Contributing Editor Cologne Schmidt writes:

Thierry Mugler–the iconoclastic fragrance house which birthed love-it-or-loathe-it Angel and Nadine’s great obsession Alien–has just launched a new original scent: Womanity.  Mugler describes Womanity as the “The invisible bond between women,” and its baby pink liquid juxtaposed against its tough, statuesque flacon is certainly as bizarre a combination as the conflicting traits possessed by most women.

Like all Mugler perfumes, the juice is highly creative, and in this case, savory and sweet: the pretty notes of citrus and fig are made surprising by a salty base of caviar. Meanwhile, the flacon is supposed to represent whatever you want: tribal, urban, art deco, gothic, hippie, warrior, etc. We are connected though our own interpretations of something identical.

To me, Womanity smells more woody than sweet, but of course, perfume smells unique on each woman’s skin.  Certainly, the scent itself is bold and beautiful–just like the bottle!  (Note from Nadine: I concur–it’s a very cool, different fragrance worth checking out.)

Womanity is currently available on the Thierry Mugler website, and will be released at Bloomingdales in August.  Sizes range from 10 – 80 ml refillable bottles, at $28 for the smallest size.

Guys, there’s a new perfume that I am nutso for.  It’s called Forever Lily, and I discovered it a few weeks back when a publicist sent me a bottle for consideration.  For reasons unknown, I expected to hate it…but then I took a sniff, and I about died.  It is so…good.  Perfume is a super personal thing, and I find that people generally gravitate toward the same “types” of scents.  I love musky orientals like Narciso Rodriguez, Tom Ford Black Orchid, Guerlain Shalimar, and Alien Liqueur de Parfum (my other new obsession, and more on this below), all of which feature heavier base notes like musk, sandalwood, amber, patchouli, and/or incense.  If you’re with me, then I bet you’ll also love Forever Lily, which features vanilla, cedarwood, amber and sandalwood base notes, and includes middle and top notes of fig, stargazer lily, clove, lemon and lychee. It’s a very appropriate scent for the holidays.

[By the way.  Have you noticed that perfume reviewers always talk about the top notes first, then the middle, and finally the base notes, in the order you experience the scent?  The base notes are the heart of the fragrance and generally more warm and spicy (which I love), so I find them more interesting than the fleeting, crisper top notes.  The base notes are the marathoners that cling to your skin hours after the top and middle notes have passed out and headed to bed.]

So.  Forever Lily.  The backstory, equally heartbreaking and inspiring (when creator Beth Nonte-Russell accompanied a friend to China to adopt a baby girl, the friend couldn’t go through with it; Beth stepped up and adopted the girl, Lily, herself), makes the haunting, delicate, warm scent even more gorgeous.  It’s on sale right now at The Fairest (while it’s normally $125, it’s now $104) so if you’re thinking of checking it out, take advantage of this sale!

As for Alien Liqueur de Parfum…wow.  I was amused by their press release a few weeks back, and the publicist sent me a sample.  It’s divine.  It’s transcendent.  It is a revelation. Featuring rum, amber and woods, it’s smokey, mysterious, wintry, dark, complex and absolutely delicious.  As you’ll see in the video below (part 2 of a “post-shower” series I did with no makeup!), I wore it over to my friend D.’s house, and she was also blown away.  This is the first beauty product in ages I am going to run out and spend my own money on.  I don’t care how much it costs.  I have to have it.  It’s that freaking amazing.

Lest you wonder how I can be equally obsessed with two fragrances, think of them as George Clooney versus Johnny Depp…each yummy, mysterious, sexy, and mesmerizing.  Different…but both wonderful.

I look at hundreds of press releases per day.  (Sometimes it feels like millions.)  Most are samey-samey, blah blah, “try this product that will change your life forever”–but occasionally, one makes me sit up and take note.  For whatever reason, this press release today just did it for me.  I emailed the publicist back immediately and said, “Yes!  Please!  I must try!”

Greetings!

The fall chill is setting-in, the perfect time of year to reach for that bottle of single-malt that has been aging so delicately in your cabinet for years. But this time, try the non-alcoholic approach to warm the soul and make you smell oh so yummy – good enough to drink! (Well, almost!) Take a page out of Don Draper’s schedule and indulge all-day in Thierry Mugler’s “Liqueurs” without having to wait for happy-hour or worrying about boozing on the job – bonus, no hangover, guaranteed! They also make the perfect holiday gift! (more…)