Smell this now: Bois d'Alexa candle by Alexa Rodulfo

When I first found the Bois d'Alexa candle waiting in my postbox (way back in early 2009), I was moving house and thus not lighting any candles in the vicinity of my growing newspaper mountain (the best paper with which to wrap kitchenwares). My flat resembled a large tinder box and open flame was the last ingredient I wanted to be responsible for supplying. However, I was curious... I peeked under the weighty pewter lid of the candle sent over by the famed Alexa Rodulfo herself so I could at the very least get a feel for the scent. It weighed heavy in my hand since the candle, made in historic perfume center Grasse, comes encased in opaque black French glass. It feels as luxurious as it smells; this product has a presence. Simply put, it's sensory decadence that won't leave you feeling woozy as is so often the case with pungent products, superbly rich puds and other slightly nefarious implements of decadence. You won't dry heave at the thought of using Bois d'Alexa after overdoing it the night before because, frankly, there's no overdoing it with this candle. 

For those of you who aren't familiar with Alexa, she is the go-to makeup and hair stylist for the social set of this world, making up the likes of fashonistocrat Margherita Missoni and media royalty Wendi Murdoch. 

Description

Bois d'Alexa is a unisex-scented candle that comes in a black French glass container with a lead-free Pewter lid encased in a velvet pouch. The wax is black, the wick is made from 100 per cent cotton and the candle is made in Grasse, France.

The fragrance include notes of orange, nutmeg, clove, cinnamon blossom, cedar, vetiver, guaiac wood, white musk, oak moss, leather and hints of vanilla.

The Good

The musky, wooden scent. It is absolutely pervasive. When it's sitting sans pewter lid on my coffee table, the entire living room is redolent of soft cedar, slightly green and gently musky. It's a candle a man would't be embarassed to have sitting out in his flat (let alone next to his bed). It's not too metro and it doesn't reek of a Little Tree care freshener. It is, in my estimation, one of the best scented candles on the market.

Plus, each candle is handcrafted and comes in a velvet pouch... all made in Grasse. This stuff is good,

The Bad

As with so many things, the price is a bit steep. $68 for a candle is hard to justify for some, but it does burn for 50 hours.

Buy Bois d'Alexa at Aedes de Venustas and Colette.

Update on 10.3.2009 by Jessica Teas (née Gearhart)

I was just pinged with an email about the fact that Alexa is releasing three more candle scents, soon (hopefully) to be followed by other products.

The three scents are: BOIS BLANC, BOIS SAUVAGE, BOIS D’AMOUR.”

Alexa says: “I wanted to create something beautiful. Once you become captivated by a scent, it will remind you of and take you to places that you have been before: you may not quite know where, but you know it’s a place of calm and pleasure.”

About the scents

BOIS BLANC: The base notes are Violet Leaf with Bergamot and Grapefruit; additional spicy accents are added with Nutmeg, Cloves and dry notes of Cedar wood, though the overall affect is anchored with woody facets of Vetiver and Sandalwood. The finishing touch is a note of White Musk.

BOIS SAUVAGE: The perfect blend of acidic citrus fruit and the base perfume of woods, BOIS SAUVAGE is like a walk through the wilderness. Lemon and oranges mingle with rum vapors, moss facets and the warm aroma of crisp trees. Still familiar with its musk powder and hints of old leather, this is an entirely new, unique creation.

BOIS D’AMOUR: Familiar, inspiring and full of love – this scent is built around a mix of red thyme and nutmeg, with a strong overtone of the calming, invigorating green mint. The green tea marries a patchouli bouquet, with the slightest taste of cannabis accord. The endnote is the harvested familiar banquet of gaiac wood, cedar wood and oak. 
   
The three candles are available exclusively from Colette from tonight and then globally from November 2009.

"a scent by issey miyake"

If you were in high school during the mid-1990s (como yo) then your olfactory system should be intimately acquainted with original scent created by Miyake, L'eau d'Issey. It was the cologne of choice among the athlete-casanova variety, the ones who showered religiously 3x per day and saturated their skin in cologne in efforts to rid themselves of any natural odor (god forbid one's body possesses such a thing) in what they believed was a sure-fire way to win over the ladies by (from what I can tell) stunning them into a compliant stupor with cologne vapors.

Click to read more ...

Yes we Cannes Cannes: Beauty on the Riviera

The minute I realised Cannes Film Festival was here again, I instantly thought about the timeless, simple red bottles of musky, sweet perfume from France's Hotel Costes. The scent is heady (not unlike Intelligent Nutrients Seductive Spray) and, I think, perfect with just a summer dress and sandals. I also had a think about Doux Me the brand launched its Cannes spa at the Carlton Hotel on La Croisette last spring and, conveniently, also has a 'Beautyroom' at Hotel Costes. What are your favourite French brands?