In March, Yardley London will launch two new fragrances, Jade for women and Chrome for men. Two existing fragrances have been renamed: Royal English Daisy will be Yardley London Daisy, and Royal Diamond will be Yardley London Diamond…
Penhaligon’s LP No. 9 for Women ~ perfume review
Since we’re closing in on Valentine’s Day, it seems like an appropriate moment to review Penhaligon’s LP No. 9 for Women, which is characterized as “a truly intoxicating love potion…a sorcerer’s recipe for irresistible female sensuality.” This fragrance, and its counterpart LP No. 9 for Men, were originally released in 1998; they were discontinued in 2006 and made a re-appearance in late 2008. LP No. 9 for Women, which was reportedly brought back in its original formulation, was created by Christian Provenzano. Its composition is listed as having top notes of lemon, mandarin, lavender, bergamot, geranium, and tarragon; heart notes of rose, jasmine, and carnation; and base notes of cinnamon, cedar, patchouli, amber, musk, and vanilla.
LP No. 9’s name, of course, is a nod to the classic pop song “Love Potion Number Nine,” first recorded in 1959 by The Clovers and later covered by The Searchers (among others). Penhaligon’s traditional bottle is trimmed with a twist of black velvet ribbon for LP No. 9, and the liquid within is a fascinating magenta hue. This appearance sets LP No. 9 apart from some of Penhaligon’s earlier releases for women, which tend to have Edwardian-style labels and a garden-party aesthetic. But does LP No. 9 smell so very different from those more traditional fragrances? Yes and no. Its opening notes, which last for the better part of an hour, confused me at first. This dry, herbaceous accord, with lots of lavender and greenish notes — and, wait, is that oakmoss? — feels like a lighter interpretation of a traditional fougère, and it would not be out of place in Penhaligon’s masculine fragrance range…
Guerlain Cherry Blossom Delight, Christian Dior J'Adore L'Absolu ~ new fragrances
Early next year, Guerlain will introduce the latest in their limited edition Cherry Blossom series geared towards the Asian market. The 2008 entry is Cherry Blossom Delight:
The juice opens on notes of bergamot, leading to a heart of aromatic green tea and the franchise’s signature cherry note…
Agent Provocateur & Agent Provocateur Eau Emotionnelle ~ fragrance reviews
The UK-based lingerie line Agent Provocateur released their first fragrance, called simply Agent Provocateur, in 2000. The “exotic floral chypre” was created by perfumer Christian Provenzano, and includes notes of saffron, coriander, rose, jasmine, magnolia, ylang ylang, gardenia, vetiver, amber and musk.
There are fragrances that are sexy in a non-obtrusive kind of way, and then there are fragrances that are sexy in an in-your-face kind of way. Agent Provocateur is in-your-face sexy. It smells, quite simply, like a fragrance that you would wear to seduce someone, which is, after all, the raison d’être of the Agent Provocateur brand…