From Fresh, a limited edition soap trio in Frankincense (”an earthy scent, full of woodsy notes and a hint of exotic incense”), Myrrh (”an uplifting, fruity scent with wild berry notes inspired by the forest”) and Gold (”a warm, soft fragrance that evokes the shimmer of precious metal in sunlight”). Three 250g bars, $45…

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New at kohls: J Lo My Glow.

Deal at parfum1: 20% all orders through 11/24, no coupon code needed.

Deal at parfumsraffy: take 10% off with coupon code RAFFYXMAS09, good through 11/29. New items include Bond no. 9, Amouage Tribute.

I’ve always associated the name “geranium” with the hardy plants that my mother grew in pots on our backyard patio: red-petaled flowers, fuzzy leaves, and a slightly sweaty scent. The “geranium” most often present in perfume and other fragranced products, it turns out, is more specifically the rose geranium (species perlargonium graveolens), whose leaves can be distilled for fragrance. This smell is something much more pleasant and wearable: sort of green, sort of lemony, and yes, sort of rosey — but still more “herbal” than “floral.” I find it an easy note to wear year-round, especially in fragranced body products.

I recently grabbed a small tube of Origins Lime & Geranium Hand Lotion at an Estée Lauder outlet store when I needed hand cream, and it ended up inspiring this post. It has a quick-absorbing texture, and its scent is delightful: true geranium, with an accent on its green aspect, and an added zingy lime note…

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A repeat of a poll from last year, inspired by the holiday gift articles. Here’s the three-part poll:

What is the fragrance-related gift you’d most like to receive this year?

Let’s say you were going to ask for just one unsniffed fragrance this year, what would it be?

Are you giving any fragrance items for gifts this year, and if so, what?

My answers…

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Deal at avon: get free shipping on orders of $5 or more with coupon code GOBBLE, good through 11/23.

New at first-in-fragrance (Germany): Les Parfums de Rosine Secrets de Rose.

New at luckyscent: the Smell Bent line, L'Artisan Al Oudh (pre-order).

New at senteursdailleurs (Brussels): Tom Ford White Musk collection.

New at theposhpeasant: Teo Cabanel Meloe, plus Alahine & Oha in Parfum or solid.

Paul Smith will launch Rose Summer Edition, a new limited edition fragrance for women, in January.

As with the original Paul Smith Rose and the 2009 Summer Edition, the new fragrance was developed by perfumer Antoine Maisondieu…

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A long running dispute involving the Ralph Lauren Polo brand moves into the fragrance arena as the US Polo Association prepares to launch a perfume collection.

The governing body of the sport in the US has been at loggerheads with the fashion house since 1984 when it first attempted to expand a trademark licensing program throughout the US.

— From Dispute continues over Polo fragrance at Cosmetics Design.

Coming in March from Bond no. 9 will be High Line, a new fragrance inspired by the New York City park of the same name that stretches along a former elevated track on Manhattan’s West Side…

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Research by Bionsen, a natural deodorant company, found that the average woman's daily grooming and make-up routine means she 'hosts' a staggering 515 different synthetic chemicals on her body every single day.

— From Revealed... the 515 chemicals women put on their bodies every day at the UK Mail Online.

My first thought on smelling Standard, the latest collaborative effort from Comme des Garçons (it was made with Finnish design firm Artek) was: woodshop! And then: Hinoki!

Hinoki, for those of you who don’t obsessively follow the Comme des Garçons fragrance line, was officially called Scent One: Hinoki, and was a collaborative effort with Monocle magazine. It smelled like raw wood and other woodshop smells (turpentine, camphor). Standard, despite having a different perfumer (Olivier Pescheux), and different notes (Finnish Labrador tea, twinflower, metal, rust, fennel, ginger, lemon, musk, saffron and cedar) smells like a variation on that theme…

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