It's All About Miss Dior - Perfume Review à Trois

I have the hardest time reviewing perfumes I love the most. I feel that there is no way I can do them justice or can even be able to express what I feel. I have been postponing writing about Miss Dior for a long time, but I finally felt I had to declare my undying love for her. Having been introduced in 1947, Miss Dior celebrates her 60th birthday this year. To go a little over the top for my Holiest of Grails and to make the review more special, I bribed and blackmailed Tom and Mr. Colombina into writing about it with me. And thus I present to you Miss Dior - Review à Trois Colombina (Call Me Miss Dior): When Dior introduced his New Look, Harper’s Bazaar related that Dior affects mild surprise at the furore that has greeted his designs, for he considered them, as befits an introductory collection, to be simple and conservative. But to the fashion world, his long billowing skirts, high small waists, and narrow shoulders, are both revolutionary and immensely chic. (Christian Dior by Diana de Marly, page 20) Like his New Look designs, Dior’s perfumes combine almost-austere, conservative elegance with fantastic opulence and quite shamelessly animalic undertones. The contrast is very apparent in Miss Dior, the “introductory, first” perfume to come from Maison Dior. The innovative green accord of galbanum and sage is like a tight-fitting, severely-tailored, “simple and conservative” Dior jacket, from under which billows a lavishly-full corolla skirt of heady flowers. The green sharpness and the floral sweetness declare themselves right in the top notes, where galbanum battles gardenia for domination, with aldehydes adding an extra soupçon of chic to the elegant brew. The green leitmotif continues to run through the middle stage, where the headiness of jasmine, rose and neroli appear like a luxuriant bouquet tied with a silvery-green thread of Dior’s beloved lily of the valley. The carnation is quite prominent in the heart and, to me, its dark, floral spiciness serves like a bridge to the mossy, leathery, earthy drydown, where vetiver (green again!), leather (more apparent in the vintage Miss Dior), almost-sweet patchouli, amber and velvety sandalwood form what I came to think of as the trademark Dior base. It is rather dark and it is rather blatantly dirty (again, in the “old” Miss Dior more so than in the “new” one), and I adore it. I must add that although vintage Miss Dior is, of course, superior to the new version, the Miss Dior that is sold nowadays should not be discarded as unwearable and unattractive. Yes, it has lost some of its darkness and intensity, but it is still, recognizably, Miss Dior. I wear the contemporary Eau de Toilette almost everyday, with much pleasure. I find the added sharpness in the top notes to be actually extremely appealing. Miss Dior is perhaps more “me” than any other perfume I love. I relax into this scent like into a perfectly-fitted Dior dress. Like that dress, it is chic but extremely wearable and always appropriate. To use Jerry Maguire’s words, I love Miss Dior; it completes me. Tom (Memories): When Colombina suggested this three-way review, I thought "cool, I can get away with a couple of paragraphs: V A C A T I O N!" Then she suggested we review Miss Dior, which I had not smelled in years. It was one of my mother's stand-by scents: an important evening party meant Joy, a "date" with my father meant Bandit or Antilope, the rest of the time it was Miss Dior. My mom was what once referred to as a "difficult" woman: by 13 she had reached nearly six feet when most men didn't get that high. She was the only daughter of the Irish immigrant gardener on one of the large houses in town, and before settling down into a nice safe life with my father (who decided upon first sight of her that she would be his wife); she had a stint in an all-girl band playing the Hawaiian Guitar and as a fashion model. She married up, into a family that while it did not arrive on the Mayflower, pretty much swam in after. However, if anyone was going to think they could shame her with a shanty-Irish background, think again: she didn't take crap from John Robert Powers; she wasn't going to from some Aryan from Darien either. I can still remember being partly mortified and yet terribly proud when she slung on her mink and went into my junior high school to give my geography teacher what-for. My mother had a dinner party the night before and didn't have time to make a cover for my text book. He took the book away and told me one of my parents would have to see him to get it back. It was a short interview that ended with my mother coming out of the building in about ten minutes with the aforementioned tome, a very red-faced teacher, and a school abuzz for days. Would this stand up to memory? Are y'all still awake? I found a beensy sized bottle of the EdT version at a discounter on Broadway in downtown LA for $7 and hoped for the best. I head read that this had been reformulated, and that on top of being EdT. I wondered. I needn't have. One whiff and I was back in the backseat of that Ninety-Eight: it opens with a sparking-bright whiff of green Aldehydes and that singular sage and gardenia opening. A lot of modern perfumes seem to come in acts: stage one, stage two and stage three. While there are definitely a top, middle and bottom to this fragrance, they are so seamlessly done that the memory of the previous ones are never far off, the hover like the voices in a fugue. The opening is supplanted by jasmine and rose, in turn supplanted by oakmoss and labdanum. This being the EdT, I am feeling that there is something missing, I don't smell patchouli in the drydown much and I seem to remember a bit of civet in there. The EdT is light enough for a guy to get away with wearing. Would I try? Nope. It's intrinsically tied to memories of my mother, and although I do resemble her (and I thank the genetic crapshoot I got her green eyes!) I don't really need to smell like her. I do know that this apple hasn't fallen far from that tree- were she alive she would without any compunction whatever poach my MKK. Mr. Colombina (Conspiracy Theory): (Perhaps to the surprise of Colombina) Even I, the Joe Numnutz of Perfume World, know that Miss Dior is a classic. A sort of Citizen Kane of smell. So when asked to comment on it, I thought I’d bring a different angle. Colombina is more than qualified to tell you how this Chypre – Floral Animalic from Christian Dior blends notes of … what did she tell me it was … parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme? So I will instead take you back to 1947, the year Miss Dior was launched. Harry Truman is in the White House. Joe Stalin is in the Kremlin. Aviator, Chuck Yeager broke the sound barrier in the X-1. Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier and became the first African-American to play in modern major league baseball. Also in 1947: India and Pakistan gain independence from Britain Newfoundland and Labrador joins Canada Invention of the transistor at Bell Labs The Dead Sea Scrolls are discovered at Qumran The Marshall Plan for reconstruction in Europe begins Tennessee Williams' play, "A Streetcar Named Desire", opens on Broadway Howdy Doody makes its TV debut ‘The Diary of Anne Frank’ is published Britain's Princess Elizabeth marries Phillip Mountbatten, Duke of Edinburgh Jean Paul Sartre writes “Existentialism & Humanism” And most importantly, Tupperware is invented! (by Earl Tupper) Also in 1947… Dior introduces the “new look”, Dior pairs it with a new scent … Miss Dior. Meanwhile, also in 1947, a UFO crashed at Roswell, New Mexico. Coincidence? Oh sure, and I suppose you think it’s a coincidence that there are 24 hours in a day, and 24 beers in a case. Coincidence? I think not. That’s right perfume fans; I tell you that Miss Dior was the scent brought to us by well-smelling aliens! I could prove it if it were not for the fact I am convinced my internet activity is being monitored by the department of defense. Ever wonder why perfumes are sold in “department” stores? Later in my review you will understand why … but for now, I just want you to take a REAL close look at this photo of Mr. “so-called” Christian Dior. In all seriousness, wouldn’t “Area 51” sound like a great name for an out-of-this-world fragrance? And again in all seriousness … I must say I like Miss Dior. It is extremely pleasant and pleasing. It IS a classic scent in this one sense to me … It smells like it could be worn as attractively on a sweet old grandmother and provide her an air of class … yet at the same time … could be worn as a pheromonal/hormonal awakening elixir by some hot young babe (IE Colombina) to indicate the onset of a particularly sensual evening. How a single scent makes that transition is as classified as any Roswell information. But I would say its existence precedes essence (thank you Mr. Sartre). And getting back to my Alien Conspiracy theory for a moment …I want NOW you to take a look at a recently declassified photo of the space alien captured at Roswell in 1947. Any questions? Keep it Real. Peace Out Mr. Colombina Image sources: art.com (Sergei Eisenstein,Marlene Dietrich and Joseph Sternberg in 1930), designmuseum.org (Dior Bar Suit), okadi.com, parfumdepub.net.

Favorite Things 2006 aka Golden Colombinas

There is a wonderful tradition in a perfume/beauty-blogging universe of doing a collective post at the end of the year about the things we loved the most. This year, our project is entitled Favorite Things 2006. As far as Perfume-Smellin’ Things is concerned, from this year on, this “best of” post will also be known as Golden Colombina Awards. Our first Category is The Favorite New Perfume Line. The nominees are: Le Labo LesNez Mona di Orio Parfum d’Empire Parfumerie Generale Tauer Perfumes And the Golden Colombina goes to… Parfumerie Generale. Out of twenty or so of their scents, I love many (Aomassai, Bois de Copaiba, Cuir Venenum, Iris Taizo, Musc Maori, Tubereuse Couture…) and like practically all. I am looking forward to more Parfumerie Generale fragrances next year…and to all of them being sold in the US. The Favorite New Perfume Release. The nominees are: Black Orchid by Tom Ford Blue Agava & Cacao by Jo Malone Bois d’Armenie by Guerlain Cuir Ottoman by Perfume d’Empire Fleur de Narcisse by L’Artisan L’Air de Rien by Miller Harris Le Parfum Coffret (as a whole) by Thierry Mugler Mandarine Mandarin by Serge Lutens Paestum Rose by Eau d’Italie Patchouli 24 by Le Labo Songes by Annick Goutal West Side by Bond No 9 And the winner is…I could not choose just one. Black Orchid, Bois d’Armenie and Fleur de Narcisse will each receive a Golden Colombina. These three scents never fail to impress and excite me; they are beautiful, deep, evocative and extremely wearable. The Favorite Perfumer. The nominees: Anne Flipo (for Fleur de Narcisse and many other L’Artisan scents) Annick Menardo (for Bois d’Armenie, Patchouli 24 and Black) Chris Sheldrake (for numerous Serge Lutens fragrances) Christophe Laudamiel (for Le Parfum Coffret) Francis Kurkdjian (for Indult Isvaraya and MDCI K/3) Marc-Antoine Corticchiato (for Cuir Ottoman and Ambre Russe) Maurice Roucel (for basically everything he does and just because) Pierre Guillaume (for the whole Parfumerie Generale line) And the winner is…Annick Menardo. She does the things with leather and vanilla that no one else can do, making leather forceful and comforting at the same time. Here is wishing for more Menardo creations next year! The Scents I Wore and Enjoyed the Most in 2006. The nominees are: 1000 by Jean Patou Black by Bvlgari Black Orchid by Tom Ford Bois d’Armenie by Guerlain Cashmere by Cristiano Fissore Colognes (Bois d’Argent, Cologne Blanche and Eau Noire) by Christian Dior Colony by Jean Patou Cuir de Russie by Chanel Cuir Ottoman by Parfum d’Empire Cuir Venenum by Parfumerie Generale Daim Blond by Serge Lutens Diorling by Christian Dior Dzing! by L’Artisan Flowerbomb Extreme by Viktor & Rolf Guet-Apens by Guerlain Kolnisch Juchten by Farina Gegenuber and Parfums Regence Jasmin Full by Montale L’Arte di Gucci L’Eau du Navigateur by L’Artisan Le Parfum de Therese by Frederic Malle Messe de Minuit by Etro Miss Dior by Christian Dior Musc Ravageur by Frederic Malle Muscs Koublai Khan by Serge Lutens Vanille Tonka by Parfums de Nicolai Vie de Chateau by Parfums Nicolai Yatagan by Caron And the Golden Colombina goes to…Dzing! by L’Artisan – for being everything I like in perfume. It has leather, it has some sweetness, it has animalic undertone, it is complex, it takes me back to good times in my life…it is a perfection. The Honorary Awards. These awards shall be given to honor perfume lines, perfumers and perfume notes for extraordinary distinction in lifetime achievement, exceptional contributions to perfumery, and for outstanding service in delighting, captivating and entertaining Colombina. The Honorary Award - Perfume Line or House goes to…Christian Dior. Practically every scent done by this House up to the year 1999 (remembered with dread as the year of J’Adore) has been wonderful. All of the classic Diors (Miss Dior, Diorella, Dioressence, Diorissimo, Diorling, Dior-Dior, Diorama and the modern classic, Poison) “fit” me to the extent that I feel they were somehow created for me, with my tastes and sensibilities in mind. Although I am not a fan of most Dior scents created since 1999, I don’t think this is the end for Dior. I hope that it is not even the beginning of the end. Dior Homme, Bois d’Argent, Cologne Blanche and Eau Noire make me optimistic. If I have one wish for 2007, it is for Dior to re-issue The Classics for wider distribution. This year, The Honorary Award – Perfumer / Lifetime Achievement is directly related to The Honorary Award - Perfume Line or House. I would like us all to remember Edmond Roudnitska and the amazing fragrances created by him for Dior (as well as Hermes, and Rochas!). His wife Therese might have been his muse, but I feel as if he created his perfume for me and me alone. Not a single of his creation I do not love or find difficult to wear. Here is to Roudnitska, with much respect and admiration! The Honorary Award – Perfume Note 2006. This year was all about Leather for me. From the hardcore, sinister, vintage leathers like Lancôme Cuir to the elegant leather chypres like Miss Dior and Diorling, to the barbaric, tarry concoctions like Kolnisch Juchten and Patchouli 24, to the almost-edible, sweet leather of Cuir Venenum and Colony, to the cuddly comfort leather in Bois d’Argent…I love them all. My ambition is to try all leather scents ever created and to eventually own most of them. Yes, I dream big. I am working on a Directory of Leather scent and am hoping to add it to this blog in the beginning of 2007. The special shout-out this year goes to Floral Notes, especially lily of the valley, jasmine and tuberose. The end of the world might be upon us, because this former (white-)floral-hater has been enjoying and craving some pretty heady floral stuff in 2006. And to prove that I am human and not ALL about perfume, here are my two non-perfume favorite things from 2006: Armani Prive Luminous Silk Foundation. Lightweight, amazingly efficient at concealing the imperfections, long-lasting and easy-to-blend, this is the foundation for which I have been looking for the last 10 years. What’s even more important, one of the shades, No 5, is absolutely perfect for me. Comodynes Sunless Tanning Towelettes. The self-tanning solution for which I have been looking for the last 10 years. Non-greasy, fast-absorbing, non-streak and easy to apply, these towelettes are a dream come true. Every self-respecting award ceremony must have at least one tearful thank you speech. So here is mine. I want to thank my wonderful perfume friends for making it possible to try the fragrances I could never have been able to try were it not for the generosity of my fellow perfume-addicts, for sharing their thoughts, impressions, perfume gossip and perfume news and for listening to my ramblings. Big, huge Thank You to the readers of Perfume-Smellin’ Things. (It still amazes me that there ARE readers.) Your comments make me so happy. And Special Thank You to my wonderful contributor Tom and the reluctant budding parfumista Mr. Colombina, the latter both for writing posts for me and for tolerating my obsession. Happy 2007, everybody! Image sources: perfumer.s-perfume.com, okadi.com, art-et-parfum.com, british-wild-flowers.co.uk, topfoto.co.uk Please visit other blogs to read about more things we loved in 2006: Afrobella All About The Pretty Aromascope Beauty Addict Beauty Blogging Junkie Beauty by Nadine Beautiful Makeup Search & Beauty Blog Beauty Hatchery Beauty Jones Blogdorf Goodman Bois de Jasmin BonBons in the Bath Brain Trapped in Girl's Body Capital Hill Barbie C'est Chic Coquette Crazy Jay Blue eBeautyDaily Girl's Handbook Hautemommastuff Koneko's *Mostly* Beauty Diary! Legerdenez Makeup Bag Monkeyposh My Muse No one knows why the wolf laughs Now Smell This Peppermint Patty's Perfume Posse Platinum Blonde Life Product Girl Scentzilla! She'll Be Feverish After So Much Thinking Slap of the Day The Customer Is Always Right The Daily Obsession The Great She Elephant The Life As A Ladybug The Non-Blonde Urbane Girl Victoria's Own

An Island in the Stream: The Enduring Mystique of Shalimar

By Donna So here’s what happened - I went into my local Nordstrom store to check out the summer Dior scents. Escale à Portofino was in; the new Escale à Pondichery I had hoped to find had yet to arrive. I sniffed the Portofino, I was under whelmed, and I was even more disheartened when the Dior SA said they did not even have the “regular” Miss Dior anymore. The only ones on the shelf were Miss Dior Cherie and the very latest one, Miss Dior Cherie “L’Eau”, an even more diluted shadow of the original. I did not even know it existed until then, and I really don’t care, if the truth were known. (They no longer carry Diorissimo either, only Saks has it.) I wandered over to the wall o’ scents to see if there was anything new or noteworthy I should try. Recalling the recent lamentations over the reformulation of Annick Goutal’s iconic Eau d’ Hadrien, I sprayed some of that on my wrist, and to my horror it was even worse than I had feared. I turned to find Cartier’s Roadster; its cold and metallic facelessness was almost frightening. What was wrong, that everything smelled off somehow, jarring and dissonant? I reached for the familiar comfort of Vera Wang, but found none in its bland, anonymous sweetness. The five new Dolce & Gabbana summer fragrances were in, but having read about how disappointing they were I was just not in the mood to go there. I needed a palate cleanser in a big way. The Hermès Jardin series scents were too transparent to clear my nose of the wreckage of the Eau d’ Hadrien impostor, as were the Pradas, what to do? In desperation I eyed the Guerlain lineup; looking for Mitsouko, but the tester bottle was gone. So I did the last thing I would have expected when I walked into the store – I grabbed the Shalimar tester and sprayed a healthy dose onto my arm. What happened next will go down in my personal history as a pivotal moment. I had never been able to warm up to the Queen Of All Perfumes for some reason, finding it too sweet and heavy for my taste and reminiscent of the bejeweled and semi-fossilized ladies at the cosmetics counters of a long-gone downtown department store. I associated it with too much caked-on makeup, overdone rouge and ropes of fake pearls. I tried it from time to time and as I got older, I was able to appreciate it on the level of understanding that it was masterfully composed of high-quality materials, but not in an emotional sense. It never got to me. But standing in that crowded store surrounded by the fumes of inferior fragrance products, I had an epiphany – I finally “got” it! I pressed my nose to my arm and it was like everything else had gone away, and there was nothing but Shalimar and me, bonded together on an astral plane of escape. I was so shocked that when I finally pried my face from my arm, I promptly sprayed some more on the other arm, just to be sure. Oh yes. It had finally happened; I loved Shalimar at last. Just to be sure I asked an SA to make me up a sample, and when I got home I put on some more, and then even more at bedtime, and when I woke up, there was no doubt remaining. The scent had spent the night bonding with my skin in an orgy of Guerlinade, and it was good. I shouldn’t really be surprised that it happened now, since I have been working my way up the perfume food chain since my teen years, going from light girly florals to darker florals (including Guerlain’s Nahéma) to edgy chypres to sumptuous Orientals like my beloved Bal à Versailles, which would almost certainly not even exist but for Shalimar being there first; they have much in common, except the ratio of “skank” to vanilla is reversed, with Shalimar having rather less of the former. Something deep down inside the Shalimar seems almost smoky, and combined with the lushness of the rose and the sweetness of vanilla, amber and tonka bean, it somehow conjures up an image of burnished gold flickering in firelight – a magic lantern, perhaps? The deeply resonant animalic notes are barely kept in check by the beautiful iris note, but somehow the line is held – the one that Bal à Versailles gleefully crosses – and it never becomes dirty or vulgar, even as rich and redolent as it is. And this is just the Eau de Toilette! I never thought I would say this, but I believe that a bottle of Shalimar Eau de Parfum, or even Parfum, is in my future. (I don’t know how much any reformulation may have affected Shalimar, but it smells the same to me as it always has, it’s just my attitude that shifted.) This experience really highlighted for me (again) how much of an abyss there is between the classic ideal of fine perfumes and what modern fragrance marketing has become. I tried one fragrance that day that was distinctive for literally fifteen seconds before it smelled like everything else; Shalimar has been outstanding in its class since 1925. Wave after wave of “new” scents are released into the consumer stream each year; how many are even worth spending your olfactory cells on in the pursuit of trying to keep up with all the latest trends? Meanwhile, standing firm against the torrent are the great ones, Shalimar and her sisters and brothers, the artistic icons of perfumery. Decades pass and still they endure, the longtime signature fragrances of Guerlain, Caron, Jean Patou, Rochas, Dior and the other great houses, quietly and steadily selling bottle after bottle to those who know they will never be disappointed by the contents. Maybe that’s why I finally understood it, surrounded by a river of mediocrity and finding one immovable monument to rescue me. Image credit: A pavilion in the real Shalimar Gardens in Lahore, Pakistan, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, built by the Moghul Emperor Shah Jahan in1641 A.D. From Wikipedia.org by GNU Free Documentation license, photo by Ali Imran.

Coupling

Once in a while, when I suffer from a blogger's block, I turn to Mr Colombina for post ideas. Yesterday he asked me an interesting question: do the scents that a couple wears have to be coordinated, and if so, which feminine fragrances would go best with which masculine fragrances, and would I list some of my most favorite men's scents and pair them with their ideal feminine counterparts. I firmly believe that everyone should wear what they like (and what the other partner doesn't actively dislike) and only be concerned about the amount of scent they put on (so as to not overpower the perfume the other person wears...I for one resent it tremendously, when, going out and having put on the rarest and the most expensive of parfums, I am then unable smell to it, because my nose is simply stuffed with the fumes of my partner's cologne of choice)...But I thought it was a fun exercise. So here is the list of my favorite masculine perfumes, coupled with the scents that I think "go" with them the most. No thorough analysis was put into this, I went with my first instinct, which, looking at it now, was to complement what I feel are the main notes in masculine scents with similar notes in feminine scents. And thus we have: 1. Dior Fahrenheit for him - L'Artisan Dzing for her 2. Chanel Egoiste for him - Chanel Bois des Iles for her 3. Dior Eau Noire for him - Serge Lutens Encens et Lavande or Montale Boise Vanille for her 4. Annick Goutal Duel for him - Bond No 9 West Broadway for her 5. Caron Yatagan for him - Guerlain Jicky for her 6. Dior Eau Sauvage for him - Diorella or Diorama for her 7. D'Orsay Le Dandy for him - Lubin Idole for her 8. Geoffrey Beene Gray Flannel for him - Caron Violette Precieuse (old version) for her 9. Guerlain Derby for him - Miss Dior for her 10. Knize 10 for him - Caron Tabac Blond for her 11. Terre d'Hermes for him - L'Artisan Dzongkha for her 12. Gucci Homme for him - Caron Parfum Sacre for her 13. Dior Homme for him - Prada Infusion d'Iris for her 14. Czech & Speake No 88 for him - Gucci L'Arte di Gucci for her 15. Amouage Jubilation XXV for him - Montale Golden Aoud for her There is a practically limitless amount of ways in which one could go about coupling scents. (You could, of course, take a shortcut and wear the ready made his-and-hers scents offered by companies, but that is kind of boring.) For example, instead of matching the main notes, as I did, you could choose to complement the less prominent accords: the powdery floralcy of Fahrenheit would go wonderfully well with a soft violet scent, say, LesNez The Unicorn Spell, and an iris fragrance like Iris Silver Mist would highlight the delicate orris in Duel. Contrasting scents might work just as well and perhaps be even more fun than the matchy-matchy approach. Imagine the rich darkness of Knize 10 next to the dazzling whiteness of Lys Mediterranee! Or the resolutely non-floral Yatagan next to the exuberant tuberose of Carnal Flower! The smoldering Gucci Homme next to the ethereal Clair de Musc. (Again, I can't stress it enough, please, be mindful of the amount you apply!) By the way, nothing should prevent you from reversing the list! Let him wear your Miss Dior and wear his Derby. Fahrenheit is perfectly wearable for a woman, and a man can easily pull off wearing Diorama. And this brings me to Mr Colombina's second question: can women and men share perfume? My answer is a resounding Yes! I think there is nothing sexier than sharing a scent with someone you love. My favorite perfumes to share: all listed above, plus Chanel Coromandel, Bond No 9 Silver Factory, Montale Black Oud, Histoire de Parfums Marcquis de Sade, Jo Malone Pomegranate Noir... I was also asked whether I think that some scents should never be worn together. I honestly can't think of an example of completely clashing fragrances. Pink Sugar and Cool Water? Or is it just my dislike for the scents talking here? If you love each other, perfumes you wear will always seem perfectly matching and ideally suited. Just please don't over-apply. So what are your ideas on the coupling of scents? Do you match your perfume to that of your partner? What are your favorite combinations?

My Top 25

The Fragrance Board of Makeupalley, of which I am a loyal member, is in the midst of voting for the Top 25 Perfumes of 2007. The 2006, 2005, and 2004 results are fun to read...the Evil POTL was Top 1 scent twice; hopefully its cloying, ambery reign will end this year. I submitted my Top 25 yesterday and decided to share it with you, because I want you to share yours with me, because I think that Lists Are Fun, and because I hope that posting my list will prevent me from rethinking, editing and resubmitting it. It was very hard to rank the scents, they are all No 1 in my heart. 1. Dzing by L'Artisan. The number-one-est of them all. Sweet Circus Leather, it reminds me of the most wonderful time of my life, and just generally... completes me. 2. Diorama by Christian Dior. Supreme elegance and shocking dirtiness. Everything I love in perfume, everything I admire about Roudnitska's creations. 3. Messe de Minuit by Etro. My savior, the keeper of my sanity, the loyal companion of my moody days. It soothes, centers me...It also layers fantastically well with many, many scent. My favorite combo is Messe plus Yatagan, I call it my I Hate The World combo. Messe de Minuit is also great layered with dark rose scents like A Maze, and with pure-white floral blends like Casablanca. 4. Le Jasmin by Annick Goutal. Jasmine Champagne. Sparkling, effervescent, intoxicating. One of the most beautiful jasmine fragrances I know. 5. Guet-Apens by Guerlain (or Attrape-Coeur, I am not fussy). Soft glamour, golden shimmer, warmth and comfort. 6. Eau Noire by Christian Dior. Like Messe de Minuit, this, to me, is comfort scent extraordinaire. Meditative, tranquil, and, as a bonus, very elegant. 7. Muscs Koublai Khan by Serge Lutens. Animalic refinement. Refined beast of a musk. Sex in a bottle. 8. Casablanca by Antica Farmacista. The one lily scent that is not cold, Casablanca is creamy, warm, slightly spicy and enveloping. 9. L'Eau du Navigateur by L'Artisan. Soft and husky, elegant and wild...my sexy, comforting pirate of a scent. 10. Diorling by Christian Dior. Auster and sensual, this dry, leathery chypre is probably one of the most refined scents ever created. 11. Miss Dior. When I don't know what scent to wear, I wear Miss Dior. Like Dzing, it completes me. 12. Chanel No. 22. If I could turn back time, I would have gotten married wearing Chanel No 22, this breathtaking aldehydic white floral with an unexpected, wonderful incense accord. 13. Chanel No. 18. Another scent that feels absolutely "right" when I put it on. It is "my" scent, it feels like "me", it is about about me, it was created for me. Sorry, everyone else who loves it, No. 18 is all mine. 14. 31 Rue Cambon by Chanel. Complex, indescribably, utterly gorgeous and soft. Divine. 15. L'Arte di Gucci. My "Rich Bitch" scent to wear with very high heels, diamonds, furs and an attitude. 16. Daim Blond by Serge Lutens. The softest and most expensive of all suedes. Absolute elegance. 17. Flowerbomb Extreme by Viktor & Rolf. So pretty, so sweet, so smooth, such a hit with Mr Colombina. Adore it. 18. Cashmere by Cristiano Fissore. Warm and cold, soft and a little "scratchy", this is my favorite bedtime scent and a perfect fragrance to wear with a ladylike cashmere twinsets in tasteful pastel colors. 19. Jasmal by Creed. Cold, breezy, intoxicating. I crave it so much I could just drink it or swim in it. 20. Rousse by Serge Lutens. Rousse went from "meh" to Top 25 in a couple of short months. Its understated, dry spices, its soft, enveloping woods are extremely attractive. Serge, I take back what I said before. I was wrong. 21. Black by Bvlgari. Annick Menardo at her absolute best. Vanilla that is not fluffy and sweet. Leather that is not in the least harsh, but actually soft and very comforting. 22. Black Orchid by Tom Ford. I realize that I am one of, oh, 5 or 7 people in the world for whom this striking, complex, sultry blend works like a charm. Dark, enveloping, exotic, luxurious, Black Orchid is a stunner. 23. Cuir Ottoman by Parfum d'Empire. My sexy biker-sultan. Gasoline, leather and orris, tres chic! 24. Vacances by Jean Patou. Spring, bottled. Lilac, mimosa, heartbreaking, fragile beauty. 25. Passage d'Enfer by L'Artisan. Cold, aloof incense. When I wear it, it envelopes me like a grey cloud that protects me from the worldly troubles. Honorable mentions go to Frederic Malle Une Fleur de Cassie, Jean Patou Colony, MDCI FK3/ Enlevement au Serail, Hermes Parfum des Merveilles, Parfum d'Empire Ambre Russe, Parfums de Nicolai Vie de Chateau and Vanille Tonka, Parfumerie Generale Psychotrope, Guerlain Muguet, Annick Goutal Le Muguet, Christian Dior Diorissimo and Juozas Statkevicius. It is your turn now, please share your favorites!

Hiding in Plain Sight: Acqua di Parma Profumo

By Donna Does anyone else think of light floral scents and not much else from Acqua di Parma? Violet of course, as well as magnolia and iris soliflores, and the Colonia unisex eau de cologne, but not what some people would call “serious perfume.” For some reason I never knew that there was a chypre in the line, but when a friend sent me a sample of their Profumo I did a double take. This gorgeous thing was from a house known for its sweet little violets and light cologne? Tell me more! Acqua di Parma Profumo has the easy, understated grace so often found in better Italian fragrances. It's one of those rare scents that seems to be perfect for just about any occasion you can think of, the one you reach for when nothing else seems right, yet it has a very distinctive character of its own too; it's no “wallpaper” fragrance. My first encounter with Profumo was the current version; the scent was originally launched in 1930, relaunched in 2000, but was reformulated in 2008 presumably due to the new IFRA restrictions on natural materials. This means no actual oakmoss, but it's a delight anyway. Silky smooth soft woody modern chypre character, and immediately likeable even for someone like me who is suspicious of fragrances with the chypre label that don't have the classic base. At first it reminded me of Balmain's Ambre Gris and other similar types with a clean musk base, but it never went “laundry” or sharp on my skin like so many of these will do. In fact it actually has a rather creamy character once it warms up and the citrus opening of bergamot and a particularly delightful orange subsides. The floral heart of jasmine, rose, ylang ylang and a very generous dose of iris is just gorgeous. Warm and ambery base notes create an enveloping embrace for this elegant composition, and it's one of the rare recent reformulations that I can recommend wholeheartedly. I can say this because I have also tried the previous version; after sampling the 2008 release, I became curious about the older one and I bought a mini of it online. When I tried it out I knew immediately that it was indeed the pre-reformulation one, because it had the real oakmoss and patchouli notes right from the start. What is does share with the new one is a soft and gentle quality that's uncommon in chypres, and its restrained and elegant character is truly outstanding. To me it smells rather like a misty, romantic Miss Dior as if experienced through a gauzy filter. Now I love Miss Dior as much as anyone, but she is a powerful presence, so if you love her too and you are unhappy with what an unfortunate reformulation has done to that great icon, it's worth it to seek out the older formula of Profumo as a possible alternative, especially when you know how much the vintage Miss Dior is commanding at auction sites. The bottles of both iterations look very much the same if not identical, but the boxes are different. The old one is a deep brick red and the new one is a creamy off-white. If you are buying online, be sure to verify which one you are getting if there is a stock photo, or if only the bottle is shown. This one will set you back a significant amount (about $200 USD for 50 ml) per bottle so be sure you are getting the one you want, or try a mini first. The bottles are striking works of modern art themselves, and all the better for what's inside. You can also read Marina’s take on this one from several years ago. Apparently I should have paid more attention back then too! Image credit: Acqua di Parma Profumo bottle from polyvore.com

Perfume Review: Christian Dior La Collection Particuliere Passage No 4, No 8 and No 9

Short background on how La Collection Particuliere came into existence. I have been bothering Dior forever to create for women a line similar to that done by Hedi Slimane for men: classic, in the spirit of Dior, yet with a wonderful, quirky, modern feel. Finally they got tired of my nagging and launched a feminine exclusive trio. But, in revenge for all the nagging and for all the bad things I've said about every and each of their recent mainstream releases, they priced it very, very far out of my price range. Next chapter in my relationship with Dior will feature them re-releasing Diorling, Diorama and Dior-Dior for $2000 a piece... The less me-centered version of events: La Collection Particuliere was launched by John Galiano to celebrate the 60th Anniversary of the House. Passage No 4, described as "a sovereign rose, a fiery pimento, a journey, a garden," was my least favorite. It made me think of Stella spiked with a touch of spice. And a touch of spice is just not enough for my taste. As far as I am concerned, it smelled too conventionally and straightforwardly rosy, and is much too sweet. Lovers of rose soliflores might, however, adore Passage No 4. Whether they would want to shell out €320 for what ostensibly smells like many other -and cheaper- scents on the market, is a different issue. As a side note, Passage No 4 has a tremendous lasting power on my skin. In fact, it is practically indestructible With Passage No 9, I went from the fairly disappointed "oh, OK, it's tuberose and it's pretty" to the fairly excited "oh, OK, it's not just a pretty tuberose". Described rather obscurely as "a dazzling tuberose, creamy woods, late nights, fireworks," Passage No 9 has, on my skin, a very distinct green-floral, even, dare I say, chypre-esque quality. In fact it smells like Chanel No 19 would if a generous dose of tuberose was added to it, to soften and sweeten its wonderful raw, earthy verdancy. The more I wear Passage No 9, the more facets it reveals, the more I love it. Is it worth €320 to me? Maybe. I would have never guessed that a scent portrayed as "a velvet violet, a sophisticated iris, a dream, a burst of laughter" will be my favorite in La Collection Particuliere. In fact, after the orris-full 2007, I feel that, if I never get to smell another violet or especially another iris scent, I would be very happy indeed. And yet here I am, nose glued to the wrist anointed with Passage No 8. The scent has the qualities I love the most in violet and iris. The violet smells thick and "buttery" and only a tiny bit powdery (think Bois de Violette rather than Meteorites). The iris, which is less prominent on me than violet, smells raw and silvery (think a hint of Iris Silver Mist), and its ethereal airiness provides a beautiful contrast to the earthly robustness of the violet. The longer the scent stays on my skin, the less of an iris scent it becomes and more of a violet one, which is just fine with me. In the end it smells like a warm, creamy, woody violet, a wonderfully soft and rich skin scent. If I had the €320 to spare, I would have paid it for Passage No 8. The three La Collection Particuliere perfumes are available in Dior boutiques, €320 for 75ml Miss-Dior-inspired bottles of parfum.

Mr Colombina and Little Miss Colombina Have a Sniffathon

Evening at Chez Colombina. Little Miss Colombina and Mr Colombina are emotionally blackmailed bribed into volunteer to test a random selection of perfumes. Cadjmere by Parfumerie Generale Little Miss Colombina: It's fruity! Mr Colombina: Not too strong. It's a bit...fruity. We think it's fruity. Little Miss C: It's goooorgeous! Mr C: It's pleasant. Aoud Damascus by Montale Little Miss C: I don't like it! Mr C: We don't like it! Smells cheap. Orient Extreme by Montale Mr C: Murder on the Orient Extreme. Little Miss C: I don't like it! Mr. C: Give it a second chance, it grows on you...It has some pleasantness on the second whiff, once you get get past the first reaction. Little Miss C: (gazes out of the window) Royal Aoud by Montale Mr C: I'd give it a royal flush. Kind of leather, but cheap, rubbery leather. You'd wear it to stand out in a room of the White Diamonds Convention...but not necessarily stand out in a good way. Little Miss C: Oh, my wiggly tooth hurts when I wiggle it. Attar by Montale Mr C: I kind of like this one. Little Miss C: It smells like cigarettes. Mr C: I'd remember this one. Louve by Serge Lutens Mr C: Struggling to get a smell...It's kind of weak. Little Miss C: (sniffs loudly) Mr C: Not offensive, but...It's OK, nothing special. I could douse myself in it, it's so weak. White Aoud by Montale Mr C: I like this one! This is the best one so far. A bit smoky. Little Miss C: Yeah, like cigarettes. Mr C: I like this one. It grows on me. A bit oily. In a pleasant way. Une Fleur de Cassie by Frederic Malle Mr C: It's interesting. There is a distinctive smell coming through that I recognize but can't place. Me: Play doh? Mr C: Yeah...no...Kind of clay? I was thinking kind of like bricks...This is not for everyday, but for a unique event. To wear with a crushed velvet dress. This shouldn't be worn with leather. Diorama by Christian Dior Mr C: I like this bottle...looks like a flask. Little Miss C : (ran out of places to apply perfume, smells her ankle) I can't smell it! How does it smell, papa? Mr C: I don't know if there was any logic in this selection, but you know that I don't like rosy, and none of them smell rosy today. They all smell kind of unique. This smells very unique. My second favorite, after White Aoud. Chanel No. 22 Mr C: Industrial size! I'll be honest with you, I probably smelled this before, but not knowingly. I would know No. 5 and No.19, although I wouldn't know which one is which. ...I'd wear this one, although it is a woman's fragrance. I tend to think of scents in terms of music: high and low tones, high and low notes. Flowers are high, musk is low. Incense is in the middle. This smells incensey. It's very nice. Ginger Musk by Montale Little Miss C: It smells...how does it smell? Mr C: Like paint thinner?...I'd say it projects to be consistent. The type of smell that wouldn't change in time and wouldn't differ from person to person... Little Miss C: My wiggly tooth says, it wants to come out and get a quarter!

Leather Scents Directory - A to H

Scents that feature a leather note. In some, like Cuir de Russie or Cuir Mauresque, it will be a central, most prominent note, in some, like Coco or Chergui, it will be in a supporting role in the composition. Fragrances with a “suede” note are also included in the directory. The list incorporates vintage and discontinued scents as well as the reformulations and new releases. The directory is a work in progress. Suggestions of more scents and your feedback are appreciated. Also view Leather Scents Directory - I to Q and Leather Scents Directory - R to Z. Abinoam Cobice After Six After Six for Him Alain Delon Alain Delon Plus Iquitos Le Temps d’Aimer Alan Cumming Cumming Alcina Eccelente Man Alfred Sung Sung Homme Amouage Dia for Men Andy Tauer Lonestar Memories Animale Animale for Men Annick Goutal Duel Aramis Aramis Chromatics Devin Etruscan Gold Havana Men Life New West New West for Her Tuscany Armani Cuir Amethyste Armour Dial Burley Atkinsons Henry Cotton’s in Green Hunter Rockford ice Tendresse Avon Hud = Clint Occur! Odyssey Azzaro Acteur Pour Homme Babor Babor for Men Balenciaga Balenciaga For Men Ho Hang Club Portos Rumba Balestra Balestra Pour Homme Bally Bally Masculin Balmain Ebene Jolie Madame Miss Balmain Monsieur Balmain Beiersdorf Exciting – Amber Gammon Betrix De Soir Henry M Betrix City Henry M Betrix Country Henry M Betrix Party Street Life Biename Cuir de Russie Biodroga Aramant Bogart Bogart Bois de Vetiver One Man Show Bogner Bogner Woman Bond No 9 HOT Always Wall Street Borsalino Borsalino Bourjois Masculin 2 Burberry Burberrys for men Bvlgari Black Cacharel Anais Anais Calvin Klein Calvin Obsession Night for Men Cantilene Men’s Classic Capucci Capucci Punjab R.Capucci Carlo Corinto Carlo Corinto Caron Eau de Caron French Cancan Tabac Blond Yatagan Cartier Must Santos Carven Monsieur Carven Castelbajac JCC No 2 Jean-Charles de Castelbajac Caswell Massey Persian Leather CB I Hate Perfume In The Library Leather, Baseball Glove Leather, Football Leather, Gardening Glove Leather, Glove Leather, Jacket Leather, New Shoes Leather, Old Leather, Russian Leather, Spicy Mr. Hulot’s Holiday Violet Empire Cerruti Cerruti Fair Play Image (for women) Chanel Antaeus Chanel No 19 Coco Cuir de Russie Chantal du Monde Silver Shadow Christian Dior Bois d'Argent Diorama Dior-Dior Diorling Fahrenheit Jules Miss Dior Clinique Wrappings Comme des Garcons 2 Man Garage Skai Comptoir Sud Pacifique Piroguier Coty Iron Nuance Sophia Courreges Amerique Courreges Homme Empreinte Women Courvoisier Courvoisier L'Edition Impériale Creed Cuir de Russie Royal Delight Royal English Leather Crown Perfumery Sumare Cussons Imperial Leather Dana Cambridge English Leather English Leather Musk Racquet Club Davidoff Davidoff Relax Dawn Spencer Hurwitz Cuio Erotica Medieval Leather Russian Leather Demeter Leather Riding Crop Russian Leather Dolce & Gabbana By for Men Donna Karan Donna Karan New York Man Unleaded Dr Payot Piment Dr. Vranjes Zefiro Dunhill Dunhill for Men Fresh Durer Durer Eau d’Italie (Le Sirenuse) Bois d’Ombrie Elida-Gibbs Denim Denim Musk Elizabeth Arden Memoire Cherie Elizabeth Taylor Passion Enrico Coveri Dollar Enrico Coveri Pour Homme Escada Magnetism for Men Estée Lauder Azurée (original) Metropolis Etat Libre d`Orange Divin Enfant Eloge du Traitre Je Suis Un Homme Putain des Palaces Rien Vierges & Toreros Vraie Blonde Etienne Aigner Etienne Aigner Etienne Aigner No 1 Man in Leather Man in Suede Silver Suede Edition Man Woman in Leather Woman in Suede Etro Gomma Palais Jamais Faberge 20:21 Cellini Turbo West Farina Gegenuber Kolnisch Juchten Russisch Leder Fendi Fendi Fendi Uomo Ferragamo F de Ferragamo (original) Francesco Smalto Francesco Smalto Francis Denney Adolfo for men Frapin Frapin 1270 Fred Hayman 273 for Men Frederic Malle Le Parfum de Therese Fresh Scents by Terry Gregory Gainsborough G-man’s Gal Agresste Gendarme Gendarme Lust Geo F Trumper Sandalwood Spanish Leather Gianfranco Ferre Gianfranco Ferre Uomo Giorgio Beverly Hills Giorgio V.I.P. Red for Men Givenchy Gentleman Pour Homme Goya Cedarwood Gres Cabochard Gres Monsieur Sport Gres Pour Homme Gucci Gucci No 3 L’Arte di Gucci Pour Homme (old version) Guerlain Atuana Cuir Beluga Cuir de Russie (1875) Derby Djedi Habit Rouge Heritage Jicky Parure Peau d'Espagne Shalimar Vetiver Vol de Nuit Guy Laroche Drakkar Noir Halston Halston 101 Halston Couture Halston Limited Halston Z-14 Hanorah Pancaldi Hanusch Mozart Hechter Caractere Heeley Eau de Cèdre Fine Leather Helmut Lang Cuiron Hermes Bel Ami Doblis Eau d'Hermes Houbigant Chantilly Ciao Monsieur Houbigant Musk Monsieur Hove Habanera Hugo Boss Boss Spirit Hugo Hummer Hummer