Tag Archives: white floral

Kate Spade – Live Colorfully

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Kate Spade – Live Colorfully

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While there are certain releases which I dream about for months, there are others which barely register on my interest radar. When I heard of the latest release from the Kate Spade fashion empire, Live Colorfully, a collaboration between consultants Fabrice Penot, Edouard Roche with input by Poppy King (and execution by Firmenich), I did not know what to expect. I grabbed a sample on a recent trip to Nordstrom and must admit that I was immediately put off by the psychedelic packaging.

Perhaps the problem lies with me, as I tend not to be overly “colorful”, with the exception of some Hermes scarves, but the sample card seemed to scream “plastic, harsh synthetic, fruity floral”. And therein lay the surprise. Live Colorfully opens with a burst of citrus and floral, with a touch of anise. The opening feels quite thin, far from my expectation of a syrupy sweetness. Despite the name and packaging, Live Colorfully is not very colorful. It morphs into a decent white floral, with gardenia accented by a light coconut that manages not to scream “suntan lotion”.

At this point I was intrigued and attempted to hunt down some perfume notes (listed below) and there are certainly a lot of them. Despite the impression that Live Colorfully has a lot going on, a lot of notes, a lot of creators, it is fairly simple at its heart and quite pretty, if a touch unbalanced. I detected a hint of narcissus, which appears to be the only flower not included in the fragrance, but the gardenia/tiare combination dominates.

The drydown has a very subtle combination of vanilla, amber and musk, which in my opinion could have been a little richer. While I don’t see myself running out to buy a bottle given the number of white florals I have in my collection, Live Colorfully is a pretty fragrance that is perfect for someone venturing into this genre.

For more details on what went into the making of the perfume, the WSJ had this article.

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White Floral

Notes: mandarin, pink water lily, star anise, tiare, gardenia, coconut water, amber, musk and tahitian vanilla

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Lucien Lelong – Tailspin

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Lucien Lelong – Tailspin

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The elegance of Lucien Lelong’s designs are undisputed and his fragrances tend to have a refined character and unique signature. Tailspin, which was launched in 1940 as a collaboration between Lucien Lelong and nose Jean Carles, is no exception. The fragrance has a joyful and fresh character, possessing an unique combination of accords.

Tailspin opens with what seems like a competition between two sets of notes: the first is a green, slightly spicy note, somewhere between an herbal scent and the smell of flower stems. The second is a strong soapy accord, reminiscent of the tiny, fancy soaps one might set out for guests in the bathroom. While the scent is decidedly fresh, it is not the modern definition of fresh with its citrus and marine notes. Tailspin reminds me of the days when ladies included perfumed talcs, lotions and soaps in their repertoire, giving them a layered and pervasive scent, one that would remain imprinted on one’s memory.

Tailspin’s heart is lightly floral, with a touch of gardenia and lily of the valley, but remains tinged with the soapy character. Despite the floral notes, the fragrance is in no way sweet and as such would be suitable for use by a man. I tested the Cologne version of Tailspin and it was fairly tenacious, lasting through the day, though possessing a moderate sillage. At its base is a slight animalic note, reminiscent of Lelong’s other creations. While it is not strong enough to be immediately discernible, it nonetheless balances the fragrance nicely.

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Floral

Notes: Green notes, gardenia, white floral, animalic

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