perfume wardrobe: 16 posts

Part 1: Florals ~ Rose
Part 2: Florals ~ Jasmine and White Florals
Part 3: Florals ~ Lily of the Valley and Violet
Part 5: Essentials
Part 6: Orientals

The honeyed warmth of red roses, the apricot jam richness of jasmine, the raspberry bonbon sweetness of violet… The palette of floral effects is diverse, and some of the most remarkable compositions weave several floral notes to create a novel, dramatic effect. If you want a sensation of catching a whiff of a spring breeze or of being showered by rose petals, floral bouquets will satisfy these fantasies. When searching for just the right fragrant outfit, it is possible to classify floral blends in terms of their character: lush floral bouquets, abstract “silk slip” florals, refreshing green florals or coquettish and fun fruity florals. Of course, there are numerous variations on these themes and a dizzying variety of interpretations, but in navigating the floral sea, it helps to start with these basic categories.

Floral Bouquets

If you are after opulence, a classical floral bouquet is a good choice. Words like sumptuous and rich perfectly describe Jean Patou Joy, given its high-calorie blend of jasmine, rose and ylang-ylang. Somewhat more understated and austere is Chanel No 22, where rose, iris and jasmine are accented with resinous incense. Of a more modern vintage, but possessing all of the necessary trappings of a grand parfum is Bulgari Bvlgari Pour Femme. It is a rich blend of rose, peony, tuberose and violet, with a sandalwood-musk backdrop. Annick Goutal Grand Amour, on the other hand, makes the green watery hyacinth seductive thanks to a lavish dose of amber.

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Part 1: Florals ~ Rose
Part 2: Florals ~ Jasmine and White Florals
Part 4: Florals ~ Blends
Part 5: Essentials
Part 6: Orientals

Brief explanation: I will indicate the major floral notes (in bold font) with which a fragrance lover should be familiar. The underlined floral notes are related to the major note, and they can be explored after one becomes familiar with the latter.

Lily of the Valley (Muguet)

Put rose and jasmine in just the right combination together and you get lily of the valley. It is a beautiful note with a green, watery character underpinned by a surprising streak of dark indoles and tangy sweetness. Christian Dior Diorissimo is the gold standard of the lily of the valley genre, and according to its creator, perfumer Edmond Roudnitska, it “is a pure lily-of-the-valley scent that also has the odor of the woods in which it is found and the indefinable atmosphere of the springtime.” In contrast to both rose and jasmine florals that have a voluptuous character, lily of the valley is softer and less assertive.

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Part 1: Florals ~ Rose
Part 3: Florals ~ Lily of the Valley and Violet
Part 4: Florals ~ Blends
Part 5: Essentials
Part 6: Orientals

It is easy to get overwhelmed by the sheer number of floral variations. This need not be the case. Once you know what rose, jasmine, violet and lily of the valley smell like, you already know a fair bit and have a nice foundation to continue with your fragrance explorations. Almost everything else would stem from these notes.

In continuing my guide on building a perfume wardrobe, I will resume the discussion of floral fragrances, with the focus today being on jasmine. In marketing descriptions, jasmine, orange blossom, gardenia and tuberose are called white florals, which is a vague and confusing term. Rose, carnation and lilac can also be white. What unites the flowers in my group today is their jasmine character of apricot jam, banana peel and an inky touch of indole. The jasmine group also offers the most examples of prominent floral notes used in masculine perfumery.

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Part 2: Florals ~ Jasmine and White Florals
Part 3: Florals ~ Lily of the Valley and Violet
Part 4: Florals ~ Blends
Part 5: Essentials
Part 6: Orientals

As much as the idea of a signature fragrance seems alluring, I find that the world of fragrance is too diverse and fascinating to limit myself to only a single olfactory idea. I eat different foods everyday, I change the music selection on my iPod, I read new books in hopes of learning and experiencing something new. So I do not see any reason why someone who loves fragrance needs to wear only one perfume for years on end. A perfume wardrobe, which is the subject of this series, is my idea of enjoying fragrance—a collection of perfumes that contain a variety of scents that are appropriate for different occasions and moods.

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“What fragrance drives men/women crazy?” This is one of the most frequent email inquiries I receive. Given that fragrance preferences are very subjective and personal, a search for a single magic potion that will work on everyone for every event is meaningless. In fact, I would go further to say that it is pointless to search for a perfume to seduce your lover. Perfume is an extension and reflection of your personality; it should be worn to seduce oneself. Everything else will follow. “The best color in the whole world is the one that looks good on you,” said Coco Chanel whose Chanel No 5 is still a best-seller almost a century later. The same philosophy applies to fragrance. The most seductive perfume is the one that smells great on you.

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