Moments by Priscilla Presley, 1990

Once in a while, there is a celeb fragrance that hits it right-Catherine Deneuve, Cher, SJP's Lovely. Moments is on that short list. Officially, I have seen it listed as a Floral Animalic Chypre, and it remains true to that category. The aldehydic sweet floral, herbal, powdery top notes supercede the heart and base only for a few moments, but the combination is intoxicating. The peach/bergamot pairing is reminiscent of Mitsouko by Guerlain (interestingly, they have some heart and base notes in common as well, but the overall compositions are very different). The floral heart is deep and complex, with strong notes of tuberose, rose, jasmine, and lily of the valley, and are anchored by the orris root. The entire composition rests on the outrageous base-it has every animalic fixative out there. The strong base makes this a long wearing scent even in the Edt, although I wear the pure parfum as well (I have lots of this to swap!). Interestingly, there is no spice in this scent. Thank goodness, since it's busy enough in there!

My "panel" says it smells like "old ladies", and I can't disagree. This perfume has the grandeur of an old, classic scent. Frankly, Moments is a perfume created by and for women-it is not feminine enough to please men, or women who are interested in impressing them.

The only thing holding this scent back from notoriety is the fact that it was launched as a mid-level perfume, and later sold in drugstores. Look past the marketing to the genius of its composition.