The latest from Serge Lutens, Borneo 1834, will be an homage to Indonesian Patchouli, and will feature floral notes, galbanum, patchouli, cacao accord, and ciste labdanum. (via Osmoz) I have seen several glowing reports on the fragrance boards from people who have smelled wax samples, and Luca Turin has already reviewed it on his blog, Perfume Notes (sorry, link no longer working). Unfortunately, it will be in the exclusive range so those of us in the United States will have to beg, borrow or steal to get a bottle. Update: read a review (sort of) of Serge Lutens Borneo.
More on Maria Sharapova's debut fragrance, which will launch at Macys on September 1:
The fragrance, developed by perfumer Carlos Vinals of Takasago International, is described as a "flirtatious and invigorating floral" with top notes of mandarin, bergamont, pomegranate leaf, cassis berries and lemongrass; a heart of gardenia, jasmine, magnolia, English rose petals and even Wimbledon grass, and a drydown of cashmere musk, white amber crystals and vanilla.
Sean Combs is the next entry into the celebrity fragrance market. His first scent will be called Unforgivable:
Top notes are of Sicilian lemon, Italian bergamot, Moroccan tangerine, grapefruit, juniper and sparkling champagne accord; the heart is of Mediterranean air accord, Tuscan basil, Florentine iris, clary sage and lavender, and the drydown is of cashmere accord, cool sea moss, Australian sandalwood, amber and tonka bean.
A limited edition Eau de Parfum concentration will debut at Saks on December 15, for $300 for 2.5 oz. An Eau de Toilette will be more widely distributed starting in February 2006, and will be $55 for 2.5 oz. A women's fragrance will follow in fall 2006. (via Women's Wear Daily) Update: read a review of Sean John Unforgivable.
$300 for 2.5 oz.?! I'd say there's more than the P. getting between Diddy and his fans!
K, it will be very interesting to see if a rap artist can make it in the high end fragrance market. There are not many fragrances that I would pay that much for!!!
Wimbledon grass accord? Oh come on! Is it some unique type of grass that doesn't grow anywhere else? And I am happy for Sharapova and all, but I had no idea she was such a celebrity…
And as for P. Diddy's perfume…Mediterranean air accord? Sometimes the pretentiousness is beyond laughable.
I feel like this comment should be on Slap of the Day instead of here 🙂 D-list celebrity perfumes and pretentious names of notes – slap!
R, P. Diddy making a perfume…*lol*
Borneo 1834 sounds lovely & perfect for winter. Would love to have a wax sample – I just received the other wax samples from the exclusive line. If you now them, I´d like to hear your opinion: Do they give an appropiate “image” of the “real” fragrances?
LOL!
Apparently Sharapova is now the top ranked female tennis player. Of course, I had never heard of her until the perfume, but that is because I don't watch tennis. I have no idea how widely known she is.
The wax samples are “true” to the scent, but of course don't provide the same experience as spraying it on — they have no sillage, and don't develop in the same way. All the same, I should think that if you love a wax sample, you are likely to love the perfume.
I can confirm that: for almost 18 months I cherished those wax samples and kept going back to Fleurs d'Oranger every time – it was still an Exclusive then. When I finally went to the Salons and tried another couple of scents it was still Fleurs d'Oranger I ended up with.
Did they send you a wax sample of the Borneo, J? If not, they should have! And for that matter, I am quite hurt that they didn't send one to me 😉
As the original MUA Patch Hag (and coiner of that term), I cannot wait for my own bottle of Borneo 1834. My colleague/friend who spends his summers at Oxford and who hoofed back my Fumerie Turque last summer and my Iris Silver Mist this summer (yes, it arrived safely!) has his assignment set for next summer. It's just as well that I can't wear any of my perfumes right now due to hormonal reasons; makes the waiting a bit easier. 🙂
K, Glad you got the ISM in the end. It is one of my very favorites. And hope you saw Victoria's review of the Borneo on Bois de Jasmin, it sounds wonderful and I am waiting anxiously for a sample. I definitely don't qualify as a patch hag, but am hopeful anyway!