Scentedletterissue3

scented The

Issue 3

www.perfumesociety.org

letter

NARCISO RODRIGUEZ CARVEN DIANA VREELAND YSL AND MORE…

fashion+

fra grance THE RETURN OF THE SCENTED GLOVE ALL THE LATEST LAUNCHES

© M ICHAE L KO RS, LLC.

#SPORTYSEXYGLAM

SPORTY. S EXY. GLAM. THE F RAGRANCE AND BEAUTY COLLECTION.

editor’s letter

We’re thrilled that this edition of The Scented Letter will also be available in a ‘flickable’ format, via www.issuu.com. This clever technology makes it ‘feel’ more like a magazine than the first two editions, if you read it on a tablet or computer through issuu - so do give it a go. (We’re not, alas, at the stages of a print edition, yet – though we’re ‘creatively visualising’ it...!)

Now, it was Paul Poiret who created the first ‘designer’ fragrance, associating a perfume with a line of women’s clothing - and since then, the worlds of Fashion & Fragrance have enjoyed a love affair. So that’s our theme for the third edition of he Scented Letter – in a seriously exciting season for ‘designer’ perfume launches.

It was another couturier, Madame Carven, who had the idea for one of the most daring fragrance launches ever (see p.30). We’ve been to some amazing launches in our time – but how we’d love to have been there when the skies about Paris rained perfume…!

And while we’re talking history, on p.10, we go behind the scenes to discover how Guerlain is reviving the ancient tradition of scented glove-making for the 21st Century.

Fashion & Fragrance is also the theme of our latest Perfume Society Discovery Box. If you haven’t got your hands on this limited edition box yet, turn to p.22 for the full-line up – and introduce yourself to scented delights from (among many others) Carolina Herrera, and Narciso Rodriguez, who just launched his sexiest-ever perfume. (For the box, simply click on the SHOP section of www.perfumesociety.org).

Speaking of Narciso, you can read his thoughts on sex, scents and femininity in this edition (see p.24). We also talk to the quartet of gifted perfumers behind YSL’s latest launch, Black Opium – and introduce you to ‘the best-known fashion and fragrance house you’ve never heard of.’ Their secret’s revealed on p.36. (And - still speaking of fashion - don’t miss Bella Freud ‘on the couch’, either, which you’ll find on p.16.)

© Denis Tabler; picsfive;

both Fotolia.com

In the next few weeks, Lorna McKay and I hope perhaps to see you at some of the events based around the launch of the new book we’ve written, The Perfume Bible (they’re listed on p. 51). And for now, thanks so much for loving what we’re doing with The Perfume Society and this e-zine – it means a great deal…

PS We’re starting a ‘Letters’ page in the next edition – with a wonderful perfumed prize for the Letter of the Month. Simply e-mail us your thoughts on this edition, on fragrance generally or on why you love us (!) at info@perfumesociety.org, with ‘LETTERS PAGE’ in the subject box. www.perfumesociety.org

The

scented Letter

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contributors

Alice Jones

an aromatic life

memories, dreams, refLecTions This month, appropriately enough, we put Bella Freud – granddaughter of the psychiatrist Sigmund – ‘on the couch’, to share her scent loves, hates and recollections. We also asked the fashion designer to share some of the inspirations behind her debut trio of signature fragrances, which have just launched

What’s the very first thing you remember smelling?

When I lived in Morocco aged seven I remember the smell of the sun as it heated up the earth and the plants.

Sometimes that smell comes back to me when the weather is good. It takes me back to walking along a dusty road in the country with my mother.

When did you first realise that scent was really important to you?

I first became interested in scent when I was about nineteen. I noticed that I couldn’t wear a scent just because I like the smell; it had to feel like it was already familiar, part of my identity. Otherwise it somehow took over and I felt like I was drowning or had been kidnapped into someone else’s body.

What’s your favourite scented flower?

I love the smell of oleander - it is so subtle; also lilac and sweet peas for the same reason. But the smell of a good rose is incomparable.

The fragrance from the past that I’ve always wanted to smell is…

I would be curious to know what the Sun King Louis 14th would have worn!

What was the first fragrance you were given?

The first fragrance I was given was Joy, though I chose it. I had heard of it and even though it was so heavy I decided to embrace it.

What is your favourite book about smells?

Of course Patrick Suskind’s Perfume is very interesting about the power of smell to manipulate peoples’ feelings. But the book Against the Grain by J.K. Huysmans is completely fascinating about everything to do with the senses as they start to fail.

What was the first fragrance you bought for yourself?

It was Christian Lacroix’s C’est La Vie. I was and still am a huge admirer of Lacroix and decided that I wanted to wear his perfume and be connected with him through that. It was a great fragrance, it had all the French chic with a hint of ‘Madame Claude’ (the famous French brothel-keeper!)

You can find Bella Freud’s designs – in particular her signature jumpers (some of which carry the same messages as her trio of fragrances) – at www.bellafreud.com. She is also fun to follow on Instagram (bella_freud) and on Twitter (@bellafreud)

Have you had different fragrances for different phases of your life…?

When I lived in Rome I wore the same eau de parfum as my boyfriend which was Guerlain Habit Rouge. That was a great scent, decadent and deep. I liked to wear Robert Piguet Fracas on holiday; it smells so delicious.

We asked Bella for the inspirations behind her debut scents ‘I wanted to launch the perfumes as a group of characters, a gang of friends,’ she explains.

1 Je T’aime Jane is the free-spirited, independent, beautiful and beguiling girl who looks like a young Nouvelle Vague actress from a 70’s film.

2 GinsberG is God is the only unisex fragrance in the collection. He is the poet writing in his study with the windows open and spring air drifting in. The wording on the bottle is like the handwriting on his page. To be worn by him or his girlfriend.

3 1970 is the hedonist: this is my favourite going-out scent - it’s like an aperitif. It’s languid with a nice tense undercurrent.

The smell that always makes me feel a bit sad is…

I think Joy is quite a gloomy smell even though I like it.

When I catch a whiff of it I feel nostalgic – and I don’t like to feel nostalgic.

The scent that I love on a man is…

Mostly nothing but if I have to then anything low-key with vetiver.

© Moreno Novello; Scisetti Alfio - Fotolia.com

The smell that always makes me feel happy is…

An amber smell makes happy and relaxes me – it’s such a warm, pleasurable, sweet scent.

16 The scented LeTTer

The

scented LeTTer

17

Lawrence Roullier White

Bella Freud London-born fashion designer Bella Freud is famous for her signature jumpers Je t’aime Jane, 1970 and Ginsberg is God – loved and worn by fans including Alexa Chung, Kate Moss and Laura Bailey, which have now been translated into equally wearable fragrances.

Her scent memories begin with her childhood in Morocco, and Bella’s lately become fascinated with the creative process of perfumery, working alongside Perfume Designer Azzi Glasser to translate her artistic vision into scent. This edition, rather aptly, we put Sigmund Freud’s granddaughter on the couch to share her fragrant Memories, Dreams & Reflections.

Follow her @bellafreud

Lawrence’s fascination with fragrance began at a young age: he’d return from school trips, bags bulging with French Art Deco-designed eaux de Cologne and obscure Italian soaps.

After a career devising product ranges for museum and galleries – he still consults for some of the major nationals – almost 10 years ago he decided to curate his own collection of things he loved, using his family name. Roullier White offers a vast selection of niche perfume brands, with Lawrence always looking for the next exciting thing.

Lawrence is also published journalist writing about scent and his other passion, independent retailing. roullierwhite.com @roullierwhite

Suzy Nightingale From treasured childhood memories of scent shopping trips with her mother, Suzy progressed to full-time fragrance fanatic, trading a fashion job for life as a freelance with regular columns on fragrantica.com, PHOENIX Magazine, (and acting as scent expert for national papers). Through interviewing ‘noses’, reporting on olfactory events and reviewing launches in her zippy style, Suzy delights in encouraging others to share her passion. Her first scent was Chanel Coco, aged 10 – a perfume Suzy eventually grew into.

Follow her @beyondpale

Alice joined us as Beauty and Fragrance Editor in May having previously worked alongside the busy beauty teams at Never Underdressed and allaboutyou.com.

‘My first scent memories are pretty much all associated with the beach, having grown up in Brighton: the tangy hit of sea salt as waves lap along the shore and the sweet aroma of coconutscented sunscreen.

Though my first ever perfume (I tried unsuccessfully creating my own in the sink circa age eight) was Charlie Red...’ Alice also keeps us busy in the Twittersphere: @Perfume_Society

Jenny Semple Our Scented Letter designer has been running her Graphic Design business in Bath for 10 years. Prior to the launch of JS Design, she worked in London for many years designing high-profile glossy magazines, latterly as Art Editor on The Mail on Sunday’s You Magazine. ‘As a teen in the 80s, I experimented with ‘power perfumes’ of the decade like Dior Poison. But my most memorable scent is Calvin Klein’s Obsession which I wore for years. I loved the Bruce Weber ads and aspired to be as grown-up and sexy as those models!’ jennysempledesign. co.uk

editorial TEAM Editor: Josephine Fairley jo@perfumesociety.org Designer: Jenny Semple enquiries@jennysempledesign.co.uk PROJECT MANAGER: Alice Crocker alice@perfumesociety.org fragrances Editor: Alice Jones alice.jones@perfumesociety.org Advertising Manager: Lorna McKay lorna@perfumesociety.org EA to the Editor: Amy Eason amy@josephinefairley.com

Contact us: info@perfumesociety.org 77 Oxford Street London W1D 2ES Tel: 01424-439580 The Scented Letter is a free online/ downloadable magazine for subscribers to The Perfume Society; visit www.perfumesociety.org for more information.

The Scented Letter is produced for The Perfume Society by Perfume Discovery Ltd. All information and prices are correct at the time of going to press and may no longer be so on the date of publication. © 2014 The Perfume Society All text, graphics and illustrations in The Scented Letter are protected by UK and International Copyright Laws, and may not be copied, reprinted, published, translated, hosted or otherwise distributed by any means without explicit permission.

4 The scented Letter

contents leather love

an aromatic life

what the noses know

THE SCENTED GLOVE

MEMORIES, ETC.

Perfume’s roots are in glove-making – but you know you’re in for a treat when Guerlain revives this ancient tradition for the 21st Century

Who better to put ‘on the couch’ this month than Sigmund Freud’s granddaughter Bella, who’s just launched three signature scents?

OPIUM: THE NEW BLACK The quartet of perfumers behind YSL’s biggest launch in years talk about its creation – and their brilliant careers

10

16

18

fragrance

how to build a

notes from the blogosphere

wardrobe

You wouldn’t wear the same shoes every day – so why restrict yourself to a solitary ‘signature scent’? Leading fragrance writer Suzy Nightingale shares advice on building a fragrance wardrobe. (And gives us a peek at hers…)

SuZY’S SCeNtS If you literally only have one perfume that you wear constantly, do a bit of research online and find out name of the nose who designed it this is an excellent starting point in your quest for tentatively branching out. Just as top chefs and fashion designers have a signature style or cut, many perfumers stamp their mark in the accords they create. Never imagine you know exactly which notes you love and hate, though.

For many years I laboured under the misapprehension that I simply could not abide rose and lavender in any form; now several of my favourites contain those very ingredients – it all depends on the quality, and how they are used.

When trying something new, allow yourself to fall under the spell of the

smell alone. Focus on how it makes you feel, the images it conjures up.

Think of the roles you play, at work, as a friend, a mother, a lover – the different masks you wear or perhaps would like to try on for size. Throw a ‘Bring a Bottle’ perfume party for your friends: get everyone to bring all their perfumes – especially ones they were given as gifts and are languishing on dusty shelves. Try them, swap them, critique them – surprise yourselves. Be brave!

There are many people who cling to the idea that Orientals should only be worn in the evening or during

the colder months. But as someone who unapologetically wore Chanel Coco aged 10, I rather enjoy flying in the face of such old-fashioned olfactory rules. I am a self-confessed fragrance floozy – I flit from one to the other and back again with abandon.

Life’s too short to commit to just one – would you wear the same outfit or eat one meal, day in day out for the rest of your life? ‘I’m saving it for best…’ is a phrase that enrages me – best what? The day George Clooney comes knocking? Get real and wear it whenever the hell you feel like it.

Be patient when sampling a new perfume: spray and walk away and never judge immediately. You might detest the first three minutes of top notes but be bowled over by the heart and dry-down. I can’t tell you the number of fragrances I would

have written off at first sniff but fell madly in love with after trying again, sometimes a few days or even weeks later. Try some sample vials, several times in the privacy of your own home, rather than being spritzed by a sales assistant and feeling obliged to make up your mind on the spot.

Carry them with you, try something new just for the evening, a weekend away or when meeting an old friend for lunch – nothing beats someone leaning in for a closer smell and saying ‘Wow, you smell wonderful, what is it?’ to bolster your confidence for adding further to your wardrobe of scented disguises...

To build your fragrance wardrobe, visit www.perfumesociety.org and use FR.eD, our on-line ‘virtual fragrance advisor’...

ormoNde JaYNe ormoNde womaN. Sumptuously intoxicating, I’ve never worn this without receiving a compliment – one I pull out when craving attention. al-rehab PerfumeS ChoCo muSk. For days when I think ‘sod it all - I want to dress like fairy tale princess, smell like cookie dough and skip around the garden like a five year old’.

4160 tueSdaYS a kiSS bY the fireSide.

Comfortingly sexy; herbaceous, a lightly- spiced floral for days I want to feel cosy but in control. doNNa karaN blaCk CaShmere. Incense rich and snuggly as a blanket, I wear it for inner-strength.

Gorilla PerfumeS (luSh) dad’S GardeN Chamomile & hoNeYSuCkle. For soothing away the cares of the day. Meditation in a bottle.

PeNhaliGoN’S Vaara.

A boho summer staple: mouthwateringly fruity and intensely feminine without overpowering.

PaPilloN PerfumeS tobaCCo roSe. Richly smoked blowsy rose. For cocktail parties and whenever I want to feel like Bette Davies (which is quite often).

28 the scented letter

on the scent of fashion

designer insights

the

© piai - Fotolia.com

The elusive search for a ‘signature scent’ has befuddled many an otherwise perfectly level-headed woman: that one true love who will supposedly meet your every need, match your every mood and mark you out as uniquely ‘you’ wherever you go. I am here to tell you the existence of such a perfume is poppycock, and that unless you’re a tomcat you really shouldn’t require one smell to identify yourself to those around you.

Nowadays it’s far more acceptable to acquire a wardrobe of fragrances catering to your many moods and the multitude of occasions that make up your busy life.

Just as jeans and a white shirt are a great fashion basic, but may not be deemed acceptable for a high-powered meeting or a glitzy cocktail party, one solitary perfume is unlikely to express every facet of your personality. And perfume should be fun - a hushed whisper of intriguing hints rather than a name tag sewn to a uniform.

Casting off the shackles of feeling enslaved to your comfy old fave is quite another matter. But actually, the best place to start is with what you have already...

scented letter

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notes from the blogosphere

BOX CLEVER

NARCISO GETS SEXY

Our latest Perfume Society Discovery Box is here – so now discover, explore and enjoy these hand-picked designer ‘delights’

The award-winning designer shares his thoughts on femininity, fragrance (and London’s fashion scene)

Suzy Nightingale shares thoughts on finding a scent for every occasion (and opens up her own ‘wardrobe’)

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24

34

6

26

28

nosing around

DESIGNER CANDLES

DIANA VREELAND

30

36

40

THE CARVEN LEGEND

100 YEARS OF PUIG

LATEST LAUNCHES

A FRAGRANCE WARDROBE

The

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on the scent of news

nosing around Here’s what we’re finding exciting in the world of scent, right now: the people, the places (and the perfumed ‘extras’ that enhance our pleasure in life…)

MAKE A PERFUME PILGRIMAGE Planning a tour of London’s premier scentshopping destinations? Our just-launched Fashion & Fragrance Discovery Box features a great-looking, easy-to-follow (if we do say so ourselves) map, with a guide to London’s key fragrance-shopping hot-spots. Why not pack your blotters (and an umbrella – this is London, after all), and take your nose exploring…? (For more about the Box, see p. 22.)

6 The scented Letter

The fragrant bookshelf

+

Cue drum-roll. Because launching on 25th September is The Perfume Bible,

by The Perfume Society’s Co-Founders Josephine Fairley and Lorna McKay. Beautifully illustrated and photographed, it’s an encyclopaedia of all things fragrant, exploring a world of ingredients, a run-down of the best perfume shops in the world, the history of scent, how to build a perfume ‘wardrobe’ – 192 pages, in all, including an all-important line-up of the 100 Perfumes To Try Before You Die! The Perfume Bible will also help you to figure out which fragrance family you ‘belong’ to – which helps steer you towards successful perfume purchases, in future. The price of this hardback is £25, and it’s available from www.perfumesociety.org and www.amazon.co.uk, as well as all good bookstores.

A whiff of Morocco...

© Mariusz Prusaczyk - Fotolia.com

Can’t afford the vase…? Or the curvaceous glass panther…? Well, meet possibly our favourite ‘home’ creation yet from Lalique – because it doesn’t just sit there: it’s gloriously scented. Definitely a cut above most ‘reed-stick’ diffusers, this new addition to the Lalique Voyage de Parfumeur line features six scents inspired by different destinations, including Vetiver (Bali), Sandalwood (Goa) and our favourite, Neroli, which has been beautifully conjuring up a little bit of Casablanca in the Perfume Society offices. £72 for 250 ml Diffuser at www.lalique.com from October

ON THE SCENT TRAIL IN SOUTH LONDON One slightly off-the-beatentrack perfumery featured on our London Perfume Shopping Guide map is Roullier White, a wondrous emporium of delights curated by Lawrence Roullier-White, who this month writes our IT TAKES ME RIGHT BACK column on p. 52. This lifestyle store showcases a quite extraordinary selection of hardto-find fragrances, including the stunning Indian-inspired scents from Neela Vermeire, Mark Buxton, 10 Corso Como, Caron, 4160 Tuesdays, E. Coudray, Ineke, Olfactive Studio, Union, Jovoy – we really could go on and on. (Just be sure not to leave without a bottle of Mrs. White’s Unstung Hero, quite the nicest-smelling anti-mosquito product ever created – you’d wear this simply as a Cologne in its own right!) Worth a pilgrimage (an easy overground jaunt by train from London Bridge), if you don’t happen to be passing East Dulwich.

125 Lordship Lane, East Dulwich, London SE22 8HU +44 (0) 208 693 5150 www.roullierwhite.com

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on the scent of news

bloom in

We’ve got ‘groupies’ We’re thrilled that Bronnley – the heritage British fragrance house – chose The Perfume Society’s Perfume Groups to vote on their forthcoming fragrance launch, for 2015. Our very first ‘Perfume Group Activity’ involved VIP Subscribers getting together with friends to try four scents, and share their opinions. (With a generous gift for each group from Bronnley, as a follow-up.) It doesn’t cost anything to set up a Perfume Society Group: simply e-mail info@perfumesociety.org with ‘PERFUME GROUP’ in the subject box; we’ll add you to a network of groups which spans Dunbar to Totnes via Blackpool, currently. We’ve all manner of scented activities, planned for the future…

+

Bye, Bye, Magic Tree…

© yuliakotina - Fotolia.com

Phlox

+ Lilies + Freesia + Lavender + Roses + Tuberose

8 The scented Letter

Thanks, Mercedes-Benz.

Because we’ve smelled the future of in-car fragrancing – and we love it, thanks to the ‘AIR-BALANCE Package’: a clever glovebox gadget which dispenses fragrance through the air conditioning unit of their S-Class and C-Class cars. It doesn’t surprise us that 80% of Mercedes-buyers are ordering this ‘extra’ (at 350 euros), when they buy a car. There are four fragrances to scent your driving experience – airy, green Sports

Mood, smoulderingly spicy Nightlife Mood, sheer and flowery Downtown Mood and uplifting green-tea-and-linden Freeside Mood – but what seduced us at the recent launch in Berlin was the idea that we can pour our own chosen perfume into a bottle, slot it into the AIRBALANCE – and drive around in our own personal, scented ‘cloud’. Sure beats a spritz of ‘New Car’, at your next valet. www.mercedes-benzaccessories.com

Sip and sniff There’s a buzz about fragrance-inspired cocktails. But truly, nowhere does it better than Berlin’s Ritz-Carlton Hotel, where the recentlyopened Fragrances cocktail bar will blow your mind, your tastebuds (and those olfactory receptors…) It showcases 14 v-e-r-y fancy drinks created in tandem with brands like YSL, Guerlain, Jo Malone London, Amouage, Penhaligon’s and L’Artisan Parfumeur, devised by mixologist (or ‘cocktail whisperer’) Arnd Henning Heissen. So: first smell the scent – they’re showcased along the entrance hall then order the drink. Since gin’s our tipple, we enjoyed a Signorina

by Salvatore Ferragamo, with jasmine- and rose-infused Tanqueray 10, redcurrant nectar, fresh lemon juice, a vanilla-patchouli syrup (really patchouli-y, this), and pink pepper. And then… An Honour by Amouage: Tanqueray 10, rose-infused Ketel One vodka, Wandering Poet Sake, fresh lemon, coriander eau de vie, rhubarb nectar, and a vetiver/jasmine/incense syrup. And what’s even more extraordinary is that as you’re focusing so incredibly intently on how brilliantly the fragrance conjures up the scent itself, you sip and savour every mouthful – rather than knocking back the cocktails with their usual scary ease. If any perfumista needed an excuse to get on an Easyjet to Berlin, Fragrances is surely it.

Fragrances, The Ritz-Carlton, Potsdamer Platz 3, 10785 Berlin, Germany + (00) 49 30 33 7777 www.ritzcarlton.com

Your skin has a sense of smell Seems it’s not just your nose which enjoys a spritz or a dab of your favourite scent. According to the Journal of Investigative Dermatology, extraordinary research from the Ruhr-University Bochum in Germany has identified five different olfactory receptors in skin (in the outermost layer, the keratinocytes). When one particular receptor was exposed to sandalwood oil, wound healing was speeded up. Not surprisingly, the researchers will be sniffing around the subject in much greater depth…

… AND EAT YOUR PERFUME? Paris’s La Patisserie des Rêves has won many awards (and been described as ‘the patisserie of the 21st Century’). There’s now a branch in Marylebone: worth a pastry pilgrimage, if only to drool over the cakes. (It’s probably just as well they’re displayed under glass domes). What’s even more interesting to us, though, is that perfumer Olivia Giacobetti worked on the shop’s range of interesting sweets, ‘reinventing’ bonbons by adding (edible) perfume notes that evoke childhood memories: the ‘Mummy’s Lipstick’-flavoured barley sugar, nougats which taste of ‘Christmas’, or a ‘sunny’ lollipop. A feast for the eyes and the tastebuds.

(And for the nose.)

43 Marylebone High Street, London W1U 4PU. +44 (0) 203-603 7333 www.lapatisseriedesreves.com/uk

“

A perfume is like a piece of clothing. A message. A way of presenting oneself.

A costume. That differs according to the woman who wears it…

Paloma Picasso

The

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leather love

10 The scented Letter

the

revival of the scented glove Perfume’s very roots are in glovemaking: fragrance was used to disguise the noxious scent of leather production. But when Guerlain sets out to revive this ancient tradition, writes Jo Fairley, we know we’re in for a treat…

Have you ever been near a tannery? Rank doesn’t begin to cover it. Most of us never get close, of course, these days – except perhaps in the maze of a Marrakech souk, turning a corner to be greeted by a brick wall of foul smells that might include arsenic, cyanide and (if we’re really unlucky) perhaps fermented human and animal urine (and worse), layered over the nauseating scent of decay. It’s the ultimate reach-for-your-hankie moment, frankly. Time to retreat to a café for a mint tea, to recover.

Anyone who’s had even the merest whiff of traditional tanning, then, will understand in a microsecond how someone, way back in history, had the genius idea to mask the scent of tanned leather with perfume. And it was this brainwave which actually gave rise to the fragrance industry we know and love today.

The story goes all the way back to 1190, when King Philippe II of France granted the Parisian guild of master glovemakers their first statutes. Around the same time, in that bustling city, the number of herb and spice merchants was booming – and a guild to unite spice merchants and apothecaries was also formed. (To protect the customer

from the risk of adulteration, as much as anything.) Fastforward to 1614, and the French parliament allowed master glove-makers – who’d often turned to those spice and herb merchants for ingredients to scent their wares – to call themselves ‘master perfumers’, too, and to advertise themselves by using the coat of arms of the Guild of Glovemaker-Perfumers.

Hundreds of miles south, on the sun-drenched Mediterranean coast, the town of Grasse was also growing up around the tanning trade, using the famous natural essences of the region to get rid of the pong of its leather: iris, violet, mimosa, roses, jasmine, lavender… By 1724, there were twenty-one manufacturers of scented leathers in Grasse, supplying not only scented gloves, but belts, waistcoats, even leather shoes. (Don’t know about you, but I love the idea of a scented shoe. Might just try spritzing a pair, tonight.) Gradually, perfumery took over – until that art became the dominant trade, by the 18th Century. And today, Grasse remains the heartland of perfumery.

But it’s said to have been Catherine de Medici – born in 1547 into the splendour of one of Florence’s most powerful families – who first popularised the wearing of scented gloves. When she married Henri, Duc d’Orléans (who went on to become King), she took her own perfumer with her to Paris. René le Florentin had his own laboratory in the Palace, which Catherine accessed via a secret passage, to ensure the recipes for her fragrances weren’t stolen. And oh, she loved a scented glove. Wore them often – and set a trend, as the nobility clamoroured to copy everything the royals did.

The tanners’ and the perfumers’ guilds split, in 1759. And since then, one trade has exploded – while one dwindled almost to nothing. Gloves were last really fashionable in the 1950s and 1960s as a fashion item. Mary Young’s In Search of Charm – an etiquette handbook for young women,

The

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leather love

published in 1967 - devotes a page to the burning question ‘Are my gloves the right length?’ But by then, London had begun to swing, and fashion gloves (almost) went the way of the Dodo: something you wore not as a style statement, but simply to keep your hands snug and warm.

also happens to have restored to its former glory, as you can read on p.

15). ‘But secondly, when Jacques Guerlain went on to create Guerlain’s Cuir de Russie (Russian Leather) fragrance, half the formula for that creation was Mitsouko. So there was a natural leather “link” to that choice.’

Lately, though, there’s been a quiet renaissance in glove-wearing. (They are, after all – along with sunglasses and earrings and handbags – an accessory women can lust for, and ‘collect’, to our hearts’ content…)

So to mark the reopening in all its gilded glory of La Maison Guerlain, the flagship boutique at 68 Champs-Élysées (and the single largest space devoted to one beauty brand in the world), Guerlain’s president, Laurent Boillot, suggested to the perfume house’s in-house ‘nose’ that it was time to revive this ancient tradition.

Of course it wasn’t as simple as tipping a jug of Guerlain scent into the vat, though. ‘I was worried, because the tanners work with a lot of water – and some of our raw materials are hydrosoluble, so I had visions of them going very expensively straight down the drain… I figured out a way to have a very concentrated, special version of each scent which is not water-soluble – so the leather would draw in the maximum amount of fragrance, in the process.’ Revisiting those old texts, Thierry had realised that the moment to introduce the scent into the glove-making process was right at the end of what is already a very technical process, ‘because all the different pH changes have taken place, otherwise it would ruin my fragrance.’ So the scented oil was added at the same moment an oil mixture is applied to nourish the skin and make it supple.

Catherine de Medici had a secret passage in her palace to the workshop of her glove-perfumer

In the beautiful drawing room at La Maison de Guerlain, over Shalimar-scented tea and pastries from Guy Martin’s 68 Restaurant (to be found in this historic building’s basement), Thierry Wasser explained to me exclusively for The Scented Letter how he went about rising to his boss’s challenge.

‘Actually, I knew something about the techniques of scenting gloves in the old days because I collect old chemistry and perfume books and all sorts of literature about my job. It was definitely interesting to look at them to see what they did before the age of microencapsulation, and all the other tricks leather processing uses today.’

Thierry sleuthed out one of the modern-day mégissiers, or tanners, in St. Julien near Limoges (where a lot of them are based) – Mégisserie Colombier - and the journey began.

Tanning may not be a smelly process, nowadays - but it’s hardly beautiful. ‘They use big vats, like giant washing machines,’ Thierry notes, showing me some of the photographs he took at the chosen factory (which he shares with us on these pages). ‘But still, it feels like a very ancient process, rather than something really high-tech.’

La Petite Robe Noire had been selected for one of the pairs of gloves, on the strength of the blockbuster global success of this fruity-floral. But for the ‘gant de parfumeur’ – The Perfumer’s Glove – Thierry was allowed to choose the fragrance. He could have confected something from scratch – but for Thierry, it just had to be Mitsouko, Jacques Guerlain’s sublime chypre, dating back to 1919. ‘For two reasons. First of all, it’s my favourite fragrance of all time, and it deserves to be better-known.’ (And it’s a fragrance he 12 The scented Letter

And for quite some time, he smiles, ‘I basically sat with a goat on my desk, because every time there was a new trial, they sent another skin.’ (The butter-soft leather itself is from a specific type of Spanish goat.) There were five trials altogether, with the highly-experienced mégissier determining the dosages. ‘I’d get the skins, and feed back: “that’s not strong enough,”’ recalls Thierry. And then: bingo. A skin landed on his desk that was just right.

So far, so fragrant. But Thierry Wasser designs perfumes, not gloves. So Guerlain turned to the glovemaker and designer Maison Agnelle for the design of these ‘Noces de Parfum’ (as scented gloves are also called). For La Petite Robe Noire, they came up with a small white-trimmed ‘scooped’ black glove, tied with a bow, releasing wafts of black cherry, rose and patchouli with every gesture.

‘Now tell me if you can figure out the inspiration for the Mitsouko glove,’ the Swiss-born perfumer smiles at me, enigmatically. I admit I’m stumped. ‘Then come with me,’ he says, leading me to the main upstairs room of this Parisian ‘temple to perfume’. Where I realise in a flash that the delicate stud decoration of these milk chocolatecoloured gauntlets was inspired by the famous Guerlain ‘bee bottle’ - which in turn takes its emblem from

leather love

“

I always say we don’t need time machines.

Because scent lets us travel in time and space...

”

Napoleon, going back to the time when Pierre-FrançoisPascal Guerlain presented his Eau de Cologne Impériale to the Empress Eugénie, in flacon identical to today’s. There couldn’t be a more apt decoration for the Mitsouko glove.

(And in fact, the same bee design is all around the room: an intricate inlay of marquetterie de paille, which uses slivers of straw rather than wood, to shimmering golden effect.)

For now, the little Guerlain ‘accessories boutique’ in La Maison Guerlain is the only place you’ll find the scented gloves. (Though un petit oiseau tells me that when Harrods opens its Salon de Parfums, they, just may may be crossing the Channel to Guerlain’s boutique in this exciting sixth floor scent destination.) They’re certainly not cheap: 330 euros for La Gant La Petite Robe Noire, 500 euros for the Gant de Parfumeur Mitsouko – but provided you’re not careless enough to leave them on the Tube, these are a last-a-lifetime investment, which should remain beautifully fragrant for a long, long time.

As Thierry knows himself, leather holds fragrance not for months but years – for there’s a poignant aside, to this story. Thierry’s late father wore gloves for driving - as did many well-dressed men at that time. ‘The last time I saw my father was when I was three years old,’ he tells me, clearly moved. ‘I inherited all sorts of furniture from him, but what do you do with that when you’re a kid? He also left me his driving gloves. When I learned to drive, when I was 18, I said: “I’m going to be like my dad, and drive wearing gloves” - and I found them. Now, my father used to wear Chanel’s Cuir de Russie – at a time when you didn’t spray it on, you poured it into your hands and splashed it onto your face. So it was all over the inside of the gloves. I put on those gloves for driving, and of course, when you’re learning to drive, you’re moist and sweating – and the smell came out so strongly, there was a weird moment when I thought the ghost of my father was playing some kind of freaky joke, in the car, because I had such a strong scent memory of him, 15 years on…’

‘You know,’ he smiles, ‘I always say we don’t need time machines. Because scent lets us travel in time and space...’

Though I know where I’d rather be transported to, by leather: to the honking tanneries of Marrakech - or tea and macarons in the company of one of the world’s cleverest noses, responsible for reviving a tradition that’s at the very soul of his trade…

MAGICAL MITSOUKO When Luca Turin, scent critic and author of Perfumes: The Guide, is asked to name his favourite fragrance, he answers: ‘Mitsouko’. Drizzled with peach over May rose and jasmine, with spices and vetiver purring in its base, Mitsouko’s a true classic – something everyone should wear, in a lifetime. (And please see the VIP SUBSCRIBER zone of our website for the chance to win one of two bottles that we bought ourselves and had signed by Thierry!) However, for a while, due to restrictions on the use of oak moss – one of the pillars of this legendary Chypre fragrance – many Mitsouko-lovers found it had had lost a touch of its mystery and magic. So a vital challenge for Thierry Wasser has been to restore Mitsouko to its absolute glory. To comply with restrictions Guerlain uses a ‘fractionated’ oakmoss – from which the potentially allergenic compounds have been removed. ‘But when you remove something, you leave a hole,’ explains Thierry. His genius? To figure out how to ‘fill’ that hole – using tiny touches of an ingredient called lentisque (a gum, from a Mediterranean shrub). Et voilà: today, Mitsouko is once again a ‘masterpiece whose richness brings to mind the mature chamber music of Johannes Brahms,’ as Luca Turin puts it.

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an aromatic life

memories, dreams, reflections This month, appropriately enough, we put Bella Freud – granddaughter of the psychiatrist Sigmund – ‘on the couch’, to share her scent loves, hates and recollections. We also asked the fashion designer to share some of the inspirations behind her debut trio of signature fragrances, which have just launched

When did you first realise that scent was really important to you?

I first became interested in scent when I was about nineteen. I noticed that I couldn’t wear a scent just because I like the smell; it had to feel like it was already familiar, part of my identity. Otherwise it somehow took over and I felt like I was drowning or had been kidnapped into someone else’s body.

What’s your favourite scented flower?

I love the smell of oleander - it is so subtle; also lilac and sweet peas for the same reason. But the smell of a good rose is incomparable.

What was the first fragrance you were given?

The first fragrance I was given was Joy, though I chose it. I had heard of it and even though it was so heavy I decided to embrace it.

What was the first fragrance you bought for yourself?

It was Christian Lacroix’s C’est La Vie. I was and still am a huge admirer of Lacroix and decided that I wanted to wear his perfume and be connected with him through that. It was a great fragrance, it had all the French chic with a hint of ‘Madame Claude’ (the famous French brothel-keeper!)

Have you had different fragrances for different phases of your life…?

When I lived in Rome I wore the same eau de parfum as my boyfriend which was Guerlain Habit Rouge. That was a great scent, decadent and deep. I liked to wear Robert Piguet Fracas on holiday; it smells so delicious.

The smell that always makes me feel happy is…

An amber smell makes happy and relaxes me – it’s such a warm, pleasurable, sweet scent.

The smell that always makes me feel a bit sad is…

I think Joy is quite a gloomy smell even though I like it.

When I catch a whiff of it I feel nostalgic – and I don’t like to feel nostalgic.

The scent that I love on a man is…

Mostly nothing but if I have to then anything low-key with vetiver.

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© Moreno Novello; Scisetti Alfio - Fotolia.com

What’s the very first thing you remember smelling?

When I lived in Morocco aged seven I remember the smell of the sun as it heated up the earth and the plants.

Sometimes that smell comes back to me when the weather is good. It takes me back to walking along a dusty road in the country with my mother.

The fragrance from the past that I’ve always wanted to smell is…

I would be curious to know what the Sun King Louis 14th would have worn!

What is your favourite book about smells?

Of course Patrick Suskind’s Perfume is very interesting about the power of smell to manipulate peoples’ feelings. But the book Against the Grain by J.K. Huysmans is completely fascinating about everything to do with the senses as they start to fail.

You can find Bella Freud’s designs – in particular her signature jumpers (some of which carry the same messages as her trio of fragrances) – at www.bellafreud.com. She is also fun to follow on Instagram (bella_freud) and on Twitter (@bellafreud)

We asked Bella for the inspirations behind her debut scents ‘I wanted to launch the perfumes as a group of characters, a gang of friends,’ she explains.

1 Je t’aime Jane is the free-spirited, independent, beautiful and beguiling girl who looks like a young Nouvelle Vague actress from a 70’s film.

2 Ginsberg is God is the only unisex fragrance in the collection. He is the poet writing in his study with the windows open and spring air drifting in. The wording on the bottle is like the handwriting on his page. To be worn by him or his girlfriend.

3 1970 is the hedonist: this is my favourite going-out scent - it’s like an aperitif. It’s languid with a nice tense undercurrent.

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autumn’s dark secret

Opium

is the new black When it launched in 1967, Yves Saint Laurent’s Opium created quite some stir. This autumn, the latest creation from YSL house looks set to give the perfume world a java jolt all over again, with Black Opium, a coffee-powered collaboration between four (yes, four) perfumers

Nathalie Lorson is one of the quartet of perfumers from perfume house Firmenich who worked on the fragrance (along with Olivier Cresp, Marie Salamagne and Honorine Blanc). She talked to The Scented Letter exclusively about fashion, fragrance, fabrics – and the teamwork behind this latest chapter in the YSL legend.

(And read more from the perfumers, overleaf…)

Why do you think there’s such a strong relationship between fashion and fragrance?

Because creativity is absolutely at the heart of these two fascinating worlds.

When you’re designing for a fashion house, how important is it to look at that designer’s catwalk shows?

First, it’s important because it is inspiring. Then, the ‘code’ of the fashion house can be translated into the fragrance.

For instance, Black Opium is an audacious and elegant fragrance, the mirror image of the YSL fashion creations.

We’re fascinated by how perfumers manage to create ‘textures’ with fragrance – some are sheer like chiffon, others are rich like velvet. Do you think of ‘fabrics’, while creating perfumes – and what fabric would Black Opium be, to you, if it was a textile?

Of course fabrics can be compared to fragrances with their multiple facets. If Black Opium was a fabric, it would have to be velvet for its intensity, audacity and elegance.

There were many different perfumers working on Black Opium. How does that work – do you create different accords and then come together?

At first, my idea was to create an original and unexpected note: a floral coffee. Then I was rapidly joined in the development of the fragrance by the three other perfumers.

Having multiple visions was essential for the development of this perfume. Marie brought her ‘rock’ vision: the idea to 18 The scented Letter

bring this fruity and electric freshness on top. Olivier, with his experience of gourmand perfumes, allowed us to develop the ‘addictive qualities’ of the creation. Then Honorine, who is based in New York, gave us her ‘US vision’, which was important in order to create a international fragrance - and she in particular worked on the white floral heart, to reveal a luminous femininity.

Do you argue and disagree – how do you get round that?

Working as a team brought a lot of dynamism and richness to the creation. Each of us could bring their vision and different idea among the project, but also confidence, which is absolutely necessary to be daring and break the usual rules.

How do you go about creating something that conjures up ‘black’, in a bottle…?

We translated the black expression through the coffee accord, used in an ‘overdose’, which brings elegance and an addictive sensuality. Patchouli and cedarwood add a mysterious and intense vibration that also contributes to the signature of the fragrance.

How long did Black Opium take to create?

Several years, from idea to this launch.

Did you drink a lot of coffee yourself, while working on the coffee accord…?!

Of course, a lot - it is inspiring!

How did you ensure the coffee bean accord didn’t dominate, in the fragrance?

Coffee is what’s known as a vertical note, present from the top, but which unveils itself all the way through the fragrance right to the dry-down. It’s all down to the coffee dosage. The difficulty was to give a coffee ‘signature’ while remaining chic and ultra feminine. The coffee note

distinguishes itself through its daring, black and bitter facets and then develops, softens itself on heart to leave an addictive and sensual trail as it warms on the skin.

Did you get an idea of the bottle, before the ‘juice’ was finished – or did you just know it would be black…?

No, absolutely not. We were just aware about the black colour. In general, we never know about the bottle design before finishing a fragrance.

Are you nevertheless trying to ‘transcend’ fashion, when creating for a fashion house? Do you hope with every perfume it’ll become a ‘classic’?

Of course, every perfumer hopes that his or her creation will become a ‘classic’!

Black Opium is very much an ‘urban’ fragrance. How did you create that feeling of a dynamic city, the ‘urban huntress’ – what is an ‘urban’ fragrance, to you…?

We tried to reproduce the modernity, the energy and the dynamism of a big city in Black Opium through a singular structure: a tension between a black coffee accord and luminosity of the white flowers. Black Opium is a vibrant and a modern-chic fragrance.

When you’re creating a perfume with the name of an iconic fragrance like Opium, how do you stop yourself referencing that in the new creation – it would surely have been so easy to weave in some spicy notes. Why not?

We wanted to keep a link with the original Opium: sensuality and addiction. But the goal was to bring modernity and radiance. The fragrance codes are the same: mystery, sensuality, subversion and audacity but with a touch of modernity…

YSL Black Opium is priced from £44 for 30 ml eau de parfum at yslbeauty.co.uk

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what the noses know

We asked each of the four perfumers who worked on Black Opium to fill in one of The Perfume Society’s ‘Nose’ questionnaires.

Here is a selection of their answers – and for the full, in-depth interviews, visit perfumesociety.org and look in ‘EXPLORE PERFUME’ under ‘THE NOSES’.

Nathalie Lorson

Nathalie grew up in Grasse, where her father was a chemist at the fragrance house Roure. She’s something of a pioneer: ‘In 1980,’ she recalls, ‘very few women entered the perfumery field.’ Nathalie’s ‘signature’ is obvious in her choice of raw materials: round, smooth and sensual. Her dozens , of creations include Lalique Amethyst, Encre Noire Kate Moss Kate 23, Flora by Gucci, Le Labo Poivre and Dita Von Teese’s signature scent.

What is your first ‘scent memory’?

The field of mimosa when I was walking with my parents on the hill of Tanneron, near Grasse.

When did you decide you wanted to be a perfumer/create your own perfume?

I grew up in Grasse – and smelling, for me, was literally child’s play. After passing my exams, I entered the perfumery school at Roure to learn the profession of fragrance creation and gain an indepth knowledge of the raw materials. In 1980 there were so few women it it was a real challenge for me to become perfumer…

What are your five favourite smells in the world?

Rose, vanilla, the smell of sand, freshly-cut grass and Christmas trees.

What is the fragrance you wish you’d created?

Two, actually. Flower by Kenzo: a beautiful reinterpretation of a classic floral-powdery theme with a very identifiable trail. And Dior Hypnotic Poison: a product of pure pleasure, sensual, enveloping, very recognisable and with the kind of ‘signature’ I like.

Is this an exciting time to be a perfumer?

Yes: the arrival of all niche brands allows for the s expression of creativity. But today, the luxury brand with nces fragra are also asking perfumers to create unique ‘signatures’ that are new and different from others – so that’s very stimulating, too.

If you could have created a fragrance for a historical figure, who would it be?

I already had the chance to work for celebrities like Kate Moss or Lady Gaga. It was really exciting to meet these people and to create for them.

20 The scented Letter

Marie Salamagne Marie was born in 1977 in Paris, and claims to have had ‘an awareness and fascination for odours - of attics, bread, earth, putty…’ After a degree in chemistry, she studied at the ISIPCA perfume school in Versailles, before joining Firmenich. Marie is particularly drawn to masculine notes like amber and wood, and her portfolio includes La Perla Just Precious, Nina Ricci Nina L’Eau (with Olivier Cresp), Jo Malone London Osmanthus Blossom and Kylie Minogue Music Box. What is your first ‘scent memory’?

My mother wearing Shalimar.

How many perfumes might you work on, at a time?

Currently, I’m working on about 20 fragrances.

Does your nose ever ‘switch off’?

No, never, even during the night, sometimes, I smell fragrances I have put on my skin or I think about new ideas when I wake up.

What are your five favorite smells in the world?

Patchouli, putty, glycine, bread crust and the heads of my children when they were born: a scent that lasted only the three first weeks of their lives!

What’s the worst thing you ever smelled?

The odour of tanners in Fez is really strong, animalic and a bit disturbing but it is not repulsive.

How long does it take you to create a fragrance?

It is quite variable - but the average is about 14 months. Creating the initial accord is one thing, but then it takes a long time to find the perfect ‘expression’ – the one that a brand wants to share, without losing the original idea.

Do you have a favourite bottle design, from those that have been used for your fragrance creations?

I especially love the bottles for the Martin Margiela Replica Collection.

What is your best tip for improving a person’s sense of smell?

Curiosity is a good thing to explore and develop a person’s sense of smell. You have to not be afraid of smelling things you think you don’t like at first sight.

What is the fragrance you wish you’d created?

Guerlain Jicky because it is audacious and ultra feminine. It is an ‘elegant overdose’.

Olivier Cresp Olivier Cresp’s family heritage is rooted in perfume: his grandfather and father spent their lives buying and selling natural raw materials in Grasse.

(In fact, the Cresp name in this ‘perfume’ region of France goes back to the 12th Century.) One of the perfumery world’s most distinguished figures, Olivier has hundreds of creations under his belt, including Midnight Poison, Estée Lauder Modern Muse, Penhaligon’s Peoneve and Juniper Sling, Thierry Mugler Angel and Paco Rabanne XS. What is your first ‘scent memory’?

It is the smell of bergamot in my grandparents’ garden, during my childhood.

What are your five favourite smells in the world?

I like jasmine and freesia for their feminine edge and their sunny and luminous accords. I also like rose, vanilla and patchouli for their sensuality.

And your least favourite?

I don’t like narcissus and hyacinth notes.

What is the fragrance you wish you’d created?

For women, it would be Shalimar: I love Orientals and I like its sensual, chocolate and leathery facets. For a masculine one, it would be Eau Sauvage, which is unlike anything that existed before.

Honorine Blanc ‘There is this strong excitement within me when I am creating a fragrance,’ says Honorine. ‘I could not live without creation! It gives my body so much energy that at the end of the day, I am exhausted.’ Her work includes Juicy Couture Viva La Juicy Noir, Estée Lauder Amber Mystique, Beyoncé Heat Rush, Diesel Loverdose (with Olivier Cresp) and a trio of perfumes in the AERIN collection, among many others.

What is your first scent memory?

The smell of gardenias that grew on my balcony.

When did you decide you wanted to be a perfumer/create your own perfume?

Since I was very young, I always wanted to work in the beauty industry more for what it does to people (the psychological part) than for the glamour.

What are your five favourite smells in the world?

Early mornings at 5 o’clock, the odour of skin, jasmine, blackcurrant buds and damp earth.

What’s the worst thing you ever smelled?

The smell of fear.

If you had one fragrance note that you love above all others, what would that be?

I love musk for its sensuality.

Is creating a fragrance ‘visual’ for you?

When I am creating a perfume, I take inspiration from everywhere. I enjoy working from figurative ideas but sometimes I also like to work on abstract fragrances.

However, I always start from something visual, something from the natural world....

Does your nose ever ‘switch off’?

Never. I am also working while I am dreaming!

How many perfumes might you be working on, at one time?

I am currently working between five and 10.

What’s the first fragrance you bought. And the first bought for you…?

Chanel No.19.

If you could have created a fragrance for a historical figure, who would it be?

For Napoleon! I would have created the best Cologne ever for him!

How long, roughly, does it take you to create a fragrance?

There are no rules. Every fragrance has a story, an emotion. It can take 1 months or many years. It starts with an idea and the development depends on the project I’m involved with.

What is your best tip for improving a person’s sense of smell?

The best thing to do to enhance our appreciation of fragrance is to smell it! The more you smell more you develop your sense of smell. Smelling raw materials is also a good way to improve your abilities. The key is to focus and concentrate on what you smell all the time: a fragrance, a smell in the street, food, etc.

If you could have created a fragrance for a historical figure, who would it be?

Sigmund Freud.

How should we shop for fragrance?

It takes time to understand a fragrance. You have to wear it, to see, to feel, to understand it. It is useful to wear it many times, on all sorts of different occasions, before truly making up your mind to take it home with you…

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what’s in the box?

enter the world of

fashion & fragrance From your wonderful e-mails, Tweets and Facebook postings, you’re loving our ‘Discovery Boxes’ – so we’re delighted to present our latest collection, which celebrates the link between fashion and fragrance

22

AGONIST ONYX PEARL

SALVATORE FERRAGMO SIGNORINA

CAROLINA HERRERA CH EAU DE PARFUM SUBLIME

Agonist’s Niclas and Christine Lydeen (who have fashion and marketing backgrounds) were Inspired by the provocative photography of Guy Bourdin to create Onyx Pearl - which balances exquisite flowers from the Orient with warm elements of Indian amber, Australian sandalwood, Virginian cedarwood and white musk, and just a touch of exotic Arabian oudh. Agonist is a name to watch - and we’re sure you’ll enjoy this sensual introduction.

2ml (full size/£125 for 50ml eau de parfum at selfridges.com)

From the Florentine shoemakers, a sophisticated, flirty-fresh scent for the young-at-heart perfume-lover (of any age…) First, you’ll encounter Signorina’s vibrant fruity top note of currant, fused with green notes and spicy pink pepper. The middle is a lush, almost dewy blend of jasmine, peony and rose. The base adds the floriental twist with sweet pannacotta nuzzling beside soft musk and patchouli. As comfortably wearable as their famous shoes…

1.5ml (full size/£39 for 30ml eau de parfum at debenhams.com)

Carolina Herrera is known for the sheer femininity of her fashion designs. Exclusive to Harrods, Sublime is inspired by the allure of a sophisticated woman, giving a modern twist to the so-sophisticated Chypre fragrance family with fresh bergamot, accompanied by sweet passion flower. Rose - and an intriguing orchid note - blossom at the heart, while patchouli and leather bring out CH Eau de Parfum Sublime’s passionate side.

5ml (full size/£53 for 50ml eau de parfum at harrods.com)

NARCISO RODRIGUEZ NARCISO

TED BAKER CATE

CARVEN LE PARFUM

Few designers deliver feminine sensuality with the elegance of the award-winning fashion designer Narciso Rodriguez. Unveiled for autumn 2014, Narciso Eau de Parfum is unashamedly sexy, swirling around a traditionally masculine note of vetiver - yet here, it’s softened, becoming bewitchingly feminine.

Luminous light and dark cedars play beside tender florals that include gardenia and soft Bulgarian rose, and Narciso’s signature musks.

0.8ml (Full size/£39.00 for 30ml eau de parfum at selfridges.com)

Ted Baker London has conquered the world with its wearable, affordable style since starting out as a shirt specialist in Glasgow, in 1988. Here, fruity elements of peach, apple and orange make for an uplifting, juicy introduction. As these melt away on the skin, soft, sweet violet and jasmine emerge, before we discover Cate’s rich, woody depth. ‘Everything you need for instant confidence’ – so Ted Baker London promise - and this full-size bottle is handbag-perfect.

Usually £15 for this 10ml size from boots.com

Fragrance helped put the Parisian couture house of Carven on the map.

Now Francis Kurkdjian opens a new fragrant chapter, just when their inhouse designer Guillaume Henry is introducing Carven’s ready-to-wear to the acclaim of a new generation. With a generous bouquet of sweet peas, jasmine and ylang ylang, Carven Le Parfum opens with white hyacinth and the blossom of mandarin, and finishes with a base of sandalwood, patchouli and osmanthus.

1.2ml (full size/£55 for 50ml eau de parfum at harrods.com

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JIMMY CHOO EAU DE PARFUM

PENHALIGON’S TRALALA

CHARLOTTE TILBURY K.I.S.S.I.N.G

Jimmy Choos have become the shoes-of-choice for Oscar-winners and virtually all of Hollywood’s A-list, immortalised on screen in ‘The Devil Wears Prada’ and ‘Sex and the City’.

From the very first notes, this fruityChypre scent simply melds into skin.

Creamily seductive Tiger orchid unfurls at the heart, but it’s the lingeringly sensual base notes that truly bewitch, leaving a memory on the skin of Indonesian patchouli and subtle, good-enough-to-eat toffee.

2 ml (full size/£39 for 40 ml eau de parfum at debenhams.com

Quirky East London design duo Meadham Kirchhoff worked with Bertrand Duchaufour on this opulent floriental. It’s an enchanting fusion of old-fashioned frills and twisted modernity, blending fizzy aldehydes with saffron, violet leaf absolute, whisky and galbanum, carnation, leather, tuberose, ylang ylang, orris and incense. The divinely exotic base includes myrrh, opoponax, patchouli, vetiver, cedarwood, heliotrope, musk and vanilla.

1.5ml (full size/£150 for 100ml eau de parfum at penhaligons.com

As our little ‘extra’ to you for The Perfume Society Fashion & Fragrance Discovery Box, a slip-it-in-your-clutch lipstick sachet, for a kiss of instant colour. (NB You’ll receive Bitch Perfect, which suits absolutely all skintones.) The K.I.S.S.I.N.G. formula is seriously lip-friendly, too: enriched with a breakthrough ingredient from ‘the Lipstick Tree’: an antioxidant which protects lips from UV damage and pollution, leaving them cashmeresoft - and ‘kissable’...! £23 for full size K.I.S.S.I.N.G Lipstick at selfridges.com

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the master of modern femininity

Narciso gets sexy Look at his clothes and it’s obvious that award-winning designer Narciso Rodriguez just loves women. His debut perfume, For Her, won several awards – and this autumn sees the launch of his sexiest-yet scent: Narciso. Here, he shares his thoughts on femininity, fragrance – and London’s fashion scene.

What is femininity, to you?

It’s a balance of self-knowledge, strength of character, confidence, intellect – along with grace and beauty, emotional intelligence, intuition and vulnerability.

It has to exist from within to be authentic.

When it is authentic, true femininity is a timeless quality, something that becomes more powerful as a woman ages and gains confidence, experience, and truly comes into her own.

Designers often have ‘muses’ – who are yours, Narciso?

My muses are an eclectic group; they come from everywhere. They can be my closest friends, the women I work with, women I see on the street, women on the subway or in the park. I’m constantly influenced by new muses that come about through the unpredictability of the design process. What inspires me is the duality within real women: women who have children, women who work, women who lead complex lives – but who also love glamour, romance and fashion.

What’s the relationship between fragrance and fashion, to you?

I believe fragrance is an extension of a woman’s wardrobe. Growing up in the 1970s, I loved going to Neal’s Yard, and collecting essential oils, and fragrance has always been important to me, too.

Your fragrance For Her has an amazing reputation and has been an incredible success.

How does it make you feel?

I’ve heard endless stories about how captivating the fragrance people find it – and I’ve even had letters

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thanking me for making someone smell so good…!

Why do you think it so captured people’s imagination?

By not staying safe and following the trends of what was happening in fragrance at the time. I think it happened through exploring compositions and coming up with something achievable which still had a sense of being ‘off the beaten track’, along with elements I was passionate about.

What does your new fragrance Narciso mean to you?

Romantic femininity, engaging seduction.

If it was a type of clothing, what would it be?

A delicate slip in stone nude.

What are your favourite ingredients?

I’m not a fan of smelling like a chocolate, too sweet, or even like a flower. I do love the smell of orange blossom or tuberose – but for fragrance, I react and respond to something more unique and personal. I think it’s nice to pinpoint what ingredients you like, but to me, liking a scent is more of an instinctual thing.

Fragrance is incredibly personal, and definitely affects the way you’re perceived by others.

Perfume oils are becoming big news – and you’ve offered one for a while.

“

When I create, it’s for a woman’s pleasure, to bring her joy. It’s to give her something that makes her happy, something that makes her feel good.

”

Why do you like them?

I like finding new and interesting ways to wear fragrance. Actually, I love to rub perfume oil and water on the back of my neck; it’s a great way to wear it. I love layering with oils, and spraying something on top.

We’ve heard you love London. What are your favourite places?

Tate Modern, river banks, Portobello Road, Camden Lock. I love going to markets and vintage stores. I first came to London in the 70s, and was inspired by street fashion – the city is the touchstone of new style and authenticity.

Lastly, Narciso, do you think you should put fragrance before or after getting dressed…?

I do it before – and I like to use a hair mist, for example. According to research, there’s a definite distinction between how men and women wear scents – it’s been proven that men prefer to put on their fragrance before getting dressed, while with women it is the last thing they put on…

Visit PERFUME HOUSES at www.perfumesociety.org to read more about Narciso Rodriguez and his portfolio of perfumes. Narciso eau de parfum is priced from £39 for 30 ml exclusively at Selfridges

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you can’t hold a candle to...

Waxing lyrical We may long for the dresses. Or the shoes. Or the handbag. Perfume, of course, has long been the go-to purchase when we can’t afford a designer’s catwalk creations – but increasingly, fashion names are pouring their talent into candles, too. Lust objects, every one - brought to you by Alice Jones and Jo Fairley

These luxuriously-blended creations are stylish, sophisticated – and capture the spirit of the designers with the light of a wick.

Here are a few of our favourites, to help you unwind in style…

Prada Candy Florale

Christian Lacroix Montmajour Capturing the spirit of the House of Christian Lacroix, from fragrance house Welton, the woody floral aroma of this candle is like an embrace.

Warming amber, milky sandalwood and accords of cypress tree have been blended to evoke memories of the abbey of Montmajour.

(Not that we’ve ever been there. But this is definitely ‘transporting’…) £55 at Fortnum & Mason

Bella Freud Signature

A bursting bouquet, Candy Florale is Prada’s latest fragrance – and we’re pretty pleased it’s also now available as a gorgeous scented candle. Based on the idea of an imaginary flower, this tender and powdery blend is a spring-like mix of peony, musks, benzoin and sugary caramel, topped with an accord of limoncello. £40 at harrods.com

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Even before Bella Freud created the trio of fragrances you can read about on p.16, she launched her signature candles – with the help of Perfume Designer Azzi Glasser. The hand-poured candles are decorated with her sorecognisable doodles - and the one we like for this time of year is Bella Freud Signature: a heady, warming fragrance, featuring woody notes of smoked incense from Morocco, with cedar, amber and myrrh. £38 at bellafreud.com

BURN, BABY, BURN… Ever had a candle which just burns down the middle, leaving loads of wax around the edge of the container? To avoid that, the first time you light any new candle, allow it to burn long enough to melt the wax all the way to the edge…

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Etro Ambra

Dior 30 Montaigne Dior’s ultra-exclusive candles are hidden gems in their fragrant collection – three in all. Bois Brulé is all smoked woods and fireside warmth, while Ambre Nuit garlands sexy amber with rose. Our favourite? The so-chic spiced Oriental 30 Montaigne (named after the address of Dior’s couture house), which also features notes of white amber, Virginian cedarwood, Madagascan vanilla and Arabian incense. Do candles get any chic-er than this…? £65 from the Dior Beauty Boutique in Selfridges, London

Alice Temperley Empress

As the wax slowly melts, this enchanting essence spreads across the room, filling the air with the sensual scent of that precious and most mysterious perfume ingredient: ambergris. Fresh accords of bergamot intertwine with spicy coriander, both gently softened by the addition of labdanum. Very comforting, as the nights draw in. £45 at Liberty

Jenny Packham for NEOM The rich and heady ‘Real Luxury’ candle and elegant, sparkling ‘Happiness’ are already among British aromatherapy brand NEOM’s bestselling candles.

Now they’ve been all jazzed up for the autumn/winter season by Jenny Packham, best-known for her stunning evening-wear. Explains Jenny, ‘I’m a huge believer that scent is linked to mood and I think we all associate certain scents with certain memories. I found it impossible to choose just one NEOM candle: I’m drawn to the light elegance of the Happiness scent (white neroli, mimosa flowers, lemon) – but I’m equally seduced by the glamour of Real Luxury (lavender, jasmine, Brazilian rosewood). I love both – as I think many women would…’ Especially in Jenny’s versions, which feature 18 carat gold, on the outside of the luxe containers.

From £80 for the Luxury Candle to £295 for the Ultimate Candle (150 hour burn time) at neomorganics.com

This glorious candle blends blackcurrant, rose, frangipani and ylang ylang, orange blossom, sambac jasmine and violet, with patchouli, cashmeran, tonka and vanilla pulsing in the background.

Dressed up in a vibrant red glass, this would glow gorgeously on any mantelpiece, we think. £25 at temperleylondon.com

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Why don’t you...

EXPLORE THE LEGACY OF DIANA VREELAND? Taste-maker, talent-spotter, magazine editor - and later curator of a dozen stunning exhibitions at New York’s Institute of Costume - Diana Vreeland was one of the fashion world’s most influential figures. Now, Jo Fairley reveals, she’s been ‘reincarnated’, in perfume form, by her descendants…

First off: Diana Vreeland and I go back a long way. My contemporaries might have had posters of boy bands on their bedroom walls, but mine were plastered with tearsheets from vintage copies of American Bazaar and Vogue, fashion-edited by an extroardinary figure with boot-polish black hair, panto-dame red cheeks, style in spades - and a penchant for outrageous pronouncements.

‘Unshined shoes are the end of civilisation.’ ‘Pink is the navy blue of india.’ ‘The bikini is the most important thing since the atom bomb.’

And – which really shaped my destiny – ‘There’s only one very good life, and that’s the life that you know you want and you make it for yourself.’ With a spectacular gift for language, she even coined new words and phrases – like ‘pizazz’, and ‘youthquake’, and ‘the beautiful people’.

Suburban teen I may have been, but Diana Vreeland was my style icon, my inspiration, my idol. When, some years later, I found myself editing magazines – first Look Now and later Honey – not only was Mrs. Vreeland never far from my thoughts, but when her autobiography D.V. was published in the UK, I bought the rights for Honey and ran a Diana Vreeland column every month. Later still I was sent to New York by W Magazine to cover the auction of her astonishing costume jewellery collection – and I still kick myself for not buying those bejeweled Chanel cuffs, even if

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‘ I think allure is something around you, like a perfume or like a scent. It’s like a memory… it pervades’ Diana Vreeland they were the equivalent of several months’ mortgage payments, at the time: I’d be wearing them every single darned day of my iife, now. (My own red-walled drawing room, meanwhile, is a tribute to her ‘signature’ paint colour – though I’ve never quite been brave enough to accessorise it with leopard print rugs, as Mrs. Vreeland did both at home and in her office...)

Diana Dalziel was born in Paris

in 1903, into an affluent but lessthan-creative family (English father, American mother, BTW). She was never pretty: the embodiment of the French phrase ‘jolie laide’ (or ‘ugly beautiful’). But as she commented, ‘You don’t have to be born beautiful to be wildly attractive’. Debonair and charming Yale graduate, Reed Vreeland, fell for her allure, and the Vreelands soon had two sons: ‘Frecky’ (Frederick) and ‘Timmy’ (Timothy).

The Vreelands spent a few years soon after their marriage in London, rubbing shoulders (and sharing dancefloors) with high society. Here, Diana first befriended photographer Cecil Beaton, who became a life-long friend. She ran a lingerie business, too, where her clients included Wallis Simpson, before the family returned to Manhattan.

And in early spring of 1936, Carmel Snow, the long-time editor of Harper’s Bazaar, watched as a young, darkhaired woman glided across the dance floor at the St. Regis hotel in New York, wearing a white Chanel lace dress with a bolero, roses in her jet-black hair. Snow promptly invited Diana Vreeland her to write a style column called ‘Why Don’t You…?’ Its invitations were often outrageous, mostly entirely unachievable for the woman in the street – but always inventive (and usually witty, too). ‘Why don’t you own, as does one extremely smart woman, twelve diamond roses of all sizes?’ (Beyond almost

fashionably fragrant

anyone’s budget - but enough to get you thinking: could I be truffling out diamanté versions, in flea markets…)

In all, she spent over 25 years at Bazaar – but was itching for new challenges. (Along the way, though, she also handed out style advice to her friend Jackie Kennedy Onassis.) In 1963, Diana Vreeland was head-hunted to be editor-inchief of American Vogue, bringing her signature flair to that title, in an even more powerful role. As her then-accessories editor Nuala Boylan observed, ‘A limousine would arrive, in the late morning or at lunchtime, and the door would snap open, and she would step out dressed in her usual head-to-foot black – cashmere sweater, black wrap skirt, the pointed shoes, now famous, that were polished on the bottoms. The hands were beautifully manicured, the hair just-so…’

During her Vogue tenure, Diana Vreeland published some of the most striking fashion images ever seen. She had an unerring ability to recognise change as it was happening – and capture it for the readers of her magazine: not just through clothes, but reporting on music, art, dance. Even after leaving Vogue, Diana Vreeland continued to make her mark, taking up a role at the Metropolitan Museum Institute of Costume, putting together shows like ‘Diaghilev’, ‘La Belle Époque’, and her grand finale, ‘Yves Saint Laurent: 25 Years of Design’.

Those of us who worshipped her creativity continued to look up to

what she’d created, with such aplomb and style. But in 2011, more than two decades after her death from a heart attack at the age of 86, ‘Dee-ah-nah’ was introduced to a wider audience than ever before, via a wonderful documentary called The Eye Has To Travel, an intimate portrait in which figures like Ali McGraw (who started out as her assistant), David Bailey, Angelica Huston and Oscar de la

Why don’t you... … have two pairs of day shoes exactly alike, except that one has thin rubber soles for damp days? Any cobbler can put these on. … tie black tulle bows on your wrists? … put your dogs in bright collars and leads like all the dogs in Paris? … wear black leather mules with red leather heels? … rinse your blond child’s hair in dead Champagne to keep it gold, as they do in France? … wear loose velvet gloves in wonderful colours – the right hand in violet velvet, the left in burgundy?

Renta (she ‘discovered’ him), put together by Lisa Immordino-Vreeland, who’s married to Mrs. Vreeland’s grandson Alexander.

It’s Alexander who’s behind this next chapter in Mrs. Vreeland’s ‘after-life’, if you like. Personally, I’ve a strong hunch that if she was working today, Diana Vreeland would herself have created a signature line of fragrances: a life-long perfumelover, she had candles burning, incense alight and bowls of pot pourri all around her, writing often about the importance of perfumes.

(While working at the Met, she would even pump fragrance into the air conditioning ducts!) And to me, the Diana Vreeland Parfums collection conjures up her spirit better than a Ouija board ever could: rich scents (created by perfume house IFF), in beautifully-tasseled bottles (designed by the legendary Fabien Baron), all packaged in – what else? – red, red, red boxes. Exclusive to Selfridges, the collection includes Extravagance Russe (rich ambers and resins), Perfectly Marvelous (jasmine and cashmere woods), Outrageously Vibrant (rose and patchouli), Simply Divine (dedicated to the tuberose flower), and Absolutely Vital (precious woods and rose absolute). It’s fair to say there’s been a bit of cynical whingeing in the blogosphere about this posthumous collection – to which I’d say: ‘Why don’t you... stop being so snooty, and splash some on?’

Because personally, knowing her as well as a stranger can from devouring every magazine article, every book and every snippet of film about Diana Vreeland that I could get my hands on (not to mention drooling over her faux jewels at Sotheby’s), I can’t help thinking that she’d think this fragrant adventure was really rather ‘mah-vellous’….

The Diana Vreeland Collection is priced from £133 for 50ml eau de parfum from selfridges.com. For more info about Diana Vreeland visit dianavreeland.com, or read Diana Vreeland: An Illustrated Biography, by Eleanor Dwight (Harper Design)

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the best things come in small parcels

the day Paris rained perfume

Alice Jones discovers how one tiny powerhouse of a woman – Madame Carven – changed the face of fragrance launches, with an innovative PR ‘wheeze’. (And founded quite some perfume empire, while she was at it…)

w

e’ve been to a few launches in our time.

Been crooned at by Charles Aznavour, for Lancôme Poême. Watched a ballet, created specially for the launch of Dior Poison. Helicoptered to Bergerac to see the Givenchy logo planted out in blue and yellow flowers from above - before being plied with Champagne in a chateau. But even we’ve never seen perfume parachute from the sky, for its launch…

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The launch of Ma Griffe (the perfume) was a landmark in the history of fragrance marketing. Imagine: you’re driving through Paris - look up, and hundreds of tiny green and white parachutes are wafting from the sky, each carrying a very special cargo - a miniature sample of a couture scent. No surprise that this daringly innovative launch created a massive traffic jam, due to hordes of excited Parisians. It was so successful, so talked-about, that – as

Carven reported: ‘the lingering scent of Ma Griffe floated everywhere: at the Opéra, at charity balls, at the most fashionable sports events from Deauville to Monte Carlo.’

But who was Carven? For a start she was tiny. Measuring in at a mere 5’1”, Carmen de Tommaso took her mother’s criticism that she would ‘never be elegant’ - and utterly turned it on its head by focusing her efforts on the world of fashion and becoming a powerhouse designer. Using her seamstress skills and innate sense of style, she created a line of clothes designed for petite women like herself, who found dressing a rather challenging task at times. (FYI, Carven was born in Poitiers – and got her brand new name by splicing part of her first name with that of a beloved aunt, Madame Boyriven.)

At the end of World War II, she opened a studio in Paris on the Champs Élysées - becoming known in the city as ‘the smallest of big couturiers’. The House of Carven’s popularity exploded after the design of ‘Ma Griffe’, the name given to a green and white striped summer dress which went down an absolute storm.

And in a marriage of fashion and fragrance, the sheer success of ‘that dress’ gave rise to the launch of a scent of the same name, in 1946. ‘Ma Griffe’ translates as ‘my signature’ – in other words, a way to leave a trace. It was – and remains – a ravishing floral, launched a time when chemists were working to create exciting new notes.

Composed by legendary perfumer Jean Carles, the ingredients include ylang ylang, jasmine, rose, vetiver – and an innovative ‘gardenia green bud’ note, giving Ma Griffe its distinctive green-ness.

Perfumery shops were decked out in the signature green and white hues, which became an iconic colour scheme.

The choice of colours was justified by the lady herself as ‘white for innocence, youth and freshness’ and ‘green because to me it’s the most beautiful colour in the world.’

The fragrance did so well that it went on to become the very first to be sold on an aircraft - quite fitting, following the style in which it launched…

Carven became a darling of the couture set, renowned for designs that lengthened the figure, flatteringly. And over the next five decades or so she continued to head up the fashion house, dressing a whole host of famous faces and launching an array of new collections, from menswear to swimwear – and a line especially for ‘juniors’ which was described as ‘the breath of youth’. ‘She had the intuition to appeal to young girls at a time when couturiers mostly dressed older women,’ a teacher at the Institute Français de la Mode later said in a tribute. Drawing inspiration from world travel, Carven’s designs often focused on ethnic fabrics, from Africa, from India - but no matter what direction she chose to go in, the infamous green and white stripes followed her.

Madame Carven draping one of her signature exotic fabrics on a model; Ma Griffe - and its green and white advertising; a beautiful Carven coat puts a spring in a model’s step

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the best things come in small parcels

Impressively, Madame Carven didn’t retire until 1993, at the age of 84 – and was quoted saying ‘couture brought me happiness. I did everything I could to make women beautiful.’ Then everything went a little quiet from Carven - until Guillaume Henry took over as Creative Director in 2009, moving from Givenchy. He brought a young, fresh spirit to the house, injecting clothes with the casual elegance Carven has always been renowned for – and introducing the label to a new generation of Carvenistas, from Isabelle Huppert to Emma Watson. The Carven girl can be spotted a mile off - and her charming French style (neat jacket, crisp cute shirt and full skirt) still owes much to Madame Carven herself, reworked for today’s fashion-lover.

There’s no question that fragrance has also helped to put Carven back on the fashion map - via Carven Le Parfum, an exquisite composition by perfumer Francis Kurkdijan. ‘I wanted to play with the Carven values in a feminine mode: timeless elegance that also seems absolutely effortless,’ Kurkdjian said of the sparkling floral, which marked the revival of the Carven fragrance house. ‘I wanted a fragrance that would resemble a huge bouquet of freshly-cut flowers.

With a temperament and a lingering sillage.’ (You can try it in our Fashion & Fragrance Discovery Box...)

Carven L’Eau de Toilette was added, as an ‘ode to freshness and femininity against a backdrop of softness,’ airily fusing notes of peony, sweet pea, freesia, musk and sandalwood. And long-standing fans of Ma Griffe have happily welcomed that scent back into their fragrance wardrobes: the return of a true classic. Each of the bottles – a nod to their extraordinary couture heritage – flutters with a little silken label bearing the legend: ‘CARVEN’.

What’s next…? Better keep an eye on the sky, we say…

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“

The lingering scent of Ma Griffe floated everywhere: at the Opéra, at charity balls, at the most fashionable sports events from Deauville to Monte Carlo

”

Launching

September 25th 2014

A must for every perfume-lover (and a fabulous Christmas gift), with 192 beautifully-illustrated colour pages…

• How to find your next scent ‘love’

© peshkova - Fotolia.com

• Follow the journey of ingredients from field to flacon • Discover the top 100 fragrances to try before you die • Track down the world’s best perfume shops And much, much more…

RRP £25 hardback at www.perfumesociety.org, www.victoriahealth.com and www.amazon.co.uk and at selected Fenwick Beauty Departments and good bookshops everywhere The

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how to build a You wouldn’t wear the same shoes every day – so why restrict yourself to a solitary ‘signature scent’? Leading fragrance writer Suzy Nightingale shares advice on building a fragrance wardrobe. (And gives us a peek at hers…)

The elusive search for a ‘signature scent’ has befuddled many an otherwise perfectly level-headed woman: that one true love who will supposedly meet your every need, match your every mood and mark you out as uniquely ‘you’ wherever you go. I am here to tell you the existence of such a perfume is poppycock, and that unless you’re a tomcat you really shouldn’t require one smell to identify yourself to those around you.

Nowadays it’s far more acceptable to acquire a wardrobe of fragrances catering to your many moods and the multitude of occasions that make up your busy life.

Just as jeans and a white shirt are a great fashion basic, but may not be deemed acceptable for a high-powered meeting or a glitzy cocktail party, one solitary perfume is unlikely to express every facet of your personality. And perfume should be fun - a hushed whisper of intriguing hints rather than a name tag sewn to a uniform.

Casting off the shackles of feeling enslaved to your comfy old fave is quite another matter. But actually, the best place to start is with what you have already...

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If you literally only have one perfume that you wear constantly, do a bit of research online and find out name of the nose who designed it this is an excellent starting point in your quest for tentatively branching out. Just as top chefs and fashion designers have a signature style or cut, many perfumers stamp their mark in the accords they create. Never imagine you know exactly which notes you love and hate, though.

For many years I laboured under the misapprehension that I simply could not abide rose and lavender in any form; now several of my favourites contain those very ingredients – it all depends on the quality, and how they are used.

When trying something new, allow yourself to fall under the spell of the

smell alone. Focus on how it makes you feel, the images it conjures up.

Think of the roles you play, at work, as a friend, a mother, a lover – the different masks you wear or perhaps would like to try on for size. Throw a ‘Bring a Bottle’ perfume party for your friends: get everyone to bring all their perfumes – especially ones they were given as gifts and are languishing on dusty shelves. Try them, swap them, critique them – surprise yourselves. Be brave!

There are many people who cling to the idea that Orientals should only be worn in the evening or during

fragrance

notes from the blogosphere

wardrobe SUZY’S SCENTS have written off at first sniff but fell madly in love with after trying again, sometimes a few days or even weeks later. Try some sample vials, several times in the privacy of your own home, rather than being spritzed by a sales assistant and feeling obliged to make up your mind on the spot.

Carry them with you, try something new just for the evening, a weekend away or when meeting an old friend for lunch – nothing beats someone leaning in for a closer smell and saying ‘Wow, you smell wonderful, what is it?’ to bolster your confidence for adding further to your wardrobe of scented disguises...

To build your fragrance wardrobe, visit www.perfumesociety.org and use FR.eD, our on-line ‘virtual fragrance advisor’...

Ormonde Jayne Ormonde Woman.

Sumptuously intoxicating, I’ve never worn this without receiving a compliment – one I pull out when craving attention.

Al-Rehab Perfumes Choco Musk. For days when I think ‘sod it all - I want to dress like fairy tale princess, smell like cookie dough and skip around the garden like a five year old’.

4160 Tuesdays A Kiss By The Fireside.

Comfortingly sexy; herbaceous, a lightly- spiced floral for days I want to feel cosy but in control.

Donna Karan Black Cashmere. Incense rich and snuggly as a blanket, I wear it for inner-strength.

Gorilla Perfumes (Lush) Dad’s Garden Chamomile & Honeysuckle. For soothing away the cares of the day. Meditation in a bottle.

Penhaligon’s Vaara.

A boho summer staple: mouthwateringly fruity and intensely feminine without overpowering.

Papillon Perfumes Tobacco Rose. Richly smoked blowsy rose. For cocktail parties and whenever I want to feel like Bette Davies (which is quite often).

The

© piai - Fotolia.com

the colder months. But as someone who unapologetically wore Chanel Coco aged 10, I rather enjoy flying in the face of such old-fashioned olfactory rules. I am a self-confessed fragrance floozy – I flit from one to the other and back again with abandon.

Life’s too short to commit to just one – would you wear the same outfit or eat one meal, day in day out for the rest of your life? ‘I’m saving it for best…’ is a phrase that enrages me – best what? The day George Clooney comes knocking? Get real and wear it whenever the hell you feel like it.

Be patient when sampling a new perfume: spray and walk away and never judge immediately. You might detest the first three minutes of top notes but be bowled over by the heart and dry-down. I can’t tell you the number of fragrances I would

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100 years of fashion & fragrance

THE MOST FAMOUS FASHION HOUSE YOU’VE NEVER HEARD OF Confession: until I worked in the beauty industry, I

Nina Ricci. Carolina Herrera.

Paco Rabanne. Jean-Paul Gaultier. The Spanish house of Puig has partnered with some of the greatest designers of our times to create fabulous fragrances, and (in some cases) grow their fashion empires across the globe. To mark Puig’s 100th anniversary in 2014, we thought it was time they took a bow - and sent The Perfume Society’s Alice Crocker to shine the spotlight on this historic (if slightly unpronounceable) perfume name…

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had never heard of Puig. Once I had, then came the hard bit: learning how to say it. And since then, I’ve chuckled at my desk as I’ve heard many a perfume world newbie try to pronounce it. Is it ‘Pu-ig’. ‘Poo-yge’? ‘Poo-ug?’ Well, actually, for those of you still trying to get your tongue around the name, it’s ‘Pooch’. Yup, like the dog.

But just who are Puig, anyway? First and foremost, a family business. And one of the biggest distributors in the perfume world, bringing you scents from names you most definitely do recognise. Prada. Valentino. Comme des Garçons, among others - making them definitely the most famous fashion fragrance house you’ve probably never heard of. (And going beyond perfume, they actually own many of the fashion houses behind the scents…)

Puig is actually the surname of Antonio Puig - born in October 1889, who spent his early years near Barcelona, before his father moved the family into that city and packed Antonio off to school in Finsbury, London. An entrepreneur from the word ‘go’, even before Antonio headed back home to Barcelona (in 1912) he’d started a company importing French perfumes, among other seriously glamorous commodities.

Shortly after meeting his wife Julia, Señor Puig launched his first lipstick, entitled ‘Milady’. By 1940, after endless hurdles due to Spanish import restrictions, Puig collaborated with French perfumer Segal, to create his first fragrance: ‘Agva Lavanda’ – a fresh Cologne designed to evoke a sense of the wind sweeping through fields of sage, thyme and lavender. (Puig was so dedicated to this debut fragrance that his youngest son, Enrique, liked to joke that it was the juice of Agva Lavanda, not blood, which ran through his father’s veins.)

Thanks to the great success of Agva Lavanda - there must almost have been a time when the whole of Spain smelled aromatically of lavender - Puig’s business survived the austerity of World War II. It was time for a new HQ, to mirror Puig’s status. Even by the standards of a city known for its stunning buildings, the new ‘home’ was striking. An architect was commissioned to restructure the frontage and build a magnificent sweeping staircase.

And this opulent, almost overwhelmingly elegant introduction to the world of Puig is said to have boosted Puig’s prosperity, its ‘wow’ factor sealing the deal with Historic bottles of breezy Agva Lavanda flank a photo of the stunning staircase at Puig former HQ; the desginer Paco Rabanne; Puig is behind names like Valentino, Nina Ricci and Prada perfumes, shown here - and today, this family business is still headed up by a Puig - Harvard MBA Marc Puig, pictured here

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100 years of fashion & fragrance

some of the key fashion brands in its portfolio.

From father to son: that was how it went, at Puig.

(Antonio Puig is pictured on the previous page with his four sons.) Before his death in 1979, Antonio handed the business down to the two eldest, who proved as smart as Papa. Antonio Puig Jr., for instance, understood innately how important packaging is to our pleasure in perfume.

He worked with a man called André Ricard, a creative driving force first employed by his father when Antonio Sr. was seeking a native Spanish designer. They collaborated on a bottle redesign for Agva Lavanda - and Ricard later went on to produce beautiful flacons for many notable brands, including the early fragrance creations for elegant

Venezuelan designer Carolina Herrera de Baez. Graphic designer Yves Zimmerman, meanwhile, was tasked with coming up with the Puig logo - and in the 1980s,all three of these men won Spain’s National Design Award in consecutive years, further cementing Puig’s reputation for creativity and panache.

You can still find the Puig name on many of their own fragrances – if you’re in the right place. In Spain and other sun-baked Latin countries it’s synonymous with refreshment: scents to splash and cool and lift the spirits. In 1968 Puig launched the fresh, masculine scent of Agua Brava - like Agua Lavanda, a huge hit. But Puig had a shade more marketing savvy than most Spanish beauty brands, at that

Photograph: Arthur Elgort

Carolina Herrera’s signature fragrance launch became supersuccessful, and her fashion fragrance portfolio goes on blossoming

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“

If I am Paco Rabanne today, it is thanks to the Puig family. My relationship with them has been the greatest pleasure of my life

time. They had their eye on haute couture in January 2008 the catwalk, and on the names with an emotional fashion which were on every fashionshow in Paris, few thought lover’s lips. that the house he’d founded Through a longstanding in 1962 could survive without connection, Mariano Puig was him. But in part thanks to introduced to Paco Rabanne, the launch of stunning and whose avant garde fashions exciting new fragrances like including metal dresses - had Valentina, with its leathercaught the world’s eye. And flowered bottle, the Valentino with the help of legendary name has gone from strength perfume bottle designer to strength, as much-loved Pierre Dinand, they launched by red carpet A-listers as ever Calandre - a floral chypre that - and adored by perfumistas remains a classic today, in the world over. its timeless metal-and-glass Then there’s Prada – one of bottle. Launched in 1973, the biggest designer names Paco Rabanne the signature scent Paco in the world. And in 2011, Rabanne was almost as big a Jean-Paul Gaultier, who said hit. By 1987, Puig wasn’t only distributing Paco Rabanne’s of his relationship with Puig: ‘When I met them, it was what fragrances, but the clothing itself. The designer’s been you call a coup de foudre: I knew immediately that we were quoted as saying: ‘If I am Paco Rabanne today, it is thanks made for one another.’ to the Puig family. My relationship with them has been the Another Puig steers the ship, nowadays – Harvard MBA greatest pleasure of my life.’

Marc Puig, who’s been CEO since 2004, and has overseen On the strength of these successes, Puig grew hungry for the move into one a Barcelona skyscraper known simply as international expansion, with subsidiaries around the globe.

‘Puig Tower’ – swift elevators replacing beautiful staircases, The New York ‘arm’ - which actually began in the slightly to whisk famous fashion names skywards for their meetings. less-than-glamorous setting of a disused garage - proved How proud would Antonio be, of the style with which his hugely successful, its first big ‘win’ when Agva Lavanda descendants have over a century turned a family business appeared on the shelves of high-profile stores including into a global empire selling ‘bottled fantasies’ in over 130 Saks Fifth Avenue. Key to the Stateside success of Puig was countries - which is studied as a business benchmark at a man called Fernando Aleu, who became involved in the Marc Puig’s former university, no less…? business – and as with so many successes, it’s not just about So remember the name behind the label, when you’re what you know, but who you know. spraying a Carolina Herrera, dabbing on a Paco Rabanne, Because Fernando Aleu was introduced to socialite or perfuming yourself with Prada. Or maybe slipping on a and new fashion designer Carolina Herrera, at a fragrance Gaultier jacket, or a Valentino gown (if you’re really lucky). awards ceremony. She told him she’d just signed a deal to And repeat after me: it’s ‘Pooch’… launch her first scent with Revlon – at which Aleu smiled that she should give him a call ‘should the project develop a flat tyre’. Sure enough, the tyre went flat – and Carolina came calling. Her 1988 signature fragrance launch (with PERFUMED PRIZE Puig) – a sublime floral – became super-successful, and her fashion fragrance portfolio just goes on blossoming, to For Puig’s 100th birthday, Assouline has published include the 212 fragrances that perfectly capture New York’s a gorgeous coffee table book: Puig, 100 Years of energy and vitality. a Family Business - and Puig is offering a copy to Puig has become some dynasty. Marian Puig, Jr. joined one Perfume Society VIP Subscriber. We’ll add to the business and not only breathed deserved new life the prize with the special into the Paco Rabanne perfumes, but by the late 90’s had bespoke trio of scented signed on the dotted line to acquire Nina Ricci’s fashion votives Puig produced and fragrance houses, and Herrera’s fashion empire (on top ‘to commemorate our of her perfume portfolio). Thus Puig was catapulted into the success stories in the big league of luxury fashion brands: an international fashion world of fashion and house, about much, much more than scent. fragrance – but also to It certainly hasn’t stopped there. Along came fragrances continue building our for Mango. And Agatha Ruiz de la Prada (not quite so dreams.’ For your chance well-known outside Puig’s native Spain, but a household of winning, mply enter name there). In 2002, Manuel Puig – who’d moved to the prize draw In the VIP Paris, couture epicentre of the planet, to show just how SUBSCRIBER zone of seriously Puig takes design – approached Japanese label www.perfumesociety.org.

Comme des Garçons, landing a deal to distribute their key fragrances. When couturier Valentino Garavani retired from

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first whiffs

latest launches Welcome to the round-up of our curated ‘finds’ from among autumn’s exciting - and often seriously sensual - launches. Most are widely available (and where they’re not, we tell you). So now, as a Perfume Society subscriber, head out with your booklet of blotters - and sniff them out for yourself…

FIND A FRAGRANCE Have you tried FR.eD? He’s the very clever ‘virtual fragrance advisor’ on www.perfumesociety.org, first developed by The Perfume Society’s Lorna McKay in the early 1990s - and (we think) the first of its kind in the world. Today, FR.eD - short for ‘Fragrance Editor’ - has been given a 21st Century makeover, to help you find new perfumes you’re likely to love, out of the thousands out there. Here’s how to use FR.eD...

1 Go to FIND A FRAGRANCE (via the top menu on the website, or the central panel.)

2 Input a fragrance you already wear and love.

3 FR.eD will then make six suggestions across different price-points of fragrances for you to try.

4 Click on each fragrance to read more about it, discover its ‘family’ - and where to find it on-line or in stores. NB we do always suggest wearing them before buying, to be sure you’re in love...

5 FR.eD’s great way to find a replacement for a discontinued scent - or a gift for a friend. (Just type in what they already wear...) Currently women’s and ‘shared’ scents only - but we’ll be adding men’s later.

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As scentophiles know, fragrances fall into different ‘families’. So we’ve used the same classification system for launches as on our www.perfumesociety.org website. Just look for the coloured strip above the name of the perfume, which is your visual clue to the families. (These are listed below.) Most of us are drawn to a specific family/families: once you know which you fall into, that colour can act as a cue – and help you take a short-cut to the ones you may want to try first…

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FOUGERE

ACQUA DI PARMA ROSA NOBILE

AESOP MARRAKECH INTENSE

ATKINSON’S 24 OLD BOND STREET TRIPLE EXTRACT

Embodying ‘elegance and femininity,’ Rosa Nobile is ‘a thousand petals on the skin.’ It captures and celebrates the scent of dewy, honeyed, justpicked roses with bright top notes of Sicilian mandarin, Calabrian bergamot and a dusting of pepper to bring freshness. The heart blends rich floral notes of lily of the valley, powdery violet, peony with the classic Centifolia rose, before mellow cedarwood, ambergris and musks emerge on your warm skin. £98 for 100ml eau de parfum at Selfridges

The first fine fragrance for the Australian natural beauty brand has been created by rule-breaking perfumer Barnabé Fillion – a sophisticated evolution from Aesop’s debut scent (the original Marrakech), with brilliant jasmine, bergamot and neroli lighting up the construction. To start with, this shareable creation is less ‘souk’ than ‘dazzling Moroccan sunshine and colour’. Then the woods and spice notes drift in - and animalic touches, for a distinctly sexy edge. £53 for 50ml eau de toilette aesop.com

In celebration of 200 years of Atkinson’s, Christine Nagel and Violaine Collas bring you an extraconcentrated Cologne of awardwinning 24 Old Bond Street, a nod to the illustrious address where the brand has its roots. Top notes of aromatic juniper and cardamom, heart notes of whiskey and rose, plus a base of cedar, musk, ambergris and black tea make this equally beguiling for men and women. £85 for 50ml eau de Cologne Concentré natural spray at Selfridges (from end September)

BELLA FREUD 1970

BELLA FREUD GINSBERG IS GOD

BELLA FREUD JE T’AIME JANE

A trio of scented Bella Freud delights has landed exclusively at Harvey Nichols - and if this doesn’t tap into your inner hippie, nothing will. As stylish, warm and wearable as Bella’s cashmeres, 1970’s rich in frankincense, vanilla-y benzoin and myrrh, with hints of blonde woods.

To Bella, it’s ‘the hedonist, the girl dancing until dawn on the beach of Formentera, the smell of incense in the warm night air...’ We totally get that. £65 for 50ml eau de parfum harveynichols.com

Beat poet Alan Ginsberg was Bella’s inspiration for this, reincarnated by perfume designer Azzi Glasser through a shareable blend of black pepper, elemi, wormwood, moss and leather - and the sacred resins and woods offered in temples as gifts to the gods. It ‘conjures up the tousledheaded poet surrounded by books and papers, the scent of green leaves and spring drifting in through the open windows.’ To us, it’s green, green, wonderfully green... £65 for 50ml eau de parfum harveynichols.com

‘Girlish and playful, leaving a trail of intrigue. She is the free spirit with a guitar, a baby and long bare legs.’ (If that sounds like Jane Birkin, you’re spot-on.) An ultra-feminine posy of jasmine night flower absolute, Queen of the Night, ylang ylang and orange blossom, this beautiful floral evolves to show its mysterious, seductive side, through a base of black oudh, sandalwood and powdery musks. £65 for 50ml eau de parfum harveynichols.com

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BEYONCÉ HEAT WILD ORCHID

BRITNEY SPEARS FANTASY STAGE EDITION

BURBERRY MY BURBERRY

Created by perfumer Honorine Blanc from fragrance house Firmenich, Wild Orchid is the latest ‘sister’ to Beyoncé’s bestselling scent, Heat.

And like the ‘queen of fierce’ herself, this is a dazzling, seductive scent with top notes of coconut water, pomegranate and boysenberry, heart notes of honeysuckle, blooming magnolia and butterfly orchid and a base fusing amber, musks and blonde woods. Beyoncé fans will be crazy – right now – for it. £24.95 for 30ml eau de parfum at The Perfume Shop

Ta-dah! This is Britney Spears in the role that suits her best - on stage as an iconic pop princess. The latest to join her extraordinary bestselling collection of fragrances, Fantasy Stage Edition is devised to ‘motivate my fans to be fearless’. How? Via a fruity-floral cocktail of red lychee, kiwi and quince in the overture; gourmand cupcake accord, jasmine and white chocolate orchid at the centre, overlaying powdery orris root, woods and musk in the finale. £29.50 for 50ml eau de parfum at Boots

Burberry’s newest is a tribute to the brand’s signature trench coat, right down to the bottle design (with its trench material bow) and a hornfinished cap as an echo of the buttons. By Francis Kurkdjian, the fruity-floral fragrance opens with sweet pea and bergamot before developing smoothly into the warm embrace of vibrant geranium, golden quince and freesia. In the base, enjoy accords of patchouli, damask rose and Centifolia rose. £65 for 50ml eau de parfum burberry.com

CALVIN KLEIN REVEAL

CARON LADY CARON

CHANEL COCO NOIR L’EXTRAIT

‘The erotic possibility of a game between equals’. Calvin Klein seduces with this new ‘solar Oriental’, recalling hazy sunsets (and a touch of cashmere, for when the evening cools…) But first, encounter unexpected notes of raw salt/iodine, with spicy pink, white and black pepper. Sweet, powdery and feminine orris and ambergris combine with solar accord in the heart, beckoning you towards the sensual warmth of sandalwood, vetiver and cashmeran. £52 for 50ml eau de parfum at Debenhams

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Caron ‘nose’ Richard Fraysse created the floral chypre Lady Caron in 2000 - but we’re so enjoying this reworked version.

Lush fruit notes of peach and raspberry are generously garlanded by creamy petals of magnolia, jasmine and rose, richly underpinned with oak moss. It’s a tribute to Caron founder Ernest Daltroff’s first sighting of the Statue of Liberty - ‘Lady Liberty’ - when he fled Paris and the Nazis for the US. £105 for 100ml eau de parfum at Fortnum & Mason

In its sexy little black bottle, the new parfum interpretation of Chanel’s Oriental ‘shrouds the Coco Noir night in mystery’, according to creator Jacques Polge. Velvety and sensual, Noir plays up the ‘baroque’ facet of the original, accenting the elements of Bourbon vanilla and New Caledonian sandalwood which smoulder alongside patchouli and tonka bean. It’s inspired by the city of Venice, where Chanel spent time and just as mysterious. £165 for 15ml parfum extrait harrods.com

DKNY MYNY

The vibrancy and power of New York has been harnessed. Fronted

by Rita Ora – who describes the scent as ‘pure energy in a bottle’ – the floral Chypre composition by perfumer Trudi Loren features crisp green top notes of raspberry, galbanum and pink pepper and a dazzling heart of Egyptian jasmine, freesia and roots of orris, before its complex and irresistible base of patchouli, creamy vanilla absolute, ambergris and musk is revealed. £37 for 30ml eau de parfum debenhams.com

ELIE SAAB ESSENCE NO.3 AMBRE

The exotic third scent in the lavish La Collection des Essences quartet is a warming composition featuring patchouli, sandalwood, amber and opopanax. For this, Francis Kurkdjian once again drew inspiration from the opulence of Elie Saab’s haute couture, as seen on the red carpet (and worn by real-life princesses and queens…)

The notes work together to embrace you with warmth – a perfect choice as the autumn evenings grow crisper and No.3 definitely leaves you craving more of its ambery smoothness. £160 for 100ml at Harrods

ELIE SAAB ESSENCE NO.1 ROSE

La Collection des Essences is a new quartet of ultra-luxe unisex scents from glamorous Lebanese couturier Elie Saab, each drawing inspiration from the feel of his signature rare fabrics and couture gowns. Essence No.1 Rose is romantically described as the scent of a rose with ‘a thousand faces’; the composition by Francis Kurkdjian further turbo-charges Bulgarian, Turkish, Centifolia and damask roses with a glorious accord of rose absolute. £160 for 100ml at Harrods

ELIE SAAB ESSENCE NO.4 OUD

Working on each of these four perfume commissions, perfumer Francis Kurkdjian visited Elie Saab’s haute couture salon to soak up the opulence and artisan craftsmanship. Each fragrance was inspired by a particular dress – and we’d love to see the gown behind Essence No.4 Oud, an Oriental that combine the aromas of black pepper, benzoin and agarwood (better known as oudh). We’re thinking gold embroidery, velvet, elegance and drama… £160 for 100ml at Harrods

ELIE SAAB ESSENCE NO.2 GARDENIA

Is it woody? Is it floral? In truth, this second in La Collection des Essences spans both fragrance families, but particularly focusing its attention on the heady white aroma of the glorious gardenia flower.

No.2 is every bit as beautiful as the couture runway creations it draws inspiration from, thanks to perfumer Francis Kurkdjian’s deft touch. The composition layers notes of Egyptian sambac jasmine, Indian sandalwood and – taking centre stage - that exotic gardenia note. £160 for 100ml at Harrods

FLORIS HONEY OUD

The Floris family has launched two new oudhs, exclusively for Harrods, to commemorate their standing as the store’s longest-serving supplier.

Honey Oud is a multi-faceted, Oriental woody fragrance, with a mouthwatering touch of sweet gourmand. The top opens with honey and vanilla, freshened with bergamot; the middle blends oudh oil, rose and patchouli - and then entices with its sweet and smoky base of amber, labdanum, vanilla and musk. £160 for 100ml eau de parfum at Harrods

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FLORIS LEATHER OUD

A second Oriental woody; reminiscent of the way Floris’s fragrance oils were originally delivered in small, leather suitcases. The top opens with fresh hints of leather and is combined with a bright citrus bergamot accord. The heart has the floral notes of geranium and carnation as well as patchouli and refined, sustainably sourced oudh. The base adds masculinity with vetiver, oudh and woody amber. £160 for 100ml eau de parfum at Harrods

HUGO BOSS MA VIE POUR FEMME

Influenced by the independent spirit of the Hugo Boss woman and her love of life’s simple pleasures, the new scent offers three elements entitled ‘modernity’, ‘femininity’ and ‘confidence’.

Fronted by Gwyneth Paltrow, the fresh accord of cactus blossom is followed by a delicate bouquet of rose bud, jasmine and freesia blossoming prettily at the heart, before the warming aroma of cedarwood reveals itself. £50 for 50ml eau de parfum at John Lewis

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FRANCIS KURKDJIAN FEMININ PLURIEL

GIVENCHY DAHLIA DIVIN

The essence of timeless femininity, like flowers in a portrait: for his own signature perfume house (he’s a busy man), Francis Kurkdjian here created an utterly entrancing, multi-faceted grand floral bouquet of iris, violet, Grasse rose, Egyptian jasmine, lily of the valley and orange blossom, perfectly balanced by Chypre accords of vetiver and Indonesian patchouli leaf. (Do also check out the men’s Masculin Pluriel – which you can read about on p.48.) £120 for 70ml eau de parfum selfridges.com

This sophisticated, feminine blend is ‘signed’ by perfumer Francois Demachy: inspired by the beauty and uniqueness of a lavish haute couture gown, it envelops with a delightful blend of accords including Mirabelle plum, vetiver, sandalwood and patchouli, all centred around the glorious white floral aroma of sambac jasmine. A warm, plummy floral, Dahlia encourages you to ‘embrace your inner Golden Goddess’ (she’s in there somewhere…) £45 for 30ml eau de parfum debenhams.com

JO MALONE LONDON WOOD SAGE & SEA SALT

JOVOY L’ART DE LA GUERRE

Sea salt is trend-to-watch, appearing in quite a few fragrances of late – including this new introduction to Jo Malone London’s collection. Created by master perfumer Christina Nagel, it perfectly captures the breezy (perhaps almost spiritual) feeling experienced when walking a windswept shore. Notes include ambrette seed, red algae, grapefruit, as well as those key components: sea salt and sage. To be sprayed – and enjoyed – in absolute gusts, we think. £82 for 100ml cologne jomalone.co.uk

We’d like to make a prediction: fougère fragrances are about to swing back into fragrant fashion – and also cross over from the traditionally male fragrance family to women’s perfumes. Jovoy is kickstarting the trend, with perfumer Vanina Muracciole’s mélange of Calabrian bergamot, Granny Smith Apple, rhubarb, lavender, immortelle, nutmeg, violet leaf, patchouli, sandalwood, leather, oakmoss and Corsican cistus. £100 for 100ml eau de parfum bloomperfume.co.uk

JUICY COUTURE VIVA LA JUICY GOLD COUTURE

JUL ET MAD AQUA SEXTIUS

Inside one of the season’s most show-stopping bottles – with its hand-tied net bow - discover ‘the ultimate elixir of sensuality’, as master perfumer Honorine Blanc describes this. It leads you into temptation with wild berries, sashaying boldly into a feminine heart of honeysuckle and jasmine sambac, finally seducing with golden amber, melted caramel, vanilla and sandalwood. Gold Couture delivers every ounce of the glamour we’ve come to expect from Juicy.

From £35 for 30 ml eau de parfum at Debenhams

Jul et Mad is a real-life love story: Julien and Madalina got married – and created perfumes together. This fourth chapter (by ‘nose’ Cécile Zarokian) celebrates their wedding in Aix-en-Provence: clinking ice cubes, joyous laughter, Aix’s fountains playing... That’s evoked in this green Chypre/citrus-amber scent through marine and citrusy notes, mimosa, white flowers, eucalyptus and mint, on a warm base which is rich in oakmoss, ambergris, labdanum, musk. £225 for 50 ml extrait de parfum at Harvey Nichols

LALIQUE AMETHYST ÉCLAT

LANCÔME LA VIE EST BELLE L’ABSOLU

We’d say this is the next-best-thing to picking a juicy hedgerow punnet of blackberries, with its dewy notes of raspberry, blackcurrant and nashi pear in the harvest of top notes.

Perfumer Nathalie Lorson – who created the original Lalique Amethyst – placed a bunch of peonies at the heart of Amethyst Éclat, beside soft, lemony magnolia and Bulgarian rose essence. Violet wood, vanilla and musks make for a powdery, sensual conclusion.

From £40 for 30 ml eau de parfum at Harrods

After launching their blockbuster La Vie Est Belle in 2012, by popular demand Lancôme invited perfumers Anne Flipo and Dominique Ropion to bring us an intense edition of this luxurious scent. Filipo and Ropion have enhanced the sweet accords of pear and blackcurrant in the top notes, its heart bursting with orange blossom, jasmine absolute, iris and Damascus rose. The base delivers the warmth of tonka bean, soft cashmere and praline. £52 for 20ml de parfum lancome.co.uk

KENZO JEU D’AMOUR

Master perfumers Daphné Bugey and Christophe Raynaud invite us to ‘play the game’ with this latest in Kenzo hugely successful ‘Amour’ series – a gourmand floral, bursting into life with fresh aromatic accords of tea, sharpened by blood mandarin and sweet pomegranate. Enjoy the sweetness of tuberose and freesia at Jeu d’Amour’s heart – but the real trump card is the base: silken, honeyed sandalwood and musk. £39 for 30ml eau de parfum at Debenhams

NARCISO NARCISO RODRIGEZ

Luxurious. ‘Slyly sexy’. Refined.

Featuring in our Perfume Society Fashion & Fragrance Discovery Box for autumn 2014, Narciso Rodriguez’s latest challenges conventional compositions. It’s heavy on the traditionally masculine note of vetiver in the base – yet cocooned by the feminine sweetness of musk, amber, white and dark cedars, Bulgarian rose and gardenia. The bottle is a stunner: a glass cube, ‘matched to a stone I found on the shore in Cyprus,’ he says. £39 for 30ml eau de parfum at Selfridges

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NICKI MINAJ ONIKA

ORMONDE JAYNE BLACK GOLD

PENHALIGON’S EMPRESSA

Nicki Minaj’s latest invites and empowers fans to flaunt their own uniqueness. Entitled ‘Onika’ actually Nicki’s birth name - the fruity-floral composition (housed in her striking Minaj-shaped bottle) combines sensuous fruits and delicate florals, on a base of sheer musks. Juicy top notes of fresh pear, starfruit and mandarin are layered over a heart of water lily, orchid and osmanthus, before sugar cane, white musk and cedarwood swoop in. £40 for 100ml eau de parfum at Boots

The latest in an impressive collection of exclusive-for-Harrods fragrances, this utterly bewitched everyone at the launch with its elegant sensuality.

Black Gold’s a seriously sophisticated Chypre, with all the classic notes from that family: bergamot, labdanum, moss, vanilla and patchouli. Roses, water lilies, carnation and jasmine bloom at its heart, with vetiver, sandalwood, musk and cedar purring beneath. Heart-stoppingly expensive – but worth saving for. £420 for 120 ml eau de parfum harrods.com

From the Trade Routes collection, Empressa’s inspired by the luxurious pearls, silks and fine fabrics historically traded through London’s docks. By perfumer Mike Parrott, Empressa opens to blood orange, bergamot and mandarin, juicily drizzled with peach, cassis, dewberry, rose, neroli and pink pepper at its centre. The sensuous dry-down offers vanilla pod, cocoa, frankincense, amber, patchouli and sandalwood – precious commodities then, still prized by perfumers today. £120 for 100ml eau de toilette penhaligons.com

PENHALIGON’S LEVANTIUM

TOM FORD VELVET ORCHID

SALVATORE FERRAGAMO TUSCAN SOUL BIANCA DI CARRARA

A shareable creation by ‘nose’ Christian de Provenzano, Lavantium’s opulent smokiness owes much to amber, sandalwood, oudh, vanilla, patchouli and musk, which were delivered via the Trade Routes to perfumers and spice-sellers, in centuries past. But first, enjoy davina, bergamot, absinthe and saffron – and the of jasmine, velvety rose, violet, clove, ylang ylang, cardamom and peach at its heart. It’s quite some journey of the senses. £120 for 100ml eau de toilette penhaligons.com

Black Orchid was Tom Ford’s debut scent - and if you love that, you’ll adore this. Caramel and sugarcane, bergamot, mandarin and vanilla promise a honeyed and almost skin-like carnality. At the epicentre, that ‘velvet orchid’: lush Brazilian cattleya orchid, unfolding beside the original black orchid, orange blossom and Moroccan rose absolute. Rich, warm and sexy, the base smoulders with Comoro Islands vanilla, raw suede, sandalwood and soft resins. £72 for 50ml eau de parfum selfridges.com

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What does marble smell like?

Clean and elegant, in the hands of Lucas Sieuzac, perfumer behind this latest from Ferragamo. Fresh at first, with a twist of white pepper spicing up the neroli, the heart beats with white vetiver and fig milk. Then the smooth, powdery sensuality of Bianca di Carrara – named after the famous Italian stone – emerges on the skin. And yes, it’s definitely much, much warmer than marble... £130 for 75ml eau de toilette harrods.com

SERGE LUTENS L’ORPHELINE

You rarely get much of an idea of a Serge Lutens scent from its enigmatic description – but the scents themselves are always intriguing, and worth sniffing out for yourself. The key note in this new unveiling is cedarwood – but we’re told ‘it was inspired by the delicacy of dust, the beauty of ash and the purity of childhood.’

Definitely a ‘back-to-school’ autumnal scent, we’re finding, with plenty of ‘pencil case’ in there. £88 for 50 ml eau de parfum at Harrods

SHAY & BLUE SALT CARAMEL

TERRY DE GUNZBURG ROSE INFERNALE

Salt’s having a moment, perfumerywise. We’re always intrigued at how perfumers cleverly conjure up a genuine sensation of saltiness in scent – but Julie Massé succeeds, here, confecting something for this rising star British perfumery house that’s akin to a Charbonnel & Walker salted caramel truffle: a moreish indulgence that also includes tonka bean and sandalwood, for a dark edge to the burnt caramel note. The bliss? It’s guaranteed 100% calorie-free.

From £30 for 30 ml eau de parfum shayandblue.com

Two dark, berry-red ‘juices’ from the creative make-up-queen-turnedperfume-designer, this month – echoing autumn’s winter beauty and fashion trends for deep reds and opulent purples, in scented form.

Both creations (from top nose Michel Almairac) have roses blossoming sensually at the heart – Terry’s tribute to ‘the Queen of flowers’ - here, smokily, spicily sensual with hints of Indonesian nutmeg, Somalian rose incense and Haitian vetiver. £127 for 100 ml eau de parfum harrods.com

TERRY DE GUNZBURG ROUGE NOCTURNE

ULRICH LANG APERTURE

Roses are Terry de Gunzburg’s favourite flowers: her summer launches were focused on rose, too – and it turns up time and again in her sublime skincare and make-up. This second September release is voluptuous with Indonesian amber patchouli, blended with the Turkish Damascene rose – dreamily soft, almost dusted with icing sugar, and one for every rose perfume-lover.

(Just one tip: keep these two ‘juices’ away from crisp white shirts...) £127 for 100 ml eau de parfum harrods.com

Ulrich Lang works with photographers to create boxes for his scents which have become as collectible as what’s inside. This is his sexiest yet, waking you up with a rush of aldehydes and clean, spicy top notes. Lily of the valley and jasmine sweeten the tobacco and cedarwood heart – but it’s the base that really hums, with plenty of vetiver, a so-sexy blend of musk, amber, ambergris (and the merest hint of naughty-but-nice civet). £125 for 100ml eau de parfum at Liberty

YSL BLACK OPIUM

Opium’s always been edgy and controversial – but this new version’s adrenaline-powered and as potentially addictive as coffee (one of Black Opium’s key accords.) A quartet of perfumers got together to find out what happens ‘when darkness meets sweet luminescence’ – brought to life via crisp notes of pear and pink pepper, opulent jasmine sambac and orange flower, gaining its mystery from cedar, patchouli and vanilla.

From £44 for 30 ml eau de parfum yslbeauty.co.uk

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ALFORD & HOFF

Developed by two gifted athletes in tandem with ‘nose’ Rodrigo FloresRoux, this earned praise from hardto-please New York Times critic Chandler Burr: ‘It’s smart. It’s attractive. It has something to say.’

The fresh-woody scent delivers top notes of citrus and aromatic herbs, sweetened by a heart of vanilla, tonka bean and rum. The woody depths pulse with amber, leather and suede: one for the modern man who exudes style and confidence. £95 for 100ml eau de toilette at Harrods

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BVLGARI MAN IN BLACK

Well, you don’t come across many fragrances ‘inspired by the myth of Vulcan, god of fire…’ But this intense composition takes you on an olfactory trail, embracing you with the aromas of amber, leather, spices and woods. It begins with vibrant accords of rum, cardamom and cinnamon, while the heart brings in a leathery yet floral scent of tuberose. Black amber and leather draw the scent to a warming close. £53 for 60ml eau de parfum at House of Fraser

CHANEL BLUE DE CHANEL

FERRARI VETIVER ESSENCE

Chanel’s Jacques Polge creates an intense variation on Bleu de Chanel, taking it into sensual, amber-y territory. Not just a concentration of the original, this eau de parfum is rounded and velvety, with the woody notes of cedar (and vetiver) winning out over the Mediterranean herbs and citrus fruits. The finishing touch is a musky, woody accord rich in New Calendonian sandalwood – creamily soft, if you’re lucky enough to get within nuzzling distance. £58 for 50 ml eau de parfum harrods.com

Each scent in the Essence collection pays homage to a specific dimension of the Ferrari car – so Vetiver evokes the luxuriously leather interior of a Ferrari Gran Turismo Spirit. The warm, spicy composition by Émilie Coppermann roars into action with notes of petitgrain, grapefruit and red pepper berries; the woodsy vetiver at the heart gives a timeless feel to the scent, revving alongside cardamom and orris, patchouli and cedarwood. £79 for 100ml eau de parfum at Harrods

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CARTIER DÉCLARATION D’UN SOIR INTENSE

Mathilde Laurent – the in-house nose for Cartier – has developed this nocturnal, intensely sophisticated scent for the ultimate-in-opulence jewellery name. The latest addition to the highly successful Déclaration collection, this time the luxurious juice is all dressed up in a black tie bottle: a weapon of seduction for the perfect gentleman spiced with notes chilli, mellow sandalwood and musk.

Definitely one for after-dark: elegant, stylish, sexy. £58 for 50ml eau de toilette at Selfridges

FRANCIS KURKDJIAN MASCULIN PLURIEL

A multi-faceted ‘mirror’ of its female counterpart, Féminin Pluriel (see p. 44), this sexy aroma offers a twist on a classic theme: the fougère accord - which gets its name from the French for ‘fern’, and is one of the trademarks of men’s classic fragrances. Here, it’s rather gloriously accompanied by a floral bouquet of fragrant lavender absolute from Provence, with a leathery accord of Indonesian patchouli and Haitian vetiver. £110 for 70ml eau de parfum selfridges.com

GUERLAIN L’HOMME IDÉAL

ISSEY MIYAKE NUIT D’ISSEY

JIMMY CHOO MAN

Breaking scent news: L’Homme Idéal is the first major men’s fragrance to be released by Guerlain since Homme in 2008. A masculine, luxuriously woody and aromatic composition from Guerlain’s in-house perfumer Thierry Wasser, L’Homme Idéal opens with rosemary and orange blossom, taking you on a olfactory journey to the heart where you’ll meet accords of almond and tonka been. The base blends leather, cedar and vetiver. Very Guerlain, very gorgeous. £48 for 50ml eau de toilette at Selfridges

A fragrance based on the mystery of the night. Miyake partnered with artist/photographer Ryan Hopkinson to create something for the intrepid man who unflinchingly faces his challenges and draws energy from his natural surroundings. This bright, bold perfume opens with illuminating top notes of grapefruit and bergamot, yielding to vetiver, leather, black pepper, woods and spices. Its dark finale? Patchouli, tonka, rich black woods, smoky incense. £41 for 75ml eau de toilette at The Perfume Shop

The first male fragrance from shoe designer Jimmy Choo: fronted by Game of Thrones beauty Kit Harrington, the scent was created for a man with effortless style, sophistication and confidence.

Blended by perfumer Anna Flipo, the composition is modern, fresh and enticing. Layering aromatic, fruity and woody accords, it bursts open with aromatic lavender, on a heart of pineapple leaf, and a nuzzleable base of patchouli and suede. £62 for 100ml eau de toilette at House of Fraser

molton brown shisur

MURDOCK LONDON RENSHAW

PENHALIGON’S BAYOLEA

Via their ‘Navigations Through Scent’ collection, Molton Brown here invite you ‘on a Middle Eastern voyage of discovery’ with this opulent creation.

It brings to life the Arabian city of Shisur’s tradition of spice trading through rich, dramatic accords. A ‘woody Oriental’, it’s a harmony of labdanum, balsamic notes, saffron and touches of oudh, beautifully softened by the powderiness of orris and sweet, comforting vanilla.

Designed to be ‘shared’. £90 for 50 ml eau de parfum moltonbrown.co.uk

Barbers and grooming style-setters, Murdock London began in Shoreditch in 2006 and has since expanded with across luxury locations in the capital.

Here, they’ve translated their quintessentially British style into a scented tribute to British sportsmanship. Renshaw is a dewy, green, fresh Cologne: garden mint, grapefruit and bergamot open to, middle notes of summer flowers, green peppercorn, plus watercress (really!) and musk and white woods. £90 for 100ml Cologne murdocklondon.com

Official fragrance of the ‘London Collection’s Men show’, ‘Bayolea’ is the latest, so-masculine scent from the olfactive masterminds at Penhaligon’s – heading up a brand new 15-item men’s grooming line.

Scented with vibrant lemongrass, mandarin and tangerine at first, uplifting whiff, its warmth comes from spicy pepper and cardamom, before revealing Bayolea’s sultry undertones of cedar, sandalwood, patchouli, musk, moss and amber. £85 for 100ml eau de toilette penhaligons.com

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We invite you to visit The Perfume Society’s website daily for breaking perfume news, features, and exclusive VIP Subscriber material, as well as updates on all our events. And to keep your finger on the pulse of all things perfumed, do follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, too. perfumesociety.org The

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events

✷ &

Courses

RSVP

Through our contacts in the perfume world, The Perfume Society has amazing access to places, people and happenings – and we want to share that with you. So you’ll find many other exciting events on our website: just visit www.perfumesociety.org/events for info.

THE PERFUME SOCIETY BOOK TOUR • Fenwick, Brent Cross Monday 29th September 2014, 6-8pm

workshops

HOW TO IMPROVE YOUR SENSE OF SMELL

• Bentalls, Kingston Tuesday 30th September 2014, 6-8pm

Saturday 4th October 11 am – 12.30 pm and 2 pm – 3.30 pm This London event (which will be held at Les Senteurs in Marylebone) is the latest in a series which we hold around the country. During this enjoyable session - first taught at Alain de Botton’s School of Life - you will learn a ‘nose workout’ which after just a few weeks promises to improve your sense of smell quite powerfully, allowing you to experience the fragrances you wear and the scents around you - in a new and exciting way. Previous attendees report a transformation in their appreciation of scent and taste, too!

For an additional £15, you may bring one non-subscribed friend – and both of you will receive a little perfumed goodie bag, on the day. There are refreshments (tea and biscuits!) – and you’ll get to meet fellow VIP perfume-lovers...

• Fenwick, Canterbury Saturday 4th October 2014, 6-8pm • Fenwick, Tunbridge Wells Tuesday 7th October 2014, 6-8pm

During October, The Perfume Society‘s CoFounders Jo Fairley and Lorna McKay, in collaboration with YOU Magazine and Fenwick, will be touring the UK in celebration of the publication of The Perfume Bible, their beautiful new book: the essential companion for anyone with a passion for fragrance.

At these evening events you’ll hear from Jo and Lorna about the inspirations behind the book, learn more about the fascinating world of perfume, get the chance to buy a signed copy of The Perfume Bible (the perfect Christmas gift!) – and will be able to ask them anything you would like to know about the world of scent.

Fenwick fragrance consultants will also be on hand throughout the evening to offer every reader a personal introduction to the fragrance houses represented in store as well as special fragrance related activities. There will be 10% off all beauty and fragrance purchases made on the day, plus you will leave with a complimentary goody bag filled with a collection of fragrance samples mentioned in ’100 Perfumes To Try Before You Die’, in The Perfume Bible.

10 tickets for these YOU Magazine reader events have been exclusively reserved for our Perfume Society VIP Subscribers. Tickets are priced £15 – you need to be a Subscriber to purchase one, but you can order a second ticket for a friend. To order yours, simply visit www.perfumesociety.org/events. Jo and Lorna really look forward to meeting you…

• Fenwick, Newcastle Tuesday 14th October 2014, 6-8pm • Fenwick, York Wednesday 15th October 2014, 6-8pm • Fenwick Bond Street Thursday 16th October 2014, 6-8pm

And at Much Ado Books…

On the evening of Friday 19th October, Jo and Lorna will be visiting Much Ado Books in Alfriston, East Sussex (Jo’s favourite bookstore in the world!), for a very special customer event. The £22.50 ticket price in this case includes a signed copy of the book. Call on 01323-871222 to book your place.

NB At time of going to press, there was availability for all the events above. We apologise if all spaces have been filled since then, and encourage you to revisit the Events page for updates. We also send bulletins to Perfume Society subscribers announcing new events.

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it takes me right back

Lawrence Roullier-White – whose Dulwich scent destination features in our Perfume Adventures London section, on www.perfumesociety.org - captures the last of summer with his memory of hot sand

“

When helping customers in the store one of the first questions we ask them is what smells they like. Invariably it will be a smell from childhood - and this may be because (hopefully) childhood memories are generally good ones.

The more likely reason is that it’s during these years that our olfactory references are collected and collated: the catalogue of mental files we flick through trying to place each scent as it breezes in, and we subconsciously plan our response. I remember as a child marvelling at newlydiscovered smells (the vinyl and nylon head of my sister’s new doll) - and who doesn’t remember the smell of PlayDoh or wax crayons? I would breathe them in time and time again trying to install them in my memory bank.

Of course not all smells evoke good memories. Freshly polished wooden floors are the first day of term – and the smell makes me feel quite ill. (Even typing this my stomach turns.) So it may not come as a surprise that the times most filled with fond fragrant memories for me are those of our family summer holidays. We would pile into the Ford Anglia, Mum and Dad in the front (Je Reviens, Trumper’s Extract of Limes), my sister and me in the back (red leatherette, panting Labrador) and chug down the A-roads (petrol, hawthorn) pausing in a lay-by (tea from a Thermos

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flask, warm orange squash from Tupperware) until the first blast of sea air announced our arrival at our destination.

The next two weeks would be a complete adventure, an exhausting blur of activity and discovery. Rock pools (seaweed and sulphur) and woods (bark and pine needles), municipal gardens (lavender and marigolds) and cliff tops (chalk and grass), cinemas (worn velvet and cigarette smoke) and cafés (banana milk shakes and Peardrax).

But the one scent I could never capture, could never collect and store, was that of hot sand. For hours I would sit on the beach pulling handfuls of it up to my nose and the moment I thought I grasped the essence of the scent it was gone, it had literally slipped through my fingers. My mother quizzically looked over her novel. ‘I am smelling the sand’, she tells me I said. I remember wondering why it smelled different from the hot concrete of the promenade or the flint of our cottage. Unimpressed, she returned to her Jean Plaidy novel.

No matter where I am in the world, as I turn over on a beach or clamber over dunes (the former is more likely), as the grains are disturbed and the odour is released, I am transported back to that moment when the world was full of wonder and everything was a new encounter.

Still today I find it hard to recall to describe the smell of hot sand - yet was I blindfolded, I would recognise it instantly, which puzzles me. Not to be confused with muddy, wet shoreline sand, the damp musty sand of sandbags or the dirt sand of tracks and courses, the smell of hot sand is arid and dry - yet very much alive and animalic, with the warm nutty accords of a kitten’s tummy. Mixed in with the musky notes are the tangy sea air notes you’d expect: the gas emitted by marine algae, slightly sulphurous, at once healthy and enthralling.

(And sometimes strangely troubling, depending on the concentration of gas.) The hay-like note in hot sand is actually dried seaweed - and it’s this which gives sand its olfactory profile, that tangy ‘fresh-cut grass’ note. And somehow, weaving throughout is the waft of old worn leather - not the leather of a belt or shoe, but a muchloved ancient armchair, sat fading in the sun for many, many summers, flaking like the leaf wrapper of an old cigar, dusty to the touch.

For me this smell is the life-affirming scent of summer, full of optimism and the joy of being at one with the world.

And I never cease to wonder that I can get all of that, from a handful sand…

‘I am smelling the sand’, I told my mother.

Unimpressed, she returned to her Jean Plaidy

© magdal3na - Fotolia.com

Hot sand

In the next edition of The Scented Letter...

IT’S ALL ABOUT THE BOTTLE

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FABULOUS FLACONS

CLEVER COLLECTING

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AERIN LAUDER’S SCENT MEMORIES