Rae of Light: Parfums DelRae Début, Bois de Paradis and Mythique

By Tom First, the winner of the draw for the smell bent samples is Queen Cupcake. Please use the "contact us" button to provide your mailing address. Parfums DelRae is the brainchild of San Francisco-based DelRae Roth, who writes that her lifelong passion for fragrance was the impetus for her creation of her line. Début is her idea of a "sophisticated lily of the valley fragrance". I love lily of the valley, but wasn't sure that there was a deep-seated need for another one, what with Diorissimo being out there. That is until I smelled this one. An absolute delight of sparkling green lily underscored with lime; Marina writes of it as being "ladylike" and it is. But not so girly that I wouldn't spritz a bit on myself; I can see it being a bit of holy grail spring on a drab winter day. Bois de Paradis on me opens spicy, with clove and a touch of cinnamon. Before it starts making me hungry for pie it drops delicious blackberry touched by rose. Marina, like me loved the succulent blackberry note and the balance of spice, woods and fruit that lasts for hours. Mythique is iris with a capital "I". Orris butter, mandarin, peony and jasmine conspire to make a heady mix. Marina wrote of it as "totally suited for a courtesan" and it is, just not the way you'd think. A true courtesan beguiles all the senses: she entertains the mind as well as the body. The leathered drydown of Mythique reflects that depth. These are $135 for 50ML, at her website, where I bought the samples. Also at Luckyscent, Aedes and Barneys (not all of them at Barneys online)