Top Perfumes for Spring 2010: Trends and Rec's

The fashion industry is an odd creature that shows its wares six months in advance of their actual arrival in the stores, which results in a kind of split-personality approach when trying to make forecasts for any particular season -- yes, I can look back at the runway shows for "Spring 2010" that showed back in October of 2009, and use those photos, videos and analysis to make forecasts, or do I take a broad survey of the Fall 2010 shows that are just wrapping up in Paris as I type this, and use these fresh trends (that are immediately adopted for wear by the fashion cutting-edge, despite their "fall" designation) as a means of staying ahead of the curve?

In past years, this would have posed a genuine conundrum, as Spring and Fall trends traditionally diverge wildly, but this year showed much more toned-down fall offerings from most of the major designers, with mustard yellows, light grays, camels, taupes & beiges, corals, purples and basic blacks (along with metallic silvers and golds) playing a significant role in both seasons, resulting in a tonal convergence for Spring and Fall. The fabrics and materials are different -- the fall shows were heavy on fur, leather and wool -- but the jewelry trend for both seasons is chunky, the nude/natural cosmetics look was shown for both seasons, and the wardrobe color palettes exhibit distinct similarities, with the designers seeminly focused on creating adaptable basics that can be accessorized for either season with bursts of texture and color.

So this is how I'll approach a Top Perfumes for Spring 2010 forecast, taking in the colors and trends for Spring 2010, but with an eye on Fall 2010 to keep things moving in a forward direction.

1.) CHANEL BEIGE: arguably the dark horse of the Chanel Les Exclusifs collection, Beige was dismissed by dedicated perfume hounds on its initial release in 2008 as being too, well, beige (i.e. classic, well-mannered and conservative -- some even went so far as to call it "boring").

What no one knew at the time was that skirt hems would lengthen, bling would fall out of favor, models with womanly curves would reappear on the catwalks and the actual color beige (along with its cousins light khaki, camel, champagne and sand) would stage a coup in fashion houses across the globe, with "classic, well-mannered and conservative" the new buzzwords for the seasons.

Marina at Perfume Smellin' Things writes: "Jacques Polge interprets the slinky aspect of beige by using luscious floral notes of freesia and frangipani enriched by a touch of honey . . . an olfactory equivalent of raw silk" and Abigail at I Smell Therefore I Am says, "Beige is a beautifully soft, abstract and classic white floral bouquet that is grounded in a dry ambery base (amber is not among the listed notes) leaving it not too sweet or heady in the least."

Given the above, expect Beige to become Chanel's sleeper hit for both Spring and Fall.

Color Trend: Chanel Beige references Spring hues of cream, beige (of course), desert khaki, tobacco and metallic gold.

2.) BALENCIAGA PARIS: We'll all be hearing a lot about Balenciaga Paris because it's Balenciaga, because it references Paris with all the accompanying romantic and stylish imagery, and because it's the first Balenciaga perfume release since 1998.

The cool, hip kids have been coveting Balenciaga motorcyle-inspired bags for the past decade, and Balenciaga's head designer, Nicolas Ghesquière, has been steadily gaining clout as one of the top influential (and experimental) designers since his start at the company in 1997, attracting celebrity clients (Jennifer Connelly, Victoria Beckham, Julianne Moore, Kristen Stewart, Rihanna) and glossy-mag buzz. This makes the name "Balenciaga" on a new perfume release nearly impossible for the style conscious to ignore.

It also doesn't hurt that the recently released Paris fragrance is a pretty and slightly peppery abstracted violet with a warm, approachable finish -- like a cool-toned ensemble that shows a lot of skin.

Balenciaga Spring/Summer 2010

Robin at Now Smell This writes, "Balenciaga Paris wears like a minimalist veil . . . think of it as a musky violet skin scent and you'll get the idea. It's one of those fragrances that you can forget you put on, then all of a sudden you smell something lovely and remember."

Color Trend: Balenciaga Paris picks up on Spring 2010 colors like green sheen, violet, misty gray, sycamore, mushroom and ice blue.

3.) ISSEY MIYAKE A SCENT EAU DE PARFUM: an upcoming feminized floral version of Miyake's original clean and bamboo-shoot green A Scent released in 2009. The hues of wildflowers and garden pinks are scattered throughout the Spring 2010 collections, with neutral shades, pinks, subtle pastels and light earth tones dominating the makeup trends. Miyake's April release of A Scent Eau de Parfum is timed perfectly to catch this particular wave.

Marie-Helene Wagner at The Scented Salamander writes that the original Miyake A Scent is "a monochromatic pale green composition with a semi-transparent, semi-opaque polished sea glass feel . . . . A Scent is minimal and ego-less. It is for people who are looking for a discreet perfume signature and have nothing to prove nor flaunt."

The soon to be released A Scent sequel, A Scent Eau de Parfum, is said to be a clean, pale pink floral with a flash of Spring green, and is likely to be as polished, poised and without ego as its A Scent predecessor, dovetailing nicely with the present understated luxury, anti-bling mindset.

Color Trend: A Scent Eau de Parfum might evoke citron, celery green, creamy pink, peachy rose and hibiscus, all of which play strong accessory and cosmetics roles for Spring 2010.

4.) PRADA L'EAU AMBREE: a light, uncomplicated amber that goes on sheer and even somewhat leafy green, then progresses to a warm, casual and discreetly sweet vanilla-patchouli finish. It's the successful marriage of Japanese minimalism and Thierry Mugler maximalism -- a sweetened patchouli that's fresh and office friendly.

L'Eau Ambree wears like a cotton khaki trench -- it goes with everything, can be dressed up or down, and never offends. Unlike heavy patchoulis (such as Thierry Mugler Angel and Chanel Coromandel) that often wear the wearer, L'Eau Ambree functions as a smooth olfactory background that won't clash with your individual style.

Color Trend: Prada L'Eau Ambree is a color-wheel of green peridot, toasted almond, copper, muted clay and goldenrod.

5.) THE BEAUTIFUL MIND SERIES VOL. 1 - INTELLIGENCE & FANTASY: If you ignore the retro-futuristic packaging (though it would have suited a Balenciaga release perfectly) and the unarguably high price point, Intelligence & Fantasy plays out like a well-calibrated response to nervous market forces.

Crafted by perfumer Geza Schoen (of Escentric Molecules and Clive Christian X for Men fame), a cursory sniff might fool you into thinking "Meh, generic floral", but that would be your loss. Intelligence & Fantasy is a sheer abstract floral fixed with a light touch to a warm cashmeran base.

The composition is precisely calibrated, so there's no lush romanticism (if that's what you need), but it possesses a cleanly structured and airily natural ambience that would pair neatly with a seasonal cosmetics launch like the Chanel Les Impressions de Chanel Collection for Spring 2010 -- and since Chanel usually has its finger on the pulse of consumer trends, this bodes well for Intelligence & Fantasy.

Unfortunately, The Beautiful Mind Series is resolutely niche, which means it has limited distribution, a quirky presentation and it's priced to turn the mainstream consumer away. If not for these three aspects, this fresh and understated floral could very well be on any number of "Must Buy" lists for Spring 2010, particularly for how well it captures the spirit of carefree feminine sophistication that's the essence of the new luxury, reflecting the fashion industry's pivot away from teenagers to focus once more on the adults who can actually pay the bills.

Color Trend: The Beautiful Mind Intelligence & Fantasy hits appropriate Spring 2010 color notes like natural buff, pearl, carnation, pistachio green, pale tangerine and mimosa gold.

And lastly:

6.) SERGE LUTENS L'EAU: I was excited when I first read the information about the release for L'eau Serge Lutens -- the French master of fiercely independent art-perfumery does Japanese minimalist soapy-clean? Sign me up!

There was a soapy-clean hole in the Lutens lineup that L'eau Serge Lutens nicely fills, and with perfume sales falling across the board, for every brand and everywhere, this release could turn out to be the financially successful shot in the arm the Lutens brand needs if it's to survive for future seasons.

Do dedicated Serge Lutens fans like it? No, but who cares? Lutens could have easily chosen to launch yet one more richly layered, complicated and difficult scent that preached solely to his faithful choir (a faithful choir now purchasing less faithfully than they used to, I might add), but I suspect that he assessed the playing field, saw a significant market segment he was steadfastly neglecting and hopped on it. Like it or not, this will probably be the most popular Lutens fragrance in years, capitalizing on the trend toward more demure luxury from names with boutique appeal.

There will always be the monied crowd that wants to flash its dyed fur stoles and woven metallic leather bags -- let them wear Dior Poison -- but there's also the increasingly international demand for conservative, even austere beauty that houses like Marc Jacobs, Michael Kors and Chloe are newly intent on targeting with their pale, subdued yet consummately tailored Fall collections. L'eau Serge Lutens should more than satisfy this market segment.

Color Trend: Forget about Fall, L'eau Serge Lutens references Spring 2010 colors like ivory, nude, chalk, bleached stone and optic white. On trend and just in time.

L'eau Serge Lutens

*Note: The packaging for L'eau Serge Lutens is a departure from the previous Lutens silhouette, and appears to represent an overall new direction for the brand. I find this encouraging, as it likely means that parent company Shiseido is working to update the brand for a broader market launch.

Other worthy fragrances to consider for a sleek Spring 2010: Costes 2, Penhaligons Amarinthine, Parfumerie Generale Papyrus de Ciane, Puredistance and Nasomatto Silver Musk.