Posted by Kevin
on
23 June 2008
If my perfume choices were limited to one type of fragrance with one note predominant, chances are I would opt for vetiver colognes. (I’d probably have to flip a coin: Sandalwood vs. Vetiver.) I love vetiver fragrances and have owned too many to list here. Recently, my introduction to Lalique Encre Noir, the reissue of Givenchy Vétyver and the debuts of Giorgio Armani's Vétiver Babylone and Chanel's Sycomore have made me very happy and ready to expand an already-overcrowded perfume collection.
Les Eaux Armani Privé Vétiver Babylone
Just as sparkling, fresh water sustained ancient Babylon’s (real or imaginary) fragrant hanging gardens, Vétiver Babylone’s vetiver, likewise sparkling and fresh, supports its other brisk ingredients — bergamot, citron, mandarin, green cardamom, coriander, pink pepper and patchouli…
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Posted by Robin
on
3 April 2008
Sycomore is the latest fragrance to join the Les Exclusifs collection at Chanel. Sycomore is named for a long-discontinued 1930 Chanel fragrance; the new interpretation is by Chanel's house perfume Jacques Polge.
The vetiver-focused fragrance includes notes of sandalwood, cypress, juniper and pink pepper…
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Posted by Robin
on
12 March 2007
Coco Chanel lived at the Ritz for most of her life, but she kept an apartment above her boutique at 31 Rue Cambon “as a place to house her own clothes and host dinner parties” (via travelandleisure):
The décor is ornate and baroque with the artefacts ranging from lacquered Coromandel screens with Chinese paintings to elaborate life size models of deer ranged in front of the fire place. The mirrors have elaborate oversize frames while the chandeliers replicate the double “C” symbol used as a brand logo in most products including bags and belts. Everything in the rooms reflects the concept of duality in her products with nearly each antique or display piece having a twin beside it. (via thehindu)
31 Rue Cambon, the apartment’s namesake fragrance from the recent Les Exclusifs collection, is likewise ornate…
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Posted by Robin
on
20 February 2007
28 La Pausa, like yesterday’s subject, Bel Respiro, is one of the new niche fragrances from Chanel’s Les Exclusifs de Chanel. It was also named for one of Coco Chanel’s houses, in this case, an estate on the French Riviera outside Roquebrune Cap Martin:
Chanel spent her vacations at La Pausa, surrounded by friends including the Duke of Westminster, Salvador Dali and Jean Cocteau, in an atmosphere of happy relaxation and refinement. “Irises grew in the garden and the iris is also a very round, calm and soft fragrance,” [perfumer Christopher] Sheldrake says. (via theaustralian)
I have not seen a list of notes anywhere, but it doesn’t matter: 28 La Pausa is all about iris, and if you love iris as I do, it is a must-try…
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Posted by Robin
on
19 February 2007
Bel Respiro is one of the 10 fragrances from Chanel’s recent entry into the niche perfumery market, the Les Exclusifs de Chanel collection. The name Bel Respiro, and the inspiration for the scent, comes from a country house outside Paris that Coco Chanel owned in the 1920s. Bel Respiro was created by Chanel’s in-house perfumer, Jacques Polge, and the notes are rumored to include crushed leaves, rosemary, thyme, rose, lilac, hyacinth, green tea, aromatic grasses, myrrh and leather.
The frenzy over the Les Exclusifs reached a fever pitch in the weeks before they launched — among perfumistas, anyway. I’m guessing the rest of the world is only just barely aware of their existence. At any rate, by the time my samples arrived, I was reluctant to try them at all. How could they possibly live up to the hype? When curiosity finally got the better of me, Bel Respiro was the first thing I reached for. A fragrance “intended to evoke stems, leaves and springtime” (Women’s Wear Daily, 12/22/06) seemed bound to please.
As it turns out, Bel Respiro was a good place to start…
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