Michael Kors Bermuda: Perfume Review

“The most exciting thing to say now is, 'Oh, she really looks pretty ,' ... That's not such a dirty word anymore.” Michael Kors I think that at some point in time, unnoticed by me, my jadedness transformed into a zen-like state of hating nothing, being head-over-heels in love with nothing and accepting all. Which is a round-about way of preparing you for my shocking admission that I like Bermuda, Kors's latest offering in his Island collection. That's right, I like the watery floral-fruity liquid that comes in a pink bottle. When I say, "like", I mean that I find it agreeable, easy-to-wear and pretty in a conventional and cheerful manner, and that if a bottle was to materialize in my cabinet, I would probably pick it up absentmindedly and spray once a year, in summer, and not regret it during the course of the day. I am starting to realize that I must be a fan of freesia in perfume, something I never knew about myself before. I love Beige, I adore Kors's nouveau riche monster of a scent, Michael Kors, with its overdose of freesia and tuberose...There is quite a lot of freesia in Bermuda, rendered in a much more transparent way, despite the presence of other heavy-hitters like peonies, jasmine and tiare. The watery green accord, declared in the list of notes, must be responsible for this fresh translucency. I wouldn't call the scent fresh per se, but it does possess a certain breeziness. The contrast of floral and fresh/green is nothing new, but I did warn you right from the start that there was nothing groundbreaking about Bermuda....there is certainly nothing groundbreaking about its generic pale drydown of cedar and musk. But the overall effect is pretty, and that's what I'm in a mood for, I guess. Paraphrasing Kors's quote above, smelling pretty is not such a dirty word for me anymore. Available at Sephora, $62.00 for 50ml.

Perfume Review: Chanel Beige

Beige is the new addition to Les Exclusifs de Chanel collection of fragrances. Inspired by Chanel's love for the color ("I take refuge in beige because it's natural," said Mademoiselle), the fragrance is meant to evoke all shades of the elusive hue: from honey to whitish... I have heard several complaints about the name being boring, and by the admission of the Chanel people themselves: "beige may seem quite ordinary." Personally, I am a big fan of the color; stepping into my wardrobe is akin to falling into a sandpit...Like Chanel, I think that "behind this apparent simplicity, it [beige] hides a discreet sensuality." It seems to me that the composition focuses on this sensuality rather than the everyday versatility of the color. The white floral blend of Beige is a silk evening gown, not a practical jersey jacket. Jacques Polge interprets the slinky aspect of beige by using luscious floral notes of freesia and frangipani enriched by a touch of honey. The combination could have been too heady were it not balanced by a sharper note of hawthorn. The silky intensity of Beige, reminiscent of Gardenia, is roughed up by this slightly bitter, angular note, and the smooth-and-jagged effect is very attractive, an olfactory equivalent of raw silk. I particularly love the bitter quality of flowers, the quality that reminds me a little of Hermes's majestic 24, Faubourg. Beige is as elegant and ladylike as it gets (note the emphasis on the discreteness of its sensuality). It is a cold, somewhat arrogant beauty, a "better than thou" scent. It smells like a Proper Perfume in that it is abstract, complex, and, regardless of whether it is full of natural ingredients or totally synthetic, it smells...man-made, for a lack of a better term. It is, in short, very Chanel; and I can't help but admire Polge's ability to keep his creations so very much in spirit of the House. I happen to adore this kind of dressed-up, ladylike, slightly bitchy, coldly intense floral fragrances, so I am thrilled to see one more in Chanel's collection. If I were not a fan of this particular style, I might have questioned the necessity of a very classic smelling white floral in the line that already includes Gardenia. Whether you are attracted by this concept or not, you should smell Beige anyway, if only to refresh a memory of what a Perfume is supposed to be like. In this age of Smells, when perfumes are not supposed to be perfumey anymore, Chanel should be applauded for sticking to their guns and (once in a while) doing what they do best- timeless classics. Beige will be available in October, at first exclusively at Saks Fifth Avenue, 200ml for $190. The quotes and the image of the bottle are from Chanel press release. Our reviews of other Les Exclusif fragrances: 31, Rue Cambon, Bel Respiro, Bois des Iles, Chanel No. 18, Chanel No. 22, Coromandel.