FiFi 2010 Awards...

Everybody’s talking about the 2010 FiFi Awards. Voting starts on April 28 and the presentation of the winners will be on June 10.

As for the who’s who in this year’s FiFi Awards, here are the nominees:

Women’s Luxe

• Yves Saint Laurent Parisienne
• Michael Kors Very Hollywood
• Marc Jacobs Lola
• Gucci Flora
• Benefit Crescent Row Collection

Men’s Luxe

• Calvin Klein ck free
• D&G Fragrance Anthology
• Givenchy Play
• Shiseido Zen for Men
• Tom Ford Grey Vetiver

Women’s Nouveau Niche

• Bond No 9 Astor Place
• Viktor & Rolf Eau Mega
• Narciso Rodriguez Essence
• Jo Malone Vanilla & Anise
• Prada L’Eau Ambree

Men’s Nouveau Niche

• Brooks Brothers Black Fleece
• Bond No 9 Brooklyn
• Bond No 9 Perfume
• Six Scents Series 2 collection

L’Eau d’Issey Summer and L’Eau d’Issey Pou...

Issey Miyake’s L’Eau d’Issey and L’Eau d’Issey Pour Homme will launch its summer edition this May 2010. The scents are described as “where easterly winds swell the sails and the seas turns turquoise“. Perfumer Jacques Cavalier concocted both fragrances.

L’Eau d’Issey Summer is composed of summer flowers, rosewater, pear, peony, carnation, woods and acanthus while L’Eau d’Issey Pour Homme Summer features yuzu, mandarin orange, cardamom, sage, ambergris and vetiver.

L’Eau d’Issey Summer and L’Eau d’Issey Pour Homme Summer will be available in 75ml and 100ml respectively.

Bond No. 9 Andy Warhol Montauk...

Visual arts icon Andy Warhol has a different take on Montauk – a little town located at the end of Long Island. Back in the 70s and 80s, he turned this quiet town into a Studio 54 by the sea. So  just imagine the VIPs and the socialites flocking to Montauk – the celebrities hobnobbing at night with the triteness of this place on the foreground.

Bond No 9 Andy Warhol Montauk is the fifth fragrance in Bond No 9’s Andy Warhol collection. It represents the contrasting beauty of life in the city and that of a little town.

The fragrance captures the improbable descent of disco-mania on an unassuming fishing-village and nearby woodlands.  Imagine a windswept Montauk sunset hinting at the steamy, sexy nighttime to come.  In this twilight zone, the fresh and tangy initial flavors of blueberry and wild bergamot give way, first to sultry, sexy hyacinth, lily of the valley, and honeysuckle, and then to rich, clean forest-by-the-sea aromas—silver maple, red oak, driftwood, and amber.  What we have here is a cunning interplay of rustic and urban. – bondno9.com

The bottle’s design features Andy Warhol’s sunset collection which is part of a 632 series depicting the sunset in different shades. Bond No 9 Andy Warhol Montauk comes in two eclectic sunset designs – one comes in chrome yellow with a blue sun disc embellished with pink and blue as backdraft and the other presents a blue sun where deeper shades of red and blue decorate the background.

Bond No 9 Andy Warhol Montauk is expected to be introduced this summer and will be available in 50ml and 100ml.

Life’s a Beach...

In the esoteric world of fragrances, aquatic scents carry the fresh and watery notes of marine and ozonic accords. These notes are considered the purveyor of aquatic fragrances, more popularly known as scents that evoke the ocean breeze of summer.  Think of the turquoise blue waters of the Amalfi Coast in Italy, the pristine beaches in Maui, Hawaii or the exotic island of Amanpulo in the Pacific.

Davidoff’s Cool Water is the embodiment of an aquatic fragrance. Cool Water is now considered a classic. It has been imitated several times but nothing came close to the  athletic coolness of Cool Water.

The fragrance notes are:

Top: lavender, coriander, peppermint, rosemary, orange blossom

Middle: jasmine, oakmoss, gereanium, sandalwood

Base: amber, sandalwood, musk and cedar

Intense at the beginning then gradually softens towards the end as the florals and musk bring out a comforting quality in the background. Longevity and sillage are above par and loyal users of this fragrance can attest to its remarkable performance.

Savoring the smell of pure ocean air somehow pacifies the senses. A whiff of the salty notes of the ocean brings forth a deeper sense of relaxation. It calms and yet, full of vigor. Ask the women who love Cool Water on their men.

But just like any successful perfume, the creativity doesn’t stop there. Thus, a series of flankers were introduced from thereon. Check them out at scentiments.com.

Azzaro Pour Homme Elixir...

More intense. More sensual. The power of aromatic fougere in the new Azzaro Pour Homme Elixir.

Azzaro Pour Homme Elixir is a new interpretation of the oriental spicy fragrance with concentrated aromas of rich accords featuring tonka bean, vanilla, benzoin, sunflower, tangerine and lemon. It introduces a sense of seduction and fleeting sensuality from start to finish. The bottle infuses red and black – colors of opulence and elegance. It evokes the smoldering remains of fire with a glowing flame in the middle.

This new fragrance from Azzaro will be available in May in 30ml, 50ml and 100ml eau de toilette.

Clarins Eau des Jardins...

Treatment fragrances are not your usual everyday scents. It  combines aromatherapy and phytotherapy to produce a perfume that boasts skin care benefits. Without further adieu, Clarins presents its latest fragrance, Eau des Jardins,  which is set to launch this May.

This new scent is composed of 10 essential oils and 3 bud extracts (for a more supple and radiant skin).  The notes are grapefruit, citrus, bergamot, orange essential oils, mint, laurel leaves, rose, blackcurrant buds, cedarwood, patchouli, vetiver and white musk.

Clarins Eau des Jardins will be available in 100ml bottle.

Other fragrances by Clarins include Eau Dynamisante, Eau Ressourçante and the Sunshine Fragrance.

Jo Malone Lotus Blossom and Water Lily...

Wonder how lotus and water lily would smell like in a fragrance?

Jo Malone explores Lotus Blossom and Water Lily - her new creation inspired by the ancient Japanese ceremony, Kohdo. This latest scent is described as “Through a blend of mandarin, sacred lotus blossom, bamboo and aloeswood, Lotus Blossom & Water Lily will encourage energy, inspire confidence and focus the mind, making it a perfect scent to use throughout the day.”

Jo Malone Lotus Blossom and Water Lily Cologne combines well with the other body and home products in the collection.

Jennifer Aniston Lolavie...

It’s Jennifer Aniston’s turn to have her own perfume line. This June, Jennifer Aniston’s Lolavie will hit the perfumery. According to Aniston, the name Lolavie is very personal to her. Actually, in an interview with wwd.com, she quoted,” It’s a long story and honestly it’s too personal to tell. But it has special significance.”

This fragrance is inspired by modern architecture and beach waves. Aniston was personally involved in the creation of Lolavie and from her participation in the design, she infused what she considered feminine and appropriate.

Bulgari, Donna Karan and Ralph Lauren: The Edgines...

Black is elegant. Black is urbane. Black is opulence. Black transcends gender. Black is many things to many people and in the same manner, many things to different perfume connoisseurs.

Bulgari Black (1998) is a fragrance for men and women. It’s redolent of tea, a trademark note of most Bulgari fragrances. Woody-oriental by design, this scent is composed of bergamot, green note, jasmine, cedarwood, sandalwood, leather, amber, musk and vanilla. Bulgari Black defines the modern edge – rubbery and smoky at the onset but soft and quiet at the base as vanilla tames the potent notes at the top of the olfactive pyramid. The bottle espouses the Zen concept – a mix of glass, rubber and metal.

Donna Karan Black Cashmere (2002) is a stunning, spicy fragrance evincing dark mystery. True to its name, it’s a beautiful masterpiece that combines each olfactive group in one scent – floral, woody, fruity and oriental. It’s a little bit of everything and yet it came out well-executed.

Ralph Lauren Polo Black (2005) surprises with iced mango and aldehydes at the top and caps off the base with patchouli noir and tonka bean, among other notes. Versatile and described as oh-so-manly by a lot of women, Polo Black, suffice to say, embodies what a man scent is all about. He is sensual, sophisticated oozing with charisma. No wonder this is a top rated fragrance for men.

The bottles of these fragrances are works of art – the simplicity, the solid shapes, the sleek designs. The liquid inside is likewise a product of each perfumer’s ingenuity. If you have a penchant for the luxurious and the exquisite, don’t miss these “black” fragrances.

Perfumes for Moms...

A mother’s love to her child is unconditional. There’s an unspoken bond between them that goes beyond any human relationship. To cherish that bond is to cherish the moments of nurture and love. Reminiscing the smiles, touches and scents certainly bring back memories of one’s childhood.

Celebrating Mother’s Day means gifting our dear moms. And to re-affirm that bond, why not give her something special like her favorite scent. Selecting the most appropriate fragrance for her could be tricky though. You may want to start off with scents she couldn’t do without or you may also want to surprise her with  a new scent that matches her personality.  A fragrance she wouldn’t normally wear but adventurous enough to explore scents outside her comfort zone. Or let her delve into a new fragrance that belongs in the same family of notes. If she adores Angel, add some floral factor to soften the patchouli and voila! you get Flowerbomb. Tinker with the olfactory groups and let your nose guide you through.

If she loves the burst of freshness of citrusy scents, Acqua di Parma Blu Mediterraneo Bergamotto and Chloe Eau de Fleur de Neroli are top picks. And if she favors florals over orientals, Lancome’s Aroma Blue and Lanvin La Rose will certainly impress her.

You need not get lost in translation as to which fragrance you should purchase for her. Take cue from her collection, the scents from her rotation and the paper samples she keeps from magazines. Or better yet, ask her! But that would spoil the surprise, right? That’s why as early as now, try to do your homework – get samples, read perfume reviews and pay a visit to your favorite perfume store to sniff the latest scents.

Discount perfume retailer, scentiments.com, has a wide range of fragrances that include classic and contemporary perfumes. Don’t scrimp on gifting especially on her special day. Make it a memorable Mother’s Day for her. Pamper and indulge her with fragrances on her wish-list!