Today we're helping Edward, who is looking for a sophisticated but reserved fragrance, preferably niche. His ideal scent will "evoke curiosity and interest" but be modest in sillage: it should not be a "showy" fragrance. Edward wears mostly women's perfumes, but does buy the occasional unisex. He's willing to spend up to $500 to get just what he wants, but he'd prefer not to shop online.
Here is what we know about Edward:
He's a researcher in his mid-30s.
He loves hosting Friday night dinner with a few close friends.
He always goes for the finer things in life, and that holds true for food and fragrances.
Edwards admires the work of perfumers Olivia Giacobetti and Jean-Claude Ellena; notes he enjoys include pink and white pepper, orange, citrus, tangerine, bergamot, jasmine, lily of the valley, rose, musk and vanilla. Perfumes he likes include Petite Guerlain, Hermès Un Jardin Sur Le Nil & Kelly Caleche. He also likes Serge Lutens Douce Amere but he doesn't always want to wear gourmands.
Edward does not like aldehydes, chypres, or orientals (especially the strong ones), and he also doesn't like anything too cloying (too floral, too fruity, too powdery or too gourmand). Fragrances he doesn't care for include Chanel No. 5, Patou Joy, Guerlain Shalimar & Mitsouko, or anything from Gucci and Dolce & Gabbana. He finds the Jo Malone line too "safe and linear". He also doesn't want anything so squeaky clean that it reminds him of "hospital bed sheets".
Perfumes Edward has tried and/or purchased recently include:
L'Artisan Poivre Piquant: he liked it at first, but later found it too sweet and ordinary.
Acqua Di Parma Iris Noble Eau de Toilette: too light and too common.
Christian Dior Miss Dior Cherie L'Eau: he likes it but is beginning to get bored with it.
Hermè Un Jardin Sur Le Nil: he likes it, but would like to have another without the mango/green accord.
Prada Infusion d'Iris: he still likes this one.
What say you?
Note: top image is you've got mail. [cropped] by e³°°° at flickr; some rights reserved.
Omigosh, Edward! Dashing off, and may be back with more, but if you’re reading this perhaps you could steer me a little straighter. I think immediately of The Different Company, Jean-Claude Ellena’s line with daughter Celine behind the beakers these days. TDC’s Bois d’Iris might be splendid for you. Also very much worth trying is the Jasmin de Nuit, Charmes et Feuilles, Des Sens et Bois (has a marvelous peppery, gingery thing going on that has the same weight and beauty as Un Jardin sur le Nil). I see you don’t have vetiver listed among your fave notes, but their Sel de Vetiver is beautifully refined and definitely worth trying.
Good luck!
P.S. Didn’t mention the others in the TDC line, but I should have! Ailleurs et Fleurs, Divine Bergamot and Sublime Balkiss are definitely worth a try as well. With your $500 budget you could buy three!
Rose Poivree is very interesting, too – I tried it yesterday – sort of a pepper blend and rose. TDC is a good direction for you. Pretty much everything we’ve been talking about is at Barneys.
Robin – website down alert – I can get to this page, but can’t get to the home page – https://nstperfume.com. A SWSOFT PLESK Server Default Page appears.
BTW, got here through your Twitter link…not through the NST homepage!
We were down from about 1 am last night to about 11 am this morning…should all be working now! Try going to nstperfume.com, and if you have trouble use shift-F5 to reload the page.
Got it! Thanks, Robin!
yep
(R, I had trouble getting to the site earlier as well.)
Edward, I love rose on a man! A couple of ungirly roses: Gres Cabaret (pink pepper, rose, musk, patchouli – and yes, I mean the woman’s version in the honkin’ ugly bottle) and Czech & Speake No. 88 (citrus, rose, woods). Cabaret’s cheap but doesn’t smell cheap, C&S is not so cheap. Both are great, and not too floral.
I second Robin’s TDC suggestions (adding Sel de Vétiver); you might also try Andrée Putman’s Préparation Parfumée + Gesa Schoen’s Escentric 01. I’m sure more will come to me, but those are a start.
For sophisticated but reserved how about Chanel Cuir de Russie? It’s a very elegant iris leather fragrance, luxurious yet restrained. And while you are at it, you could try some other Les Exclusifs – Bel Respiro (green floral) or Sycomore (a gorgeous vetiver) in particular.
I think of –
Parfums MDCI Invasion Barbare and Enelvement au serail.
You don’t get more niche and beautiful than that. The refill bottle is under 500$ I think.
I also think you may like quite a few Chanel “les exclusifs”:
Sycomore, 31 rue Cambon come to mind…
I also think of Divine, by Divine – but that is VERY feminine, and it blends more or less all the notes you mention. If you write them they are nice with samples (and you might wish to try l’homme de coeur too!).
Have you tried Maison FK APOM for man?
I don’t know where you live so I don’t know if you can find some of these in B&M…
Oooh, yes to those MDCI suggestions!
Yes to MDCI! And since Edward likes citrus, I’d recommend trying their Rivage des Syrtes or Vêpres Siciliennes… and for LOTV and other nice florals, MDCI Un Cœur en Mail. Check the sample program at their website!
Yes!
Oh, I love Olivia Giacobetti scents, how about Hiris? Stays pretty close to skin on me, and has a cool, sophisticated vibe.
I would recommend trying SL Daim Blond, beautiful and very niche, not as gourmand as Douce Amere, I find. Would also suggest trying L’Eau d’Hiver, an Ellena favourite from Editions de parfum.
I second the L’Eau d’Hiver and the Chanel Le Exclusifs! Now, what about Diorissimo? It has bergamot and what Robin called a “perfect lily of the valley accord”. It’s not exactly niche, but it’s hardly easy to find, either. I believe it’s only at Saks. BTW, Edward, if you’re looking to get rid of that Miss Dior Cherie L’Eau, you know where to look! I like it quite a bit.
Edward –
Try some of the Frederick Malle Editions…..especially Dans Tes Bras, Geranium pour Monsieur and Noir Epices.
Good Luck!
Some good recs so far. I enthusiastically second L’Homme de Couer by Divine, a perfectly gorgeous iris, with some peppery cypress notes and an elegant growl of leathery vetiver down there in the bottom of the drydown–just a touch!–to keep things interesting. Yes to Eau d’Hiver, too, a peppery, white almond… While you’re doing the blanc de blanc thing, you might try Parfum DelRae’s Mythique, a sunnier iris, warm and buttery…
Also think you sound like a Different Company kind of guy–I love the Sel de Vetiver, but if you are a citrus-lover make sure you sniff the Osmanthus, which starts off with a wonderful sunny citrus note before calming to the warm apricot tea of the osmanthus, in addition to the Beragamote. And while you’re trying things Osmanthus, why not sniff Hermessence Osmanthus Yunaan (more tea, dried apricot), and Parfums d’Empire Osmanthus Interdite (more on the leathery side).
And back to Hermes–I assume you’ve tried L’Orange Verte and it’s brother? They’re nice, but for my money I’d go for Eau de Merveilles. The Perfume Guide says it’s a salty orange, lots of other folks say it smells like the salty, sun-warmed skin of someone who’s just swum in the ocean. I interpret that note in a slightly more naughty way and find that the whole perfume is really underrated. Elegant naughtiness…
And if you’d like a cheap bottle of Gres Cabaret I’ve got one for you, LOL. (I was undone by Kevin’s review on this site.) You can find me under sweetlife on Perfume of Life…
Edward, how do you feel about figs?
Ichnusa by Profumum has notes of myrtle, fig wood and cut grass, and a smidge of vanilla. It’s a dry scent, very green and aromatic, gets sweeter as it dries down. Airy, elegant and with moderate sillage, it feels Italian to me, and I wish I could afford a full bottle…
How about Chanel’s Eau de Cologne, or Herme’s Eau de Gentiane Blanche? The EdGB has a great pepper note with musk drydown. It’s one of my favorites.
Edward, continuing your exploration of your inner teen girl via Miss Dior Chérie L’Eau, I can recommend a couple of happy fruity florals I discovered the other week at LAX duty free:
Miss Dior Chérie Blooming Bouquet – a truly fresh floral; I was sad to discover it’s only for the Asian market – guess they’re not so keen on popcorn in their perfumes.
Cacheral Scarlett – starts off mildly fruity, then settles into a lovely jasmine/suntan lotion warm floral.
Bois D’Iris – I second that rec and by coincidence have just purchased the little travel bottles today. (If anyone is looking in from Edinburgh Scotland Jenners has a lot of TDC on sale). I also love Infusion D’Iris – the Bois D’Iris has a warmer feel. It won’t jar with the dishes you serve at dinner!
How about Frederic Malle’s En Passant or Angeliques Sous la Pluie? Those would be gorgeous on a man.
Howsabout James Heeley?:
Chandler Burr review: http://tmagazine.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/07/02/scent-notes-menthe-fraiche-by-heeley/
I’ve tried Menthe Fraich and Iris de Nuit, but the others also sound elegant in their restraint. The only thing is I’m not sure how wide their distribution is in the US except from online retailers.
They are at Barney’s – just tried some yesterday!
I second the Hiris recommendation, as well as the other Hermes standbys (Eau d’Orange Verte & Eau des Merveilles) and the Chanel LEs (28 La Pausa, Eau de Cologne). Hermes Eau de Pamplemousse Rose is rather like a more feminine Eau d’Orange Verte, so that might be a possibility too. I was also thinking that if you like Kelly Caleche, you might enjoy Timbuktu – was that already mentioned? If you like Rose, Les Parfums de Rosine are must tries. My favorite is Rose d’Homme, which I think is perfectly wonderful feminine/unisex rose that somehow avoids coming off as too floral.
Oh, especially if you already have some Prada Infusion d’Iris….try layering it with some Hermes Hiris—very nice combination.
Hi Edward!
Le Labo Rose-I believe this was originally designed for men. I think it is one of the better Rose scents.
Amouage Tribute Attar-lovely, rich (non cloying) and close to the skin. Don’t use too much, though, it is potent.
MFK Lumiere Noir Pour Femme-a dark rose
Van Cleef & Arpels Bois d’Iris-very elegant
L’Artisan Iris Pallida-an earthy iris
Ormond Jayne Orris Noir
Good Luck!!
Seconding the LeLabo Rose – I am wearing it today and it is really great. Has a nice little peppery kick to it and is not remotely cloying.
Oh yes, MFK Lumiere Noir Pour Femme, it’s lovely!
You don’t have to spend $500. There are older, classic fragrances, and I prefer many of Guerlain’s. Try Habit Rouge or Vetiver.
I dare say Edward and I share many similarities, including our love of more traditionally “women’s” perfumes.
Edward, on the orange/citrusy end of the spectrum of your likes, I would recommend the following:
– agree with those who mentioned Eau/Elixir de Merveilles
– Diptyque L’Eau de Tarocco (blood orange, saffron, light rose)
– Malle Noir Épices: verges into oriental territory, but is an amazing pepper/orange blend that is one of my favorites. Applied with a light hand, it might fit your bill.
– Nicolaï Maharanih, which reminds me a bit of a lighter version of Noir Épices.
Best of luck, and let us know how you do!
Upon further thought, Noir Épices might be too “showy” or have too much sillage for Edward. Might not hurt to sample anyway.
I keep coming back to so much of the Hermès line, so I highly recommend a trip to one of their boutiques or counters. I’d especially suggest the following for Edward (some have already been suggested by others):
Vanille Galante
Osmanthe Yunnan
Rose Ikebana
Terre d’Hermès
Hi Edward,
When you said, sophisticated and reserved, and you do love Jean-Claude Ellena, two of his fragrances came to mind.
Hermes Rose Ikebana, rose tea, peony, magnolia, pink peppercorn, zest of grapefruit, rhubarb and vanilla honey.
Hermes Brin De Reglisse is also a sophisticed and reserved fragrance.
One that might strike an interest, curious note would be Creed’s Spring Flowers.
Last, I would definitely give Le Labo Iris 39 a try, notes are iris, lime, patchouli, rose, musk, ginger, violet and cardamon. This one I always get a “wow your fragrance is beautiful, what are you wearing.” Much success, Edward
Edward, I agree with everyone that suggested the Chanel Exclusifs, but 28 La Pausa would be my recommendation. The best iris ever! Have you tried Guerlain Cologne 68? It’s understated and classic, but not boring. Also in that category I would pick Givenchy Vetyver (vintage and re-issue are both great IMO) Good luck!
I second the Guerlain! Eau de 68 – originally bought for me, my fiancee is using it.
We share the same taste – so I might add Nahema by Guerlian (on men it is POWWW! COOOL!) and the latest Penhaligon Amaranthine, which is said to have flowers, but depending to your skin is a incense-vanilla mess, understatment with quirkiness.
Of course Rose Ikebana and all the Hermessence by Ellena are a must-try.
Hi Edward! Your taste sounds very similar to mine (except that I wear a few chypres). I heartily second the recommendations for The Different Company Bois d’Iris, Gres Cabaret, and Frederic Malle En Passant. Those three are among my very favorites.
I also agree that you might enjoy exploration of TDC, particularly the Osmanthus, Bergamote, and Un Parfum des Sens et Bois. I don’t think you will find that Chanel is for you. I haven’t, for the most part. However, exploring is good!
You haven’t said much about fragrances with a touch of incense and/or vetiver. If you are open to trying them, I urge you to try Shaal Nur by Etro. It is a beautifully balanced, understated fragrance that I would place just slightly on the feminine side of “unisex”. It has it all: citrus, rose & other florals, herbs & spices, woods, vetiver, and incense. Technically, it falls in the Oriental category, I suppose, but please don’t let that dissuade you from trying. It is subtle and very lovely.
Best wishes to you!
In the similar vein, I recommend Passage D’Enfer by L’Artisan. A very crisp, fresh, bright flowery incense by Olivia Giacobetti. Absolutely delightful!
I would suggest that Edward should try in priority: Bigarade Concentrée by JC Ellena @ Editions de Parfums Frédéric Malle which is a timeless cologne centered on bitter orange and En Passant by Olivia Giacobetti @ Frederic Malle too which is fresh too but more floral (lilac, lily of the valley, white muscs). The Different Company is worth trying too because the scents are beautiful and composed either by JC or his daughter Céline Ellena.
My first thought — and only thought, really — when I read the description was to encourage you to try Malle’s Bigarade and Bigarade Concentrée.
It is a work by one of your favourite noses, and has a naughty dirty edge to it that I find endlessly fascinating. I love Chandler Burr’s review of it:
http://www.chandlerburr.com/newsite/content/emperorofscent/columns/aug27column.htm
Yes, Bigarade Concentree is a great citrus!
Edward,
May i suggest two of my favorites from the Le Labo Line: Iris 39 and Bergamot 22.. As much as I love the Rose 31, you may find it a little on the spicy side…
And also Byredo Parfums: Bal D’Afrique, Rose Noir, and Pulp, those may be right up your alley…. Good Luck..
I agree with the MDCI Le Rivage des Syrtes! and I just got a sample of Czech and Speake Citrus Paradisi but found it much more musky/masculine than their Neroli…but would suggest a sniff of both…Since you like the prada, Id suggest sniffing Bulgari pour Femme to see if that is of any interest….Like spicy? I keep coming back to Keiko’s Genie .
Thank you all for the suggestions last week!
Elise, glad to hear that you like Genie des Bois. I love that one! It’s the smoothest, prettiest violet-woods combo that I’ve found.
There are some lovely recommendations above.
I’m thirding (fourthing?) the Cabaret and Kelly Caleche. I also don’t think you’d go wrong with MDCI, the Hermessences, Frederic Malle, and the Chanel Exclusif lines.
Not niche, but definitely somewhat unusual, are DK Black Cashmere and Rochas Femme. However, they may tend more towards unisex in smell, though not in marketing.
Pink pepper and white florals remind me of L’Artisan La Chasse Aux Papillons, which could smell quite unusual on a man, especially the Extreme version, which has more pink pepper and ylang to my nose.
La Chasse aux Papillons! Wonderful idea, cannot imagine it right now on a men, but I remember my dad did not like it because it has something smoky and male, he said (EdP version).
The EdT is perfect for a guy, a blond guy maybe?
Definitely worth a try, love both!
I agree with so many of the above I’m not even keeping score! Hiris and Eau/Elixir des Merveilles are must tries (Parfum des Merveilles too, if you happen to be near a Hermès boutique), as is most of the TDC line with Bois d’Iris and Jasmin de Nuit being my personal faves. And not being an aldehyde or Chanel fan myself either, I would still recommend trying 28 La Pausa.
On to a few dark horses that came to mind:
Comme des Garçons Series 2, Red: Harissa (for a pepper fix)
Comme des Garçons Series 5, Sherbet: Rhubarb (tart & transparent)
Costume National 21 (though technically an oriental, it’s very soft for the genre and has a unique velvety milkiness that might appeal)
Sisley Eau de Sisley 3 (refreshing gingery citrus)
Ulrich Lang Anvers 2 (herbal citrus opening followed by a soft, slightly powdery fruit-but that doesn’t even come close to describing how special this one is)
Edward, we like many of the same scents, and I’m loving Costes 2 right now. It’s not as loud as the original, and is nicely spicy with a touch of floral (mostly rose). It’s a lovely scent for either a man or a woman, and it’s different – you won’t smell it on every one around you. Luckyscent has it, and you can get a sample there, as well as the usual spots.
Hello to all, this is Edward. Sorry for the late reply. My boss gave me a gargantuan task in the office that I had to prioritize between my job and how I smell. Anyway, on with the more important thing…
First of all, thank you Robin for including my letter in your Monday Mail. My big thanks also go to those who recommended for my next potential purchase. Appreciate your help, guys! Here is an update:
Allow me to “remove” from the list the following not because they are not good but because I smelled them and they are not just to my liking:
> Sisley Eau De Sisley 3
> Eau De Merveilles
> Donna Karan Black Cashmere
> Creed Spring Flower
> Costume National 21
> Amouage Tribute
> Diorissimo
On the remaining suggestions, I grouped them all per perfume house or maker so I will save time on my visit to malls and/or boutiques which I plan to do next weekend. Based on the frequency of suggested fragrances, I will prioritize and check The Different Company, Chanel, Hermes, Frederick Malle, and MDCI. Based on your brief descriptions, I have this feeling I will love TDC line. Will give you an update soon.
BTW, I purchased three weeks ago L Eau Ambree (Prada) and my bottle is now half-full! Hey! It was Robin’s positive review that made me bought that bottle! Thanks again. It was a good buy! =)
Well, my first recommendation for you is Malle’s Bigarade (see my comments and link above), but another one I think you will love — I hope you will love since it is my signature scent — is Eau d’Italie’s Paestum Rose. Rose, frankincense, myrrh, pink and white pepper, opopanax, wenge wood, musk, coriander, peony, blackcurrant, tea… just too delicious dry and dark for words.
From your description of the things you love and dislike, I think it would suit you to a “T”, so give it a try and see what you think…
Corduroy by Zirh International. Their other scent is typical male cologne garbage, but Corduroy is great. While they describe it on the site as having aquacoral (what?), white lavendar (sic), grapefruit and mandarin accords, I tend to be inclined to describe it as a very gentle tobacco and faint leather on a light citrus background. Athough leather and tobacco in a description usually makes me cringe. Some say it’s similar to Bulgari Black. I think that’s insulting. It stays on the skin well, is inoffensive to the nose and gets all sorts of sniffs on things I’ve worn, letters I’ve scented, etc.
I’m also sold on L’Artisan’s “Tea for Two”, CB I Hate Perfume’s “Walking in the Air”.
Hi Robin,
This is to give you (and the rest of the guys who gave their suggestions) an update on my fragrance purchase.
I was excited to test both Eau De Gentiane Blanche and Eau De Pamplemousse Rose. I am aware that Ellena’s creations are generally light but to my nose these 2 fragrances are just too muted. After a couple of sprays, I can only smell myself when I put my wrist on my nose. It was a disappointment. What added to my disappointment was the fact that the Hermessence Collection was not available at my location (I work and get to travel in the Middle East but presently in Saudi Arabia where the only big stores are Saks Fifth Avenue, Harvey Nichols, and Debenhams).
My next stop was the Chanel counters but this also was a disappointment since all of the Chanel counters nearest my place do not carry the Les Exclusifs collection. Oh, and you did mention Frederick Malle right? No, it is not available in Saudi. So now, I have a list of recommended fragrances but without a store to check them out. I needed to change my strategy. I have decided to trust my nose, check every counter which I find fancy, and decide from there. And I am very happy with all of my purchases, as follows:
Mandragore by Annick Goutal – It is not really a “wow” fragrance but there is something in it which I like and which made me decide to buy it. I like it the first time I sniffed it both on paper and on my skin. It has become one of my casual scents.
Satin Rose De Mai by Victoria’s Secret – I guess it is my nose’s preference which default is the flower rose. The moment I sprayed this directly on my skin, I loved it. Yes it is not niche but what the heck, I like it.
Rose Alexandrie by Giorgio Armani – Now this fragrance hits the nail in the head. This is the “eureka!” fragrance and I think I just found a new holy grail as far as my mini perfume collection is concerned. It is not too light like an Ellena creation; to my nose it has only the right richness I want in my perfume. It is very elegant, very sophisticated that the only words I said after spraying it on my wrist were “Oh, my god…” In Saudi Arabia, a 50 ml bottle is much cheaper than in the US. I bought my bottle for SAR 580.00 or about US$ 154.00.
I left the Armani counter with my last purchase for the day which is Rose Alexandrie. I did smell Pierre De Lune and I knew I had another one on the list of “must buy”. I still look forward to the Chanel collection which the SA said will arrive anytime soon (as well as the Hermessence). Meantime, thank you all for the suggestions. I really appreciate your suggestions and look forward to trying them all.
Hey Edward, thanks so much for the very detailed feedback! Really glad you were able to find a couple of things you really liked, and good luck on finding the Exclusifs & the Hermessences!