B E A U T Y
Scent is like one’s ringtone, a series of notes that artfully expresses its user. Unfortunately, finding the perfect fragrance is a bit more difficult than simply programming a cell phone. The trick? Know thyself. Scents are categorized by notes skillfully fused to evoke experience, memories, and mood. Here’s a guide to discovering your perfect spring scent. -- Amy Tara Koch
WOMEN
CITRUS
Guerlain Aqua Allegoria Laurier-Reglisse
$52 for 2.5 oz.
bergamot + sweet orange blossom + licorice wood
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light, easy-breezy scent
For lovers of brisk aromas, this scent, reminiscent of freshly squeezed orange juice, conjures images of an alfresco breakfast on the sun-drenched terrace at the Beverly Hills Hotel.
FLORAL
John Varvatos
(in stores next month), $70 for 1.6 oz., $92 for 3.3 oz.
apricot + jasmine and rose + patchouli
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bold, upbeat elixir
Imagine a tropical isle filled with kukui blossoms, yellow hibiscus, and rows of plum trees. John Varvatos’s first scent for women is like a sweet breeze sweeping across Maui. A grappa bottle served as inspiration for the perfume bottle.
SPICY
Annick Goutal Mandragore Pour Femme Eau de Toilette
$80 for 1.7 oz
ginger + spicy pepper + sage
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the perfect fragrance to channel your inner minx
Sensuous and deep, Mandragore is not for the faint of nose. Top notes of pepper and ginger fuse with woodsy base notes to create an exotic homage to a Moroccan souk.
MEN
CITRUS
Viktor & Rolf Antidote
$65 for 2.5 oz, $90 for 4.5 oz.
fresh grapefruit + sweet violet + patchouli
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fragrance for the dramatic, aristocratic dandy
The purveyors of “classic menswear for the unconventional man” introduce Antidote, an elegant fragrance that is both casual and contemporary.
SPICY
Giorgio Armani Privé Cologne Spray Bois d’Encens
$185 for 1.7 oz.
spicy incense + woody vetiver + cedar
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pure masculinity
Styled with a Brancusi sculpture in mind, this fragrance is the essence of Armani: sophisticated and unusual, an expression of modern style.
WOODY/MUSK
Tom Ford for Men
$85 for 3.4 oz, $60 for 1.7 oz.
italian bergamot + leatherwood + tobacco leaf
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sexy scent for the man on the move
The man who revolutionized the concept of sexy is back with a scent that merges old-school chic with contemporary verve. Fresh, crisp Mediterranean hesperidic notes will make you feel like you’re chilling on a yacht off Capri.
| WHAT’S YOUR POTION?You toss chipotle chiles into everything you cook. > SPICY // Coffee is your elixir. You cannot pass a Starbucks without being enticed into having an espresso. > SPICY// Your closet is all about neutral clothing and a muted makeup palette. > CITRUS // You are an adventurer attracted to skydiving, buying and selling your own stocks, and trying complex foods with layered flavors. > WOODY/MUSK // You wish that you could bottle the aroma of your local bakery’s cupcakes and sugar cookies. > FLORAL // You favor full Chardonnays with bright citrus notes. > CITRUS // You collect vintage lamé, slinky black cocktail frocks, and oversize purses crafted of exotic materials. > SPICY // You don’t mind doing laundry because you are obsessed with the light, clean scent of freshly laundered sheets. > CITRUS // You like exotic scents that call to mind island vacations. >FLORAL | |