travel

Just Beachy

2009-10-20T11:02:43-07:00

Aquatic Scents for Oceanic Getaways

Aquatic fragrances invoke images of wide stretches of sand against turquoise waters, the sounds of crashing waves and gulls overhead. Also known as “oceanic” scents, they are the cleanest, freshest-smelling scents of all the olfactory families, used primarily in summer fragrances and men’s colognes.

The Davidoff house popularized aquatic colognes in the 1990s with their ever-growing assortment of fresh fragrances for men and women; among them, the now classic COOL WATER scents which have come to define the aquatic fragrance family.

In oceanic fragrance blends, fresh notes like seawater, mint, marine or ozone accords are layered with lighter floral or citrus to further divide aquatic scents into groups like floral or amber-aquatics. Most oceanic “marine” or “ozone” accords are chemical compounds meant to mimic natural elements of ocean settings, such as the ingredient “calone,” which is designed to duplicate the slightly floral scent of a tropical ocean breeze.

Aquatic scents are fresh, youthful and energetic, used primarily in summer fragrances and men’s colognes. You won’t need to wear much else on the beach.

One of the most scenic beaches in the world is the Anse Du Grand Colombier on the Caribbean island of ST. BART’S. A peaceful escape of calm aqua waters and pristine white sand beaches mixed with modern and luxurious accommodations and gourmet restaurants, St. Bart’s has a distinctly French flavour of a refined yet easy sophistication. Try the sophisticated ISLAND scent, featuring notes like Kauai waterfalls, honeysuckle and driftwood, by designer MICHAEL KORS.

One of the most colourful beaches in the world is the Copacabana Beach in sunny RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL, where the brave of the world bare the best of their beach bods. Copacabana stretches across almost 5km of Rio de Janeiro’s coastline and is the perfect place to soak up the sun and do some serious people watching. To get noticed in the crowd, sport a stronger, more ambery aquatic scent like SICILY BY DOLCE & GABBANA.

If you’re looking for something a little more casual, try Bondi Beach in AUSTRALIA, a great metropolitan beach where you can chill out and watch surfers catch waves or grab a cold one on a nearby patio. Later, dip into nearby Sydney for the chicest restaurant venues in the cosmopolitan capital of New South Wales. Match Bondi’s easygoing attitude with laidback designer Calvin Klein’s ETERNITY SUMMER FOR MEN AND WOMEN.

For something a little closer to home, go no further than the HAWAIIAN island of KAUAI, where Hanalei Beach, unlike most short beaches in Hawaii, stretches white sand across two long miles of the coast. Located in the mouth of a valley filled with lush tropical vegetation and lined with cute cafes, the hip Hanalei Beach is a perfect match for classic aquatic fragrances for him and her: COOL WATER BY DAVIDOFF, fresh fragrances laced with floral undertones and an accord of “pure ocean air” to encapsulate the freshness of sea breeze.

Find more aquatic scents on PERFUME.COM

Grace Kelly: Style Icon

2010-04-22T14:38:22-07:00

Style Exhibition in London

Grace Kelly: Style Icon Exhibition, runs from April 17th to September 26th, 2010 at the V and A in London. This exhibition shows the spectacular wardrobe of Grace Kelly, one of the most popular actresses of the 1950s. The display will examine Grace Kelly’s glamorous Hollywood image and induring appeal. Dresses from her films, including High Society, are on show as well as the gown she wore to accept her Oscar award in 1955 and and the original Hermès Kelly bag. Her signature scents include Joy by Jean Patou and Fleurissimo by Creed.

Bourgeoisie Backpacking

2010-04-03T14:07:22-07:00

Destination: India

The Republic of India is one of the most densely populated regions in the world as well as one of the most vibrant! Because you’ll have no choice but to be up close and personal with its 1+ billion population during travels through its tight city corridors and jam-packed markets, make sure you always smell your best!

Chrisitian Dior’s new Escale a Pondicher perfume is the perfect fragrance to sport in this rich cultural region. Its exotic scent from spicy notes like Indian jasmine and deep black tea is inspired by the country’s own fragrant and color-rich markets, which stand as bright and lively as the perfume.

This new women’s cologne from Dior is the second instalment in a series entitled “Les Escales de Dior” (“Dior’s Ports-of-Call”), by perfumer François Demachy. François chose India as inspiration for the country’s raw and exotic library of aromas, unveiled in Escale a Pondicher as notes of cardamom, Mysore sandalwood, Indian jasmine, black tea and Balsamic accords. It is like a refreshing shot of a simple, bittersweet drink given fire from light spices and warm amber, taking you on an exotic sensory journey when you’re painfully far away from any tropical destination. But with this wafting from your skin, who cares?

The world’s second most populous country, and most culturally, linguistically and genetically diverse geographical entity after the continent of Africa, also boasts the world’s highest reaching mountain range and some of the world’s most diverse and impressive flora and fauna. Escale a Pondichery releases an aroma of the same breadth of worldliness and elegance, unveiling the exotic airs of India in the raw perfume materials we have come to associate with the country: fragrant jasmine, sandalwood and black teas.

Fanatical About Botanicals

2009-10-20T11:27:21-07:00

The World's Best Flowers & Floral Fragrances

The largest fragrance family is the floral family. It’s no surprise, considering there is such a vast multitude of species of flower and tree plants found in different regions around the globe, all with their own beauty, healing properties, and aromas. It is also the largest in terms of timeline; floral perfume’s earliest beginnings date back to ancient Egyptian culture, when people bathed in fragrant oils of jasmine, lily and rose. The first perfumes were simple mixes of oils with crushed herbs and petals.

Some floral fragrances are single-flower scents; others are rich multi-floral bouquets. Floral notes of some kind or another are found in most all fragrances, both men’s and women’s, and can be bisected into scents that are green, fresh, fruity, or amber-y floral, also known as floriental fragrances.

Perhaps the most famous floral perfume is Chanel’s CHANEL NO. 5 perfume, which uses a heavy jasmine flower base. No. 5 set a new stride socially for women’s perfume in 1921, but was also a quality favorite, and has remained a classic scent until today. Its top notes of ylang-ylang and neroli unfold with jasmine and May rose; sandalwood and vanilla round out the elegant composition with unforgettable woody notes. It is a notable example of a floral fragrance for women.

Botanical gardens host some of the world’s most impressive collections of plants in their non-perfume forms, from unusual trees to exotic flowers and lush ferns. The Kirstenbosch Botanical Garden in CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA, is renowned for its 528 acres of beautiful and diverse flora, set against the eastern slope of Table Mountain. Strolling among its indigenous South African plants, including the colourful Cinderella orchid flower, blush pink Belladonna lily, and the African mallow, a dainty evergreen flower that blooms late into autumn, JEAN PAUL GAULTIER SUMMER’S bouquet of lush notes waft well among the hints of natural flora on the breeze.

Up in a colder climate, MONTREAL’s Botanical Gardens is one of the largest of its kind in the world, a 185 acre living museum of plants from around the world. Large outdoor gardens and incubated greenhouses lay across Maisonneuve Park, and are framed by Montreal’s Olympic Stadium. If you visit between the frigid months of February and April, the outdoor gardens may be bare and covered in snow but you can still witness the annual Butterflies Go Free event—- where thousands of species of butterflies and moths are released in the Garden’s exhibition greenhouses. Stay light and fresh around all the wildlife with CASHMERE MIST by DKNY.

You can find one of Europe’s most complete collections of plant species at the Arboretum National des Barres in LOIRET, FRANCE, about 100 miles south of Paris. This lush wonderland of greenery houses about 3,000 species of plants, including 109 species of oak, 85 species of maple, 57 spruce, and 44 types of fir tree. Try woodsy ROMANCE BY RALPH LAUREN while you stroll the garden grounds.

Bogar Botanical Garden in INDONESIA claims to be one of Asia’s oldest gardens; gates to the 200 acre spot of land first opened in 1817. Today, Bogar is filled with over 15,000 species of trees and plants—- its orchid house alone contains 3,000 varieties of the delicate flower. It is also known for housing the world’s largest orchid: a grammatophyllum speciousum, a species that can grow up to 2,000 pounds and produce up to 10,000 flowers on a mature plant. Try sporting orchid-rich EUPHORIA by Calvin Klein.

Find more floral perfumes on PERFUME.COM

Fruit Basket

2009-10-20T10:34:52-07:00

The Origins of Citrus

The sweetness of fresh citrus fruits invites the senses to recall bright suns on hot summer days, fresh cut grass and tall, cool drinks of sweetened iced tea. Their fruity smells are widely loved and widely imitated in all sorts of scented products, from dish soap to candles, cosmetics to juices, alcohols—- and fragrances.

Actual citrus plants like that of the orange, lemon, grapefruit and lime originate in tropical and subtropical regions of the world. Many major commercial growing areas are found in southern China, the Mediterranean Basin, South Africa, parts of South America and southern States like Florida, California, Arizona and Texas.

The citrus fragrance family is made up of a collection of light, fresh notes that have taken inspiration from the plants of these regions, resulting in perfume ingredients like bergamot, orange, lemon, petit grain, and mandarin—- accords which are usually mixed with more feminine floral or deeper woods blends.

Large numbers of limes are imported from MEXICO into other world regions (including Canada and the U.S.) every year— one of the most popular members of the citrus family of fruits. Their yellow cousins, lemons, can be grown in slightly cooler and more moderate temperatures, but are still found primarily along the coast of SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA. Freshen up with a lime in a cold beer and a spritz of citrusy-fresh unisex CK ONE, with fresh notes like bergamot, fresh pineapple, and papaya.

The mandarin orange comes from a small citrus tree and largely resembles the orange, but for being less round and more tender. The mandarin orange originated in the Spanish province of VALENCIA, and the country still has over 200,000 acres dedicated to the production of the sweet fruit. Find orange and mandarin in a number of sweet fragrances, like FRACAS BY ROBERT PIGUET and ETERNITY FOR WOMEN by Calvin Klein.

One of SOUTH AFRICA’s largest exports is a variety of citrus fruits, including oranges, clementines, grapefruits, lemons and limes. South Africa is also one of the most diverse regions on the planet, with 48 million people sharing a multitude of different origins, cultures, languages and religions. Celebrate this diversity by tossing up a sweet fruit salad and enjoying it with another citrus blend of fruity-sweet ACQUA DI GIO perfume by Georgio Armani.

The grapefruit, known for its juicy bitterness, is a hybrid fruit from the 18th century that was first bred in JAMAICA. When it was found in Barbados it was nicknamed the “forbidden fruit.” Get a little fresh and naughty with ambery-citrus scents like POISON BY CHRISTIAN DIOR or VERSENSE BY VERSACE.

Find more citrus scents on PERFUME.COM

Bon Voyage!

2009-09-08T15:22:26-07:00

Guerlain Leads Scent Tours With New Fragrances

Been around the world and I-I-I, I can’t find my fragrance.

That is, until Guerlain stepped up last spring with a trio set of scents inspired by three cultural capitals and personally pivotal cities in his history, as seen from his native Paris: Moscow, New York, and Tokyo. The scents of this aptly-named Voyage Collection are meant to conjure the image of a stroll through each respective city and capture their essences through olfactory homage.

In addition to the careful mixology involved in creating scents to capture the spirits of these diverse metropolises, Guerlain has embellished each bottle with drawings by sculptor Serge Mansau and had graphic designers compile a log and scrapbook of cards, images, drawings, photos and symbols that further represent them.

“At Guerlain, it is a tradition. Crossing borders. Encountering new places. Discovering unfamiliar, exotic essences. Capturing the soul of a place by uncovering the emotional enchantment of its raw elements.”

PARIS-MOSCOW tells the tale of a changing city emerging from one political state to another, suddenly able to bask in its love of luxury and ceremony. The scent is all at once musky, fruity and woody, its notes including white musk, tonka bean, vanilla, and red currant; it contains absinthe, sparkling lemon, plum and pine needles. It is soft and ultra feminine, and throbbing with life, much like the city itself. It is also rich, like its namesake— Moscow is home to one of the largest population of billionaires.

PARIS-NEW YORK, like its namesake city, wafts with ambition and richness. It is a woody oriental centered around vanilla, cinnamon, cedar, cardamom and bergamot, reflecting how the city embraces both its skyscrapers and little villages, rife with culture. New York is a melting pot of a metropolis and likewise, notes of Paris-New York melt together to create a sparkling, sweet aroma. It is where everyone wants to flock, to see and be seen. Paris-New York also leaves such an impression.

PARIS-TOKYO is at once thoroughly modern and classic, a rich green floral with notes of jasmine, violet, Hinoki cedar, green tea and jasmine. Tokyo, the capital of Japan “The Land of the Rising Sun” is large, bustling, techy, and fascinating, with solid undertones of tradition. Guerlain’s Paris-Tokyo scent is also bold yet delicate, evoking all strengths and subtleties of the culture over a fresh, clean base.

It has long been known that memory and scent are intertwined. The smell of fresh cut grass, the buttery scent wafting out of a neighbourhood pastry shop, or the lingering cloud of a certain cologne trailing behind a man passing you on the subway can instantly take you back in mind to moments passed. Whether or not you’ve been to New York, Tokyo or Moscow, these Guerlain fragrances take your imagination by the hand and lead you down each of the city’s streets. No airline necessary.

The Scent Rises In The East

2009-10-14T14:17:11-07:00

Experiencing The Orient with Oriental Fragrances

Oriental scents, with their fragrant spices, deep musks and resins, exotic flowers, and sweet warm woods, instantly conjure up images of the Eastern world—- of narrow-aisled markets selling bright fabrics and grains in large bins, of exotic cuisines and colorful architecture. It is the heaviest fragrance family: warm, rich and sultry.

Oriental fragrances rely heavily on intense and intoxicating notes like amber, musks, vanilla, and exotic resins, flowers and spices. Depending on the concentration of these notes, scents of this fragrance family can be further broken down into sub-categories like Oriental-Green, Oriental-Fruity, Oriental-Spicy, or Oriental-Woody. Oriental perfumes have long been a staple in the realm of sensual and romantic scents.

The Orient is a geographical representation, the borders of which have shifted significantly throughout the centuries as explorers pushed further and further East towards the Pacific Ocean. Generally, The Orient refers to Eastern Asia—- from India and Pakistan to the furthest beaches of Japan. The term “Orient” comes from the Latin word oriens, meaning “east” and orior, which means rise, referring to the sun, which always rises in the East.

No need to worry about the 18-hour flight, when you can relax here and let Perfume.com experts take you on a voyage through some highlights of both The Orient and the Oriental fragrance family.

Start your tour in INDIA, where the colourful, bustling city of Mumbai will perk you right up after the flight. Catch an authentic Bollywood movie in the birthplace of Indian cinema and afterwards, grab some fresh curried mango at a restaurant overlooking the Mahim Bay. Sport some ambery-spicy Youth Dew by Estee Lauder to complement all the aromas of Mumbais large and busy street markets.

Next, try CHINA for some great architecture and delicious dumplings. Its easy to soak up culture and tradition here in the land of this ancient civilization, and a stroll around the Forbidden City or atop the Great Wall is a great reflection of some of the amazing feats and abilities of the Chinese people throughout their long history. Try a once-forbidden Oriental scent, the carnal Shalimar by Guerlain, to match the adventure inside Forbidden City walls.

THAILAND is a great place to take in sights and sports, from the country’s renowned floating market to a showing of the popular Muay Thai style of boxing. Don’t forget to schedule in a few days for some strict beach time too though—- Thailand is globally popular for its scenic sand spots, and is in fact where Leo DiCaprio: filmed the popular movie The Beach. Get fresh with Oriental-Green perfume, Vivenne Westwoods Boudoir.

Next take a tour through MALAYSIA, where you’re able to sun on some of the best beaches and then trek right into the jungle rain forests for a trip full of unbelievable adventure—- and maybe some monkey spotting. For a much needed concrete break afterward, visit the thriving metropolis of Kuala Lampur, where you can enjoy some of Eastern Asias best spicy cuisine. Wear spicy Opium to dinner.

Visit the villages of VIETNAM for a warm and culture-rich experience you wont soon forget, where locals are eager to teach visitors their many customs and traditions. Vietnam offers a number of islands to explore as well, full of hiking trails, caves, and historical landmarks. Soak up the culture with one of the Oriental fragrance family’s historical treasures, Dior’s Hypnotic Poison .

End your tour of The Orient in JAPAN, where you can ride your bicycle through busy city streets or along the coast of the peaceful Pacific. Explore Tokyo, the worlds largest metropolis at a population of 12 million people, before you retreat into the back country to take in the country’s lush landscapes and unique architecture. Mimic Japans sensual and mysterious Geisha culture with deep and mysterious Obsession perfume.

If you cant get away to another continent, spritz some Oriental perfume, close your eyes, and let your imagination take you where your legs cant.

The Way Autumn Falls

2009-10-16T10:06:59-07:00

Explore Vermont

The only place to be in the fall is in the North-East. Nowhere else do trees transition into winter in quite the same way, maples exploding with luminous oranges while oaks fill their branches with brilliant reds. Autumn also carries its own scent, as well as landscape: a fresh and slightly damp aroma with hints of winter crisp, a musky cider laced with rotting bouquets.

One tree in particular, the Cercidiphyllum japonicum with no simpler name to share, gives off a distinctive smell that has come to help personify the scent of autumn. The tree, which originated in Asia, is known for its multi-coloured displays of brilliant fall foliage, as well as for the scent of its fallen leaves, described as having an aroma like burnt sugar or fairground candy floss. This sugary perfume is also emitted in the spring, when leaves emerge out of branch buds as a rich copper-green.

The scent is most apparent when standing over beds of fresh leaves, where the smell will waft upwards and overcome you. If you scoop up a handful of wet leaves and push them under your nose, they wont be as pungent, the equivalent of smelling a floral bouquet on a table versus locating the source of a perfume oil within the throat of a flower.

In Vermont, different types of trees change during different periods—- just like a fragrances notes, by mid-September the foliages heart notes explode when full ranges of autumn colours begin appearing in the same way, starting at the northern edge and wafting south (unlike a perfume, which wafts up). This full color period can last from late-September through mid-to-late October.

Try these woody colognes from Perfume.com, perfect for cooler weather and the spicy brilliance of autumn:

ALLURE BY CHANEL
Allure by Chanel perfume for women is a multifaceted fragrance that mixes notes of the Orient with abstract flowers. The concept of allure was Coco Chanel’s ideal: an innocent seduction without artifice, an unforgettable elegance transcending words and conventions. It is a simple jewel that combines six complex notes bergamot, mandarin, water lily and magnolia, jasmine and May roses, vetiver and the velvety sensuality of vanilla.

BIJAN BY BIJAN
Bijan by Bijan perfume for women is a refined, oriental, woody fragrance. This feminine scent possesses a blend of sandalwood, oak moss and orange flower. Bijan for Women perfume contains 173 precious ingredients, while the eau de parfum contains 157. The ingeniously designed circular glass flacon bottle with an open center and a dividing web visually defies gravity when half full, the fragrance fills two separate chambers.

CKS CONTRADICTION FOR WOMEN
Launched by the design house of Calvin Klein in 1997, CONTRADICTION is classified as a refreshing, oriental, floral fragrance. This feminine scent possesses a blend of pure pepper, rose, satin wood and sandalwood. It is recommended for daytime wear.

ESCADA BY ESCADA
Escada by Escada perfume for women is an oriental floral fragrance. This feminine scent possesses a blend of oriental spices, sandalwood, vanilla, and orange flower, sparked by a fruity duo of coconut and peach.

ARMANI DIAMONDS FOR WOMEN
Emporio Armani Diamond by Giorgio Armani perfume for women is very classy, glamorous scent that pays homage to a girls best friend. This sexy gourmand floral potion involves notes of rose, raspberry, and litchi in fusion over a sexy trail of amber and woods.

JAIPUR SAPHIR BY BOUCHERON
Jaipur Saphir Pour Femme is the latest women’s fragrance introduction from the renowned Parisian jeweler-perfumer, Boucheron. This exquisite fragrance derived its name from the celestial blue Kashmir ‘sapphires’ – a name that means most beautiful thing. A sensual and contemporary woody floral scent, Boucheron’s new fragrance combines the harmony of blue with the magic of jewelry to pay homage to today’s femininity.

VERSACE FOR WOMEN
The floral, vibrant and sensual bouquet delicately emphasized by a gentle marriage of jasmine and azalea. The fragrance is finally enveloped by the silky softness of a veil of musk, wrapped by the preciousness of warm and delicate kashmir wood and Moroccan cedar wood.