Michael by Michael Kors, with an aside on Very Michael Kors and a quick poll

Posted by Robin on 24 October 2007 77 Comments

Michael Kors Michael perfume Very Michael Kors perfume

Michael was the debut fragrance release from Michael Kors. It launched in 2000, and was meant to…

…translate his style philosophy into fragrance. “Glamorous but simple, indulgent but practical,” explained Kors. “And chic. That’s the word I’m going for no matter what we do.” (via Women’s Wear Daily, 3/24/2000)

I can’t remember when I first smelled Michael, but I know I didn’t love it. It was too strong, too sweet, and too floral for my taste, and my feelings about Michael did not change radically after I became more interested in fragrance and my tastes expanded to include the headier white florals.

But I can’t even count the number of times over the past 7 years when I’ve asked someone what they were wearing because they smelled so nice, and the answer was: Michael. It happened again only last week, and I came home and sprayed some on, and then sat, puzzled yet again: I don’t like Michael. On me, anyway, and up close. But apparently I like it on most anyone else, and I have to say that several times while wearing it I was struck by that sense you get when you forget that you’re even wearing perfume and just notice, for an instant, that something nearby smells good…

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Aftelier Cepes & Tuberose, Strange Invisible Perfumes Tropical Vial, Scent Systems Oeillet ~ 3 great natural perfumes

Posted by Robin on 15 October 2007 25 Comments

Blog Action Day

Today is Blog Action Day, when “bloggers around the web will unite to put a single important issue on everyone’s mind”. Some 14,000+ 20,000+ blogs are participating. This year’s theme is the environment, so I’m highlighting a few of my favorite natural fragrances, and in the post below this one, you’ll find Pia’s review of scented cleaning items from Earth Friendly Products.

If you’ve never explored natural perfumery, now is the perfect time. For one thing, you’ve more choice than ever before: there are literally dozens of natural perfume lines, and anyone who thinks natural fragrances aren’t as sophisticated as those made with synthetics might be surprised by the range of offerings. You do need to accept that all other things being equal, you’re going to pay more for an all-natural product — natural fragrance components aren’t cheap, and these lines tend to be produced on a small scale. And without the use of synthetic fixatives, natural perfumes don’t last quite as long as some of the powerhouse scents you’ll find from the mainstream brands…

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Estee Lauder Private Collection Tuberose Gardenia ~ fragrance review

Posted by Robin on 9 July 2007 73 Comments

Estee Lauder Private Collection Tuberose Gardenia fragrance bottles

Private Collection Tuberose Gardenia is the brainchild of Aerin Lauder, Estee Lauder’s granddaughter and the Creative Director of the Estee Lauder line. It borrows its name from Private Collection, the 1973 release that was said to be based on a scent that Estee Lauder originally created for her own use. The new fragrance features neroli, lilac, rosewood, tuberose, gardenia, orange flower, jasmine, white lily, carnation and vanilla bourbon.

Private Collection Tuberose Gardenia opens sweet and bright, and seems to move rapidly from the mild touch of citrus in the opening into the white floral notes in the heart. The lilac softens the more exuberant floral notes in the early stages, but it is lush and full-bodied almost from the start, and it is almost linear after the first 20 minutes or so have passed. The tuberose and gardenia are the main players — you will catch glimpses of the other notes, especially the jasmine, but it starts out smelling like mostly tuberose and gardenia and hours later, it still does. The base is milky-creamy woods with a touch of vanilla, and is neither heady nor overly sweet…

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Robert Piguet Fracas ~ an appreciation

Posted by Robin on 27 September 2006 64 Comments

Robert Piguet Fracas advert Piguet Fracas perfume bottle

Fracas was launched in 1948 by Robert Piguet. Like yesterday’s Bandit, it was created by perfumer Germaine Cellier, and like Bandit, it eventually disappeared from the shelves. In 1996 it was reformulated by perfumer Pierre Negrin and relaunched. The notes are bergamot, mandarin, hyacinth, tuberose, gardenia, jasmine, lily of the valley, jonquil, violet, neroli, rose, orange blossom, iris, musk, vetiver, cedar and sandalwood.

Fracas, love it or hate it, is indisputably the queen of all tuberose fragrances. “Every single person making a tuberose fragrance is trying to knock off the classic, which is Fracas,” commented Frederic Malle when discussing the creation of his own tuberose scent, Carnal Flower (via Women’s Wear Daily, 9/30/2005). Roja Dove notes:

Fracas is the big tuberose reference of perfumery, and tuberose is the most carnal of the floral notes. It smells like very, very hot flesh after you’ve had sex — that’s the bottom line. It’s very much in fashion just now, but current fragrances don’t use such an incredible concentration of it. While they may nod towards something carnal, Fracas is carnal all the way. (via The Independent, 12/14/2002)

Fracas, as the name suggests, is not a subtle fragrance. It is in-your-face tuberose…

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Perfume review: Carnal Flower by Frederic Malle

Posted by Robin on 3 January 2006 54 Comments

Tuberoses

Carnal Flower is the latest fragrance release from Frederic Malle Editions de Parfums. Perfumer Dominique Ropion reportedly spent more than 2 years perfecting the formula, and it is said to have the highest concentration of tuberose of any perfume on the market. Other notes include bergamot, melon, eucalyptus, ylang-ylang, jasmine, white musk cocktail, coconut, and orange blossom absolute.

Carnal Flower opens on heavy green notes, evoking the fragrance of crushed stems and leaves over mild citrus. As the tuberose begins to peek though, the green notes fade into camphor, but it is very soft; it warms and dulls the heady floral notes without calling attention to itself. Likewise, the notes that sounded so worrisome to me in the advance notices — the coconut, the melon, the Juicy Fruit gum that Frederic Malle mentioned as an inspiration — all are mere whispers, hardly worth the mention…

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Now Smell This

a blog about perfume

Michael by Michael Kors, with an aside on Very Michael Kors and a quick poll

Aftelier Cepes & Tuberose, Strange Invisible Perfumes Tropical Vial, Scent Systems Oeillet ~ 3 great natural perfumes

Estee Lauder Private Collection Tuberose Gardenia ~ fragrance review

Robert Piguet Fracas ~ an appreciation

Perfume review: Carnal Flower by Frederic Malle