Archives 69 takes its name from the address of the Etat Libre d’Orange flagship boutique, located at 69 Rue des Archives in Paris. Since this is Etat Libre d’Orange, you may be guessing that the name has a double meaning, a specifically sexual one, and you are correct; an entry on the Etat Libre d’Orange blog, complete with alternate label art for Archives 69, makes that point clear. Its text explains, “This is a perfume designed to free the senses, to open the heart to all the possibilities. It is an invitation to pleasure, an ode to seduction. It comes without restrictions, rules or regulations. It is yours to do with as you wish. This is the scent of sensual liberation.”
The composition of Archives 69, developed by perfumer Christine Nagel, includes notes of tangerine, pink berries CO2, pepper leaf, orchid & prune JE, incense, camphor, benzoin, patchouli, and musk. Its concept was partially inspired by the short story “Drencula” by French writer Boris Vian, a tale of a young man’s encounter with a hermaphroditic vampire, from Vian’s collection Écrits Pornographiques. Archives 69 was given the tagline “The Illusion of Sex” in preview materials, and its press release (subtitled “The End of Innocence”) includes a lengthy meditation on a nameless female character who embodies many dualities: the sacred and the profane, heaven and hell, pleasure and pain, etc. So, how do this theme and this prose translate into scent?
Archives 69 does pair some opposing notes…
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Posted by Robin
on
1 May 2010
Happy May Day, everyone! By request, today we have a follow-up to the sexy perfumes poll we did back in 2006. Your host today is Joe, so please, tell Joe what your favorite sexy fragrances are. And maybe Joe will tell us about his favorite sexy fragrances…
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Posted by Robin
on
19 January 2009
Laura is looking for a “sexy, confident, come hither” fragrance for evening wear. She doesn't care if it's niche or mainstream, but she'd like to keep the cost under $200, and she'd prefer something that comes in a small size since she isn't going to wear it every day. Here is what we know about Laura:
She's in her 30s, and has two kids.
She describes herself as a “high power career person”, and she wants her scent to match — it should say “I like to be in charge and I’m cunning”.
She grew up in Southern California; now she's living in the Pacific Northwest.
Laura describes her style as “casual vintage and kitschy”, and she likes bold simple lines.
For day wear, Laura is mostly drawn to unisex fragrances that “tilt” towards feminine. She likes woods, cool scents, moss notes…
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Posted by Robin
on
5 November 2006
As an interesting corollary to last week's Sexy Perfumes poll, check out today's Sunday Times (UK), which has a great article by Luca Turin on perfumes as romantic bait:
Can perfume really help a woman get her man? After all, by the time a guy is hooked, it matters little whether she’s wearing Novaya Zarya’s Lights of Moscow or Chanel’s Cuir de Russie. There’s little hard evidence to suggest scent is any more powerful than other dating tactics, such as laughing at his jokes and showing a bit of cleavage.
Yet the power of attraction is one of the foundations on which the fragrance industry is built — spray on our perfume and you’ll be irresistible.
Read the rest here. More reading: Marcello's review of Luca Turin's Secret of Scent.
Posted by Robin
on
2 November 2006
In lieu of a review today, a little poll inspired by a comment to yesterday’s article about Chanel Bois des Iles, noting that there don’t seem to be any sexy, oh la la perfumes out this season. Perhaps I am forgetting something, but I would have to agree: sexy is not the strong point of the new fragrance releases this fall. But here are my votes for the sexiest perfumes in general, and I hope you will add your own in the comments.
My vote for all out sexy: Frederic Malle Le Parfum de Thérèse, no question…
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