Lust by Gorilla Perfume, 2010

Ever since Luca Turin made indoles popular, revealing the chemical connection between jasmine and human decay, indolic became the new dirty and no review of a jasmine fragrance goes without it being classified as 'indolic' or 'non-indolic'. The whole idea of flowers being connected to flesh is somehow strangely fascinating even when the nose disapproves; it's like a surreal, symbolic fantasy has been scientifically proven to exist in the real world. I personally never managed to feel this analogy with my nose, or how jasmine connects to sexiness more than other notes. Anyway, the point with Lust is that you start to appreciate its lustfulness once you realize what a myriad of non-lustful jasmine scents there is - starting with jasmine green tea, probably most people's first introduction to this flower, and ending up with the surprisingly clean and polite Jasmine et Cigarettes. Jasmine in Lust is heady like tuberose transposed in a different key and that's for me the more understandable clue to lust: its drug-like effect. Losing your rational self, losing control over yourself. Of course this fragrance also shares the soapy, rubbery, 'natural cosmetics' smell which is so typical for each and every product in a Lush store. But then again, you don't have to actually wear it. Get it just for the sake of this rarely seen face of jasmine.