Balenciaga In Black And Perfumes Inspired By Fabric

Recently the Fort Worth Kimbell Museum hosted an exhibit entitled "Balenciaga In Black" showcasing many of the designer Cristobal Balenciaga's design from his long career. The exhibit was organized by the Palais Galliera, Fashion Museum of the City of Paris. The first time I viewed the exhibit I was more interested in the designs of the clothing, but the second time I began to take in the nuances of the dresses and how certain fabrics were used for structure and effect. I noticed how many shade variations of black there are, depending on the sheen and style of the fabric.

Balenciaga In Black exhibit, Kimbell Museum, Fort Worth, Texas, Autumn 2018.

My Mother was an accomplished seamstress and when I was growing up she made most of the clothing for my sister and me. It never occurred to us to feel cheated of "store bought" clothes as her creations were always so perfectly constructed. I learned at an early age to appreciate the distinguishing characteristics of fabric. Most of what came my way was utilitarian cotton, but for my Mother's dresses there was linen, with its dressy Southern vibe rendered more casual by the inevitable wrinkles that would follow the minute the wearer sat down. Satin was shiny and dressy but had a certain structure and took up space, especially if there were tucks or gathers in the design . Silk was sinewy and whisper thin, draping the wearer like a second skin. Taffeta had a sound; it crunched and rustled with movement.

Balenciaga 1956. Google image.

Cristobal Balenciaga was born in the Basque region of Spain and had a mother who worked as a seamstress so he began training in the industry at an early age. A noblewoman in his town recognized Cristobal's potential when he was only a teenager and sponsored him to train in Madrid. Success followed and Balenciage opened stores in important cities in Spain. Eventually the Spanish Civil War would force him to close these shops and seek refuge in Paris where his empire and reputation would grow. Balenciaga was always distinguished from other couturiers as the one who could take a design all the way from inception to completion with his own hands, and throughout his career he always had one design in each of his runway shows he personally sewed.

Crisobal Balenciaga in an advertisement for Le Dix perfume. PerfumesWithoutPity.tumblr.com

Balenciaga's Spanish heritage influenced his love of using black fabric in his designs. It referenced the black lace mantillas women veiled their heads with before entering the church, the solemn robes of the Catholic priests and church hierarchy, the uniform of the bullfighters, and the flounced lacy dresses of the tango dancers. By using so much black fabric in his designs, Balenciaga was able to call attention to the details that made his creations true haute couture. He understood the language of each fabric, how it draped, flowed, and moved with the model. If you're interested, here is a glimpse at the Balenciaga "by invitation only" show room, I'm guessing maybe early 1960s.





I would like to be writing about the perfumes Balenciaga released during the era he was designing, roughly 1920 through 1968. Le Dix was released in 1947 and was named after Balenciaga's address, 10 Avenue George V. This was followed by La Fuite des Heures in 1948 and then Quadrille in 1955.  Unfortunately I've never smelled any of these and I haven't had the best luck acquiring vintage scents on Ebay, so instead I thought it would be interesting to focus on scents that use fabrics as inspiration. At the Balenciaga In Black exhibit particular attention was given to the type of fabric used to make each dress and the information plaques that identified each creation went into great detail. Balenciaga's choice of fabric enhanced the final outcome of his design and allowed him to make structural works of art, such as the rose dress at the top of this post which seems almost like a stand-alone work of art.

A photo of the exhibit at the Kimbell Museum in Fort Worth, Texas.

The first fabric-named scents that came to my mind when planning this post were Maison Francis Kurkdjian Oud Silk Mood and Oud Satin Mood. I don't own either of these so I went to my local Neiman Marcus on a couple of occasions to give them a try. I became confused if I was trying the eau de parfum or extrait versions of these, and to my nose they mostly smelled the same, just that the extrait was more intense and lasted longer. Oud Silk Mood is not what I expected, initially. With the word "silk" I expected a somewhat transparent perfume that floats and breathes. What I smelled on first spray was a synthetic plastic smell. Thankfully this faded quickly but while it was present it was very distracting. Maybe this was just a reaction with my skin. I looked at other reviewers experience on Fragrantica and they were almost all outstanding in their praise.

Oud Silk Mood has a simple note diagram: oud, rose, chamomile, and papyrus. I admittedly have an extreme sensitivity to the oud note, so take this with a grain of salt, but I found that oud is eighty percent of the fragrance for me, followed by rose, then a little papyrus. The notes begin to meld together in what is a lovely smell, but still, not the diaphanous trail of fragrance I was expecting. Then there is a sea change. The papyrus note becomes more apparent and this makes the heavier notes drier and more airy so this eventually becomes more "silk-like". However when I view it through the lens of being a perfume representing a "silk mood", it's a big fail for me. It does not bring images of a diaphanous swatch of fabric embracing the wearer but is more heavy and solid. No floating is taking place!  A couple of hours in my patience begins to pay dividends. The papyrus is subduing the overwhelming oud and now the fragrance does begin to take on more transparency. Still, I am not won over. Sorry, FK, I love almost everything you create but Oud Silk Mood is a miss for me.

Maison Francis Kurkdjian Oud Satin Mood is a totally different story. Not only do I enjoy wearing this opulent perfume but I can imagine that it is meant to represent a shiny piece of satin fabric which has been turned into a gown fit for a princess. Satin has a formal appearance and it is glassy smooth to the touch, almost slippery. It has more heft than silk and can thus be constructed into more formal designs. Satin is a fabric rarely seen today except in formal gowns and it has a presence. Depending on the design it can stand out on its own with no structural help or it can lie sleekly along the curves of the body. In Oud Satin Mood the oud note is heavy and full of presence, but at least on my skin it is less commanding than it is in the Oud Silk Mood. Rose essence from Bulgaria and rose absolute from Turkey ensure that the rose note takes center stage and is toughened a little by the oud. The feeling is one of luxury and abundance. Vanilla adds a bit of sweetness and makes this scent feel smooth and sleek. A little benzoin makes everything better in my opinion, and here it combines with amber to give a warm sensuousness to the scent. Oud Satin Mood feels like something royalty would wear in olden days to let everyone know they had access to the best and aren't afraid to flaunt it. As a bonus, if you spray Oud Satijn Mood to go out at night you are going to still smell delicious the next morning, just in a slightly buffered version. When I compare the extrait to the original, the original is a more syrupy style of vanilla while the extrait seems more perfectly blended. The extrait also has notes of geranium and cinnamon, not found in the EDP. 

People are rather rapturous in their praise of these scents on Fragrantica and in reviews, and the longer they're on my skin, the more I understand. These are serious perfumes that unfold and reveal slowly. No need to rush to judgement.

Organza by Givenchy is another perfume that references fabric-- organza-- which is a a sheer silk. Although it's been so long ago that I tried this perfume that I can't accurately describe it, I remember not caring  much for Organza, which came out in 1996. However when the flanker Organza Indecence was introduced in 1999 it was very  popular and I bought a bottle (wish it had been five or so!) and I carefully use the remaining contents. The bottle itself is beautiful. While Organza had a similar lid but a straight body, Organza Indecence, which was supposed to amp up the sexiness of the scent, resembes the curves and flow of a woman in a long gown. In fact, the bottle resembles the Ballenciaga outfit above. Even almost twenty years later my bottle of Organza Indecence is full of the warm spice of cinnamon, the velvety liquid of amber and vanilla, a touch of plum, and earthy patchouli. It's feel is dark and delicious and this was the intent. While Organza with its white flowers was supposed to be "white" in attitude, Organza Indecence was meant to reference black organza by using woody and spicy notes. Organza Indecence does feel like something you'd wear for a night out. It is warm, spicy, voluptuous, and extravagant. I notice that Givenchy has reintroduced Organza Indecence in a less beautiful bottle, and I'm willing to bet it's a less beautiful scent.

Blue Silk byAgent Provocateur gives an interesting interpretation of silk. Agent Provocateur is the purveyor of luxury lingerie and all their scents are meant to be provacative and somewhat sexy. Blue Silk and its sister fragrance Lace Noir (which unfortunately I couldn't find to sample) were introduced in 2018. I found Blue Silk to be quite different from the other perfumes in the Agent Provocateur line. The fragrance does gives a feeling of silky lightness; the notes seem somewhat airy and don't hang too heavily. The use of spicy notes of pink pepper mix with juniper in the opening to give the feeling that this is not a "white" scent. After the pink pepper I smell a very subdued note of rose,  more of a floral aroma than an identifiable flower. The juniper mixes with citrus notes of mandarin orange and lemon to provide lightness and lift to the scent. Notes of peach and jasmine add to the silky feel, all very well blended. Finally notes of vanilla, musk, tonka, sandalwood, and vetiver give a cashmere like effect to the scent which wears soft and close to the skin. This scent feels unisex to me. There is a slight powderiness thanks to the tonka, but it's contained. The best thing about this scent is that at least in the United States it can be found at very reasonable prices at online discounters.

Grisette by Lubin is a perfume created to represent the young women who lived in Paris and worked as seamstresses during the Belle Epoque era. Many of them lived in the Montmarte district which was frequented by artists, writers, and other creatives. The young women were described as being full of life and flirtatious, and this perfume is meant to reflect their joie de vivre. They were part of the bohemian culture of the era, and while their daytime jobs involved sewing and milliner's assistants, their after hours exploits were known to involve modeling for artists and sometimes occupying a position above prostitution but less than a mistress. Opera immoralized some famous grisettes: Fantine in Victor Hugo's Les Miserable and Mimi in the novel which inspired Puccini's La Boheme. I realize this is all the wrong era for Cristobal Balenciaga, but since it involves the creation of clothing and Grisette is such a pretty perfume, I'm going with it.

Grisette does give the impression of light frivolity and a certain innocence, despite the original connotations of a grisette. It reminds me slightly of Annick Goutal's Petite Cherie or Teo Cabanel's Julia, not the scent, but the air of youthful playfulness. While I firmly believe that anyone can wear any perfume, this one is decidedly feminine.  At first there is almost a minty scent combined with the citrus. Everything is very fresh and lively. Then a soft muted rose, pink and pretty, not blood red and torid, mixes into the scent. There is such a tart freshness that I thought maybe a touch of lychee was in the scent, but no, I guess it is just a very sparkling grapefruit note, along with bergamot. The luminous citrus notes combined with a very soft and innocent rose last for a surprisingly long time on my skin. Eventually all the notes soften and iris, cedar, and musk combine to form a soft white veil of scent. The rose is faint now, and although a tartness remains, the brightness of the citrus notes are gone. In truth I love the opening and the first hour or two of Grisette. After that, it becomes softly pretty and much less present. Added later: I add this after going to bed and thinking that Grisette was all done. I woke up and my wrist was literally pressed against my nose. I was smelling a slightly spicy smoky aroma. As my brain fully engaged I realized that this must be the amber and incense notes mentioned in Grisette's list of notes, however yesterday they were nowhere to be found. It is literally more than twelve hours later that I finally experience these notes, and had my wrist not been pressed to my nose I doubt I would have noticed. For those who like their scents to stay close, though, this could be acceptable. For me Grisette is pretty and enjoyable but feels a little young to be something I'd reach for very often.

This dress has butterfly winged bodice. It was on display at the exhibit.

Shantung is a silk where slight irregularities are allowed to exist and it is recognized by its nubby texture. It is less formal than silk, think of it as silk with attitude. It's origins are traced to the Chinese province of Shandong where raw silk originated as well as the trading route known as the silk road. Shantung is an English bastardization of the city of Shandong, which literally translates to "east of the mountains", in this case the Taihang Mountains. I remember my Mother sewing a dress from shantung when I was a very young girl, and running my finger over the silky yet rough texture. This texture gives the fabric a sheen, and depending on the color, almost an irridescence. Shantung, which was used in some of the designs on display at the museum, allowed Balenciaga to play with black. With the right fabric is could appear shiny or matte, jet black or a dark silvery-grey.

Etro's description for Shantung is actually pretty spot on. "In the dew-laden air of an eastern morning, a sparkling note of mandarin blends with the sweetness of blackcurrant and lychee. Threaded with Somalian incense, cedar and cashmere woody undertones and carried in musk's sensual embrace, the fleshy corollas of rose and peony blossom in the heart of the garden ao create an even more mesmerizing effect."

Shantung by Etro does seem to draw inspriration from its Chinese Silk Road origins. It opens with an incredibly fresh and juicy blackcurrant note. It is reminiscent of Diptyque L'Ombre Dans L'Eau's opening of blackcurrant. The note is tart in Shantung and this is further accentuated by a litchi note, fruity and slightly sour. This gives the feeling of a morning in the garden before the sun has burned away the scents; the buds which will unfurl toward the sun later in the day now are fresh and green. There is a feeling of fresh and new nature and there is a certain delicacy to the scent. As rose and peony enter that delicate fruitiness is emphasized even more. The peony is much stronger than the rose on me. There are also mandarin to add lightness and brightness, and again is a nod to the Chinese origins of shantung silk. This initial freshness stays for some time. Eventually the scent becomes more muted with notes of wood and musk, and there is supposedly incense but quite honestly I never experience it. Shantung is a really lovely scent that I am tempted to add to my collection and I think it is a good representation of this Chinese silk fabric, capturing it's lightness and fluidity, but adding a spunky twist on ceremony.

The Etro description for Shantung describes the silk as unexpected in it's pebbley uneven surface, and some of the piquant notes in Shantung are meant to mimic this surprise element of the fabric.

There was a long span of time when the house of Balenciaga didn't release a perfume. To the best of my knowledge Cristobal was released in 1998, and other than two flankers, that was it until 2010 when Balenciaga Paris was introduced. This perfume did not try to mimic the big perfumes from the past for which Balenciaga was known, however I think Perfumer Oliver Polge, working under the direction of Balenciaga designer Nicolas Ghesquiere, captured the elegance of the Balenciaga history. In a longer review here I wrote that Balenciaga Paris is elegant and refined, but even though it is a soft floral chypre it shows great retraint. I smell violet petals scattered on a cement sidewalk wet with rain. But what I smell that really connects this scent to the current discussion of fabrics and couture clothing is that Balenciaga Paris reminds me of freshly starched and pressed clothing, a garmet with sharp pleats ironed to precise folds or a crisp collar ironed to rigidity. There is a smell of steam against cloth that reminds me of well cared for and beautiful clothing. This facet of the scent is even more present in Balenciaga L'Essence, a floral green flanker to the original launched in 2011. Olivier Polge was also the perfumer for this one and he took away a bit of the prettiness to make it a statement on tailored, pressed clothing. It's a great scent to make you feel fresh on hot days. Grab it if you can still find it; it's becoming less available.

I would like to end with a very brief tribute to the holy grail scent named after fabric, Crepe De Chine by F. Millot. It was launched in 1925 and disappeared ages ago except occasionally can be glimpsed for sale on Ebay. Several years ago I bought a sample vial of the vintage and it was the kind of scent that makes you despair that as cliched as it sounds, they really don't make scents like this anymore. It smelled like elegance in a bottle and was so rich and evocative. I'm not saying the scents are in any way the same, but two modern day fragrances that give me that same all-out glamour are Puredistanc Warszawa and DSH Perfumes Vert Pour Madame. 

The Balenciaga exhibit was very inspiring and the cut, elegance, and attention to detail of the clothing made it understandable why scents were so grand, back in the day.

Color photos my own. Vintage photos Google images. Perfumes my own except for MFK. Thank you to Neiman Marcus for those.

Travels In Spain, Part Three: Los Pueblos Blancos & Ronda With MFK APOM

When I was originally planning our trip to Spain I knew nothing about Los Pueblos Blancos and the town of Ronda. During my interview with perfumer Francis Kurkdjian last spring,here, he mentioned that he liked to vacation in southern Spain. (This is the last time I will name drop in this article!). I told him I was going to the south and asked for his best recommendation and he said that he really enjoyed the Los Pueblos Blancos region, home of the white washed villages, and he specifically mentioned Ronda. Well that was good enough for me and Ronda was added to our itinerary!  I am pleased to have found this beautiful and laid back corner of Andalusia. These small villages scattered throughout the Sierra de Grazalema Park typically have houses with whitewashed walls and tile roofs lining narrow streets that are often next to impossible to maneuver with an automobile. Ronda, one of these villages perches precariously atop cliffs straddling the great gorge El Tajo and is known for its bridge spanning the gap and also as the home of Spain's oldest bullfighting ring. American writers Ernest Hemingway and Orson Welles were part-time summer residents here and used the area as inspiration.

We only had one day and night in Ronda but it was a relaxing stop between the sightseeing marathons in Seville and Granada, and later my daughter mentioned it as the place she'd most like to go back and spend more time.  I decided I needed to review something from Maison Francis Kurkdjian since he was the reason I discovered the place. It's a bit of a reach to say that these scents in any way remind me of the area but I decided to go with two of Mr. Kurkdjian's early works, APOM pour Femme and APOM pour Homme.

MFK's APOM pour Femme and it partner scent, Homme, were introduced in 2009, the first year that Mr. Kurkdjian started his own atelier. APOM pour Femme, which stands for "A Part Of Me", is described in copy as "a bit of oneself to leave with others." It is a yellow floral with strong woody undertones and only three notes are revealed: orange flower from Tunisia, cedar wood from Virginia, and ylang ylang. This was inspired by a trip Mr. Kurkdjian took to Lebanon. In my interview I told the perfumer that orange blossom seemed his signature note, he has had so many perfumes in his own line and in perfumes he's created for others that feature the note. He looked surprised when I said this but to me he is masterful with its use.

When I spray APOM I am intially slightly underwhelmed. It is a bit fizzy with a very mild and muted orange blossom note, pretty but unremarkable; however, orange blossom is usually a bit of a rowdy showgirl so this refinement is in itself a bit remarkable. Slowly the perfume starts to warm up and this is when everything changes, for the better. Were you ever in scouting and tried that old chestnut of rubbing two sticks together to try to spark a fire? This is the sensation I get, a slow building of warmth. It has the feel of soft amber but as that note is not listed I'm not sure how this is created. The ylang ylang starts to become noticeable and it lends a touch of powdery sweetness and a warm glow. It's hard to believe there are just three ingredients in APOM, but if so, Kurkdjian has performed a bit of alchemy with the ylang ylang and cedar by creating the perfume's warm soft growl. This never feels like a "white perfume", as orange blossom can often translate. It feels fuzzy and soft but also elegant at the same time. Eventually the woody note becomes more prominent but is wrapped in a cashmere cloak of the mixed florals.

My greatest affirmation came later that day. I never get compliments on my perfume, and next to telling me how great my (grown) kids are, that is the most welcome compliment you could give me. I was at the library check out counter and the librarian said, "Wow, you smell really good. What perfume are you wearing?"

I had just been at T.J. Maxx and given myself a big spray of something called Macaroon Rose. "Is it this?" I asked, holding my right hand up to her nose.

"Definitely not!" she replied, wrinkling her nose.

 "How about this?" I offered my left wrist, the arm I had sprayed with Apom Femme  several hours before.

She smiled. "Now that's elegant!"

MFK's APOM pour Homme shares two notes with the Femme version, orange blossom and Virginia cedar, but drops the ylang ylang in favor of amber. It's opening is also orange blossom but in this instance it takes on the more neroli like aspect of the plant which is typically considered to be more masculine. Just like its sister, the scent begins to "heat" up as the amber comes into play. I'm not overly fond of the opening but once it starts warming up it's a nice spicy/woody mix that like the femme version seems to be on a slow boil, holding steady with subtle heat and intensity. At this point the orange is very subdued. I smell cedar wood, cinnamon, and the warmth of the amber. I am not one to shy away from male scents but in this case I definitely prefer the femme of the set. It seems more unique and ultimately I find the Homme version nice but not as distinctive.

If you've gotten this far and are still interested in hearing more about Ronda, we stayed in the most quirky, cool hotel called Hotel Enfrente Art. It has a history of being associated with recording artists who came to this beautiful town for a creative jolt, and the most famous of these is probably Madonna, who came in 1994 to record a video for her song Take A Bow. She wanted to shoot a scene in the bullfighting ring but was denied by the owner so these shots had to be shot at another ring. Today the hotel maintains a charming individuality and we were given a warm welcome. They have a help-yourself bar and a great free breakfast cooked by a cheery chef who served everything from chocolate crepes to mango/tuna cerviche. The small lobby features the front half of an old car and other quirky items are scattered throughout the hotel. The meandering garden has unusual planters and there is an area where you can sit in chairs mounted in a shallow pond, dangle your feet in the water and let the fish nibble at your feet. I think you need a sense of humor to appreciate this hotel. Don't expect marble bathrooms and chic white linens, but we loved it!

Our absolute favorite relaxation at the hotel was drinking our gratis wine and sitting on the pleasant balcony overlook with its fabulous view. Pots of herbs hung on one wall and there was a wisteria vine covering the other which would smell heavenly when in bloom. Here's my daughter enjoying the moment in the photo below.

For more on Spain travels and related perfume review see Part One, Part Two,  Part Four, Part Five and Part Six.

Top photo from Flickr. Other photos my own. Perfumes from my own collection.

Foolproof Perfume Picks for Mother's Day

For those of us who love perfume the next best thing to buying perfumes for ourselves is buying it for someone else, so Mother's Day provides the perfect shopping opportunity. Yet all too often gifted bottles languish on the shelf unused. Some moms are easy. They have a signature scent you can replenish each year. But if you've no idea what your Mom might like but really want to share your love of scent with her, here is a semi-serious guide of what to buy your Mom depending on her likes and style. The secret in each case is to buy a fairly transparent scent that doesn't make too much of a statement, so that the odds of Mom liking it increase exponentially. 

The Classic Mom

Jackie Kennedy with her children.

The classic Mom is polished and cool. She probably set dinner tables with sterling silver cutlery and crystal dishes if she could afford it. Her manner of dress is polished, neatly styled and always totally appropriate. She made sure you visited the occasional museum in addition to Saturday matinees. Manners and respect were important in your household growing up. She gravitates toward old style classics so for her Chanel No 5 L'Eau is the perfect pick. The beautiful fizzy opening is still there but without the sharp astringency of the original. It's a lighter fresher take on the original but maintains the beautiful heart of rose and jasmine and still exudes that timeless elegance.

The Sporty Mom

Candace Parker, basketball player, Olympian.

Maybe your Mom plays tennis or golf. Maybe she's a runner or surfer. Maybe yoga is her thing, but whatever sport it is, it's a huge part of who she is. For sporty Moms I'm going to suggest something I just reviewed, MFK Aqua Celesia. This scent won't distract them from their game; it's very quiet. It's almost a skin scent but it has some tart notes of lime, mint and blackcurrant to keep it fresh.  I have a totally unproven theory that musk scents, which Aqua Celesia is, smell better and more personal when mixed with a little of your sweat. If so, then it's perfect for the active mom who glows with exertion. Regardless, it's a beautiful scent to keep her feeling fresh no matter what.

The Do-Gooder Mom

Angelina Jolie , actor and humanitarian, with her brood.

Your Mom is the first one with her hand up. School PTA president, check. Girl Scout leader, check. Local women's shelter volunteer, check. She's a rebel with a cause and the only thing that makes her happier than working is working for change. So how perfect that by wearing a perfume she can contribute in a small way to the welfare of farmers in war torn countries or one's recovering from strife. Fair trade essential oils are sourced from places like Afghanistan and Rwanda. The company behind these good deeds? The 7 Virtues. You could pick the original scent, Afghanistan Orange Blossom with uplifting notes of orange blossom, jasmine, and freesia. Farmers who used to grow poppies for the drug industry now can make more by farming neroli oil. You can also pick from Noble Rose of  Afghanistan, Middle East Peace, Patchouli of Rwanda, Vetiver of Haiti, Middle East Peace, and the new Lisa Ray Jasmine of India. The florals are realistic and pretty but these wear close to the skin. The fragrances can be ordered from the website and are also available at Lord & Taylor in the USA.

The Hip Mom

Kate Hudson, actress, fitness clothing entrepreneur.

All your friends think your Mom is cool, whether she's 40 or 80. Her manner of dress is maybe more youthful or edgy than other Moms but she always looks fabulous. She keeps up with current trends but is not afraid to follow her own style. She's open minded, embraces life,  and loves to have fun, especially with you. This Mom is not afraid to try something a little different with a slight edge. The trick is to buy something with that unique feel, but not something too extreme or out there. I have the perfect answer. It's Dame Perfumery Mate, Heliotrope & Patchouli. This perfume opens with a light mate tea note. The heliotrope gives a slight sweet touch and the patchouli is green and clean. It's my favorite "your skin but better scent". Click on the link above to read my full review. This one's a beauty.

The Trendy Mom

Victoria Beckham and brood.

Your Mom is always on point with trends. She may think she's too old to wear some of the latest style interpretations but you can be sure she knows about them. She is au courant about the latest movies, politics of the day, and the Pantone color of the year. She loves the latest thing and that's why the newest Jo Malone perfume may be the perfect gift for her. Every season Jo Malone is coming out with limited editions and new scents. The most recent release is Jo Malone Star Magnolia. Like most of Jo Malone's recent introductions, on my skin it's pretty, light, and fairly fleeting. Star Magnolia opens with a lemon and ginger note, then rapidly transitions to the magnolia and neroli. Both notes are light and come across as a white clean fragrance. While I don't love it, it's hard to imagine anyone taking offense to it. Even more interesting are the seasonal limited edition sets. They are always an interesting concept: last year it was the Herb Garden collection and this spring it is the five scents in the Bloomsbury Set. I haven't smelled any of them but I have no doubt they are charming and will fade away within an hour. Nevertheless I still can't help but be intrigued and would love it if someone gave them to me.

The Foodie Mom

Giada De Laurentiis, celebrity chef

Everyone wanted to hang out at your house because they knew there would be great food. Whether it was nourishing dinners or homemade snacks, your Mom likes to show her love through food. Her favorite program may be The Great British Baking Show. She knows the newest restaurant in town getting rave reviews and would rather walk through Williams & Sonoma than Barneys. Here are a few light and intriguing flavorful scents. Berdoues Grand Cru Vanira Moorea is a cologne strength vanilla and orange creamsicle; droolingly yummy but not too sweet. By the same company but totally different is Berdoues Grand Cru Assam of India. Pungent black Assam tea, sharp lemon, and a to-die-for bottle with colorful mini elephants make this a distinctive winner. Prada Infusion d'Amande has a creamy but transparent almond note that will have Mom sniffing her wrist non-stop.

The Traditional Mom

Florence Henderson as Carol Brady in the iconic tv show, The Brady Bunch.

Your Mom considered her primary job to be raising you and your siblings, despite everything else she might have had going on. She wants nothing but the best for you; your achievements are her successes. She loves you to bits and nothing makes her day more than hearing from you. For your special mom, treat her to the newly reintroduced Prada Les Infusions Rose. Like all the scents in Prada's Les Infusions line, it has a watercolor transparency. It is a pale pink rose scent, sprinkled with notes of mandarin, neroli, and galbanum. Sparkling and translucent, it's the perfect rose for the rose in your life.

I hope you've enjoyed my Mother's Day picks and found something worth considering.

Aqua Celestia by Maison Francis Kurkdjian

The newest addition to the house of  Maison Francis Kurkdjian is Aqua Celestia, the third in the Aqua series started in 2009 with the release of Aqua Universalis, followed in 2013 by Aqua Vitae. In this newest rendering of the aqua theme Kukdjian takes the series to new heights, literally. The first two versions were rooted more firmly to the earth with their citrus and floral notes, but Aqua Celestia does seem to float, float, float up into the heavens with its ethereal air.

Kurkdjian himself describes the fragrance : "Aqua Celestia forms a seamless bond between the blue of the sky and the blue of the sea, forging a path toward absolute serenity." I find Aqua Celestia even more gentle than the other two in the series. Once the scent settles into your skin it's like breathing rarified air, an Evian version of oxygen if you will. It does indeed smell a bit heavenly.

The perfume opens with lime and mint notes. The lime here doesn't have the zing that lemons and oranges can impart in perfumery. It is a very muted citrus with just enough tart sparkle to add a gentle fizzy zest in the opening, emphasis on gentle fizz. The mint note is next to emerge but it is also contained so it feels like a suggestion of mint, just adding to the light freshness. These notes are pretty and playful but unless I sniff my arm I would have trouble identifying them, they are so tame. The white musk accord begins to creep into the freshness of these two notes, further muting their impact. A note of blackcurrant bud adds a bit of tartness, so along with the mint and lime you get a light lift and liveliness to make the musk a little more transparent.  Eventually notes of mimosa join the musk. I'm not sure I could have identified the mimosa as on my skin it merges with the musk, only occasionally peeping through to shine on its own. Although the musk begins to dominate I still catch glimpses of the mint and blackcurrant notes throughout the hours of wear.

I have never been a lover of watery scents or "clean" scents reminiscent of fresh laundry through their use of white musk. This scent however has made me reconsider these prejudices. It would be the perfect scent for someone who doesn't want to have to think about scent; who doesn't want to draw attention or make a statement with their choice of perfume but merely wants to smell nice. And more specifically to smell fresh and cleanly turned out. This perfume performs that service but has enough extra interest with its tart notes to still be interesting. Admittedly, if I was purchasing for myself and wanted a lighter scent I would gravitate more toward MFK Petit Matin (reviewed here) with its hint of luminescent pink and gold-tinged dawn skies. However, if someone were to gift me with Aqua Celestia I would be more than pleased and would wear it with abandon. I find it a very worthy addition to one of the more interesting perfume houses out there and I am sure it will find a legion of admirers.

Photo from Etsy. Perfume sample provided by Neiman Marcus.

Interview with Perfumer Francis Kurkdjian: Talking About LVMH, New Perfumes and Looking Forward

Neiman Marcus in Fort Worth, Texas, just opened the new and updated store and they've been having a flurry of special events. Recently Francis Kurkdjian, perfumer extraordinaire, came to Neimans to talk about his line and sign bottles. Kurkdjian is such a prolific perfumer that it would take up a whole post just listing the fragrances he has created, and this was before he launched his own company, Maison Francis Kurkdjian Paris in 2009. His first great success was Jean Paul Gaultier Le Male launched in 1995 when he was only 26. He has amassed a large portfolio working for such fragrance houses as Burberry, Elie Saab, Indult, Narcisco Rodriguez; the list goes on and on. He has created one of my favorites of the house MDCI Parfums, Rose de Siwa reviewed here. Maison Francis Kurkdjian Paris has a portfolio of twenty perfumes, and I've reviewed a couple of favorites, Grand Soir and Petit Matin here.

When I set off for Neimans to meet Kurkdjian I explained to my husband who I would be interviewing and made the comparison he was a sort of Sting of the perfume world. I love so many of his scents and am a huge fan. When I arrived at Neimans the message that I wanted an interview had not reached Kurkdjian, but he couldn't have been more gracious about spending fifteen minutes  with me and letting me ask whatever I wanted. He was so easy to talk to and absolutely open. Top on my mind was the recent March announcement of French luxury brand LVMH acquiring a majority stake in Maison Francis Kurdjian, as they continue to expand in niche luxury brand fragrance.

Q: I'm interested in the recent news of the sale of a portion of your company.
A: Yes, we sold a majority of the company and my business partner, who is a co-founder and myself we have the rest of the company and we're still on board . We're still very active....I'm here.
Q: So your role is not really changing?
A; Not at all. It's a move that we would have done, that we would have to do, not maybe this year but within the next four years. There are not that many independent companies anymore and when you live in the retail environment you have to have the power, you have to be backed up by a powerhouse to be capable to get good spots, good point of sales, and at some point to grow. You have a level where you're too big to be small and you're not big enough to be big. And there is an awkward situation where I needed to do something. I believe because we were seeing a very good financial increase, I believe it was the right timing to give away part of the company. To negotiate it is always better if you are strong than if you are weak. We lost the majority but we are on the board. I keep my hands on the creative part. From the front nothing is going to change.
Q: I read in Persolaise blog that you had a really big increase in sales.
A: Yes, in two or three years.
Q: What do you credit that to?
A: Because you need your name to get out. It takes time. We're very young. We'll be only eight years old this fall and it takes time. I believe also that the portfolio is the right size now because we have about 20 perfumes, so you have enough proposal for the customer. If you launch with only two to four scents you might miss many people, because if someone wants vanilla, if someone wants wood; now the portfolio is quite structured. And you need to have a decent retail size so you can become profitable. Also the Baccarat fragrance (Baccarat Rouge 540)  helped a lot. It's very popular; right now it's our best seller. It's always the case when you launch a new perfume, the new perfume always takes over. This is how it works.
Q: Today I'm getting the Grand Soir. It works better on my skin than the Baccarat Rouge.
A: It might  be a bit acidic.on your skin.
Q: It's more of a winter scent for me because Singapore is hot and humid all the time. I was kind of leaning toward the Petit Matin but I really love that one so I think that's going to be it.
A: It's nice, I like that one. I like them all! I've never launched a scent that I don't like. It's hard for me to make the choice.
Q: You're still a perfumer that goes out of house too?
A: I'm releasing a scent from Burberrry in about ten days. I'm releasing something new for Elie Saab. Many things are in the works.
Q: I really like Ellie Saab. It seems like you have a really good feel for orange blossom perfumes, which I love.
A: With orange blossom? It was the brief. The brief for Ellie Saab was not about orange blossom. The brief  was to create a scent that would convey the idea of the Middle East without being woodsy or based on oud, so I thought that orange blossom was a nice twist. I like rose as well. I'm not familiar with jasmine. I put a little bit in some fragrances. I use jasmine as a booster but, I don't know why, I've never tried to create something big around jasmine.
Q: Is there any note or fragrance family that you feel you really have something left you want to say?
A: There are some, the only thing is you have to be careful when you launch them. Some themes are very trendy at some point and you might give the impression that you want to follow the trend. I've been working on  the leather accord for many years now because the first time I worked it was for my cousin, to create for her. Usually the perfume I'm launching has been created before for someone, most of the time. She had a small men's clothing shop in Paris next to mine, nearby the Ritz, and she wanted me to create a mens cologne for her, for the shop. And that leather note has been in her shop for a few years now. She doesn't sell it. She sprays only the clothing and it as if the man has just left the shop. I wanted to redistribute but now there is the big trend on leather. Everybody is launching a leather note so I am delaying it. I'm going to wait two or three years before we launch it. Now I am working on many. I have decided I want to launch a new couple. It's a long time since I have launched two partners.  I have to deliver things by August and I have no idea yet, so I'm trying to find inspiration where I can! I know I want something white but it doesn't mean anything so far. I don't know why I want something white ...
Q: White flowers you mean?
A: No. White something. White ambiance. I have no idea where it's going to lead me. I just know that white could be an option.
Q: So when you're not creating perfumes what do you do for happiness?
A: It a 24/7 life.  I play the piano. I love cooking. I love to host. I'm away very often. Two thirds of my time is out of Paris. Every time I come back to Paris, my home, my first thing is to call my friends, to see who is in town and host a dinner for 10 or 12 people. I love doing that. I go to the opera. I go to the museum. I have a passionate life. I know that I am blessed. That I know. There is not a day that looks alike. I don't feel I'm working, in a way.

There is another five minutes of interview, but it devolved into travel story comparisons and my asking advice for a summer trip to Europe. As I said, Mr. Kurkdjian is extremely easy to talk to!

Two things of personal note: I did get a photo with FK which he graciously posed for. I really try hard to conquer vanity but this photo was so horrendous (me, not him!) it will never see the light of day. And secondly, I really appreciate the time and kindness shown to me and cooperating with my ambush interview. It is so refreshing to meet someone who is such a success in their world but still comes across as gracious, humble, and grateful. Thank you, Francis Kurkdjain, and I can't wait to see what else you have in store for the perfume universe!

Top photo from www.theladylovescouture.com. Thank you to Neiman Marcus for providing this opportunity.

Weekend In Paris: With MFK Petit Matin & Grand Soir, Cafe Noir & Eau de Madeleine

The imminent arrival of October is making me long for a quick getaway. A weekend in Paris would be lovely. A quaint ivy draped hotel in one of Paris's charming arrondissements, fine dining in the French manner, and strolling through the park as the leaves turn golden. But alas, for me it's not to be so my trip will have to be a virtual one via photos and dreams, as I imagine how I would spend each precious moment and what perfumes I'd be wearing while I experienced the City of Light.

My flight's arrival would get me in too late to have a big evening so I would wander the streets until finding the perfect small cafe, perhaps having a light bite to eat and sit and watch Paris pass by. I love people watching when visiting cities. It's a great way to get a feel for the place. I would finish my meal with a dark rich brew, designed to give me a jolt of energy to make my way to the most hole-in-the-wall jazz club I could find. Besides my coffee, I'd wear a special perfume to get me in the mood.

I have no desire to smell like a mug of Starbucks brew but DSH Perfumes Cafe Noir doesn't disappoint. It is a much more sophisticated and multifaceted perfume than one might expect from a coffee-centered perfume. On the DSH website the perfume is described as an oriental that harmonizes notes of spices, wood, resins, and florals with the beloved black coffee note. Dawn Spencer Hurwitz's perfumes always have a long list of notes and this one is no exception. This perfume feels rich, sophisticated and embracing. Notes of bergamot add brightness to the labdanum, benzoin, and balsam. Cinnamon adds spicy heat and a touch of vanilla smooths and sweetens. I occasionally smell a sliver of green, more a thread than a note. This is a delicious brew which uses the idea of coffee as a jumping off point, then expands on this by adding lots of luscious notes. It is the perfect romantic and complex French-style perfume to start our adventure.

We've arranged for a small apartment with a killer view of the Eiffel Tower on www.parisperfect.com. After an hour of good jazz we wind our way through the streets to our waiting pad. I luxuriate in a warm bath with a glass of bubbly and enjoy the lights of the tower before drifting off to sleep in our comfy bed.

www.parisperfect.com

I am normally not a morning person, but when I'm jet lagged I tend to wake up before dawn with an instant alertness and the feeling of wanting to start the day as soon as possible. I love what feels like stolen moments, being awake as dawn lights begin to turn the black sky to fuzzy gray then pale yellow light. The first birds begin singing as the world awakens. Maison Francis Kurkdjian has introduced two new perfumes to celebrate the lights of Paris, Petit Matin to commemorate sunrise in Paris and Grand Soir to mark the excitement of the eveninghours. Petit Matin was Kurkdjian's answer to a Paris morning before dawn. His own copy says, "Rise at dawn and escape into the delightful freshness of an early morning in Paris."

Flicker Romane Villa

The scent is composed of litsea cubeba (also known as may chang), lemon from Calabria, hawthorn, lanvadin, orange blossom, musk, and ambroxin. The perfume opens with a soft luminescent pale lemon note, reminiscent of the first traces of light in the morning sky. The litsea cubeda in particular provides a creamy soft sweet citrus note. The hawthorn and orange blossom add very pure floral notes for a sweetness and a blossoming effect to the perfume. After a few hours it softly fades and the musk notes leave a lingering finish. To me this doesn't feel like a citrus cologne, which the notes might indicate. There is something very pure and illuminating about this perfume.

I can't be in Paris without visiting at least one magnificent cathedral. Coming from a part of America where no building is more than one hundred years old, these fabulously constructed edifices with fantastically soaring roofs and colorful diamond dappled stained glass windows make me swoon. My husband and I once wandered into a Polish-language Catholic service in Paris, and the somber chants,darkened lights and swinging incense burners made me feel we had stepped back in time several centuries. Au Pays de la Fleur d'Oranger Eau De Madeleine (quite the mouthful!)  captures the experience of visiting a stunning cathedral, inhaling the incense permeated stone walls from three hundred years of worship, then stepping through heavy wooden doors into the startling sunlight and air filled with the pervasive smell from the nearby creperie cart. There is a citrus burst on application, but it not a fresh bright note, it is the brightness of light through stained glass, beautifully present but darker and subdued. The incense note is the strongest but it is softened by the slight citrus and a musky vanilla which wraps around the incense. There is a balsamic sweetness which feels like resins, but I see none listed so maybe it's the combination of the vanilla and incense. This is an interesting combination of incense and sweetness but it's not really a gourmand. If you want a scent that is less church notes and more sugary crepes try Prada Candy. By the way, the name Eau de Madeleine is meant more as a reference to Proust than an attempt to smell like bakery goods, although that aspect is slightly present.

Fortified with crepes, we're now ready for our dose of culture, but not a huge venue like the Louvre. A smaller exhibit, something like this show at the Musee Du Luxembourg, followed afterwards by a stroll around the Luxembourg Garden.

Before we know it the day has passed and it's time to prepare for an evening out and for this moment, I've chosen to wear Maison Francis Kurkdjian Grand Soir. This is the partner to Petit Matin and really couldn't be more different. Where as Petit Matin sprinkles you with light and clarity, Grand Soir is deep, dark and mysterious. It is composed of labdanum from Spain, benzoin from Siam, tonka bean from Brazil, and vanilla and amber accords. These are some of my favorite notes in perfumery that always work on my skin, so if you have similar tastes or like Orientals definitely give this a try. The resins are warm and sinuous and after spraying the perfume I feel bathed in a luxurious balm of scent. The notes blend together well; the vanilla adds sweetness but it doesn't feature too strongly in the scent. The amber, labdanum, and benzoin meld into a comforting yet elegant mix. It smell so warm on my skin that I almost sense a cinnamon note, but it's not listed. This is a thoroughly grown up perfume which would be equally beautiful on a man or woman and on my skin, it makes a statement without being overbearing. It definitely makes me feel that I am in for a special evening, and is the perfect perfume to wear to the opera.

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We follow this gorgeous venue with a late night dinner at Le Meurice. (My perfume is still going strong, no need to respray!)

The next morning I have no no need to reapply perfume. The Grand Soir is muted but still very discernible, now just warm and fuzzy rather than the sexy creature from the night before. It wafts up pleasantly to remind me to the glorious evening just past.

We'll find a cute small cafe to order our coffee and croissants, then either wander the streets, bicycle along the Seine, or if we're still feeling arty, go to this exhibit which is free to the public all day Sunday, October 2.

And of course, there is always perfume shopping! I hope you've enjoyed our virtual getaway and exploring these great perfumes that remind me of Paris! What perfumes would you wear on your trip to Paris?

All samples my own. All photos www.google.com unless otherwise indicated.