Love, Chic Baby is a new line of fragrances for babies, and debuts with two scents, one for boys and one for girls:
Love, Chic Baby for boys (shown) “tickles the senses with a light burst of tootie fruity freshness”. The notes include mandarin, orange, pink grapefruit…
Perfumes for young children have long been popular in Europe, but are only recently making inroads in the United States. Sales are expected to increase over the coming years as “childhood is increasingly going couture“. The idea has yet to catch on in my own house: my son has no interest whatsoever in fragrance, much less couture fragrance, and could not even be tempted by Spongebob Eau de Toilette. If Nickelodeon cannot make a scent to please him, it is a hopeless case.
I suspect that many of the children’s fragrance purchases in the US are intended as gifts, in which case you could do no better than one of the fragrances by Le Petit Prince, which are as heavy on the charm factor as anything you’re likely to encounter in a perfume store. The line is, of course, based on the much beloved 1943 novel by Antoine de Saint Exupéry, and if you are a fan, you cannot fail to be entranced by the adorable packaging.
Le Petit Prince (bottle on left) is a unisex fragrance featuring mandarin, orange, tarragon, verbena, freesia, lily of the valley, cedar and oak. The first spray is juicy citrus, after that, it is heavy on the verbena, light on the herbs, flowers and woods. It is a perfectly respectable citrus fragrance; an adult could wear it without shame, but the lasting power is perhaps not quite so good as an adult might expect. All the same, it is perfect for a summer refresher, and would make a nice introduction to fragrance for a child. Le Petit Prince is available in alcohol or alcohol-free versions, both in 100 ml of Eau de Toilette; there is also matching shampoo, body lotion, soap and bath flakes…
Perfumer & Flavorist talked to some of the winners of last year’s Perfumer’s Choice Awards. Alberto Morillas had this to say about Bvlgari Omnia:
Omnia is a representation of femininity and sensuality; it plays on a contrast between the freshness of spices and the sensuality of musk. This Bulgari fragrance is very avant-garde — there is nothing else on the market in a similar genre. The aim was not to create a fashionable perfume, but one that would stand the test of time…
By request, here a few fragrance gift ideas for the male half of your shopping list:
From The Art of Shaving: a 50 ml Eau de Toilette in their popular Sandalwood fragrance, plus a 2.5 oz tube of sandalwood scented shaving cream. $40 at artofshaving…
Guerlain released Petit Guerlain in 1994. It is usually attributed to Jean Paul Guerlain; Olivia Giacobetti said in an interview some time ago that she worked on it as well. The notes are citrus, lavender, camomile, violet leaf, mimosa, rose, jasmine and vanilla. The top notes are a bit sharp, but it quickly softens to a sheer, delicate floral with a subdued Guerlinade base. It would be perfectly appropriate on a young girl, but there is nothing particularly childish about it — an adult who preferred something very soft and quiet could easily wear it. It is an Eau de Toilette, and the lasting power is good. I think it used to come in an alcohol-free version, but I no longer see that listed on the Guerlain website.
Petit Ange is by Parfums de Nicolaï, and has notes of tangerine and lilac. It starts with lightly sweet citrus, then takes on the candied smell of black licorice…
"Reinventing the Rose: Is perception affecting your ability to stop and smell the roses?" article at Cosmetics Mag http://t.co/y6gT43iH Sunday SOTE? I'm wearing Parfums de Nicolai Eau Exotique (mango!) Chocolate: Vosges Pink Salt Caramel (not my favorite) TV: Sherlock Denise Hamilton looks at some recent perfume books (including Alyssa's & Denyse's) in the LA Times http://t.co/FbuPTNrq "Does the perfume industry have it wrong? New tests suggest most seductive scent is our natural one" at Mail Online http://t.co/iUfAzRE7