MEET SYLVIE GANTER AND CHRISTOPHE CERVASEL: COLOGNE REINVENTORS
The love of classic eau de cologne brought together Sylvie Ganter and Christophe Cervasel in business and in life. The founders of Atelier Cologne, this husband and wife team is of Italian descent but grew up in France using and adoring traditional citrus-based colognes. Following separate professional paths in the fragrance industry, the two ultimately came together to establish Atelier Cologne, a fragrance brand and retailer dedicated to reinventing and celebrating the classic cologne composition. The results are astoundingly original, inspiring, and entirely wearable. Here Sylvie and Christophe share their fragrance story with Beauty in the Bag.
www.ateliercologne.com
Atelier Colo
A QUICK WHIFF, A SLY GLANCE, A NICHE FRAGRANCE
The behind-the-scenes of fragrance creation is a fascinating world. And, in my opinion, perfumers have one of the most creative and expressive jobs in the process. Not only do they work with lovely odors all day, but also they get to meet well-known designers and celebrities in the process—think Beyoncé, Lady Gaga, and Vera Wang.
Department store counters are chock-a-block full of new and popular scents, but perfumers really soar when they compose so-called niche fragrances. Produced in limited quantities and sold at specialty boutiques, these scents defy the conventional. They use rare ingredients, smell like nothing else, and generally cost more. True uniqueness has its price!
POPPIES AND ROSES: FALL 2012 FRAGRANCE MUST HAVES
Fall is here,and with it,a slew of new fragrances ranging from the floral to the experimental to the edgy.Don’t expect a feast of oud-based perfumes like last year, instead,more innovation and personality reign.Here are a few of some of our favorites
Oscar de la Renta Essential Luxuries ($100 each)
We’ve never seen such a personal collection of fragrances from designer Oscar de la Renta as this set of six, which captures some of the most precious memories from his life. The exclusive collection was created to invite the wearer into the life of the legendary designer. Formulated with exceptional ingredients, each fragrance embodies events, loves and memories of a true gentlemen. From Sant
BALMY DAYS & SUNDAYS
Photo Credit: ineke.com
PRODUCT: Balmy Days & Sundays
I love the art of perfumey – the artistic inspirations, the mood enhancing benefits, the sexy French perfumers. But lately, I’ve been unmoved by the new launches and current crop of scents. That is until I received a sample of Balmy Days & Sundays ($88) from Ineke, a boutique fragrance brand from San Francisco.
Ineke Rühland is the creative force behind this innovative collection of 11 scents. A trained perfumer hailing from Canada, Ineke completed studies at ISIPICA in France, the only university-level perfumery school in the world. After working in Paris with a leading fragrance house, she moved to San Francisco in 2006 to begin her own line.
Each of the Ineke fragrances is inspired by a special moment, feeling or even work of art or verse. Balmy Days & Sundays is meant to invoke a sense of lounging in the grass on a lazy Sunday, enjoying the sweet smell of flowers and leaves.
To me Balmy Days & Sundays is calmly transportive. At first spray, it really does whisk me away to a field of green grass. As it wears, it becomes slightly soapy, but in a good way, reminding me of sneaking away to take a leisurely bubble bath in the middle of the day. It is soft, yet constant, sending out a relaxing vibe whenever I get close enough to my arm for a whiff.
And it’s no wonder I like it - It has three components that I always respond to: leafy greens (the foliage kind, not the edible ones), grass and a chypre accent. These are blended with freesia, honeysuckle (reminds me of my childhood), rose, mimosa and musk.
If you love big bold floral scents or fruity fragrance concoctions, this fragrance probably isn’t for you. But if you are looking for something that will embrace you like a gently rocking hammock, check out Balmy Days & Sundays.
FINAL VERDICT: GGI (Gotta Get It)
BY WAY OF: SAMPLED
Would you buy it again? YES
Would you recommend it to a friend? YES
