For the limited edition of Kingdom summer fragrance, Alexander McQueen drew on the theme of ancient Greece, which also appeared in his spring/summer 2006 fashion collection. The flacon is graced by the images of Aphrodite and Galatea. The perfume is the EDT formulation of the original sultry EDP, with notes of bergamot, mandarin, jasmine, ginger, pink pepper and myrrh. Although the summer versions rarely inspire me, Kingdom Summer seems quite interesting. I do confess to finding the original quite intriguing.
Actually, I recently came across two summer limited editions that were quite lovely: one was by Van Cleef & Arpels and another by Boucheron. Based on the peony flower, First pour l’Eté from Van Cleef & Arpels retains the aldehydic floral heart of the original jasmine rich First, however the drydown is marked by the transparent fruitiness. However, my favorite summer edition turned to be Boucheron Eau Légère, an apricot sweetened floriental take on the opulence of the original. If the original takes me into a ballroom of the Winter Palace, Eau Légère offers a stroll through the gardens of Tsarskoe Selo, a beloved summer residence of Russian monarchy. In fact, I would be tempted to wear Boucheron Eau Légère all year round.
Photos and notes via Moodiereport.
9 Comments
Katherine: I tried this year’s limited edition of Kingdom a few weeks ago. It’s pleasant enough, if not particularly original. I found it dry and quite ‘husky’ – a floral in a powdery, musky mode. I got quite excited as after a little while I detected a thread of cumin coming through, more subtle and better integrated than in the original Kingdom (where cumin hogs the limelight for ages and then suddently gets bored and disappears), but alas I lost that thread quite quickly. I want to try it again, and I might buy it if I can find it at a reasonable price (I have high hopes for my airport shopping when I go on holiday next week), but my first impression was that I still prefer last year’s limited edition version. That one might just have been the original Kingdom with the cumin cut out (I can never smell the added ginger they claim is in there), but I’m head over heels in love with its warm, woody, spicy rosiness. May 26, 2006 at 4:35am
Laura: Have you tried the Alexander McQueen one yet? The Boucheron one sounds very nice. I still have no new perfume for spring/summer 2006. Nothing has appealed. *sniff* May 26, 2006 at 5:29am
Marina: Can’t resist anything to do with ancient Greece. I have to try the summer Kingdom! May 26, 2006 at 8:35am
BoisdeJasmin: Katherine, thank you for your impressions. I have not seen it on the counters yet, but it sounds like the more interesting summer edition. I just tried Prada Tendre, and I cannot even recall it at all. The cumin in original Kingdom is exactly what made it intriguing, but not particularly wearable for me. May 26, 2006 at 4:57pm
BoisdeJasmin: L, no, not yet. It just seemed interesting based on the notes and the original EDP. May 26, 2006 at 4:58pm
BoisdeJasmin: Marina, I think that it is exactly what drew me to this summer edition. 🙂 May 26, 2006 at 4:59pm
paradise: the photos alone are tempting me to try this!
btw, you mentioned that you carry around your own little sample bottles when you hit the stores….do you know where i can find some of the same? since i’m still quite new to perfume appreciation, i still rely on either buying the whole bottle, borrowing from friends, or overstaying my welcome at the fragrance counter. lol.
also, my little brother (15) who has been vehemently anti-anything scented just found what he has deemed his “favorite smell” (he refuses to use the word fragrance b/c that would be too girly (hahaha) and it is “white tea” from…guess, westin hotels! apparently westin hotels inserted a peel-n-sniff in the very techie magazine “wired” and he has fallen in love, proclaiming “if it were an actual perfume, i’d buy it.” i don’t think it’s bottled but i am so proud he came around his *senses*. May 28, 2006 at 10:19pm
BoisdeJasmin: Paradise, I like to decant small amounts of perfume to carry with me and I use 1ml sample vials for it. You can buy them from pilotvials.com. Very useful to have on hand!
I sprayed YSL Cinema and Fou d’Absinthe on my brother (14), and he liked Cinema. He is very curious by nature, therefore he is open to try anything. As for Westin Hotels white tea, I am not sure I am familiar with it. Interesting! May 30, 2006 at 1:12pm
lolita: I would like to know where I can find the Van Cleef & Arpels fragrance featured in this article. Thank You ! December 17, 2007 at 6:38pm