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

Vanilla, rum, tobacco, woods… Was Bertrand Duchaufour trying to follow in the footsteps of Molinard Habanita with his Havana Vanille created for L’Artisan Parfumeur. If so, the references are vague at best, and Havana Vanille (recently renamed Vanille Absolument to avoid a trademark infringement) is a composition that toys with the fantasy of an oriental bazaar much more than with the decadent glamor of Havana.

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Not a week goes by without me getting an email with this question: “what perfume drives men (women) crazy?” I will tell you honestly that I do not believe in any such magical blend that will draw the opposite sex. However, if something makes you feel good, it will definitely contribute to your confidence, and as a result, to your appeal.

Do you believe in perfume as a weapon of seduction? And if so, what is in your arsenal? What fragrances do you find alluring on men (women)?

My most seductive fragrances generally include those with incense, amber, sandalwood and oriental notes such as Hermès Ambre Narguilé,Yves Saint Lauret Nu, Guerlain Samsara as well as my recent favorite Guerlain Tonka Impériale. Moreover, I find lush florals like Ormonde Jayne Ta’if and Serge Lutens A La Nuit very alluring. All of these fragrance gather lots of compliments for me.

In same vein, the fragrances I find seductive on men are in the amber and oriental families: Paco Rabanne Black XS, Chanel Égoïste and Guerlain Habit Rouge.

Top Selling Feminine Fragrances 2o12 France

Top Selling Perfumes USA : Popular Fragrances Spring 2012

Top Selling Feminine Fragrances 2011 USA

Top Selling Feminine Fragrances for 2010 France

Top Selling Masculine Fragrances 2010 USA

I confess that I find the lists of fragrance top sellers fascinating, not necessarily from the perspective of revealing to me what is the best perfume on the market, but more as an indication of the general trends which shape the market and influence what we might find on the counter next season. Therefore, I decided to take a look at the top 20 fragrances, ranked by their sales in the US. As I browsed through the list, I noticed that feminine market preferences seem to be heavily focused on recent launches, while the masculine (to be posted next week) gravitates towards classics. Is it due to the conservative nature of the masculine market? Or perhaps is it a result of the onslaught of new launches and the lack of support for the pillar brands in the feminine market? I am still pondering this. Nevertheless, analyzing these lists is interesting, if only to know what the majority of people prefer. With the list below, I will provide my own commentary. In the parentheses, I indicate the year of launch.

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

The combination of rose and musk often results in a velvety, languorous effect, even if the rose is rendered as a sheer, crisp note. This is certainly the case with Narciso Rodriguez Essence, a fragrance that takes the classical aldehydic floral idea of Chanel No 5 and Lanvin Arpège and presents it as a streamlined rose musk composition. While Essence has a monolithic quality—the soft rose and musk impression is retained from top to bottom, it is a fragrance with a big sillage and distinctive presence. Caressing and tender, it wears like the olfactory equivalent of a soft silk slip, while possessing an alluring retro glamor.

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by Elise Pearlstine

Plants breathe but flowers exhale. Their fragrances may be light and airy or strong and spicy but they are all distinctive and beautiful, these flowers that exhale. Plants breathe in carbon dioxide and breathe out oxygen – not with lungs but with leaves, stems and sometimes roots. For most of their growing period they use carbon dioxide and minerals from the soil to build leaves, stems, twigs, blades, roots, tendrils, and fronds. Then they create the flowers. Some plants form flowers that are scented, a few of those have lovely diffusive scents. An even smaller number of flowers will continue to exhale their fragrance after they are removed from the plant. From those, a precious few produce scents that are wondrous and magical, perfect for making perfumes. For these few and fragile flowers, capturing their scent may be best achieved through enfleurage. A list of these flowers includes jasmine, tuberose, violet, jonquil, narcissus, mimosa, acacia, gardenia and hyacinth.

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