Sandra‘s Closet

Recently I got a wonderful surprise and received a bottle of «Portrait of a Lady», which is an icon of haute perfumery. The scent is a new breed of oriental rose, a baroque perfume. It is based on an accord of benzoin, cinnamon, sandalwood and, above all patchouli, musk and frankincense. It takes off with an excessive dosage of the best Turkish rose essence that Dominique Ropion linked to the rest of the formula, thanks to a red berries and spice accord.

Hundreds of trials were needed to balance such an excessive formula. Portrait of a Lady is undoubtedly the perfume containing the strongest dosage of rose essence and patchouli heart. It’s a rare symphonic perfume appeared: a new amber rose, a sensuous beauty that attracts people like a magnet, a modern classic: Portrait of a Lady. It is an olfactory masterpiece of pure elegance, baroque opulence, and splendor that people will ask you about.

Top note: Rose
Middle notes: Blackcurrant, raspberry, clove
Base notes: Patchouli, sandalwood, frankincense

Dominique Ropion trained at the legendary Roure Bertrand Dupont laboratory before going to work with Jean-Louis Sieuzac, one of the perfumery world’s great technicians. Today he’s a star perfumer at IFF. He is the nose behind bestellers such as Alien (2005 Thierry Mugler) and Lady Million (2010 Paco Rabanne) An adventurer who abandons himself to instinct, Ropion is on a quest to create new, harmonious accords by pairing ingredients which are extreme opposites. His work is special because of the tension between precision and freedom.

TO SHOP PORTRAIT OF A LADY, CLICK HERE PLEASE.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Frederic Malle
DISCLOSURE: We may earn commission from links on this page, but I only recommend products I love. Promise.

Rose scents are trending at the moment. According to Frédéric Malle, «Roses is to perfumery what the nude is to drawing». Whether pure, futuristic, sophisticated or even synthetic: each perfumer has his, or her, own interpretation of this flower, perfumery’s most conceptual theme. This is the opportunity for Frédéric Malle to showcase the wealth of styles of the artists he publishes and to propose 4 roses with strong personalities:

ROSE TONNERRE: The Darkest of Roses

Iconic and cult, Une Rose has joined the great classics of the Éditions de Parfums. Today, the Maison signs a grand premiere in the world of perfumery: Une Rose is changing to become Rose Tonnerre and continues its worldwide success story and the conquest of the Asian continent. A new name, carefully chosen, for a formula that remains precisely the same and reflects the strength of this earthy and truly unique rose.

Frédéric Malle‘s beloved classic, Rose Tonnerre is part of an exotic garden of exquisite rose scents at night: in the foreground, intoxicating, sparkling, sweet and fresh all at once, it reveals deep and warm facets. Dark and enigmatic, subtly gothic.

Within the context of this personal work, Édouard Fléchier showed Frédéric Malle a new base, a kind of olfactive sketch, reproducing the smell of a «Perigord’s truffle». This assemblage of dark notes, for the most part woody and animal, was destined to masculine perfumery, but the two friends had the idea – a priori paradoxical- to marry it to the feminine scent par excellence: the rose.
The idea was to take advantage of the semi earthly, semi animal truffle’s aspect to reinforce the «garden» side of the flower, and by doing that creating a link between the petal and the skin scent. All in all, this composition obeys to the precept that a flower alone is only a scent and that a perfume should emanates from the person who wears it.
Taking advantage of the release of an Absolue Rose Turque by molecular distillation, stemming from the laboratories Manes research, Edouard Fléchier created his perfume with a great amount of this unique raw material which he matched, with his usual virtuosity, to this unexpected bottom note. He had then to find the ideal concentration and, faithful to the compromising spirit which governs the Éditions de Parfums, the two friends did not hesitate to fix this last one on 25% weight/vol, in order to show this magisterial composition’s worth.

In the hands of the master perfumer, the classic rose aroma becomes dark and sensual.

PORTRAIT OF A LADY: Rose Overdose

Once upon a time was a woman. Inimitable. Portrait of a Lady.

The original sketch was ambitious: to reinvent the genus of amber perfume. From the heart of a flamboyant masculine perfume, Géranium pour Monsieur, is extracted the basis of a sumptuous feminine perfume, like a flash of heat across the skin.

In the foreground, Dominique Ropion proposes an orgy that defies the limits of reasonableness, daring excess and covering the formula of opulence with an indecent and endless number of petals of Turkish roses – about 10%, the equivalent of 400 flowers per bottle of 100 ml.
The most classic of ingredients, which, in such proportions suddenly takes on unimaginable dimension, strength and character. Striking in its abundance of roses, the fragrance expresses its dramatic power through the contrasts of incense and sandalwood. A clove, blackcurrant and raspberry accord binds the whole together to give this great perfume its final touch. It took Dominique Ropion and Frédéric Malle months to create this fragrance. Months of sketches to finally compose this Portrait.

Mystery and refinement, Portrait of a Lady is an ode, a song to universal beauty, the one shared indistinctly by all women and in which each expresses her own ideal.

ROSE & CUIR: The Chimera Rose

The calm before the storm. Inspired by the storied Mistral wind that blows through the South of France and embodies the irresistible elegance of a silent storm, Jean-Claude Ellena signs with Rose & Cuir a purified perfume to the extreme, built around very selected ingredients.

The fragrance opens with a crystalline rose: pure, streamlined, modern and uncompromisingly.
A brilliant blackcurrant, followed by Timut Pepper and Geranium Bourbon extractions, creates the illusion. The airy and solar first feeling gradually reveals a leather in its raw state, both elegant and mysterious.

This base is built around IsoButyl Quinoline, a forgotten molecule discovered at the turn of the 20th century and then popularized by the very daring perfumery of the 1950s.

This nearly whisper, takes on a new, more assertive tone, that of a tumultuous but disarmingly sober drama.

LIPSTICK ROSE: The Glamourous & Pop Art Rose

Lipstick Rose expresses an exacerbated vision of femininity. That lipstick’s smell reminds the intimate moment when a star, in the hushed comfort of her dressing room, slides her stick over her upper lip.

Grapefruit and violet enhance the fragrance’s rose note, while iris, raspberry and rose combine with vanilla and white musk to create a glamorized femininity in technicolor.

Ralf Schwieger, a young perfumer whose architectural writing and desire to create extraordinary products have seduced Frédéric Malle, has composed a fragrance that is somewhere between Hollywood Glamour and Pop Art. My favorite!

TO SHOP Éditions de Parfums Frédéric Malle ONLINE, CLICK HERE PLEASE.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Éditions de Parfums Frédéric Malle
DISCLOSURE: We may earn commission from links on this page, but I only recommend products I love. Promise.

Let’s celebrate the 20 year anniversary of Editions de Parfums Frédéric Malle. Born in the year 2000, as the result of Frédéric Malle’s mission to restore the dignity of haute parfumerie. A desire to return to the fundamentals of the craft: its authors, the perfumers, their expertise, exceptional ingredients, and an artistic approach to perfumery. Born into the world of perfume (his grandfather was the founder of Parfums Christian Dior) and with more than thirty years of experience behind him, Frédéric Malle is the world’s greatest perfumery expert. The greatest perfumers in the world have placed their confidence in him, joining forces with him in this venture, delighted at the opportunity to exercise total creative freedom, and to be able to sign their work with their own name. No marketing brief. The freedom to compose: no restriction on either quantity or quality of ingredients. Freedom from time constraints: no schedule; all that counts is the excellence of the result.

Why «Editions de Parfums»? Because Frédéric Malle works with perfumers the same way a literary editor works with his authors. Since they speak the same language and share technical expertise, Frédéric Malle is able to push perfumers to give their very best. They interact on a technical and an artistic level—no brief, no images, no following trends or targeting consumers.

Frédéric Malle’s design for the bottles.

Once finished, the perfumes are presented in a neutral flask, in elegant packaging reminiscent of the book covers of Gallimard—the most celebrated French publishing house—bearing evocative names such as Portrait of a Lady, Carnal Flower, Musc Ravageur, En Passant, Vétiver Extraordinaire, French Lover, Dans Tes Bras…. All signed by the greatest perfumers in the profession, including Dominique Ropion, Jean-Claude Ellena, Pierre Bourdon, Carlos Benaïm, Maurice Roucel and Edmond Roudnitska.

Frédéric Malle and his famous noses

For Frédéric Malle, perfumes are far more than a fashion accessory or a way to promote a brand image. Beyond ensuring the excellence of every juice, his ambition is to enable everyone to find the perfume or perfumes that perfectly suit their personality. To aid in this discovery, the advisors who staff the boutiques are Perfume Experts, qualified to give personalized consultations. Their goal is to help customers find the perfume in the collection that suits them best. Because these perfumes are all different, each one unique, they offer the greatest freedom of choice and expression for everyone, depending on their current desires, the season, their way of life, or even their next rendezvous. An invisible but powerful way to express one’s style and singularity.

Inside Frédéric Malle’s first boutique at 37 rue de Grenelle in Paris.

On June 6, 2000, Frédéric Malle opened his first Paris boutique at 37 rue de Grenelle. At a time when the self-service sale of perfumes was on the rise, Malle chose to open a boutique that would provide a luxurious setting for the perfumes he «publishes,» and to make sure to offer each visitor a personal experience. This pioneering boutique, conceived by architect Andrée Putman and Frédéric Malle, is a hybrid space combining the aesthetics and intimate comfort of a Parisian interior with the expertise of a perfume laboratory.

«Smelling columns» 

The boutiques of Editions de Parfums Frédéric Malle, each with its own distinctive architecture, offer a series of interpretations of this overarching idea—at once a welcoming apartment and a perfume laboratory, where you will find the same iconic features of the house: portraits of perfumers in the style of the photos of authors found in bookstores, refrigerated cabinets in which the flasks of perfumes are kept at just the right temperature (as in a laboratory), consultation spaces, and the famous and unique «smelling columns.» A patented design by Frédéric Malle himself, the smelling columns are like olfactive mirrors, allowing one to experience the complete tableau of a perfume, its entire sillage. Each in their own way, the boutiques express their founder’s quest for aesthetics, functionality, and an avant-garde approach.
As a designer, renowned expert, and art lover, Frédéric Malle heads up the design of each boutique personally, working with carefully chosen architects.

Jakob + MacFarlane and Frédéric Malle joined forces to defy the laws of nature with a sea of floating islands, suspended in time and space inside their Paris store, 13 Rue des Francs Bourgeois.

2020 marks a historic date for the house: Twenty years of audacity and creativity. Twenty years of shifting paradigms in the exacting world of perfumery. From today, and for the rest of the year, Editions de Parfums Frédéric Malle will share a series of events to celebrate this anniversary.

This week marks a new step for the house with the opening of its first boutique in China, at Shanghai’s luxurious IFC Mall, as well as a counter to open soon afterwards at SKP in Beijing. These two sales outlets see the debut of a new concept, with resolutely modern architecture, redesigned «smelling columns» with enhanced functionality, and an interactive tool to help customers select their perfume. EDPFM’s powerful fusion of ideas brought together in a new experiential space, to be rolled out internationally over the coming months.

Special Instagram Live streams will take place @fredericmalle, a window into the artistic, cinematic, and cultural influences of the founder. The perfumers of Editions de Parfums will be honored and will freely share their knowledge and their thoughts in live conversations. From September, you can also flick through the Editions online, with the launch of its new digital magazine.

Returning from the summer vacation, the house will present an entirely new Limited Edition of its iconic flasks and perfumes, restyled in anniversary colors. Seven of the most popular perfumes from the collection will be presented in new flasks, their cases elegantly clad with a frieze that tells the story of twenty years of creation.

She is languid in the bath, as on a chaise longue, as though she is taking in the sun, as though taking in Bizet, a glint with water and steam, maybe with a book in her hands, surrounded by billowing clouds of foam. Alone, of course—this is a private pleasure. She sinks into the voluptuous waters: a generous measure of rose and a mixture of amber, patchouli, and sandalwood, one might think the scent was carved in her likeness. She abandons herself to it, and it to her. She loves the intimate resonance of its perfume, dream-distilled. Perhaps it is she who is scenting the waters.

And she steps out reborn from the spume, trailing the note of this suspended moment.

The newest product you shouldn’t miss is this new addition to Editions de Parfum Frédéric Malle’s bestseller created by Dominique Ropion and Frédéric Malle:

Portrait of a Lady – The Foam Bath
Available now for €110.

PORTRAIT OF A LADY

Top Note: Rose
Middle Notes: Blackcurrant, Raspberry, Clove
Base Notes: Patchouli, Sandalwood, Frankincense

TO SHOP LES EDITIONS de PARFUMS FREDERIC MALLE ONLINE, CLICK HERE PLEASE.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht and Les Editions de Parfums Frédéric Malle
DISCLOSURE: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning when you click the links and make a purchase, we receive a commission.

Blurring the lines between art and fashion, Dutch icons Viktor Horsting and Rolf Snoeren constantly push the boundaries of conceptual design. Last season, we’ve all seen the showstopping, statement-making couture gowns walk down the runway demanding ‘no photos please’ or just simply saying ‘NO’. The S/S 2019 couture show, titled «Fashion Statements», presented those language memes in tiers of tulle and had an outstanding viral response.

Backstage with Viktor & Rolf last week in Paris

But how to top this collection? I was curious. Last week I was invited to their F/W 2019 Haute Couture show in Paris not only to see the new breathtaking défilé, called «Spiritual Glamour» but also to experience the connection between art, fashion and beauty. The mission? To make the world a better place.

When I went backstage before the show, I experienced their unmistakable artistic craftsmanship first hand, which can also be found in their iconic fragrance Flowerbomb which got a new addition to the perfume family with Flowerbomb Midnight, a mysterious, floral and sensual facet, enveloped for the first time in a sumptuous radical black bottle. Spellbinding and captivating, sparkling and intimate, this eau de parfum for women celebrates midnight, a moment of transformation where women can let their sensuality explode.

Flowerbomb Midnight is a long-lasting floral-chypre-fruity perfume, an olfactory bomb of sensuality designed around night-blooming jasmine. Also called «queen of the night,» this mysterious flower only blooms and reveals her captivating scent when the day falls. Layered with the intoxicating second-skin patchouli and musk accord, vanilla and praline, it gives Flowerbomb Midnight its tremendous depth and contrast. The powerful fruity notes of blackcurrant and pomegranate accord sparkle while bergamot adds a fresh, zesty note enhanced by spicy, aromatic pink pepper. This mouth watering new fragrance was created by four famous noses, Dominique Ropion, Domitille Michalon-Bertier, Carlos Benaïm and Fanny Bal. In Switzerland, Flowerbomb Midnight is exclusively available at MARIONNAUD.

On the runway, Viktor & Rolf showed magical dresses for the «queen of the night». The moon, the stars, the sun appeared as applications and addition to their futuristic fabrics. With the help of Claudy Jongstra, who has been developing her own textiles over decades, Viktor & Rolf created a collection that is different, almost an epiphany for the fashion savvy.

The artist has her own biodynamic dye garden in the Northern Netherlands where she produces botanical pigments to create dyes for the final artisanal touches to these extraordinary pieces. She is even raising rare Drenthe Heath sheeps, reimagines and reconstructs textile production systems, demonstrating deep respect for the interwoven narratives of materials, landscape, and making processes. A highly innovative artist, Claudy Jongstra has created new territory for wool as a contemporary artistic medium, captured and processed by the designer duo Viktor & Rolf.

The collaboration is outstanding as both partners treat couture like a laboratory and show that haute couture is not outdated yet. That it can be a leader in terms of sustainability.

Furthermore, «spiritual glamour» can be found everywhere, in a rare flower used in a scent, in a fabric that creates a gown or in an artist that wants to make the world a better place with his or her designs. The world of fashion, art and beauty are all interlinked, it is up to us how we want to transport the message ourselves. Let’s drop a bombshell and be our own muses.

Celebrity spotlight at the show: Miss Fame and Christina Aguilera, both boasting the Viktor & Rolf’s unapologetic irreverent slogans and unmistakable artistic craftsmanship from the S/S 2019 Haute Couture collection.

Enjoy more of my impressions below, especially my favorite moment at the end when I met Christina Aguilera.

LoL, Sandra

I got a little shaky… so excited to meet the singer in person!

Everything before a fashion show is last minute.

Personally speaking seeing the craftsmanship and outstanding fabrics so close…

… was a true pleasure and makes you appreciate the work of couture even so much more.

I love watching the make-up artists doing their job.

The eye make-up was outstanding.

Belgian make-up artist Peter Philips, who is currently the creative and image director of Christian Dior makeup, doing the final check-up of the model’s look.

Lots of L’ORÉAL hair spray and fake hair needed for the volume.

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht 

The illustrious fashion designer Alber Elbaz has met his match in the perfume world with this beautiful collaboration with Frédéric Malle. Created together with perfumer Dominique Ropion, the ever-mysterious Superstitious Eau de Parfum captures the elusive, unidentifiable scent of a woman’s dress.

Dream team: Frédéric Malle and Alber Elbaz

A classic floral aldehydic perfume structures Elbaz’s free-flowing vision of an elaborate fabric in which everyone can find their own beauty: Turkish rose oil and Egyptian jasmine, enhanced by a touch of peach, rest on a bed of amber and frankincense imbued with Haitian vetiver. A final touch of aldehydes sharpens the perfume’s opulence with an urban edge.

TO SHOP THE NEW SUPERSTITIOUS EAU DE PARFUM, CLICK HERE PLEASE.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of Frederic Malle, Madame Le Figaro
Frederic Malle und Alber Elbaz – © But Sou Lai

Lately, I was invited by Perfumery Osswald in Zurich and had the amazing honor to have dinner with Frédéric Malle, a very captivating and inspirational gentleman, a father of four, and the man behind the niche fragrance house Editions de Parfums Frédéric Malle. Born in 1962, he grew up immersed in the world of perfumery (his grandfather Serge Heftler-Louiche founded Christian Dior Perfumes, and Frédéric’s mother later worked as an Art Director for the same perfume house) and has a deep knowledge of raw materials, fragrance structure and accords that he shared with me that night. His ‘Editions’ collection includes scents by distinguished noses including Dominique Ropion, Jean-Claude Ellena and Pierre Bourdon.

With Frédéric Malle at dinner at the Widder hotel.

Malle studied art history and economics at New York University. In 1988, he began his career at Roure Bertrand Dupont, the prestigious perfume laboratory. After working in the industry for more than 12 years, Frederic was ready to embark on a new adventure.

4 of his first launched perfumes in 2000: Lipstick Rose (Ralf Schwieger), Musc Ravager (Maurice Roucel), En Passant (Olivia Giacobetti) and Une Fleur de Cassie (Dominique Ropion).

In 2000, using his connections and experience in the industry, Frédéric invited nine top perfumers to design their own original perfumes with no restrictions, not even financially regarding their ingredients they chose. Thanks to Frédéric Malle, the return to luxury perfumery took place at the beginning of our century. In an era in which most companies put more importance on brand names, Malle brought the attention back to the product itself: perfume.

Until today, through a simple “back to basics” approach, Editions de Parfums is challenging all prevailing trends. Frédéric Malle’s contribution to the creation of the different fragrances sold under Editions de Parfums varies depending on the perfumers’ desire. Perfumers appeal to him to assess their work in progress and to share ideas.

These fragrances are packaged in bottles that feature the name of the perfumer—a first in the industry, where the perfumer is traditionally behind the scenes and credit for the scent is given to the fashion house or celebrity on the bottle. While we were talking during dinner, I could sense that Frédéric Malle is very fond of Dominique Ropion‘s work. The two of them seem to build an amazing team.

The development of a signature scent is a lengthy process, generally lasting between 6 and 18 months. Each fragrance starts with an idea, an “olfactive sketch,” which can either take the form of a material base – the mix of two or three raw materials, like colors in an abstract painting – or of an initial feeling, the desire to translate or convey a specific emotion. From there, the perfumers gradually build a full-scale composition, tinkering and problem-solving until a perfect balance is achieved. The challenge is to polish and perfect without losing the impact and personality of the original idea.

“Eliminate all that is superfluous or merely decorative” – this, Frédéric Malle’s credo, is the only rule imposed on the house perfumers. Malle requests that each fragrance be designed to uniquely merge with the wearer’s skin rather than to just be a “pretty scent.”

Designer Frédéric Malle has more than 25 perfumes available at the moment, made in collaboration with perfumers Jean-Claude Ellena, Dominique Ropion, Maurice Roucel, Bruno Jovanovic, Carlos Benaim, Olivia Giacobetti, Pierre Bourdon, Edmond Roudnitska, Ralf Schwieger, Edouard Flechier, Michel Roudnitska and Sophia Grojsman.

New investments under the new helmet: Frédéric Malle’s London store at 14, Burlington Arcade.

Two years ago, The Estée Lauder Companies acquired Editions de Parfums Frédéric Malle.

Frédéric Malle said about his decision to sell part of his company: “The Estée Lauder Companies has great respect for the art of perfumery and for the creativity, dedication and mastery required to create truly exceptional fragrance experiences. The company’s commitment to a high standard of excellence and ability to support the growth of entrepreneurial concepts in a way that preserves all that is unique and special makes The Estée Lauder Companies the ideal partner for us.”

A truly inspirational creator and a real business man!

TO SHOP FREDERIC MALLE ONLINE, CLICK HERE PLEASE.
In Switzerland a large selection is available at Perfumery Osswald in Zurich.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of Frédéric Malle and © Sandra Bauknecht, via Mr Porter

For Frédéric Malle home scents are about atmospheres. A cluster of lily of the valley, a gentleman’s den, a dinner in Paris: so many different olfactory images have gone through his mind, and over time he has asked the best perfumers in the industry to transcribe them into fragrances. Each of these highly figurative scents can transform the atmosphere of a room. The fact that these perfumes evoke such precise images inspired Monsieur Malle to call illustrator Konstantin Kakanias and ask him to create his own interpretation of the image conjured by each perfume. For a limited time each illustration will be featured on the box of its corresponding candle, in a collection of images as eclectic as the collections of the iconic scents.

Special edition for X-mas: JOYEUX NOEL by Dominique Ropion

This limited collection will be available in Switzerland for example at Osswald.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of Frédéric Malle

While you are reading this post, I am back in the Middle East. This time, I followed Chanel‘s invitation to Dubai. Here, the French house’s Cruise 2015 show will take place tomorrow evening.

The last time I flew with Emirates in their new amazing A380 was in January with Thierry Mugler for the launch of their newest fragrance Alien Eau Extraordinaire. In this post, I will tell you all about this fantastic trip to Oman.

The A380 is an experience in itself. The world’s largest passenger jet has a twin-deck, which means business and first class are on the top floor. Every business class seat has a built-in mini-bar, a personal storage area and a privacy divider. And here comes the best, there is even a real bar on this floor where passengers can mingle and enjoy a drink.

I spent one night in Dubai before leaving on a fun road trip to the Six Senses Zighy Bay resort which is located on the northern Musandam Peninsula in the Sultanate of Oman.

When you arrive on top of the mountain, you will surely be taken by the breathtaking scenery of this hidden gem. The resort is as spectacular as its setting, with the natural beauty of Oman’s rugged mountain landscape on one side and a sandy beach on the other.

I have to say, I was amazed how fast you find total inner peace here through the power of nature. The resort is built on sand and you throw away your shoes in a second. Feeling the sand beneath your toes, you tantalize your senses, you enjoy an exciting remoteness and a barefoot luxury beyond imagination.

The team of Thierry Mugler invited us to “lâcher price” which means to let go and the Six Senses Zighy Bay offers the perfect surrounding. Being committed to environmental responsibility, the resort offers fresh, organic food prepared with ingredients that are cultivated in the region.

I stayed at a private villa with my own pool, 24-hour butler service and my own bike to drive around the resort. The rural charm of the rooms is amazing and I loved taking an outdoor shower in the morning.

One day, we went on a cruise. We had no cell phone coverage to really let go. It was such a beautiful afternoon that I absolutely enjoyed.

Let’s have a closer look at Alien Eau Extraordinaire, the new addition to Thierry Mugler‘s Alien family, created by Dominique Ropion and Veronique Nyberg.

Pierre Aulas, artistic director at Parfums Mugler, explained me more about this beautiful floral fragrance launch. He is very charming and a genius when it comes to both, marketing and fragrance creating.

ALIEN EAU EXTRAORDINAIRE

Delicate floral notes transport a unique freshness and femininity. Exuding pure optimism, this scent is perfect for summer.

Top notes: Tunisian Neroli, Tea and Bergamot
Middle notes: Tiare Flower and Heliotrope
Base notes: Cashmeran and White Amber

It was such an amazing trip… Stay tuned for my upcoming post from Dubai, this time with Chanel!

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht

The press event for the launch of Lancôme‘s newest fragrance LA VIE EST BELLE started with the following statement:
“Lancôme is not a brand, it is a philosophy of femininity.”

The French house is turning over a new leaf. The scent is meant to be a declaration for a new era. In a world full of diktats and conventions, there must be another way. Therefore, the concept plays with the idea of natural and simple beauty, the choice of once own vision of happiness and freedom. This shows best in the advertising film directed by Tarsem Singh (Mirror, Mirror), in which the face of the campaign, beautiful Julia Roberts, frees herself from being an imaginary puppet on a string (Click here for the making of).

This gourmand and elegant composition was developed by three famous perfumers together, Olivier Polge, Dominique Ropion and Anne Flipo. It took them three years of probation and endless versions to create the final formula that includes 63 ingredients with iris playing the lead, surrounded by orange blossoms and jasmine as middle notes. I especially like the warm and powdery base with accords of tonka bean, praline, patchouli and vanilla. This fragrance is surely going to be a new bestseller, following in the steps of its famous predecessor Trésor.

The flacon is a redesigned version of the classic Lancome bottle from 1949. It is a masterpiece of crystal in the shape of a smile, a square in the circle that achieves the impossible. Happiness captured in a bottle.

Top notes: Pear and black currant
Middle notes: Orange blossom, jasmine and iris
Base notes: Praline, tonka bean, vanilla and patchouli

Available in Switzerland in September 2012.
Eau de Parfum 30ml (CHF 75.-), 50ml (CHF 115.-) and 75ml (CHF 145.-)
Shower Gel 200ml (CHF 59.-) and  Body Lotion 200ml (CHF 66.-)

The press event took place at the Dolder Hotel in Zurich. The weather was definitely not co-operating but you have to take the rough with the smooth. No matter what: La vie est belle – Light up the world with a smile from the heart, like Lancôme’s lovely PR-lady Magi.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of Lancôme and © Sandra Bauknecht