Fall: 101 posts

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

There are seldom fragrances that I try very hard to like, but there are a few. I wanted to like the new Mille et Une Rôse by Lancôme because I wanted desperately to enjoy a glimpse of the original 2000 et Une Rôse. I wanted to enjoy Délices de Cartier because I have a weakness for red tinted bottles, but I could not get past the sugared cherries of the composition. When I first heard about the two newest fragrances from Eau d’Italie, I fell in love with the idea of scents capturing Sienese winters and Umbrian woods, a desire very much influenced by my travels in Italy. Thankfully, it was not difficult to find myself charmed by Sienne L’Hiver and Bois d’Ombrie. While neither strikes me as an exploration of a dramatically novel theme, their wistful character holds nostalgic connotations for me. …

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The days have been turning darker and rainier over the past week, and today the first thing I noticed when I stepped outside was a scattering of golden leaves on the ground. Although seasonality in perfume is a vaguely defined concept, it is enjoyable to switch one’s scented wardrobe in anticipation of a new season. For me, the soft florals (or aldehydic florals) and classical florals of the summer give way to the chypre and oriental compositions during the colder months. Both chypres and orientals are comprised of notes that can give a warm sensation, such as the dry heat of patchouli in the former or the sensual richness of spices and resins in the latter. In contrast to the delicate, dewy notes of soft florals like Robert Piguet Baghari and fresh florals like Marc Jacobs Blush, the flowers blooming in the hearts of oriental fragrances are opulent and sweet—rose, jasmine, carnation, narcissus. The iris that forms the link between the middle and base notes of many chypre perfumes is more of a wood than a flower—hefty, silky and rich. What might appear as too heavy and smothering in the heat instead works like a cashmere wrap in the cold. …

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

The most compelling aspect of Serge Lutens’s fragrances lies in their exaggerated character, whether it is the tannic bitterness of oak in Chêne, the hay sweetness of coumarin in Chergui or the mineral chill of iris in Iris Silver Mist. Chypre Rouge does not deviate from the jewel encrusted opulence that one can glimpse in other Lutens compositions; however, the finished result reflects a blend of various elements that can equally well recount the story of Scheherazade as well as that of Hänsel und Gretel. …

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I am a tea drinker, preferring to save coffee for mornings when the extra jolt of energy is absolutely essential, yet I cannot resist the dark aroma of roasted beans. It is the childhood memory of my father having what he called “a soldier’s breakfast”–coffee accompanied by a cigarette. Of crowded bars in Venice where the coffee aromas would marry the scent of white bread used for tramezzini, delicious triangular sandwiches. Of Istanbul coffee stalls where the curvy copper pots were slowly brought to boil in the hot sand. Of the rich cloud surrounding Starbucks I would pass downtown Chicago on my way to the office.

As much as I love the fragrance of coffee, in perfume I prefer to avoid the overly photorealistic vision of a steaming cup. Bond No 9 New Haarlem created by the perfumer Maurice Roucel offers one of my favorite takes on the coffee notes, a composition of alluring darkness concealing a fresh herbal twist.

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

The contrast between the glitzy ornaments bedecking the Little Mermaid-like flacon and its voluptuous oriental contents is enough to make the newest fragrance from Lolita Lempicka, L, stand out in the crowd of placid summer editions and flankers (which, as I explained to my friend last night, are the perfume versions of movie sequels, and are usually just as disappointing). The burnt sugar and bitter herb redolent immortelle forms the main accord of L, which rests on the plush oriental base of vanilla, coumarin and sandalwood. The immortelle does not make it debut particularly often as the main note, and I can only think of a few fragrances where it unfolds in its sun burnt intensity, namely Annick Goutal Sables, Gobin Daudé Biche Dans L’Absinthe, and Christian Dior Eau Noire. Therefore, it was a surprise to pick up a bottle of Lolita Lempicka L and discover a bittersweet breath of dunes inside it. …

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