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

Divine L’âme Sœur creates an illusion of opalescent dust falling on dewy petals. The veil of aldehydes is, at first, hazy and opaque, however almost instantly it begins to fade revealing tropical opulence of ylang ylang and rich fruitiness of jasmine. While ylang ylang is a heady note, aldehydes render it ethereal and elegant, smoothing its rough edges and softening its sharp lushness. Indeed, Ernest Beaux was the first perfumer to discover the unique affinity between aliphatic aldehydes and ylang ylang, when he created Chanel No. 5.

L’âme Sœur, which means “Soulmate,” was created by Yann Vasnier for Divine, a fragrance house founded by Yvon Mouchel in Dinard on the northern coast of Brittany. If it is possible to conceive of a perfectly elegant fragrance that nods to the classical tradition without being repetitive, L’âme Sœur is it. A beautiful rose note lends an appealing sweetness to the heart of the composition, complementing the crisp white shimmer of aldehydes.

Once the fragrance dries down, a luminous note of ambergris resurfaces to support the composition. In L’âme Sœur, the peculiar winey and stunningly sensual scent of ambergris is present as a wave of warmth that softens the lush florals. Where rose was tempted to appear as heavy and sweet, it is rendered as sun drenched and delicate. The juxtaposition of sensual warmth with the cool aldehydic opening is what makes L’âme Sœur particularly exciting. The final result is not so much powdery as one would expect from an aldehydic fragrance, as it is reminiscent of cashmere. Cashmere softness that caresses the skin and holds its warmth is the association that the dry down of L’âme Sœur brings to mind.

Mary Cassatt. At the Theater.. 1879-1880. Pastel on paper. The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Kansas City, Missouri. Abcgallery.com

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An interesting short article on the evocative power of scent as it is discovered lingering on a piece of clothing. 

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

Masculine perfumery is often seen as either minimalist (citrus and musk) or ostentatious (Yves Saint Laurent Kouros). Yohji Yamamoto Yohji Homme, Divine L’Homme de Coeur, Yves Saint Laurent Rive Gauche Pour Homme were among my first discoveries from the domain of specifically masculine perfumery. I have recently added L’Instant de Guerlain Pour Homme to my list. Created by Béatrice Piquet in 2004, it features notes of jasmine, citrus, star anise, hibiscus, patchouli, sandalwood, lapsang tea and cacao bean.

The first rush of bitter citrus is underscored by spicy fresh leaves and sweet chill of anise. A cured leaf note rises up to create a smoke screen over citrus, softening its bright shimmer. Caramelized undercurrent undulates out of the shiny layers, creating a vision of slowly ossifying petals. A note bridging a gap between a flower and a woody stem lends an appealing indeterminacy to the composition, teasing one into thinking that the accord is about to become more floral and lacy. Instead, a dark rose turns into rosewood embellished by bittersweet smokiness and delicate sweetness. Gentle earthy patchouli laced with musky ambrette seed is completed by citrusy freshness, which persists into the drydown. It is not an effervescent sparkle of lemon, but a cut glass sharpness of synthetics, which actually complement the rest of the composition well, giving a layer of translucent glow to the bitter caramelized notes. Like a well aged whiskey, L’Instant Pour Homme has a beautiful prolonged drydown, containing a trace of the initial exciting burst.

While the fragrance opens up in a manner that may recall classical masculine compositions, the drydown is finely constructed in such a way as to blend gender divisions. It is beautiful in the same way as Chris Sheldrake’s compositions for Serge Lutens–it escapes conventions and predictability.

Eau de Kasaneka created by a Japanese perfumer Shuji Suzuki is now available at Luckyscent. Notes include hamanasu (Japanese rose), basil, ginger, nutmeg, cardamom, bergamot, orange, carnation, heliotrope, jasmine, ambrette seed, sandalwood, vetiver, cedar, vanilla, musk. The fragrance, described as a spicy floral blend, can also be found at Beautyhabit.

Luckyscent will be donating 10% of all September product sales to the Red Cross in support of Katrina hurricane victims.