Comme des Garcons Odeur 53 : Perfume Review
Star rating: 5 stars–outstanding/potential classic, 4 stars–very good, 3 stars–adequate, 2 stars–disappointing, 1 star–poor.
Abstraction is what modern perfume has been striving for over the course of the 20th century, moving away from the representational genre dominating the previous periods. The first abstract fragrance was Houbigant Fougère Royale (1882), which combined synthetic material coumarin with bergamot, oakmoss and geranium. Elegantly serene abstraction is how Comme des Garçons Odeur 53 can be characterized, a fragrance that is comprised solely of synthetics in its attempt to reproduce such inorganic smells as sand and metal.
Created in 1998 by Martine Pallix, Odeur 53 strikes me as a cubist take on a classical jasmine and wood combination. Abstract is an important qualifier here, since the fragrance does not represent either to the extent that they are obvious. Yet, somehow the composition reveals the essential elements of this pairing—warmth and woody sweetness. Daringly, more than 60% of the formula is comprised of hedione, which is an aromachemical possessing a radiant jasmine quality. …
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