Olivier Cresp. Most of you may not realise but you have already met this man through his creation. You may not realize that you've been wearing perfume created by this master perfumer as he has created so many hit perfumes, that it may even be hard to count. It seems like everything he creates is destined for success. Olivier Cresp - a perfumer guilty of creating Dolce & Gabbana - Light Blue, Dior - Midnight Poison, Mugler - Angel, Nina Ricci - Nina... I think you get what I mean by now.
You may not know that Akro perfume brand was created by this genius master perfumer and his daughter Anaïs Cresp. Akro brand to me is one of those brands you could not confuse with others. It has a very distinctive signature aesthetic and feeling. All of their perfumes have a pretty unique scent and a very interesting story behind them.
The brand says:
"We make fragrances for people that don't like to say no."
One of the first things this brand got my attention is because of it's concept. All of the perfumes are designed around some vices and addictions. It may be a hot cup of coffee early in the morning when the city is still drowning in the dark and hasn't seen a ray of sunshine yet. It may be a quick pause in the afternoon when you lit your first cigarette, or a chaty smoke in the after party. Or it may be sex - the exciting rush of lust and desire you get at night for a stranger or a lover.
It was very exciting for me to find out how a perfumer can incarnate these addictions in a little bottle, and how he sees these vices through the aromatic notes.
In 2023 Akro brand launched a new perfume - Bake. The brand says: "One of the aromas of modern life we find most alluring is that of bakeries and cake shops, the scent of fresh pastry and sticky sugar brightening up the most humdrum of days. " Well, I couldn't agree more, bakeries and cake shops are THE SHOPS I like to window shop, pass by over and over again... just because of their smell. When it is early in the morning and you rush to your day job and pass by a bakery that has just put out freshly baked goods. Or during the winter, later in the evening when the sun is setting it is getting dark, and in the cold city you can smell delicious bakeries inviting you to have this little treat, a bite of that zesty citrus vanilla cake with a cup of tea... So Akro - Bake was such an intrigue for me and it didn't disappoint. I was obsessed from the first sniff.
"BAKE is a fascinating scent; made up of tart lemon notes, followed by sweet vanilla and rich, nutty praline. It’s so good, you might not even need that naughty cupcake or extra patisserie after all"
The notes of this perfume are Lemon peel, Rum, Chantilly cream, Praline, Brown sugar, and Vanilla. And it is soooo good! The perfume itself is not too sweet, like tooth acting sweet. No. The sweetness is so perfectly in the middle, you get the temptation to smell this odore over and over again. It is smooth warm and very inviting. The vanilla scent is not juvenile but very well done in a kind of true gourmand way. I find vanilla scents pretty sexy on the skin, because of how inviting and warm they feel, so to me this is not just a scent that reminds me of a warm tasty dessert, but also kind of alluring and flirty in a very nice way. I would even dare to say it is one of the bets perfume creations in 2023.
Previously I wrote about perfumes worn by women that I've met during my stay in Paris, but the perfume that I wore back then has a significant meaning to me now. It was a very planned purchase to mark a new stage in my life. Before going to Paris I was carefully choosing a scent that would help me lock my emotions and feelings into a small bottle, to lock my memories in a scent... I was enchanted by one particular scent, and it was just moments after smelling it that I realized it was the perfume I was looking for. It was truly love at first spray, a coup de foudre. That's how Boucheron came into my life - Boucheron pour femme in a charming bottle with a sapphire blue cap.
Frédéric Boucheron founded his jewelry house in Paris in 1858. Before that, the jeweler had practiced at the Deschamps jewelry house, whose owner, when he left the business, advised to Boucheron not to start a jewelry business as he was unsuitable for it. However, Boucheron not only did well, but he also created one of the most famous jewelry companies in the world, adored by royalty and nobility, as well as many famous people. Boucheron was the first jeweler to relocate his business to the famous, luxurious Place Vendôme in 1893. He chose the premises and the building carefully, making sure that the daylight would illuminate the precious stones and reveal their charm. Boucheron jewelry has attracted attention and has even been awarded at the Universal Exhibition several times. Boucheron jewelry is still renowned for its exceptionally high standards - the precious stones are selected with the utmost precision and the jewellery house is run by renowned jewellers with a distinctive style.
Boucheron boutique in place Vendôme, Paris. Pictures taken from boucheron.com
One of the most memorable events in this jewelry house happened in 1928, when the Maharaja of Patiala, came to Boucheron with a great number of his jewels - rubies, emeralds, pearls, and diamonds - and asked them to create jewelry pieces for him using these jewels. After carefully examining the precious stones, the jeweler chose 7 571 diamonds, 1 432 emeralds, and other precious stones to create a jewelry collection that eventually consisted of 149 pieces. This collection is very famous in the jewelry world, surrounded by fascinating history, mystery, and legends.
In 1988, Boucheron launched its first perfume dedicated to women - Boucheron pour femme. Alain Boucheron, then the head of the jewelry house, wanted to create a perfume that, like diamonds, was multifaceted, shimmering, and luminous, like the reflection of light when the sun shines on precious stones.
Perfumers Francis Deleamont and Jean-Perre Bethouard have made this idea a reality - a perfume that is a symbol of elegance, luxury, and tradition. The floral oriental fragrance is composed of a multitude of ingredients, the most prominent of which are the sweet floral notes of tuberose, ylang-ylang, and jasmine. The fragrance is based on civet, amber, sandalwood, and tonka beans. There is also a delicate vanilla note to give it a light sweetness. The bottle resembled a piece of jewelry - a golden ring with a sapphire blue stopper. Customers, enchanted by the scent, came to Boucheron looking for a ring that would be the same as the perfume bottle. However, the design of the bottle has changed several times.
It is a true vintage masterpiece that brings back many forgotten feelings. When I first tried this perfume, I couldn't stop sniffing my wrists, I just wanted to drown myself in the scent. The scent itself is a bit aldehydic, a bit soapy, although the notes don't mention aldehydes, but I can definitely smell them. Soap, white flowers, and vanilla, animalistic motifs - that's the shortest and simplest way I could describe this scent. It is bright, it fills the environment, and it is impossible to not be noticed when you wear it. The idea of creating a reflection of light in the perfume has been perfectly fulfilled - it's truly luminous, luxurious, incredibly feminine, elegant and a little flirtatious. It is completely timeless, transporting you back to the 1970s and yet perfectly in tune with the present day.
I have locked my memories of life in Paris with this perfume, in this small perfume bottle... I feel so happy that back then I have found a perfect scent that kind of guided me throught crazy Parisian days.
As I wrote a post on Maison Francis Kurkdjian - Baccarat Rouge 540 and how this perfume reminds me of the festive season, I immediately remembered another perfume that just brings me back in a second to the Christmas season in Paris. If any of you have followed me before you may know that I lived in Paris for a while. And I could swear - Christmas in Paris smelled like Lancôme - La Vie Est Belle. The hype was real back then, almost every female friend I had when I lived there, had a bottle of this perfume in her collection. It was so popular, especially during winter that even now, living in a different country La Vie Est Belle takes me right back to Christmas time in Paris, because I could smell this on so many people in the metro, in shops, basically everywhere. I never owned a bottle myself, but I adore this perfume just for the memories it brings back.
Speaking of Parisiennes and their perfumes, I was pretty intrigued to find out what are scents used and adored by them so I would always keep my eyes wide open when I would pass them in beauty shops, perfumeries, I would do my little innocent investigation haha because I was very intrigued. Perfume, after all, is something that adds to this intrigue that Parisian women have around them, that je ne sais qiuo.
So I was pretty surprised when I noticed they don't go that crazy about all the niche brands they have in their own country, IN FRANCE the land of perfumes, fields of flowers, and best perfumers in the world, you know. It was pretty evident that they preferred to have a unique signature scent, a scent that people would associate them with. A small collection of 3 maybe 4 perfumes is much more preferred than a huge one.
As I may associate La Vie Est Belle with Paris, another perfume just incarnates to me a French girl who strolls around the streets of Paris. Seconds after I smell État libre d'Orange - Putain the Palace I think of her, very chic but somehow a bit erotic. One of my most adored perfumes ever, a cloud of cosmetic powder with Violette flowers. To me this is a reflection of her, that woman living in le Marais, and carelessly marching the streets of the city in the evening.
Powdery scents were pretty popular in France for quite a long period. The cult perfume by Guerlain - L'heure Bleue is still used and I would even dare to say is one of the best sellers in France. It seems to me that the Guerlain brand is very appreciated by locals. The same is with Chanel, I guess there is no surprise here. But during my stay in Paris, I encountered more women who used Chanel - Chance than Chanel No. 5, which kind of took me by surprise. Because you know... Chanel No.5 is the perfume of the perfumes. Although I would not dare to say that it is not worn. I found that the older generation wears Chanel No. 5 pretty much every day and a bit younger females choose it for special occasions.
Although brands with legacy are still very much used, one particular quite modern, dusty rose bottle with ribbon proudly stands on a lot of cosmetic tables in Paris. Chloe by Chloe is the second perfume that reminds me of a modern Parisian woman chic and carefree but daring at the same time.
These were the perfumes I found my friends used most of the time in France, I think they are still popular. Maybe you have something to add to my shortlist?
Do you have any perfume that immediately reminds you of a French woman?
I think it is safe to say that on December 1st a true festivities season has finally come! For a huge part of the population it is officially 'the most wonderful time of the year' (yes Andy Williams we hear you everywhere), people seem to be friendlier, but also more impatient, cheerful, but a bit stressed out because they want their celebrations to be just perfect. One of the things that truly incarnates this season for me is smells! Odores of vanilla and cinnamon from bakeries, the smell of cold cold dark night when it is pitch black and quiet outside, this amazing scent of pine trees... and of course perfume! It's been a couple of years since I associate this season with one particular perfume because it seems that I can smell it everywhere I go. And I could swear that the city smells of Baccarat Rouge 540 at night. As I pass through a crowded space, I suddenly catch myself looking over my shoulder at the woman who has passed by me and, with a whiff, has left this amazing trail of her perfume. A heady, radiant scent. Caught up in a brief euphoria I smile and carry on walking.
It is probably hard to find anyone who hasn't heard or smelled Baccarat Rouge 540. I am sure it has already encoded these times in a bottle and has become a phenomenon. The dreamed-of, tiny, elegant, coveted bottle adorns many a cosmetic table. This fragrance marks festive celebrations, important occasions, and precious moments, like an exquisite piece of jewelry, enveloping the wrists, décolletage, and hair in the most beautiful moments. More than one person will probably associate various moments in their life with this fragrance, which will come alive at the slightest whiff. Baccarat - that's the short name for a fragrance that drives not only women but men crazy too. Sometimes it seems to me that more people know Baccarat Rouge 540 than the Baccarat crystal house that started the history of this enchanting fragrance.
Baccarat
Baccarat is actually a town in France near Paris. It was here that the Baccarat crystal house was founded in 1764. The Bishop of Metz wanted to do business in Baccarat. Then, with the approval of King Louis XV, one of the most famous crystal houses was founded. It was first a glass workshop, mainly producing elaborate mirrors and windows, and in 1816 it also began to produce crystal products, which were later chosen and desired by more than one nobleman, even by the royal families. The first noble order came in 1823 from the French ruler, King Louis XVIII, and in 1872 Baccarat was the first to produce crystal chandeliers, which made the crystal house even more famous.
The Dolmabahce Palace in Istanbul, Turkey, has the world's largest collection of Baccarat crystal chandeliers. The chandeliers for this palace were created between 1843 and 1856. The famous Baccarat crystal staircase also adorns the palace. One of the staircase handrails in the palace is decorated with Baccarat crystal. It is sill possible to visit the palace and see the spectacular crystal chandeliers and staircase which are just breathtaking.
As perfume production increased, the Baccarat crystal house began to produce crystal, luxury perfume bottles, which became one of the most profitable and highly ordered products in 1907. Up to 3 000 crystal perfume bottles were produced per day. The crystal house, which flourished for more than 250 years, is still famous today. Baccarat crystal has retained its special value because the crystal house maintains high standards and its crystal is distinguished by its clarity, sparkle and unique design. All this makes it a sign of luxury, and the precious items created by the crystal house are usually passed down from generation to generation as an heritage
Maison Francis Kurkdjian - Baccarat Rouge 540
The famous perfumer Francis Kurkdjian probably had no idea when he launched Baccarat Rouge 540 in 2015 what a phenomenon it would become. To celebrate the 250th anniversary of the Baccarat Crystal House, the crystal house invited Francis Kurkdjian, one of the most famous perfumers of our time to create a scent dedicated to the crystal house. The perfumer decided to create a fragrance that not only reflects the inspiring 250-year history but also encourages us to look to the future.
"Baccarat red", the emblematic color of the House of Crystal, was the basis for this perfume. By heating the crystal at 540°C and adding 24k gold, the crystal changes its color to a distinctive red (rouge in French). That's how "Baccarat red" becomes emblematic not only for the bottle but also for the perfume itself.
Crystal is made with just a few ingredients, so the perfumer decided to also use just a few of the most important ingredients for the fragrance to achieve the formula he had imagined. He chose Ambroxan, which has similarities to grey ambergris, which is extremely expensive and hard to find. The woody notes in the perfume reflect the sand, one of the main ingredients in the production of crystal, complemented by sensual jasmine. Finally, the choice of saffron gives the perfume a sparkling crystal-like color - rouge.
It's not a secret - this scent is not without controversy, some people hate it, some love it, but it evokes an emotion in every single person and has become a scent that kind of depicts our modern times. I am sure sometime in the future, speaking about a period in our life we could just say 'You know when everyone was wearing Baccarat' and one will truly know what period is described. I got to be the person who adores the scent, I just love it when people close to me wear it in the most amazing way. When I heard for the first time the inspiration for this perfume and later on I found out about the history of Baccarat Crystal House the scent appeared to me as one full of symbolism, a scent with a special meaning. Every detail has been thought out down to the last one, capturing the legendary crystal that decorated the palaces of the nobility, sparkling and glowing even in the dark.
Maybe this is the first time you hear the story behind this creation, maybe you adore it too? I kind of feel that this perfume suites the winter season so well. Maybe you guys have a scent that is just absolutely a perfume of the festive season for you?
It has truly been a while since I've even remembered this place, not gonna lie. My last 'normal' post was in 2013 so things have changed as you can imagine. Haha! I'm all grown up now, with a university degree, lived here and there, traveled a bit, and seen a bit, but as it seems, like a lot of other things in my life, my little blog, my safe space comes around back to me. I just could not stop thinking about writing a blog again. Sharing silly things that interest me and probably nobody else.
I'm not very active on social media, I kind of like this incognito mode. As I found out later in life - I'm more of a spectator than a person who likes to be in the spotlight. But sometimes I have this urge to share something that interests me, and I remember this blog being this amazing place where I could share whatever I wanted I was not judged, I loved this little Blogspot community so much. I'm so happy to see some of the girls who used to write blogs back in the day succeed in life, it truly warms my heart.
For the last couple of years, I worked in the beauty industry so that was my passion and joy and still is for sure, I became obsessed in a good way with perfumes and the olfactory world in general. I still am kind of interested in fashion shows, as my old followers may remember. Not much has changed, but it seems that nothing is the same also. I still wear black pretty much all the time, I still dream of silly and unrealistic things but maybe in a different way.
So here I am starting all over again. I'm thinking about writing a post each day in December and doing something like 'blogmas' or whatever, because I do enjoy watching vlogmas on YouTube, as crazy as it sounds it brings me joy, haha! So I thought about doing something similar here, on Blogspot. We'll see.
Whoever is reading this, I hope you are safe in these crazy times and you feel joy in this little life.
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