Just like in the world of fashion and beauty, the fragrance industry is ever changing, ever evolving. There are so many things to consider when you choosing the right fragrance for the right occasion. Do you like it musky or spicy or do you like it sweet and dainty. Floral, citrusy, bergamot, Ylang Ylang, vanilla, masculine and feminine, tones and undertones… these are just some of the many lexicon in the the world of fragrance that makes the whole experience a little bit overwhelming sometimes. What you need it someone who is a veritable expert in the field, someone who knows exactly what they’re talking about, someone who is real and will tell you what will and will not work for you.
Long known and respected in Ottawa and in Canada as the Aristocrat of Scent, Mr. Sid Cratzbarg, is exactly that expert. An experienced and highly trained educator, Sid is a teacher both in training and at heart. He is a regular contributor and commentator on radio and TV as he regularly appears as a co-host at Daytime Ottawa or guests for segments at CTV Morning Live, CBC Ottawa, the French TV series Entre Nous and many others. He learned from continuous studying, seminars, workshops as he keeps himself constantly up to date as he represents well over 140 different fragrances. His take on spring’s top fragrance trends are: classic brands like Burberry and Lanvin, lighter and fresher fragrances like Prada, seasonal scents for men and women or men as customer tends to chose their fragrance like accessories these days, for example: brighter and fun in spring and summer or heavier and more metallic in the fall.
According to Sid, younger women tend to go classic. So does men in this respect, as they seem to go back to classic brand names like Versace, Prada, Dolce and Gabbana, Tom Ford, etc. Moreover, men are becoming more like women in terms of changing their fragrance each season, choosing different fragrance depending on the event or occasion. And this comes as no surprise as fragrance is an extension of your personality or style, which Sid is a very strong advocate of.
If you’re quite unsure what that would be for you, Nordstrom Ottawa couldn’t be a more perfect place for you to find your ‘True Fragrance.’ Housing one of the city’s massive fragrance selection, Nordstrom is not only very accommodating to client testing and trying out different scent, it is also very educational to clients. In fact, you can find Sid at Nordstrom (something that is not hard to do as he also has a reputation of being a fashion icon in the city with his signature oversize glasses, watches and of couse, his impeccable suit jackets), and you can get an express Fragrance 101 tutorial. Fortunately for you, we’ve round up the TOP 5 FRAGRANCE PICKS FOR SPRING AT NORDSTROM OTTAWA BY SID CRATZBAG just in time for NORDSTROM’s Half Yearly SALE:
MY BURBERRY
When you hear about back story behind Burberry’s world famous My Burberry Fragrance – Christopher Bailey was walking outside after a rain storm in the English country side town and smelt the flowers after the rain storm – you couldn’t help but picture yourself right in that gorgeous landscape, smelling what could be the most authentic, simple and yet captivating fragrance. The Burberry bottle itself is worthy of a front row display as it’s designed to reflect the brand’s iconic trench coat, an ABSOLUTE favourite here at Twenty York Street. The perfume bottle cap is reminiscent of the buttons and the Gaberdine trim is is wrapped around the bottle making it just as legendary as Burberry’s fashion must-have, the military inspired outerwear that’s been known for the world over.
‘ÉCLAT D’ARPÈGE’ BY LANVIN
Exclusively offered at Nordstrom in Canada’s capital, the Eclat by Lanvin is a feminine masterpiece created in 1927 and it continues to create a loyal cult following. Named for its similarity to an arpeggio—a cascade of successive notes, Éclat d’Arpège draws inspiration from the original scent, which reflects the spontaneity of a modern woman. You can smell the cascading notes of lemon leaves, lilac, osmanthus, peach blossom, peony, wisteria, tea, cedarwood, amber, musks.
VALENTINO FOR MEN, VALENTINA FOR WOMEN
With top notes of bergamot from Calabra and white alba truffles, the Valentina by Valentino is exactly a reminisce of Italy. Inspired by a new generation of Italian It girls, Valentina embodies a rebellious Italian heiress. Cool, free-minded and careless, this fragrance will inspire you to experience today’s Italian dolce vita, “the good life.” Valentina is synonymous to utter freshness, irreverence and a whole lot of attitude.
PRADA CANDY
Prada Candy incarnates the new Prada women with top and middle notes of caramel, musks and vanilla. A Prada woman is daring, sensual and full of life. The perfume is named after the seductive and joyful, adventurous girl who is running wild. Younger clients are becoming more knowledgeable as they do their research before buying, Prada is really appealing to the young modern women. The commercials have been aired about the young girl named candy, the french flirt who has two boyfriends. “Life’s too shot for just one,” says Marilou.
THIERRY MUGLER ANGEL AND ALIEN
Winner of Allure Magazine’s Best Fragrance in 2013, Thiery Mugler’s Angel has always been loved the world over. The Alien Body Cream is also to die for! Adding on to the French Perfumer’s collection is Alien by Thierry Mugler. The Refillable Eau de Parfum Spray is an elixir of absolute femininity coming from a different world. It’s a new olfactory imagination, a vibrant and mysterious solar scent. Did you know that this elegant star-shaped bottle can be refreshed at your local Nordstrom Fine Fragrance counter or with the Angel Refill Bottle? So is Alien, the bottle is refillable to guarantee the eternity of the precious stone.
While these are just Sid Cratzbarg’s TOP 5 FRAGRANCE PICKS FOR SPRING AT NORDSTROM OTTAWA, the department store carries a huge selection of fragrance from all over the world.Though he encourages people to experiment and try different things, he strongly believes that there is a particular scent and style that suits different personalities. It’s the same principle he adopts when it comes to promoting fashion for women, another field of expertise that the Aristocrat of Scent is known for. He is a fierce proponent for women dressing up age-appropriately via his line Accessories by Sid. That doesn’t mean women over 40 can no longer wear crop tops or short skirts but there are certain pieces that are best left to teenagers and there’s classic fashion items that would translate to any age. The key is finding the perfect fabric, texture, cut and length. Similar to preferences in fragrance, some people like spicier, woodier fragrances while others like more subtle, non-invasive scents. The trick that Sid teaches on how to spray perfume properly is this – spray it in air and let it fall, run your silk scarf or your pocket handkerchief or walk through the spritz that way the scent will cascade at different places of your body for a more even distribution of the fragrance.
Nordstrom Ottawa carries all TOP 5 FRAGRANCE PICKS FOR SPRING BY SID CRATZBAG: My Burberry, Lanvin, Thierry Mugler, Prada and Valentina. Check out more photos of Nordstrom’s Beauty Department at our official Facebook page here and here. Come take advantage of the giant sales at Nordstrom Ottawa during NORDSTROM’s Half Yearly Sale! You may just see the Aristocrat of Scent himself while you’re shopping!
ABOUT TAYLOR BOILEAU
Ottawa-based French Canadian Blogger Taylor Boileau is Twenty York Street’s Resident vintage bargain shopping expert. With 10 years experience sifting through racks at Value Village, she’s got all the tips and tricks you need for finding those tags worth scouring the racks for. Taylor describes her style as quirky, bohemian and retro. She loves to mix and match to create a perfectly unique outfit. She’s currently studying public relations at Algonquin College and hopes to make on career copy writing and blogging. Taylor’s interests lie in fashion and beauty, writing and reading fantasy novels, knitting and sewing, as well as social activism, politics and current events.
