1. The categories are generic enough to be inclusive.
2. Since they are arranged in a circle, there are no strict divides along the circumference.
   • FLORALS are aromatics, either naturally extracted (such as rose, jasmine, tuberose, orange blossom), which tend to be very expensive, or reconstructed (such as lily of the valley and lilac), or synthetic (hedione, dasmascones, ionones, eugenol), which are far cheaper. In my experience, a floral can be fresh (lily of the valley), gourmand (violet), oriental (carnation), and dense (iris), and the interpretation of the material makes a huge difference. Most violet-centric fragrances, such Caron Aimez-Moi, are almost-but-not-quite gourmand, but Guerlain Après L'Ondée is very fresh. But because of their importance to perfumery, I decided to allow florals their own category.
   • GOURMANDS have been traditionally used to soften the rough edges of a composition, as the saying goes, a spoonful of sugar makes the medicine go down. Here's a famous example: a bit of peach to temper the raw sexuality of tuberose in Robert Piguet Fracas. Of course, a gourmand may itself be the centerpiece, it's impossible to disregard the overabundant, ornamented vanilla that is Guerlain Shalimar, the iconic oriental gourmand. But what really launched gourmands into widespread use was Thierry Mugler Angel, such a hot mess, but a brilliant one: chocolate, fluffy and sugary maltol, fiercely indolic jasmine, and raw patchouli. We've been reeling from its influence ever since, everywhere you go the landscape is littered with sweet scents (mainstream) and weird combinations (niche).
   • ORIENTALS, too, blur the natural textures of the overall composition, but while gourmands render a composition more palatable, orientals add intrigue, which is why they are usually advertised as provocative perfumes, YSL Opium is an excellent example. It is not necessarily spices, a crackling leather like Robert Piguet Bandit and the dirty musk and tobacco of Caron Tabac Blond are both quite daring. Of course, this does not imply that all gourmands are cute while all orientals are bitchy, they work very well together of course: Shiseido Féminité de Bois, and all the subsequent eaux boisées, are sweet and woody equally and extraordinarily beautiful.
   • Some orientals fly from the top, such as laudanum and eugenol (cloves/carnations), but most tend to linger at the bottom, quite DENSE. The soft sandalwood of Chanel Bois des Iles is smooth and comforting, not the least bit harsh, and as we move the orientals away from their central position, we discover the dusky, mossy chypres. Certain notes are also characteristically dense—musk, vetiver, and iris are notable examples. Again, I'm only speaking in generics. When laced with chocolate, Dior Homme shows iris can be dark and dense, but Serge Lutens Iris Silver Mist is one of most ethereal of fragrances ever fashioned.
   • So while FRESH may seem opposite to dense, they are actually not exclusive, especially since both tend to lie quietly on the skin. A floral skin musk, for example, is caught between fresh and dense. And while the classic chypre is indeed dense, because it is characterized by the oakmoss in its base notes, that does not mean it cannot be stretched into other categories. Guerlain Vol de Nuit is packed to the brim with orientals, and as dark as can be, while Chanel Cristalle is the epitome of fresh, citrus powered through the diffusive power of aldehydes, and yet they have both been called chypres. Aquatics over florals, such as Fédéric Malle En Passant, is classically fresh, so are aldehydes sharpened to a cutting edge, in the style of Chanel No. 19. But above all, the notes that are most fresh are the hesperides; it is rare to meet one that is not.
3. You can also work in two dimensions. Closer to the center, more elements are in play; for example, Guerlain L'Heure Bleue is floral, oriental, gourmand, and dense, so it should sit well inside the circle. On the other hand, the further you move away from the center, the more isolated the notes become, the notion of the soliflore. Even something so obviously belongs to a particular category, like the citrusy Annick Goutal Eau d'Hadrien (fresh), is better balanced because Mediterranean herbs (gourmand) add depth to the composition. Many perfumes of note, especially from contemporary niche houses, employ this strategy of contrast, for the overall effect seems whole, but does not contend with the grand, complex structures of classical perfumery, such as Ormonde Jayne Ormonde Woman, which places the delicacy of the violet in direct counterpoint to sinister hemlock.
4. As it turns out, perfumes that fall into the top half of the circle tend to be lighter than those in the bottom half—"gourmands" are lighter than "orientals", and "fresh" perfumes tend to be top-note dominant (citrus, aquatics, aldehydes) while "dense" perfumes tend to be characterized by base notes (oakmoss, leather, musks). Additionally, perfumes on the left side of the chart tend to be textural abstractions, quieter than those on the right, the aromatics more closely derived from reality: flowers and spices and various desserts.
5. A healthy perfume wardrobe, if you are not a collector's collector, probably consists of a handful in your favorite category, with one or two forays into the others for when the mood strikes.

Labels: annick goutal, caron, chanel, frederic malle, guerlain, ormonde jayne, perfume, robert piguet, serge lutens, shiseido, the mnemonic sense, thierry mugler, ysl

YSL Rive Gauche, as an example of aldehydes driven to their soapy extreme
Caron Pour un Homme, the best of the widely accessible lavenders
Guerlain Jicky, the classic fougère
Eau d'Issey, aquatics
Bulgari Au Thé Vert, the fresh gourmand
L'Artisan Parfumeur La Chasse Aux Papillons, the fresh floral
Dolce & Gabbana Light Blue
Chanel Cristalle
Eau de Guerlain
Hermès Eau de Merveilles
Christian Dior Eau Sauvage
Frédéric Malle Bigarade Concentrée
Ô de Lancôme/Annick Goutal Eau d'Hadrien
Frédéric Malle Vetiver Extraordinaire
Guerlain Vetiver

FLORAL Is Jean Patou 1000 one?
FRUITY Guerlain Mitsouko, duh
GREEN Deneuve?, YSL Y, since I've already done Chanel No. 19
AROMATIC Clinique Aromatics Elixir
LEATHERY I've reviewed most of these, so I'll attempt a more generic review
NEW AGE Chanel 31 Rue Cambon

Labels: j brand, just notes, nars, perfume, tsumori chisato

Cydwoq's Horn shoe

Labels: cydwoq, jean patou, just notes, perfume, shoes

1. Each perfume must be technically excellent but not inaccessible: a middle ground. These are iconic and therefore representative, but I tried to favor wearability over artistry, because I am particularly interested in the question of "why we wear perfume" rather than "how we make perfume". Helg's emphasis on historicity represents the other point of view, the perfumer rather than the perfumed.
2. Collectively, it is important that each has its own distinct character, like a well edited harem. If they are representative, what should they represent? Again, I considered why we we wear perfume—not of necessity, for it is not a life or death matter, but for the joy of it, how it adds a metaphorical dimension to our existence. Metaphors are evocative, but in distinct, characteristic ways—why do hesperides telegraph fresh and clean while animalics suggest dirt and darkness?

Labels: andy tauer, caron, chanel, frederic malle, guerlain, jean patou, narciso rodriguez, perfume, philosophy, serge lutens, the mnemonic sense

Labels: andy tauer, bath and body, dr. hauschka, just notes, perfume, salux

Labels: beauty notes, giorgio armani, perfume