Molinard Un Air de Molinard

The house of Molinard has been producing perfumes in Grasse, France since 1849. For those new to the love of perfume, Grasse is, quite simply, where the art of perfume was born. Located on the French Riviera between the mountains and the sea, Grasse is described by Phyllis Macchioni from the Plain Dealer as the following:

"... The pink, mimosa-yellow and jasmine-white fields begin to appear, colored by the thousands of flowers that grow near this medieval French city that clings like a lover's fragrance to the steep hills high above the French Riviera. You have arrived in Grasse, the city of flowers and perfume.

The narrow cobblestone streets wind past well-kept 17th and 18th century buildings, sometimes going through handcrafted stone tunnels that open onto large treed squares. The slight patina that covers the buildings is from the centuries of fragrance laden clouds that have floated in from the flower fields nearby."

Sounds like heaven to me. Considering that Molinard found its roots in the perfume haven of Grasse, I would expect anything produced by this house to be incredible. The first fragrance launched by Molinard in 1924, Habanita, was a rapid success and became loved and coveted by noses worldwide. Those that followed included Le Baiser de Faune, Les Iscles d'Or, 1811 and Molinard de Molinard. As recently as 1994, single notes fragrances were released including Jasmine, Mimosa and Sandalwood.

Progressing to present day, I present the Molinard 1849 collection. This exclusive coffret offers seven Eau de Parfums with formulas similar to those of the original fragrances distributed in the 1920's, 1930's and 1950's. I have had the pleasure of trying out Air de Molinard, thanks to a very kind and generous woman, and I find it exquisite.

The bottle itself speaks of sensuality and femininity and the juice within continues the theme. The top notes are bright, cheerful, refreshing, green, an orchard of citrus trees warmed by the sun. Slowly the orchard leads to an abundant garden of lush roses, fragrant jasmine, colorful iris and delicate osmanthus. The scent lingers with just enough sillage to be recognized by others, and yet remains somewhat distant, understated and elegant, certainly not ettoufant and in fact, quite the opposite of suffocating. The base notes of vanilla, vetiver, musk and amber allow the scent to endure without overwhelming it. Air de Molinard is a classic beauty, a less obvious yet incredibly deep, sensual and intelligent scent.

With the Oscars pending this evening, my selection to represent this beautiful fragrance had to live up to its composition. In thinking about the actresses of today, what they represent and their personalities, one comes to mind who stands on her own. Her beauty is classic, timeless and her attitude confident. She refuses to fall prey to the modern ideas of beauty and body image, and instead focuses on developing her craft and being herself. And yet, she is not on every cover of tabloid magazines and remains somewhat inconspicuous. She is gorgeous, talented, intelligent and wise. She is




Kate Winslet!

Let's hope that she wins for her recent performance in "Little Children". At the very least, she should definitely represent this gorgeous fragrance.

Un Air de Molinard is available at aedes.com, $185 for 3.3 oz. or $65 for the solid perfume
Image sources: aedes.com, celebrity-gossip.net