Into the Woods: Anat Fritz Eau de Parfum

By Tom Well the weather roller-coaster that is Los Angeles continues apace. Last time you tuned in (the 10 Corso Como review was written on 9/26) it was hot. The day after I wrote that review was the hottest day in recorded history in LA: the temps hit 113 when the official thermometer at USC blew up. The beaches weren't that much cooler: 111 in Long Beach and a chilly 107 in Santa Monica. I stayed at a meeting in a thankfully air conditioned room at Roxbury Park until forced out to the blast furnace that was my un-air conditioned hovel. The next day when it was merely 104 it felt like Canada. Of course the next week when the review actually ran, reinforced my reasoning to not have an AC unit: it rained intermittently Monday and Tuesday and poured Wednesday and temps didn't hit much higher than 60. This Columbus Day weekend the weather took its Paxil and it was gorgeous. So I went to ScentBar. I realise that that particular sentence could come after any life experience I might have, sort of like that game where you read your fortune from the cookie and add "in bed". For instance: "I had a appendectomy. So I went to ScentBar." "I was given the Nobel Peace Prize. So I went to ScentBar." "I was attacked by giant, man-eating clams. So I went to ScentBar." You get the idea. In any case, I cruised the "man" side of the aisles this time and flirted with the bottom shelf. For those who have never been, ScentBar helpfully arranges the scents by strength; top are lighter and the lower you go the, well, lower you go. First up on the lowers shelf was Anat Fritz, which I had heard of but not tried. According to Luckyscent the scent is an eponymous one from a Berlin-based designer who has a "desire to send all wearers to their own individual travels into the past". Apparently that means a trip into the woods. On me it opened in the best way possible: a warm, woody scent with bright lavender and vetiver. I think I smell immortelle in there, but it's not listed, and it's not Sables strength. Then it becomes a symphony of woods: cedar and sandalwood and a final addition of patchouli. It's very simple and very lovely and I was immediately in thrall. It reminds me somewhat of something that was on my mothers dressing table in the first phase, which if you've been reading for a while is high praise. After a while it becomes a handsome, smooth and paired-down scent that would be perfectly at home with a suit at the office or on a date. I don't think it needs to be restricted to the mens side either; if you're the sort of girl who rocks Chene for instance you would do well to try this. At the very least if you're partnered with a guy you could buy it for him and ruthlessly poach. $120 for 100ML at Luckyscent