Film Noir: 60 posts

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

Among fashion houses, Donna Karan never fails to offer one successful and unusual fragrance after another. Her Cashmere Mist indeed evokes a feeling of touching warm fabric that clings softly to the skin. Be Delicious Men ornaments a baked apple with delicately roasted coffee and bittersweet citrus. Chaos (released in 1996, now discontinued) was my introduction to the beauty of a saffron note folded into the luminous richness of spices and incense that comprise its elegant oriental composition.

In some ways, Black Cashmere is not unlike Chaos, a dense tapestry of multicolored threads that results in the illusion of darkness. Underscoring the composition is a smooth mélange of sandalwood and cedar. Created by Rodrigo Flores-Roux in 2003, Black Cashmere is a fragrance about the sensuality of incense. Interspersed with jewel-like vibrancy of spices, its warmth captivates and seduces. …

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

Parfum Grès Cabochard, meaning “headstrong,” is an example of how a chypre fragrance can embody confidence and independence, playing upon the austere and dry qualities of the genre. At the same time, its aloof air is seductive, as some mysteries can be. It does not bestow its favours lightly, hiding its delicate floral heart under the dark layers of smoky leather and green notes. One feels compelled to unlock its secrets, revisiting again and again, and falling deeper and deeper into the rabbit hole.

Not only was Cabochard very successful at the time of its release in 1959, its leather chypre composition inspired many subsequent fragrances. Therefore, its inclusion among the legends of French perfumery by Michael Edwards is only to be expected.  …

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

If fine leather were to be woven into a wreath with a few stems of jasmine and dusted with sweet spices, the result would capture the essence of Serge Lutens Cuir Mauresque (meaning Moorish Leather). Composed by Chris Sheldrake in 1996, it alludes to the ancient Arab tradition of exquisitely perfuming leather with citrus, musk and attars.

The dark resinous top note is caressed by orange blossom, jasmine, and mandarin, an arrangement that creates interplay of shadows cast upon a floral bouquet. Darkness pervades the luminosity and sweetness of orange blossom, with the smoky notes providing a grounding touch. Smooth tangy notes of leather begin to take shape slowly, all the while revealing a new facet, be it a warm breath of amber or a spicy shimmer of cinnamon. This stunning composition would suit both men and women, although its soft and floral element can be increased by layering Cuir Mauresque with a little bit of Fleurs d’Oranger.

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

Rose is one of my favorite notes, however it is difficult to encounter a rose focused fragrance that can still pique my interest.  A combination of rose and patchouli is a successful marriage, which first was explored in depth by L’Artisan Parfumeur Voleur de Roses.  Une Folie de Rose was released by Les Parfums de Rosine in 2005. Unlike a much more avant-garde Voleur de Roses, Une Folie de Rose is a classically composed rose chypre, featuring notes of coriander, bergamot, tea rose, ylang-ylang, jasmine, sandalwood, amber, oakmoss, vetiver, and patchouli.

The impression upon inhaling the top notes is similar to smelling a tea rose on a hot summer afternoon. The hot and dizzying radiance of the sun and the transparent sweetness of silky petals combine to create a multifaceted sensory wave. Radiant rose is clouded by lemony spiciness of coriander, with sparks of bergamot contributing to the effect.

Intense floral heart, weaving in sweetness of rose and opulent sharpness of ylang-ylang sends forth a shower of red and white petals.  Once the petals settle, an earthy darkness of patchouli rises up, layering the flowers with the currents of golden shimmer and earthy richness. A gentle sweetness of amber is like a scattering of cinders glowing softly in the dark.  A base resting on a cold powdery sweetness of oakmoss sets a stage for an interplay of sensations that makes chypre genre so fascinating.  The outcome is an elegant and interesting rose fragrance, steering clear both of the sentimentality associated with rose and of the aloof austerity attributed to chypre.  While Voleur de Roses is a more innovative take on rose, Une Folie de Rose might be a more wearable option for those who found patchouli in L’Artisan to be too dark and earthy.

Available at Aedes, First-in-Fragrance, and Barneys New York.

Picture: Advertisement by René Gruau from www.renegruau.com.

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

Walking through the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, I realize that in much the same way as great artworks inspire the new generation of artists, the influence of Jacques Guerlain’s Shalimar (1925) is felt in Frédéric Malle Musc Ravageur (2000). Neither like Dalì simply imitated Picasso, nor is Musc Ravageur a copy of Shalimar. It is a fragrance with its own creative merit that incorporates elements from Jacques Guerlain’s composition in order to convey another vision. While Shalimar makes one wait in order to see what makes it a perfection—which one has to admit it is, whether one likes it or not, Musc Ravageur starts to unfold at once. Its animalic elements are seamlessly blended into dark vanillic warmth, interspersed with cool notes of bergamot and lavender. The heightened interplay of powerful sensations, from hot glow of amber to icy sting of citrus, is what makes Musc Ravageur a memorable composition from the first inhale.

While I do not like many scented body products, Frédéric Malle has impressed me with the quality of its ancillary lines. Musc Ravageur Oil is a great alternative to the Eau de Parfum, especially for those who find the initial balsamic burst too dark. It absorbs rapidly into the skin and, with some sacrifice of development, melds into a softer version of the EDP. The soft balsamic warmth of this sensual fragrance would also work wonderfully on a man.

Paintings (from left to right, click to enlarge): Salvador Dalì, Venus and a Sailor (1), 1925. Ikeda Museum of Twentieth Century Art, Shizuoka, Japan. Pablo Picasso, Mother and Child, 1921-22. The Alex L. Hillman Family Foundation, New York, NY, USA. (from dali-gallery.com and abcgallery.com, respectively.)