In Your Opinion: 314 posts

Happy Thanksgiving! In lieu of writing on a specific perfume today, I have decided to compile a list of my favorite fragrances. Needless to say, this is rather a snapshot of my current likes and a result of a painstaking task of trying to pick only ten fragrances. I left out probably ten times as many my most beloved fragrances as I ended up including. Nevertheless, here they are: my top five classical and top five modern favorites. Please share yours and do not feel constrained to make separate lists like I did!

Top Five Classical Favorites

Caron Nuit de Noël 

 If the mood of a quiet snowy day were captured in a bottle, it would be redolent of Nuit de Noël, a fragrance that represents the beauty of rose and incense intertwined over a dark mossy base.

Chanel Bois de Iles

Among Ernest Beaux’s compositions, Bois des Iles’s perfection stands out. It is a painting of gilded woods touched by the delicate spicy notes.

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Below are only some of my favorites from the dark category, encompassing chypre, oriental and floral, vintage and modern.

Black Cashmere by Donna Karan— incense in a tapestry of serene darkness
Bandit by Robert Piguet—archetype of leather chypre genre, shocking, yet unforgettable
Dzing! by L’Artisan Parfumeur—animalic made ethereal
Fracas by Robert Piguet—rich tuberose, redolent of sandalwood and warm skin
Musc Ravageur by Frédéric Malle—postmodern Shalimar, a seductive combination of cool top accords and warm animalic base
Narcisse Noir by Caron—almost sinister black flower hiding under the luminous orange blossom touches
Opium by Yves Saint Laurent–spices and woods melt over dark carnation into a composition that cannot but capture one’s attention (be it in a positive or negative way)
Rose de Nuit by Serge Lutens—rose petals scattered over a dark ambery base

If you have your favorite dark fragrances, I would love to hear what they are.

Opium advertisement from psine.net.

A fragrance I would have liked to see resurrected is Jacques Fath Iris Gris. Iris Gris, created in 1947 by Vincent Roubert, is described as woody floral, and it has been an object of desire ever since I learned of it. I also understand that its formula has been revived by Jean Kerléo for Osmothèque, therefore perhaps a trip there is in order.

Among other things I would have wished to see resurrected are the following: 1917 version of Coty Chypre, Guerlain Après l’Ondée extrait de parfum, and Shiseido Nombre Noir.  I would love to hear what discontinued fragrances you miss.

Crepe de Chine 1950 advertisement 

The day is wonderfully serene, helped by the fact that I am away from my computer, my cell phone and a massive pile of work that is supposed to evolve into a dissertation. The surface of the river is reflecting the sun shine, with the waves breaking up rays into small gilded pieces. I swim across the dark water to reach a big stone where I strech out, enjoying a contrast between the cold water and its warm rough surface. The river provides a respite from the heat that seems to be suffocating the city. The smell of the water is sweet, with the wind bringing the scent of tall pine trees near the beach. Even the sun seems to attain a smell as it hits the skin—soft, dry and ambery. If there is a reason to like summer, then it is for the perfect moments like these.

While heat and humidity never made summer very appealing for me, summer scents are among most memorable. They are the scents of the gardens in full bloom, of hot stones and summer drinks sipped slowly while sitting at a small café. The essence of summer is in the scent of cool watermelon eaten on the beach as well as in the scent of hot asphalt and dusty leaves. As for a perfect summer fragrance, certain perfumes work particularly well in the summer, either because they are transparent citruses that chill the skin or luscious flowers that blossom in the warm air. My list (in no particular order) encompassed both:

1. Annick Goutal Eau d’Hadrien
2. The Different Company Divine Bergamote
3. Guerlain Eau Impériale
4. Comptoir Sud Pacifique Tiaré
5. Hermessence Poivre Samarcande
6. Serge Lutens Fleurs de Citronnier
7. Parfums 06130 Yuzu Rouge
8. Guerlain Aqua Allegoria Anisia Bella
9. Chanel Cristalle Eau de Toilette
10. Parfums de Nicolaï Juste Un Rêve