Bunch o’ limited edition collector bottles 2010

More limited edition collector fragrance bottles, with the usual disclaimers: in most of these cases, the juice is unchanged, just the bottle is “special” (or not, as the case may be), and some of these may not be available in the US.

From MAC, a solid perfume pendant designed by Marcel Wanders and filled with the MAC Air of Style fragrance. $30 at Nordstrom.


From Annick Goutal, the Collectors de Noël editions: gold bottles of Eau d’Hadrien, Sables, Musc Nomade and Duel (140-150€). Available at the Annick Goutal website.


From Estee Lauder, Pleasures perfume in the Pleasures Spider Compact: “Limited edition, crystal-encrusted collectible opens to reveal the fragrance Pleasures in a long-lasting solid perfume. Sleek and sophisticated with polished golden highlights and tiny glittering facets. It comes tucked inside a velvety pouch and beautiful gift box.” $250 at Saks Fifth Avenue.


From Azzaro, the Bois Précieux collection, with limited edition bottles of Azzaro Pour Homme, Azzaro Pour Homme Elixir (shown) and Azzaro Chrome, in 125 ml metallic-look bottles with handmade wood caps. (via parfums-tendance.fr)


From Juicy Couture, a solid perfume ring in the Couture, Couture fragrance. $42 at Sephora.

Anya’s Garden Amberess & Light ~ new fragrances

Indie natural house Anya’s Garden has launched two fragrances, Amberess and Light. The new scents were developed in conjunction with owner Anya McCoy’s Outlaw Perfume Project.
Amberess ~ a floriental with musk rose, ylang ylang, rose geranium, patchouli, Himalayan amber oil, styrax,  labdanum, tonka bean, tolu balsam, Peru balsam, benzoin and vanilla.
Light ~ a classic cologne with cedrat, grapefruit, juniper berry, aglaia flower, genet flower, ambergris, Hojari frankincense and edible frankincense sacra resinoid.

Michael Kors Island Palm Beach ~ new fragrance

Michael Kors has launched Island Palm Beach, the fifth and latest flanker to 2005′s Michael Kors Island. As Kors noted, Palm Beach is “the closest thing America has to Capri”.

Bursting with sunny brightness, the fragrance opens with a cocktail of pink grapefruit, succulent tangerine, and sweet orange juice. The heart of the fragrance seduces with notes of jasmine and a dash of rum. Hints of black tea and pink pepper provide an ultra sophisticated edge. A drydown of luxurious vanilla ensures that the dream lingers well after the sun sets.

Astier de Villatte + Commune de Paris Cologne 1871 ~ new fragrance

Astier de Villatte has launched a new fragrance in conjunction with French fashion line Commune de Paris. Cologne 1871, like the previous fragrances from Astier de Villatte, was developed by perfumer Françoise Caron.

At a first encounter, the scent of Sicilian lemon, rosmary [sic] and bergamote submerge you beneath an irresistible wave of freshness, alive and sparkling. But then, beneath a temptingly bitter and slightly tarnished surface gleam, Cologne 1871 hides a decisive powdery charm, heavy with the perfumes of its own epoque. Suave labdanum and styrax resin infuse with the woody notes of luxurious patchouli essence, cedar and vetiver and with the first two chemical molecules invented by perfumery of that era. The famous Coumarin, with its notes of freshly cut grass, along with Benzaldehyde and its scent of powdered almonds, become mouthwateringly lovely upon ones skin.

Six Scents Series Three Ascent and #087 ~ fragrance review

was intrigued by the Series One debut collection from the Six Scents Fragrance Initiative when it was released in 2008, and I purchased Smells Like Teen Spirit (a collaboration between perfumer Mark Buxton and designer duo Preen) and wore it with pleasure for the next year or so. I somehow missed out on Series Two; last fall and winter was a chaotic time for me, so it may have just slipped past me. I’ve been much more aware of Series Three, although I’m not as familiar with the fashion participants this time around; on the other hand, most of the perfumers’ names were familiar to me right away. Two of the of fragrances from this group that piqued my interest, in particular, were Fragrance 4 and Fragrance 5. Fragrance 4, Ascent (shown above), is a collaboration between fashion designer Rad Hourani and perfumer Christophe Raynaud, with notes of pear, violet leaf, ylang ylang, rose, cedar, leather, incense, powdery musks, tonka bean and benzoin. This fragrance fascinates me because it has evolved differently nearly every time I’ve worn it over the past week. One time, it shifted quickly from greenish violet leaf to powder to dirtied leather and musk, as sequentially as a stop-action film of the sun rising and setting

Aroma Sanctum Scarlet Letter ~ fragrance review

A few years ago, I spent a day in Salem, Massachusetts with my husband. Somewhere between our stops at the town’s historic cemetery, a bookstore or two, and the House of the Seven Gables, we came across a small shop called Aroma Sanctum Perfumes, where I sampled a few “house blend” fragrances and purchased a bottle of perfume oil called Scarlet Letter as a souvenir of our visit.

Scarlet Letter is the creation of Akuura Kulak, the owner and resident perfumer of Aroma Sanctum. It’s one of three scents in Aroma Sanctum’s “Olde Salem” collection, and it includes notes of carnation, Egyptian jasmine, lily of the valley, gardenia, vanilla and musk. When I first apply it, I notice the lily of the valley note, which is a bit greenish. This note fades within a half hour of so, releasing the spicy-creamy carnation heart of the fragrance. At this point, Scarlet Letter is like a sweeter, more casual cousin to carnation classic Caron Bellodgia or more recent carnation fragrances such as Etro Dianthus, so if you love those, you’d probably enjoy Scarlet Letter