Frédéric Malle Rubber Incense

It's always fun to find a unique  product that also dovetails with one of your favorite things, hence this new scented fragrance mat from Frédéric Malle.

Called Rubber Incense , I am totally intrigued by this. Malle released these in a very limited run three years ago and  now he has tweaked the design  and  brought out new versions  . They are made of recyclable EVA  and infused with fragrance for the home.

Not only will they  scent small spaces like a closet , in the car ( chicest air freshener ever, no ?)  , or at your desk,  but I imagine sitting my cup of warm tea on the mat and letting the scent heat up and waft even more. Needless to say I really want to try one, especially Russian Nights or Jurassic Flower. Ahh , the smell of magnolia.

The four aromas available are:

• Russian Nights- evokes a polar chill

• Jurassic Flower-reproduces the citrus-like waft of Magnolias, 

• Rosa Rugosa -transports you to wild rose bushes that grow against the wind of the Atlantic coast

• Marius & Jeannette- infuses the minty freshness and anise side of Pastis.

 Frédéric Malle Rubber Incense is $ 110 and are available at Editions de Parfums in NYC, shop.fredericmalle.com , Barneys New York and barneys.com

The Lovely Lilac

It's the lilac season, one that's all too short but so beautiful. It's an instant ahhh when I  take a whiff of my lilacs. They are almost  done his year's blooming but if you want to keep that scent going all year there are a few fragrant options.

Lilac is a scent that isn't captured easily in fragrances but my favorite is Frederic Malle En Passant. Before I even sniffed it I knew I would want it and it was my first Malle fragrance. It's such a fresh lilac . Based on white lilac,  it does have other notes and I get the bread or wheat note listed , but only a little and it in no way detracts from the lilac.

Another favorite is the lilac powder by Caswell Massey. When I saw they had powder in lilac  it was an instant must have.  Unfortunately it looks to be discontinued now. There are a few on Amazon still left.

Ineke's  After My Own Heart is a gorgeous fragrance , mainly lilac but not completely. Beautiful and  soft with  green notes , it's very much of the season, and is the kind of scent that lifts you on a  warm but rainy day.

Elizabeth W out of San Francisco also makes a lilac fragrance but it's not one I've smelled. I have heard other perfumistas talk about  it with praise, though.

Enjoy the fragrances of Spring and do share if you have a  lilac I haven't encountered yet.

Dries Van Noten Par Frederic Malle Perfume

 When Frederic Malle releases a new scent, any fragrance lover stands up and takes notice.  Dries Van Noten for Frederic Malle certainly cause for excitement here at my desk.  This new scent is also the beginning of a new series, Perfume Portraits. 

Malle says "In 2010, ten years after founding Editions de Parfums Frédéric Malle, I decided to start a new perfume collection, the purpose of which would be to translate the world of people and brands that I admire into scents: Perfume Portrait by Frédéric Malle."

Dries Van Noten, the esteemed Belgian fashion designer , is the inspiration  for Dries Van Noten par Frederic Malle.

Dries Van Noten, Frederic Malle

Dries is  based around pure sandalwood and that note informs the whole fragrance from beginning to end.  The fragrance is rich , spicy and a little smoky but not heavy. It's cozy , radiating warmth despite some cool notes peeking out here and there. The clove and nutmeg  alongside the sandalwood help achieve this.

I get very little of the floral notes , and as it dries down the vanilla comes out. It's a milky but not too sweet vanilla . The cool , green feel flashes in and out and reminds of  rooty iris .

My initial thought was it's a perfume that reminds me of a well used library,  fireplace going, hard wood floors and dusty volumes of leather bound books. It doesn't exactly smell like that , mind you, that was just the picture that formed for me.

It very much is a comfort scent but in no way boring. It's also mostly linear, meaning there aren't a lot of changes from initial spritz to drydown. That is  not a bad thing and in no way takes away from it's beauty. A scent done well is done well no matter how many or little notes play out in it and it is easy to tell quality is  very present in  Dries .

Dries took 18 months for perfumer Bruno Jovanovic to create  and the cues that Malle gave him included themes the designer was known for like Indian embroidery, along with the Flemish dessert of speculoos biscuits and waffles. Jovanovic then came up with creating it around natural sandalwood.

Full note list:

Bergamot oil (Calabria),
Lemon oil (Calabria)
Saffron
Nutmeg, Clove

Jasmine absolute (Egypt)
Sandalwood oil (Mysore)
Patchouli Heart,
Violet wood

Vanilla,
Sacrasol (Sulfurol) (* this is  a nutty note)
Peruvian Balm
Musk cocktail



 Dries Van Noten par Frederic Malle is exclusively at Editions de Parfums Frédéric Malle, 898 Madison Avenue, New York and all Barneys New York Stores and Barneys online.

Retail: 50ml Spray: $185; 100 ml Spray: $265

Frederic Malle Coffret Collections

We'll file this one under "things I wouldn't mind under my tree this year " .  These coffrets hold full collection of Frederic Malle's amazing  fragrances. Mr. Malle thoughtfully wanted to be able to offer  "the entire store".

The Women's Collection is $ 285and holds:

  Musc Ravageur, Une Fleur de Cassie, Le Parfum de Thérèse, Noir Epices, En Passant, Lipstick Rose, Lys Méditerranée, Iris Poudre, Angéliques sous la Pluie, Cologne Bigarade, Une Rose, L’Eau d’Hiver, Carnal Flower, Dans tes Bras, Portrait of a Lady.

The Complete Collection is $ 320 and holds : 

 Musc Ravageur, Une Fleur de Cassie, Le Parfum de Thérèse, Noir Epices, En Passant, Lipstick Rose, Lys Méditerranée, Iris Poudre, Angéliques sous la Pluie, Bigarade Concentrée, Vétiver Extraordinaire, Une Rose, L’Eau d’Hiver, Carnal Flower, French Lover, Dans tes Bras, Géranium pour Monsieur, Portrait of a Lady.

There is also a Men's set. 

You can find these beauties at   shop.fredericmalle.com 

Frederic Malle Carnal Flower Hair Mist

Carnal Flower is a sexy scent, a big scent and a beautiful one. That Frederic Malle has come out with a matching hair mist is genius. Can you imagine swishing your hair all over and that scent wafting out ? Va Va Voom indeed. Plus it's a  nice way to wear fragrance anyway. I've always been fond of the hair spritz with my fragrances .

In case you're not familiar, Carnal Flower is a bold but not overpowering( to me, at least)  green tuberose.  The green notes temper the bold , creamy tuberose and a small hint of coconut lends a slightly tropical feel. It's simply gorgeous.

The Hair Mist is $ 160.00 at www.shop.fredericmalle.com  and www.barneys.com

My Tweets in Allure Magazine

I made into Allure magazine this month. On the mail page. No it's not an editorial but it's still in the magazine , so I'm excited. They picked up my tweets about  Frederic Malle's perfume article in the May issue. He did a lovely article dissecting some  of the notes you see in perfume . As my tweets said, this is not something you see addressed  too often and it was  a great primer. 

So here is my bit .  I almost always read the mail sections  in mags.  I hope you do. You never know who might turn up. Also a pic of the article itself if you missed it.