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AXE Unlimited
AXE BodySprays came on the scene with a combination of an awe-inspiring and aspirational advertising (and media) campaign and a product that struck the right chord with its target audience. In a very short time, it has managed to corner more than its share of the market-place and the consumer dollar. Truth in advertising time, AXE leaves guys smelling great so they can concentrate on more important things—like how to get the girl and the guy, too. While AXE is best known for its eight unique deodorant body sprays (Touch, Essence, Phoenix, Kilo, Tsunami, Orion, Apollo, and Voodoo, US$3·99), even more is on the horizon. The company recently introduced the latest sibling to the line, Unlimited, as well as AXE Dry anti-perspirant and deodorant products and a new AXE shower gel.
   Unlimited (1) is a worthy addition to the line and encompasses all aspects of the line (body spray, anti-perspirant, deodorant [2] and shower gel). The new line of shower gels (12 fl oz, US$3·99) comes in four fragrances: Touch, Essence, Phoenix and Kilo. The AXE Dry (2·7 oz invisible solid and 3 oz gel, US$3·99) comes in five fragrances: Touch, Essence, Phoenix, Kilo and Tsunami. AXE products are sold at food, drug and mass outlets.

Eaux de Forte, Eaux de Pure and Eaux de Fraiche
Not one to rest on their laurels, the powers-that-be at Caron have jumped feet-first into the competitive summer fragrance market-place with a trio of sheer water fragrances: Eau de Pure, Eau de Forte and Eau de Fraîche. Originally introduced in France, these three fragrances arrive on the US shores just in time for the official start of summer.
   Eau de Pure (3), a fresh blend of marine and spicy notes, is the “leader” of this pack but the others are just as intriguing.
   Designed to appeal to a younger generation, Eau de Fraîche can be enjoyed by both sexes; and its dynamic blend of citrus fruits supplemented with subtle floral notes will instantly awaken and rejuvenate the senses.
   The fruity notes of Eau de Forte (4) exude dynamism, vitality and vivacity. Brimming with an energy and joie de vivre all its own, Eau de Forte can also be enjoyed by both men and women.
   All the Eaux de Caron summer scents are packaged in the signature Caron flaçon—raised, bevelled glass dots, reminiscent of water droplets—and encased in vibrant, colourful and spirited boxes.
Eaux de Caron summer fragrances are available at the Parfums Caron Boutique (675 Madison Avenue, New York), and select Saks Fifth Avenue, Bergdorf Goodman and Nordstrom. For more information, please call 1 877 88-CARON.

Donald Trump, the Fragrance
Last November, Aramis and Designer Fragrances, a division of the Estée Lauder Companies, announced that it would join forces with Donald Trump in a multi-year deal as the spokesperson for a new men's fragrance called Donald Trump, the Fragrance (5). It was at that moment I thought to myself, ‘Just when you thought it was safe to go back into the water …’ To my surprise and against my better judgement, I found the Trump signature fragrance to be an EDT spray that grows on you. Really.
   Although Mr Trump is the very definition of the American success story and an unabashed braggadocio, his fragrance is as quiet as a church mouse when it comes to announcing itself. The top note of the cologne contains citrus notes with hints of mint, cucumber and black basil. The middle note, made from an exotic plant—which the company has wisely kept secret from the Donald—provides a green effect with woody undertones, rounded out with spicy, peppery accents. The base notes come from exotic woods and has a receptive combination of earthy, herbaceous and spicy notes. The geometric glass bottle is tall, slim and clear and comes wrapped, of course, in solid gold packaging—a lot like his buildings, glaringly overdone, which I think was the whole point all along.
   At the announcement press conference, Mr Trump remarked, 'My new partnership with Aramis and Designer Fragrances is huge. They are leaders in the industry. Donald Trump, tThe Fragrance, will be the best men's scent available and the must-have gift for the holidays.'
   To my chagrin, he was right. It was one of the best selling men's fragrances of the 2004 holiday season. The scent continues to be a best seller for Mr Trump and Aramis, and I recommend giving it a try if you are planning to change your scent for the summer.
   Donald Trump, the Fragrance is available in a 100 ml bottle for the suggested retail price of US$60 at Federated Department Stores and online at www.macys.com.

Spirit Antonio Banderas
At the recent 2005 FiFi Awards (see Lucire, June 2005), Spirit Antonio Banderas from Puig Fragrances & Personal Care, Inc. (6) was a double winner (Best Packaging of the Year, Men's Popular Appeal and 2005 Men's Fragrance of the Year, Popular Appeal); and both awards were richly deserved. This totally unassuming scent has been a winner since the beginning with its launch in 2004 in the United States, and it continues to be a winner on all fronts in 2005.
   Created by Elizabeth Vidal, Spirit Antonio Banderas is a modern oriental that embodies the complex and fiery Latin personality of Mr Banderas himself. It envelope you in a force field of raw sensual energy, but it is not an overpowering scent. With a winning combination of vibrant top notes (bergamot, citrus leaves), sensual, masculine middle notes (orange tree leaves, florals, cinnamon bark) and an arresting set of base notes (vanilla, wood, amber, sandalwood); this is sensual, high-end luxury at mass market prices (US$21·50–50). Spirit Antonio Banderas is available at fine chain drug and mass-market retailers.

Bond No. 9's Chinatown
A new addition to the long line of successful collection of fragrances named after signature areas in New York City is Bond No. 9's Chinatown (7). Dedicated to one of the most rapidly expanding (and most colourful) neighbourhoods in the City, Bond No. 9's Chinatown is engrossed both in the emerging superpower energy and the avant-garde cachet of downtown New York, naturally capturing the essence of this high-energy swathe of Lower Manhattan for this latest New York-centric fragrance.
   Its topnote is a burst of peach blossom—a mystic fruit in Chinese mythology that Taoists consider the elixir of life. The midnotes are an intoxicating cross-cultural bouquet: peony, blended with creamy-sweet gardenia and sultry tuberose, and mouth-watering patchouli, which add a spiky note to the other florals. The lingering base notes are cardamom (an ancient spice from the east, long used as a condiment) and dark woods (recalling the scent of Chinese inlaid lacquered boxes). Bond No. 9's Chinatown is infused with the long tradition of the so-called oriental perfumes that held sway in the twentieth century. But it's also innovative: it's the first to add a New York æsthetic to the mix.
   Chinatown's flaçon, the signature Bond No. 9 superstar bottle, is adorned with an all-over plum blossom design such as you might find on a satin cheongsam. But this particular design takes its inspiration from a porcelain ginger jar dating back to the Ming Dynasty (1368–1644). On one side of the bottle, the flowers are the colour of iridescent pearl on a deep fuchsia background. But turn it over, and in yin-yang style you discover the same design with the colours reversed. This vintage–contemporary surface design reflects the spirit of Chinatown today, holding on to tradition in its maze of centre streets, giving way to avant-garde restaurants and design boutiques along the periphery.
   Bond No. 9's Chinatown is available in a 3·4 fl oz (US$178), and a 1·7 fl oz travel size (US$110) at Bond No. 9 boutiques, Creed Parfumerie (680 Madison Avenue at 61st Street and 897 Madison Avenue at 72nd Street, 1 212 794-4480), Saks Fifth Avenue, or online at www.saks.com.

La Rocaille
Our Miss Rocaille (from Caron Paris, 8) is exuberant, spontaneous and impetuous—a juxtaposition of feminine grace with masculine vigour. It is a scent for a woman that embraces life to its fullest, with a dynamic energy imbued in its centre. The mystique and wondrous adventures of Miss Rocaille, a new fragrance by Caron, began in the 1930s, a period rich in great creativity and absolute innovation. With Fleurs de Rocaille (flowers of the rock) and its unforgettable acetaldehydes, Caron created this most timeless essence of femininity. The fragrance was reformulated in 1993 when the company released a new version of Fleur de Rocaille, a perfume with a magical yet modern touch that held on to and captured the imagination of a whole new generation of parfum wearers.
   Richard Fraysse, the exclusive nose behind Caron, returned to the lab, and borrowing some of the ingredients from the original scent (and adding exotic new essence of Vietnamese basil, mandarin zest, water-lily blossoms, seawater mist and pistachio absolute) he created Miss Rocaille (eau de toilette spray 50 ml, US$70; 100 ml, US$90), a vibrantly youthful, ultra-modern version of the magical personality that is 'Rocaille'.
   The purity and transparency of Miss Rocaille is a combination of sweet top notes (mandarin zest, Vietnamese basil, orange basil), fresh green middle notes (green lily of the valley, water lily blossom, seawater mist) and warm basenotes (absolute pistachio and white musk), all coming together to create another classic scent from Caron Paris.
   Miss Rocaille is available at the Caron Boutique (675 Madison Avenue, 61st and 62nd Streets in New York City, 1 212 319-4888) and in select Saks Fifth Avenue stores, and online at www.perfumebay.com and www.beautifulperfumes.com. Call 1 877 88-CARON for more information or visit www.parfums-caron.com. •

Phillip D. Johnson is features’ editor of Lucire.

It was at that moment I thought to myself, ‘Just when you thought it was safe to go back into the water …’ To my surprise and against my better judgement, I found the Trump signature fragrance grows on you. Really

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Read the first Lucire Men supplement in the July 2005 issue of Lucire. To make sure you don’t miss out, click on the image at right to subscribe or buy a single copy. (Click 'Yes' if pop-up boxes appear—you're being switched to our secure server and it is completely safe.)