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

Hermès Eau des Merveilles, created by Ralf Schwieger (the nose behind Frédéric Malle Lipstick Rose) and Nathalie Feisthauer for Hermès in 2004, is a fragrance that catches by surprise. From the first accord, it vacillates between reflecting either the translucent amber and delicately sweet tobacco or sweet glow of citrus. Intertwined with the scintillating central accord is lily of the valley. The floral aspect is rather subtle, resembling a crushed flower stem caught in the driftwood on the beach, however it lends an interesting facet.

An inky note appears in the heart of the composition, and although slightly sharp at first, it develops into salty undercurrent, touched by dry peppery warmth.  The base notes glow through the translucent layers, creating a scent of sand and sun warmed skin, which remains rather subtle. The winey veil of ambergris is touched by a lush whisper of hyacinth, which is elusive, yet during certain moments, its sweetness appears suddenly, caressing and seductive, only to fold back into the base accords.

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Pierre Bourdon is the creator of fragrances like Iris Poudré, Yves Saint Laurent Kouros (1981), and Shiseido Féminité Du Bois (1992, with Christopher Sheldrake), and Dolce Vita (1996 , with Maurice Roger). When asked to link his creative sensibility to a pictoral style, he responds, “The period between impressionism and fauvism – a creative period which balances on figurative interpretation and transcendental reality. Having said that, I am equally fond of Vermeer’s paintings, in which the reproduction of light is almost supernatural.” Read the rest of the interview on Scented Pages (edit: link no longer working).

If you were to name your favorite art work, what fragrance would be associated with it?

Jan Vermeer. Woman with a Pearl Necklace. c.1664. Oil on canvas. Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, Gemaldegalerie, Berlin. From abcgallery.com.

Focus on rose in a fragrance designated for men seems like a radical offering, yet as my recent interview with sociologist Marcello Aspria revealed, there is nothing quintessentially feminine about rose, other than the meaning afforded to it in a given social context. In the Middle East, rose based fragrances are very popular among men, where rose plays an important role in the religious symbolism.

For the newest offering from Les Parfums de Rosine, François Robert created a rose that is devoid of sunny sweetness and honeyed richness. Instead, the rose in Rose d’Homme is accented by the lemony coriander in the top notes and the earthiness of vetiver in the base. It is a rose that vacillates between waxy petal and woody stem, settling only in the heart, where the floral accord lightens and turns sweeter.

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

Used for centuries in China and ancient Greece, licorice is a scent that vacillates between sweet and cool, creating a sensation of an ice cube sliding across hot skin. Sweetness of anise laced with spicy greenness is accented by warm and delicately earthy vanilla. Aftelier Perfumes Licorice teases with its subtle spice and luscious vanilla notes.

Jasmine solid perfume opens with a tart note of pink grapefruit and sweetness of orange, which are a nice counterpoint to the lush opulence of jasmine. Amplifying its fruity facets, citrus creates a scintillating burst, given the presence of aldehydes in its oils. The solid perfume melds into the skin creating a gentle veil of sparkling jasmine.

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“They just perfume the wearer beautifully, enchantingly” says Anya McCoy of natural perfumes, which she and many members of her Natural Perfumery Yahoo group create. Read the article in Eworldwire about NaturalPerfumery.com and its founder Anya McCoy.