Category Archives: Cologne

In addition to all the Tom Ford excitement on the olfactory front, I’ve also found a summer bridge fragrance from Hermes. This is ‘Un Jardin apres la Mousson‘ which I’m told translates to “the garden after the monsoon”. It falls somewhere between a traditional cologne and a traditional perfume, managing the welcome feat of being both masculine and feminine (though it errs on the lady side of things, which is something I like for the summer months). A few of the fragrances in the Jardin line are quite nice, but I’ve found all except this one to be slightly too sweet and cloying for more than a passing sample.

While reading up on recent cologne reviews, I noticed that some people mentioned wearing certain fragrances to bed to get the most enjoyment out of them. At first it seemed like a silly thing. Why waste all that expensive sillage on a place where, at least in this house, only one other person will get to smell it? Then I realized that it was the perfect moment and place for it, and marveled at my life-long dismissal of such a decadent, self-luxuriating indulgence.

I started with this offering from Hermes, which is light enough so as not to be too stimulating or distracting, and soft enough to nestle perfectly into the folds of a silk robe or the brittle pages of a favorite book. As if I needed another moment of self-indulgence… but I’ve found that those we think are the most self-serving during the day tend to forget themselves at night.

After being spoiled by Tom Ford and his decadent Private Blends fragrance collection, I find it very difficult to find a new cologne. But the winter doldrums could only be kicked by a new scent, so I made my way to Sephora to see what had come in since the holidays. Someone had recommended the new Bulgari, and though most recommendations that come from social media are met with enthusiasm then disappointment, this one was a resounding good choice. So well did it wear, in fact, that I ended up taking a bottle of it home. It’s the perfect transition fragrance from February to March – light enough to draw in the first faint breath of Spring, and crisp enough to match the chill that has not quite gone.

This year I’ve been a little lax in coming up with a Christmas Wish List, mostly because what was once important to me changed a bit over the summer, and I’m still in the processing mode. In the past I hated asking for practical things – it seemed like such a waste of a gift. Who wants a new set of tires or a working sink when you can get a frivolous fascinator or full-length opera cape? That said, practicality has its merits, and in these penny-pinching times it makes more sense to invest in something we can put to use instead of a clothing conversation piece that is so impressive you can only wear it once. To that end, I’m asking for two things that are the most boring and mundane objects in the world, but ones that, if employed and chosen properly, can be the starting point of elegance and beauty: a bed and a television. Both would be for the Boston condo bedroom – a Queen bed to make the trips with Andy more comfortable, and a flat screen television so we can finally get rid of the mid 90’s eyesore that takes up a good third of the room (and to please both Andy and my father when they deign to visit).

It turns out I still have an affinity for pretty bags and lovely scents, so I’m putting up a pair of items that would bring me some joy and happiness, because I can always be as deep as a puddle on a dry, sunny day. The first is a stand-by: one of Tom Ford’s Private Blend fragrances – ‘Champaca Absolute’. I was debating it while picking out a birthday cologne with Andy, but I wasn’t quite ready to give up the Amber Absolute I had my eye on (and rightfully so as that was soon-after discontinued). Now, I’m ready.

While Mr. Ford’s Private Blends are on the pricey side, it’s still a bit less than Frederic Malle’s ‘Dans Tes Bras’ from Barney’s, which would be my second choice. (A hint for those unwilling/unable to shell out the $240 price for the bottle: you can request three 30 ml travel size bottles for about $90. They don’t tell you that upfront, and the bitchy guys on the 2nd level of the Boston store at Copley Place will help you even less, so stick to the friendlier perfume ladies downstairs.)

As for bags, all my life I have wanted a leopard tote, and DKNY has finally produced a simple version without the fancy buckles and gaudy chains that accompany so many bags (really, the leopard alone is gaudy enough). This one is on sale at Lord & Taylor right now (and would make a much more economical substitute for the Christian Louboutin and Jimmy Choo leopard shoes that run much higher… see, I’m not unreasonable.)

And if all else fails, there’s always my Amazon Wish List…

Now… what is it that YOU want for Christmas?

No, it’s not some mash-up of the Spicegirls and Tom Jones – ‘Spicebomb’ is the new cologne by Viktor & Rolf – a sort of male counterpart to their successful ‘Flowerbomb’ perfume. When the reviews first started trickling in, it sounded like something I would love – bergamot, a bit of grapefruit, and pink pepper to begin with – then a base of tobacco with a touch of leather. However, I’ve read of fragrances that included all my favorite scents, only to be disappointed, if not outright horrified by the end result (hello Prada).

On my last trip to Boston (and, I will admit, procuring Spicebomb was part of the impetus for that visit) I hit up Saks Fifth Avenue, which I had read was offering it for sale. The salesperson there crushed my dreams with one fell swoop when she said it would not in stock in Boston until August. I didn’t think it would be at Neiman Marcus, but I tried, and I even made a feeble, half-hearted stop at Barney’s on the off-chance they had something… all to no avail. The city of Boston did not have Spicebomb, and it didn’t look they were getting it anytime soon.

Now, here comes the ‘Do as I say, not as I do’ part of the blog. Normally, I strongly advise against buying cologne scent unsniffed. First off, because you will never really know what it smells like no matter how many fanciful terms of description they can conjure. Second, even if you have smelled it in a magazine or a sample, it will smell slightly different on your own skin, and everyone’s body chemistry produces varying olfactory reactions. Third, it is far too easy to fall prey to advertising (and yes, I’m talking about the debacle of the naked guy for Zino by Davidoff, the worst fragrance I ever bought and never used).

Still, when all the reviews sound like the perfect concoction of what I most want in a cologne, and the fact that I was not averse to Flowerbomb, I took a chance and ordered a bottle online. I know, I know… but it’s only good advice if I don’t take it. When it arrived from Nordstrom, I pulled the pin of the grenade bottle and prepared for the worst. Happily, luckily, and giddily, I loved what I smelled.