Many lovers of vintage perfumes, like me, cringe at the word “reformulation”. It usually means cashing in on a legend and results in something pale and ghostly, compared to the original. In the case of Balmain Ivoire, it is not so much a ghost as it is a stunning and crisp homage that does justice to the original.
TOCCA started in fashion in 1994 and released a wildly popular sari dress. They continue to produce fashion but it is their fragrances, more than their clothes, which speak to me. Each based on a real-life muse.
When I heard Estee Lauder was releasing its very first unisex scent, Wood Mystique, I was overjoyed. Wood Mystique is definitely a more “cool weather” scent, with its warmer notes, its dark intrigue, and full floriental nature.
When pondering what to write about, for Halloween, it was a “no brainer”. Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab (or BPAL to its fans and fanatics) was the winner, hands down. BPAL has created scents that glorify literature, the gothic era, mythology and everything from love to death.
The original So Elixir came out in the autumn of 2009 and was their first perfume (in a long time) that really enchanted me. When I received the press release about So Elixir Purple, I had truly mixed feelings. I loved the original, yet was afraid that the flanker would fall short of the original.
When I found out samples of the newest Jo Malone release, Blackberry & Bay, were headed my way I was ecstatic. I grew up in the hills of southwestern Pennsylvania, where every year, towards summer’s end, my mother and I would go hither and yon to gather wild blackberries.
