Smelly News: From the Haus Laboratories – Lady Gaga’s Debut Fragrance “Fame”

Lady Gaga has finally revealed details of her debut fragrance, interestingly entitled “Fame”, via her Twitter account. Now, I may be no massive fan of celebrity perfumes, or celebuscents as they are often called, but I am a huge Gaga fan. More than anything I really enjoy her music, but I also find her fascinating and I don’t think any other current pop star is pushing the envelope in the way that she is. So it is with great excitement that I await the release of Fame.

Fame is billed as the “first ever black eau de parfum”, it uses an innovative technology that allows the black perfume to be invisible once sprayed and represents “the black soul of fame”. Many die-hard fumeophiles will know that this isn’t exactly a new thing, nice house Boudicca did something similar with their first fragrance Wode, which magically turned from being blue to invisible in almost the same way.

But that’s not all…

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A Spicy Implosion – Viktor & Rolf Spicebomb Perfume Review

Spicebomb Ad — You could cut glass with that jawline…

Viktor & Rolf have a chequered perfumed past. Their debut fragrance Flowerbomb is a good concept disappointingly executed, their second feminine Eau Mega is dull and their first masculine Antidote is an abomination. They appear to follow a high-fashion approach to their packaging but have yet to show any substance within their fragrant compositions.

Although I haven’t been particularly overwhelmed with their past offerings I am always intrigued to see what Viktor & Rolf are up to, if not simply for the visual aspect of things but also in the vain hope that maybe, just maybe they will hit the ball out of the park. Their latest fragrance Spicebomb ever-so-nearly achieves that much-needed home run.

Spicebomb is Viktor & Rolf’s second masculine and follows the absolutely atrocious behemoth-lavender of Antidote. It has been created as a male counterpart to Flowerbomb and is billed as “a cocktail of virility, crafted with refinement” [1] that “finds the perfect balance between strength and elegance, intensity and subtlety.” Where Flowerbomb was all loud and proud with her sickly sweet explosion of flowers and candy floss, Spicebomb is quiet, warm, cosy and handsome.

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A Snapshot of Summer Air – Guerlain Aqua Allegoria Lys Soleia Perfume Review

Lys Soleia - An olfactory snapshot of summer air — Lys Soleia – An olfactory snapshot of summer air

Good lily fragrances are hard to find and I can only think of two that are really worth considering, both of which are at the far end of the price spectrum; there’s Frederic Malle’s Lys Méditerranée (über pricey) and Donna Karan’s Gold (cheap as chips). But now there’s a new kid on the block, a lily created by Guerlain meaning that it’s a high quality piece of fragrant art that you’re going to love.

Guerlain’s Aqua Allegoria line was created in 1999 and is intended to be more accessible than the rest of the Guerlain collection thanks to its much lower price point. The Aqua Allegoria fragrances each take inspiration from nature and in true Guerlain-style they showcase some of the best quality ingredients that money, and serious Guerlain-klout can buy. Being the fool that I am, up until two weeks ago I had pretty much ignored the entire Aqua Allegoria line, which is particularly stupid when you think about their attractive price point and good reputation. But that soon changed when I stumbled upon the line’s latest addition “Lys Soleia”.

Lys Soleia is a damn good interpretation of one of nature’s most vocal flowers, the lily, and it manages to perfectly capture the scent of the flower in an addictively gorgeous fragrance. Guerlain describe Lys Soleia as “The spirit of nature. The spirit of lily” [1] but it is so much more than just the spirit, it is an olfactory snapshot of summer air, captured in an instant and saved forever.

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Gone, But Not Forgotten Series Part 8: Hot in Pink – Shocking by Schiaparelli

Vintage Shocking Ad — Shocking de Schiaparelli

The Gone, But Not Forgotten series focuses the spotlight on those fragrances that, despite being absolutely wonderful, have suffered at the hands of the unfortunate inevitability, and my biggest bug-bear of the industry that is discontinuation. They may be gone, but this series aims to ensure that these gems certainly aren’t forgotten.

When I first had the idea for the series there was one perfume in the back of my mind that would be the ultimate addition, the holy grail of rare, discontinued perfumes that would be nigh on impossible to obtain. That perfume was Shocking by Schiaparelli. Luckily for me I have been able to get my greedy little hands on a 7.5ml bottle of pre-1970s Shocking Parfum, and I am pleased to say that I am as wowed by it as I thought I would be.

Shocking was created by Jean Carles in 1937 and was named after the shade of hot pink that Elsa Schiaparelli created for her collections. Schiaparelli was known for actively embracing the surrealist movement (her famous shoe hat is all the proof you need) and a lot of her creations took inspiration from Dadaism so it stands to reason that her most famous fragrance is bold, beautiful and unconventional.

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Saturday Poll: Flagship Fragrance Showdown – Shalimar vs N°5

Last week’s Saturday Poll was a battle of two titan designer houses; Dior and Yves Saint Laurent. This was a poll that could go either way, both are beloved brands with many classics and have loyal fans that avidly follow each release, so I pretty much expected an even spread of votes. I was wrong.

What was really surprising about this poll was the fact that the results showed that one house was staggeringly more popular than the other. A whopping 58% said that the House of Dior was their favourite and only 15% opted for Yves Saint Laurent. Why is this? It is hard to say exactly, but Dior have been in the fragrance business longer and have released more perfumes allowing them to gain more of a following.

Anyway, enough of that and on to this week’s poll…

The Poll

This week’s poll is yet another showdown, but rather than pitch two houses against each other I thought it would be interesting to throw two classic, flagship fragrances into the ring to see which would triumph as champion.

So this week the question is simple: which do you prefer, Guerlain’s Shalimar or Chanel’s N°5? Both are veteran fragrances for their respective houses and nobody can deny that they are each classics, but if you had to pick one, which would you choose? I want to know! Register your vote and let me know your thoughts in the comments box below!

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Watermelons, Italian Skies and a Real Modern Chypre – Ruth Mastenbroek Amorosa Perfume Review

Italian Alps — Amorosa – Inspired by the mountains and clear turquoise skies of Italy

What exactly is the point of watermelon? It has always seemed to me to be the the most pointless of fruits because it smells and tastes of practically nothing. I’d go as far as saying that it is the worst fruit, along with grapefruit, which is also horrid due to its mouth-screwingly bitter taste. It is my impassioned hatred for watermelon that made Amorosa, the latest fragrance from Ruth Mastenbroek, such a surprise.

Ruth Mastenbroek is a British perfumer, and former President of the British Society of Perfumers, who has created perfumes for a number of niche lines, including Jo Malone, before deciding to go it alone and start her own brand. So far her line consists of two fragrances; RM Eau de Parfum and Amorosa. Ruth’s philosophy is “to create fragrances that are unique, luxurious and distinctive” [1], and if Amorosa is anything to go by, that is exactly what she does.

Amorosa is inspired by Italy, “its mountains, its clear turquoise skies” [2] and is described as “the seductive scent of a woman in love with life.” [3] It is a fascinating modern chypre that is a unique take on the genre. Not only does it showcase a beautiful watermelon note it does so in an interesting and new way. In an industry where “new” can be an alien concept, this is something absolutely worth celebrating.

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The Dior Amber Showdown – Christian Dior Mitzah and Ambre Nuit Perfume Reviews

I haven’t entirely worked my way through the entirety of Dior’s La Collection Privée (their ultra-exclusive line limited only to high-end department stores and Dior boutiques) but I know that I’m already in love with it. Out of the five that I have tried so far I would be happy with bottles of three. Not a bad success rate huh?

Two of my latest La Collection Lemmings are courtesy of Birgit of Olfactoria’s Travels, who introduced them to myself, and a number of others at her Evening of Amber back in April. I don’t know whether to curse Birgit or kiss her, the kisses would be for allowing me to explore two wonderful fragrances and the curses would be coming straight from my wallet…

The two Dior Ambers that I am falling for are an interesting pair; one doesn’t have amber in the name but definitely is an amber and the other does have amber in the name but isn’t technically an amber. Trust Dior to throw an olfactory curveball (or two) at me. Whether they are true ambers or not, both Mitzah and Ambre Nuit are truly enjoyable fragrances that will make the most die-hard amber-cynic rethink their stance.

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The Candy Perfume Boy Invites You To Dinner

Restaurant Table — Our table is booked, all you have to do is show up…

Food and I have a very strong and loving relationship. Perhaps too loving in fact, and I’ll be the first to admit that our relationship can be a little unhealthy at times. But at those times when I don’t feel that I should exercise a good degree of self control to keep my weight down I thoroughly enjoy going out for dinner and experimenting with new food.

Our senses of taste and smell are inextricably linked and when going out for dinner it makes sense, and it’s also good fun, to match our fragrance to the style of cuisine we will be devouring. Only the other night I was heading out for dinner with friends and was having a SOTE (Scent of the Evening) dilemma, I asked my Twitter followers for help and they came back with some interesting suggestions based on the type of food (Mexican F.Y.I.) I would be eating, which got me thinking – which fragrances would be best suited for other cuisines?

To explore the relationship between fragrance and food I cordially invite you to dinner, during which I, along with the help of my partner-in-crime and budding-foodie Nigel, will pair some of the most popular cuisines with fragrant counterparts that will leave you complimenting your food and smelling wonderful simultaneously. Get your passports out because we’re going to be touring the restaurants of the world…

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Hip, Hip, Hooray! – Grossmith Diamond Jubilee Bouquet Perfume Review

Stamp — Well done Liz! Have a special stamp to celebrate…

Over the last few days us Brits have been putting up our union jack bunting, dusting off our royal memorabilia and picking up our flags, ready to be waved enthusiastically. All of this is in honour of Queen Elizabeth II’s 60th year on the throne, which is no mean feat as Liz is only the second UK monarch to have reached the 60 year mark in British history.

Whether you are a Royalist, Republican, British, non-British or just generally not fussed about the Monarchy you cannot deny that the Jubilee is worth celebrating and many British brands are joining in on the celebrations by either releasing jubilee themed limited editions, or even rebranding/redressing their products in jubilee livery (my favourite being Ma’amite) to honour such an important occasion.

Venerable British perfume house Grossmith are just one of the many perfume houses releasing celebratory jubilee fragrances (others include; Floris, Roja Dove and Bond No. 9) and it’s not the first time they have done so, having created Victorian Bouquet for Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee in 1896. Now it’s Liz’s turn!

Grossmith’s Diamond Jubilee Bouquet, a limited edition of 500 pieces, is described as “a subtle combination of flowers from Her Majesty’s Kingdom”, a “floral tapestry [that] embodies understated sophistication and warmth” [1] and for each bottle sold a donation will be made to The Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee Trust. You may celebrate with a conscience!

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Saturday Poll: Dior VS Yves Saint Laurent

Last week’s Saturday Poll focused on the age-old debate of natural vs synthetic perfumery. I find this to be a really interesting topic because opinions really vary and people can have very strong feelings about what goes into their perfumes.

The results of the poll were quite interesting; as I would have expected the majority (56%) voted for a mixture of natural and synthetic ingredients with 35% saying that they weren’t fussed either way. What I found most fascinating about the results was that a very small number of people opted for either solely natural (7%) or solely synthetic (2%) ingredients, which goes to show that a mixture is favoured.

On to this week’s poll….

The Poll

A couple of polls ago I pitched the two perfume-behemoths that are Guerlain and Chanel against each other and I thought it would be good fun to do this again but with two different houses.

Sticking with the designer theme, I would like to know which you prefer; Dior or Yves Saint Laurent? Both have their fair share of classics and their fair share of duds, but which one floats your boat?

So c’mon, who do you prefer? I want to know! Register your vote and let me know your thoughts in the comments box below!

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