Sniffapalooza’s Tour De France
The week that was.
By Tracy Figler
RENO, NV – I signed up late for the Paris trip, so there wasn’t
a moment to learn a word of French. In the current political
climate, some phrases seemed especially useful: “I love
French fries.” “I’m sorry, I’m American.” “ I didn’t vote for him –
either time.” Luckily, Sniffapaloozer Judith spoke positively
romantic French, helping to bridge many communication gaps
and averting any further breakdown in international relations.
This trip was filled with surprising places, products and people…like the woman I discovered in my hotel room when I returned from a city tour, and a Henry Kissinger clone who helped himself to a handful of my – howdoyousay – “backside” on the pink line to Cadet. Ah, the Metro.
A less pedestrian surprise came from the dark salons of Serge Lutens. The elusive boutique hid like a phantom in the shadows of the Louvre. An ancient stone arcade that houses the perfumerie was an insolvable maze of cloistered walkways, but Karen Dubin and John King were bloodhounds. Neither the wind that inverted our umbrellas, nor drenching showers could put them off the scented trail. Thwarted by dead ends and gates that led nowhere, I lagged, ready to give up, when, suddenly, we stumbled onto the dim storefront. Shaking away the rain, we filed into the regal Salons Du Palais Royal Shiseido.
Lacquered nails, ruby lips and cigarette holders are the sultry stuff of Serge Lutens. The shop is a dark cocoon. Bell jars in trays are illuminated under halogen spots. On purple walls, elaborately stenciled orange and gold motifs create busy patterns with an elegant bohemian flavor. The inescapable focal point, an ornate iron staircase, spirals through the coffered ceiling, emerging into another dark gallery. There, a dozen of us huddled on angular wooden stools, glad to rest and to sample the aromatic array. At one end of a long low table, jars of colored liquids captured the light and our curiosity.
Infinitely patient and infinitely gracious, swarthy Hassan Saad indulged us, even as we insisted on smelling every bottle. Karen pointed to them, one at a time. Now this. Now that. Mandarine Mandarin, Arabie, Chene. When our host hinted gently about olfactory fatigue, we ignored him. Despite our boorish insistence and overwhelming presence, Mr. Saad accommodated us kindly, passing freshly anointed scent strips around his eager audience.
Three bottles flew home with me: Encens de Lavande, Borneo 1834 and Rahat Loukoum. Limited space and limited strength are all that prevented me from toting more, though several Lutens now live high on my must-have list. The generous set of wax and liquid samples – truly a harem of scent -- worked as intended. I have
fallen in love with new and fragrant strangers. Thanks to the staff of Serge Lutens for their generous products and service, and the wonderful opportunity to experience the full line.
If the mystical twilight of Serge Lutens whispers
absinthe and séance, the mood across town at
La Maison Guerlain is just the opposite. Champagne
and light describe the airy store on the bustling Champs
Elysees. That quintessentially French mix of old and
new sets a high, modern tone. Gold and glass mosaics
sparkle; blond woods and sleek surfaces surround you.
A floor-to-ceiling chandelier drapes like crystal fabric,
glowing in the center of the salon. Around it, tiered
rings of glass support testers.
Elisabeth Sirot, the commanding Director of Corporate
PR, whisked us up yet another sweeping set of stairs
(no wonder the French are thin) for a glimpse of the
third-floor spa. In high-ceilinged, sculpturally minimal rooms,
pampering takes place against a backdrop of white paint
and white linens. The setting is soothing, classic and
reassuringly clinical.
Back on the second floor, a hall credenza holds a small
display of Guerlain home fragrance products. Who knew?
I fell instantly for Hiver en Russie, a colorless roomspray capturing the scents of an ancient cathedral – wax, honey, frankincense, myrrh. I rejected the weighty candle, instead trying the ambient and a very portable package of stick incense in the same warm scent. Bois Des Indes is another beautiful wood and spice offering from the obscure home fragrance line.
The current resurrection of gentle green Chamade pour Homme, woody and soft, quickly found its way across the Atlantic to my dressing table, along with a gigantic 16.6 oz. bottle of Cologne du 68 – presumably named after Guerlain’s Champs address. The fresh citrus and wood splash is the answer to August’s brutal heat. A review on Bois de Jasmine describes it perfectly – dark enough to be interesting and sparkling enough to refresh. Thanks to La Maison Guerlain for the generous discount, speedy shipping, and, of course, the samples and gifts.
Also new to me was fashion designer and perfumer, Serge Bensimon, who appears to be France’s answer to Liz Claiborne, with a military twist. I found his cologne in a sundries store and bought it pre-drydown. The whopping 8.4 oz. bottle holds an earthy vetiver musk called 1963. This relaunch is warm, masculine and comforting. A second offering is called 2005.
Though a NY Times article reports that neither scent ignited in France, my new bottle of 1963 will provide many moments of scent-comfort when (if) the weather turns cool again. Lovely in its own right, a mating of 1963 with spice scents like Apercu or Coco results in a joyous, layered union.
There are so many people to thank for their time, hospitality, goods and information. I hope to write about each of them.
Our scent tour of Paris was a whirlwind conceived, created and coordinated by the fragrance force of Karen Dubin and Karen Adams.
…my gratitude for their efforts. This is hardly the entire list but special thanks to: Sabine Chabbert and Beyond Beauty,Givaudan and Frederick Walter Firmenich and Sabina Cammelli, Osmotheque, ISIPCA and Patricia de Nicolai, La Maison Guerlain and Elisabeth Sirot, Les Salons du Palais Royal Shiseido, Serge Lutens and Saad Hasaan, The Different Company and Thierry De Baschmakoff, L’Artisan and Francois Duquesne and Pamela Roberts, MDCI and Claude Marchal, Osmoz and Julien Levy, Etat Libre d’Orange and Etienne de Swardt, Parfums Rosine, Penhaligon’s, Montale, Chanel, Korloff, Lisa Simon, crazylibillule and the poppies, Maitre Parfumeur et Gantier, Frederic Malle, Elena Alfieri and Liberty Travel, Hotel de l’Ocean and all those Parisian purveyors we crashed in on as we sniffed ourselves into a stupor in France.
Tracy and her husband live quietly in the hills above Reno, where she reads, writes and
indulges a trio of passions: gardening, politics and perfume.
PERFUME: THE FUTURE IS ORANGE
By Dr. John King
(better known on the internet as King_of_England)
As the King of England, I often get premonitions of things to come. My friends,
I jest not. Virtually everything I’ve written about in previous years has come true.
Aromatherapy was an obscure and quackish topic until I wrote about it in 1983.
The same year I created a little known perfume called Deadly Nightshade, which
was swiftly followed by Dior’s Poison.
I could go on, but I don’t want to get carted away as suffering from delusions of grandeur.
I am a psychiatrist in real life, so I’ve seen it happen. Friends (I do have some) have tried to persuade me to keep my tips and predictions to myself. I don’t know if they are humouring me, but they assure me that my valuable insights should be the exclusive preserve of a privileged few at the palace, so to speak. They do not understand that kings tend to be generous, and I am no exception. Besides which, between you and me, they don’t appreciate that England isn't the only place in the world. Since my enlightening encounter with the Sniffapalooza group in Paris, I have been impressed by new ways of doing things. My colleagues in the New World have an open and straight talking approach, such a refreshing change from English reserve.
So what do I see when I gaze into my crystal ball? I see the number 69. What does it mean?
It means 69 Rue des Archives, the address of an avant–garde perfumery company called Etat Libre d’Orange (ELO). Their headquarters, if you happen to be in Paris, is well worth a visit, though finding the place will test your determination. They hang out in an artsy, hippy district called le Marais, where luxury rubs shoulders with dilapidation, where the pavements are unpredictable and you have to dodge the occasional bucket of water descending from above (at least, I hope it was water).
Number 69 turned out to be a smart, imposing establishment perched on a corner. At first I didn't realize the significance of the number, having led a somewhat sheltered life. In fact, it sums up the whole philosophy of the company. The perfumes have names like “Secretions Magnifiques” (Magnificent Secretions), and “Don’t Get Me Wrong, Baby, I Don’t Swallow.” Quite a mouthful, that last one, but it wasn't the length of the name that unsettled me. Shampoos like “Gee Your Hair Smells Terrific” set a precedent for the occasional success of unwieldy brand names, and were quite amusing. No, it was the lewd connotation that I couldn’t stomach at first.
Most perfumes are purchased as gifts, but who would like to receive “Putain des Palaces” (roughly translated as Hotel Slut)? Mrs King would not approve, I fear. Maybe if I was the Sultan of Arabia, I could buy a caseload for my harem. But the King of England is respectable, and so are most of his subjects. And so as I understand it are the inhabitants of the USA, that epitome of an upright and godfearing nation. With names like these and even ruder logos to match, the Etat Libre d’Orange was on to a loser, was my immediate reaction. It was a complete lemon and a non-starter.
Such were my thoughts until I smelled the fragrances, then everything changed. All the qualities I expected to hit my nostrils, crudeness and vulgarity, were nowhere to be found. All the qualities I hoped to find in Paris, those of elegance and good taste, shone forth. Here at last were perfumes of real beauty and elegance, refined and discreet, but above all highly original.
Such is the power of smell that my entire viewpoint shifted. Suddenly I saw the names in a
different light – lighthearted, daring, playful. And I saw the same transformation in my
American companions as soon as they began sniffing: doubt and scepticism replaced by
wonderment and the sudden appearance of wallets to snap up as many of these lovely creations as possible.
Reviewers and internet critics have generally heaped praise on ELO’s efforts. Pride of place is reserved for – wait for it - Putain des Palaces. The infamous hotel slut gets top marks on Bois de Jasmin, where Victoria writes “the only thing worth judging a perfume on is its scent, and this is possibly the best of them all. Every nuance conveys an image of softness and subtle elegance, tempting but never losing restraint… Hardly a vision of a raunchy brothel, more like a dream of someone beautiful and alluring, a femme fatale”.
Personally, my own juices were turned on by Magnificent Secretions. Here I was delighted to recognize of one of my favorite ingredients, Givaudan’s vernaldehyde, but done in a way I had never been able to achieve, to give the scent a fresh cachet of mountain air (vern=mountain). A world away from bodily secretions, but magnificent. All credit to the talents of the charming young perfumers we had earlier met at Givaudan’s impressive new creative centre near the Champs Elysses. And all thanks to Etienne de Swardt, the man behind ELO, for giving these creative artists the freedom to explore their own ideas. Bold use of a single ingredient has a venerable history – one thinks of Chanel No 5 which put aldehyde C12 centre stage, or Roudnitska’s lavish use of hedione in Eau Sauvage.
Courage, to strike out new territory, to boldly go where no-one has gone before, is what this company is all about. Irreverence, fun, cheerful humor, but allied to high quality. Tune into their website to get a flavor, but mind you don’t twist your neck – their motto is emblazoned on a rotating wheel, which threatens to hypnotize you. It reads “Le Parfum est Mort, Vive le Parfum.” An allusion, I believe, to “The king is dead. Long live the king.” Ah, so that’s why I like this brand. It’s all about me!
Seriously, what is my conclusion? No question about it, this one’s a winner, the future is orange. Contrary to what I first thought, the mild shock tactics do not hide mediocre merchandise, as with FCUK. These perfumes are exceptional. Mark my words, a rosy future lies ahead for the Orange Free State, or my name’s not the King of England. I am betting a pound to a penny, as we say over here, on their success. I shall certainly be dipping into the royal coffers to place another order, but for anyone with sufficient nerve and a bit of spare cash, this may well be an investment opportunity worth thinking about.
Well, that’s my tip. All I ask, as you languish on your south sea island sipping champagne and counting your good fortune, is that you remember one thing. You heard it first from John King.
Dr. John King ,a psychiatrist in real life, (better known on the internet as the "King_of_England" is a perfume enthusiast from the UK. A longstanding associate member of the British Society of Perfumers, he has recently discovered Sniffapalooza and hopes to contribute more to the magazine in the future.
A Perfumista in Paris: Diary of a Scented Journey Abroad
By Karen Adams
Saturday, July 7: At the airport gate, our perfumistas assemble from across the country.
JFK to CDG, tired, but excited; we arrive in Paris the next morning at 7:30 am.
The Hotel de L’Ocean Sunday, July 8:
We check into Hotel de L’Ocean, regroup, and head out for our City Tour. To me, the city
has the pervasive soft smell of orange flowers, a scent that is used in many baby and hair
products. I detect it when I enter several stores and buildings. It’s a lovely odor– subtle, pure,
and the equivalent of our “baby powder” smell. Later, back at the hotel, some collapse with
exhaustion; others persevere and walk up rue Lafayette to the open-till-midnight Sephora.
Serge Lutens bottles, so rare in The States, are casually displayed on the counters. Guess
we’re not in Kansas anymore!
Monday, July 9:
We meet at breakfast after a good night’s rest. Francois Duquesne, president of L’Artisan
Parfumeur arrives to welcome us. He leads us to the Metro station, and we depart for a
walking tour of Montmartre.
Onward, via Metro, to Place Vendome and to Parfums Montale. We explore the unique line of
rare essences. Montale has a fondness for scents from the Orient and Arabia, and packages
their fragrances in aluminum bottles to best preserve them. Paris exclusives Sunset Flowers,
a rich floral with a hint of sparkling apple top note, and Bois de Aoud, a warm, woody fragrance
are discovered in this chic boutique.
We stop for lunch, then head over to Le Renaissance Hotel, where skincare and fragrance
newcomer Lisa Simon hosts us poolside, and treats us to Laduree pastries & champagne
(rumor is Laduree will be introducing their own line of fragranced products soon). Simon’s
scents are inspired by India, and designed by top nose and perfumer Olivia Giacobetti.
Monsoon Season, a refreshing well being mist, is a favorite of our group.
We’re then ushered to an opulent suite for an exclusive presentation by the charming
Claude Marchal of Parfums MDCI. This new niche company draws its inspiration from art,
particularly the Renaissance period, using the highest quality materials for both fragrance
and packaging. Claude and his lovely wife greet us with champagne and a history of their
company – the perfumes, the Limoge stoppered flacons. Perfumer Stephanie Bakouche is
on hand to discuss her creations. We sample, receive gifts, and purchase fragrance. Rose
de Siwa, a woody floral, and Invasion Barbare, a spicy oriental fern, and the Sample Set
of all five fragrances, were group favorites.
Tuesday, July 10, 2007
On the road, for our bus trip to Versailles to ISIPCA (Institute Superieur International
de Parfum) and Osmotheque (“House of Perfumes Isabelle Dufour, Director of Groupe
ISIPCA, greets us and after a brief introductory seminar, we tour the laboratories
where new perfumers are trained in the art of creating fragrance. Master perfumer,
Patricia de Nicolai, granddaughter of Pierre Guerlain and owner of her own fragrance
line, Parfums de Nicolai, guides us to a lecture hall. We are treated to sniffs
of “disappeared” perfumes including Coty Rose Jacquemot & Houbigant
Fougere Royale, and recreations of historical fragrances, including some
from ancient Egypt and Napoleon’s personal perfume!
We are back on the bus to Paris for a reception at the Chanel offices. Francoise
Montenay, the President of CEW (Cosmetic Executive Women) France, greets us.
The room is filled with CEW members from many fragrance and beauty companies,
all as fascinated with us as we are with fragrance. They are excited that
Sniffapalooza is made up of so many passionate consumers and industry notables;
we enjoy this forum immensely. We hope that our thoughts, ideas and desires can
positively affect the fragrance industry.
Special thanks to Sabine Chabbert, Editor-in-Chief of Beyond Beauty Magazine, and
Caroline LeCoquierre, Director of Development at Ljcom, for their help in arranging this
incredible day, and well as the next…..
Wednesday, July 11, 2007
We’re on the Metro at 8:30am for our first stop of the day – Givaudan, one of the leading
companies in the flavours and fragrance industry. Frederic Walter, Creative Director for
Global Fragrances, gives us an in-depth presentation of the company’s philosophy &
creations. We have sneak peaks at Prada Iris Infusion and Moschino Funny! Along the
way, we meet soft-spoken perfumer, Antoine Maisondieu (the grandson of Albert Camus).
He speaks of his fragrant creations, including Burberry Brit for Men, Burberry London for
Men, Armani Prive Eau de Jade, and several of the Etat Libre’s.
Later, we meet at Etat Libre D’Orange (The Free State of Orange) in Le Marais. Etienne
de Swardt, the company’s founder, presents this unconventional line, “where insubordination
and olfactory eroticism reign supreme“. Perfumer Nathalie Feisthauer shares her secrets
in creating many of these unusual scents. I (Karen A.) discover my “Holy Grail” of patchouli,
Nombril Immense. Nathalie explains how she created it from the highest quality patchouli,
sweetened with ambrette. Some other favorites are Nathalie’s Putain des Palaces, which
has notes of rose absolute, violet, leather, lily of the valley and animalic notes. Jasmin et
Cigarette, with notes of jasmine absolute, tobacco, hay, apricot, tonka bean and musk.
& Encens et Bubblegum - raspberry, peach, lily of the valley, orange blossom, vanilla, musk
and incense – are Antoine Maisondieu’s creations!
Thursday, July 12, 2007
L’Artisan’s flagship store near the Louvre is our morning destination.
Sitting around a conference table in this elegant minimalist setting, we
“deconstruct” the new organic fragrance, Eau de Jatamansi. Scent strips
of the notes - including grapefruit, cardamom, clary sage, ylang ylang,
Indian papyrus, and incense - are passed around for us to sniff and discuss.
When we are finished, we each have a set of blotters that combine to recreate
this aromatic herbal scent when fanned. Our olfactory skills are sharpened
by this exercise, which is the ultimate learning experience for any fragrance
aficionado.
Quick trips to Penhaligon’s, Rosine, Collette, Clio Blue, Camille et Lucy, and the
Louvre courtyard to marvel at the glass Pyramide follow. We reconvene at Les
Salons du Palais Royale Shiseido, for a private presentation of the Serge
Lutens fragrances. Seated at a “tasting” table on the second floor, looking out
at the trees of the Tuilleries Gardens, we sample the non-export fragrances.
Our favorites include Chergui, a woody aromatic fragrance with notes of honey,
musk, incense, tobacco leaf, hay, sugar, amber, iris, rose and sandalwood;
Mandarine Mandarin, a spicy Oriental fragrance with top notes of Chinese
orange and nutmeg; Borneo 1834, a woody chypre with notes of Indonesian
patchouli.
The Different Company is our next stop for more sampling and purchasing.
Bois d’Iris, a woody iris harvested from the hills of Tuscany, and Sel de Vetiver,
inspired by the scent of sea salt drying on the skin, are two favorite choices.
Friday, July 13, 2007
Sabina Cammelli greets us at the Firmenich offices in Neuilly-sur-Seine.
We learn their philosophy in discovering and creating flavors, and fragrances,
and ingredients. Established in 1895, Firmenich is a leading private company
in the research and discovery of unique and exclusive fragrance molecules,
used in perfumes such as Vera Wang and Kate Spade. Julien
Levy, Marketing Director of osMoz, the first virtual and thematic site
dedicated to perfume, joins us. Julien enthusiastically presented us with
a demonstration of “osMoz –The Perfume Island” in Second Life. It adds a
new dimension to the enjoyment of fragrance, and sort of a “virtual
Sniffapalooza” with perfume parties, prizes, and on-line socializing.
We return to our hotel to find Laduree macaroons and gift bags of fragrance
brought to us by Anne-Cecile of Crazylibellule & the Poppies! Isabelle
Masson-Mandonnaud, the original founder of Sephora, created this line of
adorable solid perfumes. Musc-Patchouli, Lilas Spiritual and Vanilla Lemon
Pie are among our favorites. They are fun to use, portable, and last nicely
on the skin.
Saturday, July 14, 2007
It’s Bastille Day, Paris is readying for the celebration, but we must (reluctantly) return to the US. We pack our now overstuffed bags, and steal our last glimpses, tastes, & smells. Au revoir to the City of Scent~
Special thanks to Michele Cameryn of Beauty News. re-printed with permsiion of Beauty News, NYC
Any reproduction or duplication of this material without prior consent is strictly prohibited
