A breath of fresh air…

Yesterday I had the pleasure to smell the newest fragrance from Hermès, Brin de Réglisse, created by their in-house “nose” Jean-Claude Ellena for the Hermessence Collection. It’s like a delicious visit to a field of lavender, mostly inspired by Ellena’s youth in the South of France.

There are some people you meet whom you will always remember with that little spark of joy. I met Jean-Claude Ellena a few years ago, and he is incredibly charismatic and charming, always with a glint in his eye, and a wink for a pretty girl. What really interests me about his work is that he is known as quite a minimalist in fragrance circles. An average parfum might have up to, and over, 200 ingredients in it’s composition; yet a scent by Jean-Claude Ellena is alive and individual with around 50! A real fragrance genius!

www.hermes.com

We all love Rossy!

It all began with a rose. Well.. actually, it all began with Etienne de Swardt, founder of Etat Libre d’Orange, who happened to meet Spanish actress Rossy de Palma, who happened to dream of creating her own fragrance. And then “noses” Antoine Lie and Antoine Maisondieu got involved, and that’s when the rose came in, because the rose is Rossy’s favourite flower, and lines the garden of her house in Madrid. Together they created Eau de Protection, a scent which is at once spicy, dramatic, powerful, romantic, and (trust me) entirely bewitching! I can’t remember the last time I fell in love so completely with a fragrance, but this one is sooooo beautiful!

Etat Libre d’Orange, 69 rue des Archives, 75003 Paris, 01 42 78 30 09, M° Hôtel de Ville or Rambuteau

www.etatlibredorange.com

There’s something about Marc!

You know summer has officially arrived in Paris when everyone takes off for the South! Apologies to all for the recent irregularity in posts – but Girl and the City will officially be joining the vacationing hordes this weekend, and looks forward to seeing you back daily at the end of August! In the meantime, again Colette is probably the only retailer still bringing us newsbites during August, and this month it’s all about Marc! Daisy the newest MJ fragrance is currently being feted; on the 22nd, rush to get your Colette-exclusive copy of the Marc Jacobs & Louis Vuitton documentary, directed by Loïc Prigent; and on August 27th The Little Marc Box, a limited-edition set for those fashionable newborns, will go on sale. Only 1,000 were produced, so stake your claim before the September baby-rush!

Colette, 213 rue St. Honoré, 75001 Paris, 01 55 35 33 90, M° Tuileries

www.colette.fr

www.marcjacobs.com

Closet Queen’s Delight

Gay pride may have just passed but there’s no reason for those still in the closet to feel left unappreciated. Launched in June, Delicious Closet Queen is the newest scent from Etienne de Swardt’s Etat Libre d’Orange, the parfumerie which seriously dares to fly in the face of convention with it’s decidedly taboo free attitude. Created by Nathalie Feisthauer (Eau des Merveilles Hermès, Must de Cartier), this closet queen is an elegant charmer, a master of concealment, and an expert dissimulator who exudes a subtle sensuality all his own! Buy online to avoid being ‘out’-ed!

Etat Libre d’Orange, 69 rue des Archives, 75003 Paris, 01 42 78 30 09, M° Hôtel de Ville or Rambuteau

www.etatlibredorange.com