Grossmith will launch Betrothal in April. Like the brand's three 2009 releases (Phul-Nana, Shel-el-Nessim, and Hasu-no-Hana), Betrothal is a reworked fragrance from the back catalog; it was reportedly created in 1893 to mark the engagement of Queen Mary (see: Mary of Teck) and is brought back now to mark the engagement of Kate Middleton.1
The notes feature citrus, rose, jasmine, ylang-ylang, neroli, vetiver, warm woods and vanilla.
Grossmith Betrothal is a limited edition, and will be available in 10 or 50 ml Parfum. (via diarydirectory, cosmetiquemag.fr)
1. You know, Catherine Middleton, the one who is about to marry Prince William? Just kidding, sort of — I would guess most people know who she is. But are they making a really big deal of this in the UK? Because it seems to be generating considerably less interest than I expected in the US. Or I'm just not paying enough attention.
I was just in England, and notwithstanding a few schlocky t-shirts, there was nothing like the hoopla preceding Chuck & Di or even Andrew & Fergie (the original Fergie, for all you young ‘uns). Maybe they’re trying not to jinx it?
As for this fragrance, maybe I’m cynical, but I find it hard to believe the back story — even if it is true, smells like c-a-s-h-i-n-g i-n to me!
I’ve literally not heard anybody on earth talking about it, so was wondering.
It looks like it did exist:
http://www.artfact.com/auction-lot/a-j.-grossmith-sons-love-in-a-mist-perfume-1-c-55bdb38ee8
Thank you — I’m happy to learn that my cynicism was misplaced! Now I’ll transfer it to the wedding…
I think media saturation has done away with the sort of fairy-tale excitement people had for the earlier generation of royal weddings. At least that’s my best guess.
Shamefully acquisitive, I know, but even before I read the notes I thought “WANT.”
Possibly. I was wondering if it was just because the reputation of the royals in the UK was so tarnished? Or because they’ve been living together so the whole thing is less romantic? There are probably lots of reasons.
Royals actually living together? Wow, I didn’t think even the married ones actually “lived together” – don’t they all have their own “suites” in the palace?
LOL!
D&W: about media saturation, see my comment to MaggieCat below.
I also think the world is a whole lot more cynical towards fairy tale weddings in light of the ridiculously high divorce rate (in the U.S. at least, don’t know about the UK), and because of all those divorces in the royal family itself. In a way, Will and Kate’s waiting so long to tie the knot kind of mirrors the trend going on here – people are marrying a lot older than previous gens.
Also, people just like to make fun of big, self-important things, and what could be more self-important than the royal family?
Well considering that I have yearned to own the other three Grossmith offerings but cannot afford them, all this does is serve to depress me.
So sorry! Luckily for me I did not love any of them.
Extrait 10 ml (275 euros), 50 ml (525 euros). Le 29 avril chez Jovoy, 29 rue Danielle Casanova à Paris, en édition limitée. A Euro is 1.48 of a U.S. dollar according to Yahoo.
Thanks.
The Grossmith are so beautiful – I’m lucky to have a small decant of Shel el Nessim, which itself would make an exquisite wedding perfume. I’m sure this one is beautiful too. The name is silly though. I wonder what Kate will wear anyway?
She doesn’t look like a perfume girl to me for some reason. But who knows.
Ooooohh recommending scents for her would be fun!
There are some products in the US too – I’m a bit of a Bath & Body Works Ho, and there are some royal wedding products they’ve put out – some fruity lipglosses and ‘pocketbacs’ from their antibacterial line. But I don’t think it’s anything like the big 80s weddings for Diana & Fergie, at least here in the US.
I am seriously lemming the Floris Wedding perfume, but I can’t justify a full bottle purchase of it unsniffed. Just. Cannot. And I haven’t found a place doing samples. And I have no ‘rep’ to justify anyone doing a split with me. Fie!
This one sounds interesting too, particularly from the vintage revival angle.
I’ve wanted to try that one, as well as Mary Greenwell Plum. I’d do a split with you on either of them.
I meant the Floris “Wedding Bouquet” fragrance, although the Grossmith sounds lovely if spendy.
ooh. My email is somerss at gmail dot com.
The Royal Wedding has been keeping a quite a low profile in the UK. There have been violent protests in response to the budget cuts, so the forthcoming nuptials are being down played to say the least. Protests are also being planned to coincide with wedding — poor Miss Middleton.
I’m a French republican: if it was up to me, the whole lot of them would have been sent packing long ago. As usual with such events, the wedding will be an attempt to take our minds off the dire problems we face here day to day. Those protests won’t have any effect whatsoever – because there is absolutely no money. What we need is a proper revolution. Inflation is nearing five per cent. *That* is the reality for most of us Brits. Not the fairytale wedding. Poor us.
The US morning talk shows and evening “enterainment news” (generally celeb gossip) shows seem to keep listing updates on all the royal purchases and planning, causing me to immediately change the channel. Apart from the tv’s and no one seems to be talking about it.
I think we are all just jaded after what happened with Charles & Diana, -Brits especially, but the rest of the world too.
You’re right, Robin: there’s hardly been anything in the media about the wedding (at least in the paper I read and programmes I watch). It’s been very subdued so far. But there’s a whole month to go yet.
The other day, I bought a wonderful reproduction of ‘The Ring’ in Primark for £2. It’s really cute. The card it’s attached to bears the crown logo that all such celebratory artefacts are going to have with the words ‘Get the look’. I will put it away and pass it on to my grandchildren. LOL! I resisted buying a box of ‘wedding’ clotted cream fudge in Poundland, though. I have no idea what posh stores have to offer. Whatever it is, it’ll be corny – such things always are.
I still have a biscuit tin with Charles and Diana on the lid. Wonder what it’s worth on eBay….
“wedding clotted cream fudge”?!? WOW! That sounds delicious!
LOL! Do you think the picture of Kate and Will on the front would make it taste even better?
I can’t tell if you’re being sarcastic or not (damn you, Internet), and I wouldn’t blame you if you were, since “clotted cream” sounds disgusting to North American ears and probably lots of others: when I was a kid, growing up in Canada, it was called “Devonshire cream” to get around this.
But real clotted cream is glorious stuff: unbelievably rich and unctuous, closer to butter than to cream, with a golden crust and a deep cooked-dairy flavour. So good!
Oh, don’t! It’s such wonderful stuff (and I can’t even have a dollop of it these days – since I’ve developed an intolerance to lactose). I once spent a week’s holiday in Lyme Regis and lived on clotted cream. The name should make me shudder too, but somehow it doesn’t. LOL!
I’m not being sarcastic at all when I say that clotted-cream fudge sounds glorious to me and I would totally buy a tin of it, no matter who’s picture was on the lid.
I knew you were serious. No one jokes about clotted cream. LOL!
(Thanks for putting in that missing hyphen. *rapping myself on the knuckles*)
I am going go visit my cousins in Kansas City and we’re going to watch the wedding together as we did Charles & Diana’s. We toasted them with Special Export beer (it’s what my dad had in the fridge in the basement lol) and had our own ceremony with Miss Piggy & Kermit. Their wedding “coach” was the Barbie remote control Corvette. lol This time around, I think we’ll class it up with mimosas but I am going to go to my parents and see if I can dig up Piggy and Kermy.
I remember getting up extremely early like 4 or 5 am to watch the live telecast from London with my mother. I especially didn’t want to miss her arriving at the cathedral in the coach! To me that was the epitome of the whole Cinderella fairty tale and she was a perfect Cinderella. It was a great wedding and a great day because it did let people feel that your dreams can come true. It was a sign of hope and everyone needs hope in their lives wherever they can get it. So, when it all ended so horribly, it was just tragic.
Too bad we can’t bottle a smell of hope, eh? I think they should come out with a perfume called “Happy Ever After” if Wills and Kate’s marriage lasts more than 15 years! Good luck to them!
I completely agree! Even though I look back at that dress and think “wow, 80s!!!” it still is the realized image of romance and fairy tale for me even today.
It was eerie how I happened to catch the news of Diana’s accident on TV just before I was about to turn it off and go to bed. I ended up staying up all night watching, even after they announced she had died. I had to work the next morning – a Sunday, at 6am! – and when I got in, my co-worker Joel was there and I said “I am so exhausted. I stayed up all night watching the coverage of Diana’s accident.” And Joel, whom I knew only as a work-friend said “Oh my god, so did I!” We bonded all day, reminiscing over the wedding and her life. Ever since Joel and I have been best of friends. So even though I”m not super-excited about Kate and William’s wedding, I look forward to celebrating the nostalgia, I guess.
The scent sounds lovely, and I’d like to try it though Dallas is quite a bit on the other side of the pond from where all these festivities are taking place. I wonder if the press is simply backing off from this type of event seeing as how they made a media circus of princess Diana’s life – and death. Perhaps some sense of decorum is in order for her son and his bride. Or am I being too idealistic here?
I’d like to think you’re right about the media showing more restraint, but fear you’re just too idealistic. Or perhaps the big audience isn’t there for royals nowadays, preferring actors, musicians, and sports stars.
I read an article somewhere that when the press seemed to be getting to close to Kate for William’s comfort, he went and “unleashed his lawyers” on them. It’s not too much of a stretch for anyone to make the connection between what happened to his mother and what he fears may happen to his lady love. And, you know, when the grandson of the Queen of England and various territories threatens to sue someone, I think even greedy, photo-happy paparazzi will stop and listen. So, no, I don’t think you’re being too idealistic, MC (I don’t believe in such a thing, anyway), I just think the world is still smarting from that crash in ’97.
I’m Canadian and the local tabloids seem quite interested in her and the wedding planning. I just noticed this week that a local group is planning a group viewing of the ceremonies at the movie theatre, but that’s the most I’ve heard of people actually discussing the wedding. I haven’t seen a whole lot of memorabilia, either, other than Butter London’s No More Waity Katie nailpolish.
I think it is sort of a big deal in Canada, since we still have plenty of monarchists, or at least royalty fans, here. It’s not in the papers every day, but it does show up. Not as big a deal as the Charles and Diana wedding, but what could be?
On Grossmith scents, the original line gets a mention in Carol Dyhouse’s book _Glamour: Women, History, Feminisim_ (which was reviewed here at NST a while back). In the 1910s and 1920s, the four orientals – Phul-Nana, Shem-el-Nessim, Wana Ranee and Hasu-no-Hana – were were mass market scents. Sometimes stigmatised as ‘servant girls’ scent’, but very popular. (Dyhouse does not mention Betrothed.) The book includes several Grossmith ads from that time – wonderful.
Anyway, it is funny to think that Grossmith has been resurrected as an extreme high-end brand, with sky-high prices, when once they put out ‘servant girl scents’. Yes, I know, Roja Dove had a hand in it. But still …