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

Une Rose was created by Edouard Fléchier for Frédéric Malle Editions de Parfums in 2003, and it is a fragrance that hides darkness of woody amber under the sweetness of crimson roses. Its utter lack of sentimentality and preciousness that are common in rose fragrances is akin to Degas’s sympathetic, yet honest treatment of ballet dancers. Beauty with a sinister edge is how Une Rose can be characterized.

The top notes spill into luscious red rose petals, touched by dew. Rose is accented beautifully by geranium, which emphasizes the voluptuous quality of the central accord. A dark honeyed aspect is thrown into relief by the vividness of the rose as it unfolds slowly. The petals can almost be felt against the skin, their silkiness contrasting with a distant dark whisper. This whisper grows louder until it is strong enough to scatter the unctuous richness.

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Below are only some of my favorites from the dark category, encompassing chypre, oriental and floral, vintage and modern.

Black Cashmere by Donna Karan— incense in a tapestry of serene darkness
Bandit by Robert Piguet—archetype of leather chypre genre, shocking, yet unforgettable
Dzing! by L’Artisan Parfumeur—animalic made ethereal
Fracas by Robert Piguet—rich tuberose, redolent of sandalwood and warm skin
Musc Ravageur by Frédéric Malle—postmodern Shalimar, a seductive combination of cool top accords and warm animalic base
Narcisse Noir by Caron—almost sinister black flower hiding under the luminous orange blossom touches
Opium by Yves Saint Laurent–spices and woods melt over dark carnation into a composition that cannot but capture one’s attention (be it in a positive or negative way)
Rose de Nuit by Serge Lutens—rose petals scattered over a dark ambery base

If you have your favorite dark fragrances, I would love to hear what they are.

Opium advertisement from psine.net.

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

Armani Prive Ambre Soie conjures a sensation of bittersweet chocolate melting on the skin, as the composition warms up after the initial scattering of sweet and earthy anise notes. It alternates between hot velvety and dry powdery aspects, underscored by cinnamony sweetness.

Created by Christine Nagel in 2004 for Giorgio Armani’s exclusive collection Armani Prive, the composition presents several facets at once. Its sheer darkness is juxtaposed with spice dusted flower petals, without being evident whether one is feeling a sweet bite of clove or peppery warmth of carnation. Creamy, almost lactonic note smoothes sharp spicy edges into a soft mélange. However, there is an element of candy-like sweetness that strikes me as somewhat stilted, lending an opaque quality to the middle notes. It lightens as time goes on, losing the candy-like simplicity and revealing a chocolate touched by incense aspect of benzoin.

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Christine Nagel is a perfumer, whose creations include Armani Privé Ambre Soie, Thierry Mugler B*Men (with Jacques Huclier), Mauboussin Histoire d’Eau Topaz, Cartier Eau de Cartier, Narciso Rodriguez for Her (with Francis Kurkdjian), Fendi Theorema, and Guerlain With Love. When presented during an interview with a question of “which fragrances convey a real emotion to you,” she responds:

“[Chanel] Bois des îles, because this fragrance has an incredible magic to it. [Shiseido] Féminité du Bois, which I find magnificent. I also adore Opium because of its perfect coherence with the brand. And [Clinique] Aromatics Elixir because of its seductive sensuality. These fragrances fascinate me, they make me shiver.” Read the rest of the interview on Scented Pages (edit: link no longer working).

If asked the same question, what would you answer?

Mandy Aftel’s passion for perfumery is contagious. When she speaks about her creations, one realizes that this is an individual whose love for perfume is as immense as her knowledge of essences and perfume history. Ms. Aftel’s work as a natural perfumer has been trendsetting, aided by her book “Essence and Alchemy” (North Point Press, 2001), which was a labor of love, distilled from her research and her experience as a perfumer. It would not be an exaggeration to say that this book became a corner stone upon which the contemporary natural perfumery movement was built. …

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