fragrance

We know. How romantic, right? Well, being a professor of perfume is a little more complex than that — and rightly so given Elisabeth de Feydeau's extensive experience and credentials. In town to speak at the Australian Financial Review's luxury business and fashion summit, Bespoke, Elisabeth's developed sense of smell led her to be head of cultural affairs at Chanel and Bourjois, before founding her own perfume consulting business, Arty Fragrance.

This is a woman who travels the world in the name of training prestigious names in perfumery, all the while analysing past experience and anticipating scent trends. We sat down with "Dame de la Jurade" to talk nostril strengthening, developing our olfactory memory and yes, we asked her to name her favourite fragrance. Read more, after the jump.

It's been confirmed that Twilight star Kristen Stewart will star in her second campaign for Balenciaga's Florabotanica fragrance, Vogue UK reports. The actress, who is already the face of the iconic brand's playful scent, has reportedly already shot the second campaign. It's slated to be released this Spring.

There had been rumours that Kristen had severed ties with the French design house since Alexander Wang took over as creative director. She has not been dressed by Wang since he's stepped into the role, and Kristen recently spoke out in support of former Balenciaga creative director Nicolas Ghesquière. No further details have been announced about the forthcoming campaign.

Fifty years after the arrival of the original Estée Lauder scent, Youth Dew, the brand is launching a new note in fragrance. Already a powerhouse in the beauty industry, the iconic company has been surprisingly absent from the fragrance arena in the last decade. Its last scent, Beyond Paradise, was released back in 2003. So, the arrival of Modern Muse this September is right on time. "This is the most important fragrance moment we've had in a decade," Jane Hertzmark Hudis, global president of the Estée Lauder brand, told WWD. "Modern Muse captures what it means today to be independent and confident in one's own sense of self and style."

The scent is a mix of jasmine and woodsy notes with lavender, lily, patchouli, and vanilla. It seems a coincidence that its spokeswoman for the campaign is Arizona Muse, who inked a deal with the brand last March. You'll notice Arizona wears a multitude of bows in the print and television spots (and there is one on the Modern Muse bottle itself). The bows actually honour the nine muses exalted by ancient Greek artists and philosophers. Arizona Muse plus the mythological muses yield one inspired perfume.

When a sparkling gourmand fragrance is set to be launched, as is the case with Prada's new Candy L'Eau, it makes sense that director Wes Anderson, known for his quirky-cool aesthetic, would be involved. This week, the Internet has been abuzz with delight thanks to the premieres of three Anderson-directed shorts dubbed Prada Candy L'Eau.

Co-directed by Roman Coppola, the films star French actress Léa Seydoux of Midnight in Paris and Mission: Impossible — Ghost Protocol fame. We're promised "a real tale in three episodes that encompasses Candy as the most sparkling and unexpected character," and that's just what we get. As you would expect, the series has the perfect amount of eccentricity woven throughout, with a hint of sweet and sassy thrown in for good measure.

And as with any Wes Anderson film, no detail goes unnoticed, from Seydoux's nail polish choices — Essie's Flawless is featured prominently in episode one — down to her unabashed taste for sweets. Prada Candy L'Eau, a playful, seductive scent, includes notes of Italian citruses, sweet pea, benzoin, white musk, and caramel. Look out for it later this year, and now, take a look at Anderson's charming foray into beauty.

Cate Blanchett has served as the recent muse for Giorgio Armani, frequently wearing his creations on the red carpet, but now her role is expanding into the designer's beauty brand, too. The actress recently signed on to become the face of Armani fragrances, according to The New York Post. The $10 million contract will include a print magazine campaign, and Cate already has some spokesmodel experience under her belt as the face of skin care brand SK-II (a role she's had for the last 10 years). As for Giorgio Armani fragrances, Cate will serve as the first celebrity to represent the brand, which has relied on models in previous years. Who better than the woman who inspires Armani's fashion designs to also front his fragrance offerings?