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Almost carnal

Posted by Robin on 28 October 2011 16 Comments

To demonstrate how he develops an idea, Mr. Ellena digs into his pocket and pulls out a small, curved piece of wood. "Fifteen years ago, I came across this marvelous massoia wood, not well known in perfumery and used in Indonesian cuisine. The odor is startling, unforgettable, mysterious, a sensual riot of exotic spices, fruit and milky coconut. It's what I call a horizontal scent," he says. "It's round, supple, almost carnal, lascivious—in a word, feminine."

— Perfumer Jean-Claude Ellena, from A French Perfumer's Seductive Sense in the Wall Street Journal. He's talking about the new Hermès Santal Massoïa.

Filed Under: perfume in the news
Tagged With: jean claude ellena

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16 Comments

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  1. pyramus says:
    28 October 2011 at 9:49 am

    It’s feminine? So women are round, supple, lascivious, and horizontal?

    Ugh.

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    • Dawnkana says:
      28 October 2011 at 10:30 am

      Round, supple, lascivious, and horizontal? = blow up doll. I could not resist poking a little fun at that description.

      Happy Weekend ahead to all you fine smelling people.

      ~Dawn

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    • Robin says:
      28 October 2011 at 2:50 pm

      Ya’ll know you’re not allowed to say anything against Jean-Claude Ellena on this blog, right?

      (j/k, really)

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  2. Lil says:
    28 October 2011 at 10:25 am

    I thought he cleverly used the reporter’s question regarding differences between the French and the American approaches to fragrance to put down the naysayers who complain his scents have (a) minimal sillage and (b) brief lasting power. Sly one, that JCE.

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    • monkeytoe says:
      28 October 2011 at 1:54 pm

      The top 20 selling French feminine fragrances from last year included Angel, Alien, Opium, Paris, Tresor, and Aromatics Elixir–not an exactly discreet and subtle crowd, eh Jean-Chauvinist Ellena.

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    • Robin says:
      28 October 2011 at 2:51 pm

      I totally understand his standpoint from an artistic sense, though — he’s not trying to make something consumers find “useful” or that fits into their workday needs, but something creative. It happens to fit into what I like, of course 😉

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  3. kristinacologne says:
    28 October 2011 at 10:44 am

    Can’t wait!!! Has anyone tried it yet? The coconut worries me though, there is probably no other note I dislike as much as coconut.

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    • Robin says:
      28 October 2011 at 2:51 pm

      I am waiting for mine!

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  4. Joe says:
    28 October 2011 at 11:29 am

    Looking forward to trying it, though I hope it’s better than Santal Blush (which to me just smelled sort of weak).

    Just recently acquired a bottle of my favorite Hermessence, Vanille Galante.

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    • Robin says:
      28 October 2011 at 2:52 pm

      I have a 15 ml of that one. I’ve worn it more than I expected.

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    • prism says:
      29 October 2011 at 12:31 pm

      Santal Blush ended up smelling like a sibling of ‘Jeu de Peau’ on me…

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  5. moore says:
    28 October 2011 at 12:23 pm

    Thanks for this post, Robin. Do you have JCE’s book?

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    • Robin says:
      28 October 2011 at 2:51 pm

      I don’t!

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  6. investiie says:
    28 October 2011 at 9:36 pm

    kinda ashamed for not knowing what massoia is, given that i am an indonesian.. been searching on the web but i couldn’t find its indonesian name, and the pictures i got on google looks too much like cinnamon bark.

    i wonder if i could get my hands on some true massoia bark when i go home for christmas! 🙂

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    • Joe says:
      29 October 2011 at 12:47 am

      Check these links — they may help you figure out what it is. Possibly something called “mesoyi” in Bahasa?

      http://wannura.wordpress.com/2010/07/08/mesoyi-cryptocarya-massoia-oken-kosterm-kayu-beraroma/

      http://blogtercinta.wordpress.com/about/

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  7. nozknoz says:
    29 October 2011 at 5:39 pm

    Thanks for posting this amazing article (in spite of the annoying chauvinism). Now, that’s what I call an office!

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