The Perfume Bee

Please join me in part II of my interview with classically-trained perfumer, Ineke Rühland. For part I of this interview, please click here.

Perfume Bee: What advice do you have for avid would-be perfumers just starting out?

Ineke Rühland: I am a big believer in a formal education. I do think it’s possible to be self-taught because there are more and more perfumery books and other material available to the lay person, but if a proven formal curriculum taught by seasoned professionals is available, I think that is always a more thorough and efficient way to learn.

Apart from ISIPCA, some fragrance suppliers like Givaudan have in-house training programs. I also think it is essential to apprentice for a few years at a fragrance supply house. I think it would even be a good start to intern as a lab technician. For people who want to work with just natural materials, I think the path would be quite different, but I don’t feel qualified to address that.

Bee: Do you see any trends in the world of perfumery in general, or artisanal perfumery in particular? What is the role of the niche perfumer in perfumery today?

Ineke: It’s been talked about a lot, but I think the most striking difference between now and just ten years ago is the enormous number of launches every year, and the corresponding short shelf life of mainstream fragrances. I hate so-called “flankers” because they’ve cheapened perfumery and cause a lot of confusion. The concepts are lame (light, intense, 2, 3, black, red …) and I can’t think of a single flanker scent that improved on the original in any meaningful way.

I think we are partially seeing a flight back to quality with artisanal brands like Serge Lutens, Frederic Malle and The Different Company leading the way. More recently, bigger manufacturers have been putting out limited distribution lines like Hermès Hermessences, Chanel’s Les Exclusifs and Tom Ford’s Private Blend, in which you can clearly see the influence of the artisan brands that came before them.

There is definitely an increasing interest in products that are artisanal (or seem that way), and that has opened up distribution possibilities for new lines like mine. There are more consumers out there who are looking for quality and exclusivity.

Bee: In addition to Colette (Paris) and your on-line boutique, where else are your perfumes currently available?

Ineke: Since launching in August 2006, we’ve managed to get into some great stores including Bergdorf Goodman, Studio at Fred Segal, Louis Boston, Holt Renfrew in Vancouver, Liberty in London, Cara & Co in Moscow, and Sündhaft in Munich. A complete list of our 25+ stores is available on our website, www.ineke.com.

Bee: Wow! You are really expanding! Do you have plans for a brick-and-mortar Ineke store?

Ineke: I see myself as a product creator rather than a retailer, but I would still love to have a single flagship store in San Francisco. The ideal would be something like this: a small store in a lovely Victorian or Edwardian building on a neighborhood shopping street, with my lab and office upstairs and a scented garden out back.

Bee: Do you have a favorite Ineke fragrance? Or is that like asking a mother to choose her favorite child?!?

Ineke: You’re right that it is a bit like that. If I had to choose, Derring-Do is the one that I’m the most satisfied with. Although it’s not as daring in an olfactive sense as the name might imply, it’s elegant and well-balanced, and has a high “yum” factor.

Bee: What are your favorite perfumes other than your own?

Ineke: I like a lot of things that Jean-Claude Ellena does, particularly Bulgari Eau Parfumée au Thé Vert and Terre d’Hermès. I always admire Chris Sheldrake’s fragrances for Serge Lutens, although they’re not always easy for me to wear. I’m constantly impressed by Jacques Cavallier’s prodigious talent and range, of which I would cite Acqua di Gio pour homme and Stella (a perfect rose/peony).

Bee: Please share any other thoughts you would like to …

Ineke: We offer a Deluxe Sample Collection on our website (www.ineke.com) in case any of your readers want to sample the complete line. It costs $12, which is fully redeemable against any future purchase.

Thanks for your interest in my perfumes, Christine, and for asking such good questions!

Bee: Thank you, Ineke. It has been such a pleasure talking to you! I wish you and Ineke Perfume every continued success!!

(To ready my earlier review of Ineke perfumes, please click here.

photo source: Ineke

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I’ll admit to wearing Birkenstocks in college. The classic brown suede ones with two straps and no pizazz. I’ve also been a yoga-doing, mantra-chanting vegetarian for nearly 30 years. So, in all fairness, I was predisposed to like Rich Hippie organic perfumes based on the name alone. It’s a great juxtaposition of terms that caught my fancy from the get-go.

Then I saw the price tags on Rich Hippie products. Ouch!

Then I saw the description of all-organic ingredients used in making these fragrances. Yes!

And then I smelled the samples Rich Hippie sent me last week. Double yes!!

Rich Hippie perfumes are made with organically grown or wildcrafted plant and flower extracts. Even the alcohol base is made from organic grapes grown in California’s lush wine regions. Each batch is made in very small quantities with careful attention to quality and concern for the wearer’s health and the safety of the environment. The simple, apothecary-style bottles of Rich Hippie are the perfect flacons for these natural fragrances.

Rich Hippie Creator and Perfumer Nannette Pallrand has developed fifteen perfumes in the collection: Bliss, Maharishi, Devotion, Rock Star, Rich Hippie, Bohemian Wedding, Spring, The Kiss, Purple Haze, Marrakech, Wild Thing, Kalachakra, Utopia, Nirvana and Psychedelic. The last three are classified as unisex fragrances.

My three favorites are:

• Rock Star: Racy, dangerous, sensual tropical floral with extracts of rare Indonesian flowers, Madagascan Vanilla Bean and Clove Bud;
• The Kiss: Lush, romantic and sensual with rare organic Indian Jasmine extract, light notes of French and Chinese citrus, and Indian Frangipani petals; and
• Hoochie Coochie: Sweet, tropical, sexy and romantic floral featuring Indonesian Massoia Bark, Madagascan Vanilla Bean, Ylang Ylang flowers and light notes of Tunisian Neroli, Sweet Orange and Tangerine.

The one I least-resonated with was Psychedelic, with extracts of organic Madagascan Vanilla Bean, organic Madagascan Ginger Root and organic Sweet Orange Peel.

Perfumer Nanette states:

“There is nothing more beautiful than an all-natural perfume where you can actually smell the real flowers as opposed to a man-made chemical perfume that uses synthetic versions of flowers concocted in a laboratory. Studies have even shown that a real and all-natural perfume actually creates a chemical reaction in the body that uplifts the senses whereas a man-made, synthetic perfume brings the senses down.”

She makes a good point. I find, for example, that I feel better when I eat organically-grown fruits and vegetables as opposed to non-organic. There is an ineffable life force present in organically-grown produce that enhances one’s well-being. So, too, I detect a qualitative difference in organic perfumes. I feel a certain lightness when I wear them, like my spirit has lifted and my aura has brightened.

The lasting power of these fragrances is what one might expect from something so sheer. On my skin, after three hours I could detect only the merest trace of a scent. They are more complex than I had expected, but never over-powering.

Rich Hippie organic perfumes can be purchased in chic boutiques around the world, as well as online at Rich-Hippie.com.

Prices range from $125- 1/2 oz. ($325- 2 oz.) for many of the fragrances to $535-1/2 oz ($1355- 2 oz.) for Kalachakra.

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A southern California niche fragrance company, IBI, has launched a new fragrance called Virtue®. Touting itself as “the world’s first spiritual perfume,” it is “based upon an inspired Biblical formula.” The perfume contains top notes of apricot, pomegranate and fig; heart notes of iris; and base notes of frankincense, myrrh, aloe and spikenard.

What I found most noteworthy on this company’s website were its instructions for the spiritual use of perfume. A shortened version is as follows:

• Begin your spiritual practice
(prayer, meditation, contemplation, etc.)
• Establish your desired spiritual state.
• Smell your wrist, maintaining awareness of your spiritual state.
• Keep repeating this association.
• In the course of your day, let it remind you of your spiritual state by smelling your wrist.

These guidelines seem to have real merit. As most of us have discovered in our own lives, our sense of smell is closely tied with our memories and emotions. For instance, the scent of geranium leaves always reminds me of summertime on my grandmother’s deck, overlooking the beautiful Puget Sound. Conversely, the odor of deep-fried onion rings brings back the feelings of nausea I had during my first trimester when I was pregnant with my eldest son. And the use of incense in religious rituals for helping establish and maintain a sense of centeredness and reverence is well-known. The point is, scent and memory as well as mood are closely linked.

So, to extrapolate from that, can we use scent to consciously evoke certain moods or states of mind at a later time? Can we choose a fragrance, and, while sniffing it, link it to a particular experience and then, by simply smelling that scent at a later date re-enter that original state of mind? Makers of Virtue® would suggest that we can. And I am inclined to agree. I look forward to doing more research on this fascinating topic.

For more information on Virtue®, visit the virtueperfume.com website.

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Sometimes we just need to breathe. And if it takes a flacon of eau de parfum to remind us, all the better! Which is why I immediately went for Fresh Scents / Terri’s Breathe eau de parfum. An uplifting combination of Light Musk and China Rain, it is smells very crisp, clean and light. The whimsical label shows a line drawing of a woman surrounded by fluttering butterflies that look as if they are reminding her to take life a little less seriously. The entire line looks like it is designed to uplift and inspire.

Fresh Scents / Terri is the creation of perfumer Terri Weitzman. Terri lives in southern Californian and started creating her fragrances about four years ago. Her line consists of oils, lotions, body washes and bath & shower gels. There are 7 women’s fragrances and 2 for men:

• Dream - Notes of vanilla and fig.
• My LuLu - A blend of China Rain and Gardenia.
• Oh Baby! - A blend of China Musk and Pikaki.
• Breathe - A blend of White Rain and Light Musk.
• Zoe - A blend of Light Musk and Sheer Musk.
• Tangerine Kiss - Notes of cucumber, lime, watermelon and tangerine (available with a bronze shimmer).
• Berry Cute - A blend of blackberry and vanilla creme (with purple and gold shimmer).
• Peachy Keen - A blend of peach and vanilla creme (with peach and gold shimmer).
• My Man - A blend of bergamot and musks.
• Gregory - A blend of patchouli, ylang ylang, and leather.

The fragrances are available as 2-oz spray eau de parfum ($48); 1/3-oz. roll-on ($38 - first five fragrances only); and as a 10-piece sample set ($7 plus $6.95 s/h). The bath products cost $25 each. They can be ordered online at freshscentsterri.com and at select boutiques.

image source: freshscentsterri.com

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I never cease to be amazed by people who switch from a seemingly-unrelated career and go on to create a fabulous line of fragrances. It’s almost like they have to get something out of their system (by something, I mean success in the corporate world) in order to form the foundation for the expression of their true passion of perfumery.

Such was the case with Australian perfumer Renée Griffith. Renée is the owner and founder of Renée, a niche perfumery offering a complete line of lovely perfumes and fragrance products. Renée was a former corporate real estate agent. While vacationing in Bali, she was captivated by the intoxicating fragrance of a tuberose bouquet in the hotel where she was staying. Inspired to recreate this scent, she studied a perfumery book and then took a correspondence course in modern perfumery. She successsfully recreated the scent of the tuberose bouquet in her first fragrance, Tuberose, which she formulated for her wedding. Since then, she has created a total of 7 fragrances, with a product line consisting of perfume, scented candles, body lotion and Lifestyle Scents for the home. The fragrances include:

• Amber Seductive and sensual, Amber combines notes of earthy vetiver, musk and tolu with tea, ginger, cardamom and lime leaves for a rich, warm scent that is truly exotic and intensely captivating.
• L’eau L’eau is the French word for Water. Sheer, clean and soft it’s a dreamy, soothing scent as pure as fresh spring water and ethereal as crystalline mountain air beckoning you to breathe it. Green leaves, air and water are sprinkled with nutmeg, spearmint and basil and cool mint resting on delicate rose and violet feuilles and dewy oakmoss gives a subtle “anytime” scent that is sparklingly refreshing.
• Mediterranean Lily A sublime bounty of soft white blooms of waterlilies, lys blanc, gardenias and jasmine are interlaced with the freshness of italian bergamot and the sensuality of sandalwood transporting you to a magical Mediterranean garden on a sunny day when the warm summer breeze carries the scent of wild flowers through the air. Sophisticated and elegant, super feminine.
• Snowpeach Dreamily delicious, Snowpeach is a luscious, mouth-watering blend of ripe peaches combined with notes of green leaves, delicate orange blossom. Zesty white grapefruit adds a hint of sparkle while seductive undertones of mulberry, hyacinth and musk emerge to further tantalize the senses.
• Tuberose An exotic white floral of alluring and intoxicating tuberose flowers combined with freshness of bergamot, sweet orange blossom, seductive ylang ylang are laced with sensual undertones of musk, amber, moss and vanilla.
• Musk Fresh top notes of italian bergamot, french lavender and sweet orange are blended with exotic spice and the freshness of woody rose de mai, but the real character of the fragrance lies in the base which embodies the warmth and sensuality of creamy musks, earthen woods, amber and the richness of tonka and vanilla.
• Jasmine Jasmine begins with a sparkling blend of bergamot, mandarin, cassis and leafy vines combined with lusciously sweet french jasmine, exotic ylang ylang, tuberose and elegant bulgarian rose unveiling a smooth, mellow base of oakmoss, patchouli, vanilla, tonka, amber and a hint of musk.

My favorite fragrance in this collection is Tuberose. It is a warm, creamy blend of white flowers brightened by orange blossom and anchored with a musky/amber base. I also really like the Mediterranean Lily. It is light and bright and smells very much like a warm summer day. I personally found the Snowpeach to be a little too tutti-fruitti for my taste, but I could see it being very popular for teenage girls. The eau de parfum lasted about 2 hours on my skin, while the Jasmine perfume oil lasted slightly longer (about 3 hours).

Renée perfumes are packaged in chic white boxes tied with black grosgrain ribbon. They may be purchased online at renee.com.au.

Prices:
Parfum Vial Sampler Set - 5 x 1ml $7.95
Mini Fragrance Wardrobe - 5 x 10ml $75
Parfum - 30ml $59
Mini Parfum - 10ml $18.95
Perfume Oil (Jasmine and Musk only) 8ml - $45

image and fragrance notes source: renee.com.au

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I am noticing an interesting trend in the world of niche perfumery. While once concentrated in French and British locales, there are an increasing number of top-notch niche perfumeries arising in the USA. Many of these are located on the West coast, particularly in California and Oregon.

One such perfumery is elizabethW, located in San Francisco, California. Founder Albert E. Wightman was deeply influenced by his dynamic and free-spirited great-grandmother, Elizabeth, for whom the line is named. He was also influenced by the scent of fresh flowers and herbs he found on Elizabeth’s western ranch during his youth. With his background in architecture, Albert applied his appreciation for careful design to the creation of his perfume line. This aesthetic is reflected in the clean lines and modern packaging of his fragrance, skin care, and home fragrance products.

The elizabethW collections are, in Albert’s words,

clean, simple, sophisticated, elegant, and totally original. They reflect an emphasis on quality and beauty, valuable lessons passed down through the generations from Elizabeth Wightman, my great grandmother.

The Eau de Parfum collection consists of 10 fragrances, each built around a dominant note. While each stands on its own, the fragrances readily lend themselves to layering in order to create one’s own unique blend.

Here are the fragrances, in alphabetical order:

CITRUS VERVAIN: Refreshing, embracing, awakening. Extracts of star ruby grapefruit, mandarin, and lime peel entwine with lemon scented verbena leaves.

LAVENDER: Herbal, meditative, soothing. Dominant lavender notes blend with other herbaceous and woody tones in this distinctly harmonious scent.

LEAVES: Fresh, evocative, clean. A soft, woody base of Atlas cedar and sandalwood balance amber with green, leafy top notes.

LILAC: Romantic, fresh, intensely floral. A single note from boughs of spring-time lilacs brightened with subtle hints of jasmine, neroli, and freesia.

MAGNOLIA: Soft, feminine, sensual. White magnolia petals deepened with saffron and sandalwood, mingle with mimosa and gardenia.

NEROLI CHAMOMILE: Nurturing, tranquil, softly soothing. A floral bouquet of neroli, ylang ylang and iris extracts, enlivened by the rich balsamic, freshly herbal notes and wild roses enhanced with hawthorn.

ROSE: Irresistible, passionate, sophisticated. Moist green notes and wild roses enhanced with hawthorn.

SWEET TEA: Gracious, spirited, elegant. Enticing oriental black teas, juicy fresh Amalfi lemons, and the sweetness of almond honey.

TUBEROSE: Lasting floral, compelling, a classic bouquet. A richly sweet, heady aroma, accented by gardenia, jasmine, amber, and orange flower.

VETIVER: Earthy, woody, confident. An original creation of heavy vetiver, balanced with light, citrus tones and green tints of bergamot from peels of nearly ripe fruit.

I find the entire collection to be light, beautiful and easily wearable. My top three picks are Magnolia, a luscious white floral (think: daytime garden party); Tuberose, a rich, classic floral (think: puttin’ on the Ritz!); and Sweet Tea, a warm, tea-scented fragrance with a little kick of lemon (think: laid-back Saturday afternoon). I like that that this collection has a wide range of scents, from leafy green Leaves to light citrus Citrus Vervain to full-on floral Rose so that there is bound to be something for everyone.

The line is available in select boutiques and online at the elizabethW website.

Price: Full-size 2-oz. Eau de Parfum spray: $35; Travel-size 1/2-oz. Eau de Parfum spray: $20.

Golden Gate Bridge image source: daniel steger at openphoto.net
perfume image source: elizabethW

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My great love in writing this blog is discovering new (to me) niche perfumeries and sharing them with my readers. Today I will be discussing the French niche perfumery, Téo Cabanel.

The Cabanel company was founded in Algiers around 1893 by a doctor/chemist who created essences for Colognes. The House moved to Paris in 1908, where it became the preferred perfumery of the Duchess of Windsor. Fast-forward to this century, and the House has reasserted itself as a creator of luxurious perfumes made with the finest natural elements. Master perfumer Jean-Francois Latty is the nose behind all three of the fragrances, two of which were launched in 2006.

Julia is a daytime fragrance with top notes of Sicilian Madarin, Rhubarb Greens and Blackcurrant; heart notes of Jasmine, Hyacinth and Violet; and base notes of Sandalwood, Incense, Citrus, Raspberry and Musk.

Oha is an elegant evening fragrance with top notes of Bergamot and Tea; heart notes of Bulgarian and Moroccan Roses, Egyptian Jasmine and Guatemalan Cardamone; and base notes of Vanilla, Iris, Tonka Bean, Exotic Woods and White Musk.

The house’s newest fragrance, Alahine, will be launched this spring. It is a sweet-ambery fragrance inspired by Oriental elegance and Persian palaces. It contains top notes of Bergamot and Lavender; heart note of Bulgarian rose; and base notes of Vanilla, Pepper Tree, Iris, Benzoin and Patchouli.

These fragrances are (or soon will be) available at henri bendel (telephone 800.423.6335). They are also available at Galeries Lafayette.

Price: $180 perfume (15ml); $135 EDP spray (100ml); $96 EDP spray (50 ml).

For more information, please see Téo Cabanel.

image source: osmoz
information source: Téo Cabanel and Osmoz.

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Though technically not a niche perfumer, the release of designer Tom Ford’s new collection of 12 exquisite fragrances is about to put him into that category. Private Blend consists of a dozen unique scents designed to appeal to both women and men. Made from very fine and expensive ingredients, they include:

• Amber Absolute
• Noir de Noir
• Velvet Gardenia
• Black Violet
• Tobacco Vanille
• Oud Wood
• Purple Patchouli
• Bois Rouge
• Japan Noir
• Neroli Portofino
• Tuscan Leather
• Moss Breches

In wwd.com, Ford points out that “these are fully developed fragrances, not one-note products.”

Purple Patchouli is “sort of Sixties, with orchid, black leather and amber,” said Ford. “Bois Rouge has red cedarwood; Noir de Noir is a chypre oriental with patchouli and tree moss; Moss Breches is this really rare moss, and Tobacco Vanille smells like pipe tobacco…”

This collection is scheduled to launch with the opening of Ford’s new Manhattan store in Spring 2007 (located at Madison & 70th Street). Each scent will be available in a 1.7-oz. eau de parfum spray for $165 and an 8.3-oz. eau de parfum decanter for $450.

info and photo source: wwd.com; photo by John Aquino

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Le Printemps de la Beauté is a treasure trove of wonderful designer and niche perfumes. Located on the Boulevard Hausmann near the Opèa, this perfume department in one of Paris’ grand old department stores is a must-visit for perfume fanatics such as myself.

One of these niche brands is from the designer Stéphanie de Saint-Aignan. Her 2007 collection features seven unique eaux de toilette, each with its own story. She likens her yearly collection of perfumes to the annual collections of new dresses or jewelry made by designers.

Here they are:

• Amande Honorable (feminine) Floral/woodsy musk; linden blossom, sugared almond, and notes of clean linen and musk
• Berbériades (feminine) Spicy/Oriental; Citrus fruit top notes, jasmine, wood, oriental notes and spices
• Embruns d’Ambre (feminine) Floral aquatic; aquatic notes, solar notes, and ambergris

  (side note: while my French is passable, I often need help in fine-tuning translations of perfume ingredients. One of my teenaged sons, having worked his way through a few years of high school Spanish, introduced me to the freetranslation.com website. It is very helpful for simple words, but the translation of longer sentences can be confusing, if not downright hilarious. For instance, this is the translation I received for the ingredients in Embruns d’Ambre:

  A fragrance mixing the odor océane to the one of the gray amber that floats to the surface of the oceans. This is a low-fat, foamed amber…..!?!!

  Mmm, low-fat foamy amber… But I digress…

• Le Pot aux Roses (feminine) Floral rose-violet; green top notes, violet and rose middle notes on a white musk and powder base.
• Tobacco Mucho (masculine) Woody/aromatic; notes of frosted lemon; burned wood; and tobacco leaves.
• Un Thé au Sahara (feminine) Citrus/aromatic; mint; tea; spices; precious woods
• Voleur de Ciels (masculine) Woody/chypre; mint, jasmine, gasoline, leather

Of the seven, I chose Voleur de Ciels to purchase. I was in a bit of a hurry, which is never a good thing when buying fragrance. It was also very hot and crowded in the department store at the time of my selection. I was probably hungry, too. And the list of perfume notes was not readily available to me. Which is a roundabout way of admitting that I made a mistake…

When I first applied it, all I could smell were the mint and jasmine notes, which were quite nice. But the dry down awhile later left me surprised and a little stunned. When I finally discovered the notes, I had to laugh. Really, gasoline, on moi? It is described as smelling both of a man and a plane. And here’s the kicker: of all the fragrances I tested in Paris, this one has the longest staying power, hands-down. Truly, it lasts hours and hours, which is all the more devastating because fragrances typically last about 15 minutes on me.

In retrospect, I should have bought the Le Pot aux Roses. It was light and flowery with just the right amount of powder. These fragrances are available in Paris at Printemps de la Beauté. Cost: 60 euros for 30 ml eau de toilette; 80 euros for 50 ml. For more information, please go to the Printemps website.

UPDATE: The new Parisian perfume boutique, Evody, also carries Stéphanie de Saint-Aignan. The address is 63 rue Saint-André des Arts 75006 Paris. Telephone is: 01 55 42 06 54

source of perfume descriptions: French Osmoz

photo credit: Christine Pierce

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