to find out more about the sassy fragrance. “Guerlain as a brand, was and still a favorite among royalties,” said Raj Prem Bhojwani, Director of PT Aura Essence, who is the third generation of sole distributor that brought Guerlain to Indonesia. “Our first Indonesian President, Soekarno was a fan of Shalimar perfume,” he mentioned about the most famous Guerlain’s fragrance which was created back in 1925.

As an expert in the world of perfumery long before anything else that followed like make up and skin care, Guerlain did La Petite Robe Noire differently. “We collaborated with duo Kuntzel and Deygas, renowned visual artist with works such as “The Pink Panther” to create the character and advertisement. And the beautiful glass bottle is almost an exact replica of the 1912’s design L’Heure Bleue and Mitsouko by Guerlain in 1919,” explained Caroline Lesueur, Guerlain Asia Pacific Marketing Manager.

I enjoy the lovely presentation with Nancy Sinatra’s song “These boots are made for walkin” playing on the background (click to watch the ad here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hzgUfhnAjjs). And even more when they spritzed the fragrance on a piece of uniquely blotter made from fabric like a cloth tag. Frankly speaking, at first I was expecting a different scent, more grown up fragrance like the other Guerlain’s fragrances. But surprise surprise, it doesn’t. At all. It reminds me of a rose macaron. Sweet and creamy. All the sweet temptation came from floral scents like rose, jasmine and orange blossom, fruity cherry, apple and blackcurrant, and powdery notes from white amber and musk.

Actually this 2012 La Petite Robe Noire are the latest version of two previous La Petite Robe Noire which were exclusive and limited edition thus only available in selected markets, back in 2009 and 2011. But this time, Guerlain made it available to the mass market by their in-house perfumer, Thierry Wasser.

As an Eau De Parfum lover, I do wish La Petite Robe Noire will be available soon in EDP, as for now they only available in Eau De Toilette (EDT), Body Lotion and Shower Gel.

Guerlain La Petite Robe Noir price list in Indonesia:

– 30 ml EDT, Rp 610.000
– 50 ml EDT, Rp 830.000
– 100 ml EDT, Rp. 1.230.000
– 200 ml Body Lotion, Rp 590.000
– 200 ml Shower Gel, Rp 475.000

 

Roses are red, Rose Kashmirie is ….

the latest fragrance from Les Parfums De Rosine Paris. To find out more about this niche brand and its’ latest venture, I chatted with Marie-Hélène Rogeon when she visited Jakarta yesterday.

Chatted with me and media friends, the ever kind Marie dressed head to toe in Issey Miyake’s famous pleats that evening. “I love it. It’s so comfortable. And it’s so addictive, I must warn you. Once you wear it, you want more,” she smiled kindly. Addictive, just like all her fragrances creations for Les Parfums De Rosine.

Born into a family of perfumer, her grand grand father created Eau de Cologne for the Emperor Napoleon III and special wax for his majesty’s moustaches. Her passion for fragrances created original and wonderful compositions made from natural essences, mostly roses. “Roses has different colors and smell from one another. Some might smell fresh, some fruity like raspberries or blackcurrant scent. And roses are the easiest to mix with other ingredients. It’s the only flower that can be extracted into rose oil and rose absolue.” She explained further that rose oil will be used for top notes because of its’ very long lasting power. Meanwhile, rose absolue will be used for middle and base notes.

Les Parfums De Rosine only uses roses from Bulgaria, Turkey and Morocco. “Best in term of smell. For top notes, roses from Bulgaria is best. For one kilo of oil, we need 1000 kg of rose petals. We use only the petals which are harvested early in the morning to retain their freshness.” For Marie, creating fragrances is like creating music. “It’s not like I’m going to the lab and create the formula. It’s more like writing music composition.”

For her latest creation with fragrance designer François Robert (which have been working together with her for the last ten years), she was inspired by Bollywood. “It’s not something usual in France to watch Bollywood movies, but when I saw it, I felt the joy and colorful life. It’s like rose petals are flying everywhere in the Bollywood movies,” she laughed. And it didn’t take long for her and François to create Rose Kashmirie. “He lived in India before, so it was a fast process for me and him to create it. And he’s a traditional perfumer, so he knew instantly what I wanted in the first place,” she added.

Rose Kashmirie is a marriage between floral and spicy notes. This new oriental rose is beautifully balance with an astonishing accord of Bulgaria rose oil and red saffron from Cashmere. To magnify its’ scent, more scents were added like Chinese Peonies, Absolue rose of Damascus, Vanilla, Indian Vetyver Roots and Sandalwood. “Personally, sandalwood are my second ingredients that I love beside roses. It gives power and the touch of elegance to every fragrances,” Marie admitted.

Like other fragrances from Les Parfums De Rosine, it’s beautifully adorned with tassle. But this one, as unique as the scent itself, the tassle is very colorful with colors identified in most Bollywood movies such as yellow, green, and pink. For myself, this oriental categorized fragrance is warm and mysterious. When Marie passed around the saffron stuffed inside a tiny bottle and a rose oil bottle to be smell together, it’s so extraordinary how the two ingredients created a unique scent I’ve never smelled before. It’s going to be a night fragrance for myself, because of its’ sensuousness. When I asked Marie what kind of women that she sees using this fragrance, she answered: “Those who are sophisticated yet joyful towards life.” 

Rose Kashmirie by Les Parfums De Rosine will be released this October.

THE JOURNEY OF A SCENT

I’m a huge believer that a scent will develop memories, to take a nostalgic journey back through time. And for one particular perfume house and its perfumers in Paris, Dyptique, all their perfumes are journeys. 

This year, Dyptique presents its latest fragrance, Volutes. Inspired by memories of transatlantic crossings from Marseilles to Saigon made by one of three founders of the Dyptique House, Yves Coueslant, his childhood journey blends together in this concoction. Imagining elegance and freedom, with its beautiful female passengers wearing their expensive perfumes and the male were smoking tobacco on-board. 

To develop all of its memorable aromas, Dyptique and perfumer Fabrice Pellegrin blended an intense and bold tobacco with an Amsterdamer note, with accents of wax, honey and dried fruit. Top notes from fresh spices, pink pepper, Madagascan pepper and saffron give it warmness, and smoothened by golden honey. Iris, immortelle and myrrh are the contrary of tobacco, which cover all the facets of the fragrance. To give the olfactory power, storax, opopanax and benzoin which extracted using a brand new process, completed the balance of this genderless fragrance.

Volutes are available as an Eau De Parfum and Eau De Toilette which notable by the color of the label. Black is for the EDP and white label is the EDT. As I’ve attended the private dinner for Volutes launch last September, I noticed that the EDT is more transparent and light compared to the EDP. It does what it categorized: fruity, floral, aromatic and spicy at the same sniff. Unlike any EDT that I have tried and tested, somehow Dyptique will last longer, so if you’re looking for softer notes to wear throughout the day, than EDT is just perfect. For night, I do recommend to wear Volutes EDP. Elegant yet soft at their first spritz, but powerful in the end. So powerful, someone who noticed your smell that night will surely memorized you.

Even though one of its’ ingredients is tobacco, don’t worry, they are sweet ones. Instead of the strong smoky scent, you’ll smell the woods, incense and musk. Believe me, it’s nothing like your smokers friend shirt’s scent. 

Dyptique Volutes will be available in Jakarta at mid October 2012

SPARKLE OF JOY

Known globally for his signature pleats, the designer Issey Miyake created a unique label in 1993, Pleats Please. Represents a breath of freedom, the pleasure of unrestricted expression and unimpeded movement, his iconic look now delivered in a fragrance.

I attended the launch event for Indonesia’s media at Forme, a very nice furniture showroom in Jakarta. With fellow medias and bloggers, we were taken for a virtual walk to the development of Pleats Please, design of the bottle and the dynamic ad film which created by Nick Knight, one of the biggest names in contemporary photography. 

Clemence Negre, Asia Pacific Trainer for Beaute Prestige International, principal of Issey Miyake Fragrance, delivered the presentation and when I had a time to chat with her, she precisely told me about the whole fragrance in one word. “It’s all about JOY,” said Clemence who wore a Pleats Please by Issey Miyake dress from Fall/Winter Collection 2012.

To capture the joyous feeling and pays homage to a seminal fashion creation, the perfumer Aurelian Guichard composed a bright and cheerful bouquet. A hybrid fruit called Nashi which opens the sparkling top note, resemblance the aroma of fruity pear and apple. Floral notes from peony and sweet pea add the femininity yet delicate composition at the middle note. And at the very base, we can feel the mild sensation from the mixture of cedar, patchouli, vanilla and white musks. 

Check out the bottle! The sophisticated pleating interpreted to embody the 2D image of the pleat, becomes a 3D glass bottle. The cap takes the form of a floral calyx, carefully pleated which symbolized the white flower and the Pleats Please Fabric. 

After the presentation, we were given the first hand sniff of the fragrance through a pleats bracelet which was spritz with Pleats Please. Comes in Eau De Toilette, the first thing that slipped to my mind was: it’s different from the previous Issey Miyake’s fragrances such as L’Eau d’Issey. If they blind cover me, I won’t even guess if this unique scent is one of Issey Miyake’s fragrances. It’ll be perfect for day fragrance, as it has the cheerful scents and lightness in it.

And like the Pleats Please fashion collection that embraced by women all over the world because of its comfortable fabrics, easy wear and care, this fragrance counterpart will be loved as well, for its breath of freedom and happiness. 

The product range and their retail prices are as follow:
– EDT 30ml, Rp 575.000
– EDT 50ml, Rp 810.000
– EDT 100ml, Rp 1.110.000
– Moisturising Body Lotion 150ml, Rp 505.000
– Deodorant Spray 100ml, Rp 450.000
Pleats Please by Issey Miyake will be available at major department store in Jakarta, Indonesia by October 2012.