Modern Muse by Estée Lauder

Be An Inspiration.

A New Fragrance By Estée Lauder

I'm always very interested by how a brand markets their perfume because they are essentially advertising something that isn't tangible. A scent is so subjective, but I almost always fall for it when I see the marketing campaign.

The latest offering from Estée Lauder is a perfume called Modern Muse, a new concept in fragrance which is made of subtle contrasts and bold contradictions. The name, and the fragrance itself draws inspiration from the modern woman. She's independent, strong, confident with a compelling, dynamic life. The advert, I guess, is suppose to evoke feelings of that - but after watching it, I'm not so sure. To me, the modern woman doesn't need men fawning over them to feel confident and powerful. But hey, if it was up to me, I'd opt for a song like Independent Woman by Destiny's Child and not the song they've actually used. Which, again, is a man telling a woman she's amazing. I guess that's why I'm not in the advertising industry. Clearly, I'd be no good. I absolutely understand why it has to be sexy and airy. To sell the product, of course.

So on to the actual product itself. The fragrance is composed of two contrasting aspects. Sparking jasmine and sleek woods. There's mandarin, honeysuckle, fresh lily, patchouli, vanilla and soft musk. They build Modern Muse by carefully selecting each ingredient to reflect the individuality and style of today's woman. I like that the bottle design is modern and chic, although I'm not too keen on the two navy bits sticking out at the top. It is suppose to resemble a bow.

The perfume launched today in all department stores and is available in 30ml, 50ml and 100ml. Prices start from £44.