MCPS

When Frédéric Malle sold his brand to the Estée Lauder Group in 2015, he knew immediately that he wanted to reinterpret some of the great classics that had been released by the Grande Dame EL herself. Why it then took another nine years for the Legacy Collection to appear remains Mr Malle's secret...

Malle is not a nose, but sees himself as a "publisher". The Legacy Collection was created in collaboration with Anne Flipo ("La Nuit de L'Homme (Eau de Toilette) | Yves Saint Laurent" "Invictus (Eau de Toilette) | Paco Rabanne" "L'Interdit (2018) (Eau de Parfum) | Givenchy"), Carlos Benaïm ("Polo (Eau de Toilette) | Ralph Lauren" "Hugo Just Different (Eau de Toilette) | Hugo Boss" "Euphoria (Eau de Parfum) | Calvin Klein") and Bruno Jovanovic ("Monsieur. | Editions de Parfums Frédéric Malle" "Dries Van Noten par Frédéric Malle | Editions de Parfums Frédéric Malle") created

The aim was to bring "Azurēe | Estēe Lauder", Estée, "Knowing (Eau de Parfum) | Estēe Lauder", Private Collection and "White Linen (Eau de Parfum) | Estēe Lauder" back to life as "museum pieces with the help of talented perfumers".

However, exchanging just individual notes does not work. Like a game of Jenga, removing one note can cause the entire composition to fall apart. Malle discovered that Estée lost its warmth and richness without its honey note. So he kept it and enhanced the effect with an amber note.

I actually wanted to buy the whole collection as minis and Knowing Legacy in the full size. Unfortunately, Estée Lauder USA doesn't ship abroad, and Harrods doesn't stock the five-set of minis.

However, the decision to limit myself to Knowing Legacy was an easy one: firstly, Knowing has a special place in my heart - it was my very first perfume, which I bought as a teenager from a vacation job. And secondly, connoisseur Christi Long had declared on Facebook that Knowing Legacy is the interpretation that is the furthest away from the original. And while I think Knowing is a great, timelessly elegant classic, for the substantial price, I wanted, well, something special too.

Knowing Legacy is a bold, dark, somewhat wicked interpretation. Iris, styrax and labdanum give the fragrance a rocking, modern feel, but not at the expense of class and elegance.

Some who love "Knowing (Eau de Parfum) | Estēe Lauder" will definitely be disappointed by this rebirth. Personally, I am enraptured.

Frédéric Malle has reinterpreted the Knowing DNA to create a wonderful tribute to the life's work of Estée Lauder.

Lune Féline - when the wild, disheveled cat with the scars that tell of adventurous fights meets the noble Siamese cat with the pearl collar in the pale light of the full moon.

Lune Féline - noble, subtly wicked, self-confident, never intrusive.

Marie Salamagne transports me to another place and another time with this flying carpet.

Great cinema - Nicole Kidman in "Eyes wide shut" could smell like this.

When I imagine the island of Celebes (Sulawesi), I see in my mind's eye paradisiacal landscapes with lush vegetation, sea bays with turquoise waters and bizarre houses with their oversized, boat-shaped roofs (Tongkonan). And I imagine deliciously spiced, sensual culinary delights.

To my astonishment, the main note of "Celebes Wood | Mizensir" is not mentioned at all: suede, beautifully embedded in warm spices. Despite a certain sweetness, "Celebes Wood | Mizensir" is not heavy, wearable all year round and m. E. unisex.

An elegant, sexy fragrance with style and character, for the office, a date or the opera. A severely underestimated fragrance by Alberto Morillas.

In a cheerful holiday mood, I entered Jovoy's exquisite store at the elegant Place Vendôme, and was overwhelmed by the selection. That's why I focused on the rare, hard-to-get brands, and especially on the in-house brand.

JOVOY Paris was founded in 1923 by Blanche d'Arvoy. Her nickname Jo and the second half of her British husband's name were the inspiration for the company name. JOVOY then fell into obscurity, however. In 2006, globetrotter François Hénin, who had lost his heart to Vietnam as a dapper student, breathed new life into the brand.

Francois Hénin, however, did not want to revive the perfumes of the golden twenties and sell them as pseudo-vintage. Instead, JOVOY's creations are modern, evoking memories and associations, with the highest standards for ingredients.

The provocative name stands out: Psychédelique. Peace and love forever...

Psychédelique is a modern interpretation of patchouli. Here I feel patchouli not as earthy, raw or musty, but soft and skillfully embedded in citrus, roses and vanilla. Boho glam is what the brand says, and it's quite true. Nicole Richie or Kate Moss, not Janis Joplin or Joan Baez.

Nostalgia with soft-focus effect, a fragrance for a relaxed walk as well as for going out, absolutely unisex in my opinion (even if on Parfumo not even 30% of the owner:ins are female). H/S excellent.

Absolutely recommendable, not only for patchouli lovers.

In 1857, Charles Baudelaire wrote an invitation to his beloved Marie Daubrun to travel to an ideal country (apparently inspired by Holland). The refrain is:

Là, tout n'est qu'ordre et beauté,
Luxe, calme et volupté.

(There, all is evenness in beautiful flow,
Luxury, tranquillity, luxuriant enjoyment.)

The poetic, sensual name fits perfectly with the elegant, fruity-floral composition with amber and green notes.

The fragrance opens with bitter orange, tangerine, galbanum and develops into a rich heart with ylang ylang, iris and tropical fruits. The typical Bianchi DNA then develops in the balanced, sexy base notes.

Summery, sensual, indulgent... Luxe, calme et volupté!

L'INVITATION AU VOYAGE

Mon enfant, ma sœur,
Songe à la douceur
D'aller là-bas vivre ensemble !
Aimer à loisir,
Aimer et mourir
Au pays qui te ressemble !
Les soleils mouillés
De ces ciels brouillés
Pour mon esprit ont les charmes
Si mystérieux
De tes traîtres yeux,
Brillant à travers leurs larmes.

Là, tout n'est qu'ordre et beauté,
Luxe, calme et volupté.

Des meubles luisants,
Polis par les ans,
Décoreraient notre chambre ;
Les plus rares fleurs
Mêlant leurs odeurs
Aux vagues senteurs de l'ambre,
Les riches plafonds,
Les miroirs profonds,
La splendeur orientale,
Tout y parlerait
À l'âme en secret
Sa douce langue natale.

Là, tout n'est qu'ordre et beauté,
Luxe, calme et volupté.

Vois sur ces canaux
Dormir ces vaisseaux
Dont l'humeur est vagabonde ;
C'est pour assouvir
Ton moindre désir
Qu'ils viennent du bout du monde.
- Les soleils couchants
Revêtent les champs,
Les canaux, la ville entière,
D'hyacinthe et d'or ;
Le monde s'endort
Dans une chaude lumière.

Là, tout n'est qu'ordre et beauté,
Luxe, calme et volupté.