From Lalique, the 2012 special edition for the Lalique de Lalique fragrance: "For the 2012 edition, Sillage, the spirit of the tiara has been revisited with the help of the know-how of the master craftsmen. The flower bouquet that makes up the very heart note of the fragrance has been sculpted in minute detail on the stopper. The polished and frosted effects multiply the play of light which animates the crystal." 30 ml, 1200€...

I used to think there were some notes that simply couldn't be done to death. The fragrance industry has proven me wrong on that score. Raise your hand if you'd just as soon not see another new oud fragrance for a few years?

Vetiver hasn't yet reached that stage.¹ We've seen a slow but steady stream of new vetivers over the last couple years, but nothing like the fever-pitch rate of new ouds. On the other hand, you know, there are lots of vetivers out there already, and vetiver, like oud, has a tendency to dominate whatever composition it's in. So the bar is set high for a new vetiver fragrance.

Today, I'm looking at new(-ish) vetivers from Escentric Molecules and Chantecaille. Many perfumistas already know about Escentric Molecules, the niche line of perfumer Geza Shoen. They've released three fragrance duos, each consisting of a single note diluted in alcohol, and a fragrance built around that single note. The third duo, which debuted last year, features vetiver. Molecule 03 (the fragrance I'm counting as a half in the title since it isn't really what you'd call a finished fragrance) consists of vetiveryle acetate diluted in alcohol, nothing else. As with Molecule 01 (iso e super) and Molecule 02 (ambroxan), it's probably not the most cost-effective way to get yourself a straight-up aroma chemical, and I've always wondered why they don't release the Molecule fragrances in very small sizes...

Perfumer Geza Shoen's Escentric Molecules line has launched their third fragrance duo, this one focused on vetiver:

Molecule 03 ~ "The [sole] aroma-chemical in Molecules 03 is vetiveryle acetate, a refined vetiver note which is celebrated at its purest in this fragrance..."

Strictly speaking, this isn't really a review, but in the interest of perfume geekery I'll share my experience with the latest two fragrances (Escentric 02 and Molecule 02) from Escentric Molecules, the niche line of perfumer perfumer Geza Schoen.

When I "reviewed" Escentric 01 back in 2006, I found that the fragrance was so perfectly described by the brand's own description that it was silly to say much more, so I just quoted the description and added a few words. The same is true of the new Escentric 02, so here is what Escentric Molecules had to say:

Escentric 02 uses an unparalleled concentration of ambroxan, in combination with vetiver and muscone, a particularly gorgeous nature-identical musk. Orris, elderflower extract and hedione lead into the instant effervescence of the topnote...

Escentric 02 [shown] uses an unparalleled concentration of ambroxan combined with vetiver and muscone, a particularly gorgeous nature-identical musk. Orris, elderflower extract and hedione add an instant effervescence to the topnote, giving it a fresh 'mineral' effect...

...an homage to a single scent ingredient. It consists of 'Iso E Super' in an unprecedented concentration (65%), together with other ingredients (including pink pepper, green lime and balsamic notes like benzoin, mastic and incense) in a new balance — rather than the traditional formula of top, heart and base notes, Escentric 01 moves quickly from top to bottom...

A growing number of companies are targeting consumers' sense of smell to market brands and products in an almost subliminal way. They're hiring scent marketers, who concoct odors and serve them up using blowers strategically placed in public places.

At the Omni hotel, the lobby apparently smells like lemongrass & green tea, the cafe smells like mochachino. Read the rest here (link no longer working, sorry!).

In a related story, the Citroën C4 (by the French car maker) comes with a scent diffuser that works through the car's ventilation system. Nine fragrances, ranging from Mint & Musk to Ylang & Bamboo, are available. See the details at the Citroën website.

Perfumer Geza Schoen of Escentric Molecules explains the appeal of Molecule 01, a single note fragrance composed of the chemical Iso E Super...