Thursday, February 25, 2010

Guerlain L'Heure Bleue

Are you enthralled with l'heure bleue in Paris too?
Wiki says "The blue hour" refers to the period of twilight in Paris that is neither full daylight nor complete darkness...
Mlle Paradis said...J'adore Guerlain l'Heure Bleue! referring to the perfume... Intense blue is soooo French is it not?
How clever of Guerlain to allude to the most gorgeous time of day in Paris.
Photo from Guerlain
In fact, when Jacques Guerlain was creating the perfume in 1912, he was referencing the Impressionists painters he collected... Who captures l'heure bleue better than Monet? Standing in Place Vendome at l'heure bleue is the perfect time of day... Why is Paris so damn poetic?

Hoop la...l'heure bleue est finiBonjour L'heure Bleue!

43 comments:

  1. we took the bateau moche at twilight and the pictures I took are my favourites of the trip..the light on the buildings and the water and the tower was breathtaking...sunset behind the tower...magical.

    I'm jealous you are going in March but will "travel" with you each day as usual.

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  2. Renee R.9:24 AM

    As usual, you make me go weak at the knees with your lush Paris poems...
    Glad I'm sitting down over coffee :)

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  3. Jannine9:25 AM

    The video is the perfect accompaniment to your pics.
    Merci encore
    Janinne

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  4. Can you do something on my all-time favorite Parisian perfumery, Annick Goutal?

    The best scent on the entire planet is Eau d'Hadrien. It's fresh, clean and has overtones of grapefruit and smells like San Tropez.

    I knew this was a good scent when a bunch of burley carpenters working in my house asked what perfume I was wearing!!! One of them even thoughtfully wrote down the name.

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  5. William Ternay, Jr.9:48 AM

    Carol,
    Although I've officially stayed overnight in Paris 3 times, (then on to tour the countryside)I had a week's stay there in the late '50s, when young & dumb & on leave from the Air Force.
    I played tourist then, but do recall that magic time of evening.
    Thanks for the reminder.
    Bill

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  6. I will Fenway after I go to Paris..I'm always so damn intimidated to go inside Annick
    I need more courage!

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  7. Carol – I really loved today’s posting. I wanted to suggest you write a children’s book about Paris.
    I think it’s your calling.
    ]Have a great day.
    Lisa

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  8. I'd recommend Le Train Bleu for lunch. Same great ambiance and experience and much less expensive than dinner. While you're over there, don't miss the VIaduct des Arts and the gorgeous linear park on top of it.

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  9. I love that time of the day and taking photos then...the sky is always magical especially in Paris, xv.

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  10. Foodwalker10:44 AM

    One of my favorites tmes anywhere.

    The Grand Canyon early morning or late afternoon.

    That certain slant of light.

    Foggy this morning, so just gray.

    Like a light, gray cashmere throw.

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  11. Ohhhhhhhhhh drea-m-m-m-y. Oh no! I meant l'Heure Bleue too. It is nice anywhere in the world but especially especially in France. Have never stood in P. Vendome a l'heure bleue but now I have a new ambition! Merci Carol for a gorgeous post and a nice little shoutout.

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  12. Cela a été mon parfum pendant des année!
    le nom est évocateur.

    amitiés

    manon

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  13. Oh yes. It's actually a label on the bric blog...& figures in my writing off-line, too. Thanks for the inspiration & lovely words.

    xoSusan & GG

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  14. Really enjoyed this post. This is my favorite time of day anywhere, though one of my favorite twilight memories is walking through the Tuilleries w/my husband with a magical pale moon rising in a pastel sky, then, being pleasantly surprised by the Eiffel Tower just beginning to twinkle all over. Sometimes when I wonder exactly why Paris is so romantic and magical,I'm reminded that it's moments like this, that become a part of us to savor over and over again. Bon voyage.

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  15. My favorite time, anywhere! Now you've really made me miss Paris!

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  16. I ADORE the blue hour in Paris! And I'm so charmed to know it has an actual name. How lovely. :-)

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  17. Paris IS magical...
    no two ways about it..
    muito saudage for Paris

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  18. Mary Anne12:58 PM

    Have you seen "Historic Restaurants of Paris"?
    Wishing I was going to Paris with you!
    Mary Anne

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  19. Misha in Paris12:58 PM

    today all the Paris hours were GREY !
    but saturday the sun will come back !
    A+C+++

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  20. Hi Carol. Thanks for the lovely post. I will look at the twilight time with a different eye. It won't be Paris, but perhaps even in Sacramento there will be a bit of l'heure bleue. Jeannie

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  21. Beautiful photos!
    Thank you, and I look forward the new trip photos.
    Have fun in Paris.

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  22. Susanne, formerly of Paris2:50 PM

    I was just thinking of you and the "heure bleue" !
    Ah...lovely

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  23. Beautiful photos, Carol. The blue hour was always one of my favorite photo topics.

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  24. Horace2:59 PM

    Another lovely blue post today Carol.

    Please anyone who loves La Maison Du Chocolat, if you care to give us a vote we would be much obliged and will send you a virtual chocolat kiss
    at Luxist.com

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  25. Linda S3:00 PM

    J'adore the photo of the bateau mouche and the Eiffel Tower, beautiful.

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  26. Dianne3:15 PM

    Can you please help me out with the correct pronunciation of “macaron” I know how to say the English style “macaroon” but not how to say the name of those sweet little “Paris in a crunch” delicacies

    Merci
    Dianne xx

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  27. A friend of mine went and brought me back my requested bottle of Eau d' Hadrian along with a lovely candle and soaps to keep it company! And I remember her saying that it IS a little "too, too, too" at the store.

    So you're not alone with your observation!

    Oh, and when Fenway earns his AKC Championship—he's very close—I will have to commemorate it with a one of your wonderful drawings.

    Didn't you just love that poodle on his blog...the one who was all trussed up and looking like Lady Gaga?

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  28. On these webcams you can watch several places in Paris at l'heure bleue (and anytime) in real time:
    http://www.paris-live.com/

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  29. Shelley7:48 PM

    The deep dark rich blues of your photo of the L'heure bleue flasks were gawgeous. When the sky is that color at dusk, whoa, baby.

    So interesting how in that last hour before darkness, everything glows and stands out in such detail. Building facades, flowers -- it's like seeing them for the first time. From Francoise Hardy's "L'heure bleue": "Tout devient plus beaux, plus doux, plus lumineux" -- everything becomes more beautiful, softer, more luminous....

    Long live l'heure bleue! For an hour....

    (An aside: Youtube has some great videos of Francoise Hardy's songs. "L'heure bleue" is, alas, not there, but "Mon amie la rose," "Tous les garcons et les filles," and "Voila" are. The lyrics -- the French sorta kinda easy, at least in some lines -- are in the last link below.)

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IOd_5ZRPmFs
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IQGNpRnFNgM
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6RshBBqVh2c
    http://www.all-over-the-world.com/FrancoiseHardy/ly/index.html

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  30. Shelley7:57 PM

    Whoops, everyone squint an eye and don't see that "x" I put on "beaux". Holy moly, and apologies to the French speakers.

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  31. Carol,
    You make me want to dash for Paris tomorrow. What a beautiful post. I did not know about the blue hour, how breathtaking. And the picture of the Eiffel made me gush. I am already fantasizing about my trip. Merci!

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  32. Whoops Shelly-
    that is NOT my gawgwous pic of all the blue bottles of l'heure Bleue - no way and I should have said so. Where would I get all them bouteille anyway?
    Something Guerlain did for certain

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  33. Shelley9:25 PM

    Oh, I thought it was a photo through an invisible glass counter or something. But it was still your unerring eye that saw the beauty in the photo and chose it, so you can't escape all praise! (^__^)

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  34. That blue photo of Guerlain bottles! Wow!

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  35. Mercy Buckets SHELLEY! :)
    And your unerring eye it!
    Actually I love the serendipitous succession of triangles from the bottle top to the opening in the girl's dress to the Monet straw hut...

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  36. I am loving your blog. You make me feel like I can re-discover old treasures and spend days finding new ones on there -
    bravo
    Bises,
    Shannon

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  37. my favourite time of day in paris too (although pretty much any time of day is fabulous when you're in Paris!!)

    i especially like this time of day when you're in a fabulous cafe sitting on the street and watching the world go by over a glass or four of bubbles.

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  38. My favorite post of Paris Breakfasts so far. Great pic of Eiffel Tower. I too paint to go to Paris and this post just touched my senses.

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  39. May I ever so gently point out that l-heure bleue is not unique to Paris?

    Uniquely tethered to Paris only is the historic period just before the First World War, which is at times referred to as the "L'Heure Blue".

    Still, Paris at twilight looks magical in your pictures!

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  40. Sigh... I *love* l'heure bleu! I'm obsessed with it, in fact. Did you enjoy it tonight??

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  41. Tes articles sont meilleurs que beaucoup de choses qu'on lit ici...
    Peut-être est-il plus facile de parler de Paris quand on est loin ?
    Thx for the promenade and I can smell it in my head ;)
    Almost everyday, I go to the rue Saint-Honoré, near the Place Vendôme, and I discovered a little and hidden boutique... named "l'Heure Bleue"...
    You MUST go ther next time you come !!!
    just see
    http://www.chicandgeek.com/sweet-home/heure-bleue_antiquites/
    Isn't it lovely ?
    Every post of yours I discover I'm charmed...
    Anne

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  42. Elizabeth B.7:25 PM

    Rather than going to the Train Bleu ...
    The cooking is awful and very expensive.
    Have a drink at their bar "Big Ben". the restaurant and the bar share the same entrance and you'll enjoy the Train Bleu dining room without spending all you money. By the way Big Ben's cocktail are great and they got a very nice cat -hope she is still alive, so long I've been there !

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  43. My God I thought I had a lot of folders on my desktop. You need a filing cabinet my girl ;)

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