Louis Vuitton Fleur du Désert

Having explored the olfactory culture of the Middle East since 2018, Les Parfums Louis Vuitton now make a new stopover. Following Ombre Nomade, Les Sables Roses, Nuit de Feu and Pur Oud, Jacques Cavallier Belletrud composes a tribute to three native Middle Eastern flowers that over the centuries have become emblematic of perfumery all over the world: jasmine, a symbol of beauty from the Far East to the Mediterranean; orange blossom, which has been used in the region since Antiquity; and rose, one of the most famous varieties of which originated in Damascus. For the fifth opus in this collection, Louis Vuitton’s Master Perfumer wanted to capture these natural wonders in their original setting: gathered in a «nectar of flowers,» they blossom at the heart of a rich and resolutely sophisticated oriental composition. More than a perfume: a signature.

The Splendors of the Desert

In the desert, everything is magnified. This theater of extremes has fascinated and inspired stories since the dawn of time. Its immensity invites us to dream even further. Despite its hostile environment, the desert conceals spectacular wonders. Unforgettable emotions…

Amid the expanse of sand, a touch of color catches the travelers’ eye and makes them stop in their tracks. A corolla of petals. The unexpected presence of a plant in a vast, mineral ocean. At once fragile and strong, this flower has braved the omnipotence of the elements to express a beauty that is all the more sumptuous. It is life that springs forth against all odds, foiling the impossible. A miracle, poised at the boundary of reality and magic.

A Nectar of Flowers

From his many visits to the Middle East, Jacques Cavallier Belletrud carries in his memory striking contrasts. Arid dunes skirting the sea. Scorching days succeeded by freezing nights. A sumptuous palace rising from the heart of the desert, an architectural treasure breaking the monotony of sand like a mirage. To compose Fleur du Désert, he immersed himself in the «absolute beauty» of an oasis with lush vegetation, encountered during a morning walk in the Saudi Arabian desert not far from Jeddah. Moved by the power of such life defying the aridity of the landscape – an «eminently optimistic symbol» – Louis Vuitton’s Master Perfumer captured the image in a colorful signature brimming with contrasts. The delicacy of a bouquet of fresh flowers, exalted by the depth of an oriental trail.

Jasmine, orange blossom, rose: originally from the Middle East, these three flowers became emblems for Western perfumery. «They were brought to Europe by caravan from different regions in the Orient,» explains Jacques Cavallier Belletrud. «My idea was simply to stage these natural wonders in their original setting.» Directly inspired by the history and origins of perfumery, Fleur du Désert celebrates the essential contribution of the Middle East, the birthplace of this millennia-old art.

The House’s Master Perfumer selected the finest qualities of these flowers that he knows by heart as they are redolent of his native region: Grasse. Two essences obtained by supercritical CO2 extraction faithfully reproduce the scents of the fresh flowers at the center of his composition: Grandiflorum jasmine, tinged with the honeyed accents of orange blossom absolute, emanates its delicately radiant scent, while the Centifolia rose reveals the sublime softness of its petals. This precious bouquet is an ode to the art of perfume, enveloped in an oriental accord with original tonalities of spices and honey.
«I didn’t want an oriental accord in the Western sense of the term, but rather one that truly speaks of the culture and beauty that are unique to that region,» the perfumer explains. Oud Assam, also known as «black gold» — a treasure of Middle Eastern perfumery — expresses its unprecedented olfactory richness through an exceptional essence, distilled for two centuries by a family of producers in Bangladesh who have become the exclusive supplier to Louis Vuitton. Woody, animalic, spicy, amber… its deep scent is rounded by a honeyed note that responds to the suavest facets in the floral bouquet. Touched by a whisper of cinnamon, warm as the desert wind, this opulent trail embraces the skin with the sensuality of Ambrox, then melts into the naturally musky softness of ambrette seed. Enveloped in precious ingredients, this «nectar of flowers» reveals its absolute sophistication as the hours pass…

Louis Vuitton and the Middle East: A Legacy of Signatures

Introduced with Ombre Nomade in 2018, Les Parfums Louis Vuitton‘s tribute to Middle Eastern olfactory culture is not limited to its ingredients, nor to its territories of inspiration. Fragrance after fragrance, Jacques Cavallier Belletrud reaffirms the connection between his personal creative process and Middle Eastern perfumery, which share a singular love for textured, sophisticated fragrances. The son and grandson of perfumers, he observes that «Truly great perfumes have olfactory imprints that are distinctive and instantly memorableIn a word: they are signatures. Guided by this conviction from his earliest creations, Jacques Cavallier Belletrud has naturally developed a strong affinity with lovers of Middle Eastern perfumery. Through this collection, he reveres the culture and curiosity that drives them to explore all olfactory families, well beyond the clichés to which Western perfumery sometimes confines them. «What defines a »Middle Eastern» perfume is not a question of notes, in my opinion,» he «It is rather a matter of textures and complexity. Undeniable elegance and presence.»

The Colors of the Desert

With the perfumes in this Middle Eastern-inspired collection, Louis Vuitton offers a palette of vibrant blacks that capture the colors of the desert and the multiple nuances of its mysteries. Crafted in precious glass that appears black at first glance, the House’s iconic perfume bottle reveals a deep, intense cast when touched by light. Fleur du Désert reveals pinkish reflections evoking the sumptuous hue of a freshly bloomed flower. Like the desert surrendering its most beautiful secrets to those who know how to look…

Eau de Parfum Fleur du Désert 100ml, 320€
In-store refill 100ml, 190€

Eau de Parfum Fleur du Désert 200ml, 495€
In-store refill 200ml, 380€

Available at select Louis Vuitton stores and from louisvuitton.com.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Louis Vuitton #LVParfums #louisvuitton
DISCLOSURE: We may earn commission from links on this page, but I only recommend products I love. Promise.

Regenerating Plant Oil by Christophe Robin

iconThis is such a great multipurpose product that it deserves its own post. The Regenerating Plant Oil by Christophe Robin transforms damaged or frizzy hair as well as dry skin and leaves both feeling instantly softer and more hydrated.

Lightweight and non-greasy, this versatile formula is blended with antioxidant-rich prickly pear seed, rice bran and sweet almond oils to protect and nourish and is free from parabens, silicone and colorants. The best is its powdery fragrance with notes of Calabrian bergamot, jasmine and ylang-ylang.

One product that helps me survive the dry and cold air here in Gstaad in the Swiss mountains.
TO SHOP THE REGENERATING PLANT OIL, CLICK HERE PLEASE.

LoL, Sandra
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Photos: © Christophe Robin

Modern Muse – Interview with Arizona Muse

Modern Muse Interview with Arizona Muse

Estée Lauder has launched a new fragrance, so-called MODERN MUSE. It is the first major perfume launch in a while and the brand’s attempt to get back to the top of the perfume houses.

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MODERN MUSE stands for the contemporary woman, who is independent, self-confident and sure of her style. Model Arizona Muse is the face of the new fragrance and her name fits obviously perfectly. During New York Fashion Week, the launch of this new fragrance was celebrated with an amazing party at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in NYC (post coming up shortly), where both, the print and TV campaign for Estée Lauder’s new fragrance, were shot.

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Before the event took place, I had the honour to meet and interview Arizona herself. There is something undeniably charming about her… enjoy her answers!

Sandra Bauknecht and Arizona Muse in NYC

Your name is already telling it. You are a muse to many women around the globe, a modern women – a single mother and a famous model. How do you manage both parts of your life successfully?
I would like to ask this question to all the other mums. I am lucky to have the most amazing help, great nannies and my mum, even that she is not living like me in London, she is extremely close to me. I used to take my son on my business trips when he was smaller. He is now 4 years old, in school, so he stays in London.

Your secret to success?
(Laughs). I don’t see myself that successful. Everyone is so much more successful than me. I look up and admire so many people. There is a lot more to climb. I still feel so young, I am 24 now, but feel younger now than I did when I was 16.

Have you ever felt pressure to inspire people? To be a role model?
I start beginning to feel that. I look to everyone else around me. So it is interesting to feel that other people look at me. I hope that I am setting a good example.

Do you think that your beauty helps you in daily life?
I am a model. So yes, it kind of helps. But I don’t notice things like that. Maybe I should use it more often. (She smiles and asks me the same question. How can I not love her?!)

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How did you get your amazing body back after your pregnancy?
I would tell other mothers not to rush it, take one year, be relaxed about it. Breastfeeding helps to burn a lot of calories.

What exercise do you do to stay in shape?
I love yoga. It is more than just physical fitness. It is about balance in your emotional life as well.

Which ones are your favourite fashion designers?
Right now, Louis Vuitton! And also Tregar Delaney. They are an English duo who are friends of mine and they design beautiful clothes with high quality fabrics. They have such great integrity.

Arizona Muse in three words.
Curious – shy – warm-hearted.

Are you nervous before the big event tonight?
Yes, I am nervous. I am even nervous now…

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One last question. What do you think of MODERN MUSE?
I love the fragrance because it has a duality to it. It is feminine yet strong. The woods give it a richness, but it also has a lightness with the florals. It is now my signature scent – of course!

Thank you, Arizona!

MODERN MUSE
FLORAL WOODY MUSK

Top notes: Mandarin orange
Middle notes: Tuberose, fresh lily, honeysuckle, dewy petals, Sambac jasmine and Chinese Sambac jasmine absolute
Base notesPatchouli, Madagascar vanilla, amber wood and soft musk

Available as 30, 50 and 100ml Eau de Parfum.

The fragrance has an innovative ‘dual-impression’ structure of a jasmine and a wood accord. The flowers are most noticeable but not as prominent as you might imagine. The scent is very soft and develops in a very nice and musky way. Personally speaking, MODERN MUSE is an easy-to-wear scent, extremely pleasant and sophisticated. In stores now.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of Estée Lauder and © Sandra Bauknecht

A Declaration of Feminity: Manifesto by YSL

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“If Yves Saint Laurent was a religion, his divinity would be a woman.”
Cotton-poplin shirtchain-trimmed leather mini skirt, patent-leather escarpins and Cabas medium leather tote, all by Saint Laurent.

Complementing the house’s beautiful prêt-à-porter collections, Yves Saint Laurent launched many iconic and famous fragrances over the years:
1971 Rive Gauche  – for the woman, who asserts herself
1977 Opium – for the women, who is mysterious and sensual
1983 Paris – for the passionate woman
2009 Parisienne –  for the freedom-loving woman

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2013, Manifesto – a declaration of feminity is added:
The expression of audacity, excess, and desire.  A bouquet of jasmine punctuated by green notes and a bold trail combining wood, vanilla, and tonka beans are the scent’s very own signature. In a flacon reminiscent of the silhoutte of a woman. The face of the fragrance is actress Jessica Chastain. The composition was developed by Anne Flipo and Loc Dong.

ORIENTAL FLORAL
Top notes: Bergamot and black currant
Heart notes: Sambac jasmine and lily of the valley
Base notes: Cedar, sandalwood, vanilla and tonka bean

EdP 30ml (CHF 84.-), EdP 50ml (CHF 124.-) and EdP 90ml (CHF 157.-)
In stores now.

LoL, Sandra

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Photos: Courtesy of YSL and © Sandra Bauknecht

Meet Roja Dove at Lausanne Palace Boutique

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Meet ROJA DOVE, one of the most famous noses in the world.
Born 1957 in Southeast England, his career in perfumery began in 1981 when he joined the French perfume house Guerlain, working there for 20 years before leaving to set up his own companies RDPR and then Roja Parfums.

Dove, the fragrance connoisseur’s connoisseur, is probably the world’s most quoted perfume expert and was the first person to use the term HAUTE PARFUMERIE, when he opened in 2004 the Roja Dove Haute Parfumerie on the fifth floor of Harrods. Within one year, Cartier, Caron, Jean Patou, and Guerlain followed.

Roja with me

I was very honoured to meet Roja Dove personally at the beautiful La Boutique du Palace in Lausanne, Switzerland (which belongs to the Lausanne Palce & Spa hotel), the location of the newly opened second Roja Dove Haute Parfumerie. The collaboration was born from a dream and a passionate encounter between Emeline Gauer (see photo on top) and Roja himself, offering a selection of pure and rare fragrances, among them, of course, Roja Parfums.

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When you enter the boutique, you enter a world of pure luxury, a one of a kind, sumptuous and exuberant experience of the best of the very best in the world of scent. Set amongst beautiful vintage furnishings, mirrors, silk and crystal, you can immerse yourself in the sensory heaven of fragrance as it should be: lavish, luxurious, sensual, decadent and daring.

Enjoy the photos and the interview with Roja Dove in which you will learn a lot about the world of perfumery, what makes you truly sexy and the creative process behind it.

La Boutique

Roja, how did you start Roja Parfums? What is your idea behind the brand?

I had dinner with a very close friend. We were talking about different brands. She was laughing and said: “You always get the essence of a brand”, and she continued, “It is a shame that you don’t do it with your own.” I asked her what she meant by that. “Everywhere in the world, I see your name in articles written on perfume. But as a consumer how do I buy into your world if I don’t want to spend £25.000 on a bespoke scent?” That was the catalyst to launch Roja Parfums.

I called a group of friends that all work in business but not in perfumery. They came up in a think tank of what is Roja Dove, what is the perception, the reality and what should Roja Dove be. What came out of it was everything that people perceived of me: Uncompromising, quality, the nose, authenticity and theatre.

We decided that those were the pillars that the brand should be about and we started on it. Regarding the packaging, I liked the idea of the white. It is the most decadent and luxurious thing in the world, that doesn’t look decadent and violet is my favourite colour. Inside you get the idea of understated luxury, with a surprise, the little theatre-like curtains. I wanted to be different and reach a fine level of aesthetics.

Roja Dove it is not a brand for everybody, not that I wanted it to be. It is a truly luxury product. Every single aspect is made by hand, like the boxes and the carrier bags. The liquid is filled into the bottles by hand in England, even the labels are applied manually.

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How can I imagine the process to create a perfume ?

The way I trained is old-fashioned and I still think that this is the proper way to do it.

Let me get you started on the opposite, the gas chromatography. Anything that smells can be put in a mashine that breaks down the oils or the perfume. Like this, the chemist can see analyze the formula. But you can only do it succesfully with a scent that has a lot of synthetic materials.

The reason why is the complexity of the natural components. Let’s take jasmine for example which has approximately 900 different molecules in it to make the one scent that is jasmine. Behind the 900 main molecules, there are smaller ones that nobody has analyzed yet. We don’t know what they are. They are the subtlety of nature. Nevertheless, the chemists can isolate some of the big molecules. From jasmine alone, there are 300 isolates which are extracted. Many of which are used in the perfumery. But there are still 600 left to be discovered. All the subtlety behind that we have no idea what it is.

Interesting to know is that the discovery of natural isolates in 1882 among others allowed modern perfumery to begin. It gave us new materials from a natural source to use. The natural isolates were the world’s first synthetics, because synthetic just means to make things from something else. They gave us new fantasy notes, which, when you smelled them, were absolutely new, providing us with originality.

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Gas chromatography allows us to analyze a fragrance formula. If you take  for example a perfume like Escape by Calvin Klein, that has a material in it which is called calone made by Pfizer. It is a molecule with one single structure without any subtelty. It doesn’t have 500 or whatever components; it is one thing. The same material you will find in L’Eau d’Issey. The more synthetic a perfume, the easier for the chemists to look into the structure on the gas chromatograph and to analyze the formula.

The most perfumes made come from a handful of small houses, such as IFF, Givaudain and Firmenich. The reality is that often they don’t need to perform the gas chromatography, because they do most of the formulas.

The way I work is before gas chromatography. I always start very unusually, with the name for the perfume. I am sitting in the garden  drinking tea with my partner Peter and we both will write down names we can come up with. Then, we go to the trademark lawyer to check on their availabilty. Once we have the name, I begin the next step. The way my palette of fragrance is made, I think, nobody has ever looked at perfumes before.

I believe very strongly that each of us tends to like fragrances from one family and not the others. The problem with marketing is that people hear the brand name or see the imaginary and believe that two perfumes are different which they are not. Let’s look at Gucci Envy, monochrome, urban, the advertising is about a very passionate couple. In contrary, Estée Lauder’s Pleasures shows a woman in a field with poppies. Because of the imaginery and the opposite brands, the customer thinks that one is sexy and one is romantic. But those two scents are actually not even similiar, they are nearly identical.

How I approach my perfume collection is that I try to make a very balanced palette. I don’t think anybody has ever done that with smell before. We have just launched the range in July 2011, the palette isn’t a balanced one yet, so this year we will have a lot of launches to complete it in the end of the year. Whatever we add to it, is just an addition.

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We have three floral sents. Scandal, a white floral, heavy, powderising. Innuendo, a powdery floral. Reckless, an aldehydic floral.

I knew that I needed a fresh floral and created Mischief, which is a fabulous word. Mischievous – You know that you are up to no good and hope that you are not caught but it is just a flower.

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After the name, I have to work on a structure. How should this perfume be? Something a little bit naughty and simultaneously a freshness with it. This is my creative process.

Generally you find freshness in perfumery  through three or four main roots. You either take the citrus materials, the aromatic materials like herbs (often combined), certain flowers that are fresh like lily of the valley or hyacinth, or you get freshness in the base of a perfume through galbanum and  violet leaf.

I didn’t want it to be that typical green, not a citrus perfume. Quite unusually, I put the freshness in every area of the structure and I also used a natural isolate, which comes from jasmine, called dihydrojasmonate, very citrusy smelling that lasts and lasts. In general a freshness diasappears very easily, with Mischief it stays on. The animalic notes are hidden, that is the mischief in the perfume, it has a little sexiness there without being intrusive.

Danger was created, when I was working on the oriental facette. I wanted to make a very particular type of oriental. I didn’t want a typically avowedly vanillic, I didn’t want a perfume that smelled like Shalimar, Dior Addict, the big vanilla perfumes. Most people’s idea of oriental perfumes is that they are enormous. I wanted an oriental perfume, that had a loft of finesse and  all the softness, that wasn’t a clicheé. The name was chosen because it is not dangerous for the person wearing it, it is dangerous for the person smellling it on the wearer. They wouldn’t realise that the vanilla is a aphrodisiac and this jasmine contains indole.

Indole is a natural occuring molecule, a natural isolate, found in all scented white flowers. Interesting to know is that we actually don’t smell with our nose, we smell with the primitive part of our brain. The rational part will think that it is jasmine. The subconscious part picks up on a different message. You have to bear in mind that the sense of smell is the oldest sense in living organisms. It is developped to fulfill three functions, to escape danger, to pick up food and to find  a mate. The indolic note will make  you think of one thing and one thing only, sex! The human race produces indole. It comes out on the skin and is collected by the root of the hair chaft. Therefore hairy men seem to be more virile. When you smell Danger on a woman, your brain picks up the aphrodisiac vanilla and the indolic note of jasmine. Can you see how dangerous the perfume is now?!

The reason for the name Scandal is because of the white flowers. The jasmine of Grasse is so expensive, it has the highest proportion of indole in it. If the customer knew what was going on in his brain, it might cause a scandal.

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Do you have some signature ingredients that you love and always use? Which one is the most expensive material?

In every perfume, I use a little vanilla and a little jasmine, always bergamot, either neroli or orange blossom, always rose de Mai, jasmine from Grasse, it is my signature. Ambergris costs £100.000 a kilo, I use a little in all of my work, it is my favourite raw material.

Your own favourite scent?

I am most proud of Diaghilev and Vetiver that will hopefully endure through history.

Enslaved is probably one of the most complicated formulas which makes the perfume uncommercial. Customers appreciate its level of sophisctication that can hardly be found anywhere else.

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Which one is your bestselling product?

The Aoud is the number one bestselling product since July 2nd in Harrods. We have the third largest brand in Harrods. All my products sell for the best reason in the world: People love the smell!

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Have you ever thought of launching body products matching your perfumes?

The problem is that we could never make them commercially. Most companies will never use the same formula for the body product as they use for their fragrances. Therefore most body products never smell like the original perfume. I think the idea of matching body prodcus is amazing but hard to achieve on my level of quality.

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And what about your scented candles?

I spent two and  a half years doing the candles. They were the most difficult thing I every made in my life. When the patchouli candle was launched, I had the same in my house. It didn’t burn properly and I took them all of the market immediately.

To make jasmine oil, you have to take the flower which is picked by hand. You need  5mio flowers to make a kilo of oil, 200 hours of labour. People don’t realise the work behind this and natural oils are rarely used for scented candles. In my candles, the oil you smell is the same as you smell in my perfumes. I use at least 10% of rose de Mai which is so rare. I don’t knwo anybody who does it. Even the people in my company sometimes think that I am mad.

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You were with Guerlain for 20 years. Why did you leave?

In Guerlain, it is very important to say, the perfumes are always a work of the Guerlain family. During my time there, it was sold to LVMH in 1994 which was fine, I like change. But I didn’t like a lot of things personally what happened to the firm, they were outsourcing perfumes which made me leave.

Now Guerlain is back in safe hands because Thierry Wasser is a great perfumer. It went through a phase that I didn’t like, but I had a marvellous time there and wouldn’t change a scrap of it.

Where can you buy Roja Dove in the world?

At the minute, you can only buy Roja Parfums in Harrods, Lausanne Palace Boutique and Tsum in Moskow. We will open in Saint Petersburg, Abu Dhabi, Dubai and later in the year in Hong Kong. The perfumes have a cult status, we supply 2/3 of the royal family in the Middle East already.

Personally speaking, I could have talked forever with Roja. He is so captivating and eloquent. His perfumes are amazing. Enslaved is my absolute favourite. He gave me a piece of advice for life that has absolutely impressed me because I had never thought of it like this before:
“Smell makes everyone equal, no matter the age, weight, height or race. Perfume will always remain loyal to you!”

If I whetted your appetite, I recommend visiting this jewel in Lausanne or to contact the shop directly via e-mail: laboutiquedupalace@lausanne-palace.ch.

LoL, Sandra

RD 6Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht