I spent a couple of hours wandering around shops the other day, trying to find some excitement in the glittery Christmas parcels that the major brands are desperate to thrust upon us. I’m sorry to say that I returned home feeling rather depressed: so far, mainstream perfumery doesn’t seem to have anything terribly interesting to offer during this particular festive season. It’s just the same old names, wrapped in slightly different boxes. Strictly speaking, I suppose YSL’s Belle D’Opium is a new addition, but seeing as it’s a miserable, corpse-like non-fragrance, I think it’s best we ignore it completely. Guerlain have of course brought out another Shalimar flanker – Ode De La Vanille – but in the UK, it’s available only in Harrods, so it can’t really count as a general release. As far as men’s perfumery is concerned… well, as ever, that’s an even more disheartening subject. The most visible of the new scents is probably Dolce & Gabbana’s The One Gentleman: a detailed review should appear on these pages fairly soon, but for the moment, I will reveal that I won’t be urging you to rush out and buy it.
This bleak situation may be partially rescued by Dior, who’ve decided to give birth to yet another variation of J’Adore. It calls itself L’Or and is perhaps the most classical of the range. As you’d expect, its heart still displays the familiar jasmine-rose-ylang accord, but its top surprises you with a burst of fizzy aldehydes – akin to hundreds of champagne bubbles bursting under your nose – whereas the base is composed of an almost-too-sweet, powdery vanilla. My favourite of the collection is still L’Absolu, but this new Chanel-meets-Guerlain hybrid will probably do very well indeed.
Anyway, enough of all this gloom. It’s time to give away a prize! Thanks again to everyone who entered last week’s draw. I am very pleased to be able to reveal that the winner of a sample of Penhaligon’s Sartorial is… Liam J!
Liam: please send your postal address to persolaise at gmail dot com and I’ll get your sample to you straight away.
Everyone else: please keep coming back for more draws and giveaways.
Persolaise.
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I have to say I think I agree. There's a lot of samey scents out there – nothing wrong with competition within scent families in my opinion, but I wish some houses/industry deciders would try something risky and raunchy. If I thought someone bought me a bottle of Davidoff's newest 21st century "aftershave" in the shape of a weight dumbbell, I'd cry!
PS – THANK YOU!
Liam J, first of all, you're more than welcome; I've just replied to your email.
As for Davidoff's Champion: you're absolutely right. I'd weep too.
Hehe, I didn't even get as far as looking at the name of it! Good for you 😉
The boy I was in love with when I was seventeen wore Cool Water – so many guys wore it then it's become something of a cliche, I think – but for me the scent is absolutely irresistible, and to this day I've been known to follow men who wear it down the street.
Sue, first of all, I'm going to pretend you didn't just admit to stalking people.
But as for Cool Water (which is also a fougere), yes, in a way, perhaps it has become a cliche, but that doesn't mean it isn't brilliant. I wore it myself for many years… and actually, come to think of it, that was round about the time I thought I was always being followed around by someone…