CaFleureBon B-day Countdown Day 3: Francis Kurkdjian & Maison Francis Kurkdjian + Celebration Draw

 

Sometimes, a perfumer and his achievements stand alone. The name Francis Kurkdjian is renowned throughout not only the fragrance industry but with celebrities, chefs, leaders in French Art and culture, fashion designers, fashionistas, perfumistas AND our readers worldwide. We are honored by his best wishes as we celebrate our first birthday.

Courtesy of: Francis Kurkdjian 

Dear Michelyn and the Team at www.cafleurebon.com,

It is with great pleasure that I wish you happy birthday. It is a wonderful occasion; Maison Francis Kurkdjian also recently celebrated our first year. We were so please to be awarded a  Best Fragrance award for 2010 for MFK Absolue Pour le Soir , and enjoy your reviews, interviews, insightful articles and beautiful presentation.

It gives me great pleasure to offer one signed bottle of Absolue Pour le Soir to one of your readers as part of your celebration

Je vous souhaite de bonnes annees CaFleureBon!

I wish you great years ahead!

Best Wishes,

 Francis Kurkdjian and the team at MFK

 

One winner will receive a signed bottle of Absolue Pour le Soir.

To be eligible please leave a comment on any article or review we have posted about Maison Francis Kurkdjian and your favorite MFK scent or ancillary product (NOT the link nor Pour le Soir). This draw closes Monday 22, 2011 at 3 pm EST and must be claimed on March 22, 2011 (our birthday) 

 

Jean Paul Gaultier with Dita Von Teese F/W 2011 Couture : Style.com

Editor’s Note: My interview with Francis Kurkdjian was the first to announce the launch of the MFK line. This quote from our interview in October 2009, (when I wrote for Fragrantica is very special to me, and inspired many of the principles of CaFleureBon as I believe M. Kurkdjian's words captures our scented synergies:

Jean Auguste Dominque Ingres:Odaliaque with  Slave

“What is art? dancing on Ravel’s Sylvie Guillem Bolero, Williams Christies conducting a Rameau Opera, Opera singer Maria Callas interpreting Bellini’s Norma, a Madonna concert putting 80,000 people in trance, a retrospective of Ingres at the National Gallery, An artisan at Sèvres spending hundreds of hours to handcraft a biscuit rose porcelain, a Jean Paul Gaultier Haute Couture show. They all push the boundaries with their knowledge of how to flirt with perfection”- Francis Kurkdjian

You may comment  twice if you share one of M. Kurkdjian's  passions above and explain why. For example I chose the painting  Odalisque with Slave by Ingres because it evokes the exotic oriental  scentuality of Absolue Pour Le Soir – MC

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51 comments

  • Claudia Kroyer says:

    Let me just say this, Francis Kurkdjian is one fabulous perfumer….not only did he create one of my favorite fragrances Guerlain Rose Barbare, he also created the beautiful Guerlain eau de Lit home fragrance which smells equally wonderful on the skin (yes i have sprayed it on myself). I enjoyed reading The Best and (Worst) of Fragrances 2010 when Ida mentions that she has back up bottles of this one…i surely know where to go when i want some Ida!!!!! Praying to the perfume gods for this fabulous draw 🙂

  • Sandi says:

    I like Claudia got reeled in from Ida's statement in the best and worst about how many back up bottles she had. But my favorite was Ida's Romance Redux. I love the statement "The embrace that both coforts and seduces." I was so looking forward to winning the first draw but now hope that I have a turn of luck for this one. I had to get a sample of this one and I love Pour le Soir…So whom ever is blessed by the perfume Gods from this lovely Birthday gift ENJOY…

  • Joe says:

    What a nice note from M Kurkdjian. I love Enlevement au Serail and Lumiere Noire pour Femme… and I think Absolue plS is a beautifully animalic, complex fragrance. What an amazing draw. Happy Birthday to both MFK and Cafleurebon.

  • JenM says:

    Wow, what a great draw and nice note! I love F Kurkdjian's perfumes. It was love at first sniff for his Cologne pour le soir, and I also like another of his: Lady Vengeance! And to add to "What is art" and his idea that "They all push the boundaries with their knowledge of how to flirt with perfection", I'd have to add something foodie–like the incredible talent of Chef Ferran Adria. Happy Birthday!

  • cynthia says:

    I loved the article :DAY and NIGHT, describing Pour le soir and Pour le Matin.  I loved this sentence:  If Cologne pour Le Matin was sunlight streaming through linen curtains at sunrise; Absolue pour Le Matin is that same sunlight shining on those who have stayed awake to see sunrise . What a fabulous description! Well done, Mark!   I love (but do not own) the bubbles from the line. What a fun, frivilous item! If I had money to burn, that's what I'd buy.

  • Undina says:

    I went through the list of perfumes by Francis Kurkdjian and realized that the only one I've ever tried – Elizabeth Arden Green Tea – was my favorite scent in 1999 when it was created. So, it's 100%, right?
    As to the article, in addition to the mentioned already "The Best of…", there was an article about perfumery and food with an unusual giveaway – a recipe.

  • Dimitri says:

    The recipient of the coveted Francois Coty Prize for Lifetime Achievement, Francis Kurkdjian has created a number of global triumphs that I adore! His collaborations with Dior (particularly Eau Noire) and Narciso Rodriguez first put his creative work on the map for me, but the launch of his Maison Francis Kurkdjian signified a welcome return to accessible, artisanal-style perfumes, all of which have something unique to offer. I delight in the ancillary products fashioned for the home – and especially love the APOM Incense paper – a modern twist given to the Papier d'Armenie traditions of the 19th century. But it was Michelyn's article last September announcing the news that Absolute Pour le Matin and Le Soir were to be launched along with Mark's reviews of the pair that got me very excited. Whilst I've tried the eaux de colognes, as yet, I've not had the chance to sample the "Absolutes" from his line. Here's wishing Mnsr Kurkdjian and Cafleurebon.com many continued successes in 2011!

  • Isa says:

    Last December I had the chance to try some MFK fragrances at last. I had been looking forward to it. I loved Absolue pour le Matin. I think it's a very versatile perfume. The owner of the perfume shop was talking about the excellences of MFK line for half an hour and I learnt the high quality materials which are used on them.
    My favorite article on Çafleurebon was "Maison Francis Kurkdjian Absolue pour le Matin & Absolue pour le Soir: Day and Night".
    It would be great to win such a masterpiece like Absolue pour le Soir. Thanks!

  • Isa says:

    Oh, I love Kurkdjian passion for Sèvres. I have fallen in love with a crystal vase I saw yesterday. It's beautiful, with little white leaves engraved on the crystal. I think I will put it on my wedding list 🙂

  • karin says:

    Wow!  What a nice offer!  I have great respect and admiration for Mr. Kurkdjian.  He's done some amazing work.  Love that he's started his own line.  Of his new scents, my favorite is Cologne pour le soir.  Love it.  The Absolue – oooh baby!  Amazing stuff.  Favorite Kurkdjian article – Romance Redux.  AplS is a pillow scent if there ever was one!

  • karin says:

    MADONNA!!!!!!!!  I've always admired Madonna for her tenacity and individuality, hard work and commitment.  She's a workhorse, a phenomenon.  Truly a self-made artist – one who didn't have a lot of natural talent, but had the aspiration and drive and vision to pursue a dream.  She said "screw you" to all the naysayers, and skyrocketed to stardom and success.  She's a true professional that rides a thin line, thumbing her nose at convention, a rebel!  I love her!!!! 

  • *jen says:

    If I win only one thing for the rest of the year, let it be this! It was actually Ida's romantic post on Absolue Pour le Soir that sold me on the scent, so that's my pick for favorite article. She compared her love for it with her affair with Mitsouko (!) and I love the idea that the scent makes people smell her pillows and snuffle her neck. Are there better compliments? Stronger endorsements? More tempting words one could put in a review?

    As for ancilliary products from M. Kurkdijian's line, how could it be any less than the scented bubbles?! The concept is PURE GENIUS.

    xoxo,
    *j

  • *jen says:

    Attempt #2 at the prize:

    I'm an artist with "a thing" for art history, but I must say the passion M. Kurkdijian and I share from his list is haute couture. Gaultier, yes, but so many of the designers offer amazing sculptural eye candy in their haute couture collections! No, it's not wearable "in real life" sometimes, but accept it; free the mind, and appreciate the genius and sheer artistry!
    My favorite piece from Gaultier's Spring/Summer '11 haute couture collection (which drew from the English punk scene AND can-can. Genius, I say!) is a black dress with a full skirt, cut away to reveal laser-cut, snow white lace. Stunning.  Oh, and I love the handbag shaped like a mace. Ha!

    xoxo,
    *j

  • Tiara says:

    The review of Absolue pour Le Matin was downright outstanding! Mark compared it to its "alter ego" Cologne pour Le Matin. He wrote, "If Cologne pour Le Matin was sunlight streaming through linen curtains at sunrise; Absolue pour Le Matin is that same sunlight shining on those who have stayed awake to see sunrise."  What a gorgeous description of two fragrances.
     
    APOM Pour Femme was another one I liked – the combination of orange blossom and ylang-ylang was interesting.  Love the idea of scented bubbles but have to admit I haven't seen them in person.

  • sonia garcia says:

    I tried before with no luck but I'd love this time to win this bottle! He is simply amazing, and I love to death one of his creations: my beloved Eau Noire! I share my passion with Madonna and with music in general, he likes to do big things too, like when FK was spraying perfume in an art exhibit in Paris, that is creative and showing the masses his work like Madonna or whatever artist, it was like his concert to the masses!!!

  • Tiara says:

    Sylvie Guillem is an amazing dancer/ballerina!  Love that Bolero performance on the circular red stage (or as she puts it "she dances on a table"). Amazingly athletic and yet so amazingly graceful.

  • Olenska says:

    I love Jean-Paul Gaultier’s retro-apocalyptic costumes for Jean-Pierre Jeunet’s film, City of Lost Children. Whimsical and stylish, seeming at once futuristic & anachronistic… just like Kurkdjian’s Ma Dame.

  • JAntoinette says:

    I must say I have a bit of a crush on M. Kurkdjian, he has such an adorably puckish quality when he speaks of his passions. I drained a sample vial of Absolue pour Le Soir in two days; my husband kept pressing his nose to my arm sniffing and sighing (obviously, we agree wholeheartly with CaFleureBon's awarding it best scent 2010). Although we couldn't scrape enough pennies together to get a bottle for my birthday, I did receive a beautiful box of Papier Encens Lumière Noire, which smells heavenly; it really is an affordable work of art!

  • Alexander Rachev says:

    Not so long ago I got a sample of this extraordinary scent and to be honest I just couldn't stop using it!
    May be the one who said that in the past year didn't come out very good releases made this scent "the best" but that doesn't make it less than perfect.Realy value this example of fine western "french" parfumery and adore all of Kurkdjian's creations.
    I realy liked the way you presented the intimacy in  Le Matin and Le Soir and the contrast day vs night.

  • Style Spy says:

    I haven't tried AplS yet, although I'm dying to. My favorite from FK is Enlevement au Serail,  I get a moment of "liftoff" every time I spritz the EaS – it's so divine that I actually feel like my feet leave the floor for a moment

  • d3m0lici0n says:

    Music is a powerful art, a song moves thousands, it moves feelings and in my point of view perfumery can do this too, maybe not moving thousands at once but it involves feelings, certain smells that sooth you and make you feel calm, FK tries and succeds doing that, his creations are a little bit more than just a perfume, and also by doing this things at museums where he sprays perfume to the visitors is like his own way to reach to the people, not just being an elitist artist. My favorite from hin is Christian Dior "Eau Noire"

  • Nina Z says:

    The buzz about this fragrance, especially on this blog (at least three of you have written about it, no?), has made me so intrigued. Ida described it so memorably in Romance Redux as: "a natural expansion of my own womanliness, the embrace that both comforts and seduces."
    When I looked at the list of fragrances by this artist, I was surprised (and embarrassed) at how few I've tried so far. More to add to my must-smell list! But for now, I'll say my favorite is Rose Barbare

  • Natalia says:

    my favorite is also Rose Barbare! it's a brilliant scent that impresses everyone, good or bad but it will touch you 🙂 i very much enjoyed the article on Absolue pour le Matin and pour le Soir: Day and Night.
     
    this is such a great draw, i'll be delighted to win this fragrance! i have a sample of it and i'm totally in love.

  • Natalia says:

    as for passions…Madonna's second name is passion! she's a term, she's a symbol, she's more than an artist – incredibly creative, fearless and full of energy – she's a force majeure!

  • Claudia Kroyer says:

    Madonna is an Icon……..i love her for that she is herself at all times, she is a leader, not a follower. Strong woman.

  • Claudia Kroyer says:

    I love that Francis Kurkdjian's "Maison Francis Kurkdjian" store offers a variety of items. I love the idea of wearing a scented leather bracelet, brings out the wild side in me.  And how can you not like scented bubbles from such an amazing perfumer. And to think that he wanted to be a ballet dancer before he decided to become a perfumer. He was also the winner of the Prix Francois Coty in 2001. so this prize is amazing. crossing my fingers.

  • Ines says:

    I don't know if I'll qualify (I probably commented on the post about Absolue pour le Soir) but if I were to name my favourite of the MFK line, it would definitely be the ABsolue pour le Soir – I fell in love at first sniff of my long gone sample. 🙂

  • Marcin says:

    To be honest I haven't try any of Maison FK fragrances yet, but I am very curious about them. I know some of other Francis' perfumes and I have to say I adore it – starting from Le Male through Fleur du Male (which is my FK favourite one) and Silver Shadow for Davidoff till Narciso Rodriguez for Him and NR for Her which I love on my wife! In my opinion Kurkdjian is one of the best living perfumers and he has all attributes required to become the Edmont Roudnitska of XXI century! I wish him the best!
    Marcin 

  • Kate S. says:

    Kurkdjian is an artist. If I had to pick just one it would be Rose Barbare because it is probably the most frequent male compliment-getting fragrance I've ever worn!  

  • Charlotte says:

    I don't know if I would be able to contain myself should I win a 'signed' bottle!  I would rather have this than anything……..LOVE IT!!

  • Dusan says:

    Gosh, Francis Kurkdjian is one of my favoritest perfumers. Ever. No, really, I am not just saying that. His is an aesthetic that truly seems to be in tune with my tastes. His entire work for JPG is amazing, and I could never grasp why his wonderful Miracle Homme did so poorly in the sales, and eventually got discontinued. I think one of the reasons why I am so drawn to any new FK fragrance is because he does baroque and classical in a modern and sexy manner. Yes, I am a FK fan boy 🙂

    Funnily enough, I've not smelled a single fragrance from his own line. Could this be my ticket in, I wonder? 😀

  • Mags says:

    Kurkdjian is such a talented perfumer and a smart man and I've been gifted to interview him in Rome recently. It's been so good given that I like so much some of his works!

  • dleep says:

    Madonna is an original as is Mr. Kurkdjian. My sample of Absolue our le Soir is gone but I have kept the empty vial which I take out and sniff. Such a beautiful creation that wears so well on my skin. I would love to win and many thanks for this most generous opportunity.

  • Ruth says:

    The best article? Absolute pour le Matin and Absolute pour le Soir….lemming makers at the very least!  Favorite FK  fragrance? the man has made so few….hahhaaha okay, let's see…Guerlain Rose Barbare is one of my all-time favorites, but Dior Cologne Blanche..anything Indult is good, Miss Charming, Lady Vengeance, a whole list of MDCI….he's clearly a very busy fellow!  I'm a big fan of Mr. Kurkdjian's work and the scented bubbles made me a fan of the man (I mean, come on, how cool was that?) He's a genius with scent and a pretty nice guy too, oh, and cute….what more could anyone ask for? 

  • you smell!!! says:

    I share the music passion, it is clear that he creates thinking that is an art piece and not just a perfume, he wants to move people with his creations, and now I have another chance in winning his best work yet, hope that he keeps bringing more like this in the years to come. My favorite FK creation is Cologne pour le Soir and Dior's Eau Noire.

  • Dimitri says:

    I attended a Madonna concert in Horsens, Denmark in 2006 (Part of her "Confessions" tour)… I was one of 85,000 punters in attendance, and I was amazed! As a performer, few will ever come close! Her light/stage/dance act was something to behold. I definitely share Mnsr Kurkdjian's passion for her live show. 🙂

  • marcopietro says:

    I admire Mr. Kurkdjian and  I love many creations of him:  Absolue pour le Matin, the APOM Incense paper, Eau Noir with Dior ,,,and what about the bubbles? Great idea! A fantastic Coup de Teatre.

  • sara says:

    The article on the Absolue fragrances was my favorite. My favorite MFK scent is Enlevement au Serail. Please enter me into the drawing. Thanks!

  • roberto says:

    The Maison Francis Kurkdjian are really good, I love Cologne pour le Matin and Cologne pour le Soir, he's done an amazing number of fragrances for a lot of houses, and I really like that he has an appreciation for music as well, I hope to get the bottle this time, Happy Birthday to this awesome blog and keep doing those amazing interviews, articles and revies.
    Thanks

  • Myra Clements says:

    Somerville Metro Man's article on Romance Redux has my heart. Such a poetic review of MFK's Absolue pour Le Soir sets a mood of cuddling by the fireplace with one's Amour. FK has many wonderful scents in his repertoire, but the one I love and own is Juliette has a gun Miss Charming. It really does evoke innocence and sweetness to me.
    Love this blog! I am so stoked to have stumbled on here – I am having a ball of a time reading all the past articles. Thank you for the precious reviews! Wish you many many years of success!!
    Best,
    Myra

  • Aubrey says:

    I love these perfume drawings this month! Happy birthday again (it's amazing what you've done in less than 1 year!)
     
    My favorite MFK fragrance is Apom Pour Femme. While it's simpler than many of the others listed above, it smells so comfortable AND pretty AND well made AND it has great transitions, and it's hard to find perfumes that are all of these things (many pretty perfumes are just plain boring or terribly unapproachable, which defeats the purpose of smelling pretty altogether). I haven't splurged for any of the perfumes in the MFK line yet, but I caved and bought the Lumiere Noire room fragrance, and it is STUNNING. It turns my boring bedroom into a boudoir, and I've also sprayed it in the tub while taking a bath. And one of the most amazing things about it is the packaging: even the inside of the box is beautiful with metalic printing and designs and embossing! Seriously, his line is great stuff (and this is my favorite product of his so far, because I love the quality of it, and the fact that it allows me a new way to use perfume).
     
    My favorite article that included MFK was the Best (and Worst) of 2010. I know that this one isn't as educational as a lot of your posts, but it's very HELPFUL to a new perfume lover like me, because it helps me make sure that I have at least TESTED all of the good stuff that came out last year. There was a lot of new fragrances, and it's important not to miss any!

  • Aubrey says:

    I am also very passionate about Madonna (but then again, who isn't?). I remember when her Immaculate COllection tape came out. I asked for it for Christmas as my #1 Gift on the list– and I received it! I was in TOTAL HEAVEN.

    Unfortunately, when my father heard my playing the tape and heard the "Justify my love" song, he made me RETURN the tape! Oy! It's tough to love beautiful things that other people don't understand!

  • sonia garcia says:

    I went to the U2 concert in the Popmart Tour and that one was the biggest concert that I've been to, it was like 80000 people there, it was crazy, and I really truly share FK passion with music, it is one of the arts taht really can move the world.

  • Lisa BTB says:

    I haven't had the pleasure of enjoying any MFK fragrances but Absolue Pour le Soir has been on the top of my list since reading Ida's article, Romance Redux.

  • Ccc says:

    Romance Redux was my favorite, no doubts. Enlevement au serail, Eau noir, Reve en cuir, Tihota, Lady Vengeance, Lumiere Noir, Fragile. All great fragrances, all so different… It is hard to pick a favorite. He is just amazing. I love all of them. 

  • Sean says:

    My favorite article on Cafleurebon.com with Kurkdjian in it was the one "Day and Night" article about the creation of the Absolue's for his MFK line. It's so rare to have good insight into why perfumers make the choices that they do, and it was interesting to hear the changes in notes and that these were not just stronger versions of the originals.

  • Ccc says:

    Because I am allowed to comment twice I should say I share more than one passion with  FK.

    Bolero by Ravel is fantastic. Some would say that Sylvie's dancing style is not forceful enough  for Bolero. I would say her elegance and simplicity brings a different and unusual sensuous dimension to the music.

    Bellini's Norma has few interpretations but Maria Callas gave the best of it. This is a very challenging role and requires so many capabilities, but she makes it look effortless. Dramatic soprano is a role that fits her perfectly.  This is something I could call perfection. 
    I love painted porcelain and Sèvres is the best. I wish I had a collection…
    Also I find Madonna a great entertainer. I went to couple of her concerts and the energy is just unbelievable. I felt I was a teenager again.  
    I know that FK studied ballet and piano. My whole childhood I wanted to study ballet and piano but  I wasn't allowed… Finally I have a chance to do that. It is too late for ballet but piano is a great friend at every age. 

  • Marcin says:

    I'd love to try Aqua Universalis by MFK. It was very enjoyable to read the Sommerville Metro Man article about Absolue Pour le Matin and Pour le Soir.