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France, Temple of Fragrance

10/3/2015

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Of all the cherished moments in your life, is there anything lovelier
than the scent someone offers as they lean in
to grace you with a kiss?

We have France to thank for that particular gift.
France -- where rampant effort and cold sober skill go into
 the art of making the world a sweeter, more lovable place.
It's the ultimate temple of fragrance,
a historic treasury of all things exquisitely scented.
And of course, Paris is the altar we adore, headmaster of the splendid nose.

We dream about that walk down the Champs-Elysées
where we discover the timeless essence that calls our name.
Finding the perfect perfume is much like stumbling on
 a beautiful painting in the Musée D'Orsay.
The spell is cast and you're not quite the same person you were yesterday.

A good perfume doesn't just happen by accident.
The cult of Fren
ch fragrance is a long and fascinating road.
It begins in the south, in the little town of Grasse,
  historic capitol to the world of perfume.


"A woman should wear fragrance wherever she expects to be kissed"
Coco Chanel
.

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Provence, fabled land of lavender and wildflower.
  Grasse represents the region well, its ancient streets filled with
the promise of delicately flowered arches and towering palms.

  It's a fun town, easy to visit -- near to both Nice and Cannes --
ideal for a pleasantly mellow and informative day.
Perfume capitol of the planet, Grasse draws thousands of visitors
year after year, enthusiastic nomads who long to sniff and swoon
over the latest sweet scents money can buy.

Several perfume museum-factory-showrooms offer visits
including Musée Fragonard, Musée Institut de la Parfumerie,
Galimard and Molinard just to name a few.
  Each gallery has its own special character where you're sure to be
wowed as you peek into the technical backbone of the industry
that produces one of the world's costliest luxuries.

Personable guides introduce visitors to Le Nez (The Nose) -- professionals
trained to distinguish from thousands of different scents
that ultimately lead to your favorite perfume.


Vintage bottles designed by crystal purveyors Lalique
and Baccarat make the trip to Grasse exceptional.
Collections of rare objects, works of art and all things
related to the world of perfume are tied together in a package
as pretty as your best bottle of fragrance.


And of course, where can you find a better souvenir of your trip to France?
Perfume speaks volumes and whether you gift it or keep it
for your own personal enjoyment, a bottle of scented luxury says
FRANCE perhaps better than anything else.


"...To create new arrangements, new olfactory forms, it is enough that you think
"in odours", like the painter "in colours", and the musician "in sounds"...

Edmond Roudnitzka, French Master Perfumer

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Just when you've had enough of the real world and its stinking agenda,
there's nothing more soothing than the scent of a beautiful french perfume.
Scent has been around long before there was a Paris, a Grasse or even a France.
The Greeks and the Romans enjoyed the restorative powers of perfume, 
extolling its seductive powers that sometimes changed history.

At one time, bathing was considered unhealthy.
  Women had to put up with poorly tanned leather gloves,
making them smell more like a dead animal than a lady.
  The essence of flowers became a cure-all for fixing the stink.


Fragrance is symbolic of French culture, commensurate
with her f
abled architecture, cuisine and history. 
And -- ta da! -- it's a money-maker.
In 2014, the estimated revenue of the fragrance industry was 600,000,000 euros.

Consider the top brands, names you're sure to recognize.
Guerlain, Chanel, Nina Ricci, Christian Dior, Caron,
Annick Goutal, Yves Saint Laurent for starters.
Many fashion houses made the easy segue into fragrance.
After all, perfume is as important to a person's first impression as their wardrobe.
Balmain, Jean Patou, Worth, Hermès, LaCoste, and Givenchy,
kings of haute couture, made the easy leap into the world of scent.


Many of us who cannot afford designer duds
can manage a splurge or two on designer fragrance.


"You use Evyan skin cream, and sometimes you wear L'Air du Temps, but not today."
sniffed Hannibal Lector to Clarisse Starling

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Most people run from advertising.
  But when was the last time you turned your head away from a perfume ad? 

Fragrance propaganda is abstract, a highly marketable message often geared
toward passion, romance, femininity, masculinity, youth or confidence.
  Selling an abstract aura is not the same as selling cars or political candidates.  Savvy marketing gurus go way beyond the scent.
From Madison Avenue to the Champs-Elysées, ad execs ballyhoo what's
behind the brand -- desire, happiness, energy, success and a pretty face.

No doubt, Cleopatra would have owned a namesake perfume,
Caesar and Marc Antony a running competition for best brand.
And who can TiVo through a tv commercial, gorgeously shot in Paris,
selling The Dream -- with whispers of love, passion, beauty ....
and most of all, Paris.

French perfumers lean toward the unspoken offer of escape or eroticism.
  Compare that to the American brands that promote "having it all"
like Revlon's retro Charlie commercials -- Shelly Hack wore pants! -- and
Enjoli's "You can bring home the bacon...." ad.
It was the 1980's and a woman could wear perfume
and still be out and out in charge and liberated.
 Those ads were so evocative of a specific time and place.

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It looks like a mad scientist's workshop -- but this is how your favorite fragrance is made
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Le Nez resides here - The Nose knows
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Nope, not eggs -- These are perfumed soaps at Musée Fragonard in Grasse
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Abundance is the word for flower filled Grasse.
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Women often speak of their signature fragrance.
Personally, I love vintage scents like
Guerlain's Samsara -- actually all
things Guerlain -- as well as Coco Chanel's very own blend, Coco --
and for my man, Eau Savage by Christian Dior.
My daughter refers to these classics as granny scents in typical
Baby Boomer vs. Millennials fashion.

And that's ok.
After all, we don't dress the same either.
It's a reflection on how closely matched a perfume is to a person's individuality.
So don't write off that vintage bottle -- think vintage wine, classic cars
and The Rolling Stones -- never out of style, more valuable than ever,
and most definitely unforgettable.


"One of the very few things that I do every single day is put on fragrance.
If I'm not wearing make-up, if my hair's not done,
if I'm walking around in pajamas -- I still put my fragrance on.
I will brush my teeth and put on my perfume."
Blake Lively

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Think of the smells you love and the importance you attach to them -- such as
freshly baked bread, clean sheets, a spring rain or the first whiff of a Christmas tree.
Good aromas are one of life's premiere gifts.

  Choosing a scent is like voting -- you just know it when you "see" it.

Emotionally intoxicating essences -- flowers, spices, citrus, barks,
mosses -- an incredibly long list of exquisite ingredients go into our perfumes.
Add some scent to your daily routine.
It's your chance for a pampered moment, a gift of luxury
that shouldn't be saved for a rainy day.

You may not be as Parisian as you wish -- you know,
that scarf-tying thing they do -- but you can easily surround yourself
with the essence of Paris -- a fine french perfume
that will lift your spirits and feed your soul.

"Share the fantasy"
Chanel n5

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Lalique and Pretty Little Things

9/18/2014

1 Comment

 
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I love pretty little things.
  Doesn't everyone?
The kind of stuff you don't need, things that take up space
and provide no practical use other than looking pretty.
Eye-candy, therapy for the eyes.

Jewelry, vases, china and crystal fall into that category.
  The very personal effects that seem essential to life.
 
When I walk into my dining room or steal a glance at my jewelry stash,
I rarely miss a chance to look at my treasure, my personal objets d'art, my.... stardust junk.

I think many of us, faux collectors, lovers of estate sales and flea markets,
spend our days looking for odds and ends we don't need because
  we're sentimental types, searching for significance outside ourselves.
Isn't it easier to look outside than inward?
  Making memories, embracing imagination and sharing emotion
adds a layer to our everyday ordinary lives.

René Lalique was one of the most significant glass and jewelry designers of all time.
He was the quintessentially French architect of pretty little things.
  But was he as popular in his own day?

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The answer is yes.
Monsieur Lalique was very popular in his day, in a life long lived.

  Born in 1860, he lived and worked until 1945.  The reason for his acclaim is clear.
He loved making pretty things, deftly transitioning his art form according to fashion whim.
  He fluidly moved from the art nouveau period to the art deco movement,
always keeping up with whatever enriched and enlivened the so-called modern woman.

  Rene Lalique continues to win new admirers, even long after his death.

Encouraged by his mother, he began his days as a jewelry maker,
seizing on new ideas and uncommon techniques.
Lalique adored unconventional hardware such as enamel, horn, coral,
opals and amethysts, preferring their slightly uncultivated character to the more
conservative and familiar gemstones like diamonds and emeralds.

  He had an eye for the irregular, the unexpected.
  Above all, he loved curlycues and flourishes that became standard in art nouveau design.
  You had to look twice at his creations, suddenly seeing the tiny nude form
of a woman hidden within the expert blueprint of untamed nature.

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Art Nouveau was popular from the 1880's until WWI.
  As soon as Lalique saw the tide turn against the curvy style, he transitioned his work
toward the more modern Art Deco movement, leaning toward cleaner, more geometric lines.
  Never behind the times, he created style, never one to follow someone else's lead.

Monsieur Lalique also had a head for good business practices.
  As jewelry started losing widespread popularity - after all, these were troubled times full of economic hardship - he looked for practical ways to embrace his art.
  Jewelry too highbrow for you?  How about an ashtray?
  A tablespoon of practicality mixed with winning design made everyone happy.
  Lalique experimented within his own aesthetic.
  He kept the themes the same, but felt free to pursue his dream outside the jewelry vault.

Insects, jungle animals, flowers, frogs, swans and dragonflies
were frequent themes --- often capped off by the nude female form.
His designs were complicated, usually one of a kind.
  He used a cire perdu (lost wax) technique for casting one of a kind jewelry.
  Once he found his direction, he started producing perfume bottles, vases,
  hood ornaments for extravagant autos, chandeliers and more.
  He even created a wall of lighted glass for passenger ocean liners like the famous
Normandie and drafted daring design for the Orient Express.

  Useful?
Maybe that's debatable.
  But beauty over practicality still ruled, no matter the economic circumstance of the day.

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There is a Lalique Museum in Wingen-sur-Moder (about 28 miles from Strasbourg),
just miles from the factory where they continue to turn out their branded specialties.

  Lalique latched on to the perfume craze early (creating their own perfume beginning in 1992) and continues to develop new scents to fill their matchless bottles.
It's still a family business, now run by a 3rd generation ready to compete in today's world.
You can even find their perfume at Target and on eBay.
I wonder what Monsieur Lalique would think.


    In Paris you can find Lalique artistry in specialty stores, galleries,
the Musée des Arts Decoratifs and special exhibitions.
I still remember a spectacle at the Musée du Luxembourg
where I'm pretty sure I drooled on the carpet. 

His designs are priceless and rare.
  Expect to pay somewhere around $18,000 for a Fleur de Cristal perfume decanter
if your heart desires something original.

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Completely authentic, the name Lalique stands for beauty and harmony.
Delicacy, refinement and glamor are in short supply today.
It's fun to look back and admire the exquisiteness of that age.
  It makes you forget the tough times and devilish history of the day -- and that's ok for awhile.  That's why we enjoy our pretty little things.

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In today's world where tattoos and smartphone cases pass for art,
it's nice to look back at the startling achievement of someone
that seemed to effortlessly combine taste with imagination.

Next time I put on my yoga pants and drink coffee from a cardboard cup,
I'll think of the beautiful world of René Lalique.
I need more of that.  This world needs more, too.

  Come to think of it, I'm going to burn the mom jeans, ditch the five and dime
and pull on my cashmere sweater.
  Add some red lipstick, a dab of real perfume ---

And dream of a Lalique hood ornament gracing the top of my Hyundai.....
I love pretty little things.
  Don't you?

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1 Comment
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    AUTHOR
    MICHELLE MOGGIO

    Thanks for visiting  my blog!

    I've been experiencing the joys of Paris since the ripe old age of eleven.
    As a big fan of duck fat, raw oysters and bad French movies, my long career in advertising helped pave the way for drinking at lunch. When not living la vie en rose, my husband Gary and I live in Brentwood, TN, where we stay busy planning our next travel adventure and offering unsolicited advice to our daughter.

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