Perfume Review: Serge Lutens Muscs Koublai Khan, Gris Clair, Borneo 1834 and Daim Blond

Review by Tom In this review I am going to add my two cents in on what Colombina has already written about a few of the SL scents. Of these, I hope to own all. Muscs Kublai Khan Muscs Kublai Khan is the most musky of musk. I had to write that at first I just didn't get it. I though perhaps that my chemistry neuters musk. I didn't get the heady, crazy fecal note that drives everybody wild in this scent. So much so, that I thought that the sample of Padparadscha that the very kind eBay seller sent me was mis-labeled. The initial blast of cedar (hamster cage) was enough to fool my untrained nose. Now that I have had test-driven it (and am going though some serious passive aggressive you-forgot-my-birthday related stuff to get a bell jar that better be coming or I will be in a serious pout) I have to say that I bow before it: it is the ne-plus-ultra, the God-Emperor of musk. For me, this is the scent of having been loved: the scent of clean bodies having been in, (ahem) compromising positions. This is what I would imagine the singer of "Down in the Depths on the 90th Floor" would spritz before retiring, sadly to her bed. This scent could keep the most jaded from jumping. Gris Clair I don't know if Gris Clair was an overt attempt at a summer scent, or just a happy accident. While it's not summery in the way that some scents are by being light, the lavender note in this is so chilly that's it's wonderfully refreshing on a hot day. Although the fragrance does, as Colombina points out, dry down to wonderfully smoky woods and amber, on me the cold lavender is never far away: the least bit of movement brings the topnote out again, and welcome it is. I actually think that there is something more than lavender in there, I almost get a hint of menthol. Not enough to be smelled precisely, but enough to impart a chill. I usually rely on lavender to put me to sleep; I spritz my pillow with a bottle of Annick Goutal lavender that I got at closeout, and it works on me better than Ambien. The lavender in Gris Clair is as bracing as cold water slapped on your face. In hot, especially humid weather, I finds it's chill especially welcome Borneo 1834 This perfume, brought by a dear friend from the Salon in Paris as a present (alas, not to me) was the real start of my love for Serge Lutens. Patchouli previously had been as popular with me as say, garlic toast to Count Dracula or dresses with backs and fronts to Paris Hilton. From the first whiff I had of it, I knew I was doomed- I had to own it. I don't get the camphor in the opening that Colombina does, at least not as strongly, I do get a deep, rich almost burnt cocao and the smell of patchouli leaves, leaves, not oil. There is almost nothing oily about this scent, none of the ghastly 70's swinger patchouli, none of the cloying sweetness that can come from chocolate notes. This smells like something that has been long-forgotten, bone dry but still powerful, like something found in a temple. (oh, golly, someone get the dart gun and fill it with anti-hyperbole serum!) Daim Blond Luten's ode to white Suede is another one of his that while suited for cold weather (where the Suede notes really sing) works equally well in hot. On me, the first blast of Apricot Kernel and Iris hit unusally hard, a blast of sweetness that initially put me off the scent. It fades almost immediately to the suede note, letting little whiffs of the other notes one me chiefly iris, pop through until it finally get to the wonderfully musky, powdery finish. Like Gris Clair, the top note has a way of popping up, chiefly if I do anything that would make me perspire even the tiniest bit. Luckily, I have grown to appreciate and even love the almost syrupy hit, since the musk and the hawthorne at that point cut it considerably. MKK and Borneo are only available at the Paris salon. Gris Clair and Daim Blond are available in the states at Barney and Aedes. Note that Daim Blond is $120 rather than the usual $92

Muscs Koublai Khan by Serge Lutens

Koublai Khan, 1215-94, was a Mongol emperor, founder of the Yüan dynasty of China. He succeeded his brother Mongke as the ruler of the empire that their grandfather Jenghiz Khan had founded. The empire reached its greatest territorial scope with Kublai's final defeat of the Sung dynasty of China. Koublai promoted economic prosperity by rebuilding the Grand Canal, repairing public granaries, and extending highways; he fostered Chinese scholarship and arts; although he favored Tibetan Buddhism, other religions (except Taoism) were tolerated. Kublai encouraged foreign commerce, and his magnificent capital at Cambuluc (now Beijing) was visited by several Europeans, including Marco Polo. As far as I am concerned, there is none of that imperial splendor in Muscs Koublai Khan, no enlightened interest in arts and science; magnificent palaces full of priceless objects don’t rise before my eyes when I smell this fragrance. Serge Lutens creation is all about Koublai the warrior, a soldier among his soldiers, a conqueror prowling the great plains. Muscs Koublai Khan is raw, dirty and sensual. On the first sniff, this is, shockingly, the smell of a circus, you know the one, animal sweat and animal skin and all the things I will not mention here, a very distinctive smell that is repulsive yet weirdly appealing at the same time…Civet, castoreum, costus roots, patchouli…I have no doubt that this is exactly what Koublai Khan smelled like on his cleanest day while on a conquering spree. I would have never expected myself to like a scent like that, yet I find it incredibly alluring. Perhaps, Ambrose Bierce was right, and every Russian is a person with a Caucasian body and a Mongolian soul, and these are the deepest and the darkest recesses of my soul that crave Muscs Koublai Khan, this eau de blood-thirsty unwashed horse-rider of the steppes…Like Nikolai Gumilev, sometimes “I’m bored with people and the stories, and dream of the treasures of the kingdom, glories, and yataghans, all covered with blood.” *The painting is Koublai Khan by Frank Frazetta

Clinging: Vine by Strange Invisible Perfumes

By Tom This past week I wore only one scent as part of an experiment, and it was interesting to find new facets to and and happily reaffirm my love for the dervish that is Muscs Kublai Kahn. But after that week in the sexy Mongols embrace, what to do? What to wear? Mark Buxton ain't gonna cut it. The answer turned out to be Vine, a 2005 release by Venice (CA) based Strange Invisible Perfumes. In her review, Marina wrote she found it "repulsive and irresistible"; I don't know about the former but certainly agree with the latter. It has a deliciously winey aspect to it's fruity beastliness that I find hard to put down. It's one that a guy can certainly get away with in small doses but I'm sure would be stunning on a woman. Sadly I don't see it on the SIP website, so perhaps it's been discontinued. I hope that it's only on Hiatus. We'll have to make that happen.. My bottle was a giveaway from attending Sniffapalooza LA

More About Musk..

By Tom I like musk. I've written about several scents in the past that feature it, from the down n' drrty to the most angelic and airy. This can lead to mishaps, such as Sunday when I got on the bus and a lady moved away from me. I had forgotten that I had given myself a decent jolt from my decant of JAR Fermez Tes Yeux earlier thinking I wasn't going out, but realized that it was going to rain and I needed to get some food. I looked like Prince Preppie, but probably smelled like a zombie to her. Oh well.. So I have a bunch of them. Most of them, even the ones that will clear a bus I feel end of sort of warm and snuggly on me. Muscs Kublai Kahn is one that I know people shy away from as barbarian-in-a-bottle but I adore it. Annick Goutal Musk Nomade is like a veil of heaven and Strange Invisible Perfumes Musc Botanique is delightfully deranged. So there are many musks out there- what are your favorites? Image: Galaxolide, a polycyclic musk commonly found in laundry detergents to mask the smell of the detergent chemicals. From Wikipedia.

The Sexiest Perfumes

Not a week goes by on more or less any perfume forum without somebody asking for the sexiest perfume recommendations. If I had a dollar for every email inquiring about the same thing (variations on the theme being "what girls dig", "what men like", and "what would get me the most compliments"), in the last two something years, I would have probably accumulated at least 23 dollars. So today we at Perfume-Smellin' Things decided to offer our list of the sexiest perfumes, masculine and feminine, and to show once and for all that the sexy in perfume is a very subjective matter. Join us and list your two sexiest scents in the comments. Alyssa The Sexiest Feminine Perfume: Chanel's Coco, in extrait: Not for everyone, to be sure, but on the right skin it radiates a soft, sexy warmth and an easy, confident glamor. Deep flowers, leather, the barest hint of dark chocolateтАФwhat more do you want? The Sexiest Masculine Perfume: The smell of dish soap: That's right. Nothing is as sexy as a man washing up the dishes after a dinner he just prepared for his beloved while s/he sits comfortably sipping the last of the wine. Beth The Sexiest Feminine Perfume: Bal a Versailles blends with my soul……. I love who I become when I wear it. The Sexiest Masculine Perfume: Givenchy Gentleman never fails to bring me to my knees….. Colombina The Sexiest Feminine Perfume: Aftelier Tango - raw, haunting like a memory you are almost afraid to recall and ultimately tragic, like any true passion The Sexiest Masculine Perfume: Dior Fahrenheit - The Ultimate Man. The Ultimate Sexy. Donna The Sexiest Feminine Perfume: Caron Parfum Sacre. Enveloping, mysterious and men just love it; the only thing "sacred" about this baby is the name. The Sexiest Masculine Perfume: Montale Greyland. This unusual scent bowled me over right from the start with its Hot Romantic Hero vibe and stunning presence. Kelley My choice for sexiest fragrance (I would love to smell this on a man or a woman!) has to go to Serge Lutens Santal de Mysore. This is a spicy sandalwood scent with a gormand edge. Mmmm, it's damn sexy! Linda The Sexiest Feminine Perfume: Guerlain Vanille Spirituese - vanilla is man-bait, pure and simple. This very adult, boozy, beautiful vanilla delivers without too much ice cream-and-knee-socks kink in it. Vanilla, amber, or jasmine florals always get my partner's attention: either Vanille Spiriteuse or Monyette Paris have him nuzzling my neck before I can get out the door. The Sexiest Masculine Perfume: Hermes' Ambre Narguille - the warm, narcotic effect of this scent is so endlessly appealing. The scent swings from apple-pie wholesomeness to spicy hookah langour, all on a sinful amber vanilla background; I want to devour it. Marla The Sexiest Feminine Perfume: Hanae Mori's Magical Moon- white flowers, tropical fruit, and Asian incense, like a temple in the moonlight, romantic and sexy,too. The Sexiest Masculine Perfume: Gucci Pour Homme (original) papyrus, incense, woods, and spice, can't go wrong with these. Mr. Colombina The Sexiest Feminine Perfume: Off the top of my head I would choose D'zing. It's kind of leathery. And what's sexier than leather? The Sexiest Masculine Perfume: I will say Yatagan only because well I've worn it a lot lately and though I have not been keeping track, I suspect it perhaps coincidentally has been worn on more nights that led to 'amore' than other scents. Wearing it reminds me of passion. Tom The Sexiest Feminine Perfume: Piguet Fracas. If you are going to do tuberose, I say go the whole nine yards. This is film-noir tuberose: hot-house sultriness, a blonde in bias-cut satin, champagne-soaked sin. Like a Lamborghini or a 45 automatic, is perhaps not very appropriate for a trip to CostCo, but if I smell it on you there I will be grinning form ear to ear. The Sexiest Masculine Perfume: Muscs Kublai Khan. A suave conquerer of a fragrance; smells like post-coital bliss. I'd love to curl up in some chest hair and smell this.. And a bonus submission from Ina of Aromascope, who by the way is moving to her home-country today, so our best and warmest wishes go to Ina and her husband! The Sexiest Feminine Perfume: Frederic Malle Lipstick Rose. The Sexiest Masculine Perfume: Chanel Egoiste. For other Valentine perfumes lists, please visit Bois de Jasmin Now Smell This Perfume Posse

Bell Jars at Barney's

By Tom I had posted about this before, but I was in Barney's in Beverly Hills the other day and saw that the vaunted Bell Jars were there, for $290. I still don't know if they've migrated to every Barney's or just the larger ones (BH actually redid the first basement level into a whole realm of paint and fumes) but while I am glad that I don't have to ration (although $290 isn't exactly "spray liberally" territory considering my finances) it does take away some of the thrill of the chase. Back in the heady early days of my discovery of Serge Lutens and the discovery that I seriously lusted after several of his scents, he had a two-tier system: release something in the square bottles that were sold outside of Paris, and the Bell Jars were exclusive to the Paris Salon. If you lived in the EU you could order of course and there were people who were willing to part with semi-filled bottles on eBay, usually for about the price of a high-mileage Pinto. It always seemed to me that the non-exclusives were just a bit blander. That they were (dare I write it?) That they were a bot watered down. The big stuff, the ones that made you go "whoaaaah" or sometimes "yikes" were reserved for Paris. Of course you could get decants, but if you wanted the experience of your own neatly wrapped Bell Jar and wasn't going to Europe (and didn't live there) hoops had to be jumped. The fist Bell Jar I acquired was via a friend. He lives in New York, and was going to visit his parents who live in Switzerland. He offered to carry back and mail my bottle of Chêne if I would let his mother have anything they might shove extra into the package. I ordered online, it arrived in Switzerland and according to my friend, shove they did. They also sent a very sweet and Gallic note thanking me for purchasing. I still have the bottle. The second one was pure blackmail. A dear friend completely spaced my birthday and was terribly apologetic about it when she remembered weeks later. she asked how she could make it up to me. I knew that she was attending a wedding that would be in the south of France and would be in Paris for a few days. I told her that she would make my year if she could stop in the Palais and buy me a bottle of Muscs Kublai Khan, and that could be my present for two birthdays and Christmas. She hemmed and hawed, since she would have her mother and then 6-year old nephew in tow, but she eventually produced the bottle after telling me what a trial it was. About a year later, I was in New York visiting her and at her request got something for her out of her bedroom. On the vanity were to little black boxes containing Bell Jars of her own. I had to laugh. That and applaud her choices. That, and wonder what her mother's nightstand carried. The nephew I'm sure didn't indulge. In any case, the Palais only deal started to fade when "special editions" started appearing at Barneys in the square bottles. Then Berdgorfs received some of the Bell Jars, Then Barneys in New York got the full line, and now Beverly Hills. Like I wrote, I'm happy that I don't have to ration that bottle of Chêne like I was rationing Perrier in Death Valley. But I hate to admit it, the thrill of the hunt is gone. As well as the admitted snob appeal of telling someone who compliments you on your scent that it's only available in Paris. Even if you admit (as I always do) that I rely on the kindness of friends to supply it. Image: Serge Lutens

Miller Harris Fleurs de Sel and Frederick Malle French Lover, or, A Tale of Two Vetivers

Review by Tom These are two of the most talked about new releases, and lemming that I am, I had to try. Fleurs de Sel The kind decanter Nancy (fishbone96) sent me this, the newest creation by Lyn Harris. Fleurs de Sel is one of the lightest scents I have ever tried: I have to write that for me it makes L'Antimatiere seem like Musc Kublai Khan- I actually ordered more from Patty to get a handle on it. Not that I hold its lightness against it, from its sagey opening to its warm, salty-skin vetiver drydown it is a beauty. Created by Ms Harris to celebrate her memories of a village in Brittany called Batz sur Mer, if this is what a marsh smells like, then I want one. I don't get marsh out of it, I get the smell of clean skin that's been swimming in green waters: clean-skin musk, green-ness and the slightly salty smell that skin gets when lake water dries on sunkissed skin. I described L'Antimatiere as being the cashmere sweater you borrowed from your lover, still smelling of him. This is you and he after that lake swim, laying in the cool grass under a warm sun. I am going to live with the decant for a while: I've had other Miller Harris scents go sadly wrong on me so I want to make sure before popping for a full bottle, but so far I am pretty enamored. French Lover Oh my.. This has been compared to Guerlain Derby and it does make that same slashingly chic statement. On me the angelica takes a backseat to the vetiver: and what a vetiver! Incredibly full, it's supplanted with woods and incense and not a little musk. It also reminds me a bit of something else- somewhat as if Le Labo Vetiver and Guerlain Habit Rouge had a love child: It has the Le Laboish austere smokiness in its vetiver, but it has the swagger (the only way I can think of to put it) of Habit Rouge. Wearing it today maundering about in my paint-spattered t-shirt and old jeans, I kept getting marvelous little whiffs of it and felt distinctly underdressed. I also passed two people who visibly and enjoyably sniffed and then looked at over at unshaven me and visibly thought "Can't be him". This is the scent I would wear into a meeting with the CEO, a date with the person I wanted to marry or perhaps when being sentenced: it has a rock-ribbed patrician quality to it that's quite wonderful. Needless to say, I logged onto the Malle website and picked up a (small) bottle right away, especially since it will be renamed Bois d'Orage in the states, since it is felt that "French Lover" would not sell as well. Well "Thunder Wood" sounds like a porn star, and I like the original name. Fleurs de Sel will be out this summer at Saks and LuckyScent. Bois d'Orage will be at Barneys around the same time. French Lover can be bought at the Malle website.

Dirty Sexy Candy: Serge Lutens El Attarine

By Tom There was a point in my life where the promise of a new Serge filled me anticipation. I would try to jump though hoops. That was the heady years when Muscs Kublai Khan, Tubereuse Criminelle up to the release of Borneo 1834 and Chene. The last ones, even ones that I enjoyed (even ones that I bought) didn't exactly make me want to jump so high or so far. Dear Uncle Serge, I thought had been to that well just a few times too many, and frankly another trip to the nut/fruit/wood file I didn't think I needed. Then Patty sent me a decant of this. She wrote that it was like "like hot, sweaty sex in the forest", while our own Marina states that it's "superbly comforting". On me there's definitely a punch in the opening: the immortelle, cumin and fenugreek are undeniably drrrty: it's that scene in "The Postman Always Rings Twice" in a bottle. You certainly don't want to dab this on just before a job interview or an audience with your clergyman. After the "get down, get down" opening calms it becomes that creamy skin scent on me that Marina writes of. Not fluffy like Louve or foodie-literal like 5 O'Clock Au Gingembre, it's a plush-smelling skin scent with a sly wink. This is what happens when I stop paying attention.. El Attarine is available at the Palais Royal, tiresomely whipped only in the EU (although if rumors on Basenotes are to be believed, that police will be changing. I can't wait) Image source, salons-shiseido.com.

Summer Favorites

Alyssa L’Artisan, Nuit de Tubereuse. Go ahead, say I‘ve fallen for the hype. I don’t care. Austin has been hit by one tropical thunderstorm after another for the last month and this stuff, with it’s supercharged pepper top, green mango heart and creamy, yet transparent floral drydown is just too perfect for the electricity before the rain comes, and the green swampiness that hangs in the air afterwards. Beth I have fallen in love this summer with Chaparral by Roxana Villa , in fact, I just can't stop wearing it. This intoxicating blend of white sage, soft woods and frankincense melt together to become a wild honey on my skin that's absolute passion unbridled... Donna I have to choose La Via del Profumo's African Night, its floral and fruity notes mingled with calming green and earthy essences that make it smell like the sweet breath of the Earth exhaling in the coolness of awakening life as the sun goes down, making it the perfect antidote to both heat and stress. Kelley Green Water by Jacques Fath (1947, reformulated 2008) - It is like bathing in cool peppermint tea with slices of orange and orange flowers floating all around you! Linda I've been wearing Lostmarch's Din Dan this summer. It is by far the softest fragrance in my inventory: a burst of not-too-sweet lemon sherbet that very quickly mellows into a skin scent reminiscent of lemon cookies, the fuzzy skin of apricots, and a clean musk that remains feather light all day. It's so simple and so perfect for the heat. Marian Khaltat Nokhba by Al Qurashi, enhances the usual trio of oud, rose and musk with floral, spicy and herbal notes- a dry and cool antidote to summer’s flaming oppression. Marina The green, icy metal armour of Futur by Piguet has been my defense against the cruel heat of this summer. I can't help but think of the spiky, thorny, dry earthiness of the re-edition as of a protective shield. There is also a certain hidden floral sumptuous within the arid sharpness of the scent. Well concealed amongst the green branches and blades of grass, flowers, jasmine and ylang, suddenly open up in very hot weather, adding another enjoyable dimension to this very successfully resurrected masterpiece. Marla During the day, I’ve been wearing everything from Annick Goutal’s Mandragore Pourpre to Ninfeo Mio, but in the evenings, if it’s warm and sultry, I’ve been enjoying Penhaligon’s Amaranthine, which reminds me so much of the tropical gardens of the lower latitudes I miss so much… Tom The scent I've been reaching for this summer is an oldie, and one that most likely should be the dead last that most people should wear in summer: Muscs Kublai Khan by Serge Lutens. It's warm, slightly feral embrace is just what I've been needing on these cool Los Angeles evenings. If you would like to participate in a prize draw for a set of 10 summery samples (Marina's choice), please, say so in your comment. The winner will be chosen at random and announced next week. The draw is closed. To check other lists, please visit: Bois de Jasmin, Grain de Musc, Now Smell This and Perfume Posse Image by Rodney Smith.

Kiehl's Original Musk

By Tom Every so often someone on one of the boards at MUA or Basenotes will as the question "Is Kiehl's a substitute for Muscs Kublai Khan?" The short answer is "no", but that's also doing a disservice to Kiehl's. Although it was created years before, it's more of a "Princess Bride" of a musk, with the flowers at the fore and the musk more winking and far less dark than Mongol menace of the Lutens. Kiehl's Original Musk is almost impossibly cozy, with roses, lily and ylang-ylang and powder and just a hint of dirtyness in the patchouli musk finish. Comparisons aside, Original Musk is a pretty scent, easy to wear and easy to love. It's also easy to get, at $39.50 wherever Kiehl's is sold, along with shower gel and lotion at $15.50 and $19.50 respectively.

Perfume Review: Annick Goutal Musc Nomade

By Tom If you have read my blog or the past posts here on PST you will have more than covered the Agatha Christie-esque twists and turns that have brought this new scent to me. (all kudos to the ladies at the Perfumed Court for making up for the vicissitudes of the local Post Office- you ladies rock) Musc Nomade is the fourth scent in the new line of Goutals, called "Les Orientalists". The first three of which I liked immensely; I was unsure how I would find this one. The name suggest something wild, like Muscs Kublai Khan; the nose is Isabelle Doyen, responsible for Lez Nez' l'Antimatiere, a perfume so etherial some cannot discern it. Upon finally smelling Musc Nomade, I am struck that it is kind of sister of Etat Libre d'Orange's Tom of Finland scent. Sisters in a film-noir sense, like one where Bette Davis takes over the other one's life then has problems remembering where the bathrooms are. All that's deliberately, winkingly cheap about Tom of Finland is done here with a ruthlessly easy chic. Etat Libre's scent is all leather jackets, doublemint gum and the smell of the piers. It's New York in 1977. Musc Nomade is all about tanned, clean youthful skin, an expensive linen shift tossed on after an ocean dip, an evening on a terrace overlooking the Mediterranean that same year, wood, roses and your own fabulousness. Do I need to tell you which sister I want to be? Musc Nomade just might be getting to the US sometime in the Fall if the SA's are correct. In the mean time it can be ordered from the ever-delightful Lianne Tio from her boutique in the Netherlands. Since shipping covers I believe about four bottles, I suggest a bunch of you get together and do so in bulk.

Perfume Review: Serge Lutens Tubereuse Criminelle

Review by Tom I usually try to pretend to myself that there is no practical reason for a man not to be able to wear what has been considered usually a woman's scent. I usually just figure that one applies with a much lighter hand, say one touch of the perfume on the sternum rather than under each ear and on the wrist. Usually, I think that men can get away with this with practically any note but one: tuberose. Unlike Joe Gillis in "Sunset Blvd" I am not at all averse to tuberose, as a matter of fact it's the main note in one of my favorite women's scents Fracas. Fracas is not the scent for the young, the inexperienced, or the timid. It's the scent that an old-time movie star would wear- you can imagine that the scent that wafted off Joan Crawford or Barbara Stanwyck as they slung their mink onto the chaise while on their way to seduce, or shoot, or both their co-star. Fracas is the lady in the parlour who's a whore in the bedroom. Fracas is dangerous. Tubereuse Criminelle is the post-modern Fracas. It defies almost every convention of conventional perfumery that you can imagine. It has an opening that almost defies you to loathe it; a strange, almost sickly mentholated, smokey, leathery accord that also has whiffs of something very much like gasoline. (While writing this and re-reading it I realise that the only way I could make this read less appetizing or pleasant is if I wrote that it smelled of road kill and fruit loops). It's not as strong as I had been lead to believe by other reviews, but it's distinct, different and disconcerting, as if serving fair warning that this is not you mother's tuberose. It's also not entirely unpleasant, and fairly fleeting, as the tuberose starts to take over almost immediately. The tuberose becomes more and more distinct as the scent becomes more and more warm, with the cool menthol fading to the background. There's a rubbery accord stays muted but discernible, mainly reminding me of the actual feel of the flower: the slightly rubbery feel of the bloom, and the musk adds to the skin-like feeling of the scent. I also smell hyacinth, jasmine and vanilla, but they are distant seconds to the wonderfully seductive tuberose- and there's the leather. This is tuberose in bondage. If Fracas would be the scent that Joan Crawford would dab on before plugging Sydney Greenstreet, Tubereuse Criminelle would be what Uma Thurman would dab before opening a heaping helping can of whoop-ass on David Carradine. Needless to say, I would never wear this one out of the house. This is for you ladies only. As one of the exclusives, it's available only as a bell jar at the salon in Paris. Were I female, this and Muscs Kublai Khan would force me to hock my kidney to finance that trip. As it is, the tiny decant I have I will be happy to open on occasion and sniff away.

Perfume Review: Serge Lutens Ambre Sultan

Review by Tom It's almost impossible for me to think of reviewing Serge Luten's Ambre Sultan during an uncommonly hot and humid July in Los Angeles, (I know Al Gore's movie said the climate was changing, but by this week?) but I wrote that I would, so I will. Actually, maybe this is the perfect weather to review it: Beverly Hills feels like Morocco, so perhaps this is what it's supposed to be like... Ambre Sultan starts with a blast of spices, a bit more muted version of his trademark fireworks, this time in coriander, bay and oregano. The initial bitterness is almost immediately mitigated by a creamy undertone of amber, vanilla and balsam. Various other notes weave in and out: (very light) patchouli, sandalwood and vanilla until it settles down to the purest and most sensual amber. This is not the cold and hard amber of other perfumes, this is a thick, resinous musky amber that is almost as sexual as Musk Kublai Khan is to musk. Others have written that this is very close to the scent of a woman (not that I'd know, but I am willing to send on a sample to Mr. Colombina for confirmation), I feel that it's more the scent of tanned skin: the scent of a teenager who had a vacation on Santorini, who bathed in the ocean and spent the days on the sand. In any case, its sillage is not too much if you are sparing with the application (as usual with SL, something that applies to men more than women). Personally, I love this scent in winter: on one of our February days when it's pouring outside and my office is about 23 degrees to keep the computer happy, I can surreptitiously pull the collar of my shirt and get a grand whiff of that Greek Isle that I somehow only got near watching "Summer Lovers". Since it's only $92 from Barneys, Aedes or Neiman Marcus, you can save on that trip to Greece, and Peter Gallagher is on the O.C. anyway Next: It's too hot to commit myself. Can I review Air conditioning?

Perfume Reviews by Perfume House: R-Z

Perfume houses A-H, Perfume houses I-Q ____________ Ralph Lauren - Love - Notorious - Ralph Hot - Romance Always Yours --- Rance - Josephine --- Red Flower - Hammam Cardamom Amber --- Regina Harris - Amber Vanilla - Regina Harris (Frankincense Myrrh Rose Maroc Perfume) --- Reminiscence - Jammin --- Rich Hippie - Bohemian Wedding - Foxy Lady - Hoochie Coochie - Psychedelic Psychedelic Review 2 - Purple Haze - Rich Hippie - Woodstock --- Robert Piguet - Baghari - Bandit review 1 Marina Bandit review 2 Tom - Cravache - Fracas review 1 Marina Fracas review 2 Donna Fracas review 3 Beth - Futur - Visa --- Rochas - Absolu - Femme - Madame Rochas - Tocade review 1 Marina Tocade review 2 Donna --- Roxana Illuminated Perfumes - Chaparral - Gracing the Dawn - Peace - Phoenix Myster - Q - Vera - Reviews: 1, 2, 3 --- Sali Oguri - Pink Manhattan Purrfume Oil - Unreleased Mix aka Persephone --- Santa Maria Novella - Citta di Kyoto - Patchouli --- Sarah Horowitz-Thran (Creative Scentualizations) - Love --- Satellite - 40º à l’Ombre 40º à l’Ombre Review 2 - A la Figue A la Figue Review 2 - Corrida Corrida Review 2 - Ipanema Ipanema Review 2 - Padparadscha --- Scents by Alexis - Reviews: 1, 2, 3 --- Scents of Time - Part 1, 2, 3 Scent Systems - Oeillet --- Serge Lutens - Arabie - Ambre Sultan - Bas de Soie review 1 Tom Bas de Soie review 2 Marla - Bois de Violette - Bois et Fruits review 1 Marina Bois et Fruits review 2 Tom - Bois Oriental - Borneo 1834 Borneo 1834 Review 2 - Cedre - Cedre - Chene Chene Review 2 - Chergui review 1 Tom Chergui review 2 Donna - Chypre Rouge Chypre Rouge Review 2 - Clair de Musc Clair de Musc Review 2 - Cuir Mauresque - Daim Blond Daim Blond Review 2 - Datura Noir - Douce Amere - El Attarine review 1 Marina El Attarine review 2 Tom - Encens et Lavande - Filles en Aiguilles - Five O' Clock Au Gingembre review 1 Tom Five O'Clock Au Gingembre review 2 Marina - Fleurs de Citronnier - Fumerie Turque review 1 Tom Fumerie Turque review 2 Donna - Gris Clair Gris Clair Review 2 - Iris Silver Mist - L'Eau - Louve - Mandarine Mandarin Mandarine Mandarin Review 2 - Miel de Bois - Muscs Koublai Khan Muscs Kublai Khan Review 2 - Nuit de Cellophane - Rahat Loukoum Rahat Loukoum Review 2 - Rose de Nuit - Rousse Rousse Review 2 Rousse Review 3 - Sa Majeste la Rose review 1 Marina Sa Majeste la Rose review 2 Tom - Santal Blanc - Santal de Mysore - Sarrasins Review 1 Marina Sarrasins Review 2 Tom - Serge Noire - Tubereuse Criminelle Review 1 Tom Tubereuse Criminelle Review 2 Marina Tubereuse Criminelle Review 3 Donna - Un Bois Sepia - Un Lys Review 1 Tom Un Lys Review 2 Marina --- Severnoe Siyanie - Lesnoj Landysh --- Shalini - Shalini --- Shiseido - Basala - Chant du Coeur - Feminite du Bois Review 1 Marina Feminite du Bois Review 2 Mr Colombina Feminite du Bois Review 3 Tom - Inoui - Koto - Message From Orchids - Nombre Noir --- Sinfonia di Note - Coeur de Noisette - Saveur d'Artichaut --- Sisley - Soir de Lune --- Six Scents - Series 2 --- Slatkin - Black Fig & Absinthe --- Smell Bent - Rewiews: 1, 2, 3, 4 --- Sonya Rykiel - 7e Sense - Belle en Rykiel - Rykiel Woman --- Space NK - Melodrama --- S-Perfume - 100% Love - Lust Lust Review 2 - S-ex S-ex Revew 2 - Sloth --- Stephanie Saint-Aignan - Le Pot Aux Roses - Tobacco Mucho - Un The au Sahara --- Strange Invisible Perfumes - Aquarian Roses review 1 Tom Aquarian Roses review 2 Marina - Black Rosette - Epic Gardenia review 1 Tom Epic Gardenia review 2 Marina - Fire & Cream - Heroine - Musc Botaniquе - Narcotic - Trapeze - Urban Lily - Vine review 1 Marina Vine review 2 Tom --- Susanne Lang - Midnight Orchid (formerly Black Orchid) --- Tann Rokka - Kisu --- Tauer Perfumes - Carillon Pour un Ange - L’Air du Desert Marocain review 1 Marina L'Air du Desert Marocain review 2 Donna - Hyacinth and Mechanic review 1 Tom Hyacinths and Mechanic review 2 Kelley - Incense Extreme review 1 Tom Incense Extreme review 2 Donna - Le Maroc Pour Elle review 1 Marina Le Maroc Pour Elle review 2 Donna - Lonestar Memories review 1 Marina Lonestar Memories review 2 Tom - Orange Star - Orris - Orris Guest Review - Reverie au Jardin - Une Rose Chypree --- Taylor of London - Lily of the Valley --- Teo Cabanel - Alahine --- The Bermuda Perfumery - Navy Lime --- The Different Company - Jasmine de Nuit - Sel de Vetiver --- Theo Fennell - Theo Fennell --- The Party - The Party in Manhattan - The Ten Party --- Thierry Mugler - Alien - Angel Lily - Angel Peony - Angel Rose - Angel Violet - A Travers Le Miroir - Dis-Moi, Miroir - Miroir des Envies - Miroir des Secrets - Miroir des Vanites - Perfume Coffret - Amour and Psyche - Perfume Coffret - Baby - Perfume Coffret - Boutique Baldini - Perfume Coffret - Human Existence - Perfume Coffret - Nuit Napolitane - Perfume Coffret - Orgie - Womanity --- Tocca - Brigitte --- Tom Ford - Amber Absolute Review 1 Marina Amber Absolute Review 2 Tom - Black Orchid - Black Orchid Voile de Fleur Eau de Toilette - Black Violet Review 1 Marina Black Violet Review 2 Tom - Bois Rouge Review 1 Marina Bois Rouge Review 2 Tom - Champaca Absolute - Japon Noir Review 1 Marina Japon Noir Review 2 Tom - Moss Breches Review 1 Marina Moss Breches Revew 2 Tom - Neroli Portofino Review 1 Marina Neroli Portofino Review 2 Tom - Noir de Noir Review 1 Marina Noir de Noir Review 2 Tom - Oud Wood Review 1 Marina Oud Wood Review 2 Tom - Purple Patchouli Review 1 Marina Purple Patchouli Review 2 Tom - Tobacco Vanille Review 1 Marina Tobacco Vanille Review 2 Tom - Tuscan Leather Review 1 Marina Tuscan Leather Review 2 Tom - Velvet Gardenia Review 1 Marina Velvet Gradenia Review 2 Tom - White Patchouli --- Trance Essence - Reviews: 1 Van Cleef & Arpels - Collection Extraordinaire Bois d'Iris - Collection Extraordinaire Overview - Feerie --- Velvet and Sweet Peas Purrfumery - Black Cat - Reviews: 1 --- Vero Kern - Kiki review 1 Kiki review 2 Donna - Onda Review 1 Marina Onda Review 2 Tom - Rubj - Kiki, Rubj, Onda in EDP --- Versace - Dreamer - Gianni Versace --- Vivienne Westwood - Anglomania - Boudoir --- Voluspa - Cult of Helios --- Washington Tremlett - Black Tie - Clove Absolute - Royal Heroes --- Weil - Zibeline --- Wickle - Chestnut & Vetiver --- Worth - Courtesan --- Xerjoff - Damarose - Dhofar - Irisss - Modoc - Oesel - Oroville - Shingl - XXY --- Yachtsman - Reviews: 1 --- Yardley - Lily of the Valley --- Yosh - Kismet - Sottile 1.61 --- Yves Rocher - Neonatura Cocoon - Pur Desir de Lys - Voile d'Ambre --- Yves Saint Laurent - M7 - Opium - Parisienne ---