1 star: 17 posts

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

In the past, it was more common for functional products to imitate luxurious fine fragrances. That is why there were hair sprays scented with something like Nina Ricci L’Air du Temps, car fresheners redolent of Guy Laroche Drakkar Noir, and bathroom cleaners strongly reminiscent of Lancôme Trésor. Today, I am much more likely to find resemblance to functional products in fine fragrances, thanks to the fashion for clean, simple scents and the cheapening of luxury perfume overall. My latest encounter of such a hybrid is Jo Malone Wild Bluebell. It is a bright, lily of the valley dominated floral that I can envision far easier as a shampoo or fabric softener rather than a fine fragrance.

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

Judith Leiber’s idea of night is rather close to my olfactory nightmare. For a moment, I thought that I had made a mistake and sampled one of the new Mariah Carey Lollipops; the synthetic fruit, sharp patchouli, and strident floral notes seemed incongruous with Judith Leiber. The glittering image of Swarowski encrusted purses led me to expect something likewise sparkling and whimsical, but I feel that with Judith Leiber Night I have received a vulgar rhinestone imitation.

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

A friend of mine quipped that the signature fragrance choice of Penhaligon’s Bluebell by former British prime minister Margaret Thatcher gives new meaning to the term “mixed message.” Indeed, the tough Iron Lady and the fresh, unassuming flower did not seem to mesh in my imagination so I decided to revisit Bluebell. If you are looking for a light, delicate, gentle hyacinth, I recommend that you look elsewhere, because Bluebell is the most brash and jarring watery floral you can find on the market. Come to think of it, that is quite an achievement.

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

Serge Lutens L’Eau baffled me. A friend urged me to read the marketing information, saying it somehow helped him to understand L’Eau. “..these ruptures are at a given moment absolutely necessary if I don’t want to collapse, fall — if you will — in a cliché of myself and finish dying of boredom…” (WWD, 2/19/2010) Basically, if I want Serge Lutens to continue his dark mysterious tales, I need to put up with something different from time to time. Fair enough! Many of the previous Serge Lutens lite offerings have actually been quite interesting—the wholesome sparkle of Fleurs de Citronnier, the delicate opalescence of Gris Clair, the luminosity of the modern white musks in Clair de Musc. The main issue I have with L’Eau is not that it is a clean floral, but that it is not particularly interesting or original as a fragrance in this genre.

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

Had I not seen the label on the bottle, I would have assumed that Angels of Florence was a new flanker for Estée Lauder Beyond Paradise—the bright, fresh white floral. While Beyond Paradise is a fine fragrance on its own terms, it was disconcerting to discover the similarities with Santa Maria Novella’s newest fragrance (albeit, without the characteristic radiance of Beyond Paradise.) In my opinion, the very essence of niche should be its departure from the mainstream, but it seems that to a greater and greater extent many niche releases are merely copying best-sellers from department stores. By way of example, if you enjoyed the warm and voluptuous Armani Code for Her but felt compelled to spend more money, your wish could be fulfilled by NellyRodi Scentfactory Fleur d’Oranger and Le Labo Jasmin 17. Bond No 9 Nuit de Noho offers a niche version of Thierry Mugler Angel. Even an avant-garde line like Comme des Garçons has toned down its daring act of late. …

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