Showing posts with label shopping guide. Show all posts
Showing posts with label shopping guide. Show all posts

Monday, November 29, 2010

Holiday Gift Guide 2010 part2



Continuing on the theme of fragrant gift giving, more ideas on things that will delight those who receive them.

  • For the hostess:
Ormonde Jayne Navidad Candle: A limited edition candle for the holidays, fragranced with warm notes of clementine, cardamom, amber and tonka, the candle has an embossed gold lid and is housed in an antique gold box. Every Ormonde Jayne candle is hand poured in their London laboratory and follows the high standards of the niche brand.
Weight 290 grams Burning Time: over 60 hours. Retails for £60.00 and you can purchase on the official Ormonde Jayne site.
Now is your chance to buy as the company is offering complimentary worldwide shipping with every order £60 or over* Enter promotional code 'SANTA' at the checkout.
(*Offer open until 20th December 2010)

  • For the gourmet-loving friend:
Perfume & Chocolate: Canadian chocolatiere Rachel Sawatzky of CocoaNymph, collaborated with artisanal Canadian niche perfumer Ayala Moriel to make fine Belgian dark chocolate bars beautifully designed to match three perfumes from the latter's collection: Espionage (64% cocoa with smoked salt, jasmine & juniper), Guilt (64% cocoa with orange blossom, blood orange & wild oranges) and Roses et Chocolat (72% cocoa with rose, saffron & chilli). You can find the marching scents on Ayala Moriel's official page. And for cuddly evenings around the fire I highly recommend her Sahleb, while for the mysterious, bewitching femme fatale you hide inside, Film Noir seems tailor-made!

  • For yourself!
A Perfume Organic hosts free shipping through January 2011, making all your holiday last-minute gifts easy to cram into your schedule. Their Mejica is the latest fragrance, a blend of three vanilla types, spices and rare resins for a warm wintery experience! Available online for 65$for 12ml roll-on bottle.
I must say I'm intrigued by their wine-inspired scent, though: Sommelier Katherine Marlowe collaborated with the brand for The Perfumed Wine Trio, in which the first release - Rosé - combines fresh berry, crisp apple, dark oaks, and rich spices with hints of clove and nutmeg, warming into a peppery finish: like a good full-bodied wine sipped during a holidays feast!


  • For those who want to be spoilt for choice
Dawn Spencer Hurwitz holidays coffret: For many years now, DSH has created a unique fragrance each year to capture the magic of the Holidays. This year a collection gift box of favorites from the series as well as a Sampler Set are available so that you can enjoy them all! Included in the Holiday Collection box are (6) EdP mini flacons ~which are super cute, let me add~ of Winter White, Twelfth Night, Hanukah Cannelle, Lumiere, Nourouz and this year's December. Plus, the Sampler Set contains an EdP vial of all (11) scents since DSH started in year 2000: Festive, Twelfth Night, Cathedral, Winter White, Marzipan, Ma Folie de Noel, Lumiere, Silver Fir, Nourouz, Hanukah Cannelle, Silver Fir and December. Available on the DSH site.


If you missed our Holiday Gift Guide part 1, you can access it by clicking on the link.

Thursday, November 11, 2010

Holiday Gift Guide 2010


It's that time of the year again, when we think about those we love and want to treat to something that will make them smile. Preferably if it caresses the senses it's even better! So let's see some suggestions for every need.

  • For the pampered type or the great-ambience-loving friend:
Diptyque limited edition Noel 2010 candles trio: A collection of the famous Diptyque candles, 70g each, in Feu de Bois (Woodfire), Pomander and Sapin (Fir tree). They go for 66euros. Diptyque also makes big stand-alone candles(190g) for the holidays in festive-coloured glass jars with similarly festive scents to aromatize the house for the holidays: Pin (pine) in green, Oliban (olibanum/frankincense) in royal blue, and Orange Epicée (spicy orange) in ruby red.
And of course I can't but highly, highly recommend my beloved Opopanax which is sumptuous powdery orientalia in fragrant vapour... An amazing winter scent!!

  • For the serious perfume-philiac:
Traversée du Bosphore, like its namesake strait, is the link between West and East, or rather, between cutting-edge modern French perfumery and its ancient Oriental roots.
Duchaufour eschewed cliches to come up with a composition that marries on the one hand Anatolian leather (suede more like it) and Turkish delight into a unique interpretation of the leather genre. Dry, powdery iris dusts the top notes, while saffron provides another leathery touch. on the other hand a fruity accord of tart apple and pomegranate referencing the apple-scented tobacco smoked in hookahs and the pomegranate juice sold in the markets. The final aftertaste is the rose pistachio-accented Turkish delight. A sweet leather scent for both sexes.

  • For the cosmetics junkie:
I was sent info on a new line of non sticky, non glossy lip balms called Lip Elixirs. Created for both men and women, Lip Elixirs is an all-natural line of lip balms in a variety of cocktail flavors including Mimosa, Mojito, Vanilla Bourbon, Sassafras and Chocolate Martini.(You knew there would be some aromatic temptation, wouldn't you?) The lip products are made of Kukui nut oil, aloe and cocoa butters blended with all-natural essential oils and are packaged in a understated retro tin. I admit I would love to receive some Sassafras (with the taste of traditional root beer) or the rather unusually scented Mimosa myself!

  • For those with a naturals streak running through them:
Cimbalom by Roxana Illuminated Perfume: This pure botanical fragrance has been named after the stringed instrument closely related to the hammered dulcimer. Like the exotic musical chordophone that can be found dating back to 3500 BC, melodic notes of jasmine with percussive beats of resinous amber and a flourish of citrus rind engage your senses. Cimbalom is a rich floriental featuring Labdanum, Indonesian Patchouli, Indian Jasmine, Ginger and Orange. The fragrance contains a limited edition tincture of jasmine sambac blossoms from the perfumer's woodland garden paired with three different jasmine absolutes. It is available as a liquid perfume extrait in .25ml, 1 ml (sample sizes) and the 7ml flacon as well as in a solid format at Roxana's E-shop. (And while there take a look at the Victorian lockets filled with solid perfume!)

Natural Perfumers' Guild Subscription: Treat someone who wants to seriously learn about perfumes (or yourself!) to a subscription to a great value program, hosted by the Guild of natural perfumers. All new members will receive 20% off the current membership fee. The categories below show the reduced rate, and will be available to all new members who join between October 20, 2010 and November 30, 2010. As a signup bonus, new members will be able to download 50+ vintage, classic and current valuable perfumery and perfumery-related books and articles. You can read the prices and sign up on this page. Give the gift that lasts a whole year! Anya McCoy also gives personal perfumery classes, providing a degree for those following the course, at Perfume Classes. Worth checking out as well.


Don't forget to read more suggestions on gift shopping on these blogs:

IndiePerfumes (Lucy)

Illuminated Perfume (Roxana)

All I Am- A Redhead (Ines)

Scent Hive (Trish)

pic of candle and macaroons via Chasing Rainbows, Kissing Frogs.

Thursday, April 29, 2010

Grasse-hoppers part2: tour highlights & raw materials draw!

Reflecting upon Grasse and the Côte d'Azur I find myself in an embarrassment of riches: Is it the Notre-Dame-de-Puy cathedral with its paintings by Rubens that I retain most dearly in my heart or the sweeping hill-top view to La Plaine des Roses where hundreds of roses are attentively cultivated for their precious nectar? Or is the afternoon sunshine that poored through the windows of our dilapidated old building, one among the many in the old town, making the ochre and Venetian-sienna-shaded walls come alive four hundred years after the original stones had been lain? The quaint, small region of Grasse, awash with both aromata of fine perfumery and diesel fumes of the traffic of the greater area, as well as the larger town of Cannes, are like two faded princesses retaining their past memories hidden into the corners of dusty rooms where old, yellowed letters of paramours were carefully tucked away in secret drawers.

Semi-rural but devoid of a matching atmosphere, Grasse especially is less romantic than anticipated, yet for the eternal student of both perfumery and culture it poses its own special challenges that seem none the less rewarding. Delving into the perfumery firms and factories through trusted connections is the best lesson of them all and I am glad I am able to offer an unprecedented gift for our readers: A Sampler of Raw Materials procured in the Grasse area for one lucky reader who will state their interest in the comments. Thus, we’re giving everyone a chance for pedagogical familiarization with the inner workings of fine perfumery. I trust you will appreciate the novelty of the offer!

photo by Elena Vosnaki
But to revert to mapping out the rich experiences that the Riviera holds, one is at a loss on what to enumerate. Grasse holds a privileged spot, a few kilometers north of Pégomas, past Aurbeau-sur-Siagne and only a 20-minute ride from Cannes. The production of leather goods during the Renaissance took place principally in Montpellier, a town famous for its tanneries, which was closely rivaling Grasse. However it was only the later that rose to perfumery through the habit of scenting gloves and leather goods with floral essences from the abundant-producing area so as to dissipate the strong, pungent smells of the hides. Although initially Catherine de Medici, proud of her hands and a fan of leather gloves to protect them, ordered products from local artisans, it was Marie de Médicis (1575-1642), queen consort, who ~lured by perfumes from Cyprus, the famous chyprés~ sent for her Florentine perfumer Tombarelli to come to Grasse, where the flowers were renowned, instructing him to capture their ambience in perfumed essences. It was thus that Grasse knew a rebirth in economical terms and became The Perfume Capital ever since the 18th century thanks to the mild climate and the protected, sheltered embrace of the hills around.

The mimosa which garlands the area in late winter and early spring is perhaps the most famous of the local flora, imported originally by Captain James Cook from Australia and soon a favourite with the British aristocracy for their villas at Cannes. Queen Victoria herself used to sojourn at the Grande Hotel Grasse, a beautiful white building that is now referred to as Palais Provençal. Jasmine, a key ingredient of many perfumes and famously the culprit in the conception of Chanel No.5 by Ernest Beaux, was brought to the South of France by the Moors in the 16th century. Even though reputation has it that several tons of jasmine are harvested in the area still, the vines were not in bloom yet and even so the notorious Grasse jasmine is used in minute quantities in only the extraits of some prestigious perfumes. The 1860 construction of the Siagne canal for irrigation purposes is aiding the preservation of both these and (the very sparse) tuberoses fields. Wild lavender, as well as tamer varieties, grow around the area; hand-harvested selectively and distilled producing an exceptional aromatic oil. The town is awash with local aromata of various origins: In the lively market at La Place aux Herbes, Provençal herbs (rosemary, thyme, estragon), carrots and lettuces are sold by the kilo, tempting you into buying a little of each. Even the very area code of Grasse, 06130, has found its way into the name of a niche perfume brand, parfums Zero Six Cent Trente by local enterpreuneur Nicolas Chabert.

photo by Elena Vosnaki
Nevertheless, today oils and essences for both fragrancing & flavouring come from around the world finding their way into Grasse and not one but four establishments dedicated to perfume touring grace its streets: The International Museum of Perfume and the parfumeries de Fragonard (with its own small museum), Molinard and Galimard. Besides those, there are factories of Mane, Robertet and Firmenich which operate producing their own products.

VISIT HIGHLIGHTS & GUIDE
  • Musée International de la Parfumerie
  • (International Museum of Perfumery) is located at 2 Boulevard du Jeu de Ballon, 06130 Grasse. Tel: +33 4 9336 8020
    info@museesdegrasse.com (Visiting hours: Jun-Sep: 10a-7p M-Su, Oct-May: 10a-12:30p, 2p-5:30p W-M.)
    Reopened in 2008 (it was originally inaugaurated in 1989), with a futuristic interior designer by Frédéric Jung, the Museum encompasses a large area that is best savoured slowly. The “scented” video screening is the most tourist-attracting but it is the presentation of plants used in the perfume industry which presents the most interest. Roaming amidst the exhibits that included thousands of pieces of scented memorabilia and beautiful bottles in every material imaginable, we’re struck by the travelling grooming essentials of fated Marie-Antoinette or the Japanese Koh-Do ritual utensils (Koh-Do is an ancient Eastern game involving smoking incense being passed to the participants)


  • Fragonard Parfumeur

  • BP 22060 1er Etage de l'Usine Historique
    20 boulevard Fragonard 06132 Grasse
    Phone : +33 (0)4 92 42 34 34
    Email : fragonard@fragonard.com
    Visiting hours: 9a-noon, 2p-5:30p M-Sa, Summer: 9a-6p


  • Molinard perfumery

  • 60, boulevard Victor Hugo, 06130 Grasse
    Tel: +33 4 9336 0162
    Email: tourisme@molinard.com,france@molinard.com
    Visiting hours: Oct-May: 9a-12:30p, 2p-6p M-Su, Jun-Sep: 9a-6:30p M-Su.


  • Parfumerie Galimard

  • 73 route de Cannes - 06131 Grasse
    Tél : 04.93.09.20.00 Fax : 04.93.70.36.22
    International: Tél : +33.4.93.09.20.00 Fax : +33.4.93.70.36.22
    Visiting hours: 9a-noon, 2p-5:30p M-Sa, Summer: 9a-6p

    The Fragonard, Galimard and Molinard perfume factories offer free guided tours with multi-lingual options (including Russian and Japanese) while lush, floral scents fill the atmosphere with their delicious aroma. One is invited to watch part of the production and packaging process of the eaux de toilette, perfumes and surprisingly refined soaps first-hand, while the old perfumery equipment and several collectible bottles are also on display. The gift shops are awash with products at advantageous prices, if only a little pushy sales assistants, as is customary into tourist places. The Fragonard perfumery was founded by Eugene Fuchs paying tribute to local artists family, the Fragonards. Today the remains of the old factory are visited, while the production area has been transplated outside the city.
    Molinard worked with Baccarat and René Lalique who widely contributed to the House's reputation with sober and elegant scent bottles for their first "soliflores" perfumes (jasmine, rose, violet). But in 1930 René Lalique created exclusive flacon designs for the House of Molinard and this saw the conception of the prestigious bottles such as "Iles d’Or", "Madrigal", or "Le baiser du Faune". Yet say Molinard and everyone recalls their exceptional tobacco oriental "Habanita", meaning "little girl of Havana".
    Parfumerie Galimard on the other hand was founded by Jean de Galimard, Lord of Seranon, (a relation of Count de Thorenc and friend of Goethe), in 1747. Founder of the corporation of "Maitres Parfumeurs et Gantiers” (Glovemakers and Perfumers), he supplied the court of Louis " the well-beloved ", King of France, with olive oil, pomades, and perfumes of which he invented the first formulae. Their products still retain a charming rural air.

    photo by Fragonard

  • La Villa-Musée Jean-Honoré Fragonard

  • 23 boulevard Fragonard 06130 Grasse. Tel: +33 4 9336 0161/+33 4 9705 5800
    Email: info@museesdegrasse.com
    Visiting hours: Jun-Sep: 10a-7p M-Su, Oct & Dec-May: 10a -12.30p, 2p-5.30p W-M

    A villa turned into a museum, not to be confused with the Fragonard perfumery, this charming place buried amidst tall palm trees pays homage to three generations of Fragonards: Jean-Honoré, the father; his sister-in-law Marguerite Gérard; his son Alexandre-Évarisre; and grandson Théophile. The most famous, painter Jean-Honoré Fragonard (1732-1806) ~whom you surely know through The Swing and Young Girl Reading~ is omnipresent through a copy of his work The Progress of Love originally rejected by the Duchess du Barry and now residing in New York City. The style of his paintings, French, elegant and erotic, is well transported into the Fragonard perfumes and scented goods as well, all lively and bursting with joie de vivre!


  • Robertet essences producing company

  • Established in 1850, Robertet counts itself among the oldest perfumeries in Grasse, but their creations are thoroughly modern as well, having created scents for Gucci, Bond No.9 and L’Oreal. Still, it is their high-quality raw materials which made them the stuff of legend among perfume cognoscenti. Earthy treemoss, iris rootlets, animalic beeswax, vanilla from Madagascar orchids, Amazonian tonka beans, champaca from India, and maté from Brazil produce an intoxicating blend of earthly delights enough to make the head spin. The refining process which happens repeatedly until the finest grade of raw material is attainable (especially when rendering absolute oils out of waxy concretes off precious flowers such as jasmine) can be customized to the client. It is here that the fractionizing of certain oils happens, such as patchouli where some of the headier more hippie-like facets are subtracted; thus the perfumer can custom the essence to their needs (For instance they might want more of the naturally chocolate-reminiscent facets emphasized or the more camphoraceous ones and so on). Among the loveliest of the raw materials here is the iris absolute: Initially herbaceous and almost medicinal, heavy and full of the earthy accent of the soil, it soon attains a woody and powdery prolonged skin-like effect. Roots can be left unpeeled to produce “iris noir” or they can be peeled to make a pale-shaded concrete (waxy substance) which is then refined through solvents into the absolute oil.
    I was surprised to learn that iris is currently customarily paired with red berries; not only in perfumery such as in Insolence by Guerlain but also in the flavouring business, as it enhances and prolongs the tang of the berries! Even though originally perfumery iris best grade came from Florence, Italy, a variety known as Iris pallida, today different species come from Morocco and China (much like jasmine does) with shorter maturation periods lowering down the production cost. The original Italian iris needed a long careful harvesting of the rootlets, a drying out phase of a fortnight followed by three year period of maturation resulting in stratosperic prices.

    photo by Elena Vosnaki

  • The Firmenich perfumery branch in Grasse

  • Firmenich technicians and perfumers seem to favour the CO2 extraction process, also referred to as "supercritical fluid extraction" process; technologically speaking the most advanced method of oil production of them all, resulting in stunningly realistic essences such as pepper, heady tuberose or earthy carrot seeds. Carbon dioxide usually behaves as a gas or as a solid called "dry ice" when frozen. When the temperature and pressure are both increased, the material takes new properties behaving as a "supercritical fluid" ~above its critical temperature (31.1 °C) and critical pressure (72.9 atm/7.39 MPa)~ expanding to fill its container like a gas but with a density like that of a liquid. Supercritical CO2 is used as a perfect solvent due to its role in chemical extraction in addition to its low toxicity and environmental impact, but in what concerns perfumery it's the relatively low temperature of the process and the stability of CO2 which allows most compounds to be extracted with little damage or denaturing.
    The white-coat lab technicians work silently for an array of products including detergents and cosmetics scents, while on the second floor where the fine perfumery is located people write up formulae up in their computer for the printed data to be given to laboratory assistants for the blending, before perfumers step in to evaluate and adjust. It’s a fascinating process, not to be missed if you have any sort of access!

    For our readers, a sampler set of precious raw materials of fine perfumery is offered for a draw! Please leave a comment if you wish to enter. Submissions are open till Monday 3rd May 9pm.

    Related reading: Read the rest of the Perfume Pilgrimage to the Riviera in part 1.

    Monday, March 30, 2009

    Merci pour tout! New Boutique Merci in Paris

    A new store with a unique concept has opened in Paris, set by Bernard et Marie-France Cohen ~Camille Goutal's aunt (Annick's sister)~ called MERCI. Some Goutal perfumes and scented candles will be sold there, as divulged to me by the good people at Annick Goutal. The concept of Merci is born out of a basic ethical principle, becoming a revolutionary idea within parisian stores, and it has been dreamed of for three years now. Orchestrated by Marie-France Cohen (the creator of the famous kid's brand Bonpoint), the new space of 1500 m2 at the Boulevard Beaumarche proposes a mix of fashion, homeware, books, cosmetics, hardware, haberdashery, vintage articles and even a restaurant. The list goes on...
    And all with a good cause, as attested by the name which means of course "thank you": An aid foundation for child protecting organisations, beginning with those focused on Madagascar, one of the poorest countries on earth. Because our life isn't worth but in the desire to give, Merci was born out of that noble idea to become much more than a "concept store". With the enegy and enthusiasm of young and old alike it promises to become a ray of optimism in an ill-ravaged world.

    The chances to enjoy Merci and contribute to a good cause are many: There's a café- library of hand-me down books with home-baked bread and marmelades and even a little snack for noon. A flower section offering ideas on how to "dress" your balcony, you garden or your house. The section PAP (Luxe and Creators) for women, men, children and accessoies, which will encompass brands that are doing away with some of their profit margin thus offering their products at -30/40% discounts.
    Among them YSL, Stella Mc Cartney, Azzaro, Barbara Bui, Isabel Marant, Forte Forte, Swildens, GAS by Marie, Paul & Joe, Jérôme Dreyfuss , Goyard, Marie-Hélène de Taillac, Noguchi, Aurélie Biderman, Stone, Bonpoint, Bonton, Zef, Oona l’Ourse and their own name brand Merci Merci. Also there will be a section for house decor and textiles at comparable level of quality and price.

    And what interests perfume lovers especially: A small Goutal "laboratory" orchestrated by Isabelle Doyen (with fragant juice based on natural essences) sold in simple flacons at -40% discount off their regular prices, thus making away with their own profits.
    The address is Merci, 111 Boulevard Beaumarchais 75011, Paris and if you're in Paris it is recommended to check it out!

    The design was created by Be-Pôles graphic studio, 6 rue Beaubourg, 75004 Paris — France.

    Thursday, December 18, 2008

    Christmas '08 Gifts Ideas part 2

    We're just one week away from Christmas (how time flies!), so this is your last-minute guide to shop for gifts at the nick of time for those loved ones we want to see have a smile on their faces as they unwrap their packages or look into their stockings on the fireplace or even ourselves. (USPS guarantees that orders submitted today will make it on Christmas' Eve).
    Since we have already posted ideas on perfumed gifts as well as a guide to help you through wading the shelves in stores in search of a fragrance gift. I thought today I might include some alterative ideas that do not focus on specific fragrances but do relate to olfaction and the pleasures of the nose.

    Perfume books should be high on any perfumista's wishlist, so here are my two best recs: The Essence of Perfume by fragrance connoisseur Roja Dove; a coffee-table-sized book with lots of basic and not so basic info and luscious photographs to make you swoon. And Avery Gilbert's What the Nose Knows: The Science of Scent in Everyday Life; A scientific and fun exploration on how our sense of smell works, how we're being fooled and the unknown facts around olfaction you wished you knew when you started this hobby! You can read my review of Roja Dove's book and Avery Gilbert's book clicking the links.

    Pampering for the body never hurt anyone and the holiday season presents its own stresses anyway. So this is the perfect time for a little mssage oil applied with long strokes (preferably by someone special): Weleda is an excellent German brand of high quality skincare products that are distributed through pharmacies. Their Wild Rose Body Oil is especially fragrant and luxurious, using the aromatheurapeutical properties of wild rose, the scent is fit for both sexes and the price is right. The ritual of powdering is a forgotten practice, but it's worth resurecting to embrace your inner Hollywood diva during the holiday season. It's also more economical than splurging for a new bottle of fragrance. Ladies, this classic Maja dusting powder by Spanish brand Mururgia is calling your name, while Coty Wild Musk powder is such a wonderful, inviting smell I wonder why it sits at the lower end of the market! Gentlemen will feel like their feet are featherlight by putting a little powder in Taylor of Old Bond Street Sandalwood before slipping on their socks.

    What about a little flavourful something to help make something wonderful in the kitchen these holiday season or to offer when invited to a guest house? This Taste of Italy gift basket by Wine Country Gift Baskets won't break the bank and looks luscious: "Bring the tastes of Italy to any home or office with this hearty basket; contains everything needed for a great Italian meal. Start off with extra virgin gourmet olive oil, bread dipping herbs, roasted garlic bread mix, mozzarella crackers, mixed green and black olives, twice-baked roasted garlic crackers, cheese knife set and a bread dipping bowl. Rigatoni pasta and garlic pasta seasoning make up the main course while Lanzetti fruit candy and vanilla biscotti complete this authentic basket". I can't help thinking that the comparable Breakfast in Bed basket is especially indulgent for this holiday season when my weary self will need a little pampering...
    If the History of Saffron article has raised your curiosity on this golden spice, might I suggest you get some for your cooking! Princesa de Minaya Saffron (Azafran) by LaTienda is whole stigmata of pure saffron to add to your rice pilaf or fish or to infuse as an aromatic beverage by itself or mixed with tea. Touch of India Saffron Spices mixes paprika, turmeric, coriander, red pepper, black pepper, cardamom, and saffron for dishes that promise to being an exotic flavour to your table this Christmas. There is a price level for every budget.
    If cost is generally your concern (and whose isn't these days), yet you want the elusive luxury that truffles, those odorous mushrooms bring to your dishes, yet can't fork out the cash for it, do try a little truffle-aromatized oil instead: This Italian Extra Virgin Olive Oil is infused with white truffle to be used as a finishing touch on delicate dishes that demand an earthy touch and is just 12$! Take it as a gift to a host who loves to cook and you will have their heart (and invitations to subsequent dinners) for ever after.
    And because culinary escapades on Perfume Shrine couldn't finish without quality chocolate and a touch of Greece, please take a look at this glorious Greek-founded chocolaterie, Leonidas, who produces Belgian-style chocolates in various flavours and shapes, filled with whatever your fancy desires. 1lb will set you back 34$ and several thousand calories behind your scheduled ratio, but it's sooooo worth it!

    Have fun choosing your gifts!

    Pics via Amazon.

    Monday, December 1, 2008

    Frequent Questions: The Difference between the various Christian Dior "Poison" fragrances

    Christian Dior has a stable of fragrances all tagged Poison, encased in similarly designed packaging and bottles (but in different colors), often creating confusion to the buyer who wants to know how the various fragrances compare. This article aims to explain the differences and similarities between Poison, Tendre Poison, Hypnotic Poison, Pure Poison and Midnight Poison and their Elixir versions henceforth. Short descriptions of how they smell, perfumers, fragrance notes, color schemes on bottle and box packaging as well as comments on concentration & body products available, longevity and sillage are included.

    The Poison series:

    To begin in chronological order, first came Poison, the original, in 1985. It wouldn't be an overstatement to say that the original Poison was instrumental in the "loud" reputation that 1980s fragrances acquired. It is a powerhouse tuberose oriental with a berry-spicy-musky interlay, very characteristic of the time, quite excellently-made by Edouard Flechier and smelling great if used in moderation. Purple bottle in dark green box.
    Notes for Poison original:
    Top: orange blossom, honey, berries, pimento
    Heart: cinnamon, coriander, tuberose, pepper, mace, plum, anise, ylang-ylang
    Bottom: ambergris, labdanum, opoponax

    Available in Eau de Toilette 30/50ml, Esprit de Parfum refillable flacon, deodorant spray, body lotion and shower gel. Some of the body products seem to be discontinued in certain markets.

    Tendre Poison was the first "flanker" that came out 9 years later (1994), again composed by Edouard Flechier. It is a light green floral with freesia, a bit sharp and soapy in character. The base is pale woods, with a lightly powdery undertone that backons you closer. Although often referenced as a lighter version of the original Poison there is no comparison really. Tendre Poison is well-behaved, quite pretty and prim outwardly, a little unsmiling and cruel up close. Wears well and easily all year round and has good sillage and longevity. Light green bottle in green box.
    Notes for Tendre Poison
    Top: mandarin, galbanum
    Heart: freesia, orange blossom, heliotrope
    Bottom: sandalwood, vanilla

    Available in Eau de Toilette 30/50ml, deodorant spray, body lotion and shower gel. Some of the body products seem to be discontinued in certan markets.

    Hypnotic Poison came out in 1998, composed by Annick Menardo. The packaging reverted to something more daring, in crimson and a rubbery feel for the Eau de Parfum, so Hypnotic Poison is an almond gourmand oriental with a bitter edge at the start and a smooth vanilla base that contributes to a bewitching scent. Extremely popular (reports say it's a perennial bestseller in south Mediterranean countries, but also the US). Red bottle in dark red box.
    Notes for Hypnotic Poison:
    Top: bitter almond, caraway
    Heart: jasmine sambac, jacaranda wood
    Bottom: tree moss, vanilla, musk

    Available in Eau de Toilette 30/50ml, deodorant spray, body lotion and shower gel.
    There was an Eau de Parfum version previously available which seems to have been discontinued in favour of the Hypnotic Poison Elixir Eau de Parfum Intense.

    Pure Poison coming out in 2004 was composed by Carlos Benaim, Olivier Polge and Dominique Ropion. Pure Poison is a radiant, expansive sharp floral with lots of white flowers (yet non indolic, meaning it's not in the least "dirty"), citrus essences and white musks/woods. The overall character is one of a clean, opalescent scent that is quite feminine in contemporary way. Pure Poison has an amazing sillage and is quite wearable year round. Pearl/opal white bottle in deep purple box.
    Notes for Pure Poison:
    Top: jasmine, sweet orange, Calabrian bergamot and Sicilian mandarin
    Heart: orange blossom, gardenia
    Bottom: sandalwood, ambergris

    Available in Eau de Parfum 30/50ml, deodorant spray 100ml, body lotion and shower gel.

    Midnight Poison is a modern "chypre" (in the vein of Narciso, Gucci by Gucci etc.) with subdued roses over a clean patchouli base, producing an abstract cool effect that is very modern. Composed by Olivier Cresp, Jacques Cavallier and Francois Demarchy, it is quite pleasant, if not very remarkable, with a dark green background that has a mysterious vibe aimed at the modern seductress.
    Midnight-blue bottle in dark blue box.
    Notes for Midnight Poison:
    Top: mandarin orange, bergamot
    Heart: rose
    Bottom: patchouli, vanilla, amber

    Available in Eau de Parfum 30/50ml, Extrait de Parfum, deodorant spray, body cream, body lotion and shower gel.

    The Poison series Elixirs:

    The various Dior Elixirs composed by Francois Demarchy came out with the aim to offer a more intense sensation blending the opulent base notes of the original Poison, along with individually selected flavours. The packaging is adorned with bulb atomisers on the bottle, boudoir-style. Each bottle replicates the colour scheme of the original fragrances they're named after. The formula is not silicone-based, but alcoholic, meaning it is sprayed like a regular Eau de Parfum.

    Pure Poison Elixir was the first Elixir version for Poison and came out in 2006. Although the notes denote a quite different scent, the truth is there is no major difference with the previous Pure Poison, except for a sweeter, a tad powdery and warmer base that stays on the skin for an extremely long period of time.
    Notes for Pure Poison Elixir:
    Top: petitgrain, orange, green mandarin
    Heart: orange blossom, jasmine sambac
    Bottom: sandalwood, amber, almond, vanilla, cocoa absolute

    Available in Eau de Parfum intense 30/50ml, body cream.

    Hypnotic Poison Elixir came out in 2008. Based on the original Hypnotic Poison fragrance it includes a licorice-star anise combination. However it smells quite similar to the regular Hypnotic Poison, although the tenacity is even more phenomenal.

    Available in Eau de Parfum intense 30/50ml, body cream.

    Midnight Poison Elixir (2008) is based on the original Midnight Poison, enhanced with "intense, voluptuous, flavorful notes of caramel -fruity and toothsome, with an appetizing "toasted" fragrance - and the mellow, enveloping aromas of vanilla". It quite similar to the regular Midnight Poison apart from the sweeter caramel base which seems to kilter it off balance. Extremely tenacious as well.

    Available in Eau de Parfum intense 30/50ml.

    Special Valentine's Editions (2008) exist for Hypnotic Poison, Pure Poison and Midnight Poison in Eau de Toilette concentration in specially designed 40ml (1.38 fl.oz.) bottles.

    Pics courtesy of Fragrantica.com

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