Tuberose: 48 posts

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

The idea of a masculine tuberose is fascinating, simply because my own view of tuberose is that of a lush, sweet and coquettish note. While it certainly has an unapologetically seductive facet, most modern tuberose treatments place it squarely in the feminine realm. Vierges et Toreros created by Antoine Lie and Antoine Maisondieu in 2007 for the renegade niche fragrance house Etat Libre d’Orange has set out to work against this stereotype. The idea behind the composition is a tuberose note made virile and masculine, lacking its common “sugar and spice and everything nice” connotations.

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

Christian Dior New Look 1947 is one of my most disappointing and frustrating discoveries this year. I say it because I absolutely love the voluptuous idea of its tuberose and violet accord and the image of red lipstick glamor that it conveys. Yet on the skin, New Look 1947 feels far too soft spoken and sheer to fully deliver on its promise of bold elegance circa 1940s Paris.

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

What exists beyond love? Nirvana, fulfillment, restlessness?  I confess that I am generally hard wired to ignore fragrance marketing and avoid connecting the perfume name with its olfactory character. Yet, in the case of By Kilian Beyond Love, I can say this–the first time I smelled it, I felt euphoric. A lush tuberose set into an exquisitely polished frame of woody amber and vanilla, Beyond Love proves that the only thing existing beyond love is joy.

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

Jennifer Aniston, an American actress and the star of the popular “Friends” sitcom, is the latest celebrity to jump into the scented waters. While I give Jennifer Aniston Eau de Parfum 3 stars, when compared to other celebrity fragrances it probably should get all five. Instead of the expected candy bar and bubble gum compote, we instead get a silky white floral bouquet over a delicious sandalwood and musk base. The result is polished and comfortable, the fragrance equivalent of nicely fitting jeans. Given that a perfect pair of jeans is an important piece in anyone’s wardrobe, having a perfume to convey the same impression is not such a bad thing at all. Not every single perfume needs to be the equivalent of an haute couture gown.

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

When you think of Robert Piguet, Fracas is the first fragrance that comes to mind. This lush, narcotic, aggressive tuberose is certainly polarizing, but it is memorable and unique. When I heard that the new fragrance Douglas Hannant de Robert Piguet is going to be a modern white floral take, I imagined a composition that would be pink organza to Fracas’s dark purple velvet. At the same time, I always get suspicious whenever a fragrance is described as modern, clean and fresh as well as possessing “good taste, true luxury, … and timeless beauty.” In a sense, my expectations of Douglas Hannant were fulfilled—it is a fresh modern floral, nicely made, but without anything particularly dramatic or memorable about it.

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