One in a million. A fragrance of vibrant light and magic. A classic blend of floral and woodsy scents. One of the younger classics with a more modern composition. Calèche carries an air chypre and cultured flowers which lends itself to sophistication and glamour. Introduced in 1961, Calèche by Hermès exudes elegance and classic floral essences from a French perfume.

Calèche is a classic floral aldehyde from Hermès, endowed with subtle French floral essences of rose and jasmine languishing on a bed of sweet woods and mosses. Hermès describes Calèche as “vibrant and luminous,” a clean fragrance developed for the woman of timeless charm and classic style.

Calèche is packaged with simple elegance in bottles of clear glass. It is presented in a vibrant spring yellow box, embellished with the proud gold-colored symbol of the House of Hermès, a stately horse-drawn carriage, or calèche, which was the most elegant of nineteenth-century carriages.

© Perfume Profile by Jan Moran, Fabulous Fragrances II

First of the gourmet floriental fragrances, Casmir, by the House of Chopard, was introduced to the international market in 1994, although it has been a hit in Europe since 1991. Created for Chopard by Michel Almairic, Casmir is a trend-setting fragrance inspired by the Indian tradition of the Lotus flower, considered a symbol of power, virtue and abundance. Opulent, rich and warm, this prize-winning fragrance imparts an asserted sensuality, which makes it perfect for special occasions. Casmir captures the charm and mystery of the Orient in a beautiful, exotic perfume. Opulent, rich, and warm, the fragrance imparts an asserted sensuality, which makes it perfect for special occasions.

From Parfums Chopard comes Casmir, a fruity Oriental fragrance with gourmet ingredients that sound like a feast on a tropical Asian isle. The initial impression of succulent fruits evolves into a floral treasure trove. The dominant base note is vanilla, while sandalwood and musk complete the Eastern influence. Soft and smooth as cashmere.

The reach of India envelops Casmir, from the exotic fragrance to the Taj Mahal-inspired bottle, tucked amidst packaging of wine red and black.

Casmir is an enchanting fragrance to pack for your next trek through Kashmir and Tibet…or simply close your eyes and let your daydreams whisk you away on the aroma of Casmir.

© Perfume Profile by Jan Moran, Fabulous Fragrances II

With his scent CK Be, American fashion designer Calvin Klein advises us to just be. Suitable for women or men, the Oriental scent is made up of fruits and spices, with a dominant strain of white musk threaded throughout the composition. Youthful, edgy, and sensual, CK Be is housed in a matte black flask with a silver inscription, suggesting strength and vitality.

© Perfume Profile by Jan Moran, Fabulous Fragrances II

The blockbuster scent of Generation X, CK One is the gender-free brainchild of fashion designer Calvin Klein. The scent is a citrus blend with a green tea accord and an unusual heart of hedione high cis, an aromatic material likened to jasmine. A frosted flask with a silvery screw-on cap houses the pale yellow fragrance. The fragrance can be worn by women or men, so a couple need pack only one CK bottle in their weekend suitcase. CK One - a scent as perennial as blue jeans.

© Perfume Profile by Jan Moran, Fabulous Fragrances II

Coco Chanel was always a work in progress, forever innovative and inventive, fresh and provocative. Now the irrepressible spirit of Coco Chanel is captured in Coco Mademoiselle, a new feminine and sexy, young and exciting fragrance. The scent is more casual and relaxed, a modern, new interpretation of Coco, almost completely different from the original scent, but clearly inspired by it. It still has an oriental feeling, but enlivened with kicky, modern, unexpected notes. The classic citrus top notes are very subtle, retaining only the freshness, but a freshness that is abstract. The middle notes are defined by a jasmine-rose accord, light as a petal. As with Coco, the base notes are evocative of sensual femininity and opulent voluptuousness.

Coco Mademoiselle is a fresh Oriental blend from Chanel. The original Coco was created in honor of couturier Gabrielle Chanel. Colleagues called her “Mademoiselle,” but her dearest friends knew her as “Coco.” The scent of Coco Mademoiselle, while it shares some fragrance notes as the original Coco, is a sheerer formula, distinct and different.

Chanel’s house perfumer, Jacques Polge, blended bergamot and orange with a heart of rose and jasmine, and finished the creation with a base of woody vetiver and patchouli. Vanilla and white musk add subtle sensuality. Youthful and spirited, a radiant fragrance bursting with joie de vivre. Makes you want to visit Paris in the springtime. And why not?

© Perfume Profile by Jan Moran, Fabulous Fragrances II

Launched by Giorgio Armani in 1998, it is classified as a refined, flowery fragrance. A sensual new fragrance from the master of understated luxury, the Emporio Armani scent is designed for the woman who is refined yet playful. This is a fresh, rich, provocative fragrance, incorporating vibrant bergamot, precious cedar, Eastern spices and vanilla. Emporio She bursts into the senses as a delicious harmony. It is fresh and eager, sexy and sensual, natural and feminine. A vibrant signature scent where flowers and spices melt together into a gentle, radiant fragrance.

Fashion designer Giorgio Armani offers Emporio Armani She, a classic, sophisticated floral Oriental. Entitled simply She and referred to as Elle in France, it goes native in several other languages as well.

European chic and sensuality is clearly evident, as the scent unfolds around a romantic heart of heliotrope, which is a sunny, fragrant white or purplish flower with hints of almond. The champagne-colored, soft-touch aluminum outer sleeve conceals the fragrance in an unbreakable, cleverly activated spray bottle. Emporio Armani She is portable, a cosmo-to-go. Understated Armani chic, designed to take you everywhere in spare, elegant style.
© Perfume Profile by Jan Moran, Fabulous Fragrances II

Il Bacio is an understated fruity floral mélange from Italian Princess Marcella di Borghese. Il Bacio, Italian for “the kiss,” is an airy, feminine composition, created as a token of love. Il Bacio features floral top notes, animated by a well-rounded basket of succulent Mediterranean fruits, such as melon, plum, and pear. Il Bacio is a pretty springtime or light winter fragrance, easy to wear for daytime.

Il Bacio is encased in fan-shaped bottles; a knotted red cap, suggesting the “unbreakable bond of eternal love” adorns them. Feminine and romantic–Venus would approve.

© Perfume Profile by Jan Moran, Fabulous Fragrances II

It contains incense absolute which creates the vibrance; wood and spice notes for sexuality; and a heart of wild orchid and sparkling bergamot top notes that add emotion and freshness. It has also included extracts of Black Orchids in its bathline.

Its creator is none other than Tom Ford, YSL’s creative director whose interpretation of nu (which means naked) is embodied in its strikingly unconventional bottle, packaging and, of course, its smell. “I asked myself, who is this YSL woman? What is her smell like? What is her life like? “She’s a star - enigmatic, seductress, subtle, graceful and sensual. She is intelligent, complex, charismatic, powerful yet mysterious. She has nothing to prove, and she chooses not to reveal all her secrets at once.”Nu defines a new Saint Laurent woman: mysterious, complex and always in control. From the scent itself to the strikingly unconventional bottle, Nu is steeped in designer Tom Ford’s modern vision.

The fragrance reveals its contrasting facets gradually. Incense absolute makes for a vibrant, intriguingly androgynous base; wood and spice notes create layers of intensity and sexuality; a heart of wild orchid and sparkling bergamot top notes add emotion and freshness. It is luxury and femininity with no concessions.

From French couturier Yves Saint Laurent comes Nu, a feminine Oriental fragrance. Brisk citrusy bergamot flavors a wild orchid bouquet. The peppered sandalwood base is enriched with five types of exotic incense. Nu, French for “nude,” is subtle allure, like a silky caress of bare skin. Presented in shades of midnight blue and gun metal-grey, the enigmatic Nu is a modern interpretation of quiet sensuality.

© Perfume Profile by Jan Moran, Fabulous Fragrances II

Introduced in 1984 by acclaimed designer Paloma Picasso as her signature fragrance, Paloma Picasso is a dramatic and sophisticated chypre fragrance that has been described as a “a throwback to the elegant ’60s”. With its brisk citrus top notes and rich jeweled heart, Paloma Picasso redefines French elegance and introduces it to a new generation of sophisticates.

Would you expect any less than fragrance artistic genius from the daughter of Pablo Picasso and granddaughter of Emile Gilot, one of the premier perfumers of Grasse.

From internationally acclaimed designer Paloma Picasso comes a signature fragrance as worldly, dramatic, and elegant as its creator.

Paloma Picasso was born into a world of creativity, the daughter of artist Pablo Picasso and Francoise Gilot. She was christened Paloma, meaning “dove” in Spanish, after her father’s dove, which was the symbol of the 1949 Peace Congress.

The lush chypre scent begins with brisk citrus top notes, dissolving into rich jeweled notes of jasmine and Bulgarian rose, poised against layers of spices and woods, warm ambers, earthy oakmoss, and exotic sandalwood. Presented in Picasso’s signature Florentine red, contrasted by matte black.

© Perfume Profile by Jan Moran, Fabulous Fragrances II

Launched by the design house of Salvador Dalí in 1983, it is classified as a refined, subtle, oriental fragrance. This feminine scent possesses a blend of rich oriental floral.

As the story goes, while Dalí was working on one of his paintings, Apparition du Visage l’ Aphrodite de Cnide, he was approached by representatives from the newly formed French fragrance firm (Compaignie Française de Commerce Internationale), about whether he would be interested in working with them on a new fragrance concept. Dalí was enthusiastic, and used the canvas of his incomplete painting to sketch his ideas for flacon design - sketches that were retained in the final painting and reproduced on the box.

Dalí is a rich floral scent with a definite appeal. Bright aldehydic notes sparkle and spill from the exotic floral bouquet, while soft amber notes create a warm and sumptuous drydown.

The famous Dalíesque flacon, with its portrayal of the mouth and nose of the Aphrodite in Dalí’s painting (which in turn was modeled after the famous statue Praxiteles), has proven itself irresistible to collectors. Dalí counts among its famous patrons, Princess Caroline of Monaco.

Artist Salvador Dali lends his name to a fragrance as surreal as his paintings. Bright aldehydic notes spill forth from the rich floral bouquet, while soft Oriental background notes add ambery verve. Splash it on for a busy day at the office or a slow stroll through your favorite museum.

The floral aldehyde scent is poured into a flacon that mimics a partial visage. The humorous bottle is crafted in the shape of voluptuous lips, over which rests a nose-shaped stopper.

© Perfume Profile by Jan Moran, Fabulous Fragrances II