The newest Astier de Villatte incense flavor: Porte des Lilas. "A dream of times past: next stop, Porte des Lilas. At the exit of the Paris Métro 20s metro station, the stairs bring travellers to alleys neatly bordered by pretty little houses, with mauve lilacs overflowing their garden fences, mixed here and there with puffs of rose and jasmine. A hearty serving of 125 sticks in a comely blue box that is the finishing touch in many a chic room. Created in collaboration with Françoise Caron and made in Awaji, Japan - home of the best incense in the world thanks to its favorable climate, made in a thousand year old tradition handed down from father to son." $50 at Catbird (and they don't have them, but the scent does also come in a candle and perfumed eraser).
Astier de Villatte Splash Orange Amere & Commune de Paris 1871 ~ fragrance reviews
Six years ago, I bought (shipped from France) bottles of Astier de Villatte’s Eau Chic, Eau Fugace and Eau de Cologne. Between the two of us in my house, we went through those bottles in record time (15 ounces of perfume!) and it was discouraging trying to track down Astier de Villatte perfumes in the US. Now, Aedes de Venustas (full disclosure: a long-time NST advertiser) just stocked them. (I actually let out a whoop when I heard the news.) Just like their great scented candle line,1 the Astier de Villatte colognes are well-made and interesting; this week I’m reviewing two newer offerings, Splash Orange Amère2 and Commune de Paris 1871.3
Splash Orange Amère begins with a strange mix of oily bitter orange and bergamot mixing with tangy-spicy (peppered) tarragon, a green and “edgy” scent. There’s a food-y vibe to Splash Orange Amère…
Helmut Lang Cuiron, Eau de Cologne & Eau de Parfum ~ fragrance reviews
Helmut Lang’s perfumes (originally issued in the early 2000s) are often described as “cult” fragrances. I never tried the perfumes when they made their debuts so my reviews will tackle today’s re-release formulas.
Cuiron
Françoise Caron, perfumer | 2002 (bergamot, tangerine, pink pepper, cassia, carrot seed, olibanum, labdanum, cedar, ambrette, suede)
Cuiron is a sheer leather fragrance, a combination of muskiness and salty/aquatic leather — imitation ambergris? Though Cuiron feels light, it has good tenacity and casts a wide net upon initial application…
L’Atelier de Givenchy collection ~ new fragrances
Givenchy has launched L’Atelier de Givenchy, a new collection of seven unisex fragrances: Ambre Tigré, Bois Martial, Cuir Blanc, Chypre Caresse, Néroli Originel, Oud Flamboyant and Ylang Austral.
Caudalie Figue de Vigne ~ new fragrance
Skincare and spa line Caudalie has added Figue de Vigne to their 2011 Eaux Fraîche collection. The fragrance was inspired by a childhood memory of Caudalie founder Mathilde Thomas, of an island in the Garonne river with ancient fig trees…