The fragrance opens up with a harmony of bergamot of Sicily, enrols and cardamom. The game follows with iris emphasized by the galbano. Eventually, the fragrance tops on a note of musk, benzoin and cider.

In limited edition, after shave lotion, shower gel and deodorant complete the collection Zegna Cologne. Formulated on the basis of an extract of linen, natural fibres by the soothing properties, are perfectly in line with the Zegna style.

Italian version

The hexagon and the black lacquer characterize the bottle of the perfume La Nuit de L’Homme by Yves Saint Laurent dedicated to a sensitive and manly man, represented in the advertising campaign of the French actor Vincent Cassel.

The fragrance expresses contrasts and tensions, thanks to the right mix of high quality ingredients. Three are the couple of opposites: cardamom-bergamot, which unites the freshness of spices to the floral nuances of the fruit; cider-lavender wood, vibrant the former, refined the latter; vetiver-cumarin, burning sensual the former, softer the latter.

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This year’s winners are n°5 Eau Première and Allure Homme Edition Blanche by Chanel

The Academy of perfume announced the winners of the Academy of Perfume 2009 international award, during the ceremony that took place on 26th May at Villa Necchi Campiglio in Milan.

Chanel triumphed: it was awarded the best fragrance for women and men with Chanel n°5 Eau Première e Allure Homme Edition Blanche.

The prize for best packaging for women was awarded to Daisy by Marc Jacobs, and the that for best  packaging for men to 1 Million by Paco Rabanne.

The prize for the best communication was awarded to Ma Dame by Jean Paul Gaultier and The One for Men by Dolce&Gabbana.

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Misty and intense, it’s also called the “black perfume” due to its particular total black shade.

“Obsessions”, the perfumes of the collections originated from these, as recounted by Gualtieri, passionate and eccentric creator: “they originate from an idea, then you go and get the raw materials and after tests and time you achieve what you were looking for. It’s the very research to be the most fascinating bit of the perfumes’ creator. Fragrances do not have to be slaves of the meanings I meant to attribute to them: they have to interprete and experiences in diverse ways by whoever gets in touch with them. My aim is to create something alive, able to generate new ideas.”

Among the other perfumes of the Narcotic Venus collection are fragrances that result from the research of sensations that best expressed the overwhelming feminine seduction power: Absinth, Duro, Silver Musk, Hindu Grass and China White.

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The city is an important medieval site and an ideal vacation venue, besides being the centre where, for over 100 years the tradition of perfumery has perpetuated, and where numerous legendary perfumes have been produced, like Chanel n.5. The activity is mainly based on international relations, thanks to which about thirty perfumes’ factories send their creations worldwide. The raw materials get to Grasse from all over the world and are there processed. That’s why the little town transformed its industry into a real art, creating refined and quality products.

In Grasse you can find the International Museum of Perfume, now open again to the public after a long restoration period. Here, around fifty thousand objects recount the history of essences and alcohols, but also of face powders and cosmetics in general. The most prestigious piece, exhibited at the museum, is a pix belonging to the Queen Mary Antoinette of France.

The most beautiful time to visit the city is spring, period characterized by the blossoming of the cabbage rose, lavender and jasmine. A great number of events revolve around the world of essences and many gardens open up to the public during the hot season to be visited.

May is the month of the rose that is here celebrated from 21st to 24th May at the Expo Rose. The theme of this year’s event is the flower and the music, gathering roses of any kind and enriching the atmosphere with concerts, exhibitions, round tables and competitions.
Lavender, on the other side, fills the air with its scent at the end of spring and you can find it in the villages close to Grasse, especially in the fields of Valensole, in Sault or Luberon, at the foot of the Lure mountain and in the Buëch area.
To discover its secrets you can also visit the distilleries, the museums, the gardens and the numerous theme-celebrations. A great number of tourist routes have also been signalled on the website www.routes-lavande.com.

In august, from 7th to 9th the Fête du Jasmin is scheduled. The celebration is dedicated to jasmine, another flower on which perfumery creations are based, culminating with the “flowers’ battle”.

The secrets of Provencal flowers can be discovered in the numerous private gardens, such as the park of Villa Fort France, built in the ‘30s for Lady Winifred Fortescue, British lady deeply in love with Grasse, where we wrote “Perfume from Provence”. The garden hosts thousands of different species, from citrus trees to apple trees. Other similar corners are found around the city: the Bastide des Parfumeurs di Mouans-Sartoux or the gardens of the Gourdon Castle.

In the streets of the old city you can also deepen your knowledge on perfume’s history entering the workshops that sell soaps and spices or visiting the Provencal Flowers’ market. You cant miss a visit to the sites of the historic perfumeries such as Fragonard, Galimard and Molinard.

Italian version

To appreciate the result, we describe an elegantly designed bottle, carved our of quartz by goldsmiths from Valenza Po, and refined with 18 carats gold.

The flagship of XerJoff top-class products is XXY Gold plated Bronze Statue, limited edition made of 9 pieces gathered into a lapis-lazuli sculpture-bottle by Marco Gas. The noblest materials were used: refined exotic essences, gold, bronze and ebony wood.

Among other creations, we name Shooting Stars, inspired by a shower of meteorites fallen in 1947 in Siberia, on the Sikhote Mountains – Alin. Each decorative element of the Shooting Stars collection recalls this natural phenomenon: the brass tag on the side of the bottle represents a shooting star in art-deco style, whereas the small fragment of meteorite is tied to the elegant neck collar of each bottle, which is crowned with a hand crafted bronze stopper. Each fragrance is accompanied by a certificate that guarantees the origin and preciousness of the meteorite pieces. Each bottle of the Shooting Stars collection is numbered as it is a limited edition producing no more than 299 pieces a year.

The collection is made of 6 fragrances – three for women and three for men – whose names are those of the meteorites fallen on earth last century: Esquel, Dhajala and Shingl for women fragrances, Modoc, Uden and Dhofar for men’s. The bouquets are created in Grasse, using extremely selected raw materials. Here, a famous French “nose” manifested his talent by orchestrating the ingredients under XerJoff directives. A slow process: it takes in fact more than a year to carry out all preliminary 10-12 tests before starting the production of every single fragrance.
Two limited editions, each made of 299 exemplars: perfume for men Kobe and fragrance for women Ibitira. Each bottle shows gold-plated decorative elements and carries a romantic poem, engraved on one side.

Moreover, XerJoff created a perfume brand inspired by the skills of ancient Italian perfumeries: XerJoff Vintage Collection traces back the history of glorious perfume-manufacture maisons founded in Italy between 700 and 800. The first collection is dedicated to Casamorati.

Italian version