Crankiness in my old age and general updates

Alright, I'm not turning 80 anytime soon...but lately, things have been annoying me. The perfume world has been overcome by crap new releases, crap niche brands, crap marketing, and worst of all, crap "bloggers". Fact is, it takes a long time to learn something as complex as the world of fragrance, and now it seems every Sally-come-lately is trying to teach lessons on something they know nothing of. I'd give examples, but I don't want to point fingers (I will say this - iris in perfume isn't "floral"). I'm not saying I'm a professor by any means, and I'm happy to share the Internet, but please do a bit of reading before you teach a lesson...and I'm not talking about The Guide.

All that being said, I've been saving a lot of money lately by not buying everything in sight, and I've been thoroughly enjoying what I already own. Wearing Le Labo's Iris 39 today and very much liking it again. My friend Jane and I (http://dalybeauty.blogspot.com) do this thing where we "loan" each other bottles that we're tired of. You almost always get it back in a few months, and usually with a new appreciation.

The one bottle I have purchased in the past month is the recent export of Tubereuse Criminelle. It's as shocking as ever! Still my favourite tube by a long shot. With this, and a gift of La Myrrhe received a while back, a rekindling for my love of all things Lutens has been ignited. Looking forward to the new L'Eau Froide, and what will no doubt be a slew of ill-informed reviews.

One more thing - I'm thrilled to see that one of the few bloggers who actually knows something about perfume has come back to daily posting! Victoria at Boisdejasmin has a keen knack for saying what she thinks without insulting anyone...which I could take a cue from.

Best of 2011

This has been a truly dismal year in the world of fragrances. Martin Margiela graced us with something Untitled and equally Unmemorable; Hermes changed the top note of Kelly Caleche and gave us Un Jardin Sur Le Toit; Chanel added Jersey, yet another dud to the typically-wonderful Exclusifs collection, for those who crave the smell of laundry for $240/pop; and Serge Lutens added a drop of butterscotch-ripple to Santal Blanc and released the unexciting Jeux de Peau.

I can't be bothered dragging the lake for a full list of 10, so here you have it...the best men's and women's release this year. Naturally, both can be worn by either sex, I'm merely listing the marketed gender. One more thing to note...both are flankers! What has the world come to?

Best Men's

CK One Shock for Him

This continues to surprise me...basically a cheap & cheerful rendition of the spiced-wood genre that include favorites like Cartier's Declaration and Amouage's Dia Man. Well done.

Best Women's

Shalimar Parfum Initial

This one did something very interesting - not only is it a terrific stand-alone fragrance, it actually rekindled my love for the original Shalimar. Elegant and worthy of the Guerlain name.

A few others that weren't mind-blowing, but not awful either - De Profundis (Serge Lutens), Aromatics Elixir Perfumer's Reserve (Clinique), Jasminora (Guerlain), Candy (Prada), Angel Eau de Toilette (Thierry Mugler) and Le Premiere Parfum Eau de Toilette (Lolita Lempicka).

Best wishes to you in 2012 and once again, many thanks for reading and commenting.

Dane

Perfume Snobbery

I see this question often on the frag-forums:

"Looking for a suggestion for something (insert adjective here). Niche only pls".

Cost should never be considered an indication of quality in fragrance, but there are still those who insist that if something is readily available, it musn't be as desirable as the rare and hard-to-find things sold on the luxury market. I myself have often been caught in this trap. Limited-edition, Paris-exclusive, and various other catchphrases make the buyer believe they're getting more for their money. Alas, they often are not.

You'll often read me, and many others, state a preference for "quality of ingredients". What does this mean exactly? Well, simply put, a better grown plant in an ideal atmosphere will yield a superior oil. This has nothing to do with price, however, so it should not necessarily be reflected in the price of the end-product. Things like patchouli, vetiver, and lavender are all relatively inexpensive ingredients, yet a superior plant will ultimately lead to a better and more refined smelling extract...yet still for not much money. It is the perfumer's responsibility to select the best/most appropriate, yet there are too many examples of decent compositions using the wrong ingredient that plague the market. Naturally, ingredients are not the only factor in creating a beautiful perfume, just as using better quality paint won't necessarily equate to a more beautiful painting. 

When it comes to access of ingredients, the big players have the upper hand. They have the budget to buy in large quantities, and in some cases, even own the field where the ingredients are grown. Your local uber-luxe niche company will no doubt have to pay more for the same ingredients, and thus create a higher end-price for the user. Now, I'm not saying that the latest Calvin Klein uses the same, or better, ingredients than the latest Delrae, but in essence, they could if it weren't for that pesky finance committee getting in the way.

There are a few examples of small/niche companies who partner up with large production companies for access to the best of the best at an accessible price, which is why companies like Etat Libre d'Orange remain an oft-suggested brand coming from my mouth. Not only do you get the brilliance of their creative direction, you get a higher quality product at a reasonable price.

I will admit, however, that I too am a perfume snob...but not because of cost. I scoff when I read someone ranting from one extreme to the other - uber-pricey Creed getting rave reviews will get the same reaction from me as someone fawning over Bath & Body Works, not because of their prices, but because they both create an inferior product. So I will henceforth continue to raise my nose in the air, but for different reasons than others. Perfume is not solely about art or about material...there is a fine balance that must be met to create something worth wearing.

/rant

All the best to you and yours for the upcoming holiday season!

Dane