Chanel: Coco Noir

Hold up- what?! Coco...Noir? Two words that are music to my ears!
I cant believe my luck, Chanel are attempting to answer one of my secret prayers with the new release of Coco Noir and I'm chomping at the bit to get my mitts on this one!

The newest additional to Chanel's line of stellar and legendary fragrances was inspired by Jacques Polge's visions of exploring Venice at night. The sexy new creation is steeped in baroque history and is described as mysterious, adventurous, and dark. Poised between Coco and Coco Mademoiselle, the fragrance will feature top notes of grapefruit, bergamot, orange. The heart composed of sensual notes of  jasmine, rose, geranium and patchouli are rounded at the base with tonka bean, white musk, incense, vanilla and sandalwood.

An elegant black glass bottle completes the aesthetic of Coco Noir, keeping the familiar square shaped glass flacon that just exudes class and luxury.


Coco Noir will be available from Farmers on September 2nd, 2012. Prices to come when more details are available.

Venice at Night

Lady Gaga: Fame

Lady Gaga is due to release her first fragrance "Fame" in August 2012 for the US market and tentatively, October 2012 at Farmers for New Zealand. Just in time for Halloween and we cant wait!

The fragrance is shaping up to be one of the most anticipated perfumes on the celebuscent scene and has some pretty clever twists to it.

"Innovative technology allows this first ever black Eau de Parfum to turn invisible once airborne. This black-to-clear patent-pending fluid technology is a fantastic innovation that will be unveiled simultaneously with Lady Gaga Fame".

As to the scent itself, it sounds like a honeyed, fruity floral with a twist of dark herbaceous-ness.

"Lady Gaga Fame is based on push-pull technology, a unique aromatic structure that makes the ingredients interact to accentuate various aspects of each note simultaneously -- unlike the traditional fragrance pyramid -- and allows the scent to achieve a genuine metamorphosis. It’s unique because it’s not pyramidal with a top, middle and bottom note,” he said. “It has a trampoline structure — notes are rising at different rates that are quite random. Some accords will come out if you rub it, other accords will come out later. It has random propulsion and doesn’t have a classic linear drydown. We call it push-pull, and it will smell different on different people. There is a different volatility for different notes, and they’re of differing strengths. They work together harmoniously, but then they undergo metamorphosis on the skin, so you’re constantly surprised".

The fragrance is composed of three accords: dark, sensual, and light. The dark accord, which was inspired by the poisonous plant Belladonna that belongs to the Solanaceae family, evolves into an opulent and sensual accord of honey, saffron and apricot nectar. And finally, the light accord, composed of a rich floral scent of crushed Tiger Orchid and Jasmine Sambac, depicts timeless beauty, completing this fragrance composed of floral and fruity elements."

Fame is an Eau de Parfum which will be available in 3 sizes: 100ml (dubbed "The Ultimate Masterpiece"), 50ml, 30ml and a 10ml rollerball. Prices range from $79-$19 (USD).

Prices in NZD to be confirmed closer to the projected October release at Farmers.

The Many Faces of Miss Dior Cherie- The EDP's

Due to Dior's insane method of naming and reformulating fragrances, there is much confusion surrounding the many versions of Miss Dior Cherie. To help you find your way through the wilderness of Miss Dior's, here is a quick guide to finding the fragrance you want.

1. Miss Dior Cherie Eau de Parfum 2005

This is the original Miss Dior Cherie EDP, the most coveted among the Cherie's that has those delectable caramel popcorn and strawberry notes. All you need to remember when searching for this bottle, is that the name is engraved in silver on the front of the bottle.

2. Miss Dior Cherie Eau de Parfum 2007 Reformulation

This is the 2nd version and is slightly reformulated. You can tell this bottle apart from the first one by the paper label on the front of the bottle which has replaced the silver engraving, and of course the slight change in scent.

3. Miss Dior Eau de Parfum 2011

As you may have noticed, they changed the name! Miss Dior Cherie is now known as Miss Dior. Not only the name has changed - the formulation has changed too.

4. Miss Dior Cherie Eau de Parfum 2011 Couture Edition

This was a special edition that is the same as the new Miss Dior, but has the identifying cosmetic characteristic of having a fabric bow instead of silver.

Truth or Dare by Madonna Review

Truth or Dare pays homage to Madonna's mother, and is an obvious reference to the heavy hitting tuberose-laden Fracas by Robert Piguet, the fragrance her mother wore. It incorporates another favourite scent- gardenia. Madonna wanted to recreate the memory of how her mother smelled to her, and with the help of perfumer Stephen Nilsen, she's done a good job of translating this olfactive memory into a modern day fragrance. It plays up the religious influence of her name and Catholic upbringing, with a bottle designed to resemble a flacon of Holy Water and the resinous aspects of church incense.

Truth
Like an opening night performance, she starts off with a blast- in this case tuberose and white florals that are bold and emblazoned, but not suffocating. The tuberose misses the mark to create the well rounded buttery quality that replicates Fracas, feeling somewhat thin and engineered. While 'thin' usually signals 'cheap', like almost anything Madonna touches, it has managed to translate into shiny and new. Much like taking scraps of raggy lace and rubber typewriter bands and turning them into fashion statements and tools of empowerment. You don't feel cheated, but you're aware that we are indeed living in a material world and money inevitably has the last say when it comes to accessibility. Madonna even admitted this is what kept her from arriving earlier in the fragrance realm, emphasizing that there were issues around creating something that was quality enough to bear her name, yet affordable in the mass market that she could stand behind.
The gardenia appears green and waxy, spread a bit too thin to be lush- but there's so much going on, that you're still entertained. Like the entertainer, she may be a bit thin on vocal ability, but she sure knows  how to put on a hell of a show and make it work. Orange Blossom lends its fullness, and spicy lily nips at your nose unexpectedly, imparting a kick of peppery heat to keep the florals from becoming too heady. It reins in the tuberose and tries to tame the indolic jasmine that seems to take center stage- much like the 10yr old Madonna wearing a swimsuit and neon paint, go-go dancing at a school recital under a black light. Parents were horrified, and anyone who doesn't know what real jasmine is will be too. Indolic jasmine can smell like mothballs and in this fragrance, it acts as a conductor, sending vapours out in exhausted, forceful pants like the last vocals of Love Don't Live Here Anymore. This is where the fragrance seems to linger most, in a stage of suspended animation while the crowd screams for more, then hushes in anticipation of the spoken message.

Madonna Snr / Madonna

Dare
Without darkness there can be no light, and Truth or Dare creates a tangible example.
Resinous amber and benzoin lurk beneath the florals, giving it a dusty, (easily interpreted as powdery) vintage and austere feel to it. If you let your imagination go, you can almost feel the heavy, hard uncomfortable pews in church, designed to keep you upright and reminded that Christ endured and so must you. Yet, like a well-delivered sermon, its heavy and weightless all at once, sunken and concealed beneath the florals giving a dimension of depth, yet buoyant to keep them uplifted towards the light. The two opposites of light and dark, fluid and unmoving, create an intriguing duality that validates the seemingly corny name, rendering it wholly apt.

Skin musks and vanilla absolute buffer the zone between the two, never becoming individually obvious, instead interacting as necessary shepherds throughout the transitioning of the two extremes. The vanilla sweetens up the composition from top to bottom, making the white floral's appear juicy and succulent.

As the fragrance dries down, the benzoin and amber become more prominent and linger like the last wisps of smoke from a censer, somewhat textured and scratchy.
Sillage and longevity are reasonable. Despite being loud at first unleashing, it smooths out within minutes and unless you douse yourself in it, it should be easy enough to wear without offending.

Truth or Dare is a well crafted fragrance that isn't dumbed down for the masses. In fact, many of the masses can be heard with their protests of "old lady smell" which translates into "mature". It has the facets of a classic with a fresh and modern interpretation that should enjoy a long shelf life, providing an alternative to the sugar laden nose candy offered up by other celebs. Madonna can take a bow for a job well done, she has managed to convey the sentiment for which she strove and balanced it perfectly with her strong, persuasive, brashy-to-classy style.

Truth or Dare will be available exclusively at Farmers from May 28.

30/50ml/75ml Eau de Parfum, 200ml Body Lotion, 200ml Shower Gel

Bye Bye Gucci....

You may or may not have heard, but the latest victims to fall on the discontinued pile are from the house of Gucci.

Gucci's Creative Director, Frida Giannini has a new vision for the brand, which does not include some of our favourite Gucci scents.

On the chopping block are:

Gucci Eau de Parfum
Gucci Eau de Parfum II
Gucci Envy
Gucci Envy Me
Gucci Envy Me 2
Gucci Pour Homme
Gucci Pour Homme II
Gucci Rush
Gucci Rush 2


Now, to be fair, some of the bottles are outdated and definitely do not fit the new glamour of Gucci and Rush has to be one of the ugliest, cheap-looking bottles out there- but one would have hoped they would be simply be re bottled and re branded.

We cant be too sure when the axe will fall, some of these fragrances are still on our shelves. But its probably wise to start stockpiling your favourites now and not wait until they've gone before you start to panic and pay inflated prices on Ebay.

The Scent of Madonna...

Update 23/03/2012: Farmers has confirmed they will have the exclusive launch for this fragrance in NZ around May 28!

Well, she does it ...again- this May.

Madonna is finally joining the cult of celebrity fragrances and in collaboration with perfume giant Coty and perfumer Stephen Nilson, her debut fragrance, Truth or Dare will be released globally in May of 2012.

The fragrance is presented in what appears to be an opaque, milky coloured glass flacon, reminiscent of a flask of holy water, marked only with a logo comprising of the letter M and a cross above it. The scent itself is said to be a white floral with notes of  gardenia, tuberose, neroli, jasmine and lily, with a contrasting dark side of benzoin, vanilla, caramelized amber and musk.

Madonna took inspiration from her mother's perfume:

“I have always been obsessed by fragrance and for years wanted to create something personal that was an expression of me, but that other people could relate to as well. Something classical and timeless and yet modern. My oldest memory of my mother is her perfume. I carry it with me everywhere. She always smelled like gardenias and tuberose, an intoxicating mixture [that was] feminine and mysterious. I wanted to re-create this scent, but with something fresh and new about it as well. Something honest and yet daring—hence the name Truth or Dare” said Madonna to WWD.

The name Truth or Dare is a reprised title, from a documentary style movie released in 1991 that chronicles Madonna's sellout Blond Ambition tour. (The alternate title "In Bed With Madonna" was used in some non-US countries.) It is also the name of Madonna's new lifestyle brand that will include lingerie, footwear, fashion accessories and of course, fragrance.
Madonna and her daughter Lourdes already have an established fashion line called Material Girl, however the Truth or Dare enterprise will be targeted at the more mature 25-50 age group.

Truth or Dare  Eau de Parfum will be available in 30, 50 and 75mls and exclusive to Macy's from mid-March, 2012. We can expect to see it in New Zealand around May 28th.

A first look at the print advertising for the Truth or Dare fragrance. The global release date has been brought forward to April 2012.

Spray Wars- The Celebrities Fight Back

Its been a while since I've hit the pavement and had myself a sniffathon- but this week, I managed to muster the energy and touch base at all my favourite stores. Unfortunately, there really wasn't much out there, much less one that grabbed me instantly- but what was shocking, was the amount of celebscents everywhere and not only that- there are still more to come!

My little birdy at Farmers told me, that August and beyond will bring some new releases in time for Spring- however the lineup is looking rather celeb-heavy:

-Rihanna: Reb'l Fleur
-Justin Beiber: Someday
-Sean John: Empress
-Jennifer Aniston: The Debut Fragrance
-Taylor Swift: Wonderstruck

It is also confirmed that we will also be getting the debut Jimmy Choo fragrance and Prada's teen-focused "Candy".

Lollipop Splash- Mariah Carey

 

Three cute, new Mariah Carey fragrances are due for release by Elizabeth Arden, which are flankers to Mariah Carey's romantically themed Lollipop Bling line.

The new collection- "Lollipop Splash- The Remixes" will each be affectionately named after three of Mariah's songs and presented in the familiar 30ml butterfly bottles.
 
The trio of gourmand fruity florals are:

Vision of Love:  Purple Jasmine and French Macarons
Inseparable: Raspberry, Mango, Pear, Jasmine and Orange Blossom
Never Forget You: Gourmet Jelly Beans and Golden Peony

Lollipop Splash- The Remixes will be released sometime during July of 2011 for the U.S. market. There is no confirmed date for the New Zealand release, but we can expect to see them in early Spring.

I Fancy You: Jessica Simpson [New Release]

Jessica Simpson fans will be pleased to hear that Parlux will be releasing a new flanker to Jessica's Fancy line in July 2011 for the U.S. market.

In keeping with the Fancy theme, Jessica's fourth fragrance "I Fancy You" is said to be a light floral fragrance with notes of Fuji apple, tuberose and sandalwood.

Not exactly a lot to go on, but I am anticipating it will be a fresh  fragrance which will be perfect for Spring down under.
I cant say the name is very catchy or inspiring, but I am looking forward to trying this one out. Her fragrances seem to be well crafted and of good quality in terms of staying power, fullness, and price.

This is the only peek we have at the fragrance for now- it looks like they might be going for fairytale-esque theme on this one.

What do you think?

I Fancy You is an EDP which will be available in 50 and 100mls. It will not be sold in retail stores in New Zealand, but easily acquired from most online stores and Ebay.

Update 17 June 2011: 

New press material has been released for the debut of I Fancy You, featuring an ethereal, fresh faced Simpson swathed in white light. The theme suggests fresh and clean, and the early buzzings from those who have tried it lean towards a clean and airy fruity floral. The bottle is silver toned and adorned with butterflies and hearts.

Clearly not jaded despite her many mishaps in her unfruitful relationships, love still plays a big part in the inspiration for Jessica who told Seventeen Magazine: “This floral scent is romantic and feminine and conjures up the feelings of a first love that makes you realize that love can last forever,”

Katy Perry- Let us Purr...

 

Good news girls- Katy Perry "Purr" is due to be released in NZ on Monday, May 2nd at Farmers! Which is fabulous timing as the purry one herself, will soon be in little old Aotearoa for the NZ leg of her California Dreams Tour.

No word yet if she will be personally launching her fragrance with a store event, its highly unlikely as we would have heard about it by now. But let us purr at that gorgeous bottle and whet our appetites with a little teaser...

Predictably, Purr will be a flirty fruity floral, aimed at the tween market and according to www.katyperrybeauty.co.uk, will feature notes of:
 
".....juicy sweet peach nectar freshened with dewy green bamboo and crunchy forbidden apple leading us down to a floral garden of white jasmine blossom, hot pink freesia and Bulgarian roses. All of this is then enveloped in exotic indulgent tones of vanilla orchid, warm white amber, creamy sandalwood and nuzzling skin musks".


The bottle was inspired by Katy's fetish for all things cat-cute and I have to say, its a stunner! If the juice doesnt appeal, the bottle surely will.

Purr Eau de Parfum will be available at Farmers from May 2nd, with the 50ml reasonably priced at $90 and 100ml at $118. Read my full review here.

Violet Eyes- The Non-Violet Perfume.

Dame Elizabeth Taylor, one of the worlds most famous women and the matriarch of celebrity perfumes has added a new jewel to her perfumed crown.
Violet Eyes, packaged in a gorgeous violet adorned box, surprisingly doesnt contain any violet. The name is instead inspired by her stunning attribute- her incredible violet tinged eyes.

The fragrance contains notes of White Peach, Jasmine, Purple Rose, Peony, Cedar and Amber and comes packaged in a gorgeous frosted violet bottle, in the same style bottle as White Diamonds.  
The perfumer behind Violet Eyes is also the same perfumer who designed her legendary (and still #1 selling celebrity perfume) White Diamonds.

Violet Eyes comes only in 50ml Eau de Parfum and retails at Farmers for $110.00.
It is a Limited Edition, so get your mitts on it quick, before it goes.

Lollipop Bling- Cash Registers Ring!

Unless you have been living in a cave, you will no doubt have seen Mariah's Lollipop Bling range promoted around town, courtesy of Elizabeth Arden. A pubescent-eqsue Mariah graces giant posters in windows and all over Farmers stores, her music is piped through the PA system and there are girls dressed up like Harajuku dolls trotting around, handing out sprayed cards.

The playful, candy-love range was inspired by Mariah's husband, Nick Cannons marriage proposal. From lollipopbling.com: "The inspiration for Lollipop Bling was Nick’s marriage proposal to me. He first surprised me with a ring-pop — romantic, fun and young-at-heart — like me!" 

The range from Elizabeth Arden features 3 new fragrances:

Honey An irresistible floral citrus fragrance combined with a touch of Honey and Pineapple, creating a bright and sunny fragrance.  
Top Notes: Passion Fruit, Pineapple Juice, Lemon Drops
Mid Notes: Amazon Lily, Fresh Ginger, White Freesia
Base Notes: Frosted Musks, Linden Flowers, Honey 

 

Ribbon A mouthwatering floral fruity fragrance inspired by the flavor of the Blue Raspberry Ring Pop combined with a beautiful floral bouquet.
Top Notes: Raspberries, Honeydew, Cucumber Pulp
Mid Notes: Hydrangea, Blue Lotus, Jasmine Dew
Base Notes: Liquid Musks, White Woods, Sugar Crystals



 
Mine Again A floriental fruity combination of Chocolate Raspberry with a touch of Magnolia that creates an addictive fragrance.  
Top Notes: Red Currants, Blood Orange, Heliotrope
Mid Notes: Raspberry Chocolate, Cotton Candy, Magnolia
Base Notes: Creamy Musk, Tonka Beans, Vanilla.


Each fragrance is available separately in the 30ml size only and is packaged in cute butterfly bottles at $77 NZD each. Available from Farmers and selected Elizabeth Arden counters.

Womanity - Homage or Pun?

Thierry Mugler's Womanity rolled out in NZ stores this week, but has received little fanfare.
The only eyecatcher that signals that Womanity has arrived, is an oversize pink paper bag with metal chain handles sitting forlornly in the counter display among a few boxes of perfume and lotion to keep it company.
If you weren't looking for it, you might just miss it.

Womanity is Thierry Mugler's homage to the sisterhood of women, and to indulge his fascination of what he describes as the "diverse and cultural blending of women".
Taken from the website: "The most important is what women learn from each other. Thats the Womanity connection. Its the transmission, the complicity, the secret involvement."

Mugler wanted this fragrance to capture "the countless faces of womanhood" and chose an unpredictable blending of sweet and savoury notes, such as green, milky fig and a molecular extraction of caviar. Whether you take this literally or figuratively decides whether this is indeed an homage or pun.

Womanity is available in 50ml and 80ml EDP in high end Farmers stores and boutiques. The 80ml will set you back between $189-193NZD. It is also available as a Shower Gel, Body Lotion and Spray Deodorant.

You can check out my full review here.
 

Shalimar Ode a la Vanille by Guerlain

Guerlain has just released a new limited edition fragrance, a variation of the legendary Shalimar. The name Ode a la Vanille pretty much reveals what this new formulation is about, combining Mayotte vanilla tincture and Madagascar vanilla absolute around Shalimar's lemon, bergamot, rose, jasmine, iris, incense, opoponax and tonka bean notes. Early reviews describe this fragrance as surprisingly drier than Shalimar, and not necessarily sweeter, as one would naturally assume, with a darker drydown aiken to bitter chocolate. But we all know its all in the nose of the beholder.

This variation will be packaged in the new Jade Jagger designed bottle and will be available in NZ around the end of October. The price will be $185 NZD available only in a 50ml EDP spray at Guerlain counters.
Doesn't the packaging look stunning? I hope its every bit as good as I am anticipating it will be.

Guerlain Shalimar- New Bottle by Jade Jagger

Ooh...ahh!

Upon my mid-week excursion to my local Guerlain counter here in Wellington, I was pleased to see the new Shalimar EDP spray bottle designed by Jade Jagger proudly displayed behind the counter. I would love to have picked it up and oohed and ahhed over it, but it was out of bounds for touching and merely a factice for display. I think the design is gorgeous and I am so glad to see the end of those hideous bat wing shaped bottles. The new design harks back to the old classic design, sleek and faceted with the little pedestal on the bottom and a jaunty little bow around the neck. The lid is still plastic and feels out of place, but we can live with that. The juice is still the same Shalimar EDP you could buy last year, last month, last week- the only thing that has changed is the look. It is not to be confused with the new Ode a la Vanille which is a limited edition and will be coming out shortly.

The counter assistant said this newly bottled Shalimar EDP was limited edition, however upon further probing on the net and speaking with a Guerlain counter in Auckland, it was confirmed that the new bottle design is here to stay. I really wish these SA's would get their information correct, as much as I love to be the know-it-all and correct them, its so frustrating when the wrong information is given out and you are pressured into a sale on the assumption it a limited edition and could run out at any given moment.

The newly packaged Shalimar EDP will be available in 30ml and 50ml only.
The 50ml will be $175 NZD and available from Guerlain counters at high end boutique stores such as Kirkcaldies and Smith & Caugheys Queen Street. It will not be available at Farmers or Life Pharmacy.

Tah-Tah! Don't let the door hit your ass on the way out!