The Perfume Bee

The Royal BC Museum’s “Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition” opens on Saturday in Victoria, B.C., CANADA. It will run from April 14-October 14, 2007. This traveling exhibit features nearly 300 artifacts recovered from Titanic’s undersea resting place in a series of galleries that trace the life of this majestic ship.

One of the passengers on that fateful journey was 47-year old British perfumer Adolphe Saalfeld. Saalfeld brought 64 vials of perfume with him, and 62 of the 65 vials have been recovered from a leather case on the ocean floor. Six of these small perfume vials are in display in the Life on Board Room, where you can actually smell the fragrances through holes in the plexiglass case.

What an incredible opportunity to smell genuine, turn-of-the-last-century fragrances.

And, fortunately, Adolphe Saalfeld survived the sinking.

For more information or to purchase tickets, please visit royalbcmuseum.bc.ca

image source: Museum of Science and Industry, Chicago

info source: Museum of Science and Industry, Chicago and SeattlePI.com.

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Fifi Award
The FiFi Awards are an annual event to honor the fragrance industry’s creative achievements and are considered the “Oscars” of the global fragrance industry. Over 1,000 members of the international fragrance community attend the glamorous “FiFi” Ceremonies, held in New York City. The awards are presented by celebrities from the world of fashion, theater, film and TV.

This year’s top 10 finalists for the major categories have just been announced by the Fragrance Foundation. Winners will be announced during the 35th Annual FiFi Awards & Celebration held on Thursday, May 31st, 2007 at the Winter Garden at The World Financial Center in New York City.

Here are the top 10 finalists for Fragrance of the Year FiFi Award in each distribution category (in alphabetical order):

NOUVEAU NICHE – WOMEN’S:
• Ange ou Démon – Parfums Givenchy
• Anna Sui Dolly Girl on the Beach – P&G Prestige Products, Inc.
• Armani Privé Cuir Amethyste (unisex) – Giorgio Armani Parfums
• Delices de Cartier – Cartier North America
• Fleur de Narcisse 2006 – L’Artisan Parfumeur
• KenzoAmour – Kenzo Parfums
• Missoni Eau de Parfum – Missoni Profumi
• The Scent of Peace Bond No. 9 New York – Laurice & Co.
• Tom Ford Black Orchid – Tom Ford Beauty
• Viktor & Rolf Flowerbomb Extreme Amethyst Edition – L’Oréal USA

NOUVEAU NICHE - MEN’S (Eleven finalists due to one tie):
• Armani Privé Cuir Amethyste (unisex) – Giorgio Armani Parfums
• Baldessarini Ambre – P&G Prestige Products, Inc.
• David Beckham Instinct – Coty Beauty
• Dunhill Pursuit – P&G Prestige Products, Inc.
• Figue Eau de Toilette by Calypso Christiane Celle (unisex) – Calypso Christiane Celle
• Fire Island Bond No. 9 New York – Laurice & Co.
• Fou d’Absinthe – L’Artisan Parfumeur
• L’Homme Yves Saint Laurent – YSL Beaute
• Montblanc Starwalker – P&G Prestige Products, Inc.
• Paul Smith Story – P&G Prestige Products, Inc./Inter Parfums USA
• Viktor & Rolf Antidote – L’Oréal USA

LUXE – WOMEN’S:
• Armani Code for Women – Giorgio Armani Parfums
• Badgley Mischka – Elizabeth Arden
• Betsey Johnson Parfum – Colorful Licenses USA/Karis Group Ltd.
• Burberry London for Women – P&G Prestige Products, Inc./Burberry Fragrances
• Donna Karan Gold Eau de Parfum – Donna Karan Cosmetics
• Insolence – Guerlain
• Juicy Couture – Liz Claiborne Cosmetics
• Pure White Linen – Estée Lauder
• Stella in Two – Stella McCartney Parfums
• Vera Wang Princess – Coty Prestige

LUXE – MEN’S:
• Burberry London for Men – P&G Prestige Products, Inc./Burberry Fragrances
• Calvin Klein euphoria for Men – Coty Prestige
• Cannabis Santal Eau de Parfum – Fresh Inc.
• Lacoste Essential – P&G Prestige Products, Inc.
• Lucky Number 6 for Men by Lucky Brand Jeans – Liz Claiborne Cosmetics
• Polo Double Black – Ralph Lauren Fragrances
• Prada – Puig USA
• Terre d’Hermès – Hermès
• Unforgivable by Sean John – Sean John Fragrances/Estée Lauder
• Versace Man Eau Fraiche – EuroItaly/Fragrances Elite International

POPULAR APPEAL – WOMEN’S (Five finalists in this category):
• American Beauty Wonderful Indulgence – BeautyBank Inc.
• Bijan Black Women – Five Star Fragrance Company
• Celine Dion Parfums Always Belong – Coty Beauty
• Dianoche by Daisy Fuentes – BeautyBank Inc.
• Stacie J – Golden – Revelations Perfume & Cosmetics, Inc.

POPULAR APPEAL – MEN’S (Two finalists in this category):
• Antonio Antonio Banderas – Puig Beauty USA, Inc.
• Bijan Black Men – Five Star Fragrance Company

PRIVATE LABEL/DIRECT SELL – WOMEN’S (Eleven finalists due to one tie):
• Banana Republic Alabaster – Inter Parfums USA
• Banana Republic Jade – Inter Parfums USA
• Banana Republic Rosewood – Inter Parfums USA
• Crystal Aura – Avon Products, Inc.
• Dream Angels Desire – Victoria’s Secret Beauty
• Mary Kay® Affection™ – Mary Kay Inc.
• Play-Doh – Demeter Fragrance Library
• Secrets d’Essences Voile d’Ambre – Yves Rocher Inc.
• Signature Collection Japanese Cherry Blossom EDT & Perfume Mist – Bath and Body Works
• Signature Collection Sensual Amber EDT & Perfume Mist – Bath and Body Works
• Thierry Mugler Interprets Perfume: The Story of a Murderer (unisex) – Clarins Fragrance Group

PRIVATE LABEL/DIRECT SELL – MEN’S (Five finalists in this category):
• Banana Republic Black Walnut – Inter Parfums USA
• Banana Republic Slate – Inter Parfums USA
• Driven – Derek Jeter – Avon Products, Inc.
• Re: Verb – Revelations Perfume & Cosmetics, Inc.
• Thierry Mugler Interprets Perfume: The Story of a Murderer (unisex) – Clarins Fragrance Group

To learn more about the Fifis and the Fragrance Foundation, please go to the fragrance foundation website.

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Because our olfactory sense is so closely linked to memory, people remember what perfume you wore long after they have forgotten what you had on. This is why you should spend at least as much time selecting a signature fragrance as you would on a wonderful dress. — Mona di Orio, The Daily Mail

In a not-so-recent (August 2006) Daily Mail UK article, author Judith Keeling interviews 4 notable women perfumers. She talks to Patricia de Nicolai (Parfums de Nicolai), Lyn Harris, (Miller Harris), Celine Ellena (The Different Company) and Mona di Orio , (Mona di Orio perfumes). The reason for bringing this article to your attention is that it highlights the creative minds behind four of my favorite niche perfumeries. In a world that has long been dominated by male perfumers, it is refreshing to hear from such gifted female noses. To read the entire article, please go to Scent of Success.

Meanwhile, our friends across the pond share their views on celebrity fragrances in a Daily Mail UK article today titled, “Celebrity Scents on Trial: From Celine to J-Lo.” Readers of The Perfume Bee will know that I am not a big fan of celebrity fragrances. Quite the contrary. But I include a link to this post because it features comments by Roja Dove, one of the world’s leading fragrance experts whose comments are always insightful, if sometimes blunt. For this article, please click here.

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Serge Lutens and Renaud Donnedieu de Vabres

Fragrance designer Serge Lutens was recently awarded one of France’s highest cultural honors: the insignia of the rank of Commander of the Order of Arts and Letters. Established in 1957, The Order of Arts and Letters recognizes artists and others who have contributed to furthering the arts in France and throughout the world. Within the Order, Commander is the highest rank and a maximum of twenty such awards are given each year.

Medallion, Commander in the Order of Arts and Letters (image source: culture.gouv.fr)

In presenting the award, French Minister of Culture and Communication, Renaud Donnedieu de Vabres praised Lutens, describing

‘the immense talent of a true aesthete, a goldsmith of the senses, an extraordinary creator of images, who has made the quest for beauty his life’s work, and who has been a continual inspiration for the new artistic scene’ (photo and info source: osMoz.com.

Serge Lutens is an extremely innovative perfumer and is the genius behind the Serge Lutens Les Salons du Palais Royal Shiseido line of exquisite fragrances. Some of these include Iris Silver Mist, Tubéreuse Criminelle, A La Nuit, and his latest release, Rousse. For more about this niche line, please see my prior post.

Congratulations, M. Lutens!

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photo source: the body shop

With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, our thoughts naturally turn toward the obvious: gifting our loved ones with a beautiful new fragrance. When such gifting can be combined with a good cause, so much the better. One such example is The Body Shop’s new limited edition Rougeberry MTV fragrance. The Body Shop has teamed up with MTV to launch the ‘Stop HIV: Spray to Change Attitudes’ campaign.

Together we are working to raise awareness amongst young people about HIV and AIDS, and raise funds for MTV’s Staying Alive Foundation, who support grass-roots charities around the world to help raise awareness and educating young people about HIV and AIDS. Together we’ve produced a Limited Edition bottle of our sparkling new Rougeberry fragrance. Proceeds from the sale of every Limited Edition bottle go to the Staying Alive Foundation. (source: the body shop international).

Rougeberry contains:

• Top Notes: raspberry, tangerine and apple
• Middle Notes: heliotrope, rose, violet and peach
• Base Notes: musk, amber, cedarwood, sandalwood, vanilla and sugared almond

Cost: 1 fl-oz. eau de toilette Rougeberry MTV $16

To know more about the Staying Alive Foundation, please see their website.

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“A women who doesn’t wear perfume has no future”. — Coco Chanel

Leave it to Coco to tell it like it is!

Coco Chanel’s colorful and fascinating life provides the inspiration for the six new fragrances being launched by Chanel this month. Les Exclusifs are based on the things and places beloved by Mlle. Chanel. Created by Chanel perfumer Jacques Polge, these fragrances sound very intriguing. In an interview in The Australian, Christopher Sheldrake (deputy perfumer at Chanel) states, “Jacques Polge wanted to create something original and different.” The article continues:

Each new fragrance balances innovation with historical inspiration, referencing the spirit and history of Mademoiselle Gabrielle (Coco) Chanel, and places, houses and furnishings that were important to her. Polge and Sheldrake have worked with exceptional and exclusive raw ingredients, including some not often used by the perfume industry, such as ambrette seed and iris pallida, both rare and low-yield natural materials.

The six fragrances are:

• 28 La Pausa, a powdery floral named for Coco’s estate on the French Riviera;
• 31 Rue Cambon, named for Coco’s couture atelier, is a spicy, patchouli-based scent with notes of jasmine and rose;
• No. 18, named for the address of the Chanel jewelry boutique on Place Vendôme, has a heart note of ambrette seed;
• Coromandel, refers to the Chinese screens that adorned her Paris apartments. It is a blend of amber and wood with a hint of creamy vanilla;
• Bel Respiro, named for Coco’s first country house, has green, stemmy notes;
• Eau de Cologne, which is a unisex, neroli oil-based fragrance with the addition of musk, vetiver and green notes.

Chanel is also re-launching four older scents which have been hard to obtain in recent years: Bois des Iles (woodsy); Cuir de Russie (leathery); No. 22 (like a lighter version of No. 5); and Gardénia (a bright floral).

The fragrances will be available at Chanel Boutiques and Bergdorf Goodman February 12th.

Cost: $175/ 100 ml eau de toilette.

photo source: fashiontomorrow.com
quote source: wikiquote.org
fragrance descriptions source: W Magazine

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In my mind, Edith Piaf’s hauntingly beautiful voice epitomizes the mystery and magic of all that is French. I love listening to my Éternelle cd and I invariably get misty-eyed when she sings her most well-known song, La Vie en Rose. So I was thrilled to learn that 1) a new movie about her life is being released this month; and 2) Balmain has created a new perfume to celebrate the opening of this film.

Here is a clip of Edith singing this song on Youtube.com

La Vie en Rose is a biopic film starring Marion Cotillard and co-starring Gerard Depardieu, Sylvie Testud and Emmanuelle Seigner. The film is directed by french filmmaker Olivier Dahan and will premiere at the 57th Berlin Film Festival later this month.

In the U.S., the film will be called, La Môme, which refers to Piaf’s nickname, La Môme Piaf, The Sparrow Kid. She was quite a petite woman, only 4 feet, 8 inches tall (142 cm), and she took on the name Piaf (sparrow) as her stage name (from wikipedia). The film is slated for a 2007 release in the U.S., with no opening date set yet.
Here is a clip from the new movie.

The new fragrance by Balmain is also named La Môme. It is a floral-oriental scent containing:

• Top notes: May Rose, Freesia and Pink Bay;
• Heart notes: Damask Rose, Violet, Raspberry and Myrrh;

Base notes: Iris, musk, amber and opoponax

It will be available exclusively at Marionnaud parfumeries. Cost: 41.40 euros/50 ml eau de parfum; 59.20 euros/100 ml eau de parfum.

• edith piaf black/white photo source: Creative commons
• La Mome movie poster source: allocine.fr
• Fragrance image source: aufeminin.com

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