Donna Karan Cashmere Mist Luxe Edition

Some longtime readers might remember that I used to count Donna Karan's Cashmere Mist among my mortal enemies. It's not that I didn't get why so many people love it: I have a friend who smells absolutely exquisite in it. It's just that on my skin Cashmere Mist turned into a very synthetic musky powder mess. But something has changed some time during the last year. It's not that I started to like this Donna Karan perfume, but I've either softened with age or simply smelled so much real dreck, that a mediocre powdery crowd pleaser no longer annoys me.

This should tell you that I had no expectations, good or bad, from the samples of last year's release, Donna Karan Cashmere Mist Luxe Edition EDP. I was so indifferent I put the samples away and promptly forgot about them. They languished in a drawer until a quick rummage revealed I had enough of them for a thorough testing. That was about three or four weeks ago. I'm down to my last sample and there's very little holding me back from heading straight to Ulta for a small bottle.

Seriously.

First, the main difference between the Luxe Edition and Cashmere Mist (EDT. I don't have a sample of the regular EDP) is that it smells more skin-like and less chemical. It seems like to celebrate the 15 years anniversary of CM, Donna Karan (Lauder, actually, who is the owner of Donna Karan Beauty) upgraded and improved the formula. It certainly feels more luxurious- softer and richer. It's closer to the skin and actually more cashmere like, though I've had no problem wearing it on some hot and humid August days.

More than anything, Cashmere Mist Luxe Edition feels fluffy. It has soft wood and barely sweet vanilla that reminds me of the Whole Foods brand marshmallows- they are soft, pillowy and not too loaded with sugar, making them an ideal adult guilty pleasure. The musk is of the deceivingly elusive kind. You think it's gone but all of a sudden you catch a whiff of a delicate and pleasing skin scent that comes from your neck and/or clothes. There's something sensual about it, I guess, but the perfume is still daytime and office appropriate. The sillage is low but the subtle dry-down survives for at least 8 hours, even if by the end of the day I need to stick my face in my shirt to smell it.

Bottom Line: What's wrong with me?

Donna Karan Cashmere Mist Luxe Edition is available from most department stores and fragrance retailers. Ulta seem to have exclusivity on the 1 oz bottle ($48).

Photo by Charles Gates, 1920

A Year Of Perfume: 2008 Retrospective

'Tis the season: Looking back, making lists and trying to summarize the previous twelve months in a way that makes sense. A group of us, bloggers with a serious thing for perfume, is offering a 2008 retrospective of the fragrance world. Each one of us is writing from a different point of view and location (some are based in Europe), and there's no common theme. I chose to look at events and trends that shaped and influenced us as consumers.

1. Launched in 2007, Tom Ford's Private Blend line was met with quite a bit of groans and growls from many perfume lovers. The twelve scents released at the same time made many doubt the amount of care and thought that went into creating them and accused Ford of trying to become an instant Lutens. Coupled with nose fatigue (who has the attention span for trying 12 new scents from one house at one sitting?), a general annoyance at the limited distribution and Ford's own controversial reputation all caused many to not even try. This year, however, found people giving the scents a chance and finding out they really really like them.

Say what you may about Tom Ford and the soft porn campaign he ran for his (tame, office-friendly) mainstream Tom Ford For Men fragrance. The Private Blend is well-made, interesting and actually worth the hype. 2008 has found the scents (if not the man) getting enough love that the latest release, Champaca Absolute, had people ordering blind. Quite a change from last year.

2. After years of dreaming, pining, hoarding the few precious drops left and paying over $400 on eBay for bottles that may or may not have relatively fresh juice in them, fans of Donna Karan's long-discontinued Chaos finally got their wish with the scent's re-release as a Bergdorf Goodman exclusive. Someone at Lauder (the company that holds the license for the Karan beauty line) has definitely been paying attention, as they created a full line of other discontinued items: Black Cashmere, DK For Men and the Essentials, all in the new black bottles.

As expected with such a project, the controversy hit two seconds after the first bottles were sprayed: Was the scent reformulated? Did they ruin it? Weakened it? No one can tell for sure, as those who still have some of the old juice admit, their bottles have aged (very well, in many cases, even if most of the top notes are no longer there), and it's quite difficult to compare. The new Chaos is lovely, but many of those who ordered unsniffed, based only on the legend, were disappointed to discover it's not an Earth-shattering perfume.

3. Speaking of internet hype, the biggest stampede of the year was probably the Balmain craze. Take a fragrance or two from a classic house, previously only available in Europe for full retail price, no samples to speak of, one name evoking a desired raw materials (Ambre Gris) and the other one named after a classic French icon (La Môme), and all of a sudden release them in the USA through an online discounter for a fraction of the original price. The result is a mass hysteria of blind orders, ending with almost as many disappointed noses. While both scents are pleasant and very wearable, they are not the pinnacle of French perfumery.

4. While Le Labo continued with their (super annoying and totally unjustifiable) marketing gimmick of exclusive city releases (Los Angeles, Tokyo and London, joining the ones in Paris, NYC and Dallas) which you can only buy in person at those specific locations, Serge Lutens has eased his grip just a little and allowed for more of his non-export perfumes to be sold here in the US. You can now get Santal de Mysore, Bois de violette, Bois et Fruits and Un Bois Sepia at Bergdorf Goodman (and even order them by phone). The first three were recently made available at several other locations like Aedes in NYC, Scent Bar (L.A.) and the Canadian Perfume Shoppe. In addition, Chergui seems to have made a semi-permanent migration into the export line and is available wherever Lutens fragrances are sold. While I'm not sure this means you will soon be able to buy Muscs Kublai Khan at your nearest Neiman Marcus, it does seem like Uncle Serge has realized a thing or two about the art of making money.

5. Guerlain have continued the trend of odd marketing decisions. Releasing Habit Rouge in parfum while keeping some beautiful old classics in an EDT form, thus making their performance less than stellar. Combined with the LVMH tendency to cater to Saudi sheikhs more than to genuine perfume lovers (I have no other way to explain that Four Seasons set which contained one former Aqua Alegoria scent or the other four digit items that look more like merchandising than a perfume), it was not the happiest year for Guerlain fans. And I'm not saying a word about the ridiculous soft porn literature that accompanied the release of the Elixirs Charnels.

6. Chanel have expanded their Les Exclusifs line with more jugs of EDT juice while terminating the USA sales of the few formerly-available parfums (Bois de Isles and Cuir de Russie). Apparently, they think we all want to be supersized or go swimming in our bottles. While the new Sycomore is available wherever Les Exclusifs are sold (which means hardly anywhere), Beige is limited to Saks 5th Avenue's NYC flagship. According to a source in Chanel USA, it was never meant to be a major release and they were quite surprised at the internet uproar and downpour of phone orders the store has received. The result of the many blind buys was the usual disappointment, when buyers discovered Beige was a very tame floral and not as interesting as they hoped. What else is new?

7. Perfumes- The Guide by Luca Turin and Tania Sanchez is not the first book about perfumes. It's also a much less definite guide than the publisher would have you believe. Its strength (and also greatest weakness) is making perfume literature into entertainment. It has a somewhat broader appeal than most fragrance-related books (though for the life of me I cannot see the average L'Eau d'Issey one-bottle-a-year customer buying or enjoying this), and provides quite a bit of amusement to those who've sniffed a thing or two. Written by a scientist (Turin)and a former blogger and MakeupAlley popular reviewer (Sanchez), it mixes pop culture, snark and quite a bit of perfume knowledge. Still, at the end of the day, it's a book about the authors' opinions, a fact that seems to have escaped some of the online perfume community, fans and foes alike.

The release of the book was followed by a massive internet uproar from people who found their beloved scents being trashed. It was nearly as entertaining as some of Sanchez's more infamous quips, but not quite.

8. 2008 was the year the online perfume conversation has become even more important than ever before. Blogs and message boards have been spearheading trends for some time now, and this years we have also gotten some exclusive scoops and led important discussions. Denyse from Grain de Musc broke the story about the upcoming new Serge Lutens, Nuit de Cellophane, while I was the first to sniff and write about the latest Frederic Malle, Dans tes Bras. Our growing relevance is equal parts hard work, deep passion for the subject at hand and our loyal readers who make the effort enjoyable and worthwhile. For that, I thank you from the bottom of my heart.

And a special thank you to Helg of Perfume Shrine for organizing this blogging event.

For more 2008 Retrospective, please visit these blogs:

1000 Fragrances

Ars Aromatica

A Rose Beyond the Thames

Bittergrace Notes

Grain de Musc

I Smell Therefore I Am

Legerdenez

Notes from the Ledge

Olfactarama

Savvy Thinker

Tuilleries

The Perfume Shrine

So... - Donna Karan Chaos, Old And New

A brief history of Chaos Theory:
Once upon a time, before Donna Karan perfumes became an endless chain of Be Delicious flankers, each one with its own plastic fruit note, there were some original and interesting creations in unusually beautiful bottles. Chaos was a 1996 release, supposedly commissioned by Donna Karan's late husband, Stephan Weiss, who also designed the bottle. It was discontinued in the early 2000s, after Mr. Weiss' death. The reason was never publicly stated. Some said it was Karan who didn't want this painful reminder sold in stores, others pointed their fingers at the Lauder corporation, owner of Donna Karan Cosmetics.

Chaos, being a sophisticated spice and wood scent, was never a huge bestseller, but had a cult of fans that seemed to have grown exponentially after its removal from the shelves. Those who hoarded bottles made big profits on eBay. I saw bottles go for north of $600 and some etailers still have a few precious bottles in stock, so outrageously priced you just have to laugh: $1499.

Blogs and message boards all contributed to the myth. It became one of the poster items for coveted discontinued perfumes. It was often suggested that were Lauder willing to bring it back, they would see nice profits. It looks like someone had been listening, because Chaos, along with some of its other siblings, is back. The packaging has changed: all the perfumes now come in plain black bottles with a gold, black or silver label. But if you've been dreaming of the juice for the last six or seven years, you're just a visit (or a phone call) to Bergdorf Goodman away from holding your very own bottle.

The info on the BG website seems to be inaccurate: They list all the fragrances as eau de toilette, while in reality Chaos (and I'm pretty sure Black Cashmere as well) is an eau de parfum, as you can see clearly on my own bottle.

The big question, though, was about the juice itself: Is it the same as the original one?

When I first sprayed it yesterday it was immediately recognizable. I never tried any of the dupes, so I don't know how convincing they were, but this one was clearly chaos. Still, it had to be tested side by side with the old perfume. I've been hoarding a sample that March of Perfume Posse has sent me, and this was the perfect opportunity to revisit it.

I applied old Chaos on my right wrist and new Chaos to my left. Right away I could tell it wouldn't be easy to accurately compare. It starts with application method: dabbing and spraying lend different results, as was apparent at first try. I re-applied the new Chaos by dabbing, which gave it a similar feel to the original, though still not 100% identical. But this is where one needs to also consider the perfume's age as well as storage. While my sample was safely kept in a little drawstring bag insidemy dresser, it was still in a vial with a plastic cap that might have affected the juice. The age is probably the bigger factor here, since I have a feeling that something in the top notes might be missing.

The older sample shows more of the heart notes, the ones you can also find in the denser, darker Black Cashmere: mostly saffron and woods. For the life of me, I can't detect the promised chamomile and lighter spices that are all very prominent in the new Chaos, making it lighter and further removed from the gothness of Black Cashmere, the way Chaos was originally described. that's the main reason I suspect my sample has most likely aged a bit.

Chaos has an almost fizzy quality from the cinnamon, but the spices keep elegant and poised. Yet, it's sheer enough (much more so than anything I've ever gotten from the original) and easy enough to wear on a summer day. It's probably a tad lighter than what it used to be, if to go by my sample, I just can't guarantee by how much.

The sillage is decent without being overbearing and the lasting power is great. I can bask in it for a full day. And it's so very pretty.

So, is the new Chaos exactly the same? Probably not. But it's very very close.

Image: Statue of Eris, goddess of chaos, Autumn's Photostream

Chaos and the rest of the scents in the series are only available from Bergdorf Goodman, where I bought mine (and Harrods, if you're in the UK) and can also be ordered online or by phone. Rumour has it that Bergdorf is already out of Chaos, but it's not a limited edition, so more will be available soon. All bottles are 3.4 oz and priced at $85.

Tomorrow We'll talk About This:

Donna Karan Chaos- the reissue

Two Little PSAs

1) In case you missed the news, Donna Karan has relaunched the legendary discontinued scents, and is making some eBay sellers cry: Chaos, Black Cashmere, Fuel, the Essence series and the original Donna Karan. They've been repackaged in plain bottles, but if the juice is the same, I think we can live with it. The perfumes are exclusive to Bergdorf Goodman (and Harrods, if you're in the UK) and can be ordered by phone: 212-753-7300

2) Colette Paris is collaborating with the Gap flagship store in NYC (5th avenue, near Henri Bendel) and opening a mini-store for one month only, September 6 through October 5, taking the concept of a limited edition to new places. There will be special items made specifically for the occasion and also some famous and highly coveted ones: Le Labo Vanille 44 will be available there.

Photo: Grace Kelly and her mother shopping at Bergdorf. Getty Images.

With Love, Hilary Duff, Donna Karan Gold

There's something very wrong going on if after testing two fragrances, one by Donna Karan and the second by Hilary Duff, I positively hate the designer perfume and kind of enjoying the one by a really uninteresting celeb.

Maybe I shouldn't have had too many expectations from Donna Karan's Gold. After all, this is a lily fragrance, and I'm not that crazy about this note to begin with. Also, Karan is responsible for Cashmere Mist, one of my all time hated perfumes. Then again, she's also behind Black Cashmere, which I love and wear on a weekly basis. Sadly, this one will join the Mist on my eww list. Its Liliness is so strong and overpowering that it made my skin smell like a cheap air freshener spray. I found the top and middle notes to be downright skanky and unpleasant. It was very sharp, very strong and terribly floral. The drydown wasn't as horrible. It's softer and a little more creamy, but the Lily still prevails and made my husband wrinkle his nose at it.

I had zero expectations from With Love, Hilary Duff (seriously, even the name conjures up an image of something written in glitter, that probably smells like those fruity gel pens). The thing is, that it doesn't. There is a fruity note, but it's different because it comes from the exotic mangosteen and not from a ubiquitous berry. It also has spice, woods, incense and amber. Not exactly the makings of another teen scent (the questionable honor of doing that belongs to Vera Wang and her bastard of a Princess).

With Love is on the sweet side, but it didn't make my teeth rot. I kept sniffing my arm, trying to catch the notes as they changed on my skin and remember what it reminded me of. Finally I got it: Paloma Picasso's men's fragrance, Minotaur. Back in 1993 or 1994 I bought it for my husband (then my new boyfriend). It was very different than all the standard young men's stuff and I liked it, despite its heaviness and agressive nature. Years later I got rid of the half used bottle, (just as I discarded his entire wardrobe) in favor of more subtle scents.

I searched for Minotaur's notes, and what I found (Top Notes of Citrus, Middle Notes of Lavender, Geranium and Jasmine and Base Notes of Sandalwood, Vanilla, Leather) doesn't fit With Love, but on my skin it smells like a slightly more delicate and feminine version of the long gone mythological monster. I would have probably adored it when I was 23.

Fragrance Notes

A few short notes about perfumes I tried and/or retried recently:

• L'Artisan Parfumeur-La Chasse Aux Papillons extreme
  This whole extreme and absolu thing is bothering me. It seems that first, the companies are releasing mild, wimpy versions with no staying power of their scents. The fragrance might be nice enough, customers are buying, and then buying again once the extreme version is out. In many of the cases I tried, the extreme version still doesn't have the best staying power. This is one of them. Floral, nice, but quickly disappears. I wore it for two days (had to reapply several times) trying to remember what it reminded me of. I knew it was something from my long lost youth, probably even something my sister used to wear. After two days it finally came to me: An old Max Factor fragrance called La Jardin. I haven't smelled it in 20 years, so I might be wrong, but I'm pretty sure it's very similar.
• Kenzo Summer
  I was taken aback at the first whiff, because the top notes smelled to me like a cheap, powdery handcream. After a minute or two it settled into a pleasant, powdery floral. It's not my thing, but I can see how it would smell very nice on others. It also faded quickly. I need more warmth, spice and lasting power.
• Apparition by Emanuel Ungaro
  Apparently, there's a lack of fruity floral fragrances. This is why every designer and cosmetic company feel the need to come up with a fragrance or two or three that smell like berry jelly. Seriously, this was nothing but raspberry on my skin and stayed for hours and hours. Until I could take it no longer and washed it off. The only surprise here is the level of unoriginality.
• Roberto Cavalli (the original one by the designer)
  I tried it before and wasn't impressed. Its top and heart notes still reminds me too much of another fragrance that I can't recall. This time I didn't wash it after an hour and let it do its thing. The fruity note is still too strong for me and too disticnt in the sillage. I like the part that's close to the skin- definitely more wood and amber, and quite pleasant- very similar to V Absolu. It has an incredible staying power- I'm at 10 hours and still counting. If only it didn't have this disturbing fruit note...
• Idole by Lubin
  I love this one, probably because it smells very much like Donna Karan's Black Cashmere. It has the same boozy opening of rum, and the dry down is a similar combination of spice and wood. Black Cashmere seems to have a better staying power on my skin.
  

Finding Love at Unlikely Places- Donna Karan Black Cashmere

The sample vial of Donna Karan's Black Cashmere has been sitting on the bottom of my sample stash for quite some time. Being related to Karan's Cashmere Mist, one of two fragrance I hate the most (well, other than anything ever made by Escada, Boucheron and also Lanvin's Arpege, but who wears that? No need to answer), I was never very interested in trying it.

A note regarding Cashmere Mist and why I dislike it: Looking at the list of this fragrance, one would think I'd find it fabulous- Top Notes: Bergamot ,Heart Notes: Jasmine, lily of the valley, Base Notes: Sandalwood, vanilla, amber, musk. My guess is that the lily of the valley is the offending element. I'm not a big fan of it in general, and nothing that contains ever smells good to me or on me. Cashmere mist smells extraordinarily vile on me, like something cheap and floral in a commercial, synthetic way (that was a polite way to say "manufactured by Glade") and I could never get why it is so popular. Until I caught a whiff of something that smelled very pleasant on my friend E. Who lives in the Midwest and came for a visit. I was floored to learn that it was my old nemesis, The Mist. The lesson is that there's a skin for every fragrance.

Back to the neglected vial in my drawer. Yesterday I finally cracked it open. I sniffed and was intrigued. I could tell that this was different and lily-less. I could smell something spicy and pleasant. As soon as I put it on I was in love. The woody element was stronger than the vanilla note on my skin, but that's probably just me. It deepened and developed nicely, settling into a rich but not overpowering aroma.

I know that most would find it to potent for daytime or summertime. But I live for fragrance like this and can pull it off easily. I wore it all day and enjoyed its staying power. Refreshing it again before going out for dinner has made my husband very happy. He was all for its sex appeal and seductiveness.

Needless to say, a full sized bottle was ordered before noon.