Sandra‘s Closet

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.

Last week, I spotted an amazing fragrance on display at my hair dresser Charles Aellen Company in Zurich. It is exactly as I am loving it, powdery, yet sugary, reminiscent of how babies would smell in my imagination.

The Different Company Pure eVe, Just Pure (the name was changed from Pure Virgin. Honestly I think that this was a smart move, who would like to say they are wearing something similar to olive oil …) is a kind of «innocent and soft» fragrance. Its beautiful dry-down of a powdery white musk with a lot of vanilla, powdered sugar and delicate candied almonds feels like a second skin, like wearing a fluffy piece of cashmere. Pure eVe was launched in 2011 as a unisex fragrance. However I personally find it very feminine. The nose behind it is Céline Ellena, the daughter of famous perfumer Jean-Claude Ellena, who launched The Different Company in 2000.

Céline Ellena with her father Jean-Claude Ellena

« Je compose mes fragrances avec l’objectif de créer la meilleure senteur possible, sans aucune contrainte de coûts ou de marketing. » Céline Ellena, 2004.

Eau de Parfum Gourmand – FLORAL WOOODY MUSK
Top Note:  Aldehydes
Middle Notes: Mimosa, Flax and White Rose
Base Notes: Candied Almond, Musk, Sweet Notes, Dried Fruits and Cedar

Give Pure eVe a try if you like powdery scents or white musk fragrances like me. I got it delivered in one day to my hotel in Gstaad by Spitzenhaus.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht, The Different Company
DISCLOSURE: This post is not sponsored. I am just loving it!

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.

Based in Grasse, Haute Perfumery brand Le Couvent des Minimes knows exactly what scent lovers dream of, luxury fragrances at accessible prices. The history of the house begins at the namesake Couvent of the Minimes, a majestic place founded in 1614 in the South of France, where a renowned botanist of French king Louis XIV, Louis Feuillée, once lived and worked. His crossing of the continents in search of singular plants left to the convent the legacy of his remarkable journeys and the wildlife he discovered.

Jean Claude Ellena, exclusive Nose for Hermès during fourteen years, is considered as one of the most influential perfumers of Contemporary Perfumery. Today he takes the olfactory direction of Le Couvent des Minimes. His first project with the brand: the new collection of Les
Eaux de Parfums Singulières that I would like to introduce to you today. The five fragrances are exclusively available at Marionnaud in Switzerland.

Ellena has interpreted five unique and surprising portraits of nature, five majestic animals once encountered by the King’s botanist. Olfactory tales elegant, subtle yet intense signature, based on up to 89% noble and rare natural raw materials, all 100% vegan.

LES EAUX DE PARFUM SINGULIÈRES
15% Concentration – 50ml for CHF 54.90 and 100ml for CHF 94.90 (isn’t this just an amazing price?!)

NUBICA
The Sensuality of the Lioness.
Patchouli & Tonka Vanilla

Woody Amber Sensual
Tonka Vanilla has a feline sensuality. Patchouli resonates like botanical leather, wound and ready to be unleashed.

Top Note: Tangerine
Heart Note: Patchouli
Base Notes: Tonka Bean & Vanilla

In the same mood: FLOWER BY KENZO – Kenzo, THIS IS HER – Zadig & Voltaire, TOBACCO VANILLE – Tom Ford, BOIS VANILLE – Serge Lutens

LYSANDRA
The Grace of the Butterfly
Tangerine & Jasmin Grandiflorum

Powdery Floral Delicate
Jasmine Grandiflorum takes flight, while slivers of Mandarin and tears of Labdanum dart to and fro in a fleeting dance.

Top Note: Tangerine
Heart Note: Grandiflorum Jasmine
Base Notes: Vetiver & Labdanum

In the same mood: NARCISO POUDRÉ – Narciso Rodriguez, NUIT DE CELLOPHANE – Serge Lutens, DIORISSIMO – Dior, L’INTERDIT – Givenchy

HATTAÏ
The Enigmatic She-Wolf
Red Berries & Woody Amber

Gourmand Amber Enigmatic
A chiaroscuro impression that reveals the power of the materials: a flash of Amber Woods, a dash of Cacao, the intense sweetness of Red Berries.

Top Note: Red Berries
Heart Note: Cocoa
Base Notes: Cinnamon & Cade Wood

In the same mood: LA VIE EST BELLE – Lancôme, SCANDAL – JP Gaultier, BLACK OPIUM – Yves Saint-Laurent, HYPNOTIC POISON – Dior, JUNGLE – Kenzo

SAÏGA
The Elegance of the Antelope
Rose Centifolia & Blackcurrant Bud

Fruity Floral Elegant
The refined middle notes of Rose Centifolia, intertwined with the fruity, mischievous note of Blackcurrant Bud, remind us that an intense heart beats under this tender cloak.

Top Note: Blackcurrant Bud
Heart Note: Rose Centifolia
Base Note: Cedar Wood

In the same mood: PARIS – Yves Saint-Laurent, INFUSION DE ROSE – Prada, LA NUIT TRESOR – Lancôme, MON GERLAIN ROSE – Guerlain

HELIACA
The Power of the Eagle
Oud Wood & Ginger

Spicy Wood Vibrant
An upward surge of spices bursts forth, a blend of Ginger and Cardamom, revealing the noble power of Oud Wood.

Top Note: Ginger
Heart Note: Cardamom
Base Note: Oud Wood

In the same mood: GENTLEMAN – Givenchy, WANTED BY NIGHT – Azzaro, DIOR HOMME INTENSE – Dior, M7 – Yves Saint-Laurent

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Le Convent des Minimes

In 2016, Christine Nagel took over the reigns as the resident nose at Hermès. Breathing new life into the Maison’s fragrance world while living up to the traditional elements and quality the brand is famous for, Nagel seeked inspiration from the orient and its long history of perfumery for the house’s first foray into fragrance oils which are part of the new HERMESSENCE collection.

«I wanted to return to the origins of perfumery and immerse myself in its history. Each of these five creations is an individual expression of a dream of Orient.»
– Christine Nagel

Originally created by Nagel’s predecessor, Jean-Claude Ellena, around six years ago, the ten eaux de toilette – all made of exquisite and unexpected notes – are now joined by three new unisex contributions, that are based on oriental notes such as cedar, agarwood, and myrrh.

For her new concept, Nagel ties to ancient scent applications and suggests layering them with one of the two oils from the collection, both grounded by musk, one laced with cardamom, the other enchanted by iris.

HERMESSENCE Eaux de Toilette
Myrrhe Elegantine – Agar Ebène – Cèdre Sambac
CHF 278.00 (100ml)

HERMESSENCE Essences
Cardamusc – Musc Pallida
CHF 402.00 (20ml)

My personal favorite combination is Cèdre Sambac together with Musc Pallida. Warm, sensual and extremely yummy. Try for yourself – Hermès is about craftsmanship – so now it’s up to you to use your skin as your canvas! Enjoy!

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Hermès and © Sandra Bauknecht

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

One word says it all. Sense. Essence. Essential. The essence of Hermès and the soul of fragrance. The Hermessence collection is emblematic of the signature of a house, of creative freedom, and of unique poetry for both women and men.

Hermessence collection (see photo above) – Rose Ikebana, Osmanthe Yunnan, Iris Ukiyoé, Muguet Porcelaine, Vanille Galante, Brin de Réglisse, Épice Marine, Vétiver Tonka, Santal Massoïa, Poivre Samarcande, Paprika Brasil, Cuir d’Ange and Ambre Narguilé.

To create each olfactory poem in the Hermessence collection, Hermès ventures forth with Jean-Claude Ellena in the pursuit of beauty. Their quest is shaped by encounters with materials, people and cultures. For Muguet Porcelaine, the thirteenth fragrance in the collection, Jean-Claude Ellena sought to capture a flower that moves him profoundly, a rebel whose innocent delicacy conceals strength and mystery.

The history of perfumery is strewn with lily of the valley. Yet experts label it “the mute flower” as its fragrance evades all attempts at capture. To reproduce its essence, the perfumer must use his creative palette, his associations of ideas and his imagination. In the hands of Jean-Claude Ellena, this silent, diaphanous flower becomes eloquent and radiant.

“From nature transformed to nature idealised, my craft as a perfumer could be likened to a game of hopscotch. Arriving at the ‘summit’ at a hop, after multiple attempts, is joyful, celebratory. There is so much subtlety in lily of the valley that I imagined it exalted,” explains Jean-Claude Ellena. “I immersed myself in its perfume, abandoning my other senses, in order to recreate the beauty and the supple exquisiteness of this flower of porcelain fragility.”

Because Muguet Porcelaine is the story of a flower conquered by the mind, this fragrance is lily of the valley, it is the scent, wholly and exclusively, of its burgeoning bells and its protective foliage.

And as if traversed by an air of spring, the transparency of the bottle is energised by a vibrant green. In tribute to the hues of the flower, the bamboo-coloured case in Swift calfskin envelops its white Mysore goatskin interior in a perennial green.

Available in Hermès stores, Bon Génie Geneva and online for CHF 385.00 (200ml).

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of Hermès, © Richard Dumas

As a part of the Collection Les Classiques, Hermès launches new interpretations of the two classic scents, one for women and one for men, which were both reworked by in-house perfumer Jean-Claude Ellena.

Collection Les Classiques by Hermès

Jean-Claude Ellena

ROSE AMAZONE for Women

1974: once upon a time there was Amazone. Symbolic of a free, modern femininity, Amazone, which is still produced, takes its inspiration from the mythical horsewomen who, according to legend, ruled over the shores of the Black Sea. A novel composed by Maurice Maurin at the time and orchestrated around blackcurrant buds, the fragrance is a green floral harmony in which daffodils, narcissi, galbanum, red fruits and vetiver take turns to shine.

Now there comes a new, modern version of this legendary fragrance, reimagined by Jean-Claude Ellena, named Rose Amazone which is much more contemporary. A sparkling, tangy and tender perfume, brightened by citrus fruits, currants and raspberries. There are also floral notes of rose, laid on a background of sweet amber, vanilla and woods. A perfume full of colours for cheerful fragrancing. 

Available as 100 ml Eau de Toilette for CHF 166.00 (In Switzerland from end of October 2015).

EQUIPAGE GERANIUM for Men

1970: once upon a time there was Equipage. A masculine, aromatic woody fragrance created by Guy Robert, is reborn this fall with the same original message, but with a new, contemporary freshness.

This manly and aromatic fragrance contains spicy accords. With its emphasized geranium note, it plays with the addition of an invigorating note hovering between rose and mint. Sandalwood brings an elegant and sensual side to the composition.

Available as 100 ml Eau de Toilette for CHF 131.00 (In Switzerland from end of November 2015).

Jean-Claude Ellena at work…

… choosing from the most precious ingredients.

Two great new additions to the Hermès fragrance family!

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of Hermès

The refreshing collection Les Colognes Hermès (Eau d’Orange Verte, Eau de Pamplemousse Rose, Eau de Gentiane Blanche) is expanded by another two fragrances this summer. With Eau de Mandarine Ambrée and Eau de Narcisse Bleu having recently joined the range, you have two very interesting choices for both men and women, elegant interpretations of spring flowers and sweet citrus, created by in-house perfumer Jean-Claude Ellena.

EAU DE MANDARINE AMBREE

CITRUS AROMATIC

Top note: Mandarin orange
Middle note: Passionfruit
Base note: Amber

EAU DE NARCISSE BLEU

FLORAL

Top note: Narcissus
Middle notes: Orange blossom and galbanum
Base notes: Woody notes

Both new colognes are available for CHF 137.00 (100ml) each.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of Hermès

Three new oriental fragrances that might reveal the Scheherazade in you hit the shelves this fall. Not only fans of the One Thousand and One Nights will love the precious essences of amber, vanilla, patchouli and rose.

Enjoy those scents that will at once transport you to warmer climes and enchanting Eastern places in thought.

Armani Privé – Haute Couture Fragrances
ROSE D’ARABIE “L’Or du Désert”

Giorgio Armani presents a limited edition of its Rose d’Arabie fragrance of the Armani/Privé line of couture perfumes in “La Collection des Mille et Une Nuits”. The sensual fragrance features amber and patchouli as well as saffron and Damask rose extracts. Elusive gold flecks mingle with the fragrance, dancing and twirling like desert winds so that its name L’Or du Désert is very suitable. The beautiful gold dust will leave a subtle shimmer on the perfumed skin.
EDP 100 ml – CHF 330.- Limited Edition available end of October 2012.

PERFUME CALLIGRAPHY by Aramis

Aramis goes Arabic with its newly launched unisex scent Perfume Calligraphy, that is geared towards the Middle Eastern market. Full of eastern promise and inspired by the beauty of the written word, the fragrance and its bottle, both reflect a perfect pairing of ancient crafts and high quality ingredients such as oud and rose. Additional notes include cardamom, lemon, cinnamon, myrrh, saffron, patchouli, amber and musk.
EDT 100ml – CHF 168.- in stores now.

L’AMBRE DES MERVEILLES by Hermès

“Lucent, translucent, luminous, generous, solid, indestructible, if the legend is true, if beads of yellow amber are the tears of the gods, they are tears of joy.”

The newest Hermès fragrance L’Ambre des Merveilles is full of magic and mystery. This extremely beautiful scent includes notes of amber, labdanum, vanilla and patchouli. The idea behind his latest interpretation L’Ambre, as in-house nose Jean-Claude Ellena explains, was “to make the woman more sensual and mysterious. For this new chapter, I wanted to relate one of the mysteries of amber, hovering between a delicious treat and sensuality, where vanilla meets the warmth of labdanum, and the moist quality of patchouli.” After a spritz or two, it is obvious that this fragrance does just that in perfection.
EDP 50ml (CHF 128.-) and 100ml (CHF 182.-) in stores now.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of Giorgio Armani, Aramis and Hermès