Coming in April from Vera Wang, two new fragrances, Bouquet and Flower Princess.
Vera Wang Bouquet for women joins the "bridal-themed Signature scent collection". The floral scent features notes of dew drops, Sicilian bergamot, black current leaves, paperwhite narcissus, honeysuckle, lavender musk accord, Moroccan cedar and white iris root. It will be available in 50 and 100 ml Eau de Parfum and in matching body products.
Flower Princess is a flanker to 2006's Princess fragrance. The fruity floral scent, which "encompasses the kawaii movement of Japan — a cultural obsession with cute, adorable, spirited items", will be a permanent addition in Asia, a limited edition elsewhere. The notes include green ivy, tangerine, water lily, orange flower petals, Moroccan rose, jasmine sambac, mimosa, apricot skin, amber, precious woods and musk. Vera Wang Flower Princess will be available in 50 and 100 ml Eau de Toilette and in matching body products. (via Women's Wear Daily)
Update: Vera Wang Bouquet is a "fresh green floral", and was developed by perfumer Loc Dong. Vera Wang Flower Princess was developed by perfumer Harry Fremont. (via cosmeticnews)
Update: see a review of Vera Wang Flower Princess and a review of Vera Wang Bouquet.
I quite liked the original Princess, so I’ll check this cute and adorable LE out.
What’s a spiited item?
Princess was a huge seller, kind of surprised they are making this one LE in the US.
It says “s-p-i-r-i-t-e-d”, is that what you meant?
Vera Wang just perplexes me. Her gowns and personal style always seemed modern and elegant. The cutesty preteen (hearts, princesses, twee crowns!) stuff just seems so contrary and out of place. I think I've sniffed the original, but can't remember now.
The cutesy preteen stuff only started w/ Princess, IIRC, she was inspired to create it for her daughter(s)???
The original VW scent is also elegant & modern — and very bridal. It isn't my style but it's very pretty. I thought Truly Pink was nicely done too.
Ah, see I didn't know there had been more before the purple princess scent. (which is the one I meant when I said original). That it was designed for younger girls makes more sense to me. Hadn't seen the others at our smallish perfume dept, might have to ask. Went to look it up on basenotes, but they're site is down.
*best thing about your site: I'm always learning something new and you never make me feel dumb about it!
Ah, I get it. No, Princess is definitely geared towards younger girls, although I know some grown ups wear it too.
For “adults”, there is Vera Wang, Sheer Veil, Truly Pink (all 3 very bridal to me) and there is one for men too.
Joining you on VW not being my style but VERY pretty — I have a friend who wears it and it smells amazing on her, like what did you write about (Michael Kors?) that I'd never wear myself but end up complimenting people on.
Not thrilled with a Princess flanker but the gals at Sephora say the original flew out the door. And you'd know better than I would, but I had a VERY interesting conversation recently with a regional rep for L'Occitane, she says Japanese fragrance preferences shape a lot of their line now, which baffles me. (I know I can't believe everything an SA tells me!) For instance they like the lemon/honey better, so the plain Miel got the ax. Also she told me (have you smelled it?!) the tomato and olive is HUGE in Japan and France. It's, um, a tougher sell here in the U.S. ;-P
Yep, Michael Kors. Actually, they have a similar, pretty-romantic-feminine feel, don't they?
Your L'Occitane rep was right on target. Asian preferences have had a huge effect on perfume development for several years now, and I think that influence will become more important over the next few years. The Asian market is considered wide open and ripe for continued growth, whereas the US/European fragrance market is almost stagnant.
More than one recent flanker was obviously designed for Asia (and more & more often, the brands specifically say so in their press materials). Also, more & more fragrances launch first in Asia, then come here instead of the other way around, and still more are just for Asia and don't make it here at all.
Very interesting posts; I had never thought about the cultural influence Asia might have on the perfume market. But it makes sense – for example, the old Bolsheviks who governed China are dying off and capitalism is rampant there now, along with new attitudes towards dress, etc. That would certainly leave that huge market wide open for “luxuries” such as perfume.
Call me a consummate fragrance dork, but I'm so interested in the “sociology” of perfume and scent preferences! I think it would be so interesting if you did an article about that for the blog. Something that always amazes me when I travel is going through the local drug stores and seeing what the regional scent favorites are — which you can tell by looking at the generic body lotions and body wash fragrances. In the US we all seem to want to smell like vanilla vanilla vanilla, and in Europe they still hang on to herbal and light smells like lavender and linden. I don't know what the major preferences are in Asia but I have no doubt they played a humongous part in bringing that wave of green tea fragrances over here. I think that's fascinating.
Here's an interesting article by Chandler Burr on the subject:
http://www.chandlerburr.com/articles/japanNYTmag.html
And adding — not likely that I'll do such an article, since I know little on the subject, although you can pretty much figure out what the conglomerates *think* Asian preferences are by smelling some of the scents designed to do well in that market: Nina Ricci's Nina, Calvin Klein Euphoria Blossom, Prada Tendre, Bvlgari Omnia Crystalline, the Guerlain Cherry Blossom series, etc.
I haven't had a chance to get a whiff of Flower Princess, but I have had the chance to smell Princess, and to me it smelled just like everything else that's being released right now – fruity and sweet. Very “princess-y” indeed!
I'm sorry, but I'm not big on the bottle either – it's extremely frou frou.
It is “princess-y”, and I think it sold very well so I guess it hit its target!
Thanks for the link.
Yup, it did.
Honestly though, if I had the choice between her perfume and her gowns, I would rather go with the gown =0]
Although I do not own the original Princess, I do love the smell of it. Our local drug store got the Flower Princess in about last week and after smelling it I did not hesitate to pick it up. I love it so much, a lot lighter than the original and more appropriate for spring. Me being a sucker for cute things, I actually really love the bottle, which is done in pink and silver instead of purple and gold. A lot of people agree that while the perfumes I purchase smell gorgeous, they are for younger people. But I guess thats ok for me!
Hi Kelsey, I wouldn't worry about the “younger people” label either, who cares? Wear what you like.
Bouquet sounds interesting. I've not heard that combination yet which is surprising in this market. Princess grossed me out. Sorry, the sweet cotten candy scents just don't do it for me.
I'm looking forward to smelling Bouquet too
I like the original Princess better. This one was ok
Hoping for a mall trip on Friday, so will look for them!