Ladies with an attitude... [a group blog]

Thankfully, I have been alive long enough to see each and every incarnation of Madonna's propensity and talent for reinvention, and I remember each one vividly. When has Madonna not been pretty much the coolest person in pop music? Even now, Lady Gaga with her hybridization of Marilyn Manson and Madonna, cannot hold a candle to the extremes Madonna has explored and conquered. Madonna is the Mother of Re-Invention, and she has flags planted in practically every arena-- including a bullfighting one.

So goes the theme of our group blog chosen this time around by Persolaise. Please take a few moments to check out the posts of my peers as well:

Persolaise
Candy Perfume Boy (our special guest)
Fragrant Moments

(Yep, just me and the boys this time-- just as Madge herself would have it)

I sort of thrive off of different arts coming together for any purpose, but music, fashion and perfume? That's the mother-lode. I'm going to share two of my favorite Madonna eras and pair them with what I consider to be the ideal perfume for that era.

Vogue




Not many of us knew anything about the real Vogueing scene happening in NYC when this song and video came out, so Madonna's ultra-stylized version in her video gave us a taste of something new (to us, anyway). The best part about the statement that Vogue made at the time was Madonna's homage to the most fabulous women and men of the past, mostly in the Golden Age of Hollywood. When Madonna sings "Greta Garbo gave good face", no one could argue with that. Madonna shows love for those style mavens who came before her, and it's every bit as delicious as the dapper minimalist suits worn in the video.

All these classic references deserve a classic perfume, and to my mind, it must be a Guerlain-- more specifically, Mitsouko, an exemplary chypre created in 1919 by Jaques Guerlain.

The delicate but persistent anisic note in the classic Mousse de Saxe accord is my favorite part of the Mitsouko experience. Brightly aromatic and rich, spicy and overtly sexual, this is a fragrance for grown-ups. Even though the heart boasts a punch of peach, I think it suits men and women equally. If you're lucky enough to possess even a few drops of the vintage extrait, you understand the earthy power of natural oak moss. 

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Like most people fond of Madonna's particular brand of pop, I have a soft spot for her early days. Desperately Seeking Susan first hit theaters in 1985, and as we all know, the plot leaves something to be desired, but Madonna's sexy urban nonchalance as Susan made a lot of sense to me. Everybody tried to dance like her, look like her, and display the level of confidence she innately had. She made even the most questionable wardrobe pieces seem like she was born to wear them, which leads me to the song...

Into the Groove

Nobody does a healthy combination of the sacred AND profane like Etat Libre d'Orange, and Antoine Maisondieu's Encens et Bubblegum is the perfect example. Even the perfumer's surname fits right in.

Okay, so I can't ever recall a time when Madonna projected innocence exactly, but her music heavily leaned towards bubblegum in the early days. The incense represents the consistent use of religious symbols (whether they are subtle or meant to be obvious) in practically everything she's ever done. I mean, nothing says "I'm a reformed Catholic!" quite like sugary-sweet, hot pink bubblegum paired with the intoxicating, ecclesiastical cool of frankincense, right?

Have any of you tried Madonna's perfume Truth Or Dare? I love the visual aesthetic of the bottle and graphic on it, but I've not sampled it yet. I'm tempted to, though. The power of pop compels me!

Best Fragrances of 2011

Below you'll find my 10 favorite new fragrances of 2011, in no particular order. This past year held several surprises in the fragrant universe, as well as a few personal honors for me. I was asked to join The Fragrance Foundation's Committee for Indie Fragrances, I was interviewed by Allure magazine for print and online (along with other perfume blogger pals), forged meaningful friendships with kindred spirits, and now I'm ending the year by joining a new, small collaborative blogging group consisting of myself and three other bloggers whom I hold in very high esteem (from Persolaise, Olfactoria's Travels and Fragrant Moments). We are planning on some fun group blogs for 2012, so stay tuned! Today, we are presenting our Best of 2011 lists together, and you will find links to their blogs at the bottom of this post. Year-end "best of" lists are without doubt my favorite to do, and so, without further ado, please read on to discover my creme de la creme fragrances!


Oscar de la Renta Esprit d'Oscar
notes: lemon, bergamot, citron, jasmine, orange flower, tuberose, heliotrope, vetiver, tonka bean, musk

I was enchanted with Esprit d'Oscar from the start, in a way that I never was with the original Oscar. The sparkling optimism combined with the sensuality of this flanker led me to wear it quite a bit over the past year, and I foresee my future fully stocked with it. The similarities between it and Guerlain L'Heure Bleue only urge me to love it even more.

Aftelier Oud Luban
notes: elemi, orange terpenes, blood orange, frankincense CO2, oud, opoponax, choya ral, benzoin, aged patchouli

I must admit that I had a very hard time choosing my favorite of Mandy Aftel's three new releases in 2011, because I love them all. It was Oud Luban solid perfume, however, that spoke to me in my own language. It combines two of my favorite scent elements- oud and incense, it lasts for several hours on the skin and leaves a delicious trail of smokiness everywhere you go.

Amouage Library Collection Opus V
notes: orris absolute, rum, orris concrete, rose, jasmine, agarwood, civet, dry wood accord

Opus V was somewhat of a revelation for me. Never in my life have I experienced a fragrance as overtly animalic as Opus V, and yet it retains a certain refinement at the same time. It's powerful and sexual without being the least bit vulgar. This perfume is responsible for getting me hooked on Amouage. I think the firm is thriving under the creative direction of Christopher Chong, and I look forward to future launches.

Prada Candy
notes: caramel, musks, overdose of benzoin

Prada Candy is one of the surprises of the year that I alluded to. The name and the graphics that go along with the fragrance are wildly misleading. Candy has sweetness, that much is true, but it's an extremely cozy yet streamlined scent. There is an addictive boozy effervescence about it that keeps me coming back for more.

Aroma M Geisha Amber Rouge
notes: Moroccan amber, deep wood resins, cinnamon, clove, star anise

Perfumer Maria McElroy triumphed this year with her first launch in five years, Geisha Amber Rouge. If you love honey with your amber, this intense gem of a fragrance is mandatory. The star anise keeps the blend from being too warm, and it retains an aromatic richness throughout wear, which is actually close to 24 hours. I've not been able to stop yapping about Geisha Amber Rouge since its release, and I don't see an end to that anytime soon. Sorry.

Etat Libre d'Orange Archives 69
notes: mandarin, pink pepper, pimiento leaf, orchid, prune, incense, camphor, benzoin, patchouli, musk

I love ELdO. I don't love every single one of their fragrances, but I love them as a firm, and occasionally one of their releases will knock my socks off. Archives 69 made me giggle the first time I wore it, and in subsequent wearings, the joke wore off and I was left with a very solid, imaginative blend that I wore all summer long. In a market flooded with pink pepper and patchouli, Archives 69 stands out as a display of strength for this house.

Mona di Orio Les Nombres d'Or Vanille
notes: Brazilian orange, Indonesian clove, petitgrain, rum extract, Bourbon vetiver, ylang ylang, Indian sandalwood, gaiac wood, vanilla absolute from Madagascar, amber, tonka bean

2011 saw the life of brilliant perfumer Mona di Orio cut short, and many (including myself) would say in the absolute prime of her creativity. The introduction of Les Nombres d'Or collection indeed heralded the golden age for Mona, and the blogosphere exploded with praise for her work from all across the globe. Vanille is my favorite release from this collection, and it reminds me somewhat of Guerlain Spiriteuse Double Vanille, but more powerful, spicier and with stunning longevity. Longevity is a blessing with perfumes like Les Nombres d'Or Vanille because it's a ride that you never want to end.

Opus Oils Les Bohemes Dapper
notes: violet absolute, orris root, blond tobacco, sandalwood, aged dark patchouli

I am a notorious fangirl of select big houses like Guerlain, but in the end, it's the independent perfumers who torture me the most at year's end. As with Mandy Aftel's fragrances, I had a very hard time choosing just one of Kedra Hart's Les Bohemes perfumes as my favorite. In my heart, though, I always knew it had to be Dapper, a berry-violet and leather concoction. I've never smelled anything like it before, and its charm and uniqueness kept it in high rotation since the very first time I wore it.

Guerlain Shalimar Parfum Initial
notes: bergamot, orange, green notes, fruity notes, rose jasmine, iris, patchouli, vetiver, vanilla, tonka bean and white musk

As much as I love Guerlain, I've never been too much of a fan of Shalimar, but I was still looking forward to Parfum Initial. My inkling that I would love it turned out to be correct. The gourmand facets of lemon curd, vanilla and puff pastry open the fragrance in a very feminine way, but the undercurrent of patchouli and vetiver allow a masculine edge to emerge. This irresistible allure is what makes this flanker a real success in my eyes.

Le Labo Santal 33
notes: Australian sandalwood, papyrus, cedarwood, cardamom, iris, violet, ambrox, leather accord

Santal 33 was another surprise for me this year. I was not expecting it to be so razor sharp and refreshing, but that's exactly why it's a perfect summer fragrance. Le Labo can always be counted on to alter perceptions and push boundaries, and Santal 33 has become one of my favorites of theirs for its audacity alone. Bold, camphoraceous and full of heart, it's not a fragrance you'll soon forget.

Please visit these fabulous blogs for more Best of 2011 posts:
Persolaise
Fragrant Moments
Olfactoria's Travels

I'd like to wish all of you a Happy New Year, and my hope is that 2012 will be a prosperous and love-filled year for all!

Memory Erasers: Demeter for Sanrio and Etat Libre d'Orange

I was just thinking today about one of my favorite smells from my childhood: Sanrio gummi erasers. They smell like powdery, fruity bubblegum and I always wanted to chew on them, but relegated myself to huffing them instead. When Demeter for Sanrio decided to release fragrances inspired by Hello Kitty and her friends awhile back, I was stoked. One of them, the Sanrio 50th Anniversary fragrance, was designed to smell exactly like those erasers I hoarded as a child. I had faith that Demeter could pull this off.

Unfortunately, it was a huge fail. My inner child had to have a time-out. If you're in the market for fruity plastic, this is for you. When I think about it, Etat Libre d'Orange Encens et Bubblegum is actually closer to the mark. It smells like classic Dubble Bubble Bubble Gum, with a bit of spice to it. Wearing it gave me a strange thrill, but it ultimately proved to be a stark reminder of my age. It was an ultra-short-lived fountain of youth, but at least I got to go there. It's a touch sexy in a disturbing, Lolita-ish way, but I think there are a slew of teenagers out there who would fall in love with it. I think the concept and the formulation of the fragrance is one of Etat Libre d'Orange's most interesting (and I am a fan of theirs in general, for the record). I like to recommend that people try it just to try it, but it's hard for me to conjure up the image of a real adult who might wear it.

And now I put this question to you, dear readers: Do you have a special memory of a thing or place that you wish someone would replicate into a perfume?

Magnetic Art: Etat Libre d'Orange Archives 69

The latest fragrance from free-thinkers Etat Libre d'Orange is Archives 69, created by Christine Nagel. I will admit that the ad copy for this perfume had me a little puzzled; not because of its semi-explicit erotic prose and artwork (par for the course for this house), but because I don't exactly make those associations myself when wearing the scent.

from the Etat Libre d'Orange website:
"She can dance on your grave, awaken you with a blood kiss, and you will join her in this feverish whirl, to the tempo of a tango, until you are one with her, in mind and body."


While I do agree that there is a sensual component to this perfume, any fragrance built around incense is sensual to me. A beautiful incense perfume makes me feel most at home, at my strongest and most centered best. Archives 69 does not disappoint, in fact, I believe it's one of Etat Libre d'Orange's best fragrances to date that I have tried. 


notes: tangerine, pink berries CO2, pepper leaf, orchid & prune JE, incense, camphor, benzoin, patchouli, musk

I've had a love affair with Antoine Lie's Tom of Finland for some time now; it is an all-time favorite perfume of mine. I will get into the specifics of that torrid affair in a future post, but I bring it up now because for me, Archives 69 has that same addictive thread running through it. There is a nascent magnetism in Archives 69 that permeates every molecule; the potential for connection is always hovering close enough that one can reach up and snatch it at any time. 


It has a cheerfulness about it that is apparent from the outset; the bright tangerine and berry CO2 sets the stage for the spices that quickly emerge from behind. This isn't the sort of perfume that wears in distinct stages, everything meshes together at once, perhaps mirroring the racy premise of the art concept. The patchouli and camphor are particularly wonderful together, but this isn't the intense, unrelenting camphorous quality that Le Labo's Santal 33 has, this is much more subtle. 


The drydown reveals one of the most delicious renditions of musk I've come across. It reminds me of civet, a full-bodied but not overwhelming one, and it works beautifully with the dry, thin incense notes, providing the exact contrast needed. This is exactly the kind of sunshine-jolted, spicy incense perfume that is appropriate for warm weather, and I'll be looking forward to procuring a full bottle of it. 


A 100ml bottle is available at Escentual.com in the UK for 105 GBP, and a 50ml bottle is available for pre-order at Luckyscent.com in the US for $99. 


[sample was provided by Escentual.com for review]