Nothing better exemplifies the balls out, over the top glamor of the 80s than Ysatis. Ysatis was introduced by Givenchy in 1984. Ystais was created by Dominique Ropion, who went on to make a number of other perfumes for Givenchy, as well as some other rather infamously bold fragrances like Carnal Flower (F. Malle) and […]

You know what the Givenchy house really needs to shake things up? More spin-offs of fucking Amarige.
Feel the pulse
and vibration
and the
rumbling
force
Somebody
is out there
beating
the dead horse.”
- Bob Dylan “Man in the Long Black Coat”
Amarige Mariage is flipping Diet Nirmala (current), which is itself like a foofy Fat-Free Angel. Fruits, florals, patchouli, vanilla, bleh. Wake me […]

I think I’ve been a little too harsh towards Very Irresistible in the past. While I still maintain it’s boring, it’s certainly not without charm. On some lucky folks, a warm rose and wood combination is brightened by the fresh scent of washed berries still wetly shimmering. Perhaps it’s not “very irresistible,” but it’s very […]

Imagine if honeysuckle was Napoleon, leading a powerful army of vanilla behind it. That all sounds well and good at first,

but before you know it,

it tries to take everything over.

That, unfortunately, is how I wear Givenchy Organza. (Organza is credited to Sophie Labbe, via Basenotes, because Givenchy’s website is useless.) No matter how many […]

Very Irresistible for Men was introduced last year, and in my opinion was one of the more interesting commercial men’s scents of the year. The marketing put me off a bit, since frankly I’m weary of getting sold on Liv Tyler and her wide-brimmed millinery. But pretty face and floppy hat aside, the men’s […]

Amarige arguably consititutes a modern classic. She is a big-boned mama: redolent of body, and full grown in spirit. She is not discreet, yet she is not brash. She walks into a room, and announces her entry by virtue of her presence alone. This sort of character can instantly earn either enmity or admiration without […]

Givenchy released Ysatis Iris as a limited edition with little fanfare during last year’s holiday season at the end of 2004. It bears little relation to its “parent,” Ysatis. Where Ysatis is a rich, sweet woody scent, Ysatis Iris takes a lighter, airier apporach.
It opens up with a decidedly fruity blast of berries, almost like […]

On the various perfume boards, whenever ladies request ideas for good men’s fragrances, a flurry of mainstream and niche creations are suggested. But when ladies ask other ladies for the SEXIEST fragrance for men… well, Pi usually wins the popularity contest handily. In the vaudeville variety show of perfume, other entrants are awarded with a […]

Xeryus Rouge is a favorite of mine. I crave it.
Its featured red pepper is impeccably done. It’s crisp, vibrant, and lasts more or less through the whole life of the fragrance. It’s a palpable note: I can almost hear the snap of it as I spray.
The eau de toilette opens brightly on this red pepper, […]