Annick Goutal will launch Ninféo Mio in February. The new woody citrus fragrance was inspired by the Giardino di Ninfa (Ninfa garden) near Rome, and named for a river which runs through the garden.
Annick Goutal Mandragore Pourpre ~ fragrance review
Yes, we’re all sick of the endless parade of flankers, but sometimes a flanker is a welcome thing. Annick Goutal launched the original Mandragore Eau de Toilette in 2005, and I was among many who complained about its lasting power. Despite that, I eventually bought a bottle and I do wear it quite happily in summer. Later, Annick Goutal released an Eau de Parfum version. As expected, it had better longevity, but it also retained the woody-herbal crispness — perfect for hot weather — of the original.
The new Mandragore Pourpre is a very different fragrance — different enough that you should probably try it whether you liked the original Mandragore or not, although the focus (the mandrake plant) and the perfumer (Isabelle Doyen) are the same. But Mandragore Pourpre is probably closer to what I had imagined the original would be, given that Camille Goutal reportedly found the inspiration for Mandragore in fairy tales, folklore and Harry Potter…
Annick Goutal Mandragore Pourpre ~ new fragrance
Annick Goutal will launch Mandragore Pourpre in August. The new unisex fragrance is a flanker to 2005’s Mandragore, and like Mandragore, was inspired by the mandrake plant and developed by perfumer Isabelle Doyen.
As previously reported, the new variation is stronger and darker than the original and is intended for winter wear…
Annick Goutal Des Lys ~ fragrance review
Last night in a fit of optimism, I packed my winter sweaters and heavy wool skirts into plastic tubs and hauled them to the basement. Out came the cotton dresses and print blouses. Naturally, this morning was chilly, and I see rain splashing into the birdbath outside my window as I write. It’s the cold edge of spring. I want a perfume that is an antidote to the amber, leather, tobacco, and vanilla I’ve been wearing for months. I want something that hints at warm days to come and smells like the air outside: crisp, floral, and green. This is when I reach for Annick Goutal Des Lys Eau de Toilette.
A lily’s fragrance is potent. This has advantages and disadvantages. The pure, thick scent of just one stem of Stargazer lilies on the mantel will steamroll over the odor of dank carpets or an overfull litter box. Within a minute of coming into a room, guests will say, “It smells good in here.” At the same time, lilies can overtake a space, giving it the feel of funeral parlor and fighting with the smell of dinner in the other room. After an hour, guests may well ask for aspirin…
Annick Goutal Un Matin d’Orage ~ perfume review
Imagine yourself in a Japanese garden – a family garden, surrounded by dozens of delicate trees, grapefruit and hundreds of bushes of gardenias. It's early morning, the day after a thunderstorm. Imagine the drops of the rain on the leaves with the sun breaking through the cloud. The scent of the white gardenia is strong. With the humidity and heat, the scent emanates from the ground.*
That's Camille Goutal of Annick Goutal, explaining the inspiration for the line's latest perfume launch, Un Matin d’Orage. It's a reasonably accurate portrait of what you can expect, I suppose, although to my nose, Un Matin d'Orage is both drier and more transparent than what you'd get from “hundreds of bushes of gardenias” on a hot, humid day — and just as well, as such a thing might knock you out cold.
The opening is heavily ozonic and aquatic, and has a slight mineral aspect; overall, it nicely conveys the sense of “after the storm”. The gardenia and magolia stand out most clearly in the dry down…