Maison Chanel , o novo Luxo em solo Brasileiro / Maison Chanel: The new Luxury in Brazilian ground

 

O que parecia uma miragem há alguns anos virou uma sólida verdade, é com muito prazer que informo a vocês leitores do Perfume da Rosa Negra, que a CHANEL uma das marcas mais tradicionais da Haute Couture do mundo, abre sua primeira boutique  Parfums e Beauté em terras brasileiras, como também em terras latinoamericanas, com foco voltado para Perfumaria e Maquiagem. Esse  novo empreendimento está sediado mais precisamente no Shopping Leblon na cidade do Rio de Janeiro. 

Junto com a boutique não vieram apenas os perfumes e maquiagem como nas  lojas convencionais de cosméticos que conhecemos. Os conceitos de Christopher Sheldrake também vieram juntos, no tocante a um bar olfativo, a intenção do nose da Chanel é que o cliente possa sentir os perfumes de forma diferenciada em recipientes cerâmicos dispersos no espaço da loja como uma grande prateleira de bebidas de um bar, aquele que causa a melhor sensação é a provável compra. Esse tipo de experimentação diminui as barreiras provocadas pelo tradicional modelo em que o atendente é que indica o perfume, com ele o cliente pode escolher mais livremente o que mais lhe agradar. Puro luxo!

Outra grande novidade é a cobiçada linha exclusiva de fragrâncias também  disponível para venda, perfumes raros e de maior complexidade que alcançam um nicho específico do mercado, aqueles que colecionam aromas. Para nós do blog que vemos acompanhando a evolução do mercado brasileiro e mundial de fragrâncias, isso é uma valiosa conquista para o mercado brasileiro, uma formidável marca como Chanel abrir uma de suas boutiques em nosso país, o que se torna um chamariz para inúmeras outras marcas também seguirem esse exemplo. E que venham mais boutiques Chanel em outras partes de nosso país, quem sabe em nossa cosmopolita São Paulo daqui há alguns meses. Surpresa!

Perfume News by Italo Wolff. Italo Wolff é escritor de fragrâncias de Alagoas, Brasil e é colaborador exclusivo para o  Perfume da Rosa Negra.

English Version

What seemed an illusion for some years becomes a solid truth, I have the pleasure of informing Perfume da Rosa Negra 's readers that the CHANEL one of the most traditional  Haute Couture brands in the world has opened its first Parfums and Beauté boutique in Brazilian lands, as well as in Latin American ones, focused on Perfumery and Make up segment. This new entrepreneurship initiative is located precisely in Leblon Mall in Rio de Janeiro city.

Not only perfumes and makeup  as we  can find in cosmetics traditional stores arrive with the new Chanel boutique,  Christopher Sheldrake's concepts  also come as for example the olfactory bar, the intention of Chanel perfumer is to offer customers the chance of smelling the perfumes in a distinguishable way in ceramic recipients dispersed in the interior of the store like a big shelf of drinks in a bar, that perfume which causes the best impression is likely to be the purchase. This new type of sampling reduces the barriers provoked by the traditional model in which a salesperson indicates the perfume, with this new option of smelling a scent the customer can choose freely the perfume that most please him/her. Pure luxury!

Other great new is the desired exclusive fragrances range that is also avaliable for sales, rare perfumes  with better complexity that have reached an especific market niche, those that collect scents. For us here who have followed the evolution of the Brazilian and world fragrances market, this is a valuable achievement for the Brazilian market, a splendid brand as Chanel opening its boutiques in our country, what becomes an example for inumerous others brands that wish to follow Chanel initiative. And that come more Chanel boutiques in others parts of the country, who knows the next one be in our cosmopolitan São Paulo in some months. Surprise!

Perfume News by Italo Wolff. Italo is fragrance writer from Alagoas, Brazil and is exclusive collaborator for Perfume da Rosa Negra.


Photo Credits: Chanel and InStyle

Perfume Review: Chergui, Serge Lutens

Muitas vezes o inesperado nos traz boas surpresas. Confesso que não tinha a menor idéia de qual perfume selecionar para a crítica de hoje, mas como nem só de programação seletiva vive o homem, em busca de algo confortável e quente dentro de um limite não agressivo ao meu olfato, e de algum perfume adequado para um dia nublado e levemente fresco, quem sabe uma rajada extasiante de cor a uma tarde cinza chumbo, encontrei um grande tesouro perfumado. Em meio a inúmeras samples de fragrâncias descubro uma que nunca tinha sentido, nem ao menos notado sua delicada beleza, identificada por Chergui.

Morocco Tobacco

Um encantador acorde repleto de dulçor e leveza traz imagens desconexas de tecidos fluídos se movendo sob rajadas contínuas de um vento morno e desértico, notas entrelaçadas de tabaco, mel e rosa são as responsáveis por essa deliciosa harmonia de formas e movimento. Essa fluidez faz o perfume tornar-se cada vez mais interessante com o passar do tempo, a doçura inicial permanece na pele se mesclando a uma íris discreta e levemente powdery que finaliza o primeiro ato de Chergui  sobre a pele.

Sob uma cadência constante o perfume continua vivo e caminha lentamente para uma fase um pouco mais quente, leve toques de âmbar começam a aparecer trazendo consigo um musk de excelente qualidade, esse dueto animálico não é carnal no sentido sexual, ao contrário disso, o musk e âmbar de Chergui traduzem a faceta sofisticada de apreciar um quadro repleto de cor e formas, uma distorção entre o que somos e como nos vemos, neste caso, sob o conceito de Lutens o que seriam os acordes animálicos em um apelo sexual se tornam mais elegantes.

Morocco Sand

Toda essa beleza  é multifacetada. Além do confortável calor do âmbar e do musk, começa a surgir o acorde amadeirado de sândalo, levemente balsâmico, trazendo uma orientalidade mais intensa e noturna, os tecidos fluídos agora servem de adorno a corpos de pele morena que refletem sobre seus suores a luz de uma clara noite de luar intenso. Um acorde nebuloso vindo em nuvens de doce  incenso  são claramente notadas nesse momento o que deixa Chergui ainda mais fascinante.

Chergui consegue expressar originalidade de modo artisticamente perfeito, trazendo em seu cheiro uma miscelânea de sensações que variam e vibram de diferentes formas. O movimento neste perfume é constante, não há como negar que o perfume modifica-se e cria vida independente do usuário, em um mesmo dia Chergui pode possuir mil cheiros diferentes, mas todos possuirão a característica única do conforto, do calor e da sofisticação de notas muito bem trabalhadas para a obtenção de um mix digno de um pedestal em um museu de artes. O conceito criativo de Lutens consegue mais uma vez liderar o magnífico Christopher Sheldrake a criar não somente uma fragrância feita para vender, mas sim uma expressão de arte e sentimento, capaz de induzir o espectador desse espetáculo olfativo a estados alterados de consciência de si e do mundo à sua volta.

Poder de Fixação: 10 horas

Sillage: Forte

Drydown: Oriental especiado

Perfumista: Christopher Sheldrake

Notas: Tabaco, mel, rosa, âmbar, musk, íris, incenso e sândalo

Avaliação

Italo Wolff é escritor de fragrâncias de Alagoas, Brasil e é colaborador exclusivo para o  Perfume da Rosa Negra.

English Version


Many times an unexpected moment bring us good surprises. I confess that I had no idea what perfume should I select for today's review, but the man does not need to live with an established plan, then I looked for something  fragrant that would be comfortable and warm under a not annoying limit to my olfaction, some suitable perfume for a cloudy and softly fresh day,  from a coloured breeze to a leaden evening, I found  my precious fragrant treasure. In the middle of some perfume samples, I discovered one that I had never smelt, neither had never noticed its delicate beauty, named as Chergui.

An enchanting accord, sweet and light brings some disconnected images of fabrics moving under continuous soft and desertic breeze, notes interlaced by tobacco, honey and rose are responsible by this delightful harmony of forms and movement. This fluidness makes the perfume becoming more interesting in the course of the time, the initial sweetness is kept on the skin  and is blended to a subtle iris, slightly powdery that ends the first performance of   Chergui  on the skin.

Under a continuous cadence the perfume still is lively and develops slowly to a warmer phase with soft touches of amber that start to appear bringing  an excellent high quality musk, this animalic duet is not carnal under a sexual meaning, on the contrary, the musk and the amber together translate the sophisticated facet of admiring a painting filled by colors and forms, a   deformation between what we are and how we see us, in this case, what would be scentfully animalic with a sexual appeal, under the concept of Lutens they are modified to something more elegant, very well done with its delicateness scented trace.


All this beauty is multifaceted, besides the comfortable warmth of the amber and the musk,  the sandalwood filled by a balsamic tone brings an intense and nocturnal facet, now soft fabrics adornated  dark skins that  have reflected on their sweat the light of a clear night of intense moonshine. A misterious accord appears as clouds of sweet incense which is clearly notable in this moment that let Chergui more and more fascinating.


Chergui is successful in expressing originality in an artistically perfect way, featuring in its scent a miscellaneous of sensations that varies and vibrate in different forms. The movement of this perfume is continuous, undoubtedly the perfume changes and creates life in an independent way, apart from its wearer, in one same day Chergui can possess thousand of different scents, but all have an unique comfort characteristic, warmth and sophistication in its well made mix that really deserves being in an Art museum. The creative concept of Lutens could one more time to lead the magnific Christopher Sheldrake to create not only a fragrance to be sold, but an art and a feeling expression, able of tempting the wearer of this  olfactive spectacle to changing states of  the perception about himself/herself and the world around.

Longlasting power: 10 hours

Sillage: Strong

Drydown: Oriental spicy

Perfumer: Christopher Sheldrake

Notes: Tobacco, honey, rose, amber, musk, iris, incense and sandalwood

Evaluation

Italo Wolff is fragrance writer from Alagoas, Brazil and is exclusive collaborator for Perfume da Rosa Negra.

Perfume Review by Copyright Italo Wolff for Perfume da Rosa Negra

Photo credits: Serge Lutens (fragrance bottle), Shady Ladies, respectively, woven wood materials about Morocco Tobacco and Morocco Sand and Matisse Art Gallery lithography art.

Perfume Review: Clair de Musc, Serge Lutens

Review part of the Fabulous Fragrant World of Serge Lutens by Cris Rosa Negra. Now available in English language. To read the Portuguese version, click on here.

Clair de Musc, Serge Lutens

When we look at a perfume bottle, we don't visualise only its packaging, its format, its details and colors; we look beyond the bottle. We look at its liquid, its tonality, its scent, its texture. After that, we imagine how is its olfactory development on skin, the sensations are able to awake our senses, its virtues and its imperfections and, finally, we think how will be the soul of the fragrance, its mystery, its richness. Clair de Musc, as its name refers makes me think of the transparency of the musk, note that symbolises the soul in this fragrance. As any soul, this olfactory note has the weight of a crystal that reflects its vivacity on skin, as well as the soul that shines and rises from the darkness.


The liquid color is not so transparent, but Clair de Musc's accords are clear and rich in their simplicity. The fragrance has main notes of white musk, powdery musk (also known as pudriger Moschus, in german or Musc Poudré, in French), Bergamot, Neroli, Jasmine, Tuscan Iris, Mysore Santal and ambrette seeds. A variety of notes which enriches the transparent scent in its plenitude; notes that dialog among them and are complemented by each other.


Clair de Musc is delicately powdery by the poudré musk and iris influences. This effect is protagonist in the initial olfactory development, however it is noticeable that this effect is not about any type of powdery scent. It is about a refreshing powdery odour, influenced by the supporting action of the bergamot which does not have the interpretation of the overly citrusy pattern, this odour brings the sensation of the day and its clarity as well as the refined poudré freshness on skin sparkling by the sunshine.

In proportion that the perfume develops, the tenuous powdery undertones are blended to the floral accords. In this moment, more jasmine and less neroli. The subtle jasmine supports the floral base and, in a very interesting way, does not invade the poudré musk block because the jasmine joins the abstract of the fragrance, its heavenly facet. Its flowery accords are there but reacting like the act of cutting a crystal which on it is observed a face and, in other cutting piece is seen the other face.

The neroli, known by its spicy quality, assumes other role in this human ethereal fragrance. Its frustrating role is to bring the fragrance to the earthy base, however the spicy is almost null, only perceptible if the skin is sniffed closer . The beauty of the neroli in Clair de Musc is to reinforce the spiritual character which is its distinguishable feature: an untouchable composition, an angelical beauty that cannot be completely mundane; a beauty that values the white musk and others musky scented raw materials as poudré and the ambrette seeds.

The Creation of Adam

In Clair de Musc there is no space for perfume-body, that is being animalic and provocative as a earthy uniqueness. Here, what is fascinating is the pureness of the perfume soul that places Clair de Musk as something superior, ethereal and luminous. It is like to wear a white chiffon dress, fluid and made by a transparent fabric, close my eyes and imagine myself on white clouds touching the hands of God, the Lord.



Notes:Musks, bergamot, neroli, jasmine, Mysore Santal, Tuscan iris powder and ambrette seeds.
Perfumer: Christopher Sheldrake

Perfume Review by Copyright Cristiane Gonçalves for Perfume da Rosa Negra. Originally published in portuguese language in 2007.
Photo credits: Clair de Musc, Site Serge Lutens Shiseido
The Creation of Adam, sources: Sacred Destinations and Global Gallery

Perfume Review: Vetiver Oriental, Serge Lutens

Review part of the Fabulous Fragrant World of Serge Lutens by Cris Rosa Negra. Now available in English language. To read the Portuguese version, click on here.

Vetiver Oriental, Serge Lutens

Unique, enchanting and lovely soft. These are the virtues of Serge Lutens Vetiver Oriental, a mysterious, captivating and slightly ardent fragrance that conceives the vetiver as main note, bewitched by the iris softly sweet and always involved by the woody base surrounded by balsamic delightful waves that connect the earthy luxury to the body, mind and soul comforts.


Among all Serge Lutens fragrances, Vetiver Oriental is what set an interesting relation between the orientality of the Serge Lutens experiences in Marocco and the traditional odour influences of woods and resins such as vetiver, musk, sandalwood and others closer to the earthy and sultry pungency, which are scented qualities of great East Kings and also, on the other hand, bring to memory some luxury and cosmopolita West places where there are urban men connected to the technology and all futurist trends, places where Serge Lutens also experienced his career.


Vetiver Oriental set a scented balance between the East and the West, joining the traditional and the modern features and,remained in this relationship, the fragrance opens a captivating scent for refined, multicultural and avant-garde men, as well as Serge Lutens is. It occurs because the perfume is an oriental which blends balsamic and woody components creating an East reference and the source of some raw materials. It is found in Vetiver oriental the Indian vetiver, the sensual Arab amber and the multiorientals such as mosses, labdanum, sandalwood, gaiacwood and musk.

Vetiver, essencial para a perfumaria, principalmente como nota de base
Vetiver, essential for perfumery, mainly as base note

A luxury mixture and made in the right measure to not suffocate the nose with the exhausting pungency of the woods. This right proportion of the fragrance only is possible because is included the most modern retro classic note iris which is not common in male perfumes. The iris perfumes the fragrance in all moments with the vetiver and a mysterious accord vanilic woody which makes the connection between the iris and the woods. Although this composition has chocolate in the middle notes, this component is not so evident , consequently doesn't determine the odour in the mixture.


In this Lutens(ian) creation, the Vetiver is not green, sour and refreshing as in some classics of the perfumery but also is not pungent such the natural oil of Khus; on the contrary, the vetiver is extremely structured for a comfort scent, light and warm to cover the skin with a sophistication before wearing any refined clothing. Vetiver Oriental has a relationship with some personal memories about olfactive nuances such the sweet aromatic woody of Cartier Le Baiser du Dragon that interacts to Vetiver Oriental in notes such as musk, iris and vetiver, besides both are very elegant. Also other scent relationship is established with Serge Lutens Ambre Sultan in terms of resins componentes and some sultry pictures hence both bring to memories differents aspects of the East influences.

Nota de íris em Vetiver Oriental... Ela está sempre "visível" olfativamente
assim como a íris dos olhos de todos nós.
Iris note in Vetiver Oriental... is always "visible" olfactively as well as the iris of our eyes.

Even though the perfume is wearable for both sexies. Vetiver Oriental is perfect for men and it would be perfect that a woman next to him would wear Cartier Le Baiser du Dragon. A perfect couple of fragrances for a couple of good taste, equally perfect.


Notes : Sap, iris pallida, undergrowth notes, vetiver, gaiac wood, chocolate, musk, amber, labdanum, sandalwood and mosses.

Perfumer: Christopher Sheldrake.

Perfume Review by Copyright Cristiane Gonçalves aka Cris Rosa Negra for Perfume da Rosa Negra Originally published in portuguese language in 2007.
Photo credits: Serge Lutens Vetiver Oriental bottle by Serge Lutens Fragrances. Vetiver roots at UFF Eyes' iris, source Wikipédia

Perfume Review: Fleurs D'Oranger, Serge Lutens

Review part of the Fabulous Fragrant World of Serge Lutens by Cris Rosa Negra. Now available in English language. To read the Portuguese version, click on here.

Fleurs D'Oranger, Serge Lutens

The orange tree is one of the most versatile raw materials source in the perfumery and one of the most powerful to make good use of it. The scent comes from the fruit bark , leaves and flowers. Among all plants, it has the divine gift of providing 4 essential oils to the fragrance metier. The petitgrain comes from the leaves and branches, the orange comes from the bark and the neroli and orange blossom come from flowers. It is a plant blessed by the nature mother.

Neroli

Serge Lutens released Fleur D'Oranger, the floral oriental inspired by the richness of the orange blossom and, beautifully, added the beauty of these flowers and their olfactive power. The creativeness and sensibility connected to the nature is the highlight of the perfumer Christopher Sheldrake in this fragrance. Adding scented nuances of the orange blossom, sharing the layers of the fragrance in notes of neroli and these flowers as top and heart notes, joining this blossom to others ones such as the white jasmine, Indian tuberose and white rose without losing the mystery of the orange tree results in the composition of an exciting bucolic masterpiece through nature scents.

The start rescues concepts of sap and the mystery of the alchemy. The sap , which is the raw and physical material awakes all senses of these touchable scents. It is evident the presence of neroli, with the orange blossom and a little of jasmine.The mystery is given by the scent quality, the virtue of bringing to the olfactive memory the physical property that intends to be represented. The initial scent is peppery and reminds of the cumin note and the delicious flavors of the countryside recipes. Although there are first spicy tones, the flowers make the fragrance softer and the perfume has some "androgynous" characteristic as pictured on an orange blossom: a female side but an wearable approach for both sexies due to floral and spicy accords which are blended to each other.

Fleurs D'Oranger is fresh, but not the fresh citrusy of the orange. Citrusy feature is something that you'll not find here. Nothing is about citrus, bergamot and others. The freshness in the fragrance has freshness of the fields, from the wind that touches the face in a bucolic evening, from the lightness of the landscapes that become more distant with a contemplative glance, from the delicateness and magie of the young plays in countryside places. The images seen are also from a countryside family. The father, a perfume artisan who blends unique scents and flavors, the mother who cooks in earthware pans, the son and the daughter who play together and remind again of the unisex feature of the fragrance, peppery for men and floral for women. The passionate lovers couple making love in the quiet night. All is a sensual bucolism in Fleurs D'Oranger.

The perfume is quite oriental due to the presence of the neroli, that even is softened in heart notes, it has the incredible tenacity. The tenacity is the capacity of the note to be kept on skin without be completely volatile. In this case, the neroli that is the versatile classic note of the perfumery is also versatile enough in many moments on Fleurs D'Oranger. It starts very spicy and is rendered little by little by delicate undertones.

The tuberose here is a very peculiar tuberose, original for my olfaction but able to be recognised because it preserves the scented balance, also balancing the action of the jasmine. There are moments that the jasmine floats more to the skin, however is mixed to the penetrating tuberose, slightly warm, keeping the freshness and the velvety floral.

The therapeutic properties of the orange blossom are preserved, the fragrance continues a relaxing and tenuous. When Fleur D'Oranger is smelt on skin, the desire is to run calmly across the large countryside fields, run to meet the nature and, as a surrender action smell an gorgeous orange blossom.

Perfume Review by Copyright Cristiane Gonçalves aka Cris Rosa Negra for Perfume da Rosa Negra Originally published in portuguese language in 2007. Photo credits: Ad Fleurs D'Oranger by Serge Lutens
"Neroli" by aromatherpay.meetup.com
Bucolism, Source tripodi imagens

Perfume Review: Datura Noir, Serge Lutens

Review part of the Fabulous Fragrant World of Serge Lutens by Cris Rosa Negra. Now available in English language. To read the Portuguese version, click on here.

Datura Noir, Serge Lutens

Datura Noir is the fragrance of the mysterious and hypnotic Datura flower, dissimulated as well as all notes of this perfume. The olfactive dissimulation in Serge Lutens is sweet, attractive and, tempestuously temporary like smelling some scented small shortcuts, it seduces us to make us follow various ways, all efferverscent and, at the same time, serene, such as paradoxes that are joined , for the goodness or the evil. The notes cover what they are as refuges in this way, they can confuse our olfaction like stones able to make us fall and, at the same time, the desire that we 'll have is to raise again and find the map of this olfactive labyrinth , map that only Serge Lutens has.


Datura noir is one of these pieces composed as this olfactive dissimulation in form of liquid in a bottle. The fragrance doesn't pretend very much, simply because its initial defense mechanism is only a type of seduction and a distinguishable feature of the fragrance. The development is gradual and fascinating and the unique hostile intention of the perfume is poisoning us with this Datura Flower, rare , diabolic and nocturnal flower.


The start of the perfume opens all possible ways like a labyrinth, practically the main notes featured are Datura flower, almond, coconut, tuberose and heliotrope. Above all, the blending of notes is sultry and instigant with waves of a superb captivating scent in the start. The almondy sweetness, the narcotic tuberose, the softness delights of the coconut provoke the undestroyable desire of knowing the Datura Flower and meet the delightful accords on base such the vanilla, the tonka bean and the musk. The sweet scent gets to asphyxiate the olfaction like a drug that brings a freedom sensation.

Remembrance of a Garden, Paul Klee

To those who have a memorable experience of facing many shortcuts in form of olfactive notes, the scented labyrinth in Datura Noir is like an abstract painting that, although apparently connected without nexus, still seems to have an organization. A fragrant art that joins innumerous images of raw materials, not so clear but present. The floral notes are like to stare the memory of a garden, such a painting of Paul Klee, they are there, but not yet as protagonists of the evolution. The others notes serve like obstination focuses, something that provokes the desire and its accomplishment. The desire of being vain smelling the soft and sweet body of these notes.


In a short time, after the majestic start in this olfactive labyrinth, the perfumer Christopher Sheldrake proves that olfactive and free sensations are part of his niche alchemy. The sweetness decreases in a very expressive way, almondy notes open space to slight vanilic floral touches that possess the fragrance. In this moment, it is like to see a new shortcut, iluminated, elegant and adorned with Datura flowers. The flower, initially dissimulated, is opened on skin, revealing its magnitude and from its creator. Sometimes it stays sweeter, sometimes more almondy like scented paths which are opened in a surprising manner.

After, the perfume reaches its most comfortable moment. The hypnotic character becomes calmer like someone that opens his/her arms to a sensual and caring hug. The tonka bean note is apparent and soft together to vanilla, both seductive to a sniff on skin providing an hedonic sense also through a discrete scent of chocolate. The remembrance of a fragrant labyrinth is continuous, however now the same is not enclosed anymore, the flowers have bloomed and opened a new scented path for all others notes of the Lutens(ian) Datura Noir.







Perfume Review by Copyright Cristiane Gonçalves aka Cris Rosa Negra for Perfume da Rosa Negra Originally published in portuguese language in 2007.
Foto: Arte Remembrance of a Garden , Paul Klee
Vídeo: Datura flower , courtesia Youtube

Perfume Review: Un Bois Vanille, Serge Lutens

Review part of the Fabulous Fragrant World of Serge Lutens by Cris Rosa Negra. Now available in English language. To read the Portuguese version, click on here.

Un Bois Vanille, Serge Lutens

It is impressing how in proportion I'm familiar with the fragrance world, it is evident that some creations are typical examples how satisfactory is the unpredictable. The unpredictability of knowing a perfume like Un Bois Vanille which provides another tone to the vanilla, a note that mostly is so banalized in the perfumery only would be differently accessible through the talent of an artist as Serge Lutens.

Above all, he is the agent of a new aesthetics for the global perfumery. The naturalness of the beautifulness for Serge Lutens is the beauty that involves a type of grace state, it is a form of composing fragrances equally or behyond an art vision, unconventionally. The fascinating revelation of Lutens(ian) scents developed technically by the nose Christopher Sheldrake through the master concepts is delightful for any nose.

This happens because both catalyse a new attitude of facing the fragrance as a masterpiece what can cause much dissonance between them and some "fast food style " fragrances released in the market. In Lutens, this last term doesn't exist, not only because his fragrances are niche ones but because they are truly genuine niche perfumes.

An aesthetics eye on his fragrant art takes me to the idea of an orchestra whose symphony is able to provoke emotions, sometimes dramatic, sometimes comic, etc. Staring his scented masterpiece is be emotional with the accords and the unexpected sensations that they cause. Serge Lutens is the conductor of these scents. The perfume notes are conducted, thus the olfactive symphony will be a new interpretation in each nuance. That is the development of Serge Lutens' fragrances, a new paradigm and hence after, other one. New aesthetics images that are developed by the strangeness, by the discovery of new senses, by the negation of a commonplace opinion about fragrances.

Considering this new possibility of seeing the perfume like an authentic art, the vanilla of Un Bois Vanille doesn't have the appeal of any other vanilla found in other fragrance. The mean in which the vanilla is developed acting with other notes doesn't allow a mass paradigm such commercial vanilic scents, because the beauty inserted in Un Bois de Vanille is not the beauty which convertes the woman in a sexy one, not a vanillic scent focused on aphrodisiac, carnal, sexual effect. Definitely, here the vanilla doesn't serve the woman on a delicious plate.

Hernán Cortés

Also a creation of Christopher Sheldrake, the perfume was released in 2003 and has notes of Black vanilla absolute, licorice, sandalwood, coconut milk, beeswax, caramelized benzoin, bitter almond, Gaiac wood and tonka bean. What gives the typical Lutensian beauty to the fragrance is the action of the notes with the dark vanilla absolute, that is the focus note. The top notes features a scent more caramelised and liqueur-like, creating a peculiar (and natural) expectation of a different type of vanilla, one whose inspiration comes from a type of Mexican beverage drunk in the past by Hernán Cortés, a Spanish conquer during an exploring expedition in the Aztec Kingdom.

The first accords are like a mix of a newly prepared caramel in which is added instantaneously a liqueur glass with a small dose of coconut. The start is very sweet, influenced by the dark and sweet roots, the marzipan and the benzoin. The skin is warmed up so fast as if someone had been drunk a beverage shot in only one drain to make the body hot faster. The sensation is that the coconut milk note is there, however it is not so clear as the marzipan, for example, that reacts on fragrance picturing the image of almonds immersed in an alcoholic beverage.

Later, the vanilla takes the direction as drydown note, which is the base of the perfume together to aqueous and woody notes , characterizing the fragrance with an adult and discrete vanilla. This process of drydown lasts more than the conventional expected by a perfume named Un Bois Vanille and, as anything that may be predictable in a fragrance breakdown, the vanilla is very aligned to what is called vanilla boisée, in French. A vegetable vanilla that reminds me of fields full of trees therefore the perfume has a scent closer to the nature, with a vanilla that is impacted by notes of gaiac wood and mainly, the sandalwood, more familiar to my nose.

The notes development is very interesting, resulting from an aesthetics that has this intention: compose ideas through a world knowledge, in this example, the vanilla originated in Mexico and, thus, compose ideas into a hard-to-copy fragrance such as true masterpieces. A perfume to those who love the 8th Art, the Art of Lutens.


Perfume Review by Copyright Cristiane Gonaçlves aka Cris Rosa Negra for Perfume da Rosa Negra Originally published in portuguese language in 2007.
Photo credits: Un Bois Vanille by Serge Lutens.
Hernán Cortes by HC

Perfume Review: Sa Majesté La Rose, Serge Lutens

Review part of the Fabulous Fragrant World of Serge Lutens by Cris Rosa Negra. Now available in English language. To read the Portuguese version, click on here. This review had small modifications.

Sa Majesté La Rose, Serge Lutens

Sa Majesté la Rose is an absolute scent of the elegance in its simplest fragrant form. The rose developes constantly the main role from the start to the end, sometimes more floral scented, sometimes slightly sweet. A fascinating and ethereal rose scent in its pure, crystalline, refined and enchanting form.

The fragrance was developed from some mythology inspiration, specifically the feminine figure of Chloris who appears on the Spring by Sandro Botticelli, one of the most memorable Italian paintings. In this art masterpiece, Chloris, the flowers nymph in the Greek mythology is next to Zephyrus, God of Wind who fell in love by her continuing on the painting contemplation the beauty meeting of the fresh wind with the gorgeous Goddess of Flowers. To reflect on this divine picture is to awake mythical inspirational thoughts as they would bloom like roses around me.


The start notes remind me of petal roses cultivated in a bucolic field, impressing me by the delicateness of a docile and divinal floral. Sa Majesté la Rose does not meet the "rosy scent pattern" of regular mainstream fragrances which capture the rose as main element in commercial and very blended ways with others secondary notes, this Serge Lutens unique floral fragrance takes other fragrant path, the majestic path that leads us to the Rose Queen.

Chloris and Zephyrus at Spring by Botticelli.
Chloris reigns as flowers Goddess

The path when roses reign most and are therapeutic, making me remind of wellness essential oils that let the body light, divine and in peaceful and healing state of spirit. Even there is a sweet muskier scent that comes from musk plus subtle spice and honey, the rose is the superb note in the development, enveloping the skin. An ideal fragrance for women who have a simple and natural elegance, Sa Majesté la Rose is made to a woman who symbolizes the Human Imperial Rose.

Serge Lutens confirms again his talent, creating a fragrance that I consider that is not an ordinary floral, but a wonderful "Royal-Rose-Flower" - a term that comes to my mind during a scented ecstasy, smelling this divine fragrance that leads me to a state of pureness, almost spiritual.

The Muses dance at Spring by Sandro Boticelli.
Beauty and grace of the flowers season. A dance of roses

La parfait Rose ! It breaks the concepts of the commercial perfumery because its standard of sensitivy, a real lovely rose. A fragrance very delicate that make us to be back to promote the simplicity of the notes which move fragrantly to a sophistication where the fewer, the better.

Notes of Sa Majesté la Rose: Moroccan rose absolute, gaiac wood, clove, musk and white honey.
Perfumer: Christopher Sheldrake

La Rose Parfumée

Je suis né au Printemps
et suis Flora*,
la déesse des fleurs
avec vous parfum des fascinante roses
vous, mon Dieu Lutens
me faire la Majesté
de pure beauté
la plus parfaite
la plus divine
Virginalement
désirée
Magnifiquement
parfumée

(poetry by Cris Rosa Negra, originally posted at
PRN Poetic Homage to Serge Lutens & Christopher Sheldrake)
* Flora is the Flowers Goddess in the Roman Mythology.

Perfume Review by Copyright Cristiane Gonaçlves aka Cris Rosa Negra for Perfume da Rosa Negra Originally published in portuguese language in 2007. This review had small modifications.
Photo Credits : Sa Majestè la Rose by Serge Lutens
Spring by Sandro Botticelli . Italian Renaissance Art.

Perfume Review: Arabie, Serge Lutens

Review part of the Fabulous Fragrant World of Serge Lutens by Cris Rosa Negra. Now available in English language. To read the Portuguese version, click on here.

Arabie, Serge Lutens

Arabie, dry as a desert, spicy as a marocain market, slightly fruity as an oasis food, lightly cold as a wind that blows among the dunes and also delicately woody like a cedar scent diffused in the oriental nature. This is the complete scented overview over Arabie! A fragrance with oriental nuances highlighted in a moderate manner since it is not an overly middle East perfume.

Cinammon

Arabie touched much more my imaginary connecting me to an fruitful oasis than the imaginary related to a dry desert. Indeed, Arabie is supposed to be a drier and winter fragrance however it presents itself with a warm approach through unexaggerated accords of fruits and much more filled by spicies and woods. The top notes are burnt by the cinnamon's warmth. For some moment, it is necessary hopefully to be intimate with the cinnamon note which reminds me of filled spicies pots in some Marrakech stalls. This fragrant spicy moment is required to be smelt before coming to a new scented touch that brings to thoughts a garden of one thousand and one nights full of fruits, plants and woods, something more satiable, hottier and peculiar. Later, the perfume fades into a subtle cedarwood base with provocative touches of nutmeg.

Dried Figs in Marocco market

Arabie is a perfume that challenges us to accept its pre-orientality, the challenge of crossing the boundary that fragrances like that demand because Arabie is not an arabian attar and is not a conventional woody scent. However the fragrance has the pioneer style of mixing the West and the East through the daring style of Serge Lutens and Christopher Sheldrake, hence imagine yourself in one new space, walking with my initial words on your mind and be rendered by this walk across diverse portraits of this Arab, or it is better to say, this Arabie.

Notes of Arabie: Cedar, sandalwood, candied mandarin peel, dried figs, dates, cumin, balsamic resins, clove,nutmeg, myrrh, tonka bean, Siamese benzoin.

Perfumer: Christopher Sheldrake

Perfume Review by Copyright Cristiane Gonaçlves aka Cris Rosa Negra for Perfume da Rosa Negra Originally published in portuguese language in 2007.

Photo Credits: Serge Lutens Arabie by Serge Lutens
Sweet figs by Whole foods market
Cinnamon by Istockphoto

Perfume Review: Miel de Bois, Serge Lutens

Review part of the Fabulous Fragrant World of Serge Lutens by Cris Rosa Negra. Now available in English language. To read the Portuguese version, click on here.

Miel de Bois, Serge Lutens

A wonderful fragrance... a sweet scent, composed by a rare honey, preciously wild. Smelling Miel de Bois is like to imagine a honey involving all the body in one oriental and mysterious atmosphere, between noble and egyptian sheets. The honey is converted in one intimate partner, snuggling together with the skin in the warm aura of the bedroom.


The fragrance is like a balsamic honey, those that covers the body as a velvet fabric as well the bee that reposes on the flower... like a poetic image of the nature that is converted into a real image in the intimacy surrounded by soft sheets scented by delicate flowery accords. What balsam!

Miel de Bois seems a pure oil, an extra fine oil and, at the same time, so consistent done by those big bees , powerful and with effervescent temperament. There is certain disquiet in smelling this honey mixed to the woody nuances that cause olfactive explosions, liberating more and more honey.


At the moment when the honey and the woods meet each other and notes are transited among them, that is like a magic effect, almost hypnotic. The perfume is able of being simple with the combination honey and woods but have an fascinating attraction like an unavoidable enchantment. I would spread this honey balsam on me, satiate myself with this chalice of the nature... that is not saint, but completely profane.

Notes : Ebony, gaiac, oak wood, honey, beeswax, iris, hawthorn.
Perfumer: Christopher Sheldrake




Perfume review by Copyright Cristiane Gonçalves aka Cris Rosa Negra for Perfume da Rosa Negra. Originally published in portuguese language in 2007.
Photo credits: Serge Lutens Miel de Bois by Serge Lutens
and Honeycombs by Emmanuel Boutet under Permission of the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.2. Wikipedia Commons.

Perfume Review: Feminite du Bois, Shiseido

By Italo Wolff

O que esperar de uma marca de cosméticos japonesa que tem como lema a criatividade e a força da imagem e do designer, fabricando cosméticos e perfumes desde 1872, quando o fundador da marca apresentou ao Japão a primeira farmácia de estilo ocidental. Com a formação intelectual dos chefes da marca foi-se introduzindo tecnologias de ponta, importadas da Europa e dos Estados Unidos, para a melhoria de seus produtos, desta forma a marca se tornou conhecida e conquistou inúmeros clientes.


A publicidade, conquistada com imagem e designer, tem sido até hoje o diferencial desta marca. Com estilo único que une objetos e símbolos da cultura japonesa às modernas técnicas de fotografia artística e arte de um modo geral, onde as cores e a mulher são mostradas em toda sua totalidade, atingindo níveis de expressão e profundidade admiráveis. Foi a partir desse conceito que Serge Lutens tornou-se o embaixador da estética publicitária dos produtos Shiseido, com suas fotografias altamente modernas que misturam simbologia japonesa aos produtos repletos de tecnologia ocidental.


Venho hoje brindar com vocês um dos marcos da perfumaria mundial, criado na década de 1990, que segundo o début "é um tributo à arte japonesa, ao charme interior e misterioso e à beleza sofisticada e espiritual". O famoso Feminite du Bois de Christopher Sheldrake em cooperação com Pierre Bourdon. Um oriental amadeirado e inovador em meio à maré de florais e abaunilhados que assolava a época de seu lançamento, algo inovador onde o choque cultural era o centro da criação, introduzir a cultura japonesa e sua tradição aromática de condimentos e rituais de incenso em meio ao caos tecnológico do ocidente.


Em uma década marcada pela liberação sexual, que passou até a ser imposta ao mundo de modo cada vez mais comum. Um mundo moderno onde o sexo biológico é o que menos importa, onde o que deve realmente fazer sentido é a expressão múltipla do interior, o desejo de transcender barreiras e tabus ultrapassados de uma cultura altamente homofóbica. Como o animismo japonês nos diz, tudo tem espírito, até mesmo os objetos brutos possuem uma alma, e almas são também assexuadas, não sendo exclusivamente masculinas ou femininas, assim é Femininite du Bois, um ovni das fragrâncias, precursor do unissex, dito feminino, mas que não segue a linha doce e floral de seu gênero.


Com uma saída altamente densa que assusta pela potência e estranheza de componentes, principalmente o desiquílibrio do cedro. Em um primeiro momento há uma manifestação de gengibre que, instantaneamente, mescla-se a acordes de rosa e mel in natura; esse mix especiado é acrescido de uma nota central mais quente que lembra canela e pimenta escura em porções iguais e equilibradas. No fim dessa complexa saída há predominância de uma nota de cedro escuro. Na evolução a estupefação continua, para deixar o aroma mais complexo e confuso, um cálido aroma de neroli que é açoitado por cravo e cardamomo, abre-se uma fase resinosa e ainda mais quente, composta por cera de abelha perceptível como uma resina em ebulição, a mística nota de violeta surge em meio a esse baile oriental de especiarias e refresca a fase quente , onde o tom central é dado pelo cravo e resinas. Até aqui não há nada que lembre nem de longe o conceito de perfumaria clássica em relação a aromas femininos.

Angelina Jolie, 2008 Shiseido beauty Pub
Sexy, desejada por homens e mulheres e libertária,
seria Angelina um bom novo rosto para
Shiseido Feminite du Bois depois de mais de uma década?
Sexy, desired by women and men and libertarian,
would be Angelina a good new good face
for Shiseido Feminite du Bois after one decade?

Na verdade há uma mistura de ambos os sexos, nas suas vibrações florais percebe-se o espírito frágil e delicado da mulher e nas especiarias, resinas e madeiras quentes, vê-se a figura masculina. É como se o perfume pintasse em nossos corpos a marca da pureza suprema, um ser evoluído que não necessita mais de meras definições sociais para sentir-se completo, seja como homem ou como mulher. Uma figura multissexual aberta a experiências indefinidas.


A fase final é a mais linda de todas, onde os aromas se fundem e partem para um final memorável, repleto de cedro, mirra, musk e baunilha aromática, nada doce como as que estamos acostumados a sentir hoje, como a libertação espiritual de alguém que se vê livre de seu Karma e parte para outros planos a fim de completar sua missão.


Só me resta aplaudir a essa odisséia aromática, repleta de significados altamente sociológicos e de novos conceitos de sexualidade e contando com o mundo espiritual de modo a enviar nossos pedidos para Deus como faziam os antigos em suas aromáticas nuvens de incenso.

Italo Wolff é escritor de perfumes de Alagoas (Brasil) e colaborador exclusivo para o Perfume da Rosa Negra

(English version)

What expecting from a japanese cosmetics brand which has as motto the creativeness and the image and designer forces, producing cosmetics and fragrances sinde 1872, when the brand's founder presented to Japan the first pharmacy in West style. With the intellectual background of the brand's leaders was introduced high end technologies, imported from Europe and United States for a continuous product improvement, in this way, Shiseido become a well-known brand and won various customers.


The publicity, conquered with image and designer, has been until now the distinctive feature of the brand. Through its unique style which joins objects and symbols of the japanese culture to the modern technique of the artistic photograph and art, in a general manner, where the colors and the woman are showed in a fully way, reaching deep levels of expression and admiration. It was from this concept that Serge Lutens become the ambassador of the advertisement aesthetics of Shiseido products, with his highly modern photos which blended japanese symbology to the west technology.


Today I come here to celebrate with you one of the marks in the world perfumery, created in 1990, which is according to the début "is a tribute to the japanese art, to the interior charm and mystery and to the sophisticated and spiritual beauty". The famous Feminite of Christopher Sheldrake in collaboration with Pierre Bourdon. An innovative woody in the middle of the florals and vanilla fragrances which are also in those times of its release, something creative where the cultural shock was the attention's center, introducing the japanese culture and its aromatic tradition of spicies and incense rituals in the middle of the technologic chaos of the West.

In one decade where the sexual liberation started to be imposed to the world as something more and more common. A modern world where the biological sex is what less concerns, where what makes sense is the multiple inner self expression, the desire of transcending barriers and surpassed taboos of an highly homofobic culture. As the japanese animism which say us that everything has spirit, even the brut elements have a soul, and souls are not exclusively male or female, that is Feminite du Bois, an ovni of fragrances, predecessor of unisex, said as female fragrance, but that does not follow the gender of sweet and flowery scents.


With an highly dense opening which scares by the potency and strangness of the materials, mainly the unbalance of cedarwood. In one first moment,there is ginger appearing which, instantly, is mixed with the chords of rose and honey in natura; in this spicy mix is added a central note, warmer which reminds me of cinnamon and dark pepper in equal and balancing portions. At the end of this complex opening, there is predominancy of the dark cedarwood. In the evolution, the surprise continues, to let the aroma more complex and confusing, a warm aroma of neroli which is beaten by clove and cardamon, is open the resinuous phase and warmer, composed by a perceptible beeswax as a resin boiling, the mystical violet note appears in the middle of a oriental fragrant ballroom of spicies and refreshes the warm phase, where the central tone is given by the clove and the resins.


Until here there is anything which reminds me of the classical perfumery related to the female aromas. Truly, there is a mix of both sexies, in its floral vibrations is realized the fragile and delicate spirit of a woman and in the spicies, resins and war woodies, it is clear the male figure. It is like the perfume painted in our bodies the supreme pureness mark, one evoluted human being who does not need anymore social definitions to feel himself/herself complete, be as a man or as a woman. A multisexual figure opened to undefinite experiences. The final phase is the most beautiful , where the aromas are fused and go to a memorable final , full of cedar, myrh, musk and aromatic vanilla , nothing sweet as we are used to feel nowadays. Feminite du Bois is like someone's spiritual freedom, someone who is free of his/her karma and goes to others surfaces to complete his/her mission.


I just need to applaud this aromatic odyssey, full of social meanings and new sexuality concepts, counting on the spiritual world in order to send our requests to God as made by the Antiquity people with their aromatic incense clouds.

Italo Wolff is fragrance writer from Alagoas, Brazil and is collaborator for Perfume da Rosa Negra.


Images: Shiseido Japan and Shiseido International. All rights reserved