The Prettiness of Rose – Acqua di Parma Rosa Nobile Perfume Review

A few weeks back I reviewed Essence Nº1: Rose, one of the latest fragrances from Elie Saab and by all accounts a beautifully gourmand take on the humble rose. I love rose, in perfume and in pretty much everything else, and I admire the fact that one flower can be used so diversely, due mainly to the man wonderful nuances it displays as a material. It’s a true fact that not all roses are the same, and for every gourmand rose there’s an oriental rose or a photorealistic one, or even a ton of oud-soaked roses, creating a wide range of olfactory signatures that stem from one flower. The humble rose is anything if not impressive in this respect.

If Elie’s Saab new creation celebrates the gourmand facets of the rose, Rosa Nobile, the latest launch from Acqua di Parma, honours the beauty of rose in a simple, yet utterly satisfying manner. Rosa Nobile is an olfactory performance that celebrates the prettiness of rose in a dance of purity and simplicity. It speaks in pastel shades of pink and with a lightness of touch that is almost coy, but most of all, serves as an incredibly beautiful take on the queen of flowers.

“Strolling in the shade of centuries-old trees, among lodges and staircases, a sensuous fragrance drifts – the strong notes of the rose. Its scent forms part of Italy’s noble gardens which, like a queen, it pervades with natural elegance. Acqua di Parma takes their unequalled charm to give life to an Eau de Parfum introducing new touches into the universe of Le Nobili, a collection of women’s fragrances inspired by the most beautiful flowers of exclusive and private Italian gardens, where art and beauty blend in perfect balance. Each one a unique fragrance, selected for its noble femininity, for its fine perfumed essence, and for its quality. Compositions designed by Acqua di Parma using precious ingredients. Each one is unforgettable. Iris, Magnolia, Gelsomino and the new Rosa Nobile.”

– Acqua di Parma

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Desert Island Sniffs, Episode 3: Liz Moores

After an extended hiatus, due to nothing other than my incredible lack of decent organisational skills, my favourite series, Desert Island Sniffs is back! In this series, we explore the lives of people inextricably linked to the perfume industry and the fragrances that have significant sentimental value to them. By discussing the scents that are of importance to people, we can get a unique insight into what makes them tick and a distinct idea of their character. All in all, these sniffs can be utterly fascinating.

If you’re not familiar with this series, the concept is very simple – I invite important members of the perfume industry, such as brand owners, creative directors and perfumers, to be stranded on their very own desert island, along with 5 carefully curated perfumes of their choice. It may be a tricky job narrowing a life down to such a small number of perfumes, but I can assure you that it is an entirely worthwhile exercise!

The perfumes they choose should be those that have had a significant impact on their scented lives and map specific points in their journey of olfactory discovery. In addition to their 5 Desert Island Sniffs one is kind enough to allow them to take a luxury item (only one, mind) and a ‘perfume bible’ to keep them company. By the end of this series there is going to be some rather fabulously smelling desert islands out there!

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New Escentual Post: Q is for Questions

As a perfume blogger and general all-round scent nerd, I often get asked a lot of questions about the subject. These range from enquiries about my personal tastes to questions regarding fragrance in general; how it should be used and what is wrong, and what is right. I enjoy these sorts of conversations and it’s great to share knowledge, after all fragrance is an ever evolving subject and I too, still have a lot to learn!

For my Escentual column this week, and the latest installment in my ‘Escentual A-Z of Fragrance’, I’ve shared, and answered some of the questions I am most frequently asked. So, if you’d like to know whether layering your fragrance is a ‘yay’ or a ‘nay’, or if you’ve always wondered if a higher price tag really does mean a better quality of perfume, simply click here to find out. Also, if you have any other burning perfume-related questions, please feel free to ask in the comments box below.

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A Tokyo Honeymoon

As you may, or may not know, I got married earlier this year. The wedding day was a truly joyful and fun experience (which you can read all about here), and as much as my husband and I were sad for it to be over, we have very much enjoyed the relief of not having to organise another event like it in a hurry! We’ve also had the excitement of a honeymoon to look forward to, and when deciding where to go there really was only one destination that would satisfy us completely – Tokyo

Japan is a place that feels far removed from any other place we have visited so far. The people and the culture seem to strive for perfection in a way that many Western countries do not and I have always been personally drawn to the conflicting sense of orderliness and chaos that seem so embroiled in the people. The food, the manga, the insanely high tech toilets – everything about Tokyo and Japan seemed new, otherworldly and exciting, and we wanted to experience it.

So on 15 September we hopped on a plane for a 9 day trip to Tokyo, Japan. From the word go we had an awesome time. Within the first 15 hours of the holiday we’d had complimentary champagne at 30,000 ft, shared a plane with Maroon 5 and experienced a small earthquake – all in all, it seemed like it was going to be a once-in-a-lifetime trip filled with new experiences, and do you know what? It absolutely was! We dressed up for Disney, went gaga for Ghibli and simply had an amazing time. What more can you ask for in a honeymoon? Let me tell you all about some of my favourite bits.

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New Escentual Post: Autumnal Scents

I’m desperately trying to get back into the swing of things following the honeymoon but I fear that I am failing miserably! I jest, of course and the truth is that writing, like all creative mediums, doesn’t always come at will and cannot be forced, and that really is OK. I have a few posts in draft that will be upcoming this week or next, one of which will be a scented look at my trip to Tokyo however. It isn’t quite ready yet, but will be worth the wait, I assure you.

Next week should be a full week with reviews of two new fragrances – one from Acqua di Parma and one from Tom Ford – along with some more new and exciting Smelly News. In the meantime, please head on over to Escentual to read my latest column, which is a look at some of my favourite autumnal fragrances (I’ve officially switched to the autumn wardrobe now). As the sun has decided to steal away its warmth and hibernate for the rest of the year, these scents are perfect little warmers in shades of red, purple, orange and brown. Enjoy!

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The Candy Perfume Boy Interviewed by Givaudan’s iPerfumer

iPerfumer's Fragrance Voices — iPerfumer’s Fragrance Voices

I’m back from Japan, yay! We, as in the husband and I, may have only been gone for 9 days but we have taken away a lifetime’s worth of wonderful experiences that will make for very precious memories in years to come. I will be detailing some of the fragrant-elements of our honeymoon in the next week or so, but whilst I fight the jet lag and before normal blog-service resumes, I’d like to share with you a recent interview I gave for Givaudan’s iPerfumer website.

If you’re not familiar with iPerfumer, it is an iPhone and Android app that keeps you updated with fragrant news and launches, as well as making perfume recommendations. I was asked to take part in a brief interview for the iPerfumer blog, in which I chatted perfume (of course) including my top 5, favourite launches this year so far, and how I decided to start blogging about the subject. If that sufficiently piques your interest, you can read my interview here!

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Smelly News: Angel’s New TV Campaign

Georgia May Jagger shot by Sølve Sundsbø for Thierry Mugler. The Music is ‘What’s a Girl to Do’ […]

The Deliciousness of Rose – Elie Saab Essence Nº1: Rose Perfume Review

2017-01-28-19-39-36 — The Deliciousness of Rose

Elie Saab burst onto the fragrance scene in a blaze of golden glory. His debut perfume ‘Le Parfum‘ was penned by none other than industry veteran, Francis Kurkdjian and it presented a radiant woody floral that utilised a solar orange blossom note to capture the unending beauty of Saab’s couture. This perfume kick-started a genre of radiant, glowing fragrances such as Carven’s Le Parfum (also by Kurkdjian) that now permeate the department store shelves, and it has deservedly found quite a following and spawned a number of flankers.

This year, Elie Saab and Francis Kurkdjian have teamed up once again to do something new – specifically to release a more exclusive collection of unisex fragrances entitled ‘La Collection des Essences’. Consisting of four perfumes, Essence Nº1: Rose, Essence Nº2: Gardenia, Essence Nº3: Ambre and Essence Nº4: Oud, the collection has been created to showcase “perfumed expressions of haute couture”, and unlike many exclusive collections (most of which are yawn-worthy and blatant money spinners), this one does exactly what it sets out to do with four fragrances that certainly capture the spirit of ‘Eau de Couture’.

“La Collection des Essences expresses a supreme elegance, a concise refinement that melds light and colour, depth and subtlety, volume and transparency. Four bold and exclusive statements with precise, dense and dazzling formulas.”

– Elie Saab

I have managed to try the whole collection and I must say that I am impressed, as I expected to be – I am, after all, a bit of Kurkdjian fan-boy. The Gardenia is a sharp, green and fuzzy take on the flower that sits somewhere between photorealism and abstraction, whereas the Ambre is a spicy, cosy and piquant amber, in a similar vein to Byredo’s 1996, and the Oud avoids the typical rose/super-spicy cliches as a woody and animalic oud that wouldn’t feel entirely out of place within Kurkdjian’s own collection. It is the Rose however, that has me hooked with its beautiful gourmand tones, that really are quite striking, despite their simplicity.

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Smelly News: Mumtaz Mahal Jewels Exhibited at La Maison Guerlain

“In india, jewellery has always been an indispensable part of one’s outfit. It is said to hold the power of the gods and goddesses.”

The story of Mumtaz Mahal and Shah Jahan is the stuff of legend. Their epic love story is represented by one of the world’s most famous buildings – the Taj Mahal – a palace that was created as a mausoleum to the princess following her death, upon the orders of a distraught Shah Jahan. The Mughal Empire may now be a thing of the past, but the story of Mumtaz Mahal and Shah Jahan, and the Taj Mahal lives on.

Historic perfume house, Guerlain has a strong link to this tale. Their flagship fragrance, Shalimar was inspired by the story and named after the Shalimar gardens created by Shah Jahan in Lahore. The Jacques Guerlain creation from 1925 is perhaps as well-known as the heartbreaking legend of the Emperor and the Princess, and it is widely considered as a true classic of perfumery, and the crown jewel in Guerlain’s wardrobe of wonderful fragrances.

“Three months to dream and admire the jewellery worn 400 years ago by a great rani worthy of the Thousand and One Nights.”

Speaking of jewels, a chance encounter between Laurent Boillot, the President and CEO of Guerlain, and Indian entrepreneur, Vinita Jain has resulted in a very special exhibition at La Maison Guerlain – Guerlain’s flagship boutique at No. 68 Champs-Élysées, Paris. From 03 September to 14 November 2014, visitors can view three special pieces – a ring, necklace and head jewel – worn by a princess famed for her beauty and essential artefacts in one of the greatest love stories of all time.

Click below the jump to see the other pieces that will be exhibited at La Maison Guerlain this autumn.

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Gone Fishin’ – We’re Off to Japan!

As you read this, my husband and I will be headed to Heathrow’s Terminal 5 to start our long journey to Tokyo (the land of Studio Ghibli, y’all!!) for our honeymoon. It promises to be the holiday of a lifetime and we both simply cannot wait to touch down in Japan and explore the sights, sounds and smells of one of the world’s most amazing cities. Oh and not forget the food – we are most looking forward to the food, for sure (and by ‘we’, I most definitely mean ‘me’).

I promise to report back on the scented aspects of our trip (and will respond to comments) upon my return however, whilst we’re away, things will be relatively quiet on the blog. I’ve scheduled a dose of Smelly News for this Wednesday and a review of something new from Elie Saab for Friday to keep you occupied, but for the most part I will be taking a bit of a break from the blogospehre. Of course I will be tweeting (@candyperfumeb0y) and there will also be my weekly Escentual column to enjoy, so make sure you don’t miss that either.

Normal service shall resume on WC 29 September 2014. Until then, I bid you all adieu!

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