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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.)



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