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

The leather has an effect of adding a certain austere strength to fragrances, grounding the airy sparkle of green notes and the sweet voluptuousness of florals. Wrapped around soft woods and iris, the leather notes make Chanel Cuir de Russie a composition of chilly elegance. Touched by the apricot-like sweetness and the woody violet darkness, the leather impression is softened to suede in Serge Lutens Daim Blond. The darkness of leather under the vivid verdant veil of galbanum is a memorable juxtaposition explored in Robert Piguet Bandit. The indolic jasmine of Frédéric Malle Le Parfum de Thérèse harmonizes with the sensuality of leather underscoring its base.

Leather permeated with fruity sweetness, VIP Room was created by the perfumer Benoit Lapouza, under the artistic direction of Rami Mekdachi, as a tribute to the legendary dance club originally located in St. Tropez and its host Jean-Roch. On the scent strip, the top accord of flowers and hesperidic notes has an airy, sunny quality before it begins to segue into the sweet, subtly rubbery smokiness of the heart. …

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Style.com picks Victor & Rolf Flowerbomb Extrême and Guerlain Jicky, among others for their holiday scent selection. See the rest from style.com [article is no longer online]. My favorite pick is the gorgeous Worth Dans la Nuit bottle.

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

Eau Noire is one of the fragrances from Christian Dior cologne trio. In contrast to the recent feminine releases, which seem to be partaking of the trend for fruity and sweet, the Dior masculine line includes a number of unusual fragrances launched under the guidance of Hedi Slimane. Like his menswear collections, the cologne trio is marked by the attention to quality and detail, from the understated elegance of the packaging to the intriguing compositions.

The most memorable fragrance from the range, Eau Noire was composed by Francis Kurkdjian, the creator of my other favorite, Cologne Blanche, a musky almond overlaid with orange and bergamot. Eau Noire ornaments dark woods with the bitter honey and smoky caramel. Its multifaceted quality resembles the richness of colors in Baroque paintings, where the golden hues merge into the vivid carmines against the textured interplay of light and dark. The initial floral sweetness of lavender is woven through the rich herbal mélange, reminiscent of the windswept hilltops under the blistering August sun. …

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Ormonde Jayne has just released a new candle for the holidays weaving juniper around cardamom. Available from Ormonde Jayne for ₤36.

The mini candle trio is a great way to try L’Artisan candles, which have the holiday appropriate scents: Ambre, a voluptuous sweet amber, Thé et Pain d’Epices, black smoky tea and gingerbread, and Ile Bourbon, woody vanilla. Available from Aedes and the L’Artisan boutiques for $50.

L’Artisan Parfumeur duo of Timbuktu and Ambre Extrême is now available at the L’Artisan boutiques . Two bottles, 15ml each, are priced at $50.

The debut of Sean John Unforgivable, the fragrance from a man known by a variety of nicknames including P. Diddy is a new chapter in the celebrity fragrance trend. Indeed, given the success of Sean Combs’ clothing label, which set the example for other celebrities to follow, it is surprising the fragrance was not released sooner. While my relationship with P. Diddy (or rather with his music) has been problematic, due to the fact my neighbors’ predilection for listening to it at very high volume effectively ensured that I developed none, Mr. Combs’ new fragrance is a completely different story. Created by Dave Apel, Unforgivable is an elegant composition, subtle and sophisticated.

The hesperidic accord has a vivid character conjuring a vision of tangerines and oranges left in the sun. The warmth permeating the fruit underscored by the freshness of the fleshy pulp is laced with the ozonic notes, which persist throughout the composition. Nevertheless, the ozonic element is not the typical sharp and synthetic zing that one tends to associate with the marine themed fragrances. Instead, it lends a bright, cool leitmotif to the sparkling citrus, the warm fruity richness and the green herbs. Apel rendered the sea breeze accord as bound by a sweet warm element, which gives a nice balance to the composition. …

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