Trying to come up with a list of the best perfumes for autumn 2019 has reminded me that I disagree with prescribing fragrances to specific seasons almost as much as I do with the notion that they should be segregated according to gender. But as we head deeper into October, I confess I find myself reaching for a certain type of scent. Not that my tastes are being dictated by the weather. Or at least not in a meteorological sense. The climate here in the UK – thanks to the unmentionable B-word – is becoming more and more oppressive. Drawbridges are being pulled up. Hatches are being battened down. Horizons are being obscured. So it isn’t surprising that in recent weeks, I’ve been seeking out compositions that project a sense of open-mindedness.
Funnily enough – by which, of course, I mean unfunnily – this is the time of year when many brands become notable for a depressing absence of even the tiniest spark of open-mindedness in their output. I’ve already mentioned Lancôme’s stultifying Idôle in this regard. Another scent that tumbles into the same category is Dior Sauvage Parfum. This one was particularly upsetting because, for the first few moments of its life, it actually makes you think that maybe, just maybe, its citrus-aromatic opening is of a quality and lustre strong enough to bear the Dior name. But after a few minutes, the whole sinks into the generic slop that blights so much of the air we breathe and, in a wider sense, so much of our thinking. Safety. Blinkered vision. A refusal to reach outwards.
Autumn 2019 has given us many similar culprits. Kenzo World Power. The Wood&Wood flanker of L’Eau D’Issey Pour Homme. Jimmy Choo Urban Hero. Paco Rabanne Lady Million Empire. They’re all timid and moronic to the point of being dangerous, because they further a narrative that says no other options are available, no rewards are to be found by seeking a different path.
On its own, perfume can’t change the world. Few things can, on their own. But it can be one swell in a cumulative wave. And it can alter people’s perceptions of the space around them, and of how they relate to it. So, for my list of the best perfumes for autumn 2019, I’ve decided to put together some compositions that possess a perception-shifting power: an ability to make you see things in a slightly, yet significantly, different way; to push away the shadows. Because I feel we need some light in the midst of this current darkness.
Tauer Orange Star (Andy Tauer)**
In Andy Tauer’s hands, oranges are not only citrus fruit, embracing vanillic, woody, near-smoky qualities that move them towards the territory of sensuous resins and nocturnal spices. Still one of his most exuberant, most life-affirming efforts.
Chanel No. 5 Eau Premiere (Jacques Polge; 2007 formulation)**
I wore this the other day for the first time in months and was struck – all over again – by how expertly its aldehydic-floral structure nods to its august parent while glittering with a sparkle all its own. One of the most convincingly shape-shifting, androgynous compositions of the century.
Hermes Twilly Eau Poivree (Christine Nagel)*
Christine Nagel worked wonders with the original Twilly and she’s pulled off the olfactory twist yet again, this time adding rose to the white floral heart, and book-ending it with pepper and patchouli to create a gloriously nostalgic modern chypre. (To watch my YouTube review of it, click here.)
Tom Ford Metallique (Antoine Maisondieu)*
There’s a chill in the air… but it’s so unexpectedly comforting. Aldehydes and a sharp almond note pair up with lily of the valley and vanilla to make this one of the most pleasantly surprising mainstream releases of the year.
Gucci Memoire D’Une Odeur (Alberto Morillas)*
Chamomile isn’t the first note that comes to mind when you think of mainstream releases, but Alessandro Michele hasn’t let that stand in his way. As part of his mission to shake up Gucci’s scented portfolio, he’s given us this bitter, herbal curiosity, that manages to be both forward-looking and retro at the same time. And it even features Morillas going easy on the musks.
Cartier Declaration (Jean-Claude Ellena)**
Frosty cardamom over fireplace-hugging birch. Bitter orange icicles dripping onto sun-baked vetiver roots. Contemplative tea energised by black pepper. The contrasts in Ellena’s masterpiece never fail to impress, nor to make you think you’re enjoying them for the first time.
Etat Libre D’Orange Eau De Protection (Antoine Lie & Antoine Maisondieu)**
Rose re-imagined as a suit of armour: hard, tough and ready to take on the world. Always a joy to wear, not least for the way in which it seems to find its beating heart as it approaches its drydown.
Persolaise
* sample provided by brand
** sample obtained by me
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