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

I cannot get away from Nina Ricci Nina, despite all my best efforts. It tops the charts of best-sellers, its pretty pink bottle shows up at every trend presentation, and its cotton candy and dry amber scent pervades the subway. Along with Marc Jacobs Daisy and Vera Wang Princess, it is a good example of how given the right configuration of brand name, marketing and packaging, one can easily create a top seller. Of course, the fragrance is important too—it has to be trendy, pretty and likeable. I like Daisy well enough, Princess is inoffensive, but Nina and I simply cannot find a compromise. …

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It is now official—Audrey Tautou is going to be the new face for Chanel No 5. Jean-Pierre Jeunet will direct the next No.5 advertising film, which will be the third collaboration between Tautou and Jeunet (she has starred in his “Amelie” and “The Long Engagement.”) The film will be released in 2009.

I adore Audrey Tautou, and I look forward to seeing the new marketing campaign, but I still wonder how Amelie will manage to evoke the spirit of Coco. What are your thoughts?

Photo credit: © Emanuele Scorcelletti for CHANEL

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

The new Hermès fragrance Un Jardin Après La Mousson (Garden After Monsoon) was among my most anticipated launches this spring, simply because Jean-Claude Ellena, Hermès’ in-house perfumer, drew inspiration from Kerala, my favorite region in India. And my first stay in India coincided with the long-awaited beginning of the monsoon. As the first few drops of rain fell on the dusty streets of New Delhi, the stifling dryness of the air was cleared, the dust settled and the stone facades of the grand Mogul mausoleums took on a mesmerizing sheen. I sat in the courtyard of my friend’s apartment building surrounded by the smell of wet jasmine and ate the most luscious mangoes I’ve tried. It was pure bliss.

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

As much as I love the complex perfumes that are the olfactory equivalents of Tolstoy’s War and Peace, I am always looking forward to Guerlain’s Aqua Allegoria collection, which tends to feature much more lighthearted fare. The selection runs the gamut from ingenious Pamplemousse to lovely Herba Fresca to decidedly dull and un-kiwi like Tutti Kiwi. This year’s Laurier Réglisse and Figue Iris caught my eye with their unusual and potentially brilliant pairings—bay leaf and licorice, fig and iris. I felt as curious about experimenting with these ideas in the kitchen as about smelling them on my skin. …

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

Smelling and dismissing one new launch after the next, I start to worry that I am becoming jaded. It is even more depressing when it comes to reviewing, because unless a strong emotion stirs me, it is difficult to find inspiration for writing during my morning train ride. I would rather catch up on my sleep. Thankfully, there do exist new fragrances that manage to awake me from my literal and figurative slumber. Since I smelled À Travers le Miroir from the new Thierry Mugler Miroir Miroir collection a couple of months ago, it has been on my mind. Therefore, I decided to return to it for a closer look. …

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