Part 2: Florals ~ Jasmine and White Florals
Part 3: Florals ~ Lily of the Valley and Violet
Part 4: Florals ~ Blends
Part 5: Essentials
Part 6: Orientals

As much as the idea of a signature fragrance seems alluring, I find that the world of fragrance is too diverse and fascinating to limit myself to only a single olfactory idea. I eat different foods everyday, I change the music selection on my iPod, I read new books in hopes of learning and experiencing something new. So I do not see any reason why someone who loves fragrance needs to wear only one perfume for years on end. A perfume wardrobe, which is the subject of this series, is my idea of enjoying fragrance—a collection of perfumes that contain a variety of scents that are appropriate for different occasions and moods.

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I am fairly conservative in my makeup preferences, having built a small, but complete collection of favorite products. However, as the holiday makeup collections begin to appear in stores, I always get tempted by all of the new iridescent eye shadows, lipsticks in hues ranging from rubies to tourmalines and various sparkling powders. The latter is something I rarely can resist, and when I first heard that Guerlain’s holiday 2011 collection called Belle de Nuit was inspired by the dusky beauty of Vol de Nuit, I was intrigued. Guerlain usually releases beautiful sparkling powders around the holidays, so I hoped that a scented body powder would be available this year. Indeed, Vol de Nuit Perfumed Shimmer Powder for Face & Body is part of the new collection, and it is my latest sparkling acquisition.

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

Whenever I hear a reference to elegance in perfumery, I invariably think of Christian Dior Eau Sauvage, because few existing fragrances are as exquisitely refined as this composition by the great perfumer Edmond Roudnitska. Of course, elegance can be achieved in a number of different ways, but the effortless, streamlined sophistication of Eau Sauvage has an immediate appeal. In many ways, the beauty and the genius of this fragrance lie in its perfect balance: a balance between different elements of the composition, between simplicity and complexity, between artistic merit and pure pleasure. Eau Sauvage is one of those rare perfumes that have plenty to say, but that are easy to understand.

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What are your favorite books (do not have to be perfume related)?

Nikki, one of the commenters here, suggested that I run a thread on favorite books, whether perfume related or not. Since I love books and spend most of my free time reading, I gladly agreed. Of course, when I began to think of my own favorites, I realized that I could write a whole essay on this topic. In the end, I limited myself to only a few favorite selections, the books that I have re-read several times and look forward to revisiting again and again.

anything Agatha Christie
anything by Gogol
Bulgakov’s Master and Margarita
Sébastien Japrisot mystery novels
Tolstoy’s War and Peace
Bunin’s Life of Arseniev

And anything by Elizabeth David, whose food writing I love.

My favorite book on perfume is Michael Edwards’ Perfume Legends, which is unrivaled for its depth of information.

When every other celebrity or celebrity wannabe has a perfume, it was surprising that Madonna still did not launch one. This will change in spring of 2012, when Truth or Dare by Madonna will be released. Created by Givaudan perfumer Stephen Nilsen in collaboration with Madonna and Coty, the fragrance will be a white floral with gourmand accents.  Truth or Dare by Madonna will aim at an older demographic than most celebrity scents, women aged 27 to 50.

As Madonna said to WWD, “My oldest memory of my mother is her perfume, I carry it with me everywhere. She always smelled like gardenias and tuberose, an intoxicating mixture [that was] feminine and mysterious. I wanted to re-create this scent, but with something fresh and new about it as well.”

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