There are two types of women in Manhattan; Bergdorf Goodman shoppers and women who love fragrance who will become Bergdorf Goddman devotees. While the store’s wonderful and expensive array of fashion and accessories may not be in the budget this week, everyone, and I mean everyone must own at least one fragrance from the House of Guerlain. And, the only full scale Guerlain Boutique within 800 miles of New York City is nestled in its own home on the LL level of BG.

The Guerlain Boutique at Bergdorf Goodman Stocks Hard To Find, Exclusive and Classic Guerlain Fragrances

With over 400 Guerlain fragrances in stock, the boutique is home to all of the classic fragrances (such as Habit Rouge, Shalimar, Mitsouko, Jicky, L’Heure Bleu, Nuit D’Amour, Vetiver and Chamade), the more commercial Insolence collection and (‘Guerlain for beginners’ ) the Aqua Allegorias, as well as Guerlain’s anser to the niche fragrances revolution, L’Art et La Matière; all in all a veritable treasure trove of vintage and contemporary fragrances are at your disposal. There is ONE (or four) that you will fall in love with.

Habit Rouge was Created by Master Perfumer Jean Paul Guerlain in 1965

There have been four generations of Guerlains, including Pierre-François Pascal Guerlain, Aimé Guerlain (whose great composition Jicky was created in 1889 and still reigns as one of the three best selling fragrances at the boutique), Jacques Guerlain who created L’Heure Blue and the well known Shalimar between 1912 and 1924 (the other two top sellers) and Jean-Paul Guerlain, who is currently the House’s master perfumer. He created Guerlain’s classic men’s fragrances Vétiver (1959) and Habit Rouge (1965); the latter is considered by many to be the first male oriental fragrance. He also created Nahéma (1979), Jardins de Bagatelle (1983), and Samsara (1989) All thirty of Jean Paul Guerlain’s fragrances are housed in the boutique.

Mandy Aftel, Founder of the Artisan Natural Perfumer’s Guild

Long before we knew we were leaving carbon footprints, and back in the days when drinking bottled water was tres chic, there was Mandy Aftel; owner and founder of Aftelier , the founder of the Artisan Natural Perfumers Guild creating fragrances that used only 100% natural ingredients. Most perfumers and corporations eschewed this methodology; natural and organic materials were expensive and volatile. The difficulties of obtaining only the finest ingredients, distilling essences and creating natural fragrances were not deterrents to Aftel’s mission – to disprove the popular belief that natural fragrances could never achieve the status of ‘fine fragrance’ which used synthetics in their composition. Aftel founded Aftelier, her own company and pioneered the way for the dozens of new fragrances popping up, hyping that their scents are greener and cleaner.

Today, many of these companies are touting their organic fragrances, claiming that they are certified by this organization or that, but few can stand up to the quality of Aftelier fragrances.

Formerly a psychotherapist and currently an author of six books, Aftel began her interest in perfumery just over ten years ago. She was researching the area for her next novel, where the main character was a perfumer. She recognized she had found her calling and started a revolution that we now take for granted as part of our environmentally conscious culture. In fact, one of the most interesting facts about Ms. Aftel’s many accomplishments is that she is working outside parfumery– in conjunction with large corporations such as Glaxco-Smith and with Clean Well to develop ‘green’ scents for consumer products.

BN: Mandy, you are an accomplished writer, and teacher and of course an award winning perfumer… when you think of MANDY AFTEL, who is she?
MA: I don’t really think of ‘Mandy Aftel.’ I am very focused on my work and don’t really see myself from the outside. From the inside, I just feel so fortunate to be able to do the work I love – working with gorgeous essences and creating new fragrances.

BN: You have been called the ‘Alice Waters’ of natural perfumes. You were there at the beginning when organic fragrances and oils were for ‘hippies’ and ‘treehuggers’. How do you feel years later, when everyone is plugging ‘green’?
MA: I couldn’t believe my good fortune at literally ‘following my nose’ and stumbling into natural perfume. At first I fell in love with the old perfume books – ones from the turn of the last century – and immediately after that I fell in love with the voluptuous, complicated, fecal-floral extraordinary natural essences. I wanted to write a novel about a perfumer and became one instead. I am very pleased that people are interested in natural essences. There is pleasure in knowing that the scents are derived from particular plants and places – that they came from the earth. Much of what is described as natural is of course synthetic, but, as I learned in my research, that dishonesty has been going on for almost a hundred years, so it is nothing new. I genuinely believe that perfume buyers are interested in the beauty, authenticity, quality and complexity of natural essences and are becoming more educated about what they put on their body.

May ‘flowers’ with new fragrances from a few of our favorite niche and fine fragrance perfumeries.

I am fascinated by an unassuming Swiss perfumer who ‘paints’ fragrances at his lab in Zurich. His name is Andy Tauer and if you are not familiar with his scents, they are among the most beautiful fragrances I have encountered this year. (Rêverie Au Jardin is swoon-worthy).

Bienvenue Incense Rose, Tauer’s latest fragrance; a hypnotic contrast of fiery frankincense and sweet rose. Citrus notes and a hint of cardamom lend the rose a ripe, spicy quality; orris brightens the woody and balsamic notes of cedar, vetiver, patchouli, myrrh and labdanum— rich and dark. However, the star note of the composition is the smoldering, sensual frankincense; envison Egyptians priests sending ‘fragrant smoke’ prayers to their gods. Incense Rose is for all lovers of incense fragrances and for men and women who gravitate to sumptuous, resinous blends.

Available at www.luckyscent.com and www.aedes.com.

The House of Hermès has declared 2008, ‘The Year of India’ as Hermès’ master perfumer Jean-Claude Ellena debuts his latest fragrance Un Jardin après le Mousson, the third scent of the ‘Un Jardin’ trilogy.

Un Jardin après le Mousson captures and bottles a cyclical event of nature—a monsoon — in Kerula, India. Mr. Ellena seeks to evoke the smells of the earth, water and spices, après le deluge. Un Jardin après le Mousson has his signature translucence and a memorable sillage.

Will this be a commercial success? Some will not find the smell of water, spices and earth break-through. But there will be those, like myself, who understand that in this fragrance is equipoise; an Ayurvedic Doshic balance; the elements of moist earth as represented by notes of green vetiver (representing Kapha), fiery spices such as cardamom, coriander, and pepper (representing Pitta) and Kahili ginger (representing Vata) brings to my mind the sacred Hindi chant ‘om’; the one eternal sound of which all that exists is but the development. Perhaps, Un Jardin après le Mousson is the olfactory equivalent to the duality of om; what is abstract yet tangible, fleeting but enduring.

The fragrance, bath and body collection will be available May 5, 2008 at www.hermes.com.

I have worn one Chanel fragrance for years– Cristalle. As much as my nose appreciates the artistry and superb structure of the iconic No.5, No.19 and Coco Mademoiselle my skin as a canvas does not take to synthetic floral aldehydes. All has changed with the introduction of Sycomore, the newest addition to “Les Exclusifs” by Chanel”, eleven fragrances that re-create and preserve Mademoiselle Coco Chanel’s legacy, using historic numbers, addresses and symbols. Sycomore is a linear fragrance with an idea so simple that is particularly complex; create the perfect Vetiver fragrance. And it is… the result of a magical distillation by Chanel’s nose Jaques Polge, who created the entire Les Exclusifs collection. On my skin it isn’t pungent or too green, rather the fragrance is soft woods– warm sensuous and only slightly earthy. There are no florals, no synthetic aldehydes. It is perhaps the most exceptional Vetiver fragrance I have tried. Merci…beaucoup.

(With Global Fragrance Expert - Marian Bendeth)

See a rose is still a rose
Baby, girl, you’re still a flower
He can’t lead you and then take you
Make you and then break you
Darling, you hold the power
-Lyrics by Aretha Franklin

It was a snowy day in January in both New York City and Toronto, when my friend Marian Bendeth, Global Fragrance Expert and owner of Toronto-based consulting company “Sixth Scents” and I began talking about her English rose garden, which she dearly missed…buried under five feet of snow. I tried to comfort her, but since I can’t even grow a chia pet, it was of no use. She told me how much she loves the scent of roses; one of her great joys is the view of her next door neighbor’s driveway, which is in full blossom by June; a visual and olafactory delight. A flood of roses; some are full-bodied and peppery, some are whisper-light and some are creamy.

Which got me thinking; the fragrance of roses do not require balmy weather to evoke memories and emotions. We could create our own perfumed rose gardens in the chill of winter, a dozen perfect rose fragrances each…and no gardening skills required.

Marian Bendeth, Global Fragrance Expert

I invited Marian Bendeth to plant the seeds of knowledge with BN readers who may not know everything there is to know about roses and rose fragrances. Her credentials are impressive; as a global fragrance expert, she has worked with over a 1,000+ prestige and niche fragrances, the Fragrance Industry, the Global Media, Fragrance Retailers and Universities and Colleges as well as the general public:

”The old adage, ’stop and smell the roses’ has more literal meaning than prose”, Bendeth explains.

The anthropological symbolism of roses in cultures around the globe is steeped in mysticism, passion, romance and the life force that reflects the beauty in nature.

Turkish rose, Egyptian rose, and basket of Bulgarian roses

There are over 118 species of rose oils available to modern perfumers, each with very particular nuances such as notes of: warmed tea, exotic spices, sweet sugar, warm fruity notes and honeyed accents. Each species glove a fine perfume and round out and rosy up what would otherwise be a bland accord.