Paname (2002)
by Keiko Mecheri

I thought this would be a hands-down winner for me, as I love the smell of absinthe, and really all the plants in the artemesia family (wormwood, mugwort, salvia, etc.). However, the licorice/herbal vibe that makes the opening of Paname so excellent (and it is) simply rolls off within an hour to reveal an edible vanilla scent with very little sillage. I'm glad I tried this, but if I can find something that smells like the opening of Paname for several hours I will buy that instead.

A smooth vanilla and licorice. It's like cake icing smooth. The licorice is very upfront in telling you it's there. The vanilla is still smooth as silk even after 5 hours. If it weren't for the anise note, I'd love this.

Paname does smell a lot like Douce Amere by Serge Lutens. They are both sweet, anise-based scents with a creamy finish. Paname is not quite as sweet or creamy, though, and in that sense is more something I might actually wear and less an amusing novelty.

Unfortunately, Paname's longevity is absolutely terrible, so there's not a lot of point in wearing it.

Paname is a sweet fragrance, and very umcomplicatedly sweet if you discount the lash of licorice whip you get from the absinthe. It starts out with a heavy dose of medicinally-tinged sweet - think liqueur (that's the absinthe - or wormwood - of course, or, on the tamer side, something like ouzo or sambuca) rather than candy - and that licorice/anise punch. That's all quite pungent and strong, but then it calms down into an unexpectedly mellow, almost skin-scent sweet, which is where the vanilla and "powder musk" come into play. All in all, it's a sexy scent and could go unisex, though I think it's a bit more feminine in its slightly dangerous, femme fatale, "try me on if you dare" way. For those who like to compare, this does bear some similarity to Serge Lutens' Douce Amere, another licorice fragrance.

I enjoy KM's Santal very much, but this has more gusto. Deep absinthe, spices, vanilla and musk break down and blend in like silk. Suffice to say, it has my undivided attention.