polls: 59 posts

Not a week goes by without me getting an email with this question: “what perfume drives men (women) crazy?” I will tell you honestly that I do not believe in any such magical blend that will draw the opposite sex. However, if something makes you feel good, it will definitely contribute to your confidence, and as a result, to your appeal.

Do you believe in perfume as a weapon of seduction? And if so, what is in your arsenal? What fragrances do you find alluring on men (women)?

My most seductive fragrances generally include those with incense, amber, sandalwood and oriental notes such as Hermès Ambre Narguilé,Yves Saint Lauret Nu, Guerlain Samsara as well as my recent favorite Guerlain Tonka Impériale. Moreover, I find lush florals like Ormonde Jayne Ta’if and Serge Lutens A La Nuit very alluring. All of these fragrance gather lots of compliments for me.

In same vein, the fragrances I find seductive on men are in the amber and oriental families: Paco Rabanne Black XS, Chanel Égoïste and Guerlain Habit Rouge.

The other day I was cleaning up my office, when I came across a vial of Victoire Gobin-Daudé Biche Dans L’Absinthe, a green woody fragrance that beautifully conveys the bitter absinthe impression. The vial was almost empty, but a single whiff brought me back to the cold summer I spent in Warsaw, dividing my time between the Statistical Library and the pastry shops in the vicinity (Polish cakes and desserts have few rivals in my affections.) A sillage of Biche Dans L’Absinthe followed me around the city, and to this day, I cannot think of Warsaw without recalling this marvelous scent. Yet, it has been discontinued years ago, and an empty vial is all I have today. Out of many fragrances that were taken off the market, Gobin-Daudé collection is the one I miss the most. They were original and memorable.

I also miss the original version of Christian Dior Dioressence (the current version is a completely different fragrance,) Lancôme AromaCalm (a soft blend of iris and incense,) Nina Ricci L’Air du Temps (the reformulated version is not even worth smelling,) and Shiseido Nombre Noir. Once Yves Saint Laurent Nu disappears from the existing stocks, I know that I will be in deep mourning for its departure.

What discontinued fragrances do you miss the most? What vanished perfumes do you still mourn?

What are your recent perfume discoveries? What did you especially like? What did you end up buying?

While I very much enjoyed the new Atelier Cologne Vanille Insensée, my best discoveries have been rather rediscoveries from my perfume closet. I fell in love anew with Chanel No 22 parfum and wondered, “why, oh why do I keep neglecting this jasmine-incense gem.”

Thanks to March’s review of Yves Saint Laurent Cinema, I have another gourmand oriental to add my collection (and through online discounters it can even qualify for my “cheap & chic” category.)

Finally, passing by L’Artisan boutique, I sprayed myself with Havana Vanilla (renamed Vanille Absolument.) It surprised me with its luscious vanilla and tobacco interpretation, considering that I am ordinarily not a fan of such strongly vanillic fragrances. However, I would imagine that for any die-hard vanilla lovers, it is going to be a great discovery.

What are your top 5 all time favorite perfumes? The kind that you would take on a desert island with you or the ones that you would be happy to wear for years to come?

I know, I know, I am being very cruel by limiting the choice to only 5. As I was trying to answer this question for myself, I found that it was not an easy one. However, the moment I thought about 5 fragrances that would keep my interest for a long time without me getting bored with them, I immediately thought of these choices:

Chanel Cuir de Russie
Guerlain Après l’Ondée
Frédéric Malle Carnal Flower
Caron Tabac Blond
Christian Dior Diorella

Do you ever wear fragrances marketed towards the opposite gender?

Gender in perfumery is a socially and culturally defined topic, and we can be free to ignore it. Yet, as I recently discovered as I was working on a project inspired by Guy Laroche Drakkar Noir and wearing the original almost daily to study it, the idea for a woman walking around smelling of a virile, macho fougère can be deeply disturbing to others. On the other hand, I have received plenty of compliments on Christian Dior Eau Sauvage, Dior Homme and Terre d’Hermès.

For an additional interesting reading on the topic of fragrance gender boundaries, I encourage you to take a look at the interview with sociologist Marcello Aspria, author of Perfume and Gender Identity: Shifting Olfactory Definitions of Masculinity and Femininity in the Twentieth Century project.