Oh, You Beautiful Doll

It might sound like a strange thing to wish to smell like a toy, but I'm finding more and more fragrance hounds who are also in search of the elusive "new doll" scent. A fragrance that is equal parts floral, fruity, powdery and a hint of rubber or vinyl. I think a lot of women have a comforting childhood association with this type of smell. Many dolls of our childhood had scented hair (Strawberry Shortcake, Rose Petal Place) and even the ones without scented hair had a beautiful smell, at least while they were new. Perhaps our quest for the doll scent is a bit like a search for the fountain of youth. Something to remind us in a visceral way of what it was like to be young and optimistic, innocent... a recall to a time of endless possibility when life was a sweet song. Here are a few fragrances that I have tried so far that fit the bill:

BABY DOLL by Yves St Laurent

Let's start with this one since it even has the right name. Launched at the turn of the 21st century, Baby Doll was the pink juice that kicked off the pink juice craze of the past decade. Grapefruit and pineapple punch, pink roses and giggles. That's what we're smelling here. Exquisitely girly and not a bit serious, I heard a rumor that a popular Las Vegas casino would spray this through the air vents to give the impression that young fun women were everywhere, the idea being that men would stick around and spend more money. Vibrant, playful, very flirty. Still better than any of the pink punch wannabes that came after YSL Baby Doll. The bottle is a little spinning top, how cute is that?


NANETTE LEPORE by Nanette Lepore

I had a sample of this years ago and upon first sniff I thought "Oh my goodness this smells like one of my old toys!" so in a way it kicked off my search for more dolly frags. Another fruit punch surrounded in roses, this one is a peach-lime-cranberry combination. Wearing this makes me want to don a pink cashmere sweater and use phrases like "Golly gee". It's so happy and young, almost retro. Fresh, girl next door impression with great lasting power. Ruffled skirts and heart shaped sunglasses, that's what Nanette Lepore feels like to me.


PRINCESS by Vera Wang

A very popular fragrance, this will make people lean in close and give you compliments. Notes of chocolate, vanilla frosting, guava, apricot... with just enough flowers hanging out in the background to keep you from smelling completely like a wedding cake. It smells a lot like the packaging that Barbie clothes were sold in when I was little. I might purchase a full bottle of this (the bottle looks like it belongs in a dollhouse) but I will wait a few years until it's no longer something that everyone is wearing. Soft and pretty, it conjurs up an image of 13 year old girls eating marshmallows and wondering aloud if Laguna Beach is real.


NOA FLEUR by Cacharel

I discovered this one just by chance recently and I believe it fits in well for a baby doll scent. It's not fruity, but it is powdery/ soapy. A bit of hibiscus and a hint of coffee bean gives it that little extra something, reminding me of old fashioned rubber baby dolls with painted on hair. It reminds me of washing my dolls hair in the sink with a bar of Dove soap. I really love wearing this one. It's so light and gentle, people don't realize I'm wearing perfume at all.


L'HEURE BLEUE by Guerlain

I hesitated to put the iconic L'Heure Bleue into this post because I felt like it might be a discredit to lump it in with "dolly frags" but darn it, if the shoe fits. That vanilla-heliotrope-iris-benzoin combo hits it right on the head. Floral, powdery and a hint of something sad, something lost from another era. (LHB was launched in 1912 so that makes sense) This is not a happy scent like the others I have listed. It's melancholy, literally "The Blue Hour" after sunset when your eyes play tricks on you and ghosts appear in the spaces where the daylight ends. If the other perfumes here are a little girl on Christmas morning opening a package containing a new doll, then LHB is that same girl decades later rediscovering the doll in an old trunk, holding it close and letting the smell of it's plastic head take her back to a simpler, more comforting time.

The Scent of a Man

Today I want to shift gears and discuss some bestselling men's fragrances. Most of my knowledge lies in the realm of women's perfumes, but like any good perfumista I will stray across the gender borders from time to time. I understand there are women that enjoy wearing men's colognes (I've done it!) and also confident men who will wear a fragrance marketed towards women if it smells right on him. After all, if you smell good, you smell good. No one has to know what bottle it came from unless you wish to tell them. The following scents are all bestsellers that you have probably already smelled at some point. Let's discuss what makes them so popular.

ETERNITY by Calvin Klein

The smell of everyone's ex boyfriend! Just kidding, but not really. This has been flying off the shelves since it was released in 1990 and when I think of men's colognes, Eternity is one of the first that springs to mind. It's classic, lots of herbs and citrus with just a hint of white flowers in the background. I smell lavender and bergamot most strongly and at the end of the day there is a lingering sandalwood and musk that smells similar to a man's natural un-perfumed skin. Elegant and masculine, I have no doubt that this stylish fragrance will be around as long as the name suggests.


POLO BLUE by Ralph Lauren

I grew up smelling adult men wearing the original Polo...it was everywhere when I was a kid. It was a bit overwhelming in my opinion and so I didn't give Polo a second thought when I became interested in perfumery. It took awhile for me to realize that Ralph Lauren had been making flankers and slapping the Polo moniker onto practically every new cologne he created. I ended up smelling Polo Blue just by chance and I'm glad I did. It's nothing like your father's Polo. This is fresh, modern, sexy without being in-your-face. Polo Blue doesn't ask if he can buy you a drink. He just smiles and runs his hand through his hair and you find yourself buying him a drink. It's another aquatic but much simpler and subtle than blaster bombs like Cool Water. Cucumber and summer melon, mixed with some fresh herbs. Starts off like a cold drink on a hot day and then  it dries down to a musky suede that is irresistible.  Perfect for summer but could easily be worn year round.


ACQUA di GIO by Giorgio Armani

Like many bestsellers, Acqua di Gio has become almost too popular. It is a ubiquitous smell now and easily recognizable in a crowd. Let's face it, there is a reason so many buy it. It gives the impression of standing in a citrus grove alongside the ocean. Armani blends it's perfumes beautifully and this is no exception, but I believe the real magic in this one lies in how well it mixes with a man's own skin chemistry. Some guys rock it better than others. This is perfect for warm days. From the initial zing of lemon-lime with bergamot all the way to the cedar-rosemary drydown, this is a nearly perfect aquatic. I hope men never stop wearing this, it's a real classic.


LACOSTE ESSENTIAL by Lacoste

How should a teenage boy smell? Ideally, like Lacoste Essential. When my son reaches adolescence I will buy him a bottle of this. It seems right for an active young man. It's not overly sexual, just fresh and aromatic. Lots of green leaves in here. It gives the impression of an outdoorsy male who has been playing ball in the park all day with his buddies and then goes home to grab a quick shower and throw on a new tee shirt before going to meet his girl. Easy going, no fuss, a clean grassy scent. I find this quite appealing and youthful.


CURVE for MEN by Liz Claiborne

Many women have told me that a whiff of Curve for Men makes their heart beat faster. I agree. Not sure what it is about this one that is such a guaranteed panty dropper. I know there is lavender, bergamot and vetiver in this, among many other essences, but I don't feel like any one note stands out. It all blends together into a sexual symphony. This is such an attractive smell that it's been a bestseller for years in spite of the fact that it's called Curve and is made by Liz Claiborne. There must be an underground Man Club where they pull you aside and gift you a bottle of this, telling you that it's a secret weapon to be used with caution. It's that seductive. The best part is...it's dirt cheap and can be found everywhere. This won't fail to generate compliments.


LE MALE by Jean Paul Gaultier

A very sexy scent. More appropriate for a night out on the town than a day at the office. The bottle is a bit, um...artsy, but I can forgive that because the juice inside is so sensual. Begins with a burst of lavender and then I smell soft cinnamon, vanilla and a hint of coffee, which is a nice change in a world of men's colognes that seems dominated by citrus or aquatic notes. Le Male is not a fragrance that every guy could pull off. He needs to be secure enough in his sexuality that the powdery feminine quality this has does not scare him away. It's a warm smell and should be worn quite lightly, as though it is your natural musk. Women love this one.

Good Enough To Eat

Gourmand, or foodie fragrances are very popular right now in the US. It makes sense, given how much we love to eat. Perfume companies are creating new scents that incorporate fruits, chocolate, raw sugar and of course the perennial favorite, vanilla (a known aphrodisiac) among other tasty essences. It seems that our population wasn't content to simply smell like orange groves and herb gardens, there is now a high demand for bakeries and candy stores too. The scents are cozy and evoke the happy memories of eating cotton candy or cinnamon rolls or whatnot. What follows is a collection of my favorite gourmand fragrances.


BE DELICIOUS by DKNY

A fresh spring/summer floral with a surprising amount of depth. It took me a long time to try Be Delicious. I assumed that it would smell like green apple and not much else. Then one night I ran into an old friend who smelled so beautiful I had to ask what she was wearing and it was this one, so I made a mental note to finally explore it. The green apple is the strongest note, but it is well balanced with cucumber, lily of the valley and grapefruit. It's like a cool juicy drink you might sip by the pool at a fancy spa.

BITE ME by Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab

If Valentine's Day had a perfume oil, it would be this. It smells just like chocolate covered cherries to me! Or some decadent dessert you would have at the end of a 4-course meal in a fancy restaurant. Maybe a chocolate cherry tart drizzled with caramel. You share bites of it with your lover in the candlelight, kissing and toasting one another with small glasses of amaretto. 

LOUKHOUM EAU POUDREE by Keiko Mecheri

This fragrance is supposed to smell similar to Turkish delight, which is a candy I have never tasted. What it smells (tastes?)like to me is a cross between the rose tinged ice-water served at Middle Eastern restaurants and those old-fashioned violet candies. There is definitely some almond in there as well. It is very sweet and powdery. A girly perfume, the kind you might wear lounging around the house after a bath.


MISS DIOR CHERIE by Christian Dior

Another charmer that I initially resisted. I felt that it was too popular and too young for me. Then I thought "Who am I kidding? I'm a perfume junkie... bring it." Oh my goodness this is a slumber party in a bottle! Caramel popcorn, strawberries, pineapple. My girl friends and I would snack on those all night. It makes me feel so happy and yes, young. It reminded me a little bit of those dolls with scented hair I had as a girl. I might start singing and skipping while wearing this if not for the ever present patchouli note keeping one foot in adulthood.


PINK SUGAR by Aquolina

Pink Sugar is like a trip to the state fair where you stuff yourself silly on junk all day until you feel sick. Cotton candy, licorice whips, funnel cake, caramel taffy, raspberry slushie. This is the very definition of the new gourmand. It is strictly for the young or young-at-heart. It's nuzzle worthy and don't be surprised if you get a nibble on the neck wearing it. It's strong so apply it very lightly... if you went overboard on this one you would smell like a stripper.


ORGANZA INDECENCE by Givenchy

Sadly, this one has been discontinued and all I have is a miniature bottle that I use on special occasions. I include it in this post as the holy grail of cinnamon gourmand. It's like having French toast with the princess of France. A soft cinnamon bark pairs with a most realistic vanilla bean. There are a few slices of plum alongside, making the entire dish absolutely mouthwatering. It dries down to an expensive smelling amber and rosewood blend. Why did Givenchy discontinue such a masterpiece?


BUTTERFLY by Hanae Mori

Another well executed berry scent. I smell strawberries and maybe blackberries or black currants. Underneath that is nutty praline candy and vanilla cream. This is the middle sister between the more cosmopolitan Miss Dior Cherie and the giggly schoolgirl that is Pink Sugar. It is strong and lasts a long time, sure to generate compliments. If you're into the seductive powers of vanilla you might want to give this one a spin for that.

BOIS FARINE by L'Artisan Parfumeur

A gourmand that didn't mean to be a gourmand, as it does not fit the mold of being either fruity or candy smelling. The moment I sniffed a sample of this I aaahed loudly and knew that I had stumbled onto something quite special. Not a single food note to be found in here: Iris, musk, several different kinds of wood. However the combination creates a unique smell that I can only describe as raw flour or possibly ground hazelnuts. It's time to get in the kitchen and bake some fresh bread from scratch! It's a very dry aroma, light and elegant. Everything about it says class, composure and warmth. I imagine this being worn by a wealthy woman who chooses to clean her own house, and do all of her own cooking and gardening because it pleases her. I wish I had a sweater made out of this fragrance that I could wrap around me when the world became stressful. I would be back in my cozy childhood kitchen watching my dad bake homemade bread. What a nice find this was!