Anne Flipo: 11 posts

Take Thierry Mugler Angel and dilute it with sheer, lemony jasmine till all you have left are the pastel colored outlines of the original gourmand patchouli. Shake it up, label Yves Saint Laurent, and you have Manifesto! I complained that Lancôme La Vie Est Belle is unexciting, but next to Manifesto it’s downright avant-garde.

My qualm with Manifesto is not that it’s a bad perfume, but that it doesn’t have much character. Smell it once, smell it ten times, I guarantee that you won’t remember it. Of course, not every single fragrance needs to make a statement–mild, unobtrusive blends do have their place, but Manifesto could be inside any bottle: the latest celebrity launch, Escada, Calvin Klein, Coty, Avon or even Bath and Body Works. It’s not entirely clear what makes this perfume Yves Saint Laurent. It doesn’t have the bravura of Opium nor the voluptuous beauty of Paris. It lacks the sensuality of Cinéma or the moodiness of Nu. It smells trendy, like a scent you’ve noticed  many times before at the mall or inside a crowded subway car–a cotton candy laced patchouli, with a soft blur of flowers.

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‘Please see my review of Viktor & Rolf Flowerbomb‘ — this is how I originally started my post on the newest Lancôme perfume La Vie Est Belle. This big Lancôme launch takes a lesson from its flop Magnifique and does everything by the book: a fetching package (check), something pink (check) and a safe, easy to like perfume (check). It’s even better if you tag on a well-known spokesperson (check, Julia Roberts looks gorgeous in the ads).

While my initial reaction was to dismiss La Vie Est Belle as another copycat, after wearing it for the past couple of weeks I’m not so sure what I think. The citrusy top notes laced with tangy raspberries were facile, but addictive, while the gourmand drydown tempered by earthy iris was surprisingly mellow.  I readied myself for another cheap fruit compote, but I discovered a trendy and likable perfume. I would have had an easier time making up my mind if it smelled cheap, but it doesn’t.

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Star rating: 5 stars–outstanding/potential classic, 4 stars–very good, 3 stars–adequate, 2 stars–disappointing, 1 star–poor.

A complex raw material such as the root of an iris plant can be a perfume in itself. Although iris as a perfumery note is liable to be classified as floral, the scent of orris butter, as the thick, creamy essence is called, is closer to that of green vegetables, wet roots and damp soil. L’Artisan Parfumeur first released Iris Pallida as a limited edition in 2007, and this year, the fragrance has once again been relaunched. Composed around a fine grade of orris butter, it is meant to pay a tribute to the beauty of this raw material.

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Star rating: 5 stars–outstanding/potential classic, 4 stars–very good, 3 stars–adequate, 2 stars–disappointing, 1 star–poor.

Commencing the tradition of distilling a particular essence and creating a composition around it, L’Artisan Parfumeur is going to launch Fleur d’Oranger in October of 2005, a fragrance created by Anne Flipo—the nose behind such fragrances as La Chasse aux Papillons, Verte Violette, and Un Zeste d’Été—from the flowers, twigs and leaves of the Tunisian orange tree.

When the orange blossoms unfold their white petals, the scent that fills the air cannot be described in any way, but as an essence of sunshine. Its soft sweetness underscored by luscious opulence is sustained by a lovely green note that almost fades into citrusy verdancy, without ever managing to part ways with the floral heart. Fleur d’Oranger exhibits the radiant exuberance of the orange blossom brilliantly, with just a touch of emerald lushness of leaves heated by the sun. As the first scintillating floral notes subside, a delicate resinous note resurfaces, adding a pleasing tenacity and depth. The delicious white petals become suspended in the mélange of woods and leaves, yet their clarity and sweetness remains unobscured.

For a gauzy confection, this is a remarkably tenacious fragrance, lasting on my skin for several hours. Although it is a fairly linear composition, I find Fleur d’Oranger to be a successful orange blossom rendition, without either soapy or musty quality that is often associated with the orange blossom soliflores.

The fragrance is a limited edition, released in a 100ml (3.4oz) bottle. Packaged in the beautifully embossed wooded crate, the bottle will be of the traditional L’Artisan shape, but with the delicate floral design and the fragrance name engraved in the glass.  .

Star rating: 5 stars–outstanding/potential classic, 4 stars–very good, 3 stars–adequate, 2 stars–disappointing, 1 star–poor.

Fruity-floral can be a tired category, since too many of them inundate the market at the present. Rochas presents something different. Poupèe (2004), meaning “doll” in French, is an example of tuberose and fruit marriage. Anne Flipo, a nose behind many of L’Artisan Parfumeur fragrances, including La Chasse Aux Papillons, Jacinthe du Bois and Violette Vert, paired white floral accords against a pure yellow of pineapple. The top notes are a rainstorm of orange blossom and tuberose, both of which quickly melt into the sweetness of tart fruity shimmer. The fruity jam stage is my least favourite part, however it does not last particularly long, before giving tuberose a center stage it rightfully claims, accompanied by a hint of powdery violet and soft nutty notes. The final bars are those of a vanillic warmth of benzoin. I find Poupèe to be too sweet for me and perhaps too pretty, but it is still a nice example of the modern fruity floral.

Notes: Orange blossom, pineapple, gardenia, green jasmine, hazelnut, tuberose, sandalwood, benzoin, amber, balms.