2 stars: 62 posts

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

If only Tom Ford White Patchouli upheld the promise of its opening accord, I would have been ready to give it 5 stars. It opens up on such a sultry accord of spices and amber with patchouli’s chocolate bitterness perceptible underneath; it is difficult not to fall under its spell. Yet, after an opulent prelude, the composition veers into the barren territory of sharp woods and pale musks. Perhaps this suggests that I prefer my patchouli in the darker registers, full of its earthy, pungent facets.

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

When Guerlain launched a limited edition fragrance called Spiritueuse Double Vanille in 2007, it promised a rich, luscious vanilla liqueur, the ultimate vanilla fragrance. When it became a part of the permanent collection, I finally sampled it and found the perfume discordant. It has a pleasant fruity note reminiscent of Häagen-Dazs Rum Raisin ice cream and a rich balsamic base, but it all comes together to suggest vanilla in the loud and screechy manner of a candle 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.

I find it easier to describe Vitriol d’Oeillet, the newest fragrances from Serge Lutens, by describing what it is not, rather than what it is. It is not a romantic perfume nor is it an austere perfume. It is not modern, yet it is not old-fashioned either. It is not femme fatale nor is it a wallflower. It oscillates between woods and spices, and only occasionally does Vitriol d’Oeillet veer into the floral domain. Sometimes it is a spicy carnation, but a moment later it turns into a prim English tea rose.

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

Where is the exhilaration and intoxication? Where is the delicious darkness of a fine aged liquor? Where is the opulence typical of ambers and woods? For a fragrance that comes from a venerable cognac producer, Frapin 1697 seems like a particularly disappointing offering. It delivers none of darkness and richness one might expect from an amber oriental liberally dosed with rum notes and instead falls apart into musk and sour fruit. If it were a cocktail, I would have asked the bartender to remix it.

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

Christian Dior New Look 1947 is one of my most disappointing and frustrating discoveries this year. I say it because I absolutely love the voluptuous idea of its tuberose and violet accord and the image of red lipstick glamor that it conveys. Yet on the skin, New Look 1947 feels far too soft spoken and sheer to fully deliver on its promise of bold elegance circa 1940s Paris.

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