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

Givenchy L’Interdit was created for Audrey Hepburn in 1957 by Francis Fabron on a commission from her friend and a famous couturier, Hubert de Givenchy and subsequently discontinued in the 1990s (in the US only, by all accounts, as it was still available in Europe). The House of Givenchy decided to reintroduce the fragrance in 2002 while reformulating it in order to make it more appealing to the younger generation. While Jean Guichard and Olivier Gillotin are talented perfumers, the outcome is a pleasant fruity-floral, well crafted, but not particularly memorable.

As for the original L’Interdit, it was a fragrance of elegant beauty, with a playful side. The opening notes are of aldehydes paired with bergamot, which soften considerably as the fragrance is allowed to meld into the skin and reveal soft peach and strawberry–ripe fruit warmed by the sun–on the floral backdrop of rose, jasmine and iris. The floral notes are not distinct, instead presenting a beautiful swirl of abstract shapes, with the edges blurring into each other. Yet, above this refined melody, spicy carnation adds some pleasant honeyed warmth, thus enhances the floral voices. Matte glow of amber paired with the earthy opacity of vetiver forms an elegant base upon which the floral notes recline, veiled by a powdery mist.

Photo: Paramount Pictures publicity still, 1956. audreyhepburn.com.

One is sure to expect the love for all things scented from the one obsessed with fragrance.  If you add a cultural disposition to tea drinking by gallons to this, then the result is a love for all kinds of scented beverages.  Although often a cup of smoky lapsang souchong, refreshing sencha or delicate white tea is perfect by itself, flavored tea can be a nice treat, especially if the flavors are subtle and blended in order to accent the scent of the tea leaf, as opposed to scream “synthetic strawberry.” …

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

The desire to capture a place impression in a scent has inspired many fragrances. One of the most trendsetting perfumes, Coty Chypre introduced in 1917 was an attempt to capture the scents of Cyprus (Chypre, in French). Similarly, Parfums de Rosine Rosa Flamenca (2004) was inspired by Marie-Hélène Rogeon’s visit to the rose gardens of Andalucia. My expectations were of hot red rose embellished by spices, however the fragrance is a powdery soft rose in the 18th century boudoir seduction vein–lace over powdered décolletage. Orange blossom paired with soufflé of roses appears in the top notes, however, soon the fragrance warms up, conjuring an impression of powdered hot skin. Although sensuality with the lady-like elegance is a combination that is rarely encountered, Rosa Flamenca manages to convey both, without accenting either characteristic too much.

Notes: orange blossom, bergamot, petitgrain, jasmine, rose, fig leaf; sandalwood, benzoin, musk.

Painting: Pierre-Auguste Renoir. Gabrielle with a Rose. 1911. Musée d’Orsay, Paris, France. abcgallery.com.

Parfums Delrae was founded by DelRae Roth in 2000, and she has maintained her brand by collaborating with Michel Roudnitska, a son of genius perfumer Edmond Roudnitska. Michel Roudnitska, an accomplished perfumer in his own right, is the nose behind Parfums Delrae line, which as of now consists of four fragrances, Eau Illuminée, Amoureuse, Bois de Paradis, and Début.

Amoureuse, containing notes of tangerine, cardamom, French tuberose, French jasmine, Tahitian ginger lily, cedar moss, sandalwood, honey, is my favourite of the range. The first burst of sweet citrus underscored by spicy gingery scent of cardamom is reminiscent of my other favorite, Frédéric Malle Le Parfum de Thérèse, except where Le Parfum de Thérèse folds into the leather accord, Amoureuse continues to soar.

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Comme des Garçons Incense Series introduced in 2002 explore incense scents from different parts of the world from Zagorsk, Russia to Kyoto, Japan. Avignon calls to mind exploring religious architecture, which has always been a favorite pursuit: wandering through the abbey of St. Denis just outside Paris on a hot summer day; studying Magna Carta at Salisbury Catherdral; exploring the altar of Santo Stefano in Bologna on a damp December evening and really wishing to be home drinking tea under a warm blanket. The resinous and rich scent of incense accompanies each one of these recollections and is to be found in Avignon.

The fragrance opens up with a surge of myrrh and frankincense–dark, balsamic, somber, with an underlying resinous sweetness. I can almost hear the Gregorian chant as the balsamic smoke swirls out of the resinous accord. After the fragrance dries down it becomes much softer with the bitter sweet notes of chamomile dispersing the darkness of incense. It still remains a rich fragrance with smoky, warm notes swirling over the resinous base. The dry down is reminiscent not of a cathedral during the High Mass, but of a ruined Cistercian monastery–the rich incense scent still clinging to the stones but softened by the breeze carrying the herbal scents from the surrounding countryside.

Photo: David Heald, Nave Looking West, Longpont (Cistercian abbey).