Perfume Review: Jour Ensoleillé by Sonoma Scent Studio

A sunny day, late in the summer and spent in dappled woods. Fall is around the corner, but the heat of that summer’s day is matched by the brightness of the sun. Jour Ensoleillé (“Sunny Day”) is a floral chypre perfume from the beloved, Indie, artisanal line, Sonoma Scent Studio (or “SSS”), which seeks to encapsulate the feel of that summer’s day in the woods.

Jour Ensoleillé via SSS. (34 ml bottle.)

Jour Ensoleillé via SSS. (34 ml bottle.)

Jour Ensoleillé was released in 2007, the creation of Sonoma Scent Studio’s founder and nose, Laurie Erickson. It is a largely natural perfume with minimal synthetics, and comes in what is essentially extract de parfum or pure parfum concentration. It is also cruelty-free — something which I always approve of most wholeheartedly — and almost vegan. (The beeswax prevents it from being purely vegan). The company describes the perfume on its website as follows:

Jour Ensoleillé (sunny day) marries a lively floral blend of orange blossom, tuberose, and jasmine with a soft woodsy, mossy base that is gently chypre in nature. Like the golden late summer sunshine as the season moves toward fall, Jour Ensoleillé warms your spirit with its uplifting blend of woods and florals. The woodsy base makes this fragrance appropriate for men as well as women, though the floral notes are prominent.

The image associated with Jour Ensoleillé from SSS.

The image associated with Jour Ensoleillé from SSS.

The notes are:

Orange blossom, neroli, tuberose, jasmine, beeswax absolute, labdanum absolute , myrrh, sandalwood, ambergris, vetiver, green leaves, oakmoss absolute.

Orange blossoms via the Pattersonfoundation.org.

Orange blossoms via the Pattersonfoundation.org.

Jour Ensoleillé opens on my skin with strongly animalic orange blossoms, drenched and coated with honey. It is sweet, but also a little bit salty, with a musky, honeyed labdanum that doesn’t feel even remotely leathery or goaty. There is a strong mossy element that is also intertwined with the honeyed orange blossoms. It is neither the brightly green, fresh kind of moss, nor the completely dusty, pungent, arid, grey sort that sometimes feels almost more like lichen. Instead, it is somewhere in-between. When combined with the subtle touch of green leaves, the overall impression is of a very sunlit spectrum of green.

Jasmine

Jasmine

The real star, however, is the heavily honeyed orange blossom which is just faintly tinged by a little of the bitterness of neroli. Actually, it feels a little more like petitgrain with its slightly twiggy, woody facets. Together, the notes swirl together to create a glowing, orange blossom with deeper, musky, almost salty qualities atop a bed of bright and dark green. All around, dancing up to the orange floral notes, are powerful white flowers: heady tuberose and, perhaps more significantly, lush jasmine. They never feel sour, plastic-y or over-ripe; instead, they are very warm, bright, and lush. But they are also incredibly potent, and far from feeling dewy or fresh. They are indolic flowers in full bloom, and just a little droopy from the strength of the summer’s midday sun.

Underlying the flowers is a subtle woodsy note that is hard to pinpoint. It feels almost amorphous and abstract; it’s never dark or heavy, but it’s not like white woods, either. It’s also nothing like real sandalwood with its spicy, opulent heart. Whatever kind of sandalwood is used here, it’s not from Mysore and, honestly, is not really detectable at this stage in the perfume. I can’t figure out the wood note, but whatever it is and wherever it comes from, it does feel creamy and adds a subtle depth to the floral notes.

Labdanum compiled into a chunk. Source: Fragrantica

Labdanum compiled into a chunk. Source: Fragrantica

Honestly, the most intriguing part of Jour Ensoleillé’s opening is that animalic note. It feels nothing like usual labdanum (or even labdanum absolute) which can have quite a masculine, nutty, occasionally goaty and leathery feel. Here, it is deeply honeyed and even the musk seems different. It’s never skanky, dirty, raunchy or a little bit intimate in nature. Perhaps the reason is that both the musk — and the labdanum that triggers it — are deeply intertwined with the heavy, lush florals. The overall result is a floral labdanum which is quite unusual.

Even more unusual is the concomitant effect of the labdanum on the orange blossoms. They have a smoky, musky sweetness that feels both opulent and incredibly sensuous (though never sexual or intimate). The way they are drenched with honey and accompanied by heady, narcotically strong jasmine (and, to a lesser extent, tuberose) makes them feel a little feral, like a giant tiger that has been set loose. Granted, it is a tiger that is lazily and languidly stretched out in the sun, purring as it flexes its huge paws, but it is still quite a feral, feline take on orange blossoms. I don’t think I’ve smelled anything like it.

Painting by Gyula Tornai (1861-1928): "In the Harem."

Painting by Gyula Tornai (1861-1928): “In the Harem.”

I tested Jour Ensoleillé twice, and my reaction to those powerful, incredibly potent, opening stage differed quite a bit. The first time, I was quite bewitched. I thought the combination of the jasmine-tuberose twins with that dominant, glowing orb of an orange blossom, the unusual muskiness, and the honeyed, subtly smoky labdanum was utterly fascinating. While the perfume is supposed to evoke a summer’s day in the woods, it did absolutely no such thing for me during that first test. Instead, I envisioned the Sultan’s favorite odalisque, emerging from her morning bath, to spray Jour Ensoleillé all over her oiled, naked body, before she dressed to spend the day in the harem’s private, enclosed, secret garden, where she would lounge in the sun and smell the heady, white jasmine surrounding her.

The second time, however, using just a dab or two more in quantity, I found the smoky, musky, animalic white flowers to be too, too much. Coming from someone with my tastes — and who finds scents like Fracas to be child’s play without any troublesome extremeness or indolic negatives — that says quite a lot! I no longer saw the Sultan’s favorite concubine, sensuously purring out in the sun, nor that languid tiger. Jour Ensoleillé no longer felt quite so much like a glowing, jeweled orb above a lush base of dappled green, both mossy and leafy. Instead, the perfume seemed a little sharp, completely excessive, slightly verging on the territory of “cloying,” and far too indolic. The jasmine even reeked of mothballs — which almost never happens to me — and it stayed that way for a number of hours. Lastly, that honeyed note felt clangy and metallic. As a whole, I felt almost suffocated by heaviness, thickness, honey, musk, and over-ripe, blown florals. And I only used the dabbing equivalent of two medium sprays! Clearly, this is a perfume with ferocious potency in its early stage, and one which requires a very light hand to prevent it from turning unpleasant.

The rest of the perfume’s development was the same in both instances. After the two-hour mark, Jour Ensoleillé became a primarily orange blossom and jasmine duet atop a base of oakmoss infused with amber. It feels very much like a mossily green patchouli element is there, too, to help with that chypre base. And, as always, there is always that constant undertone of smoky honey and amber, thanks to the myrrh and labdanum. A quiet woodiness lurks underneath, but it’s very muted. Jour Ensoleillé is also, at this point, a skin scent on me. That potent, ferocious start softened with every moment until, exactly two hours in on both occasions, it clung right on top of the skin. It’s certainly strong whilst there, and if you bring your arm to your nose you can detect it, but the projection is minute, at best.

Four hours in, Jour Ensoleillé starts to feel a little abstract. The fragrance seems, primarily, like a well-blended, harmonious, but generalized, white floral fragrance atop light dashes of sweet oakmoss and honeyed amber. At times, the perfume throws off more noticeable, individual notes. Jasmine takes the lead from the orange blossoms, becoming significantly more pronounced, though the orange blossoms are still detectable. The tuberose which always lurked as a very distant third on my skin seems gone almost entirely. In its place is the start of the beeswax element, along with some soapiness. Jour Ensoleillé remains that way for hours in a generally linear line, becoming increasingly abstract, muted and soapy, until it finally dries down as a soft musk with florals and beeswax. All in all, Jour Ensoleillé had great longevity on my perfume consuming skin. To be precise, it lasted just over 9.5 hours during the first test, and 10.75 with the slightly larger amount during the second test.

Jour Ensoleillé is a hugely beloved fragrance from an even more beloved indie perfume house. And it is an extremely well-done, beautifully blended creation. It wasn’t my personal cup of tea, but I can see why so many adore it and associate it with the sunniest of days. I actually received my sample from Brie of The Fragrant Man blog; she is not only Sonoma Scent Studio’s biggest fan, but also a passionate advocate for Jour Ensoleillé, in particular. It is her “Desert Island” scent which truly says a lot given just how many fragrances she’s tried and, also, her love for the rich, vintage classics. In her emotional, deeply personal review for Jour Ensoleillé entitled “Coming Home,” she writes:

[U]pon first whiff,Jour Ensoleille touched a raw visceral nerve within my psyche in such a way that has never been matched by any other perfume. It was simultaneously euphoric and meditative, calming and exciting, gorgeously complex and extraordinarily simple in its exquisite beauty.  It was the perfume I turned to time and time again just to whiff straight out of the bottle and it was as if I was smelling it for the very first time.

I usually relegate my perfumes to certain days, seasons and/or moments in my life. But this is not the case with Jour. I don’t want that  distinct memory connection as I desire to be able to savor Jour wherever and whenever I please. […][¶]

[W]ere I ever to have the misfortune of being stranded on a deserted island Jour Ensoleille is the only perfume I would need in my possession if I were forced to choose just one. After 42 years of perfume wearing and 400 or so empty  bottles later, I am  finally home.

Another lovely review comes from the Eiderdown Press blog:

The sparkling, sunlit warmth of orange blossom, tuberose and jasmine falling on a cool mantle of grassy, mossy and woodsy base notes creates a rather distinct dichotomy in Jour Ensoleillé. […] The sweetness of the flowers and the bitterness of the base notes seem almost equally weighted, creating the kind of marked contrast that first struck me as odd and discordant. But it was an intriguing kind of odd—not at all strident or grating, but rather the kind of odd that, at first whiff, makes one say, “hmm, that’s different,” instead of “ooh, pretty!” and then rather quickly becomes the very thing that keeps you coming back to the fragrance wanting more, realizing it really is beautiful. (Sublime, really.)

While the herbaceous, woodsy base lends a contemplative air to the perfume and keeps the white florals from running riot in their usual erotically-charged way, this perfume is still every bit as sensual as it is thoughtful in spirit. Orange blossom and jasmine do indeed express their indolic nature within Jour Ensoleillé, adding to the lushness of the scent—completing it in a sense—and entreating the wearer to dream not only of afternoon sunlight, but also perhaps of “afternoon delight”: a romantic tryst leisurely taken or perhaps stolen, like kisses, from the golden middle part of the day.

On Fragrantica, the reviews are generally quite euphoric, too, though there are some dissenters who have issues with the orange blossom. One happy commentator, “Pisces3774,” writes:

Absolute perfection! I don’t normally gravitate toward chypres, but with all of the beautiful and balanced floral notes, the combination is intoxicating. The opening is bright and citrusy – a bit like Lauder’s Azuree. Then the white flowers are ushered in. They’re not whiny, thin, and polite-typical. They’re high-quality, and well blended. This is no tuberose monster. The white flowers mellow, the citrus mellows, and the creamy combination sets the stage for the chypric base. The result is a creamy, sophisticated, white-floral chypre. I get numerous compliments every time I wear it.

Another added something that I thought was quite interesting because it pertained to that opening stage and its potency. In her very positive review, “Khterhark” noted:

this is the third fragrance I’ve tried from this line, and I feel comfortable saying these wear like Caron Urn fragrances on me. They open rather harsh and unpleasant, and you have to wait a good 40 min before you are rewarded with a long lasting, beautifully harmonized, gorgeous composition.

I think she has a definite point, as Jour Ensoleillé’s opening is quite potent and heavy, indeed. One commentator on Fragrantica, who really liked the scent, actually wrote that her stomach “curdled” at the opening minutes. So, again, I caution, use a light hand when applying this fragrance, or you will experience something like what I went through on my 2nd test run.

While I hope the other reviews are helpful to you, I find them interesting, in part, because I noticed how the commentators rarely talk about the animalic, sweet, strong musk. They certainly didn’t seem to experience as much as I did. Also, on my skin, the labdanum’s honeyed undercurrents were as strong as the oakmoss (with its occasionally green-patchouli feel), so Jour Ensoleillé felt more ambered in its foundation than a pure chypre. Finally, some commentators, on both Fragrantica and on MakeupAlley, seemed to get significantly more tuberose than I ever did. But one thing that most people seem to agree is this: the very lush, indolic, sensuous feel of the perfume.

It’s always tricky to write about a perfume that one of your good blogosphere friends adores with a passion. So, I was rather relieved when I liked parts of Jour Ensoleillé, at least the first time around. As most of my regular readers know, I can be quite forceful and blunt when I hate something. And I don’t believe in protecting companies just because they are small and artisanal, especially when almost all of the reviews out there are positive. My loyalty is to the readers who expect my honesty, not to the perfumers.

So, my honest opinion is that Jour Ensoleillé is a pretty scent, and I can see why it is receives so many rave reviews. It’s an unusual twist on the orange blossom leitmotif, it can feel quite sensuous as well as bright, and it’s very feminine. Its opening is quite glowing, like a jeweled orb, and it becomes softer with time, though also a bit flat, linear and soapy on my skin. Ultimately, it’s not for me, but it has made me extremely interested in trying out the rest of the fragrances from Sonoma Scent Studio. All those raves about Laurie Erickson’s talent, creativity, and originality are clearly rooted in fact, not hype. I’m genuinely intrigued.

So, if Jour Ensoleillé’s notes sound interesting to you — and if you can take indolic white flowers — then I would definitely encourage you to give the perfume a sniff.

 

DETAILS:
Cost & Availability: Jour Ensoleillé is essentially pure parfum extract in concentration, and is exclusive to Sonoma Scent Studio. It is available via the company’s website in a variety of different sizes and prices: a 34 ml bottle costs $65; a $15 ml bottle costs $40; a 5 ml travel spray costs $16; a 3 ml sample spray costs $10.50; and a 1 ml dabber vial costs $3.50. SSS also offers Gift Sampler Sets in a black gift box: 10 carded samples of your choice for $40, or 12 perfume samples of your choice for $65. (The company is temporarily out of those but they will be in shortly.) The samples look like 1 ml vials. The company takes credit cards or PayPal, but is forced to impose California sales tax for California customers.
International Shipping: Due to postal regulations on alcohol-based perfumes, SSS is unable to ship directly to overseas customers except by the very expensive option of FedEx or UPS. However, the FAQ page provides some more affordable options in terms of freight forwarders who, in one past case, shipped even to Saudi Arabia. The full details, taken from the website, are as follows: “If you want to purchase directly from me, you can use a freight forwarding service that gives you a USA address; I ship to the freight forwarder in the USA and they collect and forward all your packages to you, or they can send them one by one. By consolidating your packages from several USA merchants, you can save on shipping. Most freight forwarders will not ship alcohol-based perfume by regular mail, but some of them have other methods of shipment to offer, depending on your country. One freight forwarder I have worked with on a shipment to Saudi Arabia can possibly help many of you. His name is Jim Rojas and he has an ebay shipping store. His shipping costs are very reasonable (though you may have duties depending on your country). You can get a quote from him if you give him the size and weight of the package, and I can give that information to you if you tell me what SSS items you would like to buy. Larger freight forwarding services also exist, like www.myus.com. Another option is for me to ship to a friend or family member here in the USA who can then get the package to you. And a third option is to buy from one of my retailers who ships to your country. Indie Scents in the USA does some international shipping and carries my boutique line.” Please note, however, Jour Ensoleillé is part of the Exclusives line and is not carried by Indie Scents.
Samples: Samples are available directly from SSS at the links listed above. It is also available from Surrender to Chance (which ships overseas via First Class Mail for $12.95 for all orders up to $150) in various sizes, starting at $4.99 for a 1 ml vial, $21.61 for a 5 ml spray, and going up to $64.87 for a large 15 ml decant.

New Perfume Releases: Volume 3 – January 26th, 2013

I’ve decided to make “New Perfume Releases” a regular feature of the blog. As always, I will try to cover both men and women’s fragrances, niche and mass-market. So, yes, it will be long, but feel free to scroll through to whatever interests you. (Plus, there are some pretty pictures!) All posts are taken via Now Smell This (NST) or Fragrantica. Each site has some discussion of the fragrance in question so, if you’re interested in further details, be sure to check out the original listing.

Today’s entry will cover everything from the re-invention of a Laura Ashley classic to a new Guerlain lingerie spray, a new M. Micallef fragrance inspired by vintage cars, and the first entirely new perfume from Kerosene in seven years. There will be a return to the oldies with a special Youth Dew limited-edition issue, the clothing house of H&M‘s first “luxury” perfume (in conjunction with the Byredo perfumer), and even a brief foray into the Kardashian world with a fragrance from Khloe Kardashian Odom. (Mea Culpa. I couldn’t really resist.) With a few exceptions, it doesn’t seem as though there are a huge number of new niche scents that will be released in the next few weeks or month.

SONOMA SCENT STUDIO:

The much-loved Indie line, Sonoma Scent Studio (SSS), is releasing a new line of natural fragrances. Now Smell This provides the following information:

Indie line Sonoma Scent Studio has launched Cocoa Sandalwood, the first in a new range of all natural fragrances. Upcoming natural fragrances include Spiced Citrus Vetiver and Amber Incense. Also new from the brand is Rose Volupté, which replaces Vintage Rose.

Cocoa Sandalwood ~This all-natural perfume is a gourmand for lovers of natural sandalwood. A luscious cocoa absolute melds with New Caledonia sandalwood absolute, spices, and a lactonic natural peach note. Vanilla and a subtle hint of coffee make the chocolate richer, while woodsy cedar and musky ambrette seed reinforce and complement the sandalwood. For women and men. Additional notes include ginger, cinnamon, clove and rose.

Rose Volupté ~ Rose Volupté is a luxurious plumy rose with a rich base of woods, amber, spices, and labdanum. A warm and long lasting ambery rose. Additional notes include sandalwood, cedar, vetiver, heliotrope, clove, cinnamon, oakmoss and aldehydes.

Sonoma Scent Studio Cocoa Sandalwood and Rose Volupté are available in 5, 17  and 34 ml. (via sonomascentstudio)

RAMON MONEGAL:

According to Fragrantica, one of the most talked-about niche houses in 2012 was the Spanish perfume brand Ramon Monegal. The brand recently announced an exclusive fragrance for Neiman Marcus called Pure Mariposa. The perfume will be released in February 2013, and Fragrantica has the following information:

Pure Mariposa will offer a floral-nectar accord with a festive tone in a dew-covered green forest, surrounded by a breeze of ozonic air, on a rich bottom accord of amber and musk.

PURE MARIPOSA

Top notes: Orange, Grapefruit Bergamot, Yuzu, Black currant, Plum.
Heart: Oakmoss, Grass accord, Fig, Osmanthus, Jasmine, Lily of the Valley, Rose wardia, Tuberose.
Base: Sandalwood, Cashmeran, Iris, Anchouli, Peach, Tonka, Amber

Pure Mariposa will be available exclusively at Neiman Marcus stores beginning in February 2013. The fragrance is an Eau De Parfum, available in a 50 ml/1.7 oz size and priced at $200.

H&M:

The Scandanavian clothing brand, H&M, will present its new luxury line called & Other Stories in 2013. Fragrantica states: “The line offers high-quality clothing, fine lingerie, footwear, fashion accessories and a cosmetics line. The first collection of this brand comes out in Spring/Summer 2013. […] As part of this brand, H&M will launch a perfume called Rose Revival, whose creation is signed by Ben Gorham, the man behind niche house Byredo.” There is no information on the notes (besides the obvious rose one) thus far. However, there is a rather cool video if any of you are interested:

GUERLAIN:

Guerlain Eau de LingerieNot a new perfume, but a fabric spray. You see, Guerlain is temporarily going to release a limited-edition lingerie line. (Yes, really. That wasn’t a typo.) And this is the scent that goes with it. NST has the details:

Guerlain will launch Eau de Lingerie, a new scented fabric spray, in February. The spray is being released in conjunction with a limited edition Guerlain lingerie line from Absolutely Pôm.

The powdery floral fragrance will include notes of iris, rose, vanilla, sandalwood, ambrette and white musk.

Guerlain Eau de Lingerie will be available in 125 ml, €65, at Guerlain boutiques.

If you’re interested, NST has a small discussion on what it’s supposed to smell like, as well as links to articles about it in French Marie-Claire and French Vogue. Just click on “details” up above.

PACO RABANNE:

Following on the heels of his successful 1 Million fragrance, Paco Rabanne is launching 1 Million Intense. Fragrantica has the following information:

Masculine fragrance 1 Million from the designer house Paco Rabanne has experienced tremendous popularity since it was launched in 2008. The only previous reissue of this perfume is 1 Million Gold Absolutely, a pure perfume version presented in 2012. In 2013, there is also a new version launched – 1 Million Intense. The new perfume is announced as the embodiment of extravagance. 

The spicy – woody – oriental compositions of this intensified and deeper version begins with fresh and spicy notes of blood mandarin, cardamom, black pepper and saffron. Rose absolute, neroli and cinnamon form the perfume’s heart, situated at the base of white leather, orris root, patchouli and sandalwood.

Top notes: blood mandarin, cardamom, pepper, saffron
Heart: rose absolute, neroli, cinnamon
Base: leather, patchouli, sandalwood, orris root

The fragrance is available as 50 and 100 ml Eau de Toilette Intense.

LAURA ASHLEY:

Laura Ashley has re-invented and re-launched their original 1981 fragrance, Laura Ashley No. 1. NST has the following information from the press release:

Exclusively designed for Laura Ashley in 1981, to complement the charming floral prints and delicate geometric designs of that era, the original No.1 fragrance has been reinvented for 2012. Laura Ashley No 1 perfume, 2012 version

Today’s modern interpretation, designed by renowned perfumer, Azzi Glasser, uses the finest ingredients to create an evocative fragrance with top notes of cassis, Victorian plum, violet leaves, marshmallow and green water stem. Heart notes of wild bluebell, purple rose, white gardenia and chamomile provide a beautiful floral scent, whilst base notes of sandalwood, patchouli oil and creamy musk, complement the blend perfectly.

Retaining all the charm of a very floral, fragrant and famous history, the perfume captures the heart of Laura Ashley’s style. The floral bottle replicates perfectly the brand’s identity of bold, beautiful stand-out print, which has defined their place in home decor and fashion as innovative experts, blending old and new to keep their charm.

Laura Ashley No. 1 is available in 30 ($52) and 60 ($68) ml Eau de Parfum, and can be found now at the Laura Ashley US website.

There is a lively discussion on the NST site about the “modern interpretation,” so if you’re interested, have fond memories of the ’80s, or liked Laura Ashley, don’t hesitate to check it out.

In The “I Don’t Have Any Words” Category:

I truly don’t know what to say about this next one and its supposed “vortex,” so I’ll just quote verbatim from Fragrantica:

Married couple Khloe Kardashian Odom and Lamar Odom launched their first joint fragrance Unbreakable (now renamed Unbreakable Bond) in 2011. The fragrance has experienced rapid success, and so did its festive limited edition Unbreakable Joy from 2012.  In February the 2013, the couple will delight their fans with a new fragrance called Unbreakable Love.The new creation is described as a lively and sensual fragrance vortex for women and men. Its top notes include delicate exotic neroli and the citrus freshness of bergamot, associated with a floral heart and deep notes of cedar and musk.

Unbreakable Love is available as 100 ml Eau de Toilette.

This may be the time to bring up, once again, how celebrity perfumes are made, and how marketing, branding, use of the cheapest or most synthetic ingredients, and the financial bottom line are the driving forces — not the desire to make great, original perfume. A fellow blogger, Scent Bound, has a really great discussion of those things in an article entitled: “The Making of a Celebrity Fragrance.”

GIVENCHY:

Yet another flanker. This time for the Dahlia Noir line. It will be called Dahlia Noir L’Eau and will be released sometime in Spring 2013. Fragrantica has the details:

Dahlia Noir L’Eau is more vivid, livelier and a fresher scent than the original, but it is still elegant and sensual. With this composition Francois Demachy wants to show the delicate side of the dangerous black dahlia flower. The top sparkles with cool crystal citruses and neroli, which lead to the floral heart of rose petals. The base is made of patchouli, cedar and musk, giving a chypre character to the perfume.

Top notes: citrus, neroli
Heart: rose Base: patchouli, cedar, musk

The fragrance will be available as 50, 95 and 125 ml Eau de Toilette.

KEROSENE:

Kerosene Fragrances has a new perfume called Unknown Pleasures. Fragrantica provides the following information:

Kerosene Fragrances Unknown Pleasures is a new fragrance presented in 2013, after seven years. The first fragrance presented by Kerosene Fragrances to the market was R’Oud Elements, and it was followed by seven more editions during 2012.

About the fragrance: “You’re walking down a cold street in Manchester, listening to Joy Division, sipping on a warm cup of London Fog. This fragrance opens up with the smooth sweetness of honey with Earl Grey tea, with a zing of lemon. It dries down to a cozy vanilla, soft tonka bean and waffle cone base, sure to make any gourmand lover smile.” The perfumer of the edition is John Pegg.

Official notes: Earl Grey tea, lemon, honey, bergamot, tonka, caramel, vanilla and waffle cone.

Fragrance Unknown Pleaures has been available in a gold colored flacon 100 ml EDP since 2013.

ESTEE LAUDER:

Estée Lauder’s Youth Dew turns 60! In celebration, the company is releasing a limited-edition anniversary edition in March 2013. You can read all about the history of the famous original in a detailed article on Fragrantica. The site also provides the following information on the special, limited-edition release:

Youth-Dew Limited Edition Estée Lauder for womenThis year, in honor of the jubilee 60th birthday of Youth Dew by Estee Lauder, a limited edition with an unchanged composition has been introduced, in a glass bottle with a ribbon embellished with tiny crystals. The body of the bottle in this case is “tightened with a lovely gold-colored bow that highlights the’waist’ and emphasizes the silhouette.” Small crystals accentuate the festive mood. Youth-Dew Limited Edition 2013 arrives as 67 ml EDP and will be available from March 2013.

Youth-Dew is one of those fragrances that you must try if you really like perfumery. It is one of those that you either love with all your heart or you can never grow fond of it. A fragrance that belongs to history and ancient times, but is also so close and dear to us because it was worn by our grandmothers and mothers. Unique and characteristic. The fragrance that I remember from my early childhood. The fragrance that is respected because of its history and involvement in the development of modern perfumery.

Official notes of the fragrance
YOUTH DEW LIMITED EDITION 2013

(60th birthday of original edition)
top notes: rose, daffodil, lavender
heart: jasmin, ginger, spices
base: moss, vetiver, patchouli

Estée Lauder is also releasing a limited-edition flanker to its Bronze Goddess series called Bronze Goddess Eau Fraiche SkinScentFragrantica provides the following information:

Bronze Goddess Eau Fraiche SkinScent is a new, limited edition of the Bronze Goddess collection which will be launched in March 2013. According to Moodiereport, the new fragrance will be available in duty-free stores in Europe, Middle East, Asia and America.

After golden-turquoise and sunny orange bottles sprinkled with golden glitter, here comes the golden edition—a bottle colored in gold evoking warm summer, hot and soft sand, a luxurious vacation full of excitement spiced with exotic and glamour. The fragrance contains notes of amber warming citrusy zests of mandarin and lemon, with a heart blooming with milky white petals.

Bronze Goddess Eau Fraiche SkinScent 2013
mandarin, lemon, milky floral notes, amber

Bronze Goddess Eau Fraiche SkinScent arrives as limited edition, 100 ml eau fraiche.

L’ARTISAN PARFUMEUR:

The niche house, L’Artisan Parfumeur, will release a new woody-aromatic fragrance called Caligna.  Now Smell This has more details via the company’s press release: “French niche line L’Artisan Parfumeur will launch Caligna, a new woody aromatic fragrance. Caligna will be fronted by dancer Gudrun Ghesquière.” L'Artisan Parfumeur Caligna

Addictive and aromatic. Take a stroll through the Grasse countryside, where mountains and the Mediterranean meet…

L’Artisan Parfumeur, together with perfumer Dora Baghriche-Arnaud, honours an emblematic but less well-known ingredient of the Grasse region: the clary sage. Fresh and sensual, green and woody, fruity and ambery, the highly-facetted clary sage was the starting point for this perfume, and is married to, and enhanced with notes of fig and a jasmine marmalade accord, with all the natural richness of this iconic flower, resulting in an incomparable freshness and luminosity. The warm woody effect of the perfume’s base comes from the resinous depth of lentisk, a native plant of the maquis, and from pine needles, redolent of Mediterranean hillsides.

L’Artisan Parfumeur Caligna will be available in 100 ml Eau de Parfum, £95.

M. MICALLEF:

The French luxury niche house of M. Micallef is launching a new fragrance called Royal Vintage in February 2013 that is inspired by beautiful vintage cars. Fragrantica provides information from the company’s press release:

M.Micallef is launching a new fragrance for men named ROYAL VINTAGE at the beginning of February 2013. The new fragrance is dedicated to men with timeless sophisticated elegance, and it gives intensive leather nuances harmoniously blended with strong woody notes and juicy fruits.

In the top notes Royal Vintage offers fruity notes of pink berries and bergamot, followed by leather and cypress in the heart of the composition. Strong masculine notes are warmed with a patchouli accord in the base surrounded with a sensual musky aura.

ROYAL VINTAGE
pink berries, bergamot
cypress, leather
musk, patchouli

“… For this atypical fragrance in our collection, I wanted to reinterpret the EXCLUSIVE bottle using the design codes of these beautiful vintage cars… ” says Martine Micallef. The new bottle of the Royal VIntage fragrance is colored with gray nuances and it comes in very elegant black packaging.

STELLA McCARTNEY:

NST has details on a new Stella McCartney fragrance that was just released in the UK. No word on when it will hit the US, though Sephora carries most of the line due to its great popularity, so it’s bound to hit these shores soon. The new fragrance is a flanker to her original L.I.L.Y fragrance but is a stronger version called L.I.L.Y Absolute:

Stella McCartney L.I.L.Y Absolute

Stella McCartney introduces L.I.L.Y ABSOLUTE, her latest, very personal fragrance. Intensely sensual, the affirmation of a fulfilled and confident, modern woman. Mysterious and refined, it fully expresses the woods and lightens the floral notes to create a new, deeper fragrance. It begins with black truffle, spiced with black pepper. The heart is luminous, more illusive, layering lily of the valley, pink pepper and ambrette seeds over a signature of cool oak moss, dry white woods, patchouli and carnal notes of amber. Framed in gold, L.I.L.Y ABSOLUTE evokes a balanced sophistication.

Stella McCartney L.I.L.Y Absolute is available in 50 ml Eau de Parfum, and can be found now at Selfridges in the UK, £65.

THIERRY MUGLER:

Thierry Mugler seems to have developed some sort of refill fountain for his most popular fragrances. It’s called Source, and Fragrantica has more details:

Besides the 20th anniversary of the iconic Angel fragrance (Article: Thierry Mugler Angel Precious Star 20th Birthday Edition, A*Men Gold Edition), Mugler celebrates 20 years of the refill bottles he offers to fans of his fragrances. In that honor he presents Source, a fragrant cell (fragrant fountain) for refills which will “pour” the four most popular editions at the same time: AngelAlienWomanity and Angel Eau de Toilette.

The idea to refill a Mugler flacon will decrease the need for new ones and owners of empty packaging will be delighted with the refills and the somewhat lower price for their favorite perfumes. It is stated that it could save $30 or more on each fragrance if the service is utilized. The latest project of Thierry Mugler Source can be seen in over 2000 stores in France so far, where Thierry Mugler perfumes can be purchased.