Balenciaga Paris...

Balenciaga creative director, Nicolas Ghesquiere in collaboration with perfumer Olivier Polge will launch a new floral perfume  in February. Balenciaga Paris, according to Ghesquiere is a “mix of tradition and something quite contemporary and urban”. It’s described as a floral fragrance with an edgy character in it. The notes are composed of carnation, patchouli, cedar and violet.

French actress and singer, Charlotte Gainsbourg will be the face of the new Balenciaga fragrance.

Balanciaga Paris will be available in 30ml, 50ml and 100ml eau de parfum.

Bath & Body Works P.S. I Love You...

Roses. The epitome of romance. A flower so revered by many. Fragrances that center on rose evoke a sense of timeless elegance. The lure of traditional floral notes that graced a thousand or more scents is simply irresistible. Now, take that classic flower of love and transform it into something contemporary. Bath & Body Works call it P.S. I Love You – a modern blend of rose.

This new fragrance from Bath & Body Works Signature Collection was created by perfumer Dave Apel. In this fragrance, he wanted to project a more sophisticated approach to rose thus, more modern, a bit more giddy and exciting.

The top notes are: fresh citrus, peony, yellow rose,  lychee,  sparkling riesling; the middle notes: scarlet velvet rose, orchid, purple lilies, jasmine, hypnotic incense; the base notes: creamy sandalwood, patchouli, golden amber, musk.

P.S. I Love You comes in eau de toilette, a limited edition eau de parfum and fragrance mist. The collection also includes a full line of body care products.

Kate Moss Vintage...

Kate Moss released her fourth fragrance called Vintage. Inspired by Kate’s passion for timeless art and antiques, Vintage is a modern floriental fragrance that mirrors Kate’s iconic personal style.

“Rich in sophistication and luxury, Vintage is soft, fresh and sensual with more than a hint of Kate Moss’ iconic individual style.”

This new fragrance was created by perfumer Oliver Polge. The top notes are pink pepper, white freesia and mandarin; the heart features heliotrope, jasmine and almond flower; the base accords are Tonka bean, vanilla and skin musks. The decant is a vintage bottle inspired by the perfumes of the 1920s and 1930s.

Kate Moss Vintage perfume is available in 30ml and 50ml eau de toliette. It also includes a full line of beauty products such as body lotion, parfum deodorant and shower gel.

Vera Wang Glam Princess...

Glam Princess is the latest flanker from the Vera Wang Princess series. Glam Princess is a floral fruity fragrance created by perfumers Harry Fremont and Ilias Ermenidis, the same noses behind Princess. The notes are red currant, guava, pear, African orange flower, orchid, ambrette, marshmallow and cashmere wood.

The first Vera Wang Princess fragrance is light gourmand – sweet, sugary and yummy. All the goodness of sweet goodies (think cotton candies, cakes and chocolates) in a well-blended scent. I expect that Glam Princess would smell something similar as well. Perhaps, more puerile?

The bottle is heart-shaped decorated with cute little stars on the side. The bejeweled crown-stopper is just as lovely. I reckon that little girls and young ladies will be rooting for this quaint bottle.

Vera Wang Glam Princess will be launched in December and will be available in 50ml and 100ml eau de toilette.

Naomi Campbell vs Moodform Mission for breach of c...

Naomi Campbell is at it again but not for another round of cellphone hurling drama with the media; rather for breach of contract with Moodform Mission, the company that developed her namesake cosmetic line. According to the Miami-based company, Campbell stop making payments in 2008. Moodform Mission’s lawyer Daniel Bright said, “She’s still making money from these products and so is the company that’s selling the stuff. It’s my client who got cut out.”

Campbell’s representative categorically denies Moodform’s allegations and would rather not comment further about the case.

Fragrances Naomi Campbell, Cat Deluxe and Seductive Elixir are some of the products made in partnership with Moodform Mission.

Yves Saint Laurent Parisienne...

“The portrait of an incredibly free woman. Free to think and to behave as she chooses. She is not from Paris but Paris adopts her. Because she knows how to love, how to live. Parisienne, the fragrance of ultra-femininity, ultra-sensuality.” ysl-parisienne.com

Parisienne is a floral fragrance but a brighter version of the plush floral composition of the original Paris (1983). The face of the campaign is Kate Moss dressed up in black leather suit running around in Paris. Towards the end of the ad, you’ll find her writhing in a bed of roses, perhaps in pleasure (she appears orgasmic), with a bottle of Parisienne in her hand.

The fragrance is as sensual as the campaign. Despite the absence of the luxurious floral character and the edginess of its predecessor, Parisienne is still a beautiful scent. The opening is quite tarty and sweet; berries and vinyl accord are noticeable early on. The heart of the fragrance basks in the lush bed of damask roses and violet. A more powdery and sensual note quiets down the floral-fruity aroma, it gets a tad edgy as it progresses. Parisienne is certainly not a young scent aimed for the 20 something range; rather it’s best fitting to the 30-ish market. It lacks the girly sweetness of mainstream perfumes and it neither reaches the point of lavish floral opulence of Paris and other fragrances from the 80s era.

Needless to say, Parisienne is a crowd-pleaser. It’s subdued and well-balanced. This is a nice everyday scent as well; longevity is moderate though. The noses behind this fragrance are Sophia Grojsman and Sophia Labbe.

The notes are: vinyl accord, cranberry, blackberry, damask rose, violet, patchouli, vetiver, sandalwood and musk. It’s available in 30ml, 50ml and 90ml eau de parfum.

Dior Addict 2...

Dior Addict 2 is the girly version of Dior Addict which was earlier launched in 2002. This fragrance is designed to be the exact opposite of its supposed parent, Dior Addict. But in my opinion, this scent doesn’t fit the name of the term flanker of the original.  The nose behind this fragrance omitted the sensual notes which gives its intense character thus, the end result: it smells like the other floral-fruity scents in the perfumery, sad to say.

“Inspired by the Dior Girly collection, this tangy fruity-floral incarnates a bubble of optimism and
mischievous femininity for the innocently sexy girl. High-energy yet soft and playfully seductive,
this fragrance sparkles with notes of citrus followed by a heart of delicate freesia and grenadine
and a subtle white musk dry down…” (www.dior.com)

Dior’s name evokes classic fragrances. Their perfumes are expected to be distinct and far more creative in the composition. Unfortunately, that is not the case with Dior Addict 2. Let’s just say that it smells like other fragrances, only more expensive.  With that said, it’s a bit disappointing and not to mention the fact that longevity isn’t something to brag about either.

Dior Addict 2 is geared towards the young audience. Just looking at the notes : orange, grapefruit, freesia, bergamot, pineapple, pomegranate, lily of the valley, water melon, lotus, sandalwood, cedar and white musk, you’ll get an idea of how the scent turns out. It’s sweet, slightly floral with mellowed tones of musk. Comparing Dior Addict 2 with other scents, it reminds me of YSL Babydoll and Burberry Brit Sheer.

I think Dior Addict 2 is still a wearable fragrance. It retains its youthful and fresh character throughout. You just have to apply more than the usual because the staying power is below average.

Dior Addict 2 is available in 100ml eau de toilette.

Velvet Amber Blackberry by Victoria’s Secret...

Parfum Intimes, Victoria’s Secret lingerie-inspired fragrance collection introduces Velvet Amber Blackberry. This new fragrance boasts French blackberries, Turkish rose and luxurious amber.

Velvet Amber Blackberry was designed to evoke the unique sensation of velvet – the plush texture, the rich depth of color, the indulgence. The fragrance adorns skin in the luxurious warmth of amber, lusciously ripe French blackberries and sheer Turkish rose. Undeniable glamour, in the form of concentrated scent.

With velvet’s plush texture in mind, this scent evokes glamour and sophistication. These unique characteristics portray a woman’s discriminating taste for things of high quality and overtly extravagant.

Velvet Amber Blackberry is set to release this October and is available in 1.7 oz eau de parfum

Shiseido Zen Concentrated...

Shiseido’s new fragrance called Zen is touted as “the scent of happiness”. Zen is all about radiance, opulence and the legacy of classic elegance. This limited edition eau de parfum is a “lavish scent of precious flowers layered with elegant woody amber and the depth of rich vanilla, embracing modern nobility and timeless sensuality.”

Shimmering, full of life and pure joy. These are the emotions Zen would like to project in the modern woman. The fragrance is designed to have stress-relieving properties in its ingredients. Described as “aromachological”, the components “aim to liberate the modern woman from her worries and  awaken her to the joy of infinite possibility.”

Created by perfumer Michael Almairac, Zen is a product of marrying tradition and modernity. New innovation and art are born each day but the traditions of the past are always kept at the pedestal just like the art of wearing kimono in Japan. Japan is one of the highly westernized countries in Asia but women still wear the traditional dress on special occasions.

The color of the bottle is as warm as the golden rays of the sun. The seamless lines of the flacon emanates the minimalist appeal of Japanese aesthetics.  The notes combine layers of florals and musk. The top accords are grapefruit, bergamot, peach, pineapple, bluerose; the middle features freesia, gardenia, red apple, violet, lily of the valley, hyacinth, Chinese rose, lotus flower; and the base notes are patchouli, cedarwood, skin musk, white musk, marine,  amber and incense.

Zen is available in 50ml eau de parfum.

Guerlain Idylle...

Perfumer Thierry Wasser is the nose behind Guerlain Idylle, the latest floral fragrance from Guerlain. Wasser wanted to create a mist of flowers, a floral bouquet to be exact, and use it as an inspiration in a story about love. Rose is the dominant note in the fragrance while other florals such as peony, freesia, lily of the valley, lilac and jasmine are added to achieve a more feminine drama to the old-fashioned character of roses. A modern interpretation of Guerlinade was also infused in Idylle to add warmth and to evoke sensuality as the scent progresses.

The gold-colored bottle take form in the shape of a tear. Ora Ito, the designer of the flacon, wanted to project the modern Guerlain woman without losing the traditional intricacies of the bottle design Guerlain perfumes are known for. Idylle is wide at the bottom and has a shapely outline similar to that of a woman’s body.

The juice inside, unfortunately, is not as groundbreaking as what I expect it to be.  While it’s a nice, floral scent, very feminine, in fact; the combination of flowers emanate a refreshing yet nondescript smell. Pleasant, light and might as well be categorized as a safe floral-based perfume (no surprise headaches at first application). However, there’s not much innovation in the scent. It also reminds me of Sarah Jessica Parker’s Lovely which is a better deal when it comes to price, in my opinion.

Idylle could be Guerlain’s conservative take on mainstream fragrances. But I think they should not veer away from the classic Guerlain fragrances too much because the earlier fragrances have more character and personality.

The Making of Guerlain Idylle Video