“L’Artisan Fleur d’Oranger 2005 has an almost violent impact, a rough, meaty presentation of the raw material. Givenchy’s Amarige Harvest 2005 is the ingredients shown off to polished, velvety effect. They have one thing in common, however. Just as the great Veuve years vanish, these perfumes, and their great years, too, will disappear.” – Chandler Burr writing in The New York Times –
As annoying as these Limited Editions are and as expensive, I have to say, the L’Artisan Fleur D’Oranger is stunning. Every time I decant it or spray it on, it makes me happy because it is beautiful and unforgettable, it is reflected sunshine, it has no heat, but that chilly beauty is warmed by the sun. L’Artisan Fleur D’Oranger makes me a little sad because I know once it is gone, it is gone forever, but knowing that makes me appreciate its beauty and uniqueness more.
If it takes one great harvest to make an exquisite thing, and then that exquisite thing is gone from the world, I’m okay with that. That is what we are, after all, exquisite and unique, irreplaceable.
Go read the rest of the article, it is a good take on what may be the future of “New Niche” perfuming.
Given the size of my perfume collection, I cannot possible use up anything, so limited editions do not bother me. However, I am skeptical as to whether the quality of that mimosa in Amarige is that much higher than in the regular edition. All that goodness and the price difference is only $10? I just do not trust this “story.” 🙂
It is definitely the same story over and over with just a new angle. I’m so fickle on fragrances that I’m perfectly happy with short-term scents, then I don’t have to feel guilty when some other pretty bright shiny bauble catches my eye and I move on.
If I were a little less sluttish in my perfume loves, they would annoy me, definitely.
I already grumbled about this artcile on MUA this morning, but I have to say it again. It annoys me. This Harvest based limited edition just annoy me. If I fall in love with a scent, I want to be able to buy it years from now, and I don’t want to hunt for it on ebay and pay ridiculous prices.
And another thing that I found frustrating about that artcile is the way the author dismisses all perfume marketing as selling the story not the scent, which absolutely true of course, but the he proceeds to sing praises to these harvest based scents…which, lets face it, is just the same old marketing “story”. Oh, the harvest of 2005 in this exotic location was so super duper special, blah blah blah
Fleur d’Oranger was perfectly nice and very pretty but not *that* special.
There! I am off my soap box now, sorry!:banghead:
Absolutely will, Wendy!
Here I am snooping around your blog when I should be working, and I found this, I’ve been wondering what you thought of it. Please please please would you save me a teeny sample vial of it? I fell in love with OB when I bought two bottles of Zagara at SMN maybe 8 years ago, and I couldn’t “match” the scent, either with SMN or any other scent ever after, so I totally understand that each year’s harvest must be totally different. Now I’m going to try to distill my own OB, which will probably take YEARS, as you have to keep adding blossoms whenever they are around. So you see how I’m dying to try this! Oxo