Chandler Burr's latest article for the New York Times is about the recent harvest-based perfumes from L'Artisan and Givenchy. Looks like we'll see another fragrance in the series from L'Artisan:
L'Artisan's Narcissus 2005, to come out in 2006, uses an exceptional narcissus harvested on June 6th and 7th, 2005, in Lozère, southern France.
Burr describes this year's L'Artisan harvest fragrance, Fleur d'Oranger (bottle shown above), as having “an almost violent impact, a rough, meaty presentation of the raw material”. Thank you to Karen for the link!
DNA India has an article about Ajmal Ali, the founder of Ajmal Perfumes. The picture of Mr. Ali surrounded by perfume bottles is enough to make your average perfume addict drool. I drooled, anyway.
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Thanks for the link to the article about Mr. Ali. What a great life! I've recently become obsessed w/ attars and ouds. Love the Ajmal site, but can't for the life of me figure out how to order from it or find prices. Wish there was a sample program since I know many oud scents can be frighteningly expensive (just saw some on ebay for almost 3k).
I didn't get any violence from the l'Artisan Fleur d'Oranger. I just got orange blossom, pretty straightforward orange blossom—nice but certainly not worth the hefty price tag, whatever it cost l'Artisan to buy the Tunisian flowers.
I can't get their site to load at all at the moment, so you got further than I did!
'…an exceptional narcissus harvested on June 6th and 7th, 2005…' Oh, really, what BS! LOL!
J, LOL — reminds me of the old cheesy Paul Masson slogan: we will sell no wine before its time.
Isn't it swell to be so jaded? K
HA, it would be *more* swell to be so jaded AND to have a bottle of the Fleur d'Oranger. So I'll say that for L'Artisan…what they do, they do very well.
Raw or violent, naw. It is some darn pretty orange blossom, though.
My feeling exactly.
As you know, I disagree with that statement too. LOL!
I'm not jaded. I don't like being taken for a fool.
I'd love to get my hands on some of this – it sounds soooo pretty. I love soliflores and I wish more perfume companies put them out.
I've never smelled narcissus before (real or synthetic) – are there any perfumes out there that have it as a major component?
I believe he was speaking about the presentation of the Grand Crus… L'artisan is presented in a large chunky wood crate with straw and hand tied closed….
I think the concept is pure poetry. The problem is that many persons are to mainstream to appreciate craftsmanship… if this statement is to harsh, well it is meant to be.. i can't afford the best wines, the best foods, the best perfumes in the world but i do understand craftsmanship and in my opinion L'artisan and any other company that takes the time and effort create such lovelies deserves credit… now 250.00 for fragrance some can say that’s expensive, well that is the price you pay if you want a unique blend of specific once in a lifetime creation. Kobe Beef is extremely expensive, but people pay for it…
True enough, we disagree on L'Artisan!
I appreciate your sentiment, but can't agree with the specifics as applied to L'Artisan Fleur d'Oranger. If Givenchy managed to create the special edition of Amarige for only $10 more than the regular using a special harvest of Mimosa from Grasse, it is hard to see why L'Artisan needs to double their regular price to include an Orange Blossom sourced from Tunisia, wood crate or no. The scent itself is lovely, but not particularly unusual, and it does not, to my nose, smell of quality craftsmanship any more than any other L'Artisan scent. If I had the big money to buy a once in a lifetime unique perfume, this isn't what would spring to mind. To each his own, of course!
It is very noticeable in Diptyque Olene, Caron Narcisse Noir, L'Artisan Jacinthe de Bois. DSH used to have a soliflore, I think, but don't know if she still does. Will see if something else comes to mind later…
I think the concept is pure hype and BS.
I object to being thought to have mainstream tastes when I saved for two years just to be able to go the Salons du Palais Royal in order to buy one of the Exclusives (Fleurs d'Oranger wasn't in the Export range at the time).
As I said above, I don't like being taken for a fool.