A "Lightweight" Oriental

I love big, gorgeous, heavy orientals like Opium, Tabu and Youth Dew. Used with caution (don't overdose yourself unless you're home alone alone or spouse likes the stuff as much as you do.)

But there are times when something lighter will be more appropriate. Like when you're working in an office all day, going to a friend's house for dinner (where you don't want to compete with the smell of food) or going to a movie where you'll be sitting next to a perfect stranger for the next two hours.

Jaipur Saphir is a great compromise between the self-indulgent luxury of a gorgeous oriental and the sophisticated, elegant, inoffensive ladylike daytime cologne.

It has the woody, mysterious notes that you expect from the best Orientals, but they are "hidden" behind light, powdery, soft notes.

"Jaïpur Saphir can serve as a model of refinement and proportion." said one reviewer

My Favorite of the Day - Byzance by Rochas

My favorite of the day-
Byzance by Rochas



Do be careful with this one- you may not notice because of the cobalt blue, nearly opaque bottle, but this fragrance is actually purple. It may stain clothing.

I broke a miniature bottle in my gym bag and stained some socks. But I'm almost glad I did because my bag has smelled delicious for weeks and the socks were a small sacrifice.

Warning aside, Byzance is a woody, heavy, gorgeous oriental with a little sparkle of citrus in the opening notes. It is also unusual enough that isn't something that everyone will recognize. You won't find this one at Wal-Mart or on anyone else at a party.

I also love Opium, another heavy, gorgeous oriental, but I don't like the fact that many people recognize it. I think some of the less commercially popular fragrances are great just because they're more mysterious. People can't immediately recognize them and don't already have other associations of people and events connected with them.

Clash of the Oriental Titans - Shalimar vs. Samsara

Vs.

I’ve had a couple of people ask me whether I prefer Shalimar or Samsara. It’s a fair question – they’re both by Guerlain, they’re both Oriental, and if you’re short on cash or on dresser space, you might only want one.

Samsara -

Guerlain introduced Samsara in 1989 and it definitely has a new-age feel to it. The road to inner peace, Samsara is Sanskrit for eternal rebirth and is symbolized by the wheel of life. An Oriental comprised of jasmine, tonka bean, and sandalwood --- instant serenity, sensuality, and certainty.

This is a heavy, gorgeous scent that would keep you warm on a winter night.

Shalimar -

A classic since 1925, Shalimar, like the Taj Mahal, is inspired by the Shah Jahan's legendary love for his wife. Starts with a fresh citrusy top note and drifts into the sensual warmth of a bergamot, iris, vanilla, and tonka bean base.

If Samsara is warm, then Shalimar by contrast is cool and elegant. I also noticed roses in the middle notes of this one. Another gorgeous fragrance to wear with your cashmere sweaters.

The Verdict -

So, which would I buy if I could only buy just one? I would probably buy Samsara since I love them both, the deciding factor would be that I enjoy unique scents and don't want to be wearing something that everyone would recognize. Shalimar has been around long enough that many people have a memory of some kind attached to it. This can be a good thing, but I like unique fragrances because I like to create new memories and associations.

Of course, what's important to you in a perfume may be entirely different, and I hope it is. That's why we sell over 600 different products. Wouldn't it be boring if we all smelled the same?

3 Great Fragrances TO Wear to Work!

With the caveats from the last post, (wear fragrance VERY sparingly, and do not reapply in the office!) here are three great fragrances that will lighten your mood, if not your workload, while you're at work.

Must de Cartier - This is a very elegant, understated, green fragrance. It was created by Cartier to fit an atomizer that was part of a very elegant set of accessories, including the famous Cartier lighter.

As one would expect from a jeweler, the scent is very expensive. (Actually, it only smells expensive - the EDT is very moderately priced. But everyone in your office will think you got a raise.)

CE SOIR OU JAMAIS by Annick Goutal is a sharp, flowery fragrance. This feminine scent is composed of sparkling flowers. It is recommended for office wear.

Annick Goutal was a pianist who rebelled after many years of studying music to become a model. After a chance encounter with a perfumer, she opened her own perfume house in 1981. She created more than 25 fragrances before her death in 1999. Her daughter Camille Goutal runs the perfume shop, which has become associated with the Taittinger group (which includes fine Champaignes and Baccarat crystal.

EDEN by Cacharel is a refreshing, floral, oriental fragrance. This feminine scent is composed of spicy, oriental, and floral notes. It is recommended for office wear. Cacharel founder Jean Bousquet was the son of a sewing machine seller. He trained to be a tailor at a technical college, and worked two years as a designer before returning to Paris to found his own fashion house. The success of his first collection inspired him to create Cacharel.

Cacharel designs are known for their youthful style, femininity, lightness, refinement and use of bright colors. The introduction of the seersucker blouse, and a front cover in ELLE magazine in 1963 launched Cacharel onto the international stage.

So, go ahead and make your office a nicer place.

What NOT to Wear to Work

I was discussing fragrances with some friends recently, and someone mentioned being "trapped" in an office cubicle next to someone wearing noxious perfume. This lit off a spate of complaints from everyone about their least favorite scent, and in almost every case it involved a scenario where they were in an enclosed space (usually at work) with someone wearing it.

When you work in an office with other people, you're essentially cooped up for about 8 hours with a limited air supply. Under these circumstances, you want to smell like nothing at all, or like something very subtle and universally pleasant. Even things that may smell nice at the first whiff or two can get really annoying by the 4th, 6th or 8th hour.

Perfumes that you love to wear socially, drifting in and out of parties, on a date, shopping with friends, running errands with family, or even to the theater can be too much for the office. (In a theater you're only next to someone for an hour or two at a time, and the ventilation is usually better!)

Some people have reactions to fragrances that you wouldn't expect. Strong, distinctive odors like patchouli or carnation can be offensive in the wrong circumstances, but there are some subtler fragrance ingredients that give people problems. A few days ago, was wearing a subtle, high-quality floral scent that I don't normally wear, and my husband got a splitting headache. He usually loves the perfumes I wear (with rare exceptions) and I was really surprised that this one caused a reaction. It was days before I could get him to smell anything without having a headache. I can imagine him stuck in a cubicle next to someone wearing this scent. Egad.

So, here's my list of tips for cubicle dwellers. Your fellows will thank you!

• Practice impeccable personal hygiene if you work in an office.
  
• Use unscented or subtly scented shampoo, hair products and other toiletries.
  
• Go to www.westofparisboutique.com, and enter the word "office" in the search window on the upper left for fragrances that are subtle and nearly universally pleasant and therefore recommended for office use.
  
• Even with these, be very careful to use a light touch.
  
• DO NOT REAPPLY at your desk! (Especially with sprays.) Even if there's no one around at the moment and you think no one will notice, your office mates will notice a cloud of scent when they return.
  
• This is one circumstance when EDTs (the lightest form of scent) are much preferable to EDPs or perfumes.

An Overlooked (but great!) Jasmine Fragrance

Just today I sampled Givenchy's Organza EDT for the first time - the manufacturer's description didn't sound appealing to me (honeysuckle, nutmeg, vanilla and gardenia.)

But the bottle design is SO BEAUTIFUL and unique that I just had to try the fragrance.

The fragrance itself is pretty sweet - lots of jasmine (I honestly can't tell the difference between jasmine and honeysuckle) and vanilla on top. And the nutmeg, which I didn't think I would care for in a fragrance, actually lends a unique and interesting note that is actually kind of appealing.

And actually if I'd tried it sooner I would have included it in this months' Jasmine selections!

This is much sweeter and lighter than I would expect from an oriental, or even a "floriental." I personally enjoy darker, heavier orientals. But a very beautiful, elegant, feminine fragrance that is perfect for many women I know.

Perfume in the Middle East

Many of the worlds arts and sciences were born in the Middle East. Many people believe that the art of perfume began in Egypt. French perfumers, particularly Guerlain (who developed Shalimar) and others took their cues from the Middle East.

Current world politics aside, I was particularly cheered by this report from a Cosmetics Business newsletter that indicates that the perfume industry is recovering in the Middle East. This is good news for the region, for our fellow perfume lovers across the globe, and for the industry as middle eastern perfumers have always been innovative and added to the art.

I've reprinted a section of the report below . . .

In the perfume sector, European and American brands still dominate the market, particularly in the Levant. But major oriental perfume manufacturers in the UAE, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia report surging demand, with average growth of over 20% as packaging improves, the number of outlets increases and interest by non-Arab consumers rises.

“At one time oriental perfume was sold only to Arabs, but now 70-75% goes to Arabs and the rest to Pakistanis, then westerners, primarily Germans and the English,” says Abdullah Ajmal, assistant general manager of Ajmal Perfumes in Dubai. Feeding perfume sales is the region’s penchant for cosmetics and perfumes, estimated at US$334 spent annually per person in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries of Kuwait, Qatar, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and the UAE.

In a survey carried out by Ajmal, the company found that the average male or female customer has between six and eight bottles of perfume at home. “It is a three times a day habit, even carrying perfume in the car. People in the GCC use five times more perfume than their western counterparts,” says Ajmal.