Ambery Family: 53 posts

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

I confess that I approached Guerlain Bois d’Arménie with a fair deal of apprehension. Despite my initial expectations, I have not found myself as moved by the L’Art et la Matiere collection as by the other Guerlain fragrances, from the treasured vintages like Rue de la Paix and Fol Arôme, the timeless classics like Mitsouko and Chamade to the more recent gems like Attrape-Coeur. Certainly, L’Art et la Matiere, which includes Angélique Noire, Cuir Beluga, Rose Barbare, and now Bois d’Arménie, has the aura of opulence and elegance that marks some other Guerlain classics; however, the effect in case of Cuir Beluga and Angelique Noire is rather self-conscious. Rose Barbare was the only fragrance I found distinctive, although even in that case, I wished for an edgier interpretation. …

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

An animalic fruity chypre, Balenciaga Talisman exemplifies the type of genre that while still explored in the transitional period between the heft and opulence of the 80s perfumes and the minimalism of the 1990s, has been on the steady decline ever since. In general, animalic chypre inaugurated by Chanel Cuir de Russie (1921) cannot be named as a popular category, although over the years, especially when crossed with the fruity chypre, it has produced beautiful compositions that are still considered to be the gold standards of the classical perfumery—aggressive leather of Robert Piguet Bandit (1944), civet melted on honey of Schiaparelli Shocking (1937), refinement of Christian Dior Miss Dior (1947), exquisite dryness of Grés Cabochard(1959), to name a few. …

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

Provocatively named, Lanvin Mon Péché (My Sin for the American market) is a mystery novel full of unusual twists and complex subplots. From the chilly elegance of its top notes crowned with the crisp aldehydes to the languorous darkness of its floral heart and the animalic base, heavy like a sigh of yearning, it never ceases to maintain attention. Why a mystery and not a simple story of seduction? Like most classical fragrances, My Sin does not flaunt its sensuality, but treats it in a tantalizing and unpredictable manner, resulting in a composition that, like a good mystery novel, keeps one guessing until the last page.

Between 1923 and 1924, the Russian perfumer Mme Zed created a range of perfumes for Jeanne Lanvin’s fashion house, which were intended more as the scented souvenirs for travel obsessed Lanvin than the fragrances with the wide appeal. Thus, La Dogaresse captured the beauty of ochre colored Venetian palazzos reflecting in the murky waters of the canals. Geranium d’Espagne spoke of hot stone paved streets in Seville. Le Sillon reminded of the wake of a ship. A collaboration between Mme Zed and Firmenich in 1924 resulted in My Sin. It broke with the holiday postcard tradition of Lanvin perfumes, instead presenting a composition that told its irresistible story in a sexy whisper. Its success was to be rivaled only by Arpège. …

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

Serge Lutens Chergui stings with hot spices that cover the skin like fine grains of sand, sharp, slightly abrasive and warm. Romantically named after the blood-boiling Moroccan wind that blows in off the desert during the summer, Chergui has the spicy intensity, yet its hot breath is tamed by the sweet and floral elements. Created in 2001 by Christopher Sheldrake, it is an Arabian Nights vignette in a liquid form.

The candied quality melts in the smoke whispers that fill the arrangement, like incense smoke seeping through the carved screens. The floral accord folded into the smoky layers of Chergui lightens density and sweetness, lending a voluptuous silky quality. The fine cured Virginia tobacco notes overlaid on the smoky leathery base give the composition a slightly masculine character, counterbalancing the sweet notes….

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

A fan of scent strips in my hand allows me to travel through the hallmarks of the venerable house’s history—Jicky, Après l’Ondée, L’Heure Bleue, Mitsouko, Shalimar, Vol de Nuit…. The accords making these fragrances memorable strike me like a handful of colorful jewels, whether it might be the civet laced richness of Jicky, the violet melancholy of Après l’Ondée, or the burnished ambery glow of Attrape-Coeur. The common golden thread in these Guerlain fragrances is the velvety, powdery accord based around orris known as Guerlinade. Embellished with rose, jasmine, tonka bean, and amber, among other notes, Guerlinade is the silky veil that softens the sharp edges and lends a whisper of delicious sweetness with an intriguing incensy touch. Guerlinade can be subtle or obvious, a gentle accent or an unequivocal proposal; however its presence in most Guerlain fragrances ensures an ability to trace lineage from Shalimar to Attrape Coeur.

Plus Que Jamais is the fragrance created by Jean-Paul Guerlain to commemorate the reopening of La Maison Guerlain at 68, Avenue des Champs-Elysées in Paris (please see my article about the boutique here). Opulent composition, Plus Que Jamais is indeed “more than ever” Guerlain, with its arrangement sustained on the ornate oriental base layering vanilla, amber, iris and enchantingly earthy vetiver into a vision of silk shimmering with gold embroidery. …

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