Posted by Kevin
on
16 September 2009
When Parfum d’Empire’s Yuzu Fou and Aziyadé were released last year, I was excited. My excitement waned as soon as I wore the two perfumes. Yuzu Fou (with notes of yuzu, kumquat, orange/bigarade, mint, verbena, green bamboo, blond cedar, neroli, white musk) was my favorite — it provides a burst of bigarade (Seville orange) followed by a blast of cedar; all the ‘filigree’ I expected (mint, verbena, green bamboo) was missing in action. Yuzu Fou is pleasant but unthrilling (it reminds me of Frederic Malle Bigarade). Wearing Aziyadé, I felt as if my body had been dipped in milk and then dredged in cumin (I was ready for the frying pan). I felt attacked by, impregnated with CUMIN. Aziyadé’s cumin was downright hostile.
Parfum d’Empire’s latest release is Wazamba. I have no idea if a “wazamba” is a Bantu midwife, a Congo tribe, or, as Parfum d’Empire defines it: “a musical instrument often used in initiation ceremonies in Western Africa.” This being Parfum d’Empire, I’m just happy ‘Wazamba’ is not the name of a lost pirate empire whose members ate infants for breakfast and clubbed dodo birds into extinction…
Read the rest of this article »
Posted by Robin
on
9 July 2009
In addition to the 3 Fleurs fragrance announced yesterday, Parfum d’Empire will also be launching Wazamba: “a forest of aromatic pine that reveals the thousand faces of incense, a sacred substance in all the great civilizations”.
The notes include aldehydes, incense, myrrh, sandalwood, opoponax…
Read the rest of this article »
Posted by Robin
on
8 July 2009
French niche line Parfum d’Empire has launched 3 Fleurs, a “flamboyant floral” fragrance:
A floral fragrance flamboyant in its expression of the 3 emblematic flowers of love in all great civilizations: Rose, passionate love…
Read the rest of this article »
Posted by Angela
on
25 May 2009
When my friend Maryann opened the door to greet me, she said, “You smell nice! At least it must be you, since nothing out front is in bloom yet.” It was late April and not even lilacs or lilies of the valley bloomed, let alone roses. But standing in the doorway I knew Maryann recognized the faint fragrance of an early summer garden in the morning, because I wore Parfum d’Empire Eau Suave Eau de Parfum.
In 2003, Marc Antoine Corticciato, the perfumer behind Parfum d’Empire, created Eau Suave in homage to Josephine’s Chateau de Malmaison, famed for its gardens including 250 varieties of rose. In an article on Malmaison, Princess Michael of Kent wrote that roses were a natural for Josephine:
Josephine was christened Marie-Joséphe Rose Tascher de la Pagerie and she would be known as “Rose” from her birth until the day when the young General Bonaparte (who made a habit of changing women’s names) began a letter with: “Sweet and incomparable Josephine. I awake full of you and of the memory of our intoxicating night…” From that moment she would enter history as Josephine.
Pretty cheeky of Napoleon to change her name, but I guess you don’t get to rule most of Europe without being at least a little domineering…
Read the rest of this article »
Posted by Robin
on
22 October 2008
While we’re on the subject of Serge Lutens Arabie’s extended family (see yesterday’s review of El Attarine), it’s worth considering Parfum d’Empire’s newish Aziyadé, a kissing cousin at the very least. Aziyadé is named for the main character — a harem girl — of the novel of the same name, and unless I’ve lost count, is the second fragrance from Parfum d’Empire to take inspiration from the Ottoman Empire (the first being Cuir Ottoman). Those of you who are familiar with the various olfactory portraits of this region will recognize the usual suspects in the notes: pomegranate, dates, almonds, orange, prune, cardamom, cinnamon, ginger, cumin, carob, frankincense, vanilla, patchouli, musk and cistus.
Yes, Aziyadé is another specimen of the stewed fruits + curry spices genre, although the stewed fruits are mostly in the top notes, and they’re given some lift and tartness here by the pomegranate…
Read the rest of this article »
