Hello and welcome once again, TN Fragrance here! As the holidays approach, I thought it was time to talk about the things we love about the holidays...the smell of grandmas pies baking in the oven, stormy wintery days and nights, hot chocolate...and of course, spicy and exotic fragrances! Today we're going to talk about what a spicy fragrance is and some fragrance suggestions for the women and men out there. So what on earth is a spicy fragrance? Well to start, think about your spice rack in the kitchen. What do you see? Cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, pepper among others right? Well believe it or not, many fragrances are made with those very spices! Typically you'll also find some oriental notes, which would be different resins and woods that make up a complete spicy fragrance profile. Gourmand is also a term you will hear. A gourmand fragrance is one that tries to replicate the smell of sweet treats--chocolate, vanilla, caramel, mmmmm! The cold winter months wreak havoc on fragrance performance, and you'll notice that a fragrance just doesn't last as long in winter compared to the warmer summer months. A spicy fragrance can cut through the cold much better and perform a tad bit better. Pick the right one for you and snuggle time with the Mr. or Ms. in your life can be just that much better! I thought I would provide a list of 5 each for the men and women, which are personal favorites of mine. So...ladies first of course, and not in any particular order: TN Fragrance Top 5 Spicy Fragrances for Women:1. Yves Saint Laurent - Black Opium A favorite of mine when my wife wears it, has a very deep rich smell. It opens with a sort of vanilla/caramel/coffee scent, which is quite inviting. As it dries down, you also get almost a berry almond scent and a mature richness develops. If I had any drawbacks, the first would be performance. This will not last as long as some other fragrances, not terrible at all but worth noting. You'll probably see somewhere in the 4-6 hour range. The second is, this is not a unique fragrance. This has been a top seller for YSL, thus probably half of the world owns it (being facetious, but you get the point). You will get compliments for sure, but just keep in mind that many will recognize it. 2. Dior Poison Girl EDP What woman doesn't love a gift box from Dior?! I have always LOVED the Poison line from Dior. My first introduction Poison came when I was a young 19 year old strapping lad. This slightly older woman who lived in the apartment next door to me would walk by me in the corridor occasionally, and always smelled just absolutely amazing. Well, that smell was the original Poison. Since that time and over the years, there have been many different Poison releases. Dior Poison girl EDP is the cream of the crop. This fragrance has a slight floral top end, and has some very lovely oriental notes such as almond, vanilla and sandalwood, among others. The lovely lady in your life will very much appreciate this fragrance...and so will you for the way she smells! 3. Tom Ford Black Orchid EDP Tom Ford has been a revolutionary pioneer in the fragrance industry. Look at any top fragrance list and surely a Tom Ford fragrance or two will be on it. Black Orchid is truly a masterpiece. It's patchouli, vanilla, plum, amber, dark chocolate and incense all rolled into one beautiful package. The smell is nothing short of intoxicating! Performance is amazing and a couple of quick squirts will last throughout the entire day. 4. Thierry Mugler Angel EDP Angel by Thierry Mugler is not the most expensive fragrance on this list, but by no means is that a negative. Basically, it's a very rich smelling fragrance, that won't make your wallet scream in agony to purchase it. Top notes give you a bit of a melonish vibe that gives way to a very inviting honey, vanilla and tonka bean base. A great fragrance that will not disappoint. 5. Prada Candy EDP Prada has a plethora of wonderful fragrances for both men and women. Prada Candy is a very moderately priced offering and a good overall scent. Not too overpowering or projecting, Candy has a beautiful sweet caramel open that transitions into a heart of powdery musk, ending with a vanilla woodiness. This is a combination of sweet and spicy, but be warned that if your lady does not like overly sweet scents, this may be a little much in that department as it is generally a sweeter smelling fragrance. Might be worth stuffing a small bottle in her stocking for Christmas to give it a whirl. Women love Prada anything, more than likely she will absolutely love it. TN Fragrance Top 5 Spicy Fragrances for Men: 1. Parfums de Marly anythingI love Parfums de Marly. I have every bottle of everything they offer. Did I mention that I love Parfums de Marly? Ladies, you absolutely cannot go wrong with ANY PDM fragrance for the guy in your life. Start with these: Layton, Layton Exclusif, Carlisle, Oajan and Herod. Honestly, any one of these you purchase your man will go gaga over--and so will you over how he smells. One caviat, PDM is a niche brand that is pretty expensive. But don't let the stickershock steer you away from these truly wonderful fragrances, as the compliments he will get will be endless and the performance is second to none. 2. Dolce & Gabbana The One EDP An absolute masculine gem! This fine offering from Dolce & Gabbana starts off with a grapefruit, basil and coriander top leading into cardamom, ginger, amber, cedarwood and tobacco. The scent is unmistakable and very unique, and a compliment grabber for sure. The performance is not the best though, which is a little surprising for a D&G fragrance. This fragrance is not too over the top expensive, which makes it a great gift idea. 3. Dior Sauvage EDT My wife goes bananas over Johnny Depp (as do many women I'm sure), remember him from the Dior Sauvage commercial? Well, Sauvage has been a worldwide success and one of the most popular mens fragrances over the past couple of years or so. If your man wants a unique scent, this isn't it. It's good--very good, very very good...but not unique. He will wear this and love it, as do I, but people will know it right away. I guess you could call this a new classic, recognizable but not in a bad way. Not overly spicy, but a good combination of fresh and spicy rolled into one package. And get the EDT, it's just better over the EDP and parfum versions. 4. Yves Saint Laurent La Nuit De L'Homme EDT Oh man, what can I say about this one? Nearly perfect in every way, this scent is glorious, sexy, alluring and easily one of my top 10 favorite fragrances produced of all time. You will love it and everyone who smells it will love it. Prepare for immediate and constant compliments, this is a sex machine in a bottle. Moderately priced, but can be a little hard to find at times so you may need to shop around a bit. Years ago this fragrance performed very well in terms of longevity, however, after more recent reformulations that longevity has definitely declined. Regardless, this is a must have! 5. Guerlain L'Homme Ideal EDP Talk about unique, this one is certainly that. I'm talking cherry, almond, tonka bean and leather. Mildly sweet (but not too much so), yet masculine and performance is overall pretty decent. People will ask what you are wearing and offer compliments galore about how good you smell. When I'm wearing this, I often catch myself smelling myself all throughout the day. This is a fragrance that won't break the bank and is priced very reasonably. So, there you have it! What would your top 5 fragrances be? Fragrances are wonderful gifts for any occasion, whether for yourself or someone else and can be very fun to explore. I'd love to hear your comments and what fragrances you plan to purchase either for yourself or for that someone special in your life! Have a wonderful holiday season ahead and thank you all!
