This year, the French makers of fine crystal ware and jewellery, Lalique will launch a flanker to their 2007 fragrance ‘Amethyst’. This latest entry into the Lalique fragrance collection is a fruity floral developed by perfumer Nathalie Lorson (also responsible for Amethyst) that comes seven years after the original and intends to capture the bold berries and flowers of Amethyst in a more radiant light. The brand describe the perfume, as follows:
“This new offering draws its inspiration from the bountiful oeuvre of René Lalique by revisiting the peony, often stylised by the artist in elegant Art Deco motifs. It was just beginning to bloom in Amethyst’s berry garden. In Amethyst Éclat, it is in full blossom, radiant and majestic. […] Amethyst Éclat is a fragrant translation of the boundless creativity of the artist known as the Sculptor of Light.”
It’s really heating up here in the Kingdom of the United. Friday was the hottest day of the year so far, with the mercury making its way up to a rather scorching 27ºC (that’s 80ºF to my American counterparts). I spent the day soaking up the sun at Wireless festival, enjoying the melodic tones of Pharrell Williams and the egotistical rants of Kanye West. Many people however, would have flocked to the coast to top up their Vitamin D levels on one of the countries many beaches.
I do love a good beach, but I must admit that I am not a fan of sunbathing – my short attention span makes sure of that (it’s so short, in fact, that it’s a miracle that I managed to make it to the end of that last sentence). Thankfully for me, Britain offers an array of coastlines ranging from the full-on seaside resorts, complete with candy floss, beach huts and donkey rides to the abandoned sand dunes of almost-forgotten beaches in the farthest corners of the country.
In this piece, I take a look at some of my favourite seaside perfumes. Fragrances that are evocative of the beach, whether that be the hot sands of an exotic getaway or the cold shingle of a British seaside town – there’s even a fragrance that conjures up the image of an alien landscape – a beach on the planet Venus. So pack your sunglasses and your bucket and spade, ’cause we’re going on a short summer holiday and a scented tour of the world’s smelliest beaches.
The ‘P’ in my ‘Escentual A-Z’ could have stood for many things. After all, itt was quite tempting to tackle the olfactory offerings of Italian fashion house, Prada or it would have even been quite interesting to take a look at Patchouli, one of the more prevalent (and wonderful) ingredients within the perfumer’s palette. But as great as both of these subjects are, there was one that simply would not have allowed me to talk about anything else but it – or should I say ‘her’.
That’s right, for this week’s Escentual column and the latest instalment in my fragrant A-Z, I have penned an ode to the biggest diva and the fiercest bitch in all of perfumedom – Poison by Christian Dior. No fragrance has been louder, prouder and more iconic, and whether one loves her or her hates, it cannot be denied that Poison has personality by the bucket loads. The question is whether you’re her friend or her enemy? I know which I would rather be…
So, if you’re in the mood for a small dose of Poison (I think we all agree that this one is always better in a measured dose), please apply your ruffles, back comb that huge hair and insert those shoulder pads – oh and click here to head on over to Escentual to read the piece. Just be careful not to end up in a cat fight whilst your there – Poison fights dirty and I cannot guarantee your safety. Enjoy!
Jamie Dornan – The Sexiest Man on the Planet. Ever (IMHO)
Sex sells, as they say, and the world of perfume is certainly no exception. We are constantly bombarded with hyper-sexualised images of men and women, gently caressing perfume bottles and writhing around in faux wind-machine-assisted ecstasy, all just to spur us to part with cash at our local branch of Debenhams. Some brands go even further and play with the naked form in a deliberately shocking way, like Tom Ford with his verging-on-the-obscene Terry Richardson ad campaign for Tom Ford for Men, for example, or even Yves Saint Laurent and their slightly more tasteful, but still completely full frontal print ad for M7 (both NSFW links courtesy of Mr. Ford’s artistic direction, FYI).
But what makes a perfume sexy? Well, one would think that the answer to this question is entirely subjective, and in reality I think that is most likely to be the case. I imagine our idea of ‘sexiness’ in scent to be similar to the appearance of love potions in the world of Harry Potter (bear with me here), where the smell that each potion exudes is unique to the individual that sniffs it, depending on what they find attractive in a person. To put it another way – one man’s sexy fragrance is another’s olfactory cold shower, and it would be true to say that many supposedly ‘sexy’ scents fail to deliver, whereas the most seductive scents seem to be those that aren’t necessarily billed as such – sexy surprises, if you will.
One fragrance that makes rather bold claims about being ‘hot’ is 4160 Tuesdays’ ‘The Sexiest Scent on the Planet. Ever. (IMHO)‘. Well, that’s what one would think from the name, but in reality this perfume, which was originally created by perfumer Sarah McCartney as a base for her Gin Garden scent and inadvertently named by a Tatler journalist, has a moniker that is served with tongue pressed firmly in cheek. The truth however, is that this fragrance is wonderfully executed, delicious and one of the easiest scents to wear on the planet. Ever.
Paysage d’Opale – A Shining Piece from the Van Cleef & Arpels California Rêverie Collection
If I was forced to pick my favourite fragrance genre, I would be able to answer with “floral” without a moment’s hesitation. My love for all things fragrant and flowery knows no end and I find myself drawn to a wide range of flower based fancies, ranging from supreme aldehydic floral bouquets to soliflores, and all that is in between. So yes, I love it when flowers and perfume come together, but I especially adore the heady tones of white floral perfumes based on the notes of; jasmine, tuberose or orange blossom.
Not all florals are symphonic beauties however, and it is often tricky to strike the right balance between something that is evocative of nature and something that is more abstract. Many attempts at capturing the hypnotic melody of flowers end up being too thin, due in part to the perfumers not being given enough money to work with, or in many cases they can fall into the trap of simply being ‘too much’ – one wants to revel in these flowers, not be devoured by them. Some however, get this balance absolutely right and this leads me quite nicely on to today’s subject: California Rêverie by Van Cleef & Arpels.
Created by perfumer Antoine Maisondieu (the man responsible for Etat Libre d’Orange’s Jasmin et Cigarette and Comme des Garçons Stephen Jonesetc.), California Rêverie is the latest addition to Van Cleef & Arpels’ Collection Extraordinaire – a collection that follows one rule, and one rule only – the rule of “excellence”. Taking inspiration from the brand’s jewellery collection of the same name (a sample of which can be seen above), this fragrance picks the note of jasmine to evoke Californian landscapes. California Rêverie is described by Van Cleef & Arpels as a “dizzying state of sensuality” that allows one to “drift off on a dreamlike voyage to the heart of Californian nature”. That all sounds rather good, doesn’t it?
I am absolutely thrilled to announce that the wonderful Lila Das Gupta of the equally awesome Perfume Lovers London, has invited me back for the third time to host an event in October. In a departure from my two previous summer-themed talks, this year I will be taking my Jasmine Award winning Guide to Violet on the road for an interactive look at some of the world’s most beautiful and fascinating violet perfumes.
‘The Candy Perfume Boy’s Guide to Violets’ will be held at the October Gallery in London on 23 October 2014. Tickets are £16.50 and can be found, along with further event details, on the Perfume Lovers London Meet Up page. I do hope that you can join me, as the event promises an entertaining evening of sniffing along with refreshments, and where possible a sample of your choice.
Fragrant Ditties: Guerlain’s Aqua Allegoria Collection
Everyone loves Guerlain’s Aqua Allegoria collection, right? I mean, what’s not to adore about easy-breezy fragrances inspired by nature? Nothing – that’s what. This diffusion line presents fragrant ditties that sing with floral and citrus notes very much in line with the ‘Guerlain DNA’. All-in-all, it’s a very good line, and whilst I’m still lamenting the grossly unfair discontinuation of my beloved Lys Soleia (yes I’m giving you the evil eye, Guerlain), it’s hard to deny that the Aqua Allegorias, for the most part, are great perfumes.
Since the line’s launch in 1999, Guerlain have launched a whopping 31 Aqua Allegoria fragrances (according to Basenotes). Of course, many of these editions have not stood the test of time and despite annual launches, the collection currently stands at a neat total of 5 fragrances; Pamplelune (Holy Grapefruit), Herba Fresca (Magic Mint), Mandarine Basilic (Mediterranean Showdown), Nerolia Bianca (Orange is the New Blossom) and Limon Verde (Mojito Madness).
For my Escentual column this week I have sniffed and reviewed the entire Aqua Allegoria collection, including Limon Verde, the latest addition to the collection. So, if you’re in a summer mood and you’re wanting to hear some pretty little tunes played by the world’s greatest perfume house (an undeniable fact, I think you’ll find), simply click here to head on over to Escentual. As always, please feel free to leave a comment (either here or there) to let me know what your favourite Aqua Allegoria is.
In the world of perfumery there is an age-old conflict the natural vs the synthetic. It’s a complicated argument with many different view points, with some asserting that ‘natural’ is better, whereas others believe that a mixture of both the natural stuff and the ‘synthetic’ materials is required to make truly complete compositions. I personally am firmly in the mixed camp and have found many predominately, or all-natural fragrances to feel quite flat and unfinished.
That said, I’m always open to persuasion and it seems that I may have found just the thing to convince me, courtesy of “naturally active skincare” brand, Liz Earle. Up until now, my exposure to this particular brand has been what I’ve seen on QVC and the many bottles of Cleanse & Polish that my mother worked her way through when I was a kid. I therefore know that Liz Earle stands for quality without compromise, and it would be safe to say that her fragrances follow suit.
Liz Earle currently has two perfumes in her lineup; Botanical Essence Nº1 and Botanical Essence Nº15. The former is a 98% natural composition penned by perfumer Jean Charles Niel and is described as being“vibrant and sparkling”, whilst the latter is a 90% natural fragrance composed by perfume Alienor Massenet and billed as “an olfactory jewel, evoking the feeling of elegance and seduction“. Both are surprisingly three-dimensional perfumes that could be enough to convince even the most sceptical of fragrance nerds (i.e. me).
The Scents of Sunshine – An Exploration of Solar Fragrances
So things were a little bit quiet on The Candy Perfume Boy front last week thanks to a heavy week at work. That said, I did still have time to give focus to my weekly Escentual column, and seeing as we were being treated to a delightful wave of good weather (which now seems to have disappeared), I took inspiration from the great big ball of fire in the sky that is sometimes referred to as ‘the sun’.
My post last week was a little olfactory tour of solar fragrances – that’s perfumes inspired by the light of the sun to you and me. Ranging from the bright brilliance of daylight to the fiery glow of sunset, this piece focused on some old sunny favourites (see Alien) as well as a few reviews of new things too. The stand out of ‘the new’ was definitely Guerlain’s Terracotta Le Parfum – a suitably delicious tropical floral made in the truly gourmand Guerlain style. To check out my ode to solar fragrances, please click here. Don’t forget to let me know what your favourite sun-kissed scents are, whilst you’re there!
4160 Tuesdays is an exciting niche brand, there’s no denying it. Perfumer Sarah McCartney successfully blends British eccentricity, good-quality ingredients and unique accords to create perfumes that are unusual, fun and unsurprisingly, rather beautiful. It’s hard not to fall for the charm of a perfume brand that is founded on the principle of not-wasting away one’s days and doing something different with those 4160 Tuesdays one has before reaching the ripe old age of 80 – I certainly have.
I therefore, could not resist an invitation to Sarah McCartney’s London studio this past weekend for ‘The Wall of Scent’, a regular event scheduled at 4160 Tuesdays HQ as an introduction to the world of perfume; it’s families, ingredients and masterpieces. It’s an informative day that allows one, no matter whether they’re an expert or a novice, to really get to grips with the way perfumes are made and some of the raw materials, whether natural or ‘synthetic’, that are used in making the perfumes one wears on a day-to-day basis.
The Candy Perfume Boy 