My Top 10 perfume picks for spring

I am writing this from Montreal, where it is still minus 15°C, though the Canada geese have started flying back from the south, and I did see a few shoots popping out from the thawing soil… Not quite spring despite the calendar, but I’ve been breaking out sunlit citruses, greens and tender florals that smell of sap and moistness and petals, and repeating my mantra: “You must believe in spring”…

Here’s what I packed for my North American book tour... which Charlotte, my parents's perfumista cat, tried to break into and get high on during the Easter holiday. When I attempted to get it back, I got very seriously batted on the hand with a great big snowshoe paw!

With its grapefruity, green and magnolia/ gardenia notes, Jour d’Hermès has got enough asperities to keep it interesting, while remaining allusive enough not to grab you by the nose demanding attention. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it to anyone seeking out a quietly joyful, go-to fragrance. It just makes me smile. Still my favorite mainstream launch of the past months.

The Magnolia in Acqua di Parma’s new Acque Nobile collection (not to be confused with Magnolia Nobile) has much the same effect: it is a clean, fresh, slightly soapy floral with radiant citrus top notes and just enough petal creaminess to give it heft.

A journalist who interviewed me in Toronto mentioned the following paradox: although mainstream brands mostly go for sexiness in their ads, many people mention childhood reminiscences as reasons for being drawn to their fragrances. For the French, that would be neroli, commonly used in baby-care products.

Annick Goutal’s new Neroli eau de Cologne, set to replace the beloved eau de toilette – I know, I hate it too when they do that – is predictably brighter and more, well, cologne-like. The cuddle factor is boosted with almond-y heliotrope and musk.

This tribute to the scents of early childhood is also what guided the variation on the eau de Cologne template composed by Juliette Karagueuzoglou, who recently gave birth to her second daughter, for the Parisian 2012 of IFF Speed-Smelling. But there’s more to this untitled cologne than meets the nose. As it evolves, the galbanum-laced orange blossom gives way to the irresistible dulce de leche smell given off by breast-fed infants, underlined with slight animalic notes (mommy!) as well as a touch of incense to evoke the gifts of the three Wise Men…

Though the composition will not be commercialized, it will be available in a limited edition of 250 coffrets along with the ten other freestyle creations of IFF’s Paris-based perfumers at Quintessence sometime in April… For perfume lovers, this is really one of the events of the year, since up to then only editors and industry players had access to the scents. I’ll soon be reviewing the other half of the batch: here's a link to the first series of reviews.

Moving towards another zone of the olfactory map via the green/citrus exchanger… With its grapefruity brightness, flintiness and smoky rootiness, vetiver suits a season where rays of sun alternate with whiffs of wood fires and of thawing earth…

 Annick Goutal’s new Vétiver eau de Cologne is less salty-marine than the original, more citrusy in the overture, and the addition of iris – a natural partner for vetiver – gives it a more powdery, non-gendered (i.e. less overtly masculine) feel. It’s got sillage, long-lastingness and character, and though many will regret the original Goutal Vétiver it replaces, it is a very, very good scent in its own right.

Olfactive Studio’s fourth offering, Flashback, splices vetiver’s grapefruit top note with the green, acid raspiness of rhubarb to evoke one of Olivier Cresp’s favorite olfactory memories of childhood: rhubarb pie. A Granny Smith note adds to the mouth-watering tart juiciness. The effect is an extremely luminous, cheerful vetiver vibe.

Moving on to the galbanum-hyacinth zone of the spring spectrum: Tom Ford Private Blends Ombre de Hyacinth gave me hives when I first heard of it because of the unjustifiable way its name mashes up French and English. But when I smelled it blind, I was struck by its old-school style – it feels like a photoshopped N°19, with colors so vivid they border on the unnatural, and an added cucumber-and-earth violet leaf greenness on top.

In a completely different register, I’m still hooked on Serge Lutens’s dark animalic rose La Fille de Berlin. Somehow, the image that comes to me when I think of this scent is that of an uncut ruby, or perhaps rock candy: solid, translucent and tempting to the tongue…

And just to remind myself that despite the sub-zero temperatures and flurries in Montreal, somewhere the sun is shining, I light the new Merida candle, a joint endeavor of Arquiste and Cire Trudon. With its creamy, ripe guava note, it’s all I can do not to lick the wax.

Lastly, just as a teaser: one of my favorite scents this spring has got to be the upcoming eau de parfum by Aedes de Venustas, the second chapter in what has been conceived as a full-fledged brand, featuring a very impressive line-up of perfumers. Karl and Robert let me have a sneak preview sniff of when they hosted my Perfume Lover soirée in their boutique… and it’s majestic. I’ll review it as soon as it’s been presented to the press.

For more seasonal picks, click yourself over to Bois de Jasmin, Now Smell This, The Perfume Posse and Perfume-smellin' Things.

I will be in the plane between Montreal and New York when this is posted, then running around the city for some last appointements, so apologies in advance if I don't respond to comments as quickly as usual. I'll be back in Paris on April 7th and hope to be resuming a more normal posting pace ASAP!

 

The Perfume Lover Book Signing Soirée at Aedes de Venustas

The last time I was in New York, Debbie Harry and I were both slim young things and all of the Ramones were still alive. So you can imagine there are lots of things I would rather be doing that sitting in front of the computer!

Nevertheless, here is a snapshot of the end of my book signing session at Aedes de Venustas, where I had the pleasure of meeting many readers, fellow bloggers, perfume lovers who'd received the invitation and very cool clients of Aedes.

So, the photo-souvenir of the main players of the event: my new friends, the adorable Robert (to the left) and Karl (to the right), the co-owners of Aedes, and the exquisite Laren Stover, who wrote my profile for the New York Times -- after her Bombshell Manual of Style, which I bought when it came out, her Bohemian Manifesto is currently my bedside book.

A shout-out to Lucy Raubertas (Indie Perfumes), Avery Gilbert (What the Nose Knows), Francesca Bellanger, Douglas Bender (Charenton Macerations), and so many others... including an extraordinary fashion blogger, Valerie of Idiosyncratic Fashionistas!

The Perfume Lover goes on sale today in the USA and Canada... and I'm off to New York

Well, that’s it. In a few hours, I’ll be off to New York. And this is the day my American and Canadian editions become available: just click on the covers on the right-hand sidebar to order!

There’s a good chance a profile of me in the Style section of a newspaper of reference will be coming out on Thursday (if not then, the week after that). I’ll post the link when the deed is done.

Meanwhile, my friends over at Perfumeniche.com in Toronto have organized a fantastic give-away for a full bottle of Séville à l’aube (if SAs tell you it's sold out, don't believe them: the new batch is hitting the warehouse tomorrow and will be shipping in April).

To enter the contest,  you need to have read the book and answered three questions correctly to be eligible. To find out more, click here.

And since the Commonwealth is definitely batting on my team, in spirit if not in the flesh, check out this item in the New Zealand Gay Express, penned by the incomparable Portia, who you may know from the Perfume Posse or Australian Perfume Junkies. Published courtesy of a new fragrance blogger from the Antipodes, Jordan River, aka The Fragrant Man.

Depicted above: a room from the über-hip Ace Hotel where I’ll be staying in New York, sourced from 4h10.com.

My interview on EU regulations on CBC radio, and a few news about my mini book tour in the US and Canada

Many apologies for not posting reviews: I’ve been working 12-hour days to get as much work done as possible before I leave for New York, then Toronto and Montreal, to promote the North American editions of The Perfume Lover.

As you’ve seen from my latest post, Karl and Robert of the wonderful Aedes de Venustas (depicted above)  in New York are hosting my book signing session on March 22^nd from 4 to 8 P.M. With each book purchased, I’ll be giving out a 2ml spray sample of Séville à l’aube. I’ll also be packing a few mods and raw materials of the fragrance for a sniff-and-tell. I hope to see a few of you there!

For those of you in Canada, I will be appearing on two morning television shows, CTV’s Canada A.M. on March 27^th and The Global Morning Show on Global News on March 28^th. If you are a member of Soho House in Toronto, a private club for media and entertainment industry professionals, please check their website, I will be doing a “show and smell” on the 27^th.

And if you’re anywhere around Montreal, I’ll be doing a public reading/book signing at the Westmount Public Library in partnership with Paragraphes, a leading independent bookstore.

Meanwhile, here is a link to the interview I gave to Ana Maria Tremonti of The Current on CBC, the Canadian national radio. The main topic is the upcoming E.U. Directive on cosmetics, but the discussion veers off on the history of perfumery, the way the industry works and the reasons behind the fragrance-averseness of certain countries…

To listen, click here.

 I’m still waiting for more info on other events, so please check back.  And if you’ve got any recommendations for shops, exhibitions, cafés or restaurants in New York, please let me know! I haven’t been for ages so I’ll be quite the stranger in town…

Mon interview sur CBC radio au sujet des réglementations européennes, et autres news

Tout d'abord, mes plus plates excuses pour cette pause du blog : je travaille plus de douze heures par jour pour boucler autant de travail que possible avant de partir faire la promo de mon livre à New York, Toronto et Montréal pour la sortie de ses éditions nord-américaines le 19 mars.

Si jamais vous êtes à New York, je serai ravie de vous rencontrer à Aedes de Venustas  le 22 mars entre 16 et 18 heures autour d’un Bellini pour une séance de signature au cours de laquelle je ferai découvrir aux intéressés quelques « mods » de Séville à l’aube ainsi que des matières premières entrant dans sa composition.

Si vous êtes au Canada, vous pourrez m’apercevoir dans deux émissions matinales, Canada A.M. le 27 mars et The Global Morning Show le 28. Si vous êtes membre de Soho House à Toronto, un club pour professionnels des médias et du spectacle, j’y serai également le 27 mars pour une présentation du livre et de mon petit barda parfumé.

Montréalais ? Le 3 avril, la bibliothèque publique de Wesmount, en association avec la librairie Paragraphes, m’accueille pour une lecture publique et une séance de signature (et toujours mon petit barda Séville à l’aube, dont je remettrai un échantillon pour tout achat du livre).

J’attends toujours des renseignements supplémentaires pour d’autres événements, donc repassez faire un saut. Et si vous avez des boutiques, expositions, restaurants ou cafés à me recommander à New York, je suis preneuse : je n’y suis pas allée depuis si longtemps que c’est comme si je n’y avais jamais mis les pieds.

En attendant, si vous êtes anglophones, voici une interview de moi diffusée ce matin sur la radio nationale anglophone canadienne CBC dans l’émission The Current, où il est question des réglementations européennes, de l’industrie du parfum, de son histoire et de mes aventures olfactives parisiennes…

Pour l’écouter, cliquez ici.

 Pour conclure, l'édition française de mon livre paraîtra le 16 mai aux Presses de la Cité sous le titre: Parfums, une histoire intime. J'espère pouvoir bientôt vous montrer la couverture, dont je suis particulièrement ravie car mon éditeur a retenu la photo dont je rêvais depuis le début de l'aventure...

Save the date! New York launch of The Perfume Lover on March 22nd

The American edition of my book The Perfume Lover, a Personal History of Scent, published by St. Martin’s Press, is going on sale on March 19^th. And to celebrate, I'll be in New York.

Karl Bradl and Robert Gerstner, the owners of the one and only Aedes de Venustas, have kindly offered to host a signature session in their boutique on March 22nd, from 5 to 8 P.M.

I would be delighted if you could meet me there over Bellinis. Especially since it’s my first trip to New York, and indeed to the USA, since… well, let’s say the Ramones hadn’t broken up yet and leave it at that.

From what I’ve heard, Séville à l’aube has been so successful many American retailers of L’Artisan Parfumeur are out of stock: a brand new batch will be making its way to the US in late April, and it seems it will no longer be a limited edition. So that readers will not be frustrated, with each book sold, I will be offering a sample of Séville à l’aube. 

Hope to see you there! And if you can’t make it, you can of course purchase the American edition of The Perfume Lover on Amazon by clicking here.

The Perfume Lover

Cocktails and book signing

Friday March 22^nd, 5-8 P.M.

AEDES DE VENUSTAS

9 Christopher St. New York, NY

Please rsvp aedes at aedes dot com