Coming Soon: CREED Acqua Originale Collection

One of my favorite fragrance companies, CREED, has created a new line of fragrances called the Acqua Originale Collection. Five new fragrances are being released at one time - in mid-July. Is this a first?

The Acqua Originale Collection is Master Perfumer Olivier Creed’s living fragrance journal of countless globetrotting journeys with the fine art of perfumery as the narrative.

Asian Green Tea
Born from Olivier’s appreciation of Japanese art and culture of the Far East, Asian Green Tea opens with green, golden notes evoking the landscape of Malaysia, one of Olivier's favorite Eastern destinations. The fragrance bows with sparkling bergamot, mandarin, and essential oil of lemon petitgrain, then uncovers a fragrant floral bouquet of violet, heliotrope, rose, and sweet cassie blended with the region’s ritual: green tea. The finish is a warm melange of amber, sandalwood and musk.

Cedre Blanc
An ode to the intense green accords of the American forests, Cedre Blanc captures the woodsy floral scents found in the untouched beauty of the Blue Ridge Mountains in Virginia adored by Olivier. Beginning with fragrant laurel, spicy cardamom and bitter galbanum, the scent reveals transparent floral notes of geranium, water lily, and jasmine leaving a base of Virginian cedar, vetiver, and sandalwood.

Iris Tubéreuse
A shimmering white floral that combines the romance of Tuscany and the exotic allure of India, bringing together two of Olivier’s favorite places in one luxurious juice. Delicate iris - one of the most expensive raw materials gathered from the root - fresh galbanum, tender green violet leaf, and orange open the scent. Indian tuberose, the finest in the world collected by moonlight, follows with ylang ylang and lily of the valley to create an unforgettable bouquet of scent. Sicilian orange blossom, musk, and Mexican vanilla orchid create the sensual dry down of Iris Tubéreuse.

Abardeen Lavander [is this misspelled?]
Aberdeen Lavander is a tribute to Creed’s early client and endearing patron, Her Majesty Queen Victoria, whose heart lay always in the Highlands of Scotland. Olivier created this oriental fougére as a historical nod to the Creed archives and the Queen’s beloved picturesque northern retreat. Mysterious anise-flavored absinthe, rosemary, bergamot and lemon give way to a bouquet of annual lavender - flowering in the same year in which it is sown, sumptuous tuberose, iris, and full rose. Dark, dry patchouli, smoky leather, and vetiver complete the unique dry down.

Vetiver Geranium
The Island of Java, Olivier’s favorite destination east of Bali and just south of the equator, served as inspiration for Vetiver Geranium. The accord brings to life Indonesian vetiver that adorns the mountainous rolling hills of its native landscape and pairs the sensual, soothing essence of geranium to create a vibrant juice. Handpicked crisp granny smith apple, bergamot, and lemon make a luminous debut, while warm cinnamon and rose lead to hearty patchouli, cedar, and relaxing amber.

Each of these new fragrances will be priced at $300. You can pre-order them from the CREED Boutique.

Update: I hear the testers have arrived at Neiman Marcus.

Photo courtesy of CREED

Three Rare CREED Vaulted Fragrances Available for a Limited Time

Three impossible-to-find vaulted (discontinued) fragrances are being promoted for the holidays in very limited in numbers. All three are being re-promoted in CREED's gorgeous atomizers containing 1.7 ounces of fragrance. They are an amazing deal, given that the atomizers themselves are priced at $185.

The red atomizer shown above holds Amalfi Flowers, a composition that captures the euphoria of sunrise in the garden of Villa Rufolo on Italy’s shimmering Amalfi coast. A heart-lifting aria of fragrance, Amalfi Flowers lives only once. A limited edition of this rare vaulted item is being offered in an Italian leather atomizer ($325).

As Olivier Creed and his son, Erwin, walked the garden paths of the exquisite Villa Rufolo perched above the Amalfi coast, the first light of dawn and morning breezes stirred a soft harmony of scent. Plump Amalfi lemons, roses of Ravello, and bougainvillea blended in the Mediterranean air and light. Mr. Creed paused with his son to draft the first notes of Amalfi Flowers, a masterful composition perfected in further travels throughout Italy and in CREED’s Paris workshop over the next several months.

The top notes of Amalfi Flowers are succulent Amalfi lemon, mandarin orange from Sicily, basil, bergamot, black currant, and Jamaican ginger. The middle notes are patchouli (fortunately, I cannot smell it), roses of Ravello, and iris from Florence. The bottom notes are ambergris, Parma violets, sandalwood, and notes of Russian leather.

The limited-edition 1.7-ounce Italian red leather-wrapped bottle with gold accents in which Amalfi Flowers is presented is not only elegant, but also shatterproof and ideal for home, gym, or packing in checked luggage.

The Crown Prince of Spain received the first bottle of Feuille Verte. The CREED royal perfume company offered this rare men’s fragrance for the Prince of Spain on Father’s Day. Mr. Olivier Creed, sixth-generation master perfumer and a father of two, personally signed and numbered just 100 8.4-ounce bottles of the fragrance, called Feuille Verte (Green Leaf), available as a limited-edition silver leather atomizer ($325).

Feuille Verte (Green Leaf) was inspired by Mr. Creed’s family and country life in Fontainebleau, France, where he lives, rides horses, walks his terriers, and creates fragrance in a workshop down a country lane with his son Erwin working alongside. Feuille Verte (Green Leaf) evokes green leaves after the rain and fresh earth. Its top notes are mandarine and lime. Its middle notes are oak moss, vanilla, and Bulgarian rose. Its base is absolute of jasmine. I don't think of it as masculine.

The third new atomizer made available is Windsor, the most popular limited edition item ever. Windsor was created in 1936 for King Edward VIII of England from ingredients grown in the British Empire. Edward was the first pilot to be king, and Windsor is presented this season in a shatterproof 1.7 oz. grey, leather-wrapped bottle ($325) ideal for aircraft carry-on for limited time only.

Windsor is part of the daring life of Edward VIII. It was created for His Majesty in January 1936. The ex-king, known as the Duke of Windsor, quit the throne to marry American divorcee Wallis Simpson. Gone from England, living in Paris, King Edward VIII wore this scent as he and his wife starred on the international social scene from Paris to Palm Beach, Monte Carlo, New York, Hollywood and Cannes.

Windsor’s ingredients are a tour of the British Empire Edward once ruled. Its top notes are British gin, Jamaican lime and Bahamian orange. “Duke of Windsor roses,” those he preferred in his garden, the fragrant Nuits de Young variety, are the middle notes. The base notes are cedar from Canada, Australian eucalyptus, and a touch of Scottish highland pine. The duke’s friends and associates observed that Windsor was as subtle as his masterfully tailored suits, handmade shirts, and subdued silk ties. “Royalty need not shout,” the duke replied. That idea is embodied in CREED Windsor. I already own Windsor in a flacon. I have enough to last me for life. Think I love it?

These three fragrances will be available at Neiman Marcus in December - the perfect time to buy yourself a little gift as you shop for others. If you need help, give the lovely Wendy Grigelis a call at (703) 761-1600, extension 3290.

Photo courtesy of CREED

Meeting Erwin Creed

Pandemonium. Apparently it swirls around Erwin Creed when he visits department stores. I walked into Neiman Marcus Tysons Galleria toward the end of his two-hour visit this afternoon, and the crowd of customers waiting to get his signature on their CREED purchases was impressive.

After spending a few minutes observing the polite chaos, I understood the enthusiasm for Erwin. First, he is absolutely charming. Young, talented, and enthusiastic, he is the perfect ambassador for his family and the company.

Second, he was signing very special bottles: the new Fleurs de Gardenia, along with a special offering for clients: new, unique 8.4 ounce hand-blown glass decanters hand-painted with their choice of gold (or gold-and-silver) accents and engraved with their initials. Inside is their choice of CREED’s Royal Exclusive fragrances: Spice and Wood, Jardin D’Amalfi (as beautiful as it gets), White Flowers (I am smitten), Pure White Cologne (adored at my house), or Sublime Vanille (which I must purchase sometime). Had I not already purchased more than half of these, I would have pre-ordered one. The bottles were gorgeous. I tried to purchase one of those glam gold atomizers, but they were sold out. Wendy will find me one - or I can look online at the CREED Boutique.

In case you haven't tried Fleurs de Gardenia yet, it's a floral blend in which no single flower is dominant - not gardenia, not roses, not peonies. It's soft and beautiful - and unique. That's a good thing. A lot of people find gardenia-heavy scents too sweet or too indolic. Not this one. The top notes are pink berries; fresh, ripe blackcurrant; and engaging galbanum. The middle notes are First Love gardenias, Double Blush roses, lavender peonies, lily of the valley, and pink jasmine. The base notes are soft musk, pink patchouli (no, I cannot smell it at all), and Virginia Cedar.

The photo at the top of this feature shows Erwin standing between Thomas Saujet, President of CREED North America, and Francesca Camacho, CREED representative at Neiman Marcus. Heaven only knows who Francesca was acknowledging as she pointed. There were so many people waiting to get Erwin's signature, and I was begging forgiveness as I tried to get a few "action" photos without stepping on anyone.

The photo directly above, taken with flash, shows the beautiful Wendy Grigelis (also a CREED representative at Neiman Marcus) standing between Erwin and Thomas. It's so cute that Erwin appears to be surprised by all the attention. I'm sure he understands the popularity of the family's fragrances, but these store events ought to erase any doubts - should they ever cross his mind.

The last photo on my camera disk, taken right before my battery died for the day, shows me with the CREED team. I had slipped into my house on the way from work to Neiman Marcus, taken out my contacts, and replaced them with my granny sunglasses. Had I planned the moment when time stopped for these wonderful men to take time out for me, I would have removed the glasses. From left to right, my photo shows Thomas Saujet, Senior Vice President Dale Lewis, me, and Erwin Creed (once again looking camera-shy, don't you think?).

I would love to have had time to interview Erwin. It wasn't going to happen. The store was crowded with adoring CREED customers, new fans who were making their first CREED purchases, and store employees watching the event. The team's time of departure was near. They were headed in two directions as they left: Erwin and Thomas were flying to Las Vegas, and Dale was meeting up in Los Angeles with Roberto Ferreira, National CREED Educator and Curator of the CREED Collection, another member of the CREED team, who is a fabulous ambassador.

That was my late afternoon. I'm starstruck.

Photo of the Royal Exclusive courtesy of CREED; other photos by Best Things in Beauty, with an assist by Wendy

CREED Fleurs de Gardenia

Sixth-generation master perfumer Olivier Creed looked beyond our time to revive the innocence and first bloom of love with the new  Fleurs de Gardenia ($260) fragrance for women. In his French country workshop, he blended First Love gardenias, which grow only in pairs, to rewrite romance the way we first felt it - a pure, gentle, dreamlike reality of fluttering hearts and soaring spirits. Double Blush roses, lavender peonies, and other gems chosen by the young generation of the House of CREED become the master perfumer's portrait of how love was...and can can be again.  Fleurs de Gardenia's feminine bottle seems to blush with the heady romance of this new perfume.

I've got samples, and I adore it! Characterized by words like translucent, delicate, ethereal, stimulating, bright, and romantic, Fleurs de Gardenia is a return to romance.

It's available this year only at stores that are being visited by Erwin Creed. Neiman Marcus Tysons Galleria is one of them. He will be at Tysons Galleria on November 14. Fleurs de Gardenia will be widely available in the U.S. and Canada in 2013.

The top notes are pink berries; fresh, ripe blackcurrant; and engaging galbanum. The middle notes are First Love gardenias, Double Blush roses, lavender peonies, lily of the valley, and pink jasmine. The base notes are soft musk, pink patchouli (no, I cannot smell it at all), and Virginia Cedar.

I haven't been this excited about a CREED fragrance since Jardin d'Amalfi was introduced. OK, CREED fans, I know that wasn't long ago, but I adore this one.

To my nose, it's a floral blend in which no single flower is dominant - not gardenia, not roses, not peonies. It's soft and beautiful - and unique. That's a good thing. A lot of people find gardenia-heavy scents too sweet or too indolic. Not this one!

Fleurs de Gardenia will be available at Neiman Marcus Tysons Galleria on November 14. If you would like to reserve a bottle (possibly signed by Mr. Creed that day, call Wendy Grigelis or Francesca Camacho at Tysons at (703) 761-1600, extension 3303. I'll be there - wouldn't miss it.

For those who cannot meet Erwin Creed during his visit to a store this year (his schedule is here), the CREED boutique at 794 Madison Avenue in New York and CreedBoutique.com may offer a few bottles of this special fragrance in November before its national U.S. debut in 2013.

If you love floral fragrances, this fragrance is for you.

Photo courtesy of CREED

CREED Acqua Fiorentina - The Encore Eau de Parfum

CREED's coveted Acqua Fiorentina - long unavailable - is back, to my delight and the delight of its countless devotees. Now dubbed Acqua Fiorentina - The Encore, it's available in three sizes:  1) a generous one-ounce (30 ml) travel size at $155; 2) a 2.5-ounce (75 ml) "regular" size at $155; and the 8.4-ounce (250 ml) flacon at $420. The flacon is super-gorgeous. Anyone who wants to ensure she (or he) never runs out of Acqua Fiorentina again will want to buy the flacon.

In response to his clients’ standing ovation for Acqua Fiorentina, which departed our local counters in 2010 (if I remember correctly - I got the last one at Neiman Marcus Tysons Galleria), sixth-generation master perfumer Olivier Creed in Paris created this perfect gift for his American customers: Acqua Fiorentina - The Encore, a fresh new blend of the beloved fruity-floral fragrance. In a special touch, Mr. CREED added Diamond Jubilee Apple and grapefruit to the blend, honoring the Queen's special year.

The inspiration for the original Acqua Fiorentina was 15^th century Florence, where artists and innovators, such as Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo, sparked a new flame of beauty and culture with Renaissance art that's priceless today. Fittingly, orchards and farms around Florence are the sources for the ingredients in Acqua Fiorentina.

This Encore will please many. It opens with lightly sweet greengage plum, often used in cuisine as a dessert plum, Diamond Jubilee Apples, and prunea. The heart is composed with Renaissance roses, white carnations, Florentine pear, Sicilian bergamot, and Calabrian lemons are a fine serenade of fruits and blooms. The base notes keep the melody intact with Virginia cedar and Indian sandalwood, with a lively hint of white grapefruit.

Acqua Fiorentina - The Encore is vivid. Imagine the setting of a rich Renaissance parlor, perhaps at a lively feast at a table filled with a sumptuous display of fruits and flowers. The sensory experience, the elegance, and the setting will converge in your mind with the scent of Acqua Fiorentina - The Encore. The initial spray places me at the table, almost with a sensory overload from the richness of the ingredients. The heart of the experience and the soft dry-down that follows bring me slowly back to realities of the 21^st century, with the reminder that wearing Acqua Fiorentina is a bit like time travel - a magical delight to be savored.

Introduced for Holiday 2012, Acqua Fiorentina is already available at the CREED Boutique, Neiman Marcus, and Bergdorf Goodman. I purchased my original bottle at Neiman Marcus and my first bottle of The Encore from the CREED Boutique (online). I received my second bottle of The Encore as a gift from CREED. Knowing I can alternate the original with The Encore makes me enormously happy.

Photos courtesy of CREED and eskallberg.blogspot.com (check out Mr. Skallberg's gorgeous paintings) and blog.countrygardenroses.co.uk

CREED Acqua Fiorentina Perfumed Oil

I adore CREED Acqua Fiorentina Eau de Parfum ($240), a fruity floral fragrance that was introduced in 2009-2010 (shown below). Master perfumer Olivier Creed, with his son Erwin, created a "statement about the lasting value of fine scent, shared and enjoyed from generation to generation."

The inspiration for Acqua Fiorentina was 15^th century Florence, where artists and innovators, such as Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo, sparked a new flame of beauty and culture with Renaissance art that's priceless today. Fittingly, orchards and farms around Florence are the sources for the ingredients in Acqua Fiorentina.

The top notes are lightly sweet greengate plum (often used in cuisine as a dessert plum) and bergamot orange. The middle notes include Renaissance roses, pink carnations, and Calabrian lemons, a finely rendered portrait of fruits and blooms that belongs on a canvass. The base notes are Virginia cedar and Indian sandalwood, two of my favorites. They give Acqua Fiorentina a soft dry-down that's easy on the nose.

That brings me to Acqua Fiorentina Perfumed Oil ($145), which I purchased recently from the CREED Boutique in New York. The day it arrived, I sprayed it on my neck, chest, and arms before bed. I awoke the next morning and wondered for nearly 30 minutes why my whole bedroom smelled so good. Having forgotten my treat before bed, I was worried that a bottle of perfume has spilled. Crazy me! I was the reason my bedroom had that heavenly fragrance. Actually, CREED can take most of the credit. I just had the good sense to buy and use the Acqua Fiorentina Perfumed Oil.

To make perfumed oils, Olivier Creed uses the same crop of handpicked ingredients he uses to make his original fragrance formulations (and he's very picky about his ingredients). Instead of the traditional fine fragrance alcohol base, he crafts an alternative of calendula oil to gently soothe the skin, almond oil with omega-3 for its treatment benefits, and aloe extract to soften and heal the skin.  The result is fine, fragrant oil that's light enough to spray on its own or to layer with its companion eau de parfum.

Interestingly, CREED's first perfumed oils were made for Napoleon III and Empress Eugénie, who used the oil to soothe her skin during the long Paris winters and scorching summers - basically any time she wanted a treat. I'll be using my new Acqua Fiorentina any time I feel like it too, but especially before bed. I love drifting off to sleep with a divine dry oil scenting my skin while it moisturizes. I really love awakening to the same divine fragrance the next morning.

The Acqua Fiorentina Eau de Parfum is in extremely short supply. It's my understanding that when Creed cannot source his ingredients, he will discontinue production until he can replace the ingredients with exact duplicates. I'm not sure where you might find a bottle of the irresistible eau de parfum today. I want the flacon, and I'll start my quest now. I bought the 2.5-ounce spray at Neiman Marcus months ago.

I do know where you can find the Acqua Fiorentina Perfumed Oil: at the CREED Boutique, where I bought mine. You should also be able to find it at Bergdorf Goodman, Neiman Marcus, and select Saks Fifth Avenue stores, although it's so nice, they sell through the stock quickly upon delivery.

Photos courtesy of CREED, darvillsrareprints.com, and metmuseum.org

CREED Jardin d'Amalfi Eau de Parfum

The second (OK, maybe the day) CREED's Jardin d'Amalfi Eau de Parfum ($575) became available at the CREED Boutique in New York City last fall, I ordered it. I had been waiting, and I pounced. "I'm not a CREED addict," she says unconvincingly!

A CREED Royal Exclusive, which meant I "had to" buy a 8.4-ounce flacon (twist my arm!), Jardin d’Amalfi arrived in an elegant hand blown Pochet glass bottle etched with CREED’s crest. CREED doesn't exaggerate when it claims that these flacons are art object and fragrance in one. Remove the cut-glass cap to reveal an open-neck pour, a little inconvenient for this klutz, so I decant 30 ml at a time into a glass spray bottle I purchased (I keep a storehouse of different size vials and bottles; I have smaller ones for purse sprays).

Sixth-generation master perfumer Olivier Creed proudly introduced Jardin d’Amalfi (translated Amalfi Garden), to evoke a lush grove of flowers on Italy’s glittering Amalfi coast on a summer afternoon in 1927, when a performance by the American modern dancer Isadora Duncan captivated a continental audience. Not just the coast and its glorious gardens, but an historic moment in the history of dance! Tragically, Duncan died later that year when her large silk scarf, draped around her neck, became entangled around a vehicle's open-spoked wheels and rear axle in Nice on the Riviera. Jardin d'Amalfi honors the region as well as a dancer whose influence on modern dance is indisputable.

In your first moment with Jardin d'Amalfi, your senses fill with the characteristic scent of citrus - symbolic of the Amalfi coast - woods, apple, and rose in an artistic blend of fresh green, fruity perfection. The top notes are tangerine, bergamot, pink berries, and neroli. The heart of Jardin d'Amalfi was composed with Virginia cedar (an evergreen fragrance that is light and fresh), French apple, and Bulgarian rose. The base dries down with Haitian vetiver, white musk, and (oddly) cinnamon. Fortunately, I cannot smell the cinnamon because I really don't like that note. I smell the vetiver and delicate white musk, contrasting but complimentary notes that leave me in the glorious coastal garden.

Here's how CREED U.K. described Jardin d'Amalfi. I love this description. Since I often struggle to describe my impressions of fragrances I adore, I try instead to help you visualize their inspiration. While the placement of the notes is described a bit differently than it in the U.S., the mental image perfectly describes the lush elegance of Jardin d'Amalfi.

Cruise down the beautiful Italian coast on an emerald sea to the glorious Jardins d'Amalfi, glittering with exotic fruits and piquant spices. CREED’s new scent in their collectors’ Royales Exclusives line is a luscious homage to la dolce vita and the glamour of international Society on the Amalfi coast: the drama of the landscape, the balmy air redolent with fragrance, and that ineffable sense of Italian romance, leisure, and elegance. Erwin [Creed] has personally sourced oils of Amalfi tangerine, Sicilian lemon, and bergamot from Calabria to give the dazzling exhilaration of the top notes a wholly authentic Italian provenance. These gracefully yield to a dark woody heart of vetiver, sandalwood, and pink pepper: a shady walk along mountain paths gazing out onto the shimmering sea. The classic CREED base is of Olivier’s signature ambergris blended with Tonkin musk: gloriously soft, rich, and very tenacious.

CREED recommends the separate purchase of a 1.7 oz CREED leather-wrapped shatterproof take-anywhere atomizer for your fragrances that are provided in a glass flacon. Although I adore the atomizers, they are pricey ($165). Plus I would need one for every CREED flacon in my expanding collection. One of my dreams is that one day, an atomizer, any color - it doesn't matter, will arrive via UPS from a secret admirer, perhaps someone who smelled Jardin d'Amafi on me and remembers the scent in his dreams. Some dream about the guy; I dream about the fragrance and its accessories.

Jardin d'Amalfi makes me happy. My entire mood is uplifted when I apply it. I'm wondering if I need a second bottle, although I've had the same thoughts about Royal Service, and I haven't won the lottery yet. There are considerations in my single life, like the mortgage and car payments. If there weren't, I would own every fragrance CREED sells (and I'd have searched out all the discontinued ones too). They are aristocratic in all the best ways. (Remind me to tell you the lengths to which I went to get Scent of Oger, possibly one of the rarest CREED creations ever sold).

If you like effervescent, fruity, green fragrances with a dash of flowers, you'll be as happy with Jardin d'Amalfi as I am. CREED fragrances are sold by my friends at the CREED Boutique and Neiman Marcus. If you live near me, stop by the counter at Neiman Marcus Tysons Galleria to meet Francesca and Wendy. They are passionate in their knowledge of fragrance. They will help you select the CREED fragrance that's perfect for your tastes.

Photos courtesy of CREED, villasamalficoast.com, and sicilyguide.com

Coming Attraction: CREED Royal Service, New Limited-Edition Collector's Fragrance to Begin CREED's Next 250 Years

To mark this year's successful start of CREED’s second 250 years as a fragrance dynasty, sixth-generation master perfumer Olivier Creed created Royal Service, a unique, new, very limited-edition fragrance hand-blended with flowers, fruits, and spices from CREED scents worn by the royal and famous women the CREED dynasty has served since 1760. Royal Service, the ultimate imperial women’s fragrance, will be presented in a sculptural hand-blown glass decanter with a numbered leather collar, a vessel that will never again be produced. Only 1,000 decanters, each presented in an heirloom box, will be offered worldwide.

This singular fragrance is a masterfully crafted and personal journey through CREED’s service to queens, empresses, princesses, and First Ladies, some of the world’s most exceptional clientele in fragrance.

The top note, like the opening of a palace door, is the bergamot of Princess Grace’s CREED Fleurissimo, the fragrance she wore on her wedding day. The next impression provides a fresh modernity: the orange zest of Love In White, the fragrance worn by two 21^st century First Ladies. To this bright, gala opening, Mr. Creed skillfully added a hint of crisp Mediterranean grapefruit.

The middle note is iris from the favorite CREED of Empress Sisi of Austria-Hungary: Fantasia de Fleurs, commissioned by the legendary beauty. Mr. Creed added youth and a contemporary feel with a dab of neroli and gentle daffodil.

The base of Royal Service is the musk of Queen Victoria's intoxicating CREED fragrance, the famed Fleur de Bulgarie. Alongside is the amber from CREED's Ambre Canelle, worn by Argentine First Lady Eva Peron.

I had a remarkable opportunity to sample Royal Service yesterday, and I experienced love at first whiff. It's an extraordinary fragrance - one I must own. I felt an immediate personal relationship with Royal Service - as if it had been created for me. My serendipitous introduction to Thomas Saujet, President of CREED North America, on a day when I wasn't anticipating anything special to happen, reminded me that sometimes life's most memorable moments come when we least expect them.

In the United States, Royal Service will be available exclusively at Neiman Marcus, Bergdorf Goodman, the CREED boutique in New York (reached at (877) 273-3344), and Creedboutique.com. The size will be 6.8 ounces, and the edition will be priced at $1,750. There will probably be fewer than 300 bottles available in the U.S. In Canada, Royal Service will be available from Holt Renfrew.

Royal Service will be available about the third week in November. That gives me some time to come up with the money to purchase it. Yes, my friends, I must own it, live in it, and enjoy it. There are some "needs" in life that must be satisfied. Royal Service entered my must-have list at the top.

Based in Paris, CREED is the world’s only luxury fragrance dynasty passed from father to son in an unbroken line since 1760, serving more than eight royal houses, leaders in every field, and the discerning public for more than 250 years. I own and adore many CREED fragrances and would love to have a few in my collection that I don't currently own, Windsor among them. Consider CREED's first 250 years of distinguished history and what the next 250 years may bring. Royal Service is a stunning way to bridge two eras.

Photo courtesy of CREED

CREED Original Cologne, a New Royal Exclusive

One of three new Royal Exclusive introductions from CREED, Original Cologne ($575) is being marketed to men. I can't figure that out. It's certainly a unisex scent. My first impression was, "Please God, send me a man who smells like this! I've been waiting all my life."

Original Cologne evokes men’s styles in Victorian England: clean grooming and tailored clothes - and lives made richer by quality goods of impeccable detail. Original Cologne wraps the client like a jacket stitched to his exact proportions, fitting and superb in every respect, a complement to his innate style and a statement of his high standing. Original Cologne has been compared to a burst of English mist, a fine and clean sensation on the skin like when a train blurs past, sending a gust of cooling moisture onto every pore, as in the 1844 J.M.W. Turner painting, “Rain, Steam and Speed.”

Kathy Shoreman and I have deemed it one of our favorite new introductions, even though it appears we weren't the target market. That won't stop us from wearing it. CREED guru Francesca Camacho at Neiman Marcus is wearing it too. I'm in good company. I want to meet the men who've purchased it (for themselves)!

Let's consider the notes. Original Cologne opens with a fizzy, zesty burst of lemon, Sicilian bergamot, and Italian grapefruit. As it dries down, it offers a penetrating rush of galbanum, sweet pear, and finest neroli. Are we reading masculine yet? The soft, comfortable base notes are ambergris, white musc, and rice powder. This translates into fresh and fruity, with a dash of flowers and a softness that will make anyone want to nuzzle it. It's simply divine. It has quickly become one of my favorite fruity fragrances. Every time I wear it, I gush.

Original Cologne is offered in a collectible, hand-blown Pochet glass bottle etched with CREED’s family crest. It's beautiful - classy - and would look great on anyone's dressing table. Its sculptural cap masks the perfect steel spray pump, rather than an open-neck pour, making it modern, fast, and easy to use.

Original Cologne is available at Neiman Marcus (featured in the men's fragrance section online), Bergdorf Goodman, and at the CREED Boutique. I know the price is high, but you can find a decant in one of many sizes at The Perfumed Court. Why do I keep falling in lust with expensive fragrances?

Photos courtesy of CREED and Wikipedia

The Friday Forum - August 5

It's hard to believe it's August. Back-to-school sales have started, and our thoughts are turning to fall fashion and beauty. All the while, most of the country is gripped by dangerously hot and dry weather. I've noticed that the days are getting shorter, a sure sign that the season will change.

This was such a "straddle week" for beauty. The much-anticipated Les Aquarelles de Chanel Collection arrived at Neiman Marcus. I believe it was the last summer collection to hit the store. The pieces arrived at the same time as Chanel's early fall collection. Sharing space on the counter, they are a juxtaposition in color. Les Aquarelles represents the pale pinks of summer, while the fall colors offer more punch. There are two quads on the Chanel fall display. Blue is clearly on France's mind for fall! One of the quads features shades of blue. I thought about Dior's new palette when I saw it. Blue is clearly "hot."

Speaking of blues, Jo Malone's Wild Bluebell Cologne arrived earlier than we had anticipated. In case you've been among the many waiting, Neiman Marcus has it (at least at Tysons Galleria).

I visited with Michael Reinhardt at the Le Métier de Beauté counter at Neiman Marcus Mazza Gallerie this week. He had received one of the new nail lacquer shades from the fall/winter East Meets West Collection. I took a photo of Anatolia in the store, but I don't think my photo represents the rich plum color adequately. Described as a rich plum illuminated with golden effervescence, it's a gorgeous fall color. Once all four shades arrive, I'll decide what I can't live without (if anything). They cost $18.

It was a fun fragrance week for me. I finally got my flacon of CREED's White Flowers (launch date was July 31), and I also have a nice, big sample of Original Cologne, a perfect summer fragrance for men or women. I'm enjoying them both, plus lots of other fragrance samples and bottles that have arrived. I also got to try the new Chanel No. 19 Poudre. Turns out it will launch as a Saks Fifth Avenue exclusive. So, next week, I'll head over to Chevy Chase to visit with my friends there. I need to spend more time writing (and less reading) to share all my newest fragrance impressions with you. Why is it I've got the summer lazies?

I also received two Sephora boxes, the result of surfing Sephora last weekend. I've got a pretty Guerlain bronzer to show you, hopefully later today. Despite my expectations that it might be a slow week, it flew by!

It's time for The Friday Forum, our open chat. I won't throw any bombs, like I did last week when I vented on the aggressiveness of store sales reps. What new products did you discover this week? Did you find any deals you couldn't resist this week? Are you using a fabulous product and want to sing its praises? Did you find a beauty product disappointing? Do you have a question others might be able to answer? Want to talk about skin care? What's new in your life? Just use the comments. Don't be shy. Just make sure to ask any question you might have over the weekend. By early the next week, most (not all) readers have moved on.

Don't forget the giveaway contest for Guerlain's Le 2 de Guerlain Mascara. The deadline for commenting to enter is tomorrow, August 6, at midnight. It's pretty cool!

Update 2:30 pm: The information I was given at a department store about the availability of a larger size of Anatolia was incorrect (not the store where I photographed it). The size is LMdB's normal bottle size. I'm sorry for any confusion (or anticipation) I may have created earlier today.

Photo by Best Things in Beauty

New in the United States: CREED White Flowers

Occasionally, I'll find a fragrance that transports me to an earthly paradise - one that's teaming with flowers I love. I'll want to bathe in it, live in it, revel in it. The scent makes me forget every little anxiety and focus on the magnificence of a hidden garden suddenly revealed.

CREED's new White Flowers (8.4 oz, $575) is one of those fragrances. The scent is magnetic - drawing in my nose like hummingbirds are attracted to the precious drops of nectar in brightly colored flowers. Instead of a brightly colored paradise, CREED has created one with sublime white flowers, one of the most enchanting white flower fragrances I've worn. White Flowers awakens my sense of smell. It alerts me to a world of my dreams, one I could describe, but you might think I've lost it.

French master perfumer Olivier Creed created White Flowers, new to the Royal Exclusives collection, in bottles CREED considers as collectible as art. I'm not sure the bottle will rival my Frank Stella favorite, even though it is lovely. I'm trying to retain some sense of reality, even though Creed selected hand-picked ingredients from our world to imagine a world that is beyond reach. "Serene and composed, White Flowers is a voyage into spirit and dream." Somehow, that sentence seems perfect.

The fresh floral composition opens with Parma violet leaves, green apple, and lemon from Calabria. At its heart, Italian and Moroccan jasmine, light geranium, and Bulgarian rose seduce. The soft base notes are musk, Indian sandalwood, and narcissus (the narcissus an unusual base note to me). The scent and its aura are transitory. I find White Flowers lasts for about four hours on my skin, giving me an excuse to apply it again during the day for another trip to paradise. A few nights ago, I went to sleep wearing it, sure to have sweet dreams.

The elegant White Flowers hand-blown Pochet glass bottle etched with CREED’s crest has a cut-glass cap that reveals an open-neck pour. Fortunately, CREED offers a complimentary white fabric pump for those of us who prefer a fine mist. Once I can spray with abandon, White Flowers may transport me to another world for a few extra hours.

So far, I'm living with a large sample. My bottle will arrive at Neiman Marcus this month, so I'm waiting for Francesca Camacho, one of the finest fragrance experts I've ever encountered in a department store, to get her stock. You can purchase White Flowers today, though, at CREED's Web site if you can't wait a week or two for your CREED counter or neimanmarcus.com to offer it. The CREED Boutique will begin shipping White Flowers tomorrow. It is already available in France.

How I wish Roberto Ferreira, National CREED Educator and Curator of the CREED Collection, were here this week! I'd love to hear his thoughts in this new addition to the CREED collection. I'm so impressed with White Flowers, I'm almost speechless. All week, I've tried to engage my right brain to summon the words to describe this gorgeous fragrance.

Photo at top courtesy of CREED; narcissus photo by Best Things in Beauty; jasmine photo courtesy of planfor.fr

Learning about CREED Fragrances with Roberto Ferreira

Saturday, I was privileged to spend an hour with Roberto Ferreira, National CREED Educator and Curator of the CREED Collection. The hour passed quickly as we talked about fragrance and Roberto helped me discover a few CREED fragrances that had to come home with me.

Francesca Camacho, one of the two finest fragrance experts I've ever encountered in a department store, had invited me to her very special CREED event at Neiman Marcus at Tysons Galleria. I've been looking forward to it for months! I had read about Roberto, and I was excited to have an opportunity to sit and talk with him, rather than sit in a classroom setting with others. We could focus on the scents I like. The photo above shows Francesca and Roberto.

How would I describe him? Warm, passionate, extremely knowledgeable, charming, caring, and fun! I spent a few minutes getting to know him. Roberto shared a darling story with me because we discovered quickly we both share a love for food and fragrance. When he was in his late teens, he was the taster in his house. His mother Dominica did the cooking, but she always asked Roberto to taste as she added spices. He had a talent for scents and the perfect balance between ingredients as a teenager! Robert's mother predicted that he would have a career in the fragrance business. He protested, "I will be an artist." His mother saw his innate talent for fragrance; she is a wise woman.

I told Roberto about the CREED fragrances I already owned (e.g., Jasmal, and I told him about the types of fragrances I like: florals, fruits, and aquatics. I also told him about notes I dislike, including patchouli, which will drive me out of a room, and many spices, such as cloves, nutmeg, and cinnamon. Then we got to work.

We talked about roses. Fleur de Thé Rose Bulgare, the first CREED fragrance I ever purchased, was developed in 1890, using a hybrid rose bred from the China and Bulgarian Roses. The addition of Chinese green tea, a natural for a Chinese-inspired fragrance, along with citrus gave it a lightness to counterbalance the heady rose. Fleur de Thé Rose Bulgare was commissioned by a future first lady, who first encountered CREED on her extended honeymoon in Europe. When she returned to America, she wrote to CREED requesting a custom fragrance made with the Bulgarian tea roses she had smelled during her sojourn abroad.

Fleurs de Bulgarie, another rose beauty, was commissioned by Queen Victoria in 1845. It's one of the oldest CREED fragrances. Made for Queen Victoria, who wore the fragrance she commissioned from CREED throughout her illustrious reign, it was made with the essence of pure Bulgarian roses - the finest in the world - over a classic musk base. Gorgeous!

I meant to purchase Fleurs de Bulgarie and bought Fleur de Thé Rose Bulgare (the one I already have) instead. I think that by the end of our hour I was intoxicated by fragrance. That could be new law enforcement lingo: DWIF.

Roberto and I tested one of his favorites, Sublime Vanilla, a soft oriental with Tahitian and South American vanilla, tonka bean, bergamot, lemon, and musk. Even though it wasn't "me," I liked it. I didn't expect to because I tend to shy away from fragrances with predominant vanilla notes. There were other surprises in store for me.

He told me about Windsor, and when he did, his passion for fragrances and the memories they evoke was inspiring. Windsor, with eucalyptus, cedar, Jamaican ginger, bergamot, ambergris, and vetiver among its notes, is his all-time personal favorite. It reminds him of his youth, playing soccer on a field surrounded by eucalyptus trees. I can appreciate how fragrances carry memories, so by that point in our conversation, we were trading memories and fragrance comparisons - one of those rapid-fire conversations I enjoy. I love talking to people like Roberto!

We sampled Millésime Impérial (1995), a green mandarin with Sicilian lemon, bergamot, iris root, orange blossom, sea salt, marine notes, and musk. I really liked it. It's considered a universal, or unisex, fragrance.

We also tried Love in White, a more recent introduction, that Roberto romantically described as deeply sensual, like two souls coming together. Love in White is the first CREED fragrance ever to debut in the United States, as opposed to France. It received an American salute second to none when it arrived from France by ship in November 2005. On the night of its premiere, the exterior lights of the Empire State Building were pure white to honor Love in White. The very first bottle was delivered to the White House. Love in White continues to have a loyal following around the world, particularly at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. It is a fragrance now enjoyed by two first ladies, a rare distinction. Named for master perfumer Olivier CREED's love of sailing, Love in White is a blend of ingredients gathered from five continents: orange zest, rice husk, iris, jasmine, magnolia, vanilla, and sandalwood. I think it will be mine soon.

It was time for him to bring out the one that left me gasping. The moment he gave me the card with the fragrance, I knew I had to have it. Fantasia de Fleurs was commissioned by Franz Joesph, Emperor of Austria and king of Hungary, in 1862 for his wife. With notes of Bulgarian rose, bergamot, ambergris infusion, and iris, it's a floral lover's dream fragrance. While it's not Joy, it reminded me of Joy and my love for the classic masterpiece. I wanted Fantasia de Fleurs so badly that I purchased the flacon at $350. Someone had beaten me to the last 75-ml spray that day.

I knew I liked Jasmine Imperatrice Eugenie, one of the first fragrances created after CREED moved from London to Paris. It was commissioned by Empress Josephine, who urged the company to relocate to France because it was "where the action was" in the world of fine fragrances. I got a laugh out of that; it reminded me of the competitions Maryland, DC, and Virginia stage to attract the top companies in the United States. This is one of Kathy Shoreman's favorite CREED fragrances (along with a few of my favorites), and she gave me a sample. That's the legendary Kathy above right with Roberto. She's a fragrance expert too.

We also tried Royal Delight. The story of Royal Delight is a story of romance and escape. A year after the death of the King of Spain, his widow commissioned a fragrance from CREED for the new man she would marry in secret, a royal guard. In those days, royal widows were not to remarry. Royal Delight is a leathery-floral fragrance the Queen’s new husband loved and wore. With this gift of scent, the couple lived happily ever after, although news of their marriage caused a scandal and forced the Queen to abdicate her throne.

I saw Zest Mandarin Pamplemousse on the table and was attracted by its citrus title. I learned that it was the first fragrance Olivia Creed created by himself - in 1975 at the age of 32. Its notes are bergamot, mandarin, and grapefruit, tempered with white flowers. It's a great fragrance for zesty citrus lovers.

Did you know CREED makes home fragrances too? One of my best friends gave me an incredible candle for Christmas. It's so pretty, I can't bear to use it.

We sampled many other scents, and as we did, I learned about each. Most of CREED's fragrances have a fascinating story. We could have spent hours. I need another one of these sessions! Roberto kindly gave me his contact information, and I will be picking his brain. I hope he won't find me to be a pest.

I'll close with the surprise. I told you at the top of this feature that I despise cinnamon - I really despise it. I have to leave a room when someone is eating food laced with cinnamon. My nose starts to close up. We sampled Ambre Cannelle (1949), a fragrance of the '50s based on amber and cinnamon. It's soft, powdery, oriental - and I loved it. I don't even like orientals. Go figure! The notes are berry, rose, cinnamon, coriander, amber, and vanilla - for the most part, not me. I found it soft and sensuous. With that stunner - one that led me to question assumptions - we said our farewells and planned for our next meeting, hopefully later this year. Even though I scribbled notes furiously, I couldn't capture everything I heard and learned. I can't wait to see him again.

I want to thank Roberto for the generous amount of time he spent with me. If you ever get an opportunity to meet him, go! I owe my Saturday treat to Francesca Camacho at Neiman Marcus Tysons Galleria. If you live in the DC area, you must visit with her. Roberto agrees that she is one of CREED's most knowledgeable and passionate product specialists. Another person you should meet is Valerie Davidson, the regional account executive. I'm looking forward to seeing Valerie again too. She might turn up at Neiman Marcus sooner than Roberto does.

Fragrance and candle photos courtesy of CREED and Neiman Marcus

CREED Jasmal

How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.

Do you think Elizabeth Barrett Browning was really talking about a fragrance? Her much-analyzed sonnet was about love, or God, or all aspects of human existence. What do I think about when I smell CREED Jasmal ($225 or $365)? The opening lines from this famous poem! This is one of the truest jasmine fragrances I have ever worn.

Jasmine, a natural floral essence coveted for centuries, takes on a fresh twist in the uniquely stylish blend called Jasmal. In order to extract the maximum amount of oil for this fragrance, jasmine flowers are picked when they are the most fragrant: before dawn. Jasmine oil is among the most expensive essences in the world, and the largest size of Jasmal I purchased wasn't inexpensive - but I had to have it after testing a sample made for me.

For all of the complexity of the experience of wearing jasmine, Jasmal is a simple fragrance in a sense. It's not loaded with distracting notes.

• Top Notes: Bergamot
• Middle Notes: Italian and Moroccan jasmine
• Base Notes: Ambergris, Galbanum

The jasmine in it is prominent - and divine for any jasmine lover. Jasmal is a seductive floral scent. Jasmal, made from Italian and Moroccan-grown jasmine flowers, has an intriguing green aspect derived from the leaves and vines of this exotic plant. The greening of jasmine makes this fragrance unique in my fragrance collection.

This isn't a new fragrance, nor is the storied House of CREED a new company. Based in Paris, CREED is the world's only dynastic, privately held luxury fragrance company, founded in 1760, and passed from father to son since then, serving royal houses and the discerning public for 249 years. In recognition of CREED's excellence, a number of European monarchs have honored CREED with royal crests.

Jasmal was originally created in 1959 as a private fragrance and introduced to the public in 2001. I'm not quite sure how I spent the last nine years without it, but when I tried it, I had to have it. I bought the largest size - so great is my love!

I'm on a CREED roll, having recently discovered, with the help of CREED super-specialist and passionate Francesca Camacho at Neiman Marcus Tysons Galleria, a "set" of CREED fragrances that excite me. I have lots more to tell you. For now, if you love jasmine in all its glory - heady, rich, noctural, and simultaneously calming and intoxicating - you will love Jasmal. It smells like the real thing. Imagine a warm, humid, languid evening, somewhere in the Deep South (maybe even Bermuda). You're relaxing in a garden with the scent of night-blooming jasmine all around you. You are lulled into a state of sublime calmness, happiness really, simultaneously a detached observer of the activities of the nocturnal hummingbirds and moths who have sought out your retreat and at one with nature, intoxicated by the night-blooming jasmine. It's a scent so powerful that you've slipped into a meditative state, letting your cares go and appreciating the fragrant moment. That's Jasmal.

Seek it out! Wear it - and make sure to put some on your arm. You will find your nose reflexively gravitating for a whiff, like a hummingbird snatching some nectar. It will only take a second. It will happen naturally. Let it go! This scent will last on your skin all day - or all night.

Those who lived in Jasmal before me include Natalie Wood, Whitney Houston, Goldie Hawn, Naomi Campbell, and Sarah Jessica Parker. They were all in on the secret. I'm in great company, although I wonder if any of them turned to Jasmal for the peace it inspires.

I purchased mine at Neiman Marcus. You can find it there or at CREED's Web site. If you would like to speak with someone about CREED, I wholeheartedly recommend Francesca. Tell her about yourself - your fragrance likes and dislikes - and she will recommend a CREED fragrance that could be your next "signature" scent. She is fab...u...lous.

Photos courtesy of CREED and Wikipedia