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

Original Dior Addict was created by Thierry Wasser in 2002, who was also responsible for Addict Eau Fraîche. I am not sure about the authorship of Dior Addict 2, but I will warn that it is unlike the other two compositions, which are vanilla génoise soaked in orange and bourbon syrup and bourbon sorbet, respectively. Dior Addict 2 is a light fruity-floral interpretation, featuring the notes of bergamot, grapefruit, orange, verbena, lily of the valley, lotus, freesia, pineapple, watermelon, grenadine, sandalwood, cedarwood, amber and musk.

Dior decided to expand into the younger market for the summer 2005, and there is no other way to characterize Addict 2 but as having a girly attitude. It is sparkly and pink, with glittering grapefruit notes fizzing on the skin. Red fruit notes are like jelly squares floating in the water, shiny and moist.  Modern aroma chemicals reproduce fruit as a shiny photographic rendition, as opposed to dimly lit Impressionist painting. Whatever the case may be, there is nothing subtle about the acrylic vividness of fruity notes in Addict 2, yet it is not a bad thing in itself. The sparkle and pink rhinestone feel of the composition is softened in the dry down, as the light fruity musk starts to dominate the base notes.

Addict 2 plays up certain clichés of a “young” scent, however, the result is far better than most fragrances of its ilk. If you like Yves Saint Laurent Baby Doll or more subdued Yves Saint Laurent In Love Again and Hermèssence Rose Ikebana, Addict 2 might be something to consider.

Let me bring to your attention an article by Chandler Burr in London Times, “The Unbearable Lightness of Scent,” which is quite complementary to the topic I am exploring next week.

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

Black pepper is one of those multifaceted smells that create one expectation but suddenly emerge as something else. Expecting the rush of spice and heat, I took one whiff of Hermes Poivre Samarcande and immediately envisioned a scent of hot stones heated by the sun. It is a scent of a Japanese garden, capturing its simplicity of weathered stones amid the rippling sea of sand. The pepper vacillates between assuming woody and floral forms, all the while creating a sensation of dark, yet transparent warmth. Its initial rough edges are smoothed by undulating movements of warm dry cedarwood, slowly leading one from the sun and into the shade. The breath of vetiver, oakmoss and a whisper of cumin envelop the warmth of the composition further polishing the hot stones into the vision of radiant perfection.

Created for Hermèssence collection in 2005, Jean Claude Ellena’s signature is unmistakable, in the quiet opalescence of the composition and a warm skin undertone one finds in his other fragrances (Cartier Declaration and Frédéric Malle Cologne Bigarade, in particular, come to mind). On a man, Poivre Samarcande would be a clean, elegant scent, with a subtle sensual edge. It could definitely be worn by a woman, who enjoys dry fragrances, exploiting the affinity between woods and somber spices. Poivre Samarcande is one of my favorite fragrances for when I would like to take a break from the overt sensuality of white florals.

Photo: Japanese stone garden, from explorejapan.com.

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

The first impression of Ormonde Jayne Isfahan is a transparent sizzle of pepper, which has an interesting violet-like sweetness supported by warm citrus notes. The blast subsides quickly, with the bits of pepper dissolving into what is to become the main edifice of the composition—smooth, languidly sweet cedar, with a distinct dark coolness of vetiver. The changes that take place subsequently are few, with the composition having more of linear quality than other Ormonde Jayne fragrances.

Even if Isfahan (2006) pales in comparison to other Ormonde Jayne’s creations, it nevertheless possesses a certain charm that would make this fragrance more appealing on a man than a large number of bland masculine fragrances on the market. On the other hand, it has a sweet softness that would make it appealing for a woman as well. I would have endorsed it stronger had it possessed better tenacity, beyond a mere hour that it lasts on me.

Photo: Si-o-Seh Pol, Bridge of 33 Arches, Isfahan, Iran. One of the most famous Isfahan bridges, it was commissioned in 1602 by Shah Abbas I. There is a famous tea house among the pontoons, upon which the bridge is built.

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

In one of his most famous poems, Alexandr Sergeevich Pushkin, a revered Russian poet, remarks upon the nostalgic autumnal beauty. The beauty that is poignant because of its evanescence. The serene silence pervading the atmosphere forebodes fragile frosts turning into the dense snows of winter. The vibrancy of the gold over crimson foliage hints at the decay about to envelop it. The scents of chrysanthemums and late roses intoxicate as the flowers rush to bloom before the chill.

Chris Sheldrake and Serge Lutens’s Bois et Fruits (1992) captures a moment of autumn before one becomes aware of its farewell connotations. Warm cedarwood is folded over lusciously ripe fall fruits—figs, peaches, and plums, which speak more of a voluptuous aspect of autumn than of its nostalgic side. This fragrance is one of few instances when fruit is not rendered as treacly and artificial. Instead, sweet resinous cedar married to fruit results in a very elegant scent with the brightness of sweet-sour plum courting the soft powderiness of fig.

Painting (click to enlarge): Caravaggio, Still Life with a Basket of Fruit. 1601. Oil on canvas. Pinacoteca Ambrosiana, Milan, Italy. abcgallery.com.