French Lover by Frederic Malle / Pierre Bourdon and Three New Parfum d'Empire Scents
 Osmoz reports that in May, Frederic Malle will release a new perfume created by Pierre Bourdon (Iris Poudre, Institut Tres Bien Colognes, Feminite du Bois) called French Lover. Apparently, Malle's "original idea was to create a fuller-bodied version of the scent Angéliques sous la Pluie. But the creator and the perfumer soon went beyond that concept to come up with a sophisticated men’s scent, ‘super-sensual, but not trashy.’" I am quite frankly glad they abandoned the idea of plumping up Angéliques, since its very charm lies in its cold, ethereal translucency. The notes include "dazzling green notes of pimento and galbanum, iris, cedar, trimofix, angelica, frankincense and vetiver. Mosses, musks, ambroxan and karanal bestow ‘a kind of plant-based animal quality that immediately evoked the smell of a man’ [for the creators]". 1.7 fl. oz.: €90; 3.4 fl. oz.: €135.Love the notes, dislike the cheesy name. Also according to Osmoz, in late June, Parfum d’Empire will launch three new fragrances, "whose names are still top secret". They are said to be "a woody-iris scent inspired by the Roman Empire; a ferny blond-tobacco one inspired by the colonial-Indian Empire; and a fruity-floral osmanthus scent inspired by the Chinese Empire". The image is from osmoz.com. |
posted by Marina |
12:02 AM
27 Comments:
M, I have already written to the Malle website in hopes of obtaining a free sample of the new scent. You are right, the name is terrible, Good grief, they are French, why not come up with something in...French?
As the Merovingian said in the movie "The Matrix", "I love French wine, like I love the French language. I have sampled every language, French is my favorite. Fantastic language. Especially to curse with. Nom de dieu de putain de bordel de merde de saloperie de connard d'enculé de ta mère. It's like wiping your arse with silk. I love it." LOL...
Kelley,
That is a fantastic quote! I am writing it down and I will find a way to use it somehow :-)
And even if they didn't want a French name, fine, just come up with something a little less obvious and cliché. I am a little surprised that the very chic- "not for my friends' maids"- Malle would choose a name like that.
Having said that, I am sure the scent will smell wonderful.
"super-sensual, but not trashy" - I am glad they left the trashiness just to the fragrance name. It sounds promising, but that name makes me cringe.
Faizan,
Touche! And just what I thought too when I read the description..."not trashy", hmm, just the name then :-)
I like the sounds of that Indian empire one.
*falls over laughing*
Kelley, you nailed it!
FM indeed calls Merovingian to mind with this scent, which is probably going to be great, yet the cheesy name is unforgivable.
It sounds exactly like Merovingian, who is a man (more exactly, a program) powerful and menacing enough, yet, his pretentious nonsense and ridiculous petty games he plays with his bored wife (who gets her revenge) make him just cheeeeeesy. Lambert Wilson is delightful in this role, he and the stunning Monica Bellucci bring an unexpected spark of brilliant comedy with their absurd marital sqabbles into the movie that`s otherwise trying so hard to be serious it`s ridiculous.. Perhaps FM should do an ad with him.
I urge you, watch his monologue here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S4FnCIsRUyI and Persephone`s revenge (who, angry at her unfaithful husband, releases an important prisoner to Merovingian`s enemies, exchanging him for a kiss from Neo): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7lvTIX6sBlw. (this is from The Matrix Reloaded, the second part of the Matrix trilogy.)
I'm trembling with excitement at the thought of the FM and the PdEs. I remember being thrilled by the rumour about the Angelique concentrate; just hope this one isn't too macho. Those Parfum d'Empires sound great; I am so in love with Cuir Ottoman, I have great hopes for this line (and I think PdE has the most elegant bottle presentation in my whole collection - love those tall bottles.)
B,
Yes, Kelley has definitely nailed it with that quote!
Speaking of The Matrix. I thought that the 2nd movie was so mindbogglingly, unbelievably BAD that I could not bring myself to watch the 3rd one. :-)
Erin,
Me too!
Nina,
I agree with you. I think FL does have a potential to be macho and on the sharp side. But I am very excited about the new PdEs. I absolutely adore this line.
Arggggh. Will NOT buy any more right now. CANNOT buy any more right now. . . The Malle sounds great, as do 2 of the 3 PdEs.
J,
That's OK, they are not out yet...I am curious to try FL, but I'd probably end buying at least of those PdEs.
I was getting tired of perfume, but this news excites me. I'm wearing a beret as I type to get me in a FM mood, ma petite.
oh my God, "French Lover"? the FM marketing associates must have been high on coke while debating about it. this *is not* a suitable name for a perfume house like Frederic Malle. in fact, I resent them a bit for that. maybe they wanted to make Britney Spears jealous ;-))
I hope the perfume itself will be outstanding to put its shameful name into shade.
Leopoldo,
Oui, same here :-)
Tina,
I agree. And it is uncharacteristic of that line to come up with a name like that, strange...
I feel moved to defend FM and the name... I see it as quite tongue in cheek, a wink to that international myth that is the French Lover. What you've got to understand is that it is in *French* that we say "French Lover": there's no equivalent en français.
Think Maurice Ronet (the avowed inspiration), Alain Delon, Sami Frey, all those brooding dark Gallic charmers of the Sixties. Remember how everyone used to hate Carnal Flower but no one ever brings up the name again because the "jus" is so great? I'll bet the same thing happens.
D,
OK, I am ready to change my mind...:-) From now on, when I see the name of these scents, I'll think of the gorgeous Delon *swoon* and the dark Gallic charmers.
You know that French cinema is extremely popular in Russia? Or was, at least, when I was growing up. I name names and my DH just looks at me like I am from another planet (I am :-)). He has never heard of the actor and actresses I know. Ha!
M., I'm not that surprised about French cinema's popularity in Russia... I've always found that people from the former USSR have a much broader film culture than North Americans, because they actually had access to non-American films (unlike Americans).
I also think French Lover befits Serge Gainsbourg, probably the greatest FL of them all (Brigitte Bardot, Catherine Deneuve, Jane Birkin: can you think of a more alluring string of conquests?).
My only fear is that FL will be too male for me.
D,
Oh yes, Gainsbourg!
I too think that FL might be a little too macho.
A "ferny blond-tobacco" från Parfum d'Empire? (I never get that straight! Parfum or Parfums?) It's mine, do you hear me, mine!
The french lover sounds nice to... I have a Friend who used to have one... An older, rich French lover who paid for her stays in Paris...
Gee my brain is obviously not working anymore... apart from all the typos I corrected: from, not från (that's Swedish), French, not Friend... sheesh...
S,
No, it is mine, mine! :-)
Good for your friend! I am kind of jealous :-)
I`m with you on The Matrix Reloaded. I liked the first movie, but the 2nd and 3rd made me only roll eyes.
Lambert Wilson was a rare highlight there.
Ha! Frederic Malle will get away with a RIDICULOUS name because the juice will be wonderful. Poor ELO will have to stand and admire how it's done. (Hm, trip to Les Senteurs scheduled the second they get this in).
Nicola,
Yeah, poor ELdO. They are no competition for FM, that's for sure :-)
If you get to sniff FL at Senteurs, please report!!
Will do!
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