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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
thingslike 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 flaçonraised, bevelled glass
dots, reminiscent of water dropletsand 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
plantwhich the company has wisely kept secret from the Donaldprovides
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 packaginga 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$21·5050).
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 blossoma
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 (13681644). 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 vintagecontemporary
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 impetuousa 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.
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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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5
6
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Read
the first Lucire Men supplement in the July 2005 issue
of Lucire.
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