Harrods for Him & for Her, bondno9.com
As Labor Day draws near, we mark the unofficial end of summer; although the autumn equinox is a couple of weeks away, the nights are suddenly longer and cooler. Even though we are still wearing our summer clothes, the new fall fashions are arriving in stores, including an impressive array of fragrances. Most of the new fall crop of perfumes reflect suitability for the cooler weather, which is welcomed by those of us who don’t do well in the summer swelter. I have chosen a few of the best from the prestige lines to give you a glimpse of the seasonal trends.
One of the most anticipated releases won’t be available until October, but advance buzz is getting everyone’s attention. Havana Vanille by L’Artisan Parfumeur is another offbeat unisex creation by master perfumer Bertrand Duchafour, who also did the line’s wonderful Timbuktu and Dzongkha. It’s a non-foody vanilla and tobacco scent with notes of leather and rum. It will be priced from $155 to $155, and be ready for a stampede at the L’Artisan counter.
Luxury niche line By Kilian introduces Back to Black, which is technically unisex but the list of notes places it toward the masculine side for those who care about such delineations (I don’t, most of the time): Bergamot, raspberry, blue chamomile, cardamom, coriander, saffron, cedarwood, vanilla, almond, vetiver, cistus labdanum, patchouli, oakmoss. It’s on backorder at Luckyscent, even at $225 for 50 ml (1.7 oz.).
Ultra-niche line Parfum d’ Empire has two very reasonably priced new fragrances that are nonetheless of excellent quality. 3 Fleurs is a blend of the “big three” flowers, rose, jasmine and tuberose, playing off against unexpected notes of green galbanum and mint. Wazamba is the polar opposite, a resinous and earthy blend: Somalian incense, Kenyan myrrh, Ethiopian opoponax, Indian sandalwood, Moroccan cypress, labdanum, apple, and fir balsam. The latter scent seems to be aimed at men but it’s something I would love to wear. These are both $75 for 50 ml, also at Luckyscent.
For rose lovers, the latest release by specialty perfumer Les Parfums de Rosine should be a real treat. Rose Praline was inspired by the idea of a tea party in the garden, with notes of cardamom, Italian bergamot, rose oil, chocolate powder and Lapsang Souchong tea on a base of amber, sandalwood, cacao and white musk. All perfumes from this line center on the rose flower, and over at Beautyhabit they carry all the variations on the theme – perfumes, soaps and body creams, and even a rose scent made especially with men in mind. Rose d’ Homme combines rose with licorice, bergamot, lavender, suede, vetiver and patchouli. (It’s not new, but it’s definitely worth a try.)
Bond No. 9 New York has just added yet more fragrances to its bewildering array of perfumes named after New York City icons, only this time they pay tribute to a British institution: Harrods for Him and for Her, a joint presentation of the Bond company and the famous shopping emporium. Harrods for Him is an aromatic fougère with classic lavender, violet leaf, sandalwood, musk, rhubarb, star anise, chamomile, and pimento leaves. Harrods for Her is a feminine tuberose perfume with a “chic 21st century twist” according to the house’s publicity campaign, as it is paired up leather and accented with unexpected elements such as neroli, mandarin, chamomile, clary sage, nutmeg, warm amber, sandalwood, and vetiver. Both fragrances will only be available in-store at Harrods and at Bond No. 9's retail stores in New York at least for the time being, but you can also buy them from Bond's Web site.
Of all the new fall fragrances making their debut in 2009, the ones I am looking forward to most eagerly are the new Amouage offerings, Epic for men and women. I don’t know which one sounds better and I hope to try them both very soon, Epic Man is a tribute to the spice trade of the ancient Silk Road, composed of pink pepper berry, frankincense, cumin, cardamom, saffron, mace essence, nutmeg, myrtle, geranium, myrrh, aoud, sandalwood, patchouli, leather, cedarwood and musk; while Epic Woman has notes of cumin, pink pepper, cinnamon, damascene rose, geranium, jasmine, tea, amber, musk, frankincense, aoud, sandalwood, guaiac wood, patchouli, vanilla and orris in a fusion of Arabian and Chinese precious essences inspired by the legend of Turandot in Puccini’s opera. Aoud (Agarwood resin) and rose perfume blends are becoming more popular all the time, but you can count on the house of Amouage to do it right. The word is that these are possibly the best Amouage releases since the original Gold scents, which means that they meet a very high standard indeed. Look for these in the near future at The Perfume House in Portland. They are quite expensive - $300 for the 100 ml size of Epic Woman – but this line is really of the best quality and I can’t imagine anyone being disappointed with the perfumes.
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