Elegant: 198 posts

Star rating: 5 stars–outstanding/potential classic, 4 stars–very good, 3 stars–adequate, 2 stars–disappointing, 1 star–poor.

A whisper of Christian Dior Diorissimo on this cold day makes me imagine spring. I glance at the dark rooftops covered with white patches of snow, black outlines of icicle draped trees against the grey sky and even though the landscape is morose and silent, I can almost feel the warm breath of spring. The frozen winter vista is almost scent-free, which I find renders rich, oriental fragrances somewhat overwhelming. Instead, I tend to reach for citrus, iris, orange blossom and other delicate white floral fragrances. Like Venice covered in snow, the impossibly transparent and airy Diorissimo (Christian Dior) is a perfume whose beauty is only enhanced by the cold. Then again, just like Venice, it is beautiful regardless of time and season….

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Star rating: 5 stars–outstanding/potential classic, 4 stars–very good, 3 stars–adequate, 2 stars–disappointing, 1 star–poor.

Although I enjoy the airy softness of Osmanthe Yunnan and the smoldering sensation of Ambre Narguilé, the only fragrance from the Hermès’s Hermessence collection for which I truly feel strong affection is Vétiver Tonka. Created by Jean-Claude Ellena, this composition is a startling tender vetiver melody. The pungent and woody root is often made even richer and smokier as in Frédéric Malle Vétiver Extraordinaire or the original version of Guerlain Vétiver. Or, in another extreme, it can be rendered as weightless and fresh as in The Different Company Sel de Vétiver. Either treatment can accent the fascinating tonalities of this amazing material, yet it is rare to discover vetiver transformed into a velvety, enveloping veil. This is exactly what Vétiver Tonka succeeds in achieving. …

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Star rating: 5 stars–outstanding/potential classic, 4 stars–very good, 3 stars–adequate, 2 stars–disappointing, 1 star–poor.

Frédéric Malle Une Fleur de Cassie inspires a comparison with espresso–the initial bitterness serves as a prelude for the caramelized and nutty undertones. Similarly, the dark powdery opening of Une Fleur de Cassie hides the warmth of violets and rose wrapped in mimosa. The fragrance also has an odd wet paper note before it takes an unexpected twist into the almond and violet. It’s an acquired taste, but once I acquired it, I fell in love with Une Fleur de Cassie’s juxtaposition of accords and tonalities.

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Star rating: 5 stars–outstanding/potential classic, 4 stars–very good, 3 stars–adequate, 2 stars–disappointing, 1 star–poor.

In many ways, Chanel No 22 is the quintessential aldehydic* fragrance. It is difficult for me to envision a better classical treatment of aldehydes. While No 5 is much more well-known and praised, I find the delicate beauty of No 22 to be particularly exquisite. Vivid and tender, it alternates between elegant aloofness and sweet warmth, all the while being polished and seamless. If pearls had a scent, their lustrous smoothness would be redolent of No 22….

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The rainstorm… Après l’Ondée, which translates from French as “After the Rain Shower” seems like a radiant and exquisitely graceful composition, and yet there is the suggestion of a brooding darkness hiding in its opulent layers. My own relationship with it is complex; it is both a fragrance that served as a gateway for my intense passion for everything Guerlain and a scent of nostalgia. It reminds me of my first year in the United States, when feeling displaced and homesick, I would walk around Marshall Field’s, the large department store in downtown Chicago. The Guerlain counter, with its large booklet describing each fragrance, drew my attention. I was determined to find a perfume that would be mine because Guerlain had always fascinated me.

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