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Irie Mythologies Box of Smells ~ new fragrances

Posted by Robin on 10 November 2009 55 Comments

Irie Mythologies Box of Smells

Irié has launched the Mythologies Box of Smells:

Irié Mythologies is a surprising and innovative concept! This is a box of smells where it’s not about wearing perfume but smelling 7 fragrances imprisoned on a hundred smelling strips, all linked to mythology: Oedipus, Uranus, Hemera, Hephaistos, Zephyrus, Mneme, Duchamp. 7 fragrances to smell, to exchange, to hide in a pocket or a purse...

The Irié Mythologies Box of Smells is available now at Colette in Paris, and is $99 including VAT. (via colette)

Filed Under: new fragrances
Tagged With: irie

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55 Comments

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  1. pigoletto says:
    10 November 2009 at 10:02 am

    $99 for tester strips. I’m not sure I can even muster up any righteous indignation here, I’m so amazed.

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    • Robin says:
      10 November 2009 at 10:07 am

      It is sort of amazing. I mean, it’s interesting conceptually, but in terms of an actual consumer product for $100, it’s absurd.

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      • pigoletto says:
        10 November 2009 at 10:27 am

        I’d be curious to know if this is the only way the scents will be sold – I mean, if they weren’t and the actual bottles are going to be forthcoming, it is rather jaw-droppingly ballsy. Unless they’re going to not allow testers in stores or something like that. I’m waiting for some company to do a reverse JAR – they will list the notes for you but not allow you to smell or test the scent before buying ;-D

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        • Robin says:
          10 November 2009 at 11:15 am

          I am finding it ballsy either way…and love the idea of the reverse-JAR — hysterical!

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        • LAurent Laclos says:
          12 November 2009 at 1:37 pm

          bonjour
          no we are not going to make bottles of the fragrances after !
          we are a very small company in France and we just tried to make something new, fresh , and even funny in the perfume world which is so often so serious !
          too bad you cannot read the textr we made to explain the story !
          thank you anyway
          Laurent Laclos from MYTHOLOGIES in Paris

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    • LAurent Laclos says:
      12 November 2009 at 1:39 pm

      bonjour
      so sorry about the price of 99$ ! as you know the EURO is so strong right now ! but I must say that even in France 66€ is expensive too ! and we don’t make any profit on it !
      the retailer has to make one at least !
      best regards
      Laurent Laclos from MYTHOLOGIES in Paris

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  2. Absolute Scentualist says:
    10 November 2009 at 10:03 am

    Hmmm… Is this supposed to be like the kits one can purchase composed of different notes depending on classification?

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    • Robin says:
      10 November 2009 at 10:07 am

      No, I don’t think so.

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  3. bergere says:
    10 November 2009 at 10:16 am

    Unbelievable. Seven scents at a dollar a pop. And do they even keep all of the strips separate, in plastic or something? After a week in that little box, they’re all going to smell the same, anyway.

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    • Robin says:
      10 November 2009 at 10:18 am

      Beats me…haven’t seen info on this anywhere but Colette. Beautyhabit carries the Irie personal fragrances, so maybe they’ll get this as well?

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    • LAurent Laclos says:
      12 November 2009 at 1:34 pm

      bonjour
      no we did it quite properly ! the smells are quite good quality !
      I cannot say they are good ! because I produce them !
      but believe me the smells are not mix ! you can keep them for years still they are not opened !
      best regards
      LAurent LAclos

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  4. Absolute Scentualist says:
    10 November 2009 at 11:12 am

    I hadn’t had my morning cup yet so thought I must be getting the concept wrong. You can get seven test strips from an issue of Vogue for under $10. This would be funny if it wasn’t an actual product. Sounds like something The Onion would create.

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    • Robin says:
      10 November 2009 at 11:14 am

      It really does!

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    • boojum says:
      10 November 2009 at 11:21 am

      Oh, but you get *100* test strips! Only $1 ea. Of course, 7 doesn’t divide evenly into 100…I wonder where the 2 extra strips come in? How utterly ridiculous…and yet, I’m sure someone will buy it.

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      • Robin says:
        10 November 2009 at 12:53 pm

        Oh, no doubt someone will.

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  5. CynthiaW says:
    10 November 2009 at 11:17 am

    It’s a completely ridiculous concept – but dang it, I wish that I’d thought of it. I’m always saying that I wish I could think of the next pet rock – but I can never fathom anyone actually buying something that ridiculous.

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    • Robin says:
      10 November 2009 at 12:53 pm

      Seriously doubt this will rival the pet rock for a brilliant money-making scheme though!

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  6. miss kitty v. says:
    10 November 2009 at 11:40 am

    Definitely an “the emperor has no clothes” type of thing. They must have thought no one would cry foul. Sure someone will buy it, though.

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    • Robin says:
      10 November 2009 at 12:53 pm

      I’m quite sure.

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  7. Aparatchick says:
    10 November 2009 at 12:29 pm

    The concept is interesting – I wouldn’t mind spraying some strips with my favorite scents and leaving them in my books or handbags – but I can’t imagine spending $100 on this.

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    • miss kitty v. says:
      10 November 2009 at 12:35 pm

      Cotton balls would work, too. $1 a bag at the dollar store. 😉

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    • Robin says:
      10 November 2009 at 12:54 pm

      Here you go:

      http://www.snowdriftfarm.com/blotting.html

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  8. RusticDove says:
    10 November 2009 at 1:32 pm

    Duh! This is even dumber than the ‘odorous’ mattress.

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    • Robin says:
      10 November 2009 at 1:51 pm

      LOL…but cheaper! That makes this look like a bargain. On the other hand, you can sleep on the mattress. Don’t see what you’re going to do with this except toss it in the trash in 5 months when the strips no longer smell like anything.

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      • RusticDove says:
        10 November 2009 at 1:58 pm

        I KNOW! It really is a goofy idea.

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  9. Joe says:
    10 November 2009 at 2:15 pm

    I sure as hell hope the scent of “Duchamp” doesn’t evoke his piece “Fountain”!!!

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    • Joe says:
      10 November 2009 at 2:27 pm

      “All linked to mythology”? Is there a Duchamp I’m not thinking of that’s linked to mythology?

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      • Robin says:
        10 November 2009 at 3:58 pm

        I don’t know…but join you in hoping it isn’t the scent of “Fountain”.

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    • LAurent Laclos says:
      12 November 2009 at 1:31 pm

      no it doesn’t :
      sorry you cannot smell in the states right now ! and even may be later !
      who will import such a box ??
      Laurent Laclos
      conceptor and producer of MYTHOLOGIES !!

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  10. ami says:
    10 November 2009 at 3:06 pm

    how about 100 coffee beans (7 type) for 100 $?
    good to learn best practices….

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    • Robin says:
      10 November 2009 at 3:58 pm

      LOL! Excellent.

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  11. lilydale aka Natalie says:
    10 November 2009 at 5:31 pm

    Hey, I’ve got a bunch of random scent blotters at the bottom of my handbag that promise a truly mysterious olfactory journey, and I’ll sell ’em to you for $10 — a real bargain!

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    • RusticDove says:
      10 November 2009 at 6:02 pm

      HA! Hey – I bet we could all scrounge up a bunch of those to sell!

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    • Robin says:
      10 November 2009 at 6:05 pm

      LOL! Perfect.

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  12. dissed says:
    10 November 2009 at 6:25 pm

    Yeah, well. I’ve heard there’s a buyer for everything, but maybe not. Anyway, since when is it not about wearing perfume?

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    • Joe says:
      10 November 2009 at 7:17 pm

      Since everything became a hypoallergenic, “fragrance-free” zone. 😐

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      • Julia says:
        10 November 2009 at 7:29 pm

        I hate those. My yarn shop only has three other employees and none of them wear fragrance. I’m very careful with my work scents so as not to offend anyone, customers or co-workers, so we won’t become a fragrance-free zone.

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    • Robin says:
      10 November 2009 at 7:52 pm

      I’m guessing that if Colette sells something, it’s automatically so terribly hip that it will sell.

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  13. Julia says:
    10 November 2009 at 7:21 pm

    Are these just paper strips? I really don’t get this at all. Can you rub them on your wrist and wear the fragrance? Are they super-strong and simply carrying one in your pocket will be like actually wearing the fragrance? Or do you have to pull them out and hold them up to your nose to get a whiff? Who would do that? Well, I guess I can imagine some sort of aromatherapy thing that would have different scents for stress, energy, calming, etc. Hmm, now that I think about it, perhaps I’ll make my own strips and put them in a cute box and see if I can sell them as an aromatherapy first-aid kit for $100.

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    • Robin says:
      10 November 2009 at 7:52 pm

      Yep, just strips.

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  14. abirae says:
    10 November 2009 at 7:30 pm

    I’m surprised nobody’s commented on smelling Uranus…

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    • Robin says:
      10 November 2009 at 7:52 pm

      We were waiting for you 😉

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  15. dee says:
    10 November 2009 at 10:14 pm

    I made a box like this at Macy’s over the weekend. I think I may have frightened the sales staff. My mom tells me that behind my back they were mouthing, “Don’t help HER!” Oh, and my little collection was free!

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    • Robin says:
      11 November 2009 at 9:00 am

      LOL!!

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  16. hongkongmom says:
    11 November 2009 at 2:21 am

    OK heres the thing…inside those strips, HAS to be little vials of the juice…I mean if they r charging that amount..my brain cannot imagine anything else!!! yay, we have dreams!!!

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    • Robin says:
      11 November 2009 at 9:00 am

      Dream on 🙂

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  17. graphixnum1 says:
    11 November 2009 at 9:19 am

    I love the connection to a pet rock…seems like a very appropriate comparison. At first I thought the kit would be like the osMoz kits, but in actuallilty there is very little to compare. If you haven’t checked them out you should….they are true olfactive experiences that educate on fragrance and how to smell. They are awesome.
    Check them out at http://www.osmoz.com/Smell

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    • Robin says:
      11 November 2009 at 10:40 am

      Yes, those Osmoz kits are really nice.

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    • dee says:
      11 November 2009 at 6:27 pm

      Awesome! … and just added to my growing “must buy” list : )

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  18. LAurent Laclos says:
    12 November 2009 at 1:27 pm

    Hi every one
    I’m the conceptor of this crazy box !
    1st thing it’s too bad you cannot smell the fragrances
    2 wze are a very small company and don’t think to produce bottles of these perfumes !
    3 Cherry on the cake (this is a french expression Idon’t know if you use it in english)
    one of the “smell” will make you more disapointed ! MNEME
    is discribed in french as “breathe Imagine breath out ” it means no smell on the scented blotters !
    Do some one has heard about Duchamp ?
    and so sorry to ask 66euros for this box ! 66 euros because of your road 66 and because when in the perfume field you produce little quantity you do have to pay more !
    and last sorry for my broken english ! you how french are !!!!

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    • Robin says:
      12 November 2009 at 2:35 pm

      Thanks very much for the clarification!

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  19. grelo says:
    12 November 2009 at 5:17 pm

    Nobody is talking about the scent… from a point of view of this large audience a “Duchamp” piece of art would cost at least only the price of the raw material…read between the blotters. It is supposed to be an olfactory experience that should open our minds. It is an artistic exchange to be shared and enjoyed.

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    • Robin says:
      12 November 2009 at 5:48 pm

      No, nobody is talking about the scent: none of us has smelled it. If you’re implying that that means we shouldn’t discuss the project at all, well, that isn’t how it works here, and obviously many people have opinions on the concept and the price.

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      • grelo says:
        12 November 2009 at 6:05 pm

        Oh sorry I thought I was on now smell this blog about perfume…Apologise!

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        • Robin says:
          12 November 2009 at 7:44 pm

          Ha.

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