Consuming Beauty

What's new in perfumes?

By EVA BEN-DAVID
perfume 88 (photo credit: )
perfume 88
(photo credit: )
Hugo has launched two fragrances called XX (for her) and XY (for him), a reference to the different chromosomes men and women possess, that are supposed to create a "sublime and sensual match" when worn by you and your partner. We weren't able to verify this, having gotten only the XY version, but it was spicy, rather bold, but not unpleasantly overbearing. The top notes are pear tree leaves, with heart notes of mint and basil leaves, creating a fresh, "green" and spicy scent. The bottle is simple, black-gray, with the Hugo logo and XY in big, black letters; a 60-ml. bottle is NIS 355, and 100 ml. is NIS 468. Another bold fragrance for men is L'eau D'issey Intense, also a spicy scent with notes of cinnamon bark, coriander and nutmeg. Someone whose partner is a true fan of L'eau D'issey for women, and has worn it for years, was willing to try the male version to create a perfect match. Although this man has a rather conservative taste, he liked this strong but still fresh scent, which also has a whiff of citrus flowers. The design of the rather flat bottle is minimalist, with colors going from black to gray; a 75-ml. bottle is NIS 331, and 125 ml. is NIS 469. The eau de toilette Désir de Rochas for men evoked a very poetic reaction from the person who tried it. The scent was described as fruity, fresh with a hint of lemon-lime, providing a short-term burst that didn't seem to remain for much more than the initial half hour after application. In a hexagonal thick glass container with a blue tint, Désir de Rochas Homme beckons a man to add the scent of lime to his bag of tricks to attract that special someone. Yet, it is versatile and it also provides that after-a-hot-shower scent of self-reward for a good sporting effort. Its presentation is impressive, its name promising, its scent refreshing; a 60-ml. bottle is NIS 334, and NIS 459 for 100 ml. Elle, the new fragrance for women by Yves Saint Laurent, smells like the expensive perfume it is, noted the woman who now wears it. According to YSL this perfume opens with citron and litchi smoothed by peony, continues with a mid-note of jasmine, sambac and pink berries and ends with woody notes of patchouli and vetiver. In its brief, YSL described Elle as a modern and urban woman, very feminine but with a touch of the masculine. In this case, there's truth in the marketing: This perfume is unapologetically sweet, but even in the first minute the end note rises to the surface and gives this perfume an unexpected bass note and elusive, elegant complexity. Elle comes in a bright fuchsia-pink square bottle, with the big YSL logo on a gold-colored background; 50 ml. is NIS 508, and 90 ml. is NIS 686. Another sweet fragrance is the new Escada perfume, called Escada S. A woman who loved the company's previous scent, Escada into the Blue, was disappointed by this one - it was a bit too sweet. The scent is fruity-flowery, with top notes of plum and blackcurrant, and heart notes of rose, almond blossom and lily of the valley. The bottle is nicely designed, with the name on one side, and rows of red dots on the other side of the see-through bottle, supposed to symbolize a dynamic world, full of life. Those who like it sweet can get a 50-ml. bottle for NIS 279, and 90 ml. for NIS 349. Tommy Hilfiger's new scent Dreaming aims at a somewhat younger crowd. The Hilfiger Company is pushing this perfume as a fragrance that captures the space between sleeping and waking. While some may think - quite rightly - that's far-fetched, this is a sweet, floral perfume that includes white peach, tuberose, freesia and Florentine lily. The shape of the bottle, square with some soft lines, is supposed to look like a pillow. With few complex undertones, this is a light, pleasant daytime perfume for teenage or college-age students that would make a great gift; a 30-ml. bottle is NIS 195, 50 ml. is NIS 275 and 100 ml. is NIS 390.