Favorite Fall Perfumes 2010 : Seasonal Scents

Each year I fall in love with autumn anew. The near-miracle of an overnight transformation of leaves into a variegated tapestry of gold and sienna, the mellow scent of bitter chrysanthemums, the melancholy music of rain playing in the fallen foliage… All of these changes in the weather prompt me to change my fragrance wardrobe as well in order to match the new scents in the air. Although some of my favorites continue to dominate my selections—Annick Goutal Neroli, the ethereal orange blossom, is my favorite morning fragrance year round; Frederic Malle Carnal Flower is one of my constant passions -- some fragrance make their reappearance this time of the year. Below is my list of current favorites, in no particular order.

Le Labo Baie Rose 26 : Fragrance Review

 

Star rating: 5 stars--outstanding/potential classic, 4 stars--very good, 3 stars--adequate, 2 stars--disappointing, 1 star--poor.

Like any fragrance house with a large and diverse range, Le Labo has a number of hits and misses in its collection. The generic blandness of fragrances like  Fleur d’Oranger 27 and Neroli 36 exists side by side with the striking renditions of Patchouli 24 and Oud 27. In fact, when Le Labo offers something successful, it is truly memorable and dramatic. Would one have expected Rose 31 to be a dark, moody composition where roses completely melt into the smoky woods? Would one have anticipated Aldehyde 44 to be a vision of edgy glamour? Likewise, Baie Rose 26 is a fragrance I find fascinating, and in a word, addictive.

Diptyque Eau Duelle : Fragrance Review

 

Star rating: 5 stars--outstanding/potential classic, 4 stars--very good, 3 stars--adequate, 2 stars--disappointing, 1 star--poor.

A classical streak common to the latest Diptyque launches, Vetyverio and Eau Duelle, contrasts with the linear and streamlined character of most other fragrances offered by this house. Certainly, Vetyverio and Eau Duelle are not particularly complex, yet their structures offer some nice contrasts and interesting transitions. Eau Duelle is the most layered of the two, offering a bright spicy citrusy note set against a smoky, vanilla enriched amber backdrop.

Serge Lutens Un Lys : Fragrance Review

Star rating: 5 stars--outstanding/potential classic, 4 stars--very good, 3 stars--adequate, 2 stars--disappointing, 1 star--poor.

Pretty, classical, romantic… Un Lys is somewhat of a wallflower next to the quintessentially dark and cerebral Lutens blooms like dramatic Tubéreuse Criminelle, voluptuous Fleurs d’Oranger, animalic jasmine of Sarrasins, or even dusky Bois de Violette. Yet, what Un Lys lacks in drama, it more than makes up by its bright, uplifting character. It is a fragrance I reach for when it has been raining too long or when I crave a waltz, for Un Lys is truly the olfactive equivalent of Strauss’s Blue Danube, given its radiance and romantic elegance!

Francis Kurkdjian : Recipe for a Great Perfumer

A remarkably talented perfumer, a creator of his own brand, a former ballet dancer, Francis Kurkdjian represents an idea of a Renaissance man. He first became famous for Jean Paul Gaultier Le Male, which became of the defining masculine fragrances for the 1990s. Subsequently, he created a wide array of scents, from airy Elizabeth Arden Green Tea to smoldering Christian Dior Eau Noire. He also has his own eponymous line. Below are a few excerpts from a good interview Kurkdjian gave to Kanokporn Chanasongkram of Bangkok Post (originally published on September 2005.)