THE BEAUTY BIBLE PERFUME PANEL: READ REAL READERS’ RECOMMENDATIONS FOR SUMMER 2011
Take a dozen women. And 10 perfumes, their identities carefully concealed. Place them in a glamorous location with a well-known perfume guru. (Lorna McKay, consultant to QVC, former fragrance buyer at Harrods and Liberty, and co-creator of Liz Earle’s bestselling Botanical Essence No. 1.) Then sit back and listen, while they tap into the thoughts, memories and emotions that each fragrance unlocks…
This is just what Beauty Bible recently did (in tandem with the Mail on Sunday YOU Magazine). Led by Lorna, the dozen first sniffed their way through ‘spills’ (the kind of blotter you’d find in a department store or perfumery), spritzed with summer scents: a wide selection, shortlisted from the season’s most important launches. After totting up their scores (out of 10), the panellists’ pulse-points were then spritzed with their top four. And after allowing time for those scents to unfurl, the names of the winners were finally revealed.
So we thought we’d upload the testers’ verdicts to our website, to help you take a short-cut to some of the fabbest scents for summer 2011...
And for Lorna McKnight’s SCENT SHOPPING SECRETS, click here.
Prada Infusion d’Iris
What Prada told us: ‘A fresher and more floral interpretation of the original Infusion d’Iris: like a new chapter in a favourite book, with the same heroes but in a different adventure. Key ingredients: Tunisian lily of the valley, violet, heliotrope and cedar.’
What the Perfume Panellists say: ‘Delicious: baby powder, with some strawberry and vanilla – like someone baking, in a baby’s room!’ • ‘delicate and cotton-like’ • ‘powdery and innocent: heliotrope, freesia, soft rose and a green herbal note’ • ‘clean, soft skin like a baby’s’ • ‘like soft angora’ • ‘just beautiful’ • ‘lilacs, freesias and almond macaroons’ • ‘like a gorgeous whisper’.
Price: £42 for 50 ml eau de toilette at www.debenhams.com - click here to find it
Mary Greenwell Plum
What Mary Greenwell told us: ‘A classic chypre with a memorable modern twist: top notes of plum, blackcurrant, peach, bergamot and lemon
blended with gardenia, tuberose, orange flower, rose and jasmine on a base of precious woods: sandalwood, oakmoss, patchouli, amber and white musk.’
What the Perfume Panellists say: ‘This isn’t a perfume – it’s a cuddle, comforting and lovely’ • ‘I could drape myself in this every day – floral, with lilies, roses, magnolia, gardenia, honeysuckle’ • ‘a florist’s shop – old-fashioned, but I like it’ • ‘comforting and fresh, a morning when the newly-cut grass is dewy’ • ‘amber, a touch of licorice, almost a note of Fishermen’s Friend!’ • ‘dripping with honey and pollen.’
Price: £60 for 50 ml eau de parfum, exclusive to House of Fraser 0845-602 1073 or click here to find it
 Swarovski Aura
What Swarovski told us: ‘At the heart of the fragrance is a prism of energy, a fusion of amber, benzoin and white musk, pierced by three rays of clear, transparent light: a fruity ray (with notes of juicy lychee)… a floral ray (with notes of pure white tuberose)… a spicy ray, with notes of subtly vibrant pink pepper. An incandescent, fruity floral.’
What the Perfume Panellists say: ‘Floral: old-fashioned scents of violet, rose, hyacinth, quite seductive’ • ‘a summer evening perfume; it’s Morocco, it’s hibiscus’ • ‘reminds me of posh department stores in Paris’ • ‘pomegranate – a little like Jo Malone Pomegranate Noir’ • ‘quite romantic’ • ‘intriguing and sexy, definitely summer evening-y’ • ‘like a Victorian scent with sophistication: seductive, intriguing and sexy’.
Price: £59 for 50 ml eau de parfum at www.boots.com; click here to find it
 Kate Moss Love Blossoms
What Kate Moss told us: ‘Delightfully uplifting, exudes hope and happiness. The sparkling juicy scent opens with a spicy dash of pink pepper, mingled with soft peach nectar and lily of the valley… romantic floral heart
blooming with frangipani, Egyptian jasmine and peony, giving way to a warm and sensual signature of patchouli, white musk, vanilla sorbet.’
What the Perfume Panellists say: ‘Subtle: a breeze rather than an actual perfume, with an element of Love Hearts’ • ‘seaside-y, but also green, mossy, ambery’ • ‘holidays and afternoon tea: fresh, salty air, with the promise of summer to come’ • ‘orange orchards’ • ‘dreamy and theatrical’ • ‘
Peach iced tea – crying out to be made vampier!’ • ‘freesia, honeysuckle and a touch of strawberry ice cream.’
Price: £15 for 30 ml eau de toilette at www.boots.com; click here to find it
 Vera Wang Anniversary
What Vera Wang told us: ‘A celebration of love, happiness and modern femininity: sensuous woody-floral, bright and lush. Opens with radiant Sicilian bergamot, red apple leaves, mandarin oil and a sprinkle of cool dew drops… at the heart, a rich bouquet of white gardenia, rose absolute and orange flowers… the dry-down envlops, with silky musks, creamy orris, golden amber crystals…’
What the Perfume Panellists say: ‘Rain, sun on the roses – reminds me of Kew Gardens’ • ‘walking through flowers that have been wetted, dewy’ • ‘peaches, bluebells, cut grass and honeysuckle’ • ‘like the main marquee at the Chelsea Flower Show!’ • ‘floral, but a little old-fashioned’ • walking on a green, freshly-mowed lawn’ • ‘quite romantic’ • ‘rather like I’d imagine Gwyneth Paltrow to be: very pleasant but a bit dull!’
Price: £54 for 50 ml eau de parfum at www.boots.com, click here to find it
 Hermès Un Jardin Sur Le Toit
What Hermès told us: ‘A roof garden… Sunbeams and the break of day, box trees and hawthorn in May… an apple tree and the passing seasons, so many flowers and so many reasons, some Normandy soil and the Paris air… planters and paintings and overblown roses…’
What the Perfume Panellists say: ‘Green and citrussy, but also sweet – very violet-y’ • ‘parma violets, opal fruits, lily of the valley and strawberry’ • ‘my late mother-in-law (who I loved), walking through a garden, where she used to brush against the flowers’ • ‘pressed linen and cotton’ • ‘like a Penhaligon’s single floral’ • ‘cucumber’ • ‘quite juicy and dewy’ • ‘fruity, flowery – a sunlit room with a big flower arrangement.’
Price: £55.50 for 50 ml eau de toilette at www.uk.hermes.com; click here to find it
 Guerlain Aqua Allegoria Jasminora
What Guerlain told us: ‘The fresh bursts of Calabrian jasmine are accented by white flowers: freesia, cyclamen and a lily-of-the-valley accord. A few touches of bergamot and galbanum reinforce its evanescent freshness… The final bouquet is composed of amber and white musk notes that blend seamlessly into the skin. Since the dawn of time, jasmine has been associated with love, gallantry, seduction and pure femininity…’
What the Perfume Panellists say: ‘Quite sexy: a big floral hit’ • ‘an English garden after the rain’ • ‘tiny white flowers, but also green and fresh’ • ‘perfect for a young girl, but like a ra-ra skirt on an older woman’ • ‘honeysuckle and orange blossom’ • ‘a getting-married fragrance, or one for a wedding’ • ‘flower gardens – but too intense for me’ • ‘sun-fresh, like a huge bouquet of flowers – the perfect day perfume.’
Price: £35.50 for 75 ml eau de toilette www.johnlewis.com; click here to find it
 Flora by Gucci Eau Fraiche
What Gucci told us: ‘An emotive scent for an enchanting young woman: exhuberant but refined. Its velvety, petal-laden rose and osmanthus heart has been made sensuous by the inclusion of bracing yet soulful green notes. Spirited yet poignant, as moving as a spring flower.’
What the Perfume Panellists say: ‘Citrus, clean, sharp and sporty – reminds me of Gucci Flora’ • ‘floral, but also sherbet-y’ • ‘what you’d buy someone you didn’t know well – summer’s equivalent to a Secret Santa gift!’ • ‘mandarin and roses with some crushed greenery; I love this – smells old-fashioned’ • ‘this is sitting in the garden in a big hat with a glass of champagne’ • ‘posh loos in country house hotels – in a good way!’ • ‘woody/floral, packed with blossoms’ • ‘a bit like Fracas’.
Price: £44.50 for 50 ml eau de toilette at www.houseoffraser.co.uk; click here to find it
 Jo Malone Sakura Cherry Blossom
What Jo Malone told us: ‘An exquisite interpretation of cherry blossom – one of the most poetic flowers – translated into a delicate fragrance: feminine, elegant fragile… brought to life with layers of rose and mimosa accented with the freshness of bergamot and mandarin… contrasted by a base of musk and woods.’
What the Perfume Panellists say: ‘I like the Orientalness of it – quite unisex, actually’ • ‘citrus and rain, sandalwood and moss’ • ‘a true cologne, a real splash for hot weather’ • ‘gorgeous: thyme, roses, peppery rocket and
expensive French soap – that triple-milled stuff’ • ‘reminds me of champagne at first – then Babycham!’ • ‘surprisingly masculine, after a while; I can imagine this on a bloke playing cricket on a summer’s day…’
Price: £34 for 30 ml cologne at www.jomalone.com; click here to find it
 Jimmy Choo Eau de Parfum
What Jimmy Choo told us: ‘Imagine femininity, luxury and style – bottled. With its green top note, heart note of tiger orchid and base note of toffee and sensual Indonesian patchouli, it evokes glamour, confidence, desire…’ NB This was a bit more ‘divisive’ than most, with some testers adoring it, a couple not so rapturous.
What the Perfume Panellists say: ‘Flowery, medium-weight, with a fresh greenness – plus pear drops, orange and citrus’ • ‘Initially light and flowery, then sweet – it’s pretty, but it reminds me of a glamorous “starter” perfume for a glamorous young teen’ • ‘has an old-fashioned, tea roses, Deep South/Gone With The Wind feel – too strong for some people, but I like it’ • ‘like a modern twist on an old-fashioned fragrance: amber, maybe citrus and lemongrass. Reminds me of glamorous lace and the inside of a beautiful leather handbag...’
Price: £49 for 60 ml at www.boots.com; click here to find it
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