As I was updating my ISIPCA course and preparing my new spring seminars, I tried a selection of new launches, some of which seemed interesting enough to share with you in a separate article. While new launches are almost always skewed towards Christmas sales, I like the spring offer because it tends to show a greater variety of compositions. There will still be a wave of summer flankers and sports colognes, but for now, we have many radiant florals, soft chypres and salty vetivers.
Dries Van Noten Mystic Moss (perfumer Nicolas Bonneville)
An elegant composition centered on vetiver, with a strong salty, seaweed facet. Imagine driftwood on the beach. An effervescent combination of cardamom and mandarin lends it brightness that lasts even when the darker woods take over.
Guerlan Rose Amira (perfumer Delphine Jelk)
A Persian-style rose perfume where roses are liberally layered with incense and dark woods. If you like your roses smoky and mysterious, this is the right fragrance for you. It features a natural rose note, which is splendidly warm and honeyed. While Rose Amira is currently a duty-free exclusive, it will be distributed more widely later this spring.
Guerlain Néroli Plein Sud (perfumer Thierry Wasser)
Orange blossom petals dusted with cinnamon. A perfume version of a Moroccan orange salad, but with a stronger orange flower note. Refined and yet full-bodied, just as you would expect of Guerlain.
Houbigant Pétales de Magnolia (perfumer Céline Ellena)
A sun-dappled etude of magnolia flowers. Apricot and grapefruit provide a bright twist, while coconut lends a luscious creamy note. The finish of sandalwood and tonka bean gives this flower plenty of substance.
Guerlain Santal Royal (perfumer Thierry Wasser)
This is another fragrance in the Absolus Allegoria series that replaced the Absolus D’Orient collection. Baroque, dark and opulent, these fragrances are miles away in character from the Guerlain classics, and yet they possess the same darkness that fans of Shalimar and Mitsouko enjoy. The Absolus Allegoria collection currently includes six eaux de parfums: Rose Amira (mentioned above), Santal Royal, Cuir Intense, Oud Essentiel, Epices Exquises and Patchouli Ardent. Moreover, if you like Arabic-style perfumery and its compositions of incense, sandalwood and oud, this collection will catch your attention.
Santal Royal is a mélange of jasmine and sandalwood, with rose and leather completing the exotic vignette. For such a dark and rich fragrance, it’s beautifully balanced. This is not a new launch, strictly speaking, but it was a pleasure to get reacquainted with it after a long break.
New Notes Latte Mimosa
I can’t have too much mimosa, and Latte Mimosa is a pleasant surprise. Uplifting, bright, with a pleasant sillage, it’s a great study of mimosa paired with creamy notes. Unless a perfumer uses natural mimosa, the usual solution is to pair violet with cucumber and almond. This is the mimosa of Prada Infusion de Mimosa and L’Artisan Mimosa Pour Moi. Latte Mimosa places more emphasis on the honeyed warmth and the result is an enveloping but fresh floral.
4711 Acqua Colonia Absolue Smoky Tonka (perfumer Daniela Marty)
Forget about the citrus classic in a blue-tinted bottle. Smoky Tonka is an ambery gourmand with notes of cognac, praline and vanilla. It’s indeed smoky–and quite sweet. Smell it for the combination of tonka bean and dark woods, which is quite nicely arranged.
Guerlain Vétiver Parfum (perfumer Delphine Jelk)
This fragrance came up when I was making a list of fragrances for my Tonka Bean class, and I had to try it, especially since the original Guerlain Vétiver is one of my favorites. The licorice and grapefruit facets of vetiver shimmer. The dark woody core is made more saturated. A flourish of tonka bean gives it richness. I miss the radiance of the original, but the opulent character of the parfum is hard to resist.
Fragonard Lilas
Lilac is Fragonard’s flower of the year, and it’s always a treat when this note makes more than just a cameo appearance. The almond and rose lilac accord is framed with linden flowers and green notes and it shimmers from top to bottom. Fragonard’s press release makes much ado about its sensuality, but the perfume doesn’t strike me as anything but bright and fresh, just as lilac should be.
Aerin Mediterranean Honeysuckle Tiare
Not a strikingly original composition by any means, but when it comes to renditions of gardenia posing as honeysuckle, I won’t complain too much. A lovely white floral with different facets. The best part is the drydown of creamy petals that lingers for much longer than you might expect.
Narciso Rodgriguez For Him Vetiver Musc (perfumer Mathilde Bijaoui)
Another well crafted vetiver perfume, similar in character to Dries Van Noten Mystic Moss. It also features a seaweed note that matches the salty woodiness of vetiver so well. The cardamom ornamentation is another touch they have in common. The drydowns, however, are different, so I suggest trying both perfumes and comparing them. Vetiver Musc, as you would expected from Narciso Rodgriguez, is all about musk, with an intricate accord of patchouli, cypress and cedarwood providing an elegant counterpoint.
Have you tried any interesting perfumes recently? What new launches are you anticipating?
