These are the scents I term “douche-worthy” – a term that implies any or all of the above: dead common, unimaginative, low quality, totally undistinguishable, formulaic, worn by every other person in the world and therefore makes no individual statement. The list of epithets could go on, but I’m sure people get the general idea. Most of these will be produced under the name of a noted designer to suggest that the fragrance as a chic and stylish quality, or so they’d like you to believe. Rarely do any of these ‘must-miss’ scents really stand up under any decent scrutiny, though few people would ever so admit.

So I’ve compiled a list of some of the current releases that I’ll put into my list of “extreme douchery”:

Chanel Allure. Chanel is generally considered the “safe bet” of the perfume industry. Buy a Chanel, and no one will really complain about your choice. Right? Well, not exactly. The safe bet tends to also be the most unimaginative choice you can make. So why is Allure doucheworthy? Lack of longevity — you would need to bathe in it for there to be any projection. Unimaginative — there’s nothing unique or original about its signature, it’s a simple, sharp, cold fragrance that smells as imaginative as an auto air freshener.  Common — it’s so popular that you’ll be original, just like everyone else.

Bleu de Chanel. Yet another 2010 release from Chanel.  One that smells like every other release, if it was 1999. A sharp, crisp, citrusy and cold fragrance that doesn’t quite have a signature of its own, much less a signature at all. It’s safe because it’s a Chanel. It’s also incredibly dull, sells exceptionally well on the pure strength of the promotional hype, and wins accolades for being…well, I can’t point to any reason why it should. Though if you want to smell like every other tool, this is one doucheworthy fragrance that is a must-have. For us, it’s a must-miss.

Gucci Guilty Pour Homme. How do we best describe this? Sour? Synthetic? The choice of every man who thinks they’re God’s gift to women? Off-putting? Basically, your average, modern-day fragrance…which implies one thing: Boring. Therefore? Total douchery.

Gucci by Gucci Pour Homme. Let’s see. Put together a marketing campaign using a commercial where someone recites the lyrics to Bryan Ferry’s “Slave to Love”. Badly. Ok, let’s not judge based on an ad campaign, so how does it smell? How bad could this be? Here’s a few adjectives I’ve seen used and with which I’d agree.  ”Cheap”. “Poor longevity”. “Unimpressive”. “Common”. “Lot’s of advertising and marketing, but there’s no real scent”. “Synthetic, feels like after-shave”. “Disaster in a bottle.” In short? Total douchery.

And some other noteworthy douche-worthy fragrance mentions include…

Bulgari Aqua Pour Homme. Just what the fragrance industry needed: another aquatic fragrance. This one? Seaweed. And citrus. So what does it smell like? Seaweed and citrus. Do we need to say it?

Dior Fahrenheit Aqua. Yes, this is the fragrance that Dior needed to create, and such a great marketing plan! Let’s pillage the legendary Fahrenheit name from a best-selling classic, apply it to a citrusy aquatic/light fragrance, and the result? Nothing like its namesake original. This has been described as either “trying to modernize the Mona Lisa” or like trying to make a light-fragrance out of something inherently deep at its core. Why?

Calvin Klein. Anything by Calvin Klein.  I’m sure this goes without saying, but we’ve had the CK One franchise (I’ve lost count of how many seemingly common fragrances that has spawned), CK Shock (the shock is how shocking bad some of them are), and at least a few more that have graced department store shelves with their presence. In fact, going back to Eternity and Obsession, I can no longer take their entire line seriously enough to consider it at all. And yes, I’ve smelled enough of this dreck on others to know that it’s all complete douchery. Fair warning that if you came to my site looking for a review of any CK fragrance, you’ll walk away empty handed. It’s just not worth the time to devote to something already so overhyped and off-the-chart common. Enough of the soap-box speech on this.

These are simply a few. As in the above, people reading this might think, “Isn’t this being elitist?” No, it isn’t. Rather, it’s having taste and discretion in what you choose to wear to make a personal statement. If someone simply is looking to make a statement that they smell inoffensive and just like everyone else, they’ll more than likely purchase this dreck based on its promotion and the heavy-handed in store hawking techniques used at most department stores. Walk into a Sephora, and the walls are floor to ceiling with testers of this bottled formulaic junk. That isn’t the appeal of a fragrance for me, and frankly it’s not very much fun.

It lacks individualism. I’ve already posted a review about Bleu de Chanel, since it had gotten some hype as a ‘breakthrough fragrance’. It’s like calling a Volvo a ‘sexy car’ — people purchase a Volvo because it’s safe, not because it’s irresistible to the opposite sex. I’ll be posting a review about Chanel Allure in the coming days — I’ve given away much of the plot above but not all of it in this posting.

But let me summarize. My personal goals in selecting a fragrance are to make a very personal statement about myself, as well as my own preferences, not to follow the crowd and be simply among the flock of sheep. I make that a point of my wardrobe as much as shoes or choice of tie. People walk by my office all the time, stop in, and make note of my selections (disclaimer, my fan points from behind my desk toward the door, and I’ve ask that people tell me if they’re bothered by it; none have been). I doubt highly that I’d see that sort of reception with most of the department store and mass-market selections these days.

Instead, that would just make me douche-worthy. Not a label I’d ever want to carry.

Related Posts:

• Bleu de Chanel (Review): Welcome to the party (like it’s 1999)
• Welcome to Autumn: Fragrance Picks for 2011
• News & Updates: 1/27/2012
• Gucci Guilty Intense Pour Homme (Review)
• News Updates: 10/14/11

Say it ain’t so…

Tom Ford Private Blend is seemingly retiring two fragrances: Bois Marocain (due more than likely to slow sales and low popularity — if you’ve smelled it, you’ll understand why) and Amber Absolute. For Amber Absolute (AA), the flacons are going if not already gone, and you’ll find it difficult to pick up any of the last few produced. The 50ml sizes are still available. For now. There’s no indication of whether that will continue or it will be removed entirely.

It’s an odd decision as Amber is a note now seeming to come into wider recognition. AA, however, was a bit of an odd duck since it was amber heavily laced with woods and incense.  The result? The feeling that you’ve entered a Catholic High Mass when the sillage releases. Ford seems to like his incenses, and there are plenty of very good amber fragrances available, but AA was unique and worth experiencing as a much different experiment with the notes.

Time will tell what replaces these selections, but the previous new entries were a big disappointment in our view. Let’s wait and see if he uses the opportunity to retune some of his prior fragrances for future return.

At least someone listened…

At the end of 2011, we lamented and lambasted Christian Dior’s marketing department for the decision to remove online ordering for their La Collection Privee line. Apparently, someone listened because a very recent check of their site revealed that the shopping cart has returned.

Now we’ve tried a few of these fragrances, and hopefully Dior has gotten their boutiques better educated about the line. In our view, Leather Oud and Ambre Nuit were both very good fragrances at a very reasonable price point for their quantity. Bois D’Argent was interesting though not spectacular, and Vetiver and Eau Noire were very good choices.  So was Patchouli Imperial.  Of the women’s line, Granville and Mitzah are both standouts, Cologne Royale, Milly-la-Foret weren’t necessarily exceptional though good, and New Look 1947 was one that my wife found she didn’t enjoy with the passing of time (it’s since been swapped).

You can find out more on each at http://www.dior.com.

Worst Perfume Marketing Copy. Ever.

Someone recently shared this little tidbit of ‘perfume marketing porn’, courtesy of Etat Libre d’Orange Secretions Magnifiques.

“Like blood, sweat, sperm, saliva, Sécrétions Magnifiques is as real as an olfactory coitus that sends one into raptures, to the pinnacle of sensual pleasure, that extraordinary and unique moment when desire triumphs over reason. Masculine tenseness frees a rush of adrenalin in a cascade of high-pitched aldehydic notes. The sensation of freshness is gripping. Then the fragrance reveals a metallic side, precise and as sharp as unappeased desire. We are on a razor-edge… skin and sweat mingle, and tastes of musk and sandalwood. The slightly salt marine effect stirs, arouses, and sets your mouth watering. Tongues and sexes find one another, pleasure explodes and all goes wild. Confusion reigns supreme. A subversive, disturbing perfume. It’s love or hate at first sight. Sensuous jousting is rarely satisfied with half-measures…In between Don Juan and the Woman who offers herself, arms are laid down…who will be the first to surrender?”

Blood, sweat, sperm, saliva, coitus?!? I feel dirty just from reading this. I have it on good authority that it smells like none of those, but the first sentence alone was off putting enough to remove all curiosity.  It does, however, contain adrenalin and blood accords.

Olfactory coitus indeed.

Related Posts:

• Welcome to Autumn: Fragrance Picks for 2011
• News Updates: 10/14/11
• Tom Ford Private Blend Amber Absolute: High Mass, distilled.
• Best & Worst Fragrances of 2011
• Absolutely not what you’d expect as Fahrenheit.

I decided to take a trip down memory lane and visit a fragrance out of Bond No. 9′s first renditions that receives very little attention despite being very worthy. Great Jones is a woody aromatic scent that is simple yet still interesting in its overall composition. Released in 2003, it was also among the first fragrances that Bond commissioned, so it’s also among the first fragrances in the line that people tend to forget. To that end, acquiring samples and even a bottle through my usual channels (Saks Fifth Avenue) proved a little challenging, which is unfortunate but typical for the cycle.

Bond No. 9 Great Jones (2003)

Bond No. 9 Great Jones (2003): As part of the original line, along with scents such as West Broadway and Madison Soiree, Great Jones seems destined to be only an unfortunate footnote and difficult to find other than in Bond’s own boutiques. Unfortunate since it’s a well-composed yet very elemental scent, much like the other two mentions above — it relies on 3 or 4 major notes to achieve its impact.

In Great Jones’ case, it’s orange, cedar and oakmoss. Ergo, it’s a somewhat linear EDP that exudes a simply woody and citrus projection, augmented by the undertone of oakmoss.  It remains masculine, not exceptionally sweet (even with the citrus opening), and altogether refreshing with what seems to be the right amount of depth for a year-round scent. The elements aren’t cloying, and provide a moderate projection with terrific sillage. I dare say that it’s youthful, and the broader appeal of the scent is an alternative to the 20-somethings that are tired of overly-sharp/overly-sweet/overly-aquatic fragrances that are otherwise common.

Longevity is excellent, and lasted for an entire day on skin without fading. Transformation away from the initial orange blast happens within the first 2 hours, by which time it does dry-down into a more elemental cedar/oakmoss combination that becomes comfortable for both a casual wear and potentially formal enough for a business setting. I’ll stop short of saying this is ‘romantic’ in nature, as it truly isn’t. Unless the woman you’re seeking to please has a fetish for cedar chests and shoe trees, this is probably not going to make an impression other than being a unique and very fresh though not ‘light’ fragrance. That said, it might just prove to be attractive to a significant other since it’s a bit out of the ordinary and lacks the fresh sharpness that tends to be somewhat pungent.  Great Jones does make a statement, and a very nice one at that.

Rating: 4/5.  Recommended. Great Jones is one of those unique treasures that people forget to try because of the clamor and marketing of other and newer products, and it’s unfortunate as it relegates very good fragrances to a relative obscurity in the line. In an earlier review, I made similar mention of West Broadway. Either it was purely luck or extensive sampling that got me to notice Great Jones — I honestly forget which — and I’m happy I did. This is simply a nice, versatile, and very clean fragrance that maintains a youthful profile and appeal, even if it’s been missed by recent marketing.

Bottom-Line: A great woody and green scent that plays very well on the skin, has great durability, very classic yet rugged. A great fragrance to add to your wish list, and hopefully it isn’t as quickly forgotten.

Related Posts:

• Guerlain Habit Rouge (Review): Timeless or past its prime?
• Guerlain Heritage (Review): A classic will always be a classic.
• Review of Montale Aoud Cuir d’Arabie
• Bond No. 9 New York Oud: Review
• Bond No. 9 Brooklyn: Review

Since we started the new year on a very pronounced ‘leather’ note, it made sense to continue the theme with another leather-based fragrance: Cuir Ottoman from Parfum d’Empire. Parfum d’Empire is a niche fragrance house, Marc-Antoine Corticchiato is the house nose and creator for this scent as well.  The leaning of this fragrance, according to their scent profile, is unisex; however, your mileage may vary and most will find this a very deep, smoky, animalic scent that relies heavily on an incense/leather/benzoin base to achieve its result. In our view, this is much more masculine than feminine, and that statement isn’t one taken lightly or meant to infer that any feminine scent should be flowery or light.

Before we spoil the plot much further, let’s dive into the overall review:

Parfum d’Empire Cuir Ottoman (2006): This scent is intended to invoke a sense of the Ottoman Empire in the use of leather, incense, and deep florals to achieve a rugged and masculine-profiled outcome. An Egyptian Jasmine and Iris begin the composition, and are somewhat green, deep, and only mildly floral against this backdrop. Almost immediately, the leather and incense notes in the heart of the composition take over and remain throughout. The result is a nice yet smoldering leather scent that presents a rugged sophistication, tempered and bridled but clearly the focus of the fragrance. The base begins to drift in after some time, and here is where the effects of the benzoin and a very nice Tolu Balsam round out the experience.  Both serve to enhance the effect of the leather without upstaging it, and the blending works quite well.

This is a fragrance best approached carefully with a mindset of a very pronounced leather, surrounded in the smoke of a soft wood and nicely polished by a resiny effect, so the finish is best described as somewhat “tarry” though not unpleasantly so.

As we mentioned earlier, we don’t agree with this being a feminine scent, but that’s a decision best made personally. While with Aoud Cuir d’Arabie we were decidedly leaning toward a masculine profile, this is somewhat less specific.

Sillage and projection are average to good for an Eau de Parfum concentration, longevity is excellent. We found this to have at least a 12 to 14 hour durability, give or take depending on the wearer and skin type. Cuir Ottoman is a near perfect execution of a fall/winter experience and best used in those seasons. Pricing is typical to slightly below average for a niche fragrance — we found it for around $140-150 for a 100ml bottle, around $90 for a 50ml, both quite reasonable for a scent of high quality. There was no synthetic effect within this at all, and good balance in the composition. It holds well to the skin without being heavy or cloying, which is an accomplishment with the notes chosen.

Parfum d’Empire is a niche house about which we hear very little. We’ve thus far had the pleasure of sampling/purchasing three of their 13 products and look forward to experiencing more. There is little we would suggest changing in the composition, other than a bit of animalic and musky flair in the opening.  The combination of the two floral notes at the top is slightly — and we mean very slightly — earthy, but dissipates within five minutes. It’s not much of a negative note in the overall experience, though it may be slightly off-putting to some.

The verdict?

Rating: 4.5/5.  Highly recommended. This is a well-developed, well-conceived, and very well-executed fragrance that strikes the right balance without sacrificing a decidedly assertive profile. We were very excited to try this, and added it to my permanent collection.

Bottom-line: For someone seeking a leather fragrance of high quality, unadulterated, and truly representative of the note, this is an excellent choice. It more than adequately occupies a niche away from other scents such as Tom Ford’s Tuscan Leather or Montale’s Aoud Cuir d’Arabie, yet it isn’t a soft presentation like Christian Dior’s Leather Oud. Cuir Ottoman maintains a very respectable price-point that does not exploit a niche status, but rather makes it accessible. While it’s not easy to locate (MinNY is one of a few retailers), it’s very much worth the search.

Related Posts:

• Review of Montale Aoud Cuir d’Arabie
• Byredo Accord Oud (Review)
• Midnight in Paris (Review) – Van Cleef & Arpels
• Le Labo Vetiver 46 (Review): If perfume were art…
• What’s in a name: Guerlain’s Coriolan vs. Les Parisienne L’Ame d’un Heros.

Montale is not an ages-old perfumer, having been around only since 2003, but it has amassed a reputation for producing very high quality scents during that period. While crtitics may choose to identify much of their product as “derivative”, there’s not much dispute that they have quickly become the de facto reference standard for any Oud-based fragrance. Their work in the manufacture of and development of fragrances around this element stands alone among peers who may have one or two scents based on Agarwood. Montale?

Twenty-seven.

Yes, you read that correctly. 27 different fragrance variations centered around that central note. When you consider that all of them have been developed and marketed only in the last nine years, that’s an even tougher act to follow. It’s a very aggressive schedule. Montale has also mastered the notion of fragrance storage by decanting all of his scents in an aluminum container to keep out light and heat. Clever and effective, as well as an interesting marketing strategy.

With a line-up of 27 different variations on Oud, some are bound to be stand-outs while others will simply be derivative and others puzzling. On more than one occasion, people smelling a Montale have asked the question of “where is the Oud” in one of his Oud-named scents, as often it can seem to be simply a side-note. More on that in a future review. Given the new-found popularity of Oud, it has tended to become in many cases a very unisex or universal note, not given completely to either a traditionally male or female olfactory profile; for most of Montale’s fragrance line, this is equally the case with specific exceptions.

For this review, I’ve chosen the most masculine of Montale’s Aoud line: Cuir D’Arabie.

Montale Aoud Cuir d’Arabie (~2009):  To understand Cuir d’Arabie is to understand the power behind each of the elements, all of which are unbridled in this composition. Tobacco, Oud, Birch, with the subtle accompanyment of leather throughout. This is not for the faint of heart, as it is deep, strong, and captivating. It is a very linear composition that both builds and mellows from the sharpness at opening to a more subtle and defined leather. Cuir d’Arabie is a powerful and masculine statement: The leather from a tack room juxtaposed against a very raw yet pure tobacco, a rich birch, and the very unqiue scent of Oud.

It is the ‘bad boy’ of fragrances, as it makes a very potent impression on both the wearer and anyone within the reach of it’s boldly and unapologetic sillage. It’s spicy and animalic, it carries a very raw attraction that could be interpreted as very off-putting, or — in most cases — very rugged and sensual.

This is also one of the few fragrances from which people have literally stood downwind from me and commented on how incredible the room smells. I must say that it is not for the faint of heart. Longevity in its EDP form is full-day — meaning from 5AM through to the same time the next day. It’s a scent that can be quickly overdone, so potential wearers should simply spray or apply at pulse points; the scent will do the rest very well.

All of this said, this is not a fragrance long on formalities or subtlety. Imagine, if you will, Tom Ford Tuscan Leather (for those familiar). Take that feeling and multiply is exponentially. That will give you some idea of the type of scent Cuir d’Arabie represents. Wearers will fall into one of a few camps:

• They’ll like it.
• They’ll LOVE it.
• They’ll be intrigued or captivated by it.
• They’ll run scared from it.

This review obviously isn’t skewed toward the last audience.

Rating:  4.75/5. Highly recommended with caveats. This is NOT a blind-buy. It’s also not widely available, so my best advice is to order a sample decant from LuckyScent or The Perfumed Court, try it, and decide whether this is a fragrance that you feel suits your tastes and skin chemistry. This is strong enough, even in EDP, for even dry skin types to not completely absorb the scent. It is also decidedly masculine. Given some of the current androgyny in fragrances, this is not a scent that easily translates to a feminine profile.

Bottom-line: You’re seeking a single fragrance that captures the essence of Oud, creates a bold statement, has a unique character, is masculine, rugged, and will likely evoke a reaction. Aoud Cuir d’Arabie is that fragrance. It’s not easily found, but is it ever worth the search.

Related Posts:

• Le Labo Oud 27 (Review)
• Byredo Accord Oud (Review)
• La Collection Privee Dior Leather Oud (Review): Could this be a daily wearer?
• Bond No. 9 Great Jones: Review
• Parfum d’Empire Cuir Ottoman: Review

Worst waste of money: Creed Royal Service. While it’s nice, even the description for the composition’s notes make it sound like the Frankenstein’s Monster of fragrance, and at a price of over $1,750 for a 200 ml atomizer, it challenges Clive Christian’s No. 1 as the most expensive perfume in the world. Pity that it lacks that certain ‘oomph’.

Worst Longevity in a fragrance: Hermès Hermessence Santal Massoia. Jean-Claude Ellena has outdone himself with another linear, weak EDT composition within a very boutique line. Santal Massoia in the 100 ml sizing runs at $235 but delivers both a linear and fleeting experience. If you’re a fan of Ellena, try it, but this isn’t one we’d recommend for purchase.

Worst Mass-Market appeal fragrance: Nicole Polizzi Snooki. Do we really need to say much here? Ok, fine then. First, it began selling on the Home Shopping Channel, then made it up the chain to Perfumania (sounds like the department stores won’t touch it with a barge pole), it’s a nearly exact copy of Britney Spears’ “Fantasy”, and aside from the notes being a case of ‘guidette gourmand’ — seriously…sugar, kiwi, lychee and ‘cupcake accord’? – it comes with a plastic leopard-print tote bag. At around $40, I’m sure the tote bag isn’t the only thing synthetic in this train wreck.

Worst attempt at marketing: Dior’s La Collection Privee Christian Dior. Aside from removing the web-ordering options from the Dior site, they attempt to refer you to a retailer; this, in turn, sends you to a long list of retailers who will never carry the line because Dior has restricted it to only specific Dior Boutiques. And it gets worse. The SA’s in the women’s boutique haven’t a clue about any fragrance in the collection, there are no samples granted, and they struggle with how they’ll sell a bottle. Brilliant fragrances, fantastic price point and value, totally inept marketing execution.

Most Intriguing Fragrance: Bacon Classic & Bacon Gold. Forget notes of ambrette, jasmine, patchouli or musk. Let’s just get straight to the point without messing around. Both fragrances have a heart/base of bacon, so it’s simply truth in advertising. Clever augmented by vetivers, citruses and woods, it’s just enough without being over the top. And who doesn’t love bacon?

Best Department Store Release (Women): Guerlain Shalimar Parfum Initial. It’s an accessible adaptation of Shalimar for a generation who thinks the original is over-cloying. Rarely does tinkering with an iconic original yield a positive result, but this succeeds on a variety of levels.

Best Department Store Release (Men): Dior Homme Intense. Technically, this is a re-release and reformulation of the original, but the outcome is positive. It’s the right level of depth and sophistication without being common. One of our runner-up choices was Marc Jacobs Bang, but after some wearing, we felt it lacked the right sophistication and the outcome felt very close to Terre D’Hermès to merit further distinction.

Best Limited Edition: Creed Feuille Verte. Only 350 were released, and those exclusively to the US market, but this alone didn’t seal the deal for us. This is honestly a Creed that we found to be exceptionally crafted, unique, and sophisticated. Royal Service would qualify in this category, but frankly was not exceptional.

Best Intepretation of a note: Santal 33 by Le Labo. Santal 33 struck us as an astounding fragrance that brought Sandalwood to a very fore-front level, something that isn’t necessarily easy since the element is generally used more as a heart or basenote. Le Labo’s augmentation of the note takes nothing away from that element, but imbues it with a new sense of character. A very creative effort.

Best Fragrance: This was a challenge as the scents in the running included an Amber that promises to be today’s Oud Wood, some fragrances that were released in limited run in 2010 but only became available in 2011, and more than several prior releases that perhaps haven’t gotten the rich credit they deserve.

Here were some of the entries:

• Hermes Un Jardin Sur le Toit
• Bond No. 9 New York Amber
• Dior La Collection Privee Leather Oud
• Creed Feuille Verte
• Bond No. 9 New York Oud
• Tom Ford Private Blend Jasmine Rouge
• By Kilian Incense Oud
• Le Labo Santal 33
• Guerlain La Petite Robe Noire 2

Clearly, the choices were all over the map from florals to ambers to woods, with leather and green thrown in for measure. The list was a testament to both the niche and upscale-retail fragrance segments that there has been so much to select, and others will also have their own takes on the selections we’ve made and perhaps have suggested even more. So here is how we decided on criteria:

• Creative/innovative use of elements
• Overall Quality
• General appeal
• Projection, longevity and sillage
• Impact
• Relevance

Honorable Mentions: The Honorable Mentions went to the following:

• Hermès Un Jardin Sur le Toit
• Guerlain La Petite Robe Noire 2
• By Kilian Incense Oud

Runners Up:  The runners-up included the following:

• Le Labo Santal 33
• Creed Feuille Verte

The Winner: The outcome was strong tie between the two Bond fragrances: New York Amber and New York Oud. Both in our view offered a very creative and innovative use of the core components, both ranked high in terms of interest, overall quality, and the longevity/projection/sillage aspects.  Both provided a high degree of impact by virtue of their composition. Both were relevant in different ways:

• New York Amber sought — and perhaps succeeded — in taking an Amber fragrance to another level, potentially making the ingredient the next focal ingredient for others to follow.
• New York Oud succeeded in creating a very intriguing Oud fragrance laced with a variety of ingredients (notably, Rose) that made a fantastic impact and bold statement.

Both had the X-factor that distanced them from other scents, both had the capacity to command attention. We found it equally as difficult to suggest either had more of a creative edge than the other. In the final outcome, it was simply a match of equals: We would easily recommend either. There was only one differentiating factor, and that was that New York Amber was a repackaging and slight reformulation of Harrods Amber at a higher concentration.

Bond No. 9 New York Oud

The winner was Bond No. 9 New York Oud. Again, both perfumes were outstanding, but the Oud was truly the original and not otherwise a reformulation; that doesn’t mean that we don’t recommend the New York Amber (far from it), and would encourage others to give our earlier reviews a read, and try a test.

Best wishes for a Happy and Prosperous 2012!

Related Posts:

• Welcome to Autumn: Fragrance Picks for 2011
• Bond No. 9 New York Amber (Review)
• News & Updates (updated 9/18/11 17:15)
• Le Labo Santal 33: Review
• Creed Royal Service: Review & First Impressions

2010 was a tumultuous year for Guerlain as a house, as the 4th and last generation of Guerlain heirs left the house. For those who aren’t familiar with the background, the elder Jean-Paul Guerlain had his contract with the firm terminated over some very incendiary remarks made on a French television interview, including multiple uses of a racist comment. Obviously, this stirred public outrage, demonstrations, and a call for boycotting the House altogether.

Since there was no 5th generation Guerlain ready to take the helm, a transition plan had been formulated some years before that placed Thierry Wasser as next in line for the role of House Perfumer, a role he assumed earlier than anticipated as a result of Jean-Paul’s termination. It would be very easy to leave that incident as the epitaph to a long career that included many of the mainstay products still a part of the House’s line, and it would be very unfair to discount the relevance of Guerlain’s rich heritage due to his very inappropriate remarks. They’re regrettable, they’re racist, they’re wrong. They’re not the rich heritage that Jean-Paul was instrumental in creating, and I hope that’s where he is best remembered. So while not discounting the very negative impact those words had, Guerlain made the decision to move forward without a Guerlain heir at the helm, and Wasser has already begun making an impact.

Guerlain Shalimar Initial (2011)

One of the issues that befalls some of the famous French perfumers is relevance. While many houses carry a rich heritage, it’s not something that can move them forward with changing market tastes. Yes, classics are just that and they’ll have their place, but a new generation of buyers is entering the marketplace and making their preferences known. Wasser has a massive challenge in making Guerlain relevant to new buyers without alienating the heritage for which it’s known; otherwise, the House would prove to simply be a footnote in history. And in 2011, Wasser made his intentions very clear.

Among those was tinkering with Shalimar. Admittedly, this was something about which I wasn’t thrilled when I first saw Shalimar Parfum Initial, and my first experiences with it were not pleasant memories. This wasn’t Shalimar at all, at least as I’d known it. It didn’t have the vanillas depth of the original, it lacked the incense and leather and resinousness inherent in the legacy creation, it wasn’t cut from exactly the same cloth. It took my wife reminding me how difficult an adjustment Shalimar could be precisely because of that depth and complexity. The update keeps much of that same heritage, but lightens the composition by removing much of the heavy and incense-laden elements, the leather, and becoming somewhat more floral and Iris-driven in the process. Less “ladies who lunch”, more a demographic better suited to our age and younger, all-the-while remaining very relevant.

Le Petite Robe Noire

Next was “La Petite Robe Noire“, a fragrance with a target of a much younger demographic (say 20′s to 30′s). This was a composition which did not draw kind reviews in its first composition (simply titled as above), but 2011 saw an addition to a line which is slated to eventually include five fragrances.

There were likable qualities about the 2009 edition, notably the smoky tea, licorice, almond and Guerlainade mainstay vanilla, and those were precisely the qualities that my wife enjoyed. La Petite Robe Noire 2? Leather, galibanum, and — wait for it — marshmallow. Not a “smores” type of confection but more a patisserie creation that is sugary and creamy in execution, infinitely delicious and far more gourmand. That combination was far more interesting for me, brilliantly composed, well-executed, and universally wearable. The bigger surprise? How I could also enjoy an occasional wear of Robe Noire 2, despite my not falling into the target demographic at all.

Do both of these work for the Guerlain purist or aficionados of the Guerlainade? Perhaps not, nor would I suggest that either are instantly vaulted to a “classic” status. Then again, Jicky was at one time very revolutionary, as was Mitsouko. Not everything can be timeless — for a great example, try wearing Habit Rouge in the context of present-day fragrances. Not every Guerlain fragrance is a niche scent, as seen with Insolence. But every one of these help compose and shape both the heritage and future of the line, and while we may miss some of the masterpiece-worthy work of Jean-Paul’s nose, it will be the newer fragrances that make the house relevant to modern consumers. And that can only be the gateway for them to experience more of those legacy classics that long-time followers have come to understand and appreciate.

As a closing thought, consider this: Coriolan had a relatively short-life as one of Guerlain’s ‘mainstream fragrances’, but anyone with the right nose and memory will recognize its return in a slightly altered form…as L’Ame d’Un Heros. Testament to how everything can evolve in the correct moment and context.

Related Posts:

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• Guerlain Habit Rouge (Review): Timeless or past its prime?
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• What’s in a name: Guerlain’s Coriolan vs. Les Parisienne L’Ame d’un Heros.

The holidays are over, and you’ve unwrapped all the presents. Amidst the sweaters and neckties that you’ve received with the best of intention, someone gave you that fragrance you really like and you want to preserve it as long as possible. So you ask the obvious question: How long will my fragrance last?

The answer:  It depends. There is no single answer, nor is there a specific shelf-life to any fragrance, but there are ways of helping to prolong its useful life. Knowing about your fragrance will help, so we’ve put together this article — this is not a ‘definitive’ answer to the question but a good series of suggestions — to help preserve your fragrance. With that, here are some things to consider:

• Concentration. Generally speaking, the higher the actual fragrance concentration, the better the chance of an extended life. The essential oils and extracts that compose the ‘notes’ of a fragrance are only part of the overall composition. In a pure-perfume, that concentration can be as high as 30%; an eau de parfum, around 15%, an eau de toilette, around 8%, and a cologne around 5%. The remainder is composed of alcohol and distilled water.  Over time, these will break down and react, changing the texture of the fragrance, so the more non-fragrant ingredients in the mixture, the shorter the expected lifespan.
• Air. Once any fragrance is exposed to air, it changes. Think of how a fragrance will unfold from top to base note when placed on skin, and you can compare that to how that fragrance will diffuse if left open to air. Anyone who has used a reed diffuser to help give a room a particular olfactory character will understand how the theory works:  The reeds are placed in the liquid, and as the reeds become saturated, the fragrance becomes diffused through the room either naturally or by the movement of air.
• Light. Lighting is the natural enemy of any fragrance, so it’s best that a bottle either be dark itself, or be kept in a dark or low-lighting location. Montale perfumes, as an example, decant all of their fragrances in aluminum which will tend to keep light from reacting with the mixture.
• Temperature. Just like wine, the fragrance decanter should be kept at a consistent temperature, preferably under about 25C (77 degrees fahrenheit), but more importantly should be kept at a fairly constant temperature and not experience fluctuations. Refrigeration is not recommended as this will make the composition too cold and cause an unexpected reaction when it is finally exposed. Constant room temperature should help as a preservative.

With those suggestions out of the way, there are some ways you can easily maintain the integrity of a scent:

• A cool closet or cabinet. In this way, the fragrance is not exposed to constant light or changes in temperatures. For my own collection, I keep this in a cool closet with dark colored walls and a translucent sliding door for accessibility.
• Keep the bottle in the box. This benefits the fragrance since it reduces exposure to light and potentially some passive heating.
• Avoid incandescent or halogen lighting, and instead opt for fluorescent or CFL lighting, or LED lighting, both of which will generate less residual heat.
• Transfer the content to a covered atomizer (i.e. leather, for example). This will help insulate the fragrance and maintain its integrity, and it’s useful when using the contents of a larger flacon.

Ok, so how long will it last?

Here is a general rule of thumb. Under “normal” conditions — meaning average temperatures, minor fluctuations, and normal light, expect the following:

• Eau de Toilette – about 4 years, +/- 1.
• Eau de Parfum – about 8 years, +/- 2.
• Cologne – about 2-3 years.
• Pure Perfume – over 10 years, potentially more.

If you follow the guidelines above, you can extend those lifespans by nearly double, though this is not an exact science. In fact, this is one area where the phrase “your mileage may vary” is very accurate.

Le Labo, as a manufacturer of their own fragrances, labels their own creations with a “Fresh Until” date, usually one year after  decanting, primarily as a way of warranting their own product and helping to set the expectation for the fragrance integrity. Properly treated, the bottle will actually last much longer.

In fact, there have been documented cases of pure solid fragrances being found buried in tombs that continue to diffuse their scent literally hundreds or even thousands of years after that tomb is sealed.

While there is no precise answer, nor an exact “Fresh By” date for a bottle of EDT or cologne, there are ways of protecting its useful life.

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Since the current information has this fragrance being discontinued (editor’s note: this is a product that has had on-and-off availability in the US, so this may simply be a temporary removal from the market to determine future demand), reviewing now may seem belated save for those who have been hesitant about a blind-buy purchase. This entry may hold some sway over the tendency to undertake that purchase.

L'Artisan Parfumeur L'Eau du Navigateur (1978)

L’Artisan Parfumeur L’Eau du Navigateur (1978):  While the vintage of this fragrance would suggest it being characteristic of the late 1970′s, complete with the trappings of scents of that period, I can state with honesty that Navigateur is as relevant now in the context of the woody/spicy genre as it would ever have been, and compares very competitively with other scents that border on the wood/tobacco/leather theme. The nose for this fragrance is the late Jean Laporte, also the founder of Maître Parfumeur et Gantier, who passed away in November.

The notes for this reviewer were simply exquisite: In no particular order, this fragrance is composed of coffee notes, spices, incense, resins, rum, woody notes, floral notes, tobacco and leather. Expect a scent with depth based on the ingredient list, and that’s precisely what you’ll experience. All of them are present in the composition at any time, but it’s the tobacco that tends to win out over time, mixed with the incense, resins and woods. The leather is a subtle hint, but it provides a nice background and canvas for the other notes to feed from. At the top, there is a hint of rum, not in an alcoholic fashion.  This blends with the coffee, albeit briefly, and the spices that suggest the worldly characteristic the fragrance looks to inspire. Those floral notes that exist are carefully blended and muted such that they don’t conflict with the scent, only lending it softness and balance.

Navigateur is unmistakably masculine. There is no chance that I could envision this on a woman, nor is it a scent that portrays feminity in any way.  It captures the essence of an old sitting room with well-worn leather furnishings, the tobacco aroma wafting about, and the unmistakable smell of coffee and rum mixed into the surroundings, a hard and resinous wood smell distinguishable.

Longevity and projection are slight downsides to this fragrance.  As an eau de toilette strength, this is to be expected, however.  I found that the longevity against skin was solid over the course of a full-day, but projection deteriorated after the first 3-4 hours. All of that stated, I’ll explain more in the verdict of the review.

Results: 4.5/5. Highly recommended. I’m reserving this from being a pure 5/5 based largely on the projection shortfalls. If you look beyond that and can enjoy it as a very personal experience and one more intimate to the wearer, you may find this as I did.

Bottom-Line:  L’Eau du Navigateur is truly an intoxicating and exquisitely composed fragrance, one of the highlights of the L’Artisan Perfumeur collection in my view. For those with a preference toward woody/spicy/resinous fragrances, or those who desire the combination of tobacco and leather in a balanced scent, this is without question a fragrance you will want and a clear blind-buy recommendation provided the caveats I’ve listed above for longevity and projection. If tobacco/leather/woody/spicy scents are not your profile, this would not be a safe blind-buy.

L’Eau du Navigateur has the capacity for being a very timeless classic. It would be tragic if L’Artisan didn’t recognize that.

Editor’s Note:  Scentrist will be off for the Christmas Holiday, the next updates will appear on December 26th, in time for Boxing Day in the UK and Canada. We wish everyone Season’s Greetings!

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After a couple of trips recently through airports and seeing some questions bantered back and forth on public blogs, I felt it was time to give my own take on the pitfalls of duty-free shopping, and why not to shop duty-free for fragrances.

Everyone who has traveled internationally has had the experience of waiting by the departure gates in the airport. Unless you are flying business or first-class, your choices are pretty limited: Drink or shop in the duty-free. Sometimes both if you decide you’d rather buy liquor without paying taxes or fees. But other than booze, tobacco, watches or chocolates, your remaining choices are more cosmetics and fragrances. I’ll talk about cosmetics first, and this is an area where I’ll need to quote my wife’s comments on her experiences.

Universally, she usually finds the cosmetics selection very old or very stale, many to the point of being rancid or foul smelling. Lipsticks, gels, creams, and many of the things you can’t take through the TSA checkpoint are available, but you wouldn’t want them and they’d have unknown impact on the skin. And she’s had more than her share of bad experiences with these in the hopes of finding the one gem that might be worthwhile. I’ll cover some other issues in a moment, but since the turn-over in a duty-free store for any particular line of cosmetic can be “iffy”, she’ll browse, ask me to interpret the exchange rate, and determine if she might actually get a bargain.

This brings us to fragrances, and the news on this front is also not very promising. During my most recent trip, I conducted a rather unscientific survey of selection and pricing and reached some quick conclusions:

• Selection.  This is where you’ll expect this blog to be somewhat negative on the selection, probably comparing it to what you’ll find in a typical Macys or Dillards. And you’ll be correct, with a couple of differences. There are one or two items that you may encounter that have been discontinued by the manufacturer or not marketed in a particular region (Dior’s Fahrenheit Absolute, for example). While not ancient, it also was not a large seller, so much of that stock has been pushed into Duty-Free as a secondary retail channel. The remaining selection? It’s what you would expect in mass-retail.
• Pricing. It’s usually not much better, or approximately retail less 10%. Tax is avoided, which in New York City is 8.875%. So for a traveler, a nearly 19% savings might look enticing. Let’s move to the other reasons on why that isn’t always the case.
• Freshness. Let’s face facts: Fragrances can go bad. Most Duty-Free shops I’ve toured seem to me to be warmer than usual, and it isn’t because I’m over-dressed or have had the hassle of hauling luggage and jostling clothes and shoes for the benefit of TSA Nazis. It’s warm. It’s also bright. Very bright. Any product being sold is kept in conditions not conducive to product longevity, such as warm display lights and blast-furnace temperatures. My wife’s comments on cosmetics hold equally true for fragrances, which will break-down more under such conditions. Added to that, the stock provided to Duty-Free is a secondary market: They are not getting new stock, and if you know how to read the lot numbers on the box, you’ll realize that a product might be 2-3 years old as it’s being shelved, longer until it’s sold. I found 2009 and 2008 vintages on my recent journeys in 2011.
• Turnover. Other than liquor and cheap cigarettes (or perhaps select cigars from certain countries), there isn’t much rotation of stock in and out: Once a product is sold out, that’s it. A less popular product? You can be the judge.
• Returns. I should note this as being non-existent.  Once you’ve left the Duty-Free, you aren’t returning, nor will you get many products back through TSA checking to return to a duty-free shop. They count on this. So once you’ve purchased, defective or otherwise, the sale is final and you have no recourse other than possibly complaining to your credit card company.

Can you get a rare find through Duty-Free? Sure. Might you do well? Yes. You might also overpay.  My wife purchased a Hermès fragrance in Duty-Free during her last trip, then later checked the price and asked me for the exchange rates. She quickly found that she hadn’t gotten much of a bargain. While not ripped-off, it wasn’t the bargain she expected.

All of this may seem somewhat biased against the Duty-Free trade, so to be fair, I will state we have looked at those items where values can be found. Unfortunately, fragrance and cosmetics is one of those categories where too many risks exist, and products can tend to have finicky shelf-lives. Any benefits are far outweighed by the risks and negatives of the transaction. The return risk alone is a show-stopper to us, since there is no merchant or retailer recourse standing behind the product.

If none of this was convincing, consider the following: Most of the cosmetics and fragrance products you can purchase from Duty-Free are available for less via on-line retail (a not-so-shameless plug for any of our merchants on the right of this page). Most offer low prices, low-cost or -no-cost shipping options, and have a higher turn-over for their products. And return options for any product defects are available or can be negotiated.  For instance, a fragrance we found for suggested retail of $73 was available at Duty-Free for $65, but it was also available on-line for an average price of $47.  Even with tax and standard shipping, your price would still be cheaper than airport rates.

Though we aren’t completely negative on Duty-Free shopping — liquor and tobacco are still great bets — we do not recommend it for more shelf-sensitive products, and that includes all cosmetics and fragrances. Buy at your own risk.

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