Saturday, September 29, 2007

The "Joyous Mistakes" of Armando

Introducing the redesigned website for Armando Martinez has been on the top of my 'to do' list for the past few days. And since I've taken a 'sanity break' from the office today, it was at last time to get the review posted. The solitude of being away from a frantic, stressful call center has been delightfully refreshing and has allowed more hours to research both new and 'new to me' fragrances.

For the past six years, 'Mando' has taken his love for classic fragrances and has become a designer of classic fragrances himself. He calls his potions "joyous mistakes" as did the legend perfumer Jean Carles. I prefer to just call them inspired ingenuity. Armando's work is still new to the designer scene and yet with a childlike abandonment, he strives to improve and perfect his fragrances.

He doesn't shock you with just another repackaged, renamed fragrance. His collection of five perfumes are unique and his own. He doesn't shock you with provocative ads that seem to be selling sex more than scent. Instead he packages them in simple apothecary style glass bottles that are a refreshing change of pace. He doesn't shock you with anything...he's about as honest as you can get and I predict that one day Armando will have a loving following who admire and respect his fragrances. Here are links to each of his fragrances. Enjoy! Benefactor, Kitsune, Maquillage, Pillow of Flowers, and Satyr. Armando's fragrances are available internationally online at First in Fragrance and directly from his website.


Photo from Armando Martinez website