Scarlett (2002)
by Keiko Mecheri

A cacophony of spices. Scarlett is green with more than its share of clove. It is fresh. It reminds me of some of those “bay rum” fragrances that smell of cloves. This, though, is lighter; it’s done with much more subtlety, complexity, and sophistication, but I get too much cloves to the detriment of the orange and May rose notes. The version of angelica that is presented in Scarlett, instead of annoying me as it often does, contributes an additional element of interest to the composition. I don’t get any rose note in Scarlett, but I don’t miss it. This fragrance comes across to me clean and bright and crisp and definitely unisex or even masculine. Its sillage is not strong, but it’s stronger than a skin scent, Its longevity is about average.

21st April, 2010.

Scarlett is a woody, spicy, off-dry oriental with pronounced smoky overtones. When cooking I will occasionally toast whole spices such as cardamom, coriander, anise, and peppercorns together in a dry, hot skillet, and Scarlett recalls the warm scent that they release. A dark and slightly animalic musky-woody base rounds out the composition. I find this pleasant and wearable, and while it’s certainly not exciting, it does avoid the sort of strident, chemical drydown that mars so many similar scents.

12nd December, 2009.

I tested this and almost immediately begged my father (a classical musician)to buy me a bottle at duty free during his next trip to Europe. Blood orange, gold light, pepper and mulling spices in a bottle. Yum! If I'm going to go gourmand, this (and unsweetened cocoa, though probably not together) are the the way I want to do it! There have been moments when I've worried I would smell like a pomander ball wearing this, but I'm willing to take the chance. Unfortunately my Dad's latest European excursion coincided with the "no liquids" nonsense, so I don't have this yet.

5th November, 2006.

Just smells like another light-floral-sweet scent, and found it very feminine. Uninspired.

29th September, 2005.

Hot, spicy, sweet and juicy, Scarlett is a zesty scent, the kind that really sets your pulse up a notch. It takes a bit of getting used to; pairing hot spices with blood orange can be a strange combination, the same way that something like jalapeno jelly can be, a little disorienting with its simultaneous blast of peppery heat and sugary sweetness. But it works, I think. The only downside is that the blood orange doesn't linger very long, and then you just have the remaining spice (mostly cinnamon, as best I can tell) plus some green powderiness from the angelica. A better variation of this same sort of pairing is Harissa from the Comme des Garcons Series 2: Red group. The spices there are more complex and rich - as they include not just the incendiary Morrocan harissa but also cardamom, saffron and nutmeg - and the addition of tomato keeps the fruitiness of the blend going after the initial zest of blood orange has worn off.

13rd September, 2005.