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News Special: Maison Francis Kurkdjian

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 23:59:01 EST

In a wood panelled room above Liberty in the heart of London, Francis Kurkdjian leans forward excitedly and reaches for one of the pristine white boxes that are spread out on the table in front of him. This is the man who created one of the most prolific fragrances of the 90’s: Le Male, at the age of 25, and who has since been the createur parfumeur behind a succession of internationally renowned fragrances for the likes of Dior, Elizabeth Arden, Guerlain and Armani. Today, he presents a range of fragrances which launch his own parfum house: Maison Francis Kurkdjian.

News Special: Estee Lauder Launches the 2009 Breast Cancer Awareness Campaign

Thu, 01 Oct 2009 01:43:01 EST

Evelyn H. Lauder welcomed fashion, beauty, and fragrance bloggers to Estee Lauder's opulent headquarters for the launch of the worldwide October Breast Cancer Awareness Campaign. Mrs. Lauder passionately described her many contributions to breast cancer education and research. In 1992 she co-created the Pink Ribbon to raise awareness of breast health; 85 million pink ribbons later, Mrs. Lauder, the founder and chairman of the Breast Cancer Research Foundation, is just as legendary for her advocacy as she is for her much loved fragrances and impeccable style.

Basenoters worldwide meet up in last weekend of August

Wed, 09 Sep 2009 10:43:01 EST

All over the world, on the last week of August, Basenotes members gathered together to meet and celebrate and participate in their love of scent. As well as the official Basenotes Meetup in London, members also met in Boston, Kansas, Southern California, San Francisco, Vancouver, Florida, Chicago and Hong Kong!

Straddling Z

Thu, 16 Jul 2009 00:00:01 EST

When I was fifteen, I had a twenty-two-year-old boyfriend. He had dark waving hair, almond eyes, and a jaw you could cut paper on. He was also so vacuous my family called him “the village idiot,” but that’s another story. My boyfriend drove a low-slung orange 240Z in 1978, but the car wasn’t the only place where the letter Z played a role in his life – he also wore Halston Z-14 cologne. Granted, I was only fifteen, but I couldn’t believe a man could smell so good. Z-14 had tang as well as musky darkness, and it seemed to match my boyfriend’s dark, good looks. But my fascination with the fragrance went beyond wanting to smell it on him. I liked the scent so much I bought a bottle and started wearing it myself.

Basenotes Events Coverage: Your questions for Roja Dove and an exclusive offer

Tue, 26 May 2009 11:19:01 EST

As previously reported on Basenotes we are collaborating with the man behind London's Roja Dove Haute Parfumerie and bringing our readers the opportunity to attend an exclusive masterclass with Dove himself, followed by a delicious two course lunch and a warm welcome in some of the local fragrance establishments.Now we also bring you two new and exclusive opportunities - you can pose your questions to the man himself and also purchase a piece of fragrance history in the form of the beautiful Baccarat flacons designed for Guerlain's Coq D'or fragrance, Roja's personal collection.

Basenotes Events Coverage: An Odour Profile at the Roja Dove Haute Parfumerie

Mon, 18 May 2009 04:18:01 EST

In the second of our pieces to celebrate Basenotes and Roja Dove's event collaboration we take a look at The Roja Dove Haute Parfumerie based at one of the most famous shopping destinations in London, Harrods. The opulent surroundings and rare and exotic scents have meant that that the Parfumerie is a place that excites curiosity and attracts attention. Basenotes went along to find out what the Parfumerie offers and why this is not just another boutique. Stepping off of the pavement on a grey and overcast Knightsbridge morning into the blazing Green and Gilded department store is an act of refreshment in itself. The noise of traffic and tourists and workers rushing out of the office for an energy boosting mid-morning latte melts into a luxurious ambience, service with a smile and a sense that retail therapy could not be more pleasing. Yes I am a fan of Harrods and have been since childhood, gazing for what seemed like entire festive holidays into magical windows that held endless promise.

Basenotes Events Coverage: Roja Dove - a Profile

Mon, 11 May 2009 05:50:01 EST

Basenotes will be celebrating its exclusive Roja Dove masterclass with a series of editorial pieces about the man himself and the eclectic Haute Parfumerie that he has created in Harrods, one of London's most famous department stores. In our first piece we find out how Roja became involved in fragrance and take a look at a career that has seen him quoted in so many leading magazines and newspapers, allowed him to become the resident fragrance expert for British Airways Highlife magazine and to undertake the training of staff in some of the UK's biggest fragrance retailers. Often cited as a knowledgeable and flamboyant story-teller and passionate orator of his subject, Basenotes discovers the source of that passion and the background of that knowledge.

Our Love Dance with Scents

Wed, 15 Apr 2009 08:11:01 EST

Seeking and living out the titillation of romance and love relationships is as human as breathing. This choreography of the heart is the sustenance of human attraction and with each partner we choose, and where the ego searches to have it's needs met and bolstered, the love dance is ever evolving. Ironically, this pursuit of physical bonding also pertains to the way we live out our memories and views on fragrance selection. The parallels in our behaviour towards each other uncannily emulates scent choices and the results may appear eerily familiar.

A guide to the New York Fragrance r-Evolution

Wed, 18 Mar 2009 00:00:01 EST

Ahhh the smell of New York city... hot dogs and knish's from vendors on the street, a dash of burnt rubber from the cabby that almost hit you, all topped with vapor brimming out of manholes. Mmmm... Guerlain and Creed can only dream of something so sublime. Maybe not, but New York has a softer side for sure, despite the all too familiar moniker of urban grit that's been stamped on the city. The people of New York have been swept in a fragrant revolution (or maybe leave out the 'r' and just call it an evolution).

News Special: Basenotes writer Liz Upton scoops prestigious UK Jasmine Award

Fri, 13 Mar 2009 00:00:01 EST

Wednesday saw the announcement of the winners of the 2008 Jasmine Awards, which were held at BAFTA, Piccadilly, London. The awards have become recognised as the most prestigious in beauty journalism and have developed from two original prize categories, the Jasmine Literary Award and Jasmine Visual Award, into eight prize categories. Liz Upton picked up an award for her Basenotes article, Body Odour - "Body Odour – or how I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Musk". Walker Minton was also given a special mention for his "Relatives"article. The Jasmine Awards are the perfume industry's way of recognising expertise in the world of journalism. Their aim is to reward excellence in literary and visual achievement in articles devoted to the subject of fragrance. The awards were started in France some twenty years ago and introduced into the UK by the Fragrance & Beauty Association of Great Britain (FBA) in 1989, the first awards being presented in 1990.

Book Review: The Essence of Perfume - Roja Dove

Mon, 16 Feb 2009 00:00:01 EST

The understated dustcover gives little hint as to the gorgeous photos and illustrations included in Roja Doves’s book The Essence of Perfume. It reminded me of how a glorious perfume can be hidden in a dark, elegant bottle such as the iconic Joy parfum flacon. Dove has been a legend in the world of perfume for years as the owner of the glamorous salon The Roja Dove Haute Parfumerie in the Urban Retreat in Harrods. Previously he worked at Guerlain and his naming, by Robert Guerlain as the “the world’s sole Professeur de Parfums” practically begged he author a book on perfume. The Professeur title is apt: he’s the type of theatrical and engaging professor that finds his classes overbooked because every student wants to sit in and be transported and educated by a maestro

Enzo Galardi - the man behind Odori and Bois 1920

Mon, 26 Jan 2009 00:00:01 EST

Ali Nakhai returns from his Basenotes writing hiatus to investigate the two lines from Enzo Galardi: Bois 1920 and Odori: In 2005 a new niche brand with the tradition of the old hit the fragrance market. Three colors, each representing a different fragrance style, marks the assortment of fragrances from Enzo Gallardi’s first line, Bois 1920. The Tradizionali features the fragrances Agrumi Amari di Sicilia, Sandalo e The, Real Patchouly, and Vetiver Ambrato. Classic 19201920 Extreme belong to the Classici line and the Orientali consists of Sutra Ylang and Sushi Imperiale.

Skye

Mon, 15 Dec 2008 05:16:01 EST

Having recently returned to London from the Isle of Skye in the West Highlands of Scotland, I thought it was past time I purchased some Skye cologne from Geo F. Trumper. It had been on my mind while I was there, though I had found none to buy. I examined the notes on the Trumpers official site; they list rosemary, geranium, ylang ylang and musk but state it is made with eleven essences. I wondered what the other seven could be and why they may not be listed. Perhaps a fine extract of midges? Averted by the punishing price increases over the last few years from my favourite purveyor of barbershop goodies, I turned quickly to a well known auction website and made my deal. I sat back and awaited its arrival, eager to stretch out the memory of my trip which was fading fast in the smog.

Sniffing the good, the bad and the glandular with the fragrance critic of the New York Times

Thu, 04 Dec 2008 00:00:01 EST

I never thought I’d be sniffing essence of armpit with Chandler Burr, the first and only fragrance critic for the New York Times (NYT). I expected to be listening to him talking behind a podium in syncopation with his PowerPoint slides. This is what usually happens at break-out sessions at tradeshows. Instead, Burr, 45, strides into the windowless room in the bowels of the Jacob Javits Center in New York and instructs us to move our chairs to the front of the room and form a circle. “Like Romper Room,” he says, referring to the once popular American children’s TV show. “We’re going to smell lots of things, talk to each other, and have fun.”

Carnation Pickup

Wed, 17 Sep 2008 00:00:01 EST

If a pink carnation was the only flower Don McLean’s “lonely teenage broncing buck” had in “Bye, Bye, Miss American Pie,” there was a good reason he was out of luck. The pompom-like flowers made up almost every corsage I ever got in high school, and their clammy blossoms were about as appealing as their straight-from-the-refrigerator temperature. Still, each time I received a carnation, I’d stick my nose into it, hoping for a scent. Each time the petals disappointed.

How I Think I Smell

Thu, 21 Aug 2008 00:00:01 EST

I like the smell of perfume. A simple timeless pleasure of things that smell good. However, like many things, once I start to think about a little, the simplicity has a tendency to evaporate at the speed of citrus top notes. The complexity starts with a problem of over indulgence; I am fortunate enough to possess many bottles. The catch is that with the rich diversity in my cupboard comes a very modern dilemma: options are too many, criteria too few (or to put it another way: which shall I wear today and why?)

Body Odour - or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Musk

Fri, 20 Jun 2008 00:00:01 EST

Some years ago, I used to work in an office with a guy who didn't wash. There is no subtle way of saying this: he stank.The odour of a human body is complicated. It's not all armpits and stale sweat; most of your pheromones are produced by the oil glands on the scalp, and my old colleague had oil glands aplenty. There is (excuse me for the indelicacy) that groiny smell particular to men - women have their own smell too. And there are feet, and farts, and untold grotty things trapped in bodily crevices. My ex-colleague announced himself with a loud smell before he entered the room, and stayed there for a long time after he'd left.

New Book: What the Nose Knows - The Science of Scent in Everyday Life ~ by Avery Gilbert

Wed, 11 Jun 2008 01:23:01 EST

Anya McCoy takes the first look at Avery Gilbert's forthcoming What The Nose Knows - The Science of Scent in Everyday Life. In the book you'll find out what is the connection between Eric Cartman and President Chirac; What makes former Playboy Bunny Izabella St. James gag; The truth about clearing your nose with coffee beans and why Eugene Rimmel was the Fred Hayman of the 1800's.

Inspirations and distillations of a perfumer ~ Scent Treks through Time

Mon, 02 Jun 2008 00:00:01 EST

If a perfumer could travel back in time and meet, chat and co-create with a perfumer of the past, where would they go? Who would they meet and what would they create? Marian Bendeth asks this very question to a blue-ribbon panel of perfumers and finds out what influences the creators of some of the world's greatest fragrances. In the first in our series, Marian opens her time machine to Hermès' in-house perfumer, Jean-Claude Ellena and niche perfumer, Andy Tauer.

Lavender

Mon, 28 Apr 2008 00:00:01 EST

Creed Royal Scottish Lavender is my favourite fragrance but I cannot wear it anymore.... Lavender is quite possibly the perfume note I enjoy most of all. It takes a very interesting position in the mix, straddling the top and heart notes, not as effervescent as most citrus heads but lighter than most floral hearts.