Truly International

by: Elena Knezhevich

This week we shared some big news which will certainly pique your curiosity! For example, the new version of Chanel N°5, L'Eau, was announced. Created by Olivier Polge, Chanel N°5 L'Eau is going to greet you in the fall of 2016. The fragrance is a light and fresh interpretation of the sophisticated original, but the famed rose de Mai is still there.

While we all waiting for the new Chanel, I will inform you of some new launches which are already available in stores:

Armand Basi In Red Eau Fraîche, – Armand Basi In Red is now in soft coral pink for the summer.	LR Karolina by Karolina Kurkova Summer Edition, – the 3rd perfume from the Czech supermodel.

Now we have to add 'for men' to the world famous perfume Aventus (2010) because Creed has introduced the feminine version of it, Aventus For Her. The masculine fruity fougere has gotten a modern fruity patchouli girlfriend.

Grossmith London introduced Paris Rose and Paris Leather in the Paris Gallery store in Doha, Qatar. They will be exclusively sold in Paris Gallery.

For everyone who feels nostalgic about the mega hit Giorgio Beverly Hills, check out the new Giorgio Beverly Hills Rodeo Drive Collector's Edition.

I selected some more new perfume launches we haven't announced in the news:

Avon revisited their best-seller from 2008 and launched the new perfume Today Tomorrow Always In Love (2016). Another new perfume from the brand is Little Lace Dress.

Celebrity floral designer from Los Angeles, Eric Buterbaugh, has added Thorns Rose to his line. More about the designer and floral fragrances here.

Armani Eau de Nuit Oud for EAU POUR HOMME COLLECTION by Armani. A flanker after Armani Eau de Nuit (2013).

Laura Mercier added Tea Menthe Citron along with body products of the same fragrance to her body & bath line.

Sada Yakko and Soir Antique, new versions of old perfumes launched by the revived house of Rallet this month.

Monbloom is a new white floral/oud (jasmine, tuberose) perfume by Ramon Monegal

Luna Rossa Eau Sport is a fresher version of Luna Rossa Sport (2015), without vanilla and with citruses.

Last week we were busy adding new and old perfumes to our encyclopedia. In total we added 61 new perfumes and 113 perfumes which I do not want to name "old", but created some time before. Here are some of them I'd like to mention:

O Boticario – Men Only (2016), Spirit of Flowers (1993), Ops! green, Ops!blue & Ops! (1996), Acqua Vanilla (2011), Be a Flower (1998), Floratta in Silver (2000), My Love (1983), Quasar Fire for women (2005).

L`Occitane en Provence – Blossom Dew Rosée de Fleurs (2007).

Several perfumes for Brazilian brands Jequiti and Natura, French Giorgio Valenti, Spanish Pacha Ibiza, American Victoria's Secret and GermanEssence of Chi.
 

FRAGRANTICA COLUMNISTS:

We had many interviews this week, and very often it is the best way to get familiar with the brand.

Sergey Borisov: Chabaud: Eau de Source & Nectar de Fleurs – house of clean fragrances, review. Interview with Pierre Aulas – the person behind great Thierry Mugler perfumes is also the owner of the EGOFACTO niche brand. Mad Hearts – wild perfumes made by mistake. Interview with Jean-Philippe Clermont of Atelier des Ors – why do you need that much gold?

Marlen Harrison: This Week in Fragrance: Cooperativity, BBW Reboots & Hotel Smells – different smells for every room and international scent swapping, what happened last week in the world of perfume. Gender Bender: Sweet Tobacco Spirits by 18.21 Man made (2015) – an homage to the 18th and 21st amendments which began and ended American prohibition. Kenneth Cole Mankind Hero – the third perfume of Mankind.

Miguel Matos: Essence of Chi: Chinese Horoscope and Feng Shui Now Bottled, – overview of the new German brand. How I Discovered Tosca, – comparison of old classic in EDT, EDP and Eau de Cologne. Robert Piguet Gives Us Oud Intoxication, – new oud flankers of Piguet Oud (2012).

John Biebel: From the Land of Eternal Spring: The Perfumes of Yeye, – interview, review of perfumes and overview of the brand from Santa Barbara, California. Out of the Bottle: Perfumer Alessandro Gualtieri, – meeting Alessandro Gualtieri at his studio in Amsterdam.

Sandra Raicevic Petrovic: Scuderia Ferrari Fragrance Case, – cases for the iPhone 6 and 6s specially designed to carry 25 ml of fragrance inside. Sergio Tacchini Club Edition Monte-Carlo, – celebrating the 50th anniversary of Sergio Tacchini brand and the prestigious tennis tournament. Police Icon Gold, – the third Icon perfume in the eagle bottle.

Elena Vosnaki: Jo Malone Summer Afternoon Limited Edition Products, – a new collection for you and your home inspired by the English summer afternoon.

Eugeniya Chudakova: New Fragrances by La Manufacture Parfums, – the best eax de cologne, blooming garden and cashmere. Nicolas Chabot of ÆTHER - An Interview, – a very detailed explanation of the idea and perfumes of the new brand. Interview with Diletta Tonatto of Tonatto profumi, – news and history of the brand from Turin.

Jodi Battershell: Bissoumine Matin D'Azur, – "a resolutely optimistic olfactory message, a feeling of well-being, carefree, in the mood for embracing life". Curious Southwest: The Scents of La Curie – a review of 2016 Art and Olfaction Award-winner Incendo and the other scents of the brand

Elena Knezhevich: Gold Collection WIDIAN, – two fragrances in Gold to be launched soon. Golden collection will countain oud and amber based fragrances.

BEST in SHOW: Men's Fragrances for the Workplace

Do we need to wear a perfume to the office? Yes, of course, we spend most of our time at work. Our authors suggest their best choices of masculine fragrances which wouldn't bother your co-workers.

Essence of Chi: Chinese Horoscope and Feng Shui Now Bottled

by: Miguel Matos

In Chinese traditional medicine, the ancient theory of the Five Elements is a philosophy that describes the world in dynamic states or phases of constant changing. The Five-Element philosophy uses the laws of Nature to bring balance and harmony to the body, mind and spirit.
 

Water, Wood, Fire, Earth and Metal. All of these elements rule the Planet and each one of us, according to the Chinese traditional philosophy. Deana Wyland-Fries is a pioneer lady who had the idea of translating this knowledge into fragrant compositions that represent all of these energies. We met at the Global Art of Perfumery expo in Dusseldorf and she explained what the young brand Essence of Chi is about.

Deana, can you please explain your journey from Feng Shui to Perfume?

First of all, I am a Feng Shui and Chinese Horoscope master. I have travelled all over the world and I lived in Dubai for 8 years. One day I was wandering in my garden and I was eating a tangerine, when I picked a kumquat flower and I crushed the two together. Then I saw that this was pure Wood Chi, Wood energy. And that was when it hit me and I thought: what if I created perfumes for my clients, based on the principles of Feng Shui, which is centered on the theory of the five elements, like in Chinese medicine? These 5 elements encompass the entire universe. The entire universe is made up of five elements. Each of us is a part of that grand picture.

So we all have these five elements within us?

Well, some people don't have all five elements. That's the whole thing.

We can have more of one and less of another?

Exactly, and so by adding a certain element, we can balance that. Or you might be going through a phase in your horoscope where you need one element more than you need another. So, what I would do is: I would open my clients' horoscopes and when I did a Feng Shui consultation I would see that they are missing Wood, for example. So how do I give them Wood? They can eat certain things, they can wear this color... But smell is the strongest sense we have, it goes directly to the brain.

But what does Wood energy represent, for example?

Wood represents springtime, the liver, the gallbladder, creativity, thinking. If your Wood isn't clear, your thinking won't be straight. If your liver is imbalanced, then you tend to flare up very quickly. So from a traditional Chinese Medicine point of view, all these elements flow through your body. Also, if one organ is sick, then another organ will try to compensate, right? So there is this whole intricate relationship. My idea was: how can I get this to my clients and translate it into fragrance?

Fragrance itself is something which carries a lot on energy... For example, when I was a young student and I had to study for an exam, I would keep myself awake by smelling perfumes.

Yes, and probably perfumes that were citrus, right?

No, actually I would smell heavy spicy orientals and it would work better than coffee.

Ok, for me that would mean Fire element. It's the same principle. And you know, I am a weak Wood. I need Wood and Water. And because I have a lot of Earth around me in my horoscope, I need to drain that to let the Earth and the Wood shine. So I need a bit of Metal just to drain that Earth. And so with a bespoke perfume you can do that. But trying to find someone that would do this with me was hard. At the time when I was at the garden, I ran to my husband and made him smell this pure Wood Chi. And he saw that this was a brand. So he went off to Beautyworld, which is a large expo in Dubai and he got all the brochures, got me tickets and said “go!”. Talk to people but don't tell them too much. And there I was showing this to clients and trying to make individual perfumes, but they were all like “don't even bother”.

When was this?

2007, I think. I spent two days walking through the fair and I am like “you know what? These guys don't get it, I am out of here, I can't take this any more. They are all treating me like I am some kind of idiot”. While I am just about to walk out the door, there is one person I haven't seen yet and so I walk over and say “this is what I wanna do”. The guy looks at me and says: “that is every true perfumer's dream. I'm in!” And for four and a half years, Sylvain Fourre and I did Research and Development. He taught me perfumery. I taught him the Five Elements. And together, we were able to somehow marry the world of haute parfumerie with Chinese philosophy for the first time in the world. Together, we set to work on the incredibly complex task of discovering how to create a balance between the Elements, Yin and Yang, Earth Chi, Human Chi and Heaven Chi all within a perfume.

And you started creating one perfume for each element?

No. First of all I started creating bespoke perfumes for my clients. This is a line of beautifully handcrafted individual perfumes, created according to a person's Chinese Horoscope. Each perfume is truly a work of art, in a hand-blown and numbered bottle, embedded in a hand-made box with your personal horoscope. And then we did an exhibition where I was presenting the bespokes in an art gallery. For this event, I created five perfumes that incorporated the elements and all of their features. There is aromatherapy here, there's perfumery, there is all of Sylvain's and my knowledge inside these bottles. They were so successful at this event that nobody cared about the bespoke! I kept getting orders. Later on, I moved to Germany and here I met someone that wanted to launch the line. And so I launched these five perfumes a year and a half ago and haven't looked back since.

Here at the Global Art of Perfumery expo you are introducing a 6^thfragrance in a limited edition. Can you tell me about it?

This is a fragrance for 2016, the year of the monkey acording to the Chinese tradition. Every year is born at the winter solstice. That's usually the 22nd of December. So I did the horoscope, I Ching and Numbers according to the time of birth of the year. And then I created a formula for this perfume and I am planning to do one for each year.

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While we were talking, Deana told me to smell all the perfumes and see which was the one I was instinctively attracted to. At first I selected Fire, and she was not convinced. So I tried Fire and Metal on my skin, beacuse I was pretty sure it wasn'tWater, Wood or Earth. And Metal was the one that had really good chemistry with my skin. Deana told me that I couldn't have a lack of Fire. I didn't know what that meant. She explained to me that Fire means power, passion, sensuality. And she could see all that coming from my eyes. So the element that I actually needed was Metal. Metal represents leadership and in fact, I can't even lead my friends to the restaurant of my choice, let alone run a team of people to do something important. I still do not have a great knowledge about this philosophy but it's very interesting to start exploring a new perspective on life, and is there a better way than through perfume?

ESSENCE OF CHI ELEMENTALS

WATER

Top notes: Black Pepper, Juniper, Black Currant

Heart notes: Lavender, Clary Sage, Violet

Base notes: Ambre Gris, Seaweed

Water is the source of life on Earth. It is gentle, yielding and yet powerful. Elementals Water is an exquisite blend of ocean treasures, flowers and spices that conjure up the clarity and freshness of a mountain stream after the first melt of snow.

WOOD

Top notes: Lemon, Grapefruit, Cedar

Heart notes: Bamboo, Fougère, Cabrueva

Base notes: Sandalwood, Moss, Guaiac wood

Wood represents Spring and the rising Energy of the East. Elementals Wood is like a walk in the woods on a sunny Spring morning. Precious woods are combined with uplifting citrus notes to kick start your Chi.

FIRE

Top notes: Red Cedar, Cinnamon, Bitter Orange, Ginger

Heart notes: Rose Otto, Geranium, Red Currant, Neroli

Base notes: Cashmere Wood, Red Pepper, Morrocan Rose

Fire is the pinnacle of Yang energy. It is about power and passion. It is sensual and fickle. Elementals Fire combines rare woods and sensuous blossoms with a splash of Ginger and Bitter Orange that warms the heart and awakens the spirit.

EARTH

Top notes: Acanthus, Chamomile, Immortelle

Heart notes: Mimosa, Broom, Ylang Ylang

Base notes: Ambregris, Guaiac Wood, Olibanum, Silver Birch

Earth is the most complex Elemental Essence as it contains the 'treasures' of the other four Elements. Elementals Earth is a sensual and soothing blend of woods, florals and spices that embody the hidden beauty of all Five Elements.

METAL

Top notes: Coriander, Cardamom

Heart notes: Jasmine, Casablanca Lily, Tuberose

Base notes: Birch, Resins

Metal is about power, leadership and introspection. Elementals Metal is an unusual marriage of pure white blossoms with pungent herbs and spices and a hint of birch tar, resulting in a fragrance that is both regal and divine!

LIMITED EDITION ANNUALS 2016

“The Fire Monkey is charming, fickle and astute. He gives us clashing energies of Fire and Metal right from the outset. 2016 is set to be an exciting one, full of challenges for all. To benefit from this innovative and tempestuous energy it is important to stay grounded. The 2016 Essence starts off full of power on a spicy citrus note with a touch of saffron. The heart is a floral composition that represents Fire – an opulent bouquet of rose otto and neroli rounded with violet that becomes grounded in a sense of luxurious embrace with fine resins and rare woods”.

The Essence of Chi Elementals perfumes come in 100ml for the price of 110 euros and the Annual edition comes in a 100ml bottle for 180 euros. Essence of Chi can be found at the brand's official website and also in selected stores in Switzerland, Norway, Germany and Dubai. This year the brand will enter the UK and Italy.

Weekly Roundup: Summer in Stores, Uber Modern & Timeless Scents

by: Elena Knezhevich

This week has been quite intense and diverse in perfume events and launches. While luxury perfume houses keep dressing us for the summer, smaller brands already think about the next season. In this overview, I'll try to walk you through everything good we had the previous week, but still it will only be just a part of what we have done. There have been over 200 hundred updates of our perfume encyclopedia, and I thank our wonderful team for their excellent work.

First, let's take a look at our luxury department and send our smiles and waves to Sanja and Sandrina for the news. Valentino Uomo (2014) dressed so elegantly, has gotten a younger brother Valentino Uomo Intense in black. Christian Dior La Colle Noire is for the ladies' attention.
 

Valentino Uomo Intense

Dior La Collection Privée Colle Noire

Anna Sui introduces the fourth flanker, Lucky Wish, of her Secret Wish collection, which looks the most magical in my opinion.
 

Summer flankers from big brands: exotic lands in new Incanto and the beautiful Meditterenean in Eau de Rochas.
 

Salvatore Ferragamo Incanto Heaven Golden Petals Edition

Rochas Eau de Rochas Escapade en Mediterranee

Celebrity blogger, Danielle Peazer, introduces three perfumes: Peace, Love andHappiness, named after the tattoo symbols that Danielle has on her lower arm. Welcome everyone to explore these perfumes:
 

Young & Gifted and Danielle Peazer Launch a Fragrance Collection

Keep dreaming of the warm and careless summer even more intensely: exotic smells at a lesser price from the UK, France and the USA.
 

Polynesian Island Tiare

I'm Free Lady Lolita

Green Tea Nectarine Blossom

A tribute to Brazil and the beauty of its nature in the new work of lavender and jasmine, Dama de Noite, and a salute to the heart of perfumery in Grasse, Violette & Rose de Mai, both from L'Occitane en Provence.
 

A fresher version in a lighter EDT version of Camicia 113 and the first fragrance from the French skincare company Institut Esthederm.
 

Gianfranco Ferre Camicia 113 Eau de Toilette

Esthéderm Un Soir en Eté

A selection of new fragrances of different styles and departments, which men might like:
 

Colonia Sandalo Concentrée	Man Black Cologne Bvlgari	Turnbull & Asser 71/72 Floris	Valentino Uomo Intense
Gold Extreme Jay Z	Lacoste Energized	Fêtes Persanes MDCI	Ambre Mythique Maitre Parfumeur et Gantier

FRAGRANTICA COLUMNISTS:

This is usually my favorite part, and this week we have done a lot of interesting reviews and interviews, as well as collaborative work. I hope our choices of the most memorable perfumes from Esxence will help you in your personal navigation in stores.

MUST TRY From Esxence: Writers' Choices – many of our staff who visited Esxence have chosen his/her favorites, or better say, the most memorable creations from the show.

Just this morning Marlen published this wonderful work by Sergey, Valery and Mat. They combined their experiences of the new Renegades perfumes together.

Another great insight from Bella and Lucia, I heartily join their opinion about two new fragrances from the remarkable perfume house of Gabriella Chieffo, since I really liked new Maisìa not only because of the idea, but also for its beauty.

 

Now, please review what we published during the previous week. Articles are diverse: we still have been analyzing our experiences in Milan, but there have been also so many remarkable things happening, like Sniffapalooza in NYC, new perfume launches and new niche house introductions.