Fragrance Review from Perfume-Smellin' Things Perfume Blog

Shalini was created for the designer Shalini Kumar by Maurice Roucel, the perfumer who brought us such scents as Musc Ravageur, Iris Silver Mist, 24 Faubourg and Tocade. Shalini Kumar wanted the perfume to evoke her childhood memories of tuberose and butterflies in her garden. The limited edition Lalique crystal bottle of Shalini is meant to represent a butterfly wing. Such 2.2oz bottle costs $900.00, thus making Shalini one of the most expensive scents on the market.

I must admit that I was prepared to dislike Shalini, despite the fact that it was created by Maurice Roucel, one of my favorite perfumers. I am not a big fan of tuberose and I find the price of the scent quite irritating. I still maintain that Shalini is not worth that kind of price tag, that no perfume is worth that kind of price tag, but…but the fragile, airy exquisiteness of this fragrance came as a shock to me. Shalini to me is the most beautiful tuberose or even the most beautiful floral scent in general to be released in the last couple of years, perhaps one of the loveliest florals ever. If there wasn’t already a scent with that name, this perfume should have been called La Chasse Aux Papillons. Shalini manages to evoke the image of carefree life spent chasing butterflies much more successfully than L’Artisan’s creation.

The start of Shalini is bright-yellow, sunny and radiant. Tuberose is paired with orange blossom and, even though there is no mention of it in the list of the notes, I smell a hint of indolic jasmine. As the fragrance develops, it acquires the most enjoyable gently-hesperidic accord, the scent not so much of lemons as of lemon blossoms. It is a mouthwateringly fresh accord, which gets sweeter as the orange blossom becomes more prominent. Tuberose note is present at all times, but it is unusually light here. Nothing carnal in this particular tuberose; in Shalini, it is innocent and ethereal. From the bright yet translucent top notes, to the wonderful gossamer-like quality of the middle notes, to the gentle, angelic drydown of flowers, subtle musk and even subtler sandalwood, Shalini is a study in transparency and lightness. This scent is a gauzy fabric fluttering in a summer wind, delicate, light, diaphanous… It is a scent of endless, languid summer, of the world where the sun is forever shining and the sky is perpetually blue…“…At the top of the hands the dazzlement of butterflies, the upflight of butterflies whose light has no end.” (Pablo Neruda)

The gentle beauty of Shalini breaks my heart. Finally I fell in love with a tuberose scent, only to realize that I can never own it. $900.00 or even $400.00 is quite a lot more than I am prepared to pay.

Shalini is available at Bergdorf Goodman and Aedes, $900.00 for 2.2 oz, in a Lalique bottle pictured above. Aedes also carries it in a less fancy, but still very attractive bottle, $400.00 for 1oz.

S H A L I N I Parfum Review by Nathan Branch

Shalini Parfum

By Nathan Branch on November 8, 2008 6:02 PM

SHALINI PARFUM: Shalini (created for designer Shalini Kumar by master perfumer Maurice Roucel) got a bad rap when it was first released, as it was available only in a decidedly striking, yet ridiculously expensive, Lalique crystal bottle that rocketed the price of the perfume into the stratosphere and resulted in far too many reviews ending with the phrase, "not worth the price."
Ms. Kumar seems to have learned from this mistake, and now has a much more plain, albeit still crystal, bottle on offer for a fraction of the price of the original Lalique version. Yes, it's still expensive, but you're paying for the juice instead of the bottle this time, and the juice is definitely worth it.

First applied to the skin, Shalini's sharp tuberose cuts through the air like a knife, but it's quickly captured and subdued by a white floral and neroli oil mix (neroli is the essence from the blossoms of the bitter orange tree) that softens the tuberose edge, resulting in a delicate, buttery scent that hovers close to the skin. As time passes, the white floral creaminess literally melts into a cashmere-soft tango of musk and sandalwood that I had not at all expected, and found thoroughly enjoyable.

If I were asked to recommend just one perfume for a woman to purchase, it would be this one. Frankly, it's so beautiful with its rich, rounded tuberose and warm, golden base, I'm half-tempted to recommend it for men, as well -- the florals are skillfully blended to create a presence that's compelling rather than overpowering, and there's a terrific shadowy quality at the base that counterbalances any overt sparkle at the top.

Indulging in more masculine imagery, I'd say the piece as a whole glides down the road like a Bentley, crammed under the hood with power and precision but way past any need to prove it. If your idea of a good time is hanging out in a parking lot and revving your engines all night, then Giorgio has a bottle with your name written all over it. Shalini, however, is all about the grown-ups.

In fact, the one thing that might be at all disconcerting about a man wearing Shalini is the crowd of women that would form around him, demanding to know what the h**l it is he's wearing that smells so f***ing fantastic.

****Note: skip the nine hundred dollar Lalique crystal bottle (unless you really have your heart set on it) and go for the 10ml size, instead. Two hundred dollars is still an awful lot to pay for less than half an ounce of perfume, but a little bit of Shalini is all you need.

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Thursday December 3rd 11-8 and Friday December 4th 11-8

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Retail Silk Faille Cocktail Dress $2200 - currently $400

Retail Silk Chiffon Swank Blouse $1600 - currently $250
Retail Silk Faille Sculpted Jacket $2400 – currently $400
Some pieces at $100 each

SHALINI 363 West 18th Street, Townhouse B NYC, NY 10011 tel 212 505 2765

Article Written by Marylou Luther which was featured in the Cleveland Plain Dealer Newspaper

Suits are back for fall but with embellishments: Clotheslines

By Special to The Plain Dealer

September 23, 2009, 6:46AM
By Marlou Luther, Special to The Plain Dealer

Dear Marylou: Before I invest in some new fall clothes, I need to know if there is some underlying trend that will be around for a while, and if so, what is it? -- D.S., Aurora.

Dear D.S.: After several seasons of contradictory parts, as in the disparity of mannish blazers with flouncy, feminine skirts and sporty jackets with all-gown skirts, the suit looks fresh once more.

Shalini's silk crepe suit illustrated here looks especially directional as it uses crisscrossing ribbons to accentuate the midsection. Without the ribbon closure, the jacket is a soft blazer, so if you have some old jackets in your closet, follow the designer's lead and make them current by closing them with ribbons or belts.

Dear Marylou: Are the new men's jeans narrow or boot cut? -- H.P., Staten Island.

Dear H.P.: I like the quote Macy's men's fashion director gave MR magazine: "Denim has evolved into a lifestyle. Guys are wearing all different styles, and doing so creatively. They have a distressed style for the weekend, dark and dressy for going out."

The men's magazine also reports that wrinkles are in -- from thighs to hems on narrow pants. Picture a too-long -- way too long -- pair of narrow jeans that have been pushed up the leg, forming natural folds or wrinkles. MR shows the look by Naked & Famous.

Dear Marylou: Any new breakthroughs in sustainable clothes for men? For women? — A.J., Hogansville, Ga.

Dear A.J.: The newest “green” fiber, introduced at the spring 2010 menswear shows in Florence, Italy, is abaca, a bananalike plant fiber that resembles cotton but is naturally water resistant. It is being used in trench coats. According to a study by the Mintel International Group Ltd., global sales of green merchandise increased to an estimated $654 billion in 2008 from $438 billion in 2003, but they are forecast to be flat this year because of the recession. In Mintel ’s survey of 2,500 adults, 54 percent said they would buy more green products but consider them too expensive. Consumers ages 35 and younger were most receptive to them, but seniors were less likely to pay the higher costs. Mintel defined green products as those that minimize impact to the environment through recycled materials; have no harmful chemicals or solvents; are made with organic and pesticide-free farming; reduce energy and water consumption; are made of sustainable woods; and are produced in ways that create lower waste and pollution.

The major boost to sustainable clothes came in July, when Wal-Mart, the world’s largest retailer, announced its new environmental labeling program to measure the social and ecological impact of products. The initiative, which requires all 100,000 of the store’s suppliers to absorb the costs, is intended to produce efficiencies that will eventually lower costs. Experts say it could take five years or more for the reductions to register at retail.

Dear Marylou: I like pretty kimono robes that are roomy and flowing, but I can’t find them in size 18. Do you know a source? — G.G., Fayetteville, N.C.

Dear G.G.: Try to find the kimono you like in the closest size to l8. If it’s an almost fit, sew a band of contrast fabric along the front closing. (Many kimonos are made this way.) Determine its width by the number of inches you require for the correct fit. If your kimono already has a band, remove it in favor of a wider one. Or find your fit by going to a men’s store and looking for a classic wrap robe.

Luther welcomes questions for use in this column but regrets she cannot answer mail personally. Send your questions to: Clotheslines, Fashion Department, The Plain Dealer, 1801 Superior Ave., Cleveland, OH 44114