In my past life as a political scientist, I wrote a thesis about the oil rich regimes of the former Soviet countries–Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan. I traveled with my father in Uzbekistan when it was still part of the Soviet Union, and I fell in love with the flavors of its foods and the colors of its traditional hand-dyed carpets. But my cursory research into the atrocities committed by the post-Soviet era regime dissuaded me from ever contemplating field research there.

So, when I heard the news of perfumer Bertrand Duchaufоur creating two fragrances, Mystérieusе and Victоrious, for the Uzbekistan dictator’s daughter, Gulnаrа Kаrimоvа, my first reaction was disbelief. I’ve always admired Duchаufour’s dramatic and elegant perfume style as well as his unprecedented break from corporate perfumery. I completely understand that the path of an independent perfumer is a rough one, even for someone as successful as Duchaufour. Moreover, perfumers are used to take on any projects that come their way, because that’s how the supplier houses operate–you get assigned clients and you work with them, your personal preferences notwithstanding.

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Tom Ford must love Guerlain Habit Rouge with a passion, because we have already seen its incarnation in Private Blend Bois Rouge, and now in Tom Ford Noir. You can compare this fragrance to others perfumes in Ford’s collection or to a dozen other plush orientals, but you only need to smell Habit Rouge for everything to fall into place. From the fizzy citrus top notes to the leather, tonka bean and vanilla inlaid drydown, Tom Ford Noir wears its Guerlinade well.

But Tom Ford Noir isn’t a boring copycat; it’s polished and well-crafted–Tom Ford is known for putting plenty of money into his perfumes–with enough darkness to satisfy most fans of rich, oriental notes. Women who love Guerlain Shalimar and all things “noir” should disregard Ford’s male oriented marketing and try the new fragrance. As much as I want to say that one Habit Rouge is enough, kudos to Tom Ford for taking such a classical idea and launching it as a mainstream fragrance. In contrast to the classical but dull Tom Ford for Men, Tom Ford Noir has plenty of drama.

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The November issue of UK’s popular women’s magazine, Red Magazine (Hearst), features my article “The Fragrance Wardrobe” (p. 206-212) on how I went from a single signature perfume to a wardrobe of scents. I also explain why I find fragrance as rewarding and stimulating as music and art, and how to create your own perfume wardrobe. It is available on newsstands now. Red Magazine’s November issue is autumn inspired and includes interesting articles on managing stress, creating healthy meals, picking the ideal skincare and more.

Here is a peak inside the magazine, as well as into my current fall perfume wardrobe.

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What are your favorite niche lines? What perfume houses would you recommend to someone who is new to fragrance?

Niche, artisanal, indie… These labels mean so much and so little, but let’s imagine that they mean a small fragrance house with a limited distribution (and yes, even though L’Artisan is now sold at Sephora, it’s still a niche fragrance house to me). I don’t think that niche connotes quality any more than does a designer label, especially when you factor in the luxurious prices. I also have a gripe or two about the explosion of overpriced lines that make inflated claims while selling juices that were picked from a reject pile on a perfumer’s desk. All of this aside, some of the most interesting launches today still take place in small houses, and I turn to niche when I want to find unusual compositions and memorable fragrances.

I credit Annick Goutal for making me want to explore the perfume world beyond the Macy’s counter. Even though I never grew to like Gardenia Passion, the first fragrance I had sampled, its surprisingly free form floral and bold character made a strong impression on me. It was different and less formal than Lancôme Trésor I wore at the time, and it prompted me to search further. Before long I was enchanted by the delicate vignette of L’Artisan Parfumeur La Chasse Aux Papillons, the elegant beauty of Guerlain Après l’Ondée and the radiance of Shiseido Féminité du Bois. But Annick Goutal remains the fragrance house I recommend to friends who want to explore something beyond department store best sellers. The fragrances are approachable, playful and well-crafted, and the collection is varied enough for everyone to find something to their liking.

Photography by Bois de Jasmin

So Nude is the latest fragrance from Costume National, the design house that previously issued the popular Scent, Scent Intense, Scent Gloss, and 21.  So Nude is authored by none other than Dominique Ropion, creator for the epic Frédéric Malle Carnal Flower.  Since both So Nude and Carnal Flower trade heavily on tuberose, I was curious to see how Ropion would interpret this white-floral note for Costume National.

According to marketing copy, So Nude has quite a big mission ahead of it.  The model in the black-and-white ad is topless and has an almost confrontational gaze.  The marketing copy explains:  “The name of this new opus expresses quintessence, transparency and contours taken to their zenith, an absolute femininity. Infinitely passionate, the fragrance represents a woman who embodies total justness.”  An interesting use of the word “justness,” and I sort of wish they had said “righteousness” instead, but I’ll let it slide.  The copy goes on to say this woman is, “A modern icon, her allure is so timeless, so feminine, so natural, so chic…so nude. Nude is she, today and forever… timeless, direct, true. Her elegance and grace come from the inside.”

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