Fracas is amazing, and even though I sound like a broken record, the vintage version is worth a try. Ouds are good for the "noir" thing, too.

Try Parfums de Nicolai's Vanille Intense, Frederic Malle's seriously sexy Musc Ravageur, Diptyque's Eau Duelle, and Tom Ford's Black Orchid. All of these are available for sample on various decant sites I list in the book. Or in stores in cities like NYC and SF.

Thank you! It sounds like you're still traumatized by the broken Giorgio. In a hospital no less! Way to kick someone when they're down. I have a mini that is quadruple wrapped and I can still smell it.

I know! I have vintage minis, but that bottle is incredible. Niki designed it herself, as you probably know.

First off, impressive collection! I'd like to add that to a post I wrote on my blog in which I include links to people's perfume collections/shelves. You should leave a message/link! Also, I imagine Anais chose Mitsouko over Henry? That would be the only reasonable thing to do...

Shalimar in the original is sooooo worth getting. There's a pretty intense dose of civet in the base, and the vanilla is lush and intoxicating. It's some naughty, sexy — yet elegant! — stuff. There are pretty reasonable vintage bottles of Shalimar (particularly cheap are bottles with just a little perfume left) on…

I wish! When I give readings, I bring bottles of stuff to sniff, so you never know! Or, you might just have to start your own collection. I tell you how to begin your addiction in the book...

Youth Dew's a tough one. Apparently, every it's the scent of every Southern matriarch. But it was incredibly popular, and one of the first perfumes marketed to women to buy for themselves. Before the 70s, men or family members bought women perfume. It debuted as a bath oil, to make it socially acceptable for women to…

I meant, I only recently discovered this perfume line...

I only recently discovered this perfume, strangely enough, but I'm glad I did in time to include their Peau d'Espagne. It's one of only a a few of the over 300 perfumes I write about that's not vintage. But it SMELLS vintage, and incredibly old fashioned in a good way. That style of perfume is hundreds of years old.…

I LOVE Rive Gauche. You can still get the vintage/original versions on eBay. As with many reformulations, they took out much of the original's drama and depth, in Rive Gauche's case, birch tar. I go into it in my book. ;-)

Dang. Some people are serious about their signature scents. That's the craziest! I met a person famous in the perfume industry, and she was wearing something I really liked, and something that was very familiar. I asked her what it was, and I could see her flinch. Then, with a straight face, she named a perfumer and…

Pukey! Try Serge Lutens' Santal Majescule (sp?), Tom Ford's Santal Blush, or on the more affordable side, Dita Von Teese's new Erotique. It's sooo sexy, and comes in a few sizes.

I was just telling someone yesterday when the discussion of gender and scent came up that the few times I've whipped my head around to smell Black Orchid, it's been on some dapper dude. It's so good!

Giorgio was certainly huge back in the day. I discuss how it was the first perfume to give us (inflict on us?) those magazine scent strips. An oatmeal accord in perfume would be interesting!

Haha. My mother hasn't gotten around to reading the book yet. I'll know when she has...

I love them too! Although he was hard to nail down for an interview, I discuss him in the book's third section, on "Scent Visionaries."

Awwww. Thanks!

I love Ivoire, and I've worn Jo Malone's orange blossom! Speaking of office scents, I stopped wearing the orange blossom when someone walked up to my desk and asked, "Who's wearing the old lady scent?" Grrrrrr....I'm convinced she just meant, "Who dares to smell like something?"