|  Prastara Royal “A kissing distance whisper.” 
Pronounced. “PRAH-star-ah”. Means “ancient” or “venerable” in Russian.
Description. Complex 4-citrus brightly fresh high notes with rapid transition to a conservatively sophisticated, fresh, slightly sensual background. An established men’s classic, appropriate both for casual, sport, after-exercise, summer refreshment as well as conservative office and evening use. Majority of purchasers are women. Initial two-lemon, lime and orange top is a known mood replenisher; lingering middle tones are yin-yang sensuality.
Background. Commissioned by the French monarch, Louis XIV, “The Sun King”, in 1682, the year Versailles was completed and a period considered the peak of perfumery. Was the number one men's fragrance in the old USSR; produced in Europe since approximately 1848. Made entirely by hand, each wicker bottle is filled by funnel in a turn of the century factory in the shadow of the Carpathanian Mountains.
Fragrance Image. The subtle redolence the perfect English gentleman leaves in the elevator cabin. This fragrance is classified in the “splash” category. The light, citrus top note keeps its strength no more than a few hours and is customarily renewed periodically for full effect. A refreshing dose starts your day with the established psychological effect of “citrus uplift”. In public keeps the tasteful “arm’s length boundary”; no commercial-strength broadcast radiating to the corners of the office. No offensive residue from your business handshake. Perfect for after the beach and workout; keep a bottle at the gym.
Fragrance Summary. Citral, Bergamot, Bulgarian Rose, Lemon, Orange, Musk, Cardamon, Bulgarian Lavender, Rosemary.
Package. The bottle is distinctively hand-woven in willow wicker sealed at the cap with the Sun King’s royal symbol impressed in authentic sealing wax. The accompanying After-Shave Balm is one of the best men’s post-razor treatments to be found, with a silky dry-down of no oil or shine, loaded with menthol and oil of Melissa for effective healing.
Prastara Royal The Details 
Prastara (“PRAH-star-ah”. Means “ancient” or “venerable” in Russian) and was first formulated by the Court Chemist to Louis XIV of France in 1682 (the year the Palace of Versailles was completed). The Sun King brought on a broad renaissance in the arts and sciences, a period considered to also have produced the peak of perfuming. Unfortunately, few formulas exist from this era. Although Prastara has been produced in Europe continuously since 1848, a Latin manuscript was more recently discovered in the attic of an 800 year old Polish soap factory in Lodz shortly after WWII. This may be the specific indication of its origin, from the fact that Louis’ mistress, who later became his last wife, was of Polish royalty.
Through extreme simplicity the layered and leveraged ingredients reflect great ingeniousness with the use of botanicals known to have been available in the renowned Versailles gardens. It is a citrus “splash”, so named as it is often used several times each day as the citrus oils are delicate, light, with a more rapid evaporation rate. This the very category of other of the oldest known cologne formulas, including the German “4711”.
Poland’s leading perfumer recomposed the formula for modern oils and it became the number one fragrance in the USSR’s Comecon trading partners. People have related memories of it turning up in old Communist footholds as diverse as Egypt and Algeria. Expressing the great power fragrance has on the memory, I’ve more than once heard a delighted Polish-American upon sniffing the bottle, burst fourth with the vivid recollection of a grandparent or uncle back home who once wore it.
The original Prastara is still made entirely by hand, each wicker bottle filled by funnel in a turn of the century factory in the shadow of the Carpathanian Mountains.
Two more chapters in the cologne’s long history ensue. In 1991 Douglas Hopkins purchased the world rights to Prastara. The fragrance, with its pedigree, exquisite fresh scent, and historically imbued, hand-woven, willow wicker wrapped bottle, quietly became a word-of-mouth success in the US and Europe. The wicker wrap is its visual identity, an ancient practice for glass and ceramic flasks, the woven wrapping protect the container from breakage and heat, this technique found back to Egyptian times. The top to bottom wicker weave gives the classic bottle’s shapely lines a casual, appealing aura, distinctive form the surfeit of commercial plastic, gold and silver cosmetic products.
Although intended as a men’s after shave, the fresh, citrus notes brought women wearers who quickly surpassed the men in purchases at luxury retailers as Bendels, Barneys, and Bergdorf Goodman. With the hand-produced bottles in limited supply, the wicker edition is often sold out.
Perfumer Designer Douglas Hopkins worked three years with leading European and American fragrancing laboratories to refine, using modern oils, an accurate copy of the indigenous Mediterranean ingredients of the 18th century, some now extinct. The result is known as “Prastara Royal” and is sold in a French crystal glass, hip flask container, along with the three other classical fragrances in the company’s line. Hopkins more recently created Prastara Blue for the launch of his fragrance line at Bergdorf Goodman, a modern and enigmatic variation on the original classic. The two have subtle differences and must be compared side by side to determine a preference. Each has its loyal adherents.
To round out the history, a bit of trade gossip. Through a reliable source, one hears that “CK-1”, Calvin Klein’s androgynous smash hit, is a close, somewhat thin derivative of Prastara, which was worn, it is said, by his wife, Kelly…who knows!
What is the genius, the alluring simplicity of Prastara? The citrus high note emanates from a base of fourteen essential oils blended and filled entirely by hand. Certain rare ingredients are sourced from remote parts of former Eastern Bloc countries (Bulgaria, for example). Here the herbs and flowers are pressed and extracted by manual methods refined through the centuries, untouched by modern automation. The result is a complex, almost mystical fusion of depth in the scent. It is a complex of four citrus high notes with rapid time layered transition to a friendly, fresh, slightly sensual background. Initial two-lemon, lime and orange top is a known mood replenisher; lingering middle tones are yin-yang sensuality. The light, citrus keeps its strength no more than a few hours and is customarily renewed periodically for full effect, hence the category of “splash”. The basic ingredient list is Citral, Bergamot, Bulgarian Rose, Lemon, Orange, Musk, Cardamon, Bulgarian Lavender, Rosemary.
Prastara Blue, representing Prastara’s third century of renewal, has experienced four years of persistent sales in Europe, singular for an American fragrance. In 1999 it was selected to be the only American product in the première edition luxury catalogue of Villeroy & Boch. Each handcrafted bottle is sealed with sealing wax supplied by the world’s only maker of the authentic material, the ancient German print firm of Gutenberg. Hopkins enriched his work on Blue with a rare copy of a French fragrancing manual published in 1696. This remarkable reference work was discovered in the depths of a friend’s family castle library, an Austrian royal collection. The resulting fragrance is spicy, hints of citrus and fruit with a foundation of complex metallic warmth. Fruit sweetness countered with lemon and filtered through floral with a classic woody sunshine. It has an unusually low lift, not intrusive. Extremely well modulated, it defies traditional fragrance category classification.
This is authentic experience, breaking the royal seal to unleash these precious scents of privileged ages past. The royal mark of Prastara Blue is the Sun King's emblem, over three hundred years old, each bottle hand embossed with authentic sealing wax, this is not the usual plastic commercial imitation.
The flagship Prastara Blue bottle is sealed and secured with traditional European “cork knot” cord tie, a specially prepared premium Portuguese cork and fanciful red cap (6 ounce "haute" edition.). The old Boston mill-factory-produced, 1940’s high-quality, WWII vintage, cotton cord encircles the neck, knotted and drawn down under the label, then hand-stamped with the sealing wax impression of exceptional depth. This traditional seal of royal approval is executed in a shade of forest green laced with flecks of gold, formulated for Douglas Hopkins by the ancient Gutenberg factory. 
Douglas Hopkins & Co. (c)2007
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