Empressa or Penhaligon's Hacks Out Their Own Coco Madamoiselle

I'm going to be honest my reaction's to Penhaligon's Empressa have been rather crass. They have been somewhere along the line of "Victorian my ass!" I know that is rather severe but I have to tell you it is because Empressa is such an utter disappointment in the creativity/new department.

Empressa is Chanel's Coco Mademoiselle with a bit more fruit, a heightened rose, and a better defined woody dry down but let it be clear Empressa is a fraternal twin to Coco Mademoiselle. There is no getting around the fact that the structure and inspiration for Empressa is Coco Mademoiselle. They amped the patchouli and reduced the vetiver and jasmine. They added an inkling of fruitchouli.
The worst part for me may be the damned ad-copy that suggests that this is Victorian era inspired scent that suggests faraway lands. There is nothing Victorian or faraway lands about this unless your idea of a faraway land is the Chanel makeup counter, then land ahoy for you.

So how did this get created? My thought's Penhaligon's looked at their roster of scents and reputation and thought must get that "Young Modern Woman" demographic and looked to the perfumer Christian Provenzo and said "Just make it Coco Mademoiselle, tweek it a bit, and we are set." Apparently they are set because if you go to the Penhaligon's website Empressa is currently being proclaimed as one of their bestsellers.

Does Empressa smell bad? No, but the joke is you can basically get this for cheaper from Chanel. For me Empressa just feels like a gross example of a scent that was utterly created by marketing. On the other hand they way Penhaligon releases perfumes these days as though they throwing out whatever they have to see what will stick maybe they found that gum everyone wants to chew.

Image from Little Movie Nerd

The Mall Report: Chanel, Prada, Jo Malone, and Marchesa or what I really remember

So every once in awhile I have an extra long lunch break so I like to traipse over to the local mall and check out the latest fragrance offerings in the area.

First up Jo Malone's Blackberry and Bay which was not particularily very blackberry or bay, more citrussy than anything, which was disappointing because I love both of those things.

Then the big bad fruitchouli or as they are calling it over at Chanel, Coco Noir, sigh what an utter disappointment, the bottle is gorgeous, the name alone demands something good, but sadly this is a giant fruitchouli with some serious tenacity. Just no thank you.

Marchesa's Parfum D'Extase, big giant white floral, with possible headache inducing qualities, although touted as "fresh" and "different" I only smelled this on a card, and immediately knew it was not for I.

Prada Infusion d'Iris Absolue, this is pretty, very nice, not sure I need it with by bottle of Prada Candy still on the fuller side, as most have said imagine Infusion d'Iris mixed with Candy and you would have something like this but with a richer animalic dry down.

Tomorrow No6 by Naoko Stoop

SOTD: Coco Madamoiselle pure parfum

Quote of the day: If I had to live my life again, I'd make the same mistakes, only sooner.-- Tallulah Bankhead
If there is a note Chanel should be known for I think it is there jasmine. I have never been a jasmine lover, but yesterday after I put on Coco Madamoiselle I was entranced by the jasmine note that Chanel uses. I have smelled it in Chance, Allure, Allure Sensualle, and Chanel 5 and it remains one of the most gloriously creamy jasmines out there. But how can I forget the aldehydes which I think Chanel uses geniusely, examples: Bois des Iles (a mix of woods and aldehydes that I have yet to smell any where else), Chanel 22 (aldehydes and incense, I still haven't smelled this combo any where else), and grandmother of it all Chanel 5. But then again I think the house of Chanel has rather been genius with the use of vetiver and patchouli; in fact I think Coco Madamoiselle is first fragrance to really use the cleaned-up patchouli note that has taken over the world of perfume the last couple of years. I never thought the day would happen that I would owe most of my allegience in fragrance love to the house of Chanel; I thought I would be a Guerlain girl, but I had the sad realization that guerlinade and I do not get along together. Chanel is so modern and I look rather in proportions and looks like something from the 19th century, but I do also love the irony in fashion.

image proved by artnet.com

image: Tete de Femme by Francois Louis Schmied 1930

SOTD: Bois des Iles by Chanel

Quote of the Day: And remember, no matter where you go, there you are. -- Earl Mac Rauch, from "Buckaroo Bansai"

To say I had a long weekend is an understatement. I attended two graduations (the big one being my boyfriend's), a graduation party, and took my father out to lunch. And to top it off last night I ended up getting awful stomach cramps. I'm feeling much better now, but that was not fun.

So I am finally trying out the legendary Chanel Bois des Iles, so utterly lovely and soothing, the first time I have ever wanted to call a fragrance aromatherapy aldehyde. This has one of the most beautiful notes of sandalwood I have ever smelled. It is also the first time I have ever wanted to associate a Chanel fragrance with fairytales, Chanel for me has always been thoroughly modern with clean precise edges, but Bois des Iles is Chanel's take fairytales, crystal clear but wonderfully soft, like sunlight through crystal.

And because I finally like Coldplay again (I really hated their last album) and I heard it all over the radio stations, and because I think it is the perfect song for George R. R. Martin's A Song of Fire and Ice series, Viva La Vida:



image provided by http://www.animationarchive.org/2005/12/media-kay-nielsen-twelve-dancing.html
Image by Kay Nielsen from Twelve Dancing Princesses
video uploaded by daniloprudente

SOTD: Chanel 22

Well I found this image ages ago and I have been waiting for the moment when I would want to wear Chanel 22 to go with it. Although, now that I think of it, this would also be perfect with the scent of figs. Hope everyone is having a wonderful weekend; me not so much, work and papers. Still I have very pretty pretty perfume.
Quote of the Day: shall never be ashamed of citing a bad author if the line is good. -- Seneca

image provided by artnet.com

Angel by Liu Jin 2005

SOTD: Allure Sensuelle pure parfum

The lovely sunny spring weather has turned to rainy spring weather. Going through my scent wardrobe I was tempted to bring out my heavy oriental hitters: Organza Indecence, Must, or Un Bois Vanille. But the reality is I simply have come to that time of the year that even when it is cold outside spring is still very visibly here and no autumnal/winter scents are what I want to wear. So instead I am going with Allure Sensualle pure parfum (the only strength of Allure Sensualle I wear), which is very much a floriental scent yet the patchouli used in it has a cool earthy quality to it that makes it appropiate for spring weather. I almost dismissed this image as being to much in the mode of bodice-ripper, but I love the fact that the model is short haired, that is she not the "ideal" of beauty, but she has contemplative alluring quality on her face that well the more I look at the image the more I am drawn to it.

And a quote:

The only reason I made a commercial for American Express was to pay for my American Express bill.-- Peter Ustinov

In these days of craptastic economy I thought this one was highly fitting and appropiate.

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Sensual by Royo

SOTD: Chanel 22

Going with the luminous and powerful, Chanel 22. Such a lovely sparkling dry scent. Envelopes you in green and white (this is what always comes to my mind when I wear it.). Perfect for Spring.

image provided by artnet.com

Green Heart by Christopher Reilly 2007