“A comprehensive report with contributions from some of the best in our industry”
– Aspects Beauty
To celebrate their 25th anniversary, Aspects Beauty, UK fragrance distributor and “custodians of luxury and cosmetics brands”, have commissioned a trend report, detailing how the beauty and fragrance market may change and evolve over the coming years. To compile the report, Aspects asked 25 industry insiders, ranging from the likes of Roja Dove and Jo Fairley to Peter Norman (the Head of the Fragrance Foundation), Grant Osborne of Basenotes and myself. The result is an expansive and intriguing paper with a variety of opinions.
“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.
“Rather than trying to capture the ‘essence’ of an aspirational ideal or glossy advertising image, The Library of Fragrance presents scents that are ‘real’ and ‘familiar’ and can be chosen to reflect the preferences of the wearer, instead of those dictated by a perfumer or designer. Selecting a scent to wear becomes as easy as asking yourself, ‘what sort of things do I like?’.”
New York based perfumery, The Library of Fragrance (also known as Demeter Fragrance Library in the US) is due to launch in the UK next week. This encyclopaedic series of perfumes captures the smells that surround us on a day to day basis, ranging from marshmallows to dirt. They are straightforward and novel fragrances that always smell wonderfully accurate, whether they’re trying to recreate the odour of rain or play doh. I like to think of them as fun and fragrant pick me ups that do exactly what they say on the tin.
The Library of Fragrance has appeared in UK niche stores in limited distribution in the past, but this September sees a nationwide launch at pharmacy chain Boots, in store and online. A capsule collection of 28 fragrances (which can be layered to suit the wearer’s tastes) will be available at launch, ranging from the coziness of Amber to the delicious calories of Vanilla Ice Cream. Each fragrance will be available in 30ml Cologne sprays for £15, with a special 2 for £25 promotion featuring exclusively at Boots.
American Beauty and Fashion brand, Tom Ford have announced British model, Cara Delevingne as the face of their flagship fragrance, Black Orchid. Shot by Director and Photographer, Mario Sorrenti, the new campaign shows Delevingne, in true Tom Ford-style, floating naked amongst a pool of purple orchids whilst clutching a bottle of the brand’s iconic perfume.
This new campaign is a more sensual and sexy take on the Black Orchid image, which in its previous incarnations took on a more vampish and glamour puss aesthetic. As always, Ford looks to push buttons, and tasteful nudity aside, Delevingne is a clever choice of face, as she is very much the ‘it’ girl of the moment, traipsing the catwalk for a number of designers as well as courting the worlds of film and music.
“A sexy and glam-rock star is born, in the image of Georgia May Jagger, the new face of Angel.”
This October, renegade fashion brand and purveyor of olfactory marvels, Thierry Mugler will launch a limited collector’s edition of their flagship fragrance, Angel. Entitled ‘Angel Glamorama’, the limited edition bottle (the juice remains the same as the original) has been created to celebrate the inauguration of model, Georgia May Jagger as the new face of Angel.
Housed within a black lacquer bottle adorned with a shower of star-like blue sparkles, the Angel Glamorama edition is described as being “like a star plucked from the milky way” and displays the perfume in an entirely more edgy and glam-rock aesthetic. The Angel Glamorama edition will be refillable, enabling the consumer to top-up their fragrance via the Angel Source or via a refill bottle.
Lady Gaga has released a teaser image shot by fashion photographer, Steven Klein for her new fragrance ‘Eau de Gaga‘. Few details have been released at present, but Gaga has stated on Twitter that the fragrance will be unisex, saying that Eau de Gaga is “inspired by the adventurous woman and the man who loves her”. Gaga further revealed that the base will contain notes of “sparkling water, lime and leather”, three ingredients that she claims to use on a daily basis.
Despite the fact that her most recent endeavours have suffered due to over-exposure, Lady Gaga is still an innovative and dynamic artist who likes to push the boundaries of pop music. Unfortunately, her debut perfume, ‘Fame‘, wasn’t anywhere near as avant-garde as Gaga would liked to have thought and in reality was nothing short of a disappointment. Let’s hope that Eau de Gaga delivers, although I cannot say that I hold out much hope…
Below the jump is an image of the rumoured bottle for Eau de Gaga.
Quick off the back off the recent launch of their Bayolea fragrance and gentleman’s grooming range, Penhaligon’s are spoiling our noses with a brand new collection consisting of three historically-inspired fragrances. Launching in September, the three fragrances within this new collection are inspired by the “luxurious and decadent commodities which were traded through London’s historic docks at the turn of the 19th Century”.
“Piled high on the quaysides and arriving daily from the farthest flung corners of the globe in a burst of exoticism; the rarest treasures in dizzying abundance; London was the Warehouse of the World.”
New from L’Artisan Parfumeur – Caligna, Séville à L’Aube in 50ml Size
Niche brand, L’Artisan Parfumeur have launched three of their popular fragrances; Caligna, Séville à L’Aube and Al Oudh in 50ml size for the first time. The perfumes, a fresh/woody fig, erotic orange blossom and barnyard oud, respectively are easily some of the brand’s most intriguing creations, and it’s handy to see them in a smaller, less wallet-damaging size.
Caligna, Séville à L’Aube and Al Oudh are available on their 50ml sizes for £70 on the L’Artisan Parfumeur website.
Good news, folks! Stella McCartney is re-launching her eponymous fragrance, ‘Stella‘. The composition of the perfume, originally launched in 2003 and created by perfumer Jacques Cavallier (Alexander McQueen’s Kingdom, Issey Miyake’s Le Feu d’Issey and Yves Saint Laurent’s Nu), thankfully remains unchanged, whilst the bottle has undergone a very slight revamp with a number of new sizes available. Stella launches exclusively to Harrods in the UK today.
To celebrate this welcome relaunch (I’m a personal fan as it’s my beloved sister’s signature scent), Stella McCartney has teamed up with fashion photographers Mert & Marcus, and model Lara Stone to create a provocative print and television ad campaign that shows the woody rose fragrance in an entirely more edgy light. One image (NSFW, FYI) displays Stone completely nude and covered with strategically placed flacons, positioning Stella’s relaunch as entirely unmissable.
The Candy Perfume Boy 