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

A dark spicy oriental paired with a name evoking exotic and distant locales is an alluring combination. Marrakech speaks of the camel trails in the dessert, the noise of spice markets and the opulent scent of nightblooming jasmine hanging in the warm evening air. The romanticism of these images is distilled into the fragrances that comprise Serge Lutens range, however Aesop Marrakech is a raw take, a blast of hot dessert wind, rather than a delicate breeze carrying the scented secrets of the Middle Eastern palaces.

Marrakech, created by Australian company Aesop, is a fragrance composed solely of the non-synthetic ingredients. Spice and wood oils are combined into a linear fragrance that rather than developing from one stage into the next merely fades, its initial burning sensation becoming muted over time. It is a scent that might actually fill a place someplace in Morocco, rather than a dream-like vision of it. Thus, Marrakech is the heavy and pungent smell of the lane where medicinal wares are traded along with attars.

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Idole de Lubin created by Olivia Giacobetti and packaged in a bottle designed by Serge Mansau (the photo above truly does not do it justice) is now available at Le Printemps in Paris, 64, bld Haussmann, telephone: 01 42 82 50 00 (mail order is available, although I am not certain it is confined only within the European Union). .

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

Between Guerlain Shalimar (1925) and Lalique Le Parfum (2005) there lies a period of eight decades, yet their oriental roots link the two fragrances. Indeed, it is fascinating to ponder how certain accords manage to endow the composition with a unique feel and an aura that is difficult to forget. Vanillin, coumarin and patchouli comprise the core of Shalimar, which spills into a cascade of warm and animalic notes after the initial diamond-like sparkle of hesperidic notes. The magnificent tour de force of the composition inspired its own family, including oriental fragrances as diverse as L’Artisan Parfumeur Safran Troublant (as well as Piment Brûlant and Poivre Piquant), Guerlain Habit Rouge, Serge Lutens Un Bois Vanille, Cartier Must de Cartier and Christian Dior Addict, among innumerable others.

Lalique Le Parfum is the first oriental fragrance in the Lalique range, and while it relies on the classical vanilla, patchouli and coumarin accord, it is unmistakably a modern oriental fragrance….

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The Different Company is going to launch a new fragrance created by Celine Ellena, the nose behind Jasmin de Nuit. The new composition will be a floral oriental, and will debut in March of 2006.

In the depths of winter I finally learned there was in me an invincible summer. Albert Camus, French existentialist author and philosopher.

Today I wake up with the feeling that it is winter already. Even the white light flooding my bedroom has a chilly quality. The winter means holidays and a much needed break, but before one can reach that stage, it signifies the end of the semester and the madness of the exam week. Therefore, please let me indulge once again into making a list of favorites, my winter favorites that have a warm quality or that allow to awaken my “invincible summer.” Please share yours.

My Winter Favorites (alphabetically ordered)

Cacharel LouLou An abstract vision of dark red flower touched by the dark verdancy, LouLou veils its voluptuous heart of jasmine, tiare and mimosa in the velvety richness of vanilla. The tropical warmth of this fragrance allows one to escape into the world where snow does not exist.

Donna Karan Black Cashmere Its incense laced darkness clings to the skin much like the fabric from which the fragrance derives its name. Warm sweetness of woods and spices in Black Cashmere is a perfect antidote for the cold weather.

Christian Dior Eau Noire  Caramelized bitterness folded into the silkiness of woods, Eau Noire is one of my favorite fragrances by Francis Kurkdjian. Its multifaceted and unusual composition warms up beautifully on the skin, maintaining the sensual and comforting character.

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