• New York

    Woman – The New Fragrance from Donna Karan @DKWoman @HarpersBazaarUS

    Harper’s Bazaar and Donna Karan threw a classy event for New York based beauty bloggers on Monday night on the 44th Floor of Hearst. It was one of the best beauty events I have attended. A combination of a great crowd, very zen atmosphere and invaluable content made this evening worth it. We had a great time networking and talking to fellow bloggers and more importantly, perfume fanatics.

    Me and the girls


    The launch of Donna Karan’s newest fragrance Woman started with an intimate conversation with Trudi Loren (Estee Lauder) and Stephanie Johnson (City Winery), moderated by Avril Graham (Harper’s Bazaar). They took us through a journey of the creation of this perfume as well as the three models used in the campaign: Karolina Kurkova, Liya Kebede & Christy Turlington – supermodels, mothers & philanthropists.

    It was a beautiful event and despite the rain, it was a full house of happy bloggers.

    Must be the great wine pairing, petite amuse-bouche and scents swirling about.

    My favorite pairing: Deseado from Familla Schroeder with Roasted Tomato and Winter Melon Crostini for Orange Blossom

    This evening was about pairing wines with fragrance notes and learning how to smell and taste. WOMAN is like nothing I have smelled before and a welcomed addition to my perfume wardrobe.
    The entire team from chemist to bottle design to perfumer were women. When you smell this, it is a cultural statement and manifestation of the strength and softness of a woman. The bottle for WOMAN was designed by architect Zaha Hadid.

    Stunning.
    Smoked Corn Coquette with Ramey (Chardonnay 2009) paired with Sandalwood and Porcini mushroom butter tart with L’Angevin (Pinot Noir 2009) paired with Donna Karan WOMAN

    A fragrance created for women, by women, to celebrate the inspirational, multifaceted women among us: sensual and nurturing mothers, wives, lovers, and friends. A woman is not one thing or another, but everything all at once. Whatever age or race, women are beautiful, embracing their femininity with conviction. The creamy, key notes of orange blossom, sandalwood, and Haitian vetiver express the softness and strength of a woman, exemplifying heart, soul, and beauty—discover the fragrance inspired by all that a woman is.

    Notes:
    Orange Blossom, Sandalwood, Haitian Vetiver.
    Style:
    Feminine. Powerful. Passionate.

    It is available now for $115 at Sephora or ShopBazaar.com

  • Uncategorized

    In the Biz: Trudi Loren


    In the Biz with Trudi Loren

    Trudi is the ‘nose’ that is responsible for creating some of your favorite perfumes. She is currently the VP, Corporate Fragrance Development at The Estee Lauder Companies. Not only did she take the time to answer these questions for me but also for Yale’s paper on scent marketing. Trudi is gracious, beautiful and a true inspiration! 


    City you live in: Part time Manhattan and part time in New Jersey



    If there was a theme song in your life, it would be: 
    as kitsch as it sounds “My Way”. I have been able to blend a career and family; live in Asia, Europe and the US and satisfy my analytical mind with my creative desires.


    What is the best advice you can give to a women who wants that corner office? 
    Work hard, do more than is expected of you and be patient. Never, never, ever say “it is not my job”.


    What do you think is the the key to being a successful woman in the competitive (fragrance/beauty/pr/marketing) industry? 
    I think the key is not only to be very good at what you do, responsible and accountable but to be generous with your time and knowledge. Mentors are always admired and respected within industry.


    What is the your favorite quote that keeps you motivated?
    It is the following analogy not a quote by which I try to live my life.
    When things in your lives seem almost too much to handle, when 24 hours in a day are not enough, remember the mayonnaise jar and the 2 cups of coffee.


    A professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in front of him. When the class began, he wordlessly picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls. He then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was. The professor
    then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls. He then asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed it was. The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of
    course, the sand filled up everything else. He asked once more if the jar was full. The students responded with a unanimous “yes.” The professor then produced two cups of coffee from under the table and poured the entire contents into the jar effectively filling the empty space between the
    sand. The students laughed. “Now,” said the professor as the laughter subsided, “I want you to
    recognize that this jar represents your life. The golf balls are the important things–your family, your children, your health, your friends and your favorite passions—and if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full. The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, your house and your car. The sand is everything else — the small stuff.”


    “If you put the sand into the jar first,” he continued, “there is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls. The same goes for life. If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff you will never have room for the things that are important to you. “Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness. Play with your children. Take time to get medical checkups. Take your spouse out to dinner. Play another 18. There will always be time to clean the house and fix the disposal. Take care of the golf balls first—the things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand.”


    One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the coffee represented. The professor smiled. “I’m glad you asked. It just goesto show you that no matter how full your life may seem, there’s always room for a couple of cups of coffee with a friend.”


    *HeyDoYou is for the cute, clever and connected*

  • Uncategorized

    (NY) CEW The Art of Fragrance

    Went to the Harmonie Club last night to hear about the Art of Fragrance. I was so excited to hear the fragrance trends, innovation and the ‘Nose’ speak about their 20 years of experience in the perfume world.   Calise Becker and Trudi Loren collaborated on 10 fragrances and are great friends who are both CEW members.  Shape Magazine did a poll with their readers and found out that 46% wear 1 favorite signature scent and 54% wear a diverse portfolio of perfumes.

     I am part of the 54% obviously.


    You are never fully dressed until you put on perfume
    Calise: My father is an engineer and my mom is an artist. I was told because I am a woman, not from Grasse and not a daughter of a customer, I could never work in fragrance or go to perfume school. I told the CEO of that company, I am going to be a perfumer with or without you defiantly… and ended up getting hired!  What this industry needs is a perfume with guts.
    Trudi: I come from a biochem and pharma research background. I applied for a job as an analytical chemist, had to do a smell test during my interview… and got to work with fragrance developers, marketing and currently Hermes, Clinique and Bobbi Brown
    Calise: My earliest fragrance memory is when I was 4 years old and my mom spritz me with a fashion cologne with flowers on the bottle… I spent the next 20 years figuring out how those flowers got into that bottle!
    Trudi: I remember my father wearing Pierre Cardin everyday and my mother’s Chanel no.5
    • The most important thing that makes a star fragrance is Memorability (example is Angel by Thierry Mugler)
    • A perfume is created when the imagery of an idea is translated to what it smells like
    • Calise compares perfumery with the art of cooking
    • Trudi says, the economy has caused the consumer to want more: so there is a return to artisan, nice which is the root of the art of perfumery
    • The perfect fragrance comes about like a perfect storm
    • Beauty bloggers and doing a big part in helping education the consumers (yay)
    • there is a huge trend for sustainability platforms and starting with raw materials and building the story around it
    • the industry has become ‘top note’ focused (aka superficial) and need to take the time to appreciate a perfume worn throughout the day and return to the classic structures

    *HeyDoYou is for the cute, clever and connected*