The journey of Coco Chanel to Venice in 1920 served as an inspiration for Chanel’s in-house perfumer Jacques Polge. Coco Chanel travelled to Venice after her lover Boy Chapel had died. The opulence of the Byzantine architecture impressed her deeply.

The day of Coco Chanel’s birthday, August 19th, Chanel launched its new flanker Coco Noir in an elegant, amazing black vial. After Guerlain had launched La petite robe noire (Little Black Dress), the item which made Chanel famous, Coco Noir is not such a bad idea – as we have seen many black perfumes become bestsellers, e.g. Black Orchid by Tom Ford, Back to Black by By Kilian, the classics Arpège by Lanvin or Narcisse Noir by Caron. Black sells.

For me Coco Noir smells less like the deep oriental Coco as than the romantic Coco Mademoiselle. It could also have been named Coco Mademoiselle Eau du Soir. The Coco devotees will be rather disappointed, I guess.

Coco Noir is sensual and yes: sweeeet. Even sweeter than Coco Mademoiselle (of which I only use the Brume Fraîche Version, which I find the best), nearly as sweet as Flowerbomb by Viktor & Rolf. The scent reminds me of all these rather pink perfumes: Flowerbomb, Miss Dior Chérie, Mademoiselle Coco or Jimmy Choo.

On a blotter Coco Noir is very intensive, on skin there has been written a lot concerning longevity. It works for me: even the next day I can smell Coco Noir everywhere – on my skin, on my clothes, in the apartment. It’s a statement.

Coco Noir is a typical fruitchouli. Fresh and sweet in the opening, sweet and fruity in the middle notes and musky, woody and sweet in the base. The pink pepper is very present and overlaps the sweetness, which saves the scent from being mundane. Coco Noir is very well done but not innovative. But I like its kind sweetness with an oriental touch without the heavy spices from Coco. The floral elements of rose and jasmine are softened by vanilla and contrasted by geranium leaves for some tart effects.

To be honest, I expected something completely different, but I am not disappointed. Coco Noir for me is an interesting alternative to Coco Mademoiselle and I am sure the scent will become a bestseller.

Category: women

Year: 2012

Perfumer: Jacques Polge

Notes: grapefruit, bergamot, pink pepper, jasmine, rose, narcissus, geranium leaves, vetiver, sandalwood, patchouli, frankincense, vanilla, tonka bean, musk

www.chanel.com

Today I want to present you the new perfume À Rebours by Friendly Fur. I was involved in the production process so far as Nikolas came to me several times to show me the different steps – briefing, packaging and finally the first draft of the perfume.

À Rebours (Against the Grain) was inspired by the famous same-named novel by Joris-Karl Huysmans. Whilst in the novel the central theme is decadence and the so called ‘ennuy’ (boreness), the perfume is completely different. No wonder, the perfumer who created À Rebours is no one else than Mark Buxton. The creative duo has conceived a scent that is clean and dirty at the same time. Like the wolf who has eaten Little Red Riding Hood… well, we are talking about fox.

The famous perfumer Vero Kern once said „A good perfume always needs something dirty.“ À Rebours has this dirty something. Under the green delicacy, whicht reminds me of dewy rose petals and the innocence of the mirabelle girl from the movie The Perfume, the scent has something really profound. To be concrete: civet and castoreum. Not too much, not too little.

The green tangerine that appears as one of the first impressions accompanied by bergarmot, is sourly fresh and blends with cardamom and rose. Freesia reveals a floral peak. In the heart the scent becomes rougher with seductive jasmin, leather and animalistic notes that appear softly, but are coated by the green tangerine. It’s not their time yet. This is saved for later, when oriental notes lay down on the forest floor.

À Rebours is always airy. The hesperidic notes are highly concentrated, which keeps the dirty notes tamed. The perfume is distinctive, but never dominant. You can wear it day and night.

It is very difficult to create a perfume that is something special, À Rebours is special.

At this point I would like to emphasize, that the fur used for the flacon-coating is made from Friendly Fur that results from over-population and controlled forest management supporting biodiversity.

Category: unisex

Year: 2012

Conception: Nikolas Gleber

Perfumer: Mark Buxton

Notes: bergamot, freesia, galbanum, violet, orange blossom, green tangerine, cardamom, black rose, magnolia, jasmin, cumin, leather, osmanthus, carnation, civet, castoreum, oakmoss, patchouli, musk, cistus, Chinese cedar, ambergris

www.friendlyfur.de

India seems to be the source of inspiration lately. Karl Lagerfeld has presented his Paris-Bombay collection and in perfumery we get more and more perfumes that are inspired by the exotic country. I read something about a new Comptoir Sud Pacifique perfume called Souffle des Indes (Breath of India) and I found this very special line by Neela Vermeire, who was born in India and is now living in Paris.

Inspired by her childhood in India, Neela Vermeire dedicated her first trio of fragrances to India. No other than genius Bertrand Duchaufour, who is an admirer of India, created the three perfumes. Each one represents a different era in the history of India.

Trayee stands for the Vedic period with its intricate rituals and temple ceremonies, Ayurveda, the universe of yoga and the holistic quest for knowledge. To me cardamom as a typically Indian spice is the golden thread in this trio. In Trayee it dominates the opening, not without reminding me of Traversée du Bosphore, which Bertrand Duchaufour created for L’Artisan Parfumeur. It’s the cardamom, I tell you. Trayee is a silent explosion of spices, herbs, woods and subtle vanilla in the base. Ginger, saffron, clove, cinnamon bark, you get a whole spice market. The blackcurrant in the opening is a fruity aspect I like. And it really lasts and reaches out its branches into the base. Otherwise the creation would have been too ‘dry’. Trayee really is a peaceful, meditative scent with ethereal peaks.

Notes: blue ginger, elemi oil, cinnamon bark, ganja effects, blackcurrant, basil, sambac jasmine absolute, cardamom absolute, clove, saffron, sandalwood, Javanese vetiver, Haitian vetiver, incense, Mysore sandalwood oil, patchouli, myrrh, vanilla, cedar, amber notes, oudh Palao from Laos, oak moss

Mohur stands for the era of British India. It is an homage to Noor Jahan, the favorite wife of Emperor Jehangir. The word ‘mohur’ derives from Sanskrit and refers to the most valuable gold coin in India’s history. The last pieces were minted in 1918. Mohur is a wonderful light rose scent. When you read the notes like oudh, patchouli and amber you might think of a deep and dark rose scent. But this is so special about it, the perfume smells milky and is nearly transparent in its beauty. As some of you already know, I love the combination of carrot and orris. The combination of rose, carrot and orris is even more beautiful and cardamom as a top note reveals this certain Indian twist to the composition. Vanilla, almond milk and tonka bean add creamy sweetness without being cloying. And what about oudh, leather, patchouli, amber? Bits and pieces that make a creation special but don’t dominate it.

Notes: cardamom absolute, coriander seed oil, ambrette seed, carrot, black pepper, elemi oil, Turkish rose oil, Moroccan rose absolute, rose accords 11 percent, jasmine accord, orris, aubepin flower, almond milk notes, violet flower and orris effects, leather vitessence, sandalwood, amber, white woods, patchouli, oudh Palao oil from Laos, Benjoin Siam, vanilla, tonka bean

Bombay Bling. Wow! I am absolutely not a bling bling girl, but I love this name! And I love the juice. Sorry for using the term ‘juice’, I never do this, but in this case it really fits. Bombay Bling is a cocktail full of lush fruits. Immediately, dancing scenes in Hindi films come to my mind. Have you ever seen one? No? Go for it, it’s so much fun. I remember my first one, it’s called Veer-Zaara with the Indian superstar Shah Rukh Khan. I was completely shocked when the actors started to sing and dance and then I couldn’t stop laughing. Bombay Bling stands for the contemporary India. Buzzy, vibrant, eclectic, modern, ecstatic. This sweet cocktail will make you dance all night long. Mango, lychee, blackcurrant, a little bit of a sweaty cumin note, a bouquet of rose and white flowers plus a woody base with tobacco and vanilla. And, of course, cardamom. Can you hear the music? The idea of this perfume is so inspiring. A fruit punch that doesn’t smell like a teeny shower gel, that’s art. I want to smell this one on men’s skin, must be even better than on a woman. In this case it is the cumin, that works like an aphrodisiac. The drydown feels like a male human body scent. In a very positive way.

Notes: mango, lychee, blackcurrant, cardamom, cumin, cistus, rose, jasmine, ylang-ylang, tuberose, frangipani, gardenia, patchouli, tobacco, white woods, sandalwood, cedar, vanilla

We definitely need more concepts like this on a market that seems to circle around the same themes for too long. These scents – and especially Bombay Bling – managed to surprise me, like a food critic who gets something on his tongue that really makes him wonder. Great work!

Which one is your India? Have you ever been there? And which smell do you remember?

www.neelavermeire.com

Photo: Norman Parkinson

Some of my friends told me that I am reviewing too much female perfumes – but hello, they are mostly unisex as the niche perfume houses refuse this kind of categorization. Here is something exclusively for the guys! But I tell you in advance, this scent is very smooth and could also be used by a woman. So hide your bottles guys!

I like dark, woody incense scents on men, that’s no secret. This is why Carbone is my taste. Before you read more I have to say, that I would recommend this scent for men with darker skin, maybe particularly the olive type of skin, Carbone needs a stronger base, something Mediterranean – so this is nothing for a pale Englishman. I imagine French men in summer, Alain Delon in the famous movie The Swimmingpool (1969) – or some exotic country. The perfume has indeed something that could be very successful in the Arabian world. A saleswoman told me recently that some perfume houses make 50 per cent of their profit in the Arabian world. Imagine!

The opening of Carbone smells like a sweet cocktail of wood, pepper and some green notes – but very reserved green notes, Carbone is nearly a gourmand scent. It has nothing typical for a men’s scent with fresh elements like bergamot or so. What you get is a huge, lush, sweet, dark fig mixed with resins, vanilla and incense. When the scent develops on your skin it gets a buttery smell, like you might know it from Ouris by SoOud. It is kind of sweet for a men’s scent, but all men I have asked how they like it, were taken by Carbone. So if you love fig scents and are looking for something deeper, mysterious try this one. Fig with butter and incense is very sexy and perfect for a night out. Get ready to seduce. By the way, Carbone has a great longevity! This one stays until breakfast.

Carbone is nominated in the category Men’s Exclusive Fragrance at the Perfume Award Duftstars by the German Fragrance Foundation. On May 27 we will know if Carbone is a winner. For me it has already won!

Category: men

Perfumer: Nathalie Lorson (Firmenich)

Art Direction: Christophe Decarnin

Year: 2010

Notes: elemi, musk, benzoin, bourbon pepper, ivy, violet leaf, vetiver, incense, black fig

Calypso is the new version of the original same-named fragrance of the late 1950s. Aurélien Guichard by Givaudan, who has composed the new formula, paid tribute to the vintage character of the perfume but managed to give it a contemporary twist. I have never had the chance to smell the original but I have loved the new version from the first sniff.

The opening is a fresh mix of geranium, tangerine and rose. This intro is so short, that the drydown seems to start immediately. You get warm aspects of amber and hidden in the background a whiff of patchouli weaving an invisible veil around the rose, that softly fades into a powdery base.

This scent is shy and stays on your skin. You would never disturb anyone around you. While Visa by Robert Piguet is a loud diva dancing in the middle of the room, Calypso is the shy beauty sitting in the corner hiding behind her small leather bag. She is not aware of her sensuality. She needs time. She’s gorgeous!

To choose a character from Mad Men, I would say that Visa would be Joan Holloway, Calypso fits Peggy Olson. It is Joan who tells Peggy to dress like a woman and not like a little girl. Peggy needs time to decide to live her own life and to enjoy being successful and independent. She’s revolutionary but always discreet and deliberate. She is torn between working like a man and being a woman. Here we find a parallel to Calypso, which has virile and female facets. In the end the female attributes dominate the drydown. Go, Peggy go!

Calypso is neither a floral scent nor a leather scent. The predominant notes are amber and rose. I am really into amber at the moment. I love the balsamic, soft, powdery sweetness of it. There is a soft leather note in the base, but it smells more like a lady’s bag inside, mixed with a broken powder tin. Slightly musky, breezy, weightless, aldehydic.

Calypso is what I expected Chloé to present, when they announced the launch of the new scent Love, Chloé. Calypso in the Chloé bottle would be perfect. This bottle is so amazing and elegant!

Category: I suggest this scent for women

Perfumer: Aurélien Guichard (Givaudan)

Year: 2010

Notes: tangerine, geranium, Bulgarian rose, orris, zentifoglia, patchouli, ambroxan, suede

www.robertpiguetparfums.com