Ralph Lauren Launches Big Pony Collection for Women

If you read fashion magazines, then you've probably seen the scent strips featuring all four of the new Ralph Lauren Big Pony Collection for Women fragrances! I first saw (and smelled) them in Elle. After a two-week exclusive at Bloomingdale’s, the four new scents became available in about 2,500 department and specialty stores, including Sephora.

With this launch, Ralph Lauren is bringing an appealing message to young women: "Live life in color by expressing every vibrant side of you,” said Marc Rey, President of International Designer Collections at L’Oréal USA, told WWD. “The Big Pony Collection for Women is a bouquet of exciting fragrances for the iPod generation.”

Here's the deal. I'm not young, and I'm not a member of the iPod generation. I still love all four of the new fragrances. They were created to appeal to women’s many facets, said Guillaume de Lesquen, President of Ralph Lauren Fragrances Worldwide. “The Big Pony Collection for Women empowers a woman to express all her different sides and convey the whole story of who she is. This means identifying the four key attributes of a modern woman’s femininity: sporty, sensual, free-spirited, and stylish.” Although considered a key opportunity to bring in the 18- to 24-year-old consumer, de Lesquen admitted, “We believe this collection will appeal to women of all ages as well.” Hello, yeah? They remembered those of us who love light fragrances. These are pretty; they are not "teeny bopper" fragrances.

Fragrance number 1 in the blue bottle is a sporty floral citrus, with blue lotus and grapefruit notes providing its signature. Created by Bruno Jovanovic of International Flavors & Fragrances, it has top notes of grapefruit and honeydew, a heart of blue lotus and dewy jasmine, and a base of cedarwood and musk.

Scent 2 is the sensual offering, a floriental fruity juice with a cranberry and tonka mousse signature. Concocted by Honorine Blanc of Firmenich, it has top notes of grapefruit, mandarin, guava, and water lily; a heart of lily of the valley, magnolia, and honeysuckle; and a dry-down of sandalwood, vanilla extract, marshmallow, and musk.

The collection’s number 3 scent is intended to be free-spirited, with a signature of pear and mimosa. The floral green juice, by Laurent Le Guernec of IFF, has top notes of juicy pear and kumquat, a heart of mimosa and buttercup, and a base of white amber and sandalwood.

Number 4 is an oriental floral, which represents the stylish facet of women, built around cherry and purple amber notes. It also contains three synthetic and proprietary molecules: cassyrein, cristallon, and sylkolide. Created by Olivier Gillotin of Givaudan, it has top notes of blood orange, casseyrein and watermelon, a heart of magnolia flower and cristallon, and a dry-down of sylkolide, sandalwood, and purple amber.

De Lesquen noted that the bottles are intended to be a more feminine, elegant version of the Big Pony for Men’s flask-like glass bottles, with bright, feminine colors and an elegant silver cap. On each bottle, the pony is embossed into the glass on the front, and the brightly colored number is screened on the back. They are not sprays. Each scent is an eau de toilette and is available in two sizes, $70 for 100 ml and $55 for 50 ml. There are also .34-ounce rollerballs available for $19.

Have you smelled them? Did you succumb? I found a coffret, set of all four in mini sizes, at Sephora and ordered them. I'd love to live in a Ralph Lauren advertisement. Why not live in a few easy-on-the-nose fragrances?

Photos courtesy of Ralph Lauren and Sephora; quotes courtesy of WWD