Lithuania is pioneering a new type of national symbol to convey the character of the ex-Soviet Baltic state in a fragrant way with a bottle of perfume. [...]
The perfume "Lithuania" is a blend of sandalwood, cedar and musk intended to connote the Indo-European origins of the Lithuanian language as well as Lithuanian strength of character, its designer says.
— From Lithuania launches national perfume at Yahoo News.
Could’ve just used Juozas Statkevicius. 🙂
Yes, I forgot about that one!
I heard this on NPR this morning – a National Perfume! What will they think of next?
Wonder if they will require every household to purchase a bottle…
A new kind of taxes, LOL…
That’s the coolest national symbol ever. 😉
The idea is cool, but I’d have to smell the execution. Unless it was unbelievably excellent AND unusual — which as we know, most fragrances are not — there’d be something sort of sad about it. Your national symbol is some generic dreck, you know? At best, I’d say it’s risky.
Hmm, good point. Instead of rose colored glasses, I must have had my rose scented sniffer on! 😉
Oh, but you might be the one who is right!
Galimard did the scent, that’s all I know.
Would borscht-colored glasses be more regionally appropriate? 😉
Kind of funny theyr getting a French guy to design it!
More than that even, to chose a symbol that is not indigenous to begin with. Unless there is a long history of perfume in Lithuania that I don’t know about, which is of course quite possible.
If there were they would probably manage to find a lithuanian resident to concoct it!
Makes you wonder what an “America” perfume would smell like: money, vapid celebrity worship, complete disregard for all norms of good taste… Oh wait, we already have Paris Hilton!
I think the U.S. is way too physically large and culturaly diverse for a single scent, and Ms. Hilton certainly is not a symbol for me.
LOL !! that was pretty funny!
Found this on the web: “(the) sandalwood, cedar and musk , aim(s) to be an allusion to Lithuanian language(‘s) Indo-European origin . … Lithuanian soldiers deployed in Afghanistan also received samples…. (the) perfume will soon be distributed to the embassies of Lithuania abroad in hotels and airports. Next month (it) will be offered for sale and(sic) candles.” … interesting that they gave samples to soldiers ?
This project is “a nice example of how to make Lithuania famous in an innovative manner,” says a Foreign Ministry statement.
I agree, Robin, that it’s a risky way of branding. Usually the “fame” (whatever that can means for a country !) comes first, then only the perfume to cash in. Anyway, I associate Lithuania with my very dear orthodox Jewish friends – a rabbi and his daughter. Here’s hoping their “cart-before-the horse” approach works…
That’s what I heard on NPR this morning.
Really doesn’t seem right.
Reminds me of 10th grade English when our teacher joked that it was easy to sniff out American soldiers in combat because our guys use Lifebouy in their showering routine. Back then we had just gotten out of the Vietnam war…
It was a field-test 😉
may be it’s a new chemical weapon LOL!
The bottle is quite pretty http://www.lietuvoskvapas.lt/
And this is a “scent for home”, which according to the creators once sprayed will last for a week.
But the concept is not very original, as last year a group of artists did perfumes of old and new Vilnius, also sold as souvenirs.
For a week?!! Definitely might be considered as a chemical weapon. Now, before distributing it to the embassies of Lithuania, they should combine it with the idea of a stink bomb from Cire Trudon (https://nstperfume.com/2010/11/12/holiday-fragrance-gifts-2010-part-1) and a mission will be accomplished.
A quick look around the internet turned up one major perfume house in Lithuania– Marcel Listed perfumes include White Angel, Blue Illusion, Love Passion, and Jodere for women, Chant 5 and Maxx for men. Have any E.European readers tried these out?
Nothing says ex-Soviet Baltic state like sandalwood – apparently. It isn’t really called “Feeling Lithuania” is it?
Oh sorry, that’s the candle’s name!!!
I’m lithuanian and I must say, when we first heard of this we got scared. Because I can think of many things that could represent my country, but I would have never thought of perfume as one of them. Haven’t smelled it yet, though a friend blogger already did and said it was better then we expected. She said that it reminded her of lithuanian summer – warm, dry pine forest, hot sand, thyme, bees and meadows. And if so, for me it’s perfect, because that’s how I want to remember my childhood. Although I don’t know whether it will work as a national symbol.
Great: an insiders perspective; and it sounds lovely!
I’d still like to try it. I wonder how and when we can get our hands on it.
I think you can only buy it from the site http://www.lietuvoskvapas.lt or maybe sniff at the embassie LOL.
Thanks so much Margarita