Allure's Best of Beauty: Scents
Allure's Best of Beauty: Scents
It's amazing what a spritz can do. These gorgeous blends are confidence, sex appeal, and happiness in a bottle.
Excerpts from a fragrance editorial, Best of Beauty, in Allure Magazine, October 2011 issue.
![Balenciaga Paris L'Essence perfume](/perfumes/fragrances/balenciaga/balenciaga-paris-l-essence/images/balenciaga-paris-l-essence-th.gif)
NEW
Balenciaga Paris L'Essence, a whiff of violet leaves and moss, is as effortlessly cool as Nicolas Ghesquière's clothes. ($95 to $130)
![Dior J'adore perfume](/perfumes/fragrances/dior/jadore/images/jadore-th.gif)
CLASSIC
Dior J'adore is bright and cheerful, with roses, jasmine, and youthful bergamot -- nothing heady of old-lady-ish here. ($60 to $98)
![Cartier Baiser Vole perfume](/perfumes/fragrances/cartier/cartier-baiser-vole/images/cartier-baiser-vole-th.gif)
FLORAL
The gilded flip-top bottle of Cartier Baiser Volé looks like the world's most glamorous Zippo lighter; inside is the true essence of a lily -- petals, pistil, and leaves together. ($69 to $145)
![Coach Poppy Flower perfume](/perfumes/fragrances/tom-ford/tom-ford-black-orchid/images/tom-ford-black-orchid-th.gif)
SPICY
A swirling mist of lotus wood, incense, and its namesake flower,
Tom Ford Black Orchid is like a walk through enchanted woods: a little bit dangerous and unmistakably magical. ($65 to $145)
![pureDKNY A Drop of Verbena perfume](/perfumes/fragrances/dkny/pure-dkny-verbena/images/pure-dkny-verbena-th.gif)
CITRUS
Citrus scents can smack you in the face -- or remind you of Pledge. But the subtle lemony aroma from the verbena and basil in PureDKNY A Drop of Verbena just makes you want to breathe it in...again...and again. ($45 to $85)
![Editions de Parfums Frederic Malle Carnal Flower perfume](/perfumes/fragrances/frederic-malle/frederic-malle-carnal-flower/images/frederic-malle-carnal-flower-th.gif)
SEXY
A hothouse of tuberose with a touch of coconut and musk, Editions de Parfums Frédéric Malle Carnal Flower is a trus weapon of seduction. ($215 to $320)
![Maison Martin Margiela Untitles perfume](/perfumes/fragrances/maison-martin-margiela/untitled-maison-martin-margiela/images/untitled-maison-martin-margiela-th.gif)
GREEN
Imagine the smell of crisp, just-cut grass mixed with a touch of dirt and cedar. That's what you get from Maison Martin Margiela (Untitled). ($100 to $140)
![Prada Candy perfume](/perfumes/fragrances/prada/prada-candy/images/prada-candy-th.gif)
SWEET
Prada Candy is a titillating surge of caramel with a tinge of vanilla -- the world's chicest sweet shop. ($80 to $108)
![Giorgio Armani Acqua di Gio cologne](/perfumes/fragrances/giorgio-armani/acqua-di-gio/images/giorgio-armani-acqua-di-gio-th.gif)
MEN'S
It's not heavy or musky or typically cologne-y, which is just what we love about Giorgio Armani Acqua di Gio. Instead, it's earthy, watery, and rugged -- like he just came in from the outdoors. ($59 to $73)
![Frederic Malle Jurassic Flower candle](/perfumes/home-fragrances/editions-de-parfums/frederic-malle-candles-jurassic-flower/images/frederic-malle-candles-th.gif)
CANDLE
Editions de Parfums Frederic Malle Jurassic Flower is so feminine, thanks to the softest lavender and a hint of peach. And its minimalist red bottle? We die. ($80, barneys.com)
![Cire Trudon Room Spray](/perfumes/home-fragrances/cire-trudon/images/cire-trudon-room-spray.jpg)
ROOM FRAGRANCE
Cire Trudon Room Spray in Abd el Kader is an old-world bottle with a squeeze atomizer that pumps out a fresh blend of mint, ginger, clove, and jasmine -- perfect to scent your living room, kitchen, or bathroom. ($142, barneys.com)
(Devash, Meirav. "Best of Beauty." Allure Oct. 2011: 242, 290-291.)