Smells Like a Million Bucks

Since middle school I've been obsessed with cologne and scents. The olfactory sense is extremely closely tied to memory and taste, and over the past few years I've come to learn a lot more about the world of high-end fragrance. A few weeks ago, I went into a boutique perfume shop in the West Village and left with a bagful of samples.


The quick version: your department store fragrances (CKs, Armani's, Joop!s, etc) have some of the lowest concentrations of perfume for sale. As you go up the scale in terms of concentration and quality, you also go up in price (surprise!). I've been sorting through the samples that Aedes de Ventusas was kind enough to supply me with and have been shocked at some of the prices associated with the fragrances. Below, some of my faves, and how much they cost...keep in mind I have a very particular nose and a lot of what I like doesn't fly for other people. 


By Kilian...Cruel Intentions

Image courtesy of bykilian.com

Great name, really intense scent. Bergamot, orange blossom, vetiver, sandalwood, vanilla, musk. The lowdown on Kilian is that he's Kilian Hennessy, the H in LVMH, and as a result a 50 mL bottle of Cruel Intentions - whose byline is "tempt me" - costs $255. 


L'Artisan Parfumeur...Havana Vanille

Image courtesy of artisanparfumeur.us

I can't say enough about gourmands. Scents that kind of smell like food attract me. Think what you will. This one: vanilla, rum, tonka, leather, musk. I don't really love the L'Artisan bottles and it fascinates me how influential bottle design can be on cologne and perfume sales. But that thought is another blog for another time. This one is $115 for 50 mL, less than half of Kilian. 

Ecsentric Molecule...Ecsentric #2

Image courtesy of aedes.com

So this Ecsentric Molecule shit is supposedly a pheromone, smells like nothing, and is going to get me laid. Ambroxan, vetiver and musk. "Gin and tonic, a hint of an Austrian lemonade called almdudler, the whiff that you get when you first open a brand-new Apple laptop It's a clear, clean scent, but it dries down to something warm, sexy and elusive" - according to the description. $155 for 100 mL. Saving the sample for an appropriate occasion. 

And what I'm currently wearing as my fave:

Cannabis Santal from Fresh. $75 for 100 mL. A relative bargain. The fragrance pyramid: 

- Top: Bergamot, Brazilian Orange, Black Plum

- Heart: Patchouli, Cannabis Accord, Rose

- Base: Chocolate, Vetiver, Vanilla Musks

image and fragrance pyramid courtesy of fresh.com

My half-birthday is rapidly approaching if anyone is in the giving mood.