Tulips are one of the most admired and beloved flowers the world around. Tulips are symbolic of fame and perfect love. The symbolic meanings also change with the color of the tulips. Red tulips mean “true love”. Variegated tulips mean “you have beautiful eyes.” Yellow tulips mean “there’s sunshine in your smile” and cheerful thoughts. Cream colored tulips mean “I will love you forever.” White tulips symbolize heaven, newness and purity. Purple tulips symbolize royalty. Pink tulips mean affection and caring. Orange tulips mean energy, enthusiasm, desire, and passion. The pansy is named from the French word “pensee” meaning thoughts, in particular the thoughts of lovers. The myth grew that you could see a loved one in the face of the pansy.
When it comes to the realm of fragrance pansies and tulips aren’t given the same deference as roses, jasmine, violets, lilies, or plumeria, which have a strong fragrance. And can be created without synthetic molecules. According to the renowned Michel Roudnitska, président at FONDATION EDMOND ROUDNITSKA you cannot extract the “jus” of a pansy, you can only evoke its velvet like texture. (Be serious folks, please) In haute couture fashion, violets and roses are popular themes…. ditto beauty.
So let’s pay homage to the common tulips and pansy through the avant garde lenses of Illamasqua, Christian Dior Couture, Hilde Soliani, L’Artisan Parfumeur and Ellie D by Michel Roudnitska.
Illamasqua’s roots stem from the dark and illicit 1920 and 30s club scene, and the kaleidoscopic palette and out-of-this-world colors would fit the hedonistic vamp played by Liza Minnelli in the movie Cabaret as easily as it would Lady Gaga’s futuristic and flamboyant style. The buzzzzz was building when I first found out about the line in 2009, and I hadn’t seen anything like it since M.A.C was introduced in Henri Bendel’s on West 57th street in the 1980s. Created by British makeup artist Alex Box and adopted quickly by celebrities like Sienna Miller, Lily Allen,and Adele sold out completely within three months of its debut in Sephora. Nary a beauty aficionado, a scant two years later from women (and men) age16 to 60 are stocking up and the brand which is synonymous with TRUE COLORS.
The hot colors this summer are inspired by, yes, pansies and tulips. I NEEDED a new lipgloss in coral and hot pink that didn’t have the intensity of a lipstick but provided a pop of color; having experience with the brand I selected from their range of ‘sheer’ lipgloss (which, by any other brand’s standards would be full color) which is so richly hued and flattering, that I can wear it on its own in lieu of a lipstick. I chose Divine and Torture. They are especially beautiful layered.
One blush to wear with everything this summer is the peachy apricot with a hint of pink, Lover. So go bold, or more natural, you are sure to look beautiful. I promise you, you will not look like “Divine” …that is unless you want to.
Available at Sephora.com
John Galiano, formerly head designer of Christian Dior Couture is now a persona non grata in the fashion world ( for his racial slurs and anti Semitic remarks and is about to stand trial in France). But his body of work can be separated from the man for the purpose of this article to showcase pansies and tulip patterns and shapes. As most haute couture, use your imagination on how these beautiful designs, colors and patterns can be translated into real life.
When I think of tulip and perfumes, I immediately think of Hilde Soliani Tuo Tulipano (from the Ti Amo collection, (remember… red tulips symbolize “love”); nary a tulip note in the composition , yet it is the embodiment of a red tulip and everything that the often detested and over marketed fruity-floral could be and is in a niche brand.
Top notes: lime, bergamot, black currant, white peach, kiwi, passion fruit
Heart: freesia, jasmine, lily of the valley
Base: musk, vetiver, oak moss
http://www.iltuotulipano.com/iltuotulipano.html
One of my favorite fragrances that actually uses tulip notes is L’Artisan Parfumeur’s Traversée du Bosphore; which is also the last time I saw Bertrand Duchaufour (October, 2010). “In creating this perfume, for me it was very important to show duality. The leather contrasted with the Turkish Delight is very important element of this fragrance.” When I asked which fragrance Brian Kurtz, Sales and Marketing Director, North America at Penhaligon’s (who introduced me to the line back in 2007 and returns after a hiatus to L’Artisan and Penhaligon’s) is wearing NOW, “ I am really liking Traversee du Bosphore.” I was surprised and his repsonse prompted me to review the press release which included the line “Gardens bursting with a thousand dazzling tulips exude green notes” I defer to Managing Editor Mark Behnke’s spot on review
Jessica Dunne hired Michel Roudnitska to create her inaugural fragrance— Ellie, for her new company Ellie D in 2006 (naming the company Ellie D was an ode to her grandmother Eleanor Dunne, who loved classical French perfumery). Ellie has bright, citrusy top notes of bergamot and tangerine, a floral heart of cyclamen, lily of the valley, jasmine, gardenia and rose, to the woody drydown. Unexpected accords of coconut and vanilla created a surprising twist to a not quite traditional white floral.
Photo: Courtesy of Jane Daly
Ellie D’s second perfume, Ellie Nuit, just by its name sounded like a more intense version, a ’flanker’ of the original. NO! This is an entirely different perfume, a woody floral that showcases the talent of Michel Roudnitska. Ellie Nuit opens with the green sap of fig and the wood accords immediately kick in—sandalwood, oakmoss, and cashmere wood. So unexpected, these accords usually appear in the drydown. The heart releases violet, rose and blackcurrant and then, the mysterious dry down, which I wish I could express more eloquently, but evokes burying your face into dark purple pansies, soft as velvet. Ellie Nuit is so decadent; I sometimes use it in my bath. Available at www.luckyscent.com
– Michelyn Camen, Editor-In Chief
For our draw:
100ml of of Hilde Soliani Tuo Tulipano –valued at $250.00
.5 0z of Ellie Nuit perfume oil-valued at $180
50ml of Traversee du Bosophore –valued at $115
(We thank Jessica Dunne, Brian Kurtz, and Hilde Soliani for the draws. Wink to Tom Kast Hoyer)
To be eligible, leave a comment, a poem, a song, a painting that evokes pansies and tulips. Give a shout out to Illamasqua and Cyndi Lauper who out Gaga’s anyone from back in the 80s. Creativity counts but so does every comment! You can specify which fragrance you would like to win. Draw closes June 12, 2011