Anna Dello Russo: Jus De Noël
mardi 30 novembre 2010 
Carine Roitfeld features the inimitable Anna Dello Russo and her lovely new fragrance in the December issue of Vogue Paris — j'ADR! The segment is titled "Jus de Noël" (or in English, Christmas juice) and appears below in French and English.
Protégé par un escarpin laqué or en clin d'œil à Cendrillon, mélangeant arôme vanillé et notes d'amande, le premier parfum créé par Anna Dello Russo est, selon la rédactrice en chef mode du Vogue Japon, ‹‹un gadget pop››. Un gadget gourmand imaginé comme un accessoire de fin d'année (le ruban a été pensé pour être accroché au sapin), disponible en exclusivité sur yoox.com.
Protected by a stiletto lacquered in gold with a nod to Cinderella, mixing the aroma of vanilla and notes of almond, the first fragrance created by Anna Dello Russo is, according to the fashion editor of Vogue Nippon, "a pop gadget." A gourmand gadget imagined as an accessory for the end of the year (the ribbon is designed to be hung on the Christmas tree), available exclusively on yoox.com.
Visit Anna's web site for a video of the production of the new fragrance.
Anna Dello Russo image courtesy of annadellorusso.com, © 2010 Condé Nast.
Carine Roitfeld in Anna Dello Russo, Fashion, Vogue Paris 
Reader Comments (16)
Note for anyone who wants to 'try before they buy', the gals at 'The Perfumed Court' will sell small decants at a fraction of the price and they have EVERYTHING--right down to the vintage Mitsouko that I love so much. Check them out--they have a great rep and provide an irreplaceable service. I just received a 1.5 ml of the fragrance Daphne Guiness did for Comme des Garcons.
'Daphne' was created by Antoine Lie; a chemist from Salzburg who has been the 'nose' for Comme des Garcons for the last decade. In addition to Mme. Guinness's eponymous fragrance, he is also the creator of the following scents:
Comme des Garçons Energy C: Grapefruit (2008)
Comme des Garçons Energy C: Lime (2008)
Comme des Garçons 888 (2008)
Comme des Garçons Wonderwood (2010)
As a chemist, Lie has also acted as developer for fragrances aligned with Givenchy, Armani, Calvin Klein--he is credited with "Contradiction', Gucci 'Rush' for men, and nearly all of the Salvadore Dali scents.
Now to 'Daphne':
Notes: Bitter orange, incense, saffron, rose centifolia, Tunisian jasmine, tuberose, iris, patchouli, oud, amber, and vanilla.
When this fragrance 'opens' on the skin, the bitter orange and the jasmine hover for hours. Just as the bitter orange starts to fade, incense slightly soured by oud takes over orange’s role balancing the tuberose and jasmine. Soft amber and vanilla soften the perfume’s edges from first spray to deep dry down, but the vanilla and orange avoid the dreaded “Orange Julius” effect, probably because of the tuberose’s intensity. No one will smell Daphne and say “saffron!” although knowing it’s there I can pick it out. Patchouli-phobes don’t have to worry: Daphne’s patchouli doesn’t stand out until the scent’s very last gasps, some time the next day. The whole effect is velvety warmth, slightly powdery, tingling with white flowers in a box of incense and orange peel. When I wore it the first time, I had a sense of the Rococo, late Baroque--it would be a pretty crowded almost overwhelming scent were it not tempered so evenly as one layer effortlessly gives way to another. Make no mistake: THIS SCENT IS HUGE. You will love or hate, but not forget it. Smells fabulous on the skin and hair day after as well.
'Perfumed Court' has decants and with a fragrance that so deeply divides people, I strongly recommend trying before committing on this one.
I do so love any of the pre-reformulation extraits:
Jicky, L'Heure Bleue--the favorite of Mme. Deneuve's and a big reason why she was replaced as the face of Chanel No. 5, Vol de Nuit--another of my beloved Chypres, Après L'Ondée.
I also appreciate Shalimar very much although it smells a bit like bug spray on me. What can one do???
Did not know that about Lou Doillon. Every time I see her I cannot get past how much she favors her mother. She's just lovely and Jane has aged so gracefully.
About Mme. Deneuve and L'heure bleue--the story is she mentioned the Guerlain juice as her favorite in an interview while under contract with Chanel. As you might imagine, the creative team at Chanel were NOT amused.
Frankly, I just love perfume--always have; it's so evocative and through no effort of our own, it is a deeply and uniquely individual statement for each person.
Ping those folks at the Perfumed Court. Daphne is otherwise a bit steep--want to say $145-- US dollars.
http://www.iwanttobearoitfeld.com/carine-roitfelds-favorites/2009/5/17/opium-body-lotion-by-yves-saint-laurent.html
YSl introduced Opium in 1977 on the heels of his incredibly lauded "Russian Opera/Gypsy" line that incorporated opulent fabrics and otherwise highly stylized silhouettes with a romantic but distinctly modern edge. He and Pierre Berge were looking for the ultimate accessory to complete the look and decided on a fragrance--and that became Opium. It was also a shrewd business move; YSL knew the clientele who could afford these garments was rather limited, so much like Chanel had before him, he offered all interested parties the opportunity to 'share the fantasy'. The result was the creation and launch of one of the most successful perfumes in the last 30 years.
The first ads, featuring none other than Jerry Hall, read “Pour les femmes qui s’adonnent (give themselves over) à Yves Saint Laurent”. It caused quite a stir and was even banned in several countries due to it's name alone--the Chinese and the Gulf States had a fit; all of which made it even more alluring to the consumer and the sales skyrocketed.
In terms of the actual scent, it breaks down like this:
Top Notes
Mandarin orange, Bergamot, Lily of the valley
Middle Notes
Jasmine, Carnation, Myrrh
Base Notes
Vanilla, Patchouli, Opoponaux, Amber
In other words, it is a spice BOMB! As Luca Turin wrote in 'Perfume: Le guide"--
"God, Opium... what are you doing to me?
Is it possible not to be consumed by its beauty? Is it possible to resist? Still one of the sexiest scents ever created, and like the Obsession duo, Opium has a peculiar effect on big felines of the jungle. True story. Maybe I am a lion at heart, since this is truly addictive to me. It makes my lips itch.
You spray some on your wrist, wait 30 seconds, and then rub your wrists harshly to warm up the precious liquid... and then you inhale the warmth and the salt of the scent... this is a sin. It must be. The Opium duo is the most glamorous and dangerous girl and boy ever appeared from Paris, seducing one feeble admirer after the other as they move along. And the name, God that name!
The whole thing is criminal. Really."
Opium is really the direct lineage for all of those BIG SPICY powerhouse fragrances that showed up in the 80's: Coco, Giorgio, Dior's Poison, Lauder's Cinnabar and later, Klein's Obsession. With the exception of Opium, I would argue that most of these feel dated--I know Coco is for me. It's simply myself at another time and I now prefer a less sweet expression that is more complex and mature. Our bodies unquestionably, change and so it is with our chemistries.
Curious that Mme. Roitfeld prefers lotion to the creme as the latter is a heady dish indeed. Lotion is always lighter in scent as it is generally more diluted. I read elsewhere that her preferred accompaniment with the lotion is Opium pour Homme. Astounding combination that I need to sample before fully commenting, but I will say that it belays a type of fearlessness. She is clearly one who so confidently inhabits her world and know herself well. It's like comparing her to Anna dello Russo--with Anna I notice first the garments; with Carine I notice the woman.
I also read this is Carine's choice, to combine the two, and I look forward to trying it as well. Your closing paragraph is that of an astute observer, it delights me to read your thoughts.
I truly appreciate you taking your time to teach me new things about one of my favorites, SMM, you have an amazing depth of knowledge and I adore that you are willing to share it. Do you write a blog that I can follow?