I’m adventurous when it comes to fragrances: the stranger, the better for me. When I read a few years ago that actor Alan Cumming introduced his eponymous fragrance with notes of (among other things) “leather, peat fire, highland mud, burnt rubber and white truffle,” I ordered a bottle without even smelling it.

That’s because I couldn’t smell it – it wasn’t being sold anywhere in the Valley.

It was $69 well spent … that time. But I hate gambling – or more accurately, I hate gambling and losing (I’ve never played even a nickel slot machine on any of my trips to Las Vegas) – so I’m not too keen on the prospect of plunking down a lot of hard-earned cash for something I may or may not like.

And yet, there are so many scents out there I want to try – or at least sniff. How can you not be intrigued by something called “Lady Vengeance” (by a perfume house with an equally entertaining name, Juliette Has a Gun)? Or “Cruel Gardenia”? Or the fact that “888” by Comme des Garçons was designed to capture the fragrance of … gold?!

(Adding to the must-smell urgency is the fact 888 was released for only one week in London, and won’t be re-released until … OK, this March, but still.)

Web site The Perfumed Court offers a solution: decants. The proprietors sell smaller quantities of fragrances – as little as 1 ml (the amount in the vials-on-cards found at perfume counters), starting around $3.

Overwhelmed by the jillions of scents? They offer sampler sets that group fragrances like flights of wine – browse by manufacturer, by note (barber shop scents?), by region.

Me? I just went freestyle. I ordered seven different scents (total, including shipping: $36):

The aforementioned Lady Vengeance – Because, c’mon. LADY VENGEANCE. Do you even need to know it’s described as “a chypre floral blend of Italian rose absolute, vanilla and patchouli”?

Grass, by Gap – I used to love this now-discontinued scent, back when I lived in Colorado. I’ll be interested to see how it holds up to my recollections.

Eau de Fier by Annick Goutal – “a blend of tar, smoke and fruity sweetness.” Added bonus: not available in the U.S.

888 – Uses a “molecular derivative of saffron” along with pepperwood, coridander, geranium, amber and something called curcuma to create “a quirky, great fragrance that really does smell like gold, slightly metallic.”

Nejma One Aoud Vetiver Tabac by Pascal Morabito – I started looking at the names and going for the really exotic …

Lostmarc’h Aod – “Aod” means “seashore,” I learned, and this scent is supposed to be “reminiscent of the tang of the ocean; the scent of wet sand. With grapefruit a floral core, gardenia, coconut and seashore aromas.”

Egon Oelikers 02 by biehl.parfumkunstwerke – Really just because of the perfume company’s name. Although if someone says they like it and ask what it is, I will have to take lessons to learn how to pronounce it. However, it promises to be have “fresh citrus, lemon and spicy green components with elegant woody scents resting on sweet balmy and bitter masculine notes.”

I will update when I receive them … and maybe even give some away as prizes!

ammit

WHAT SAM WORE: 2/27/08
The shirt: Long-sleeved cotton crewneck sweater (Banana Republic) I figure I’ve got a few weeks left with long-sleeved sweaters, so I’m gonna milk it for all it’s worth. Plus, I sit under the A/C vent.
The pants: Khakis by Chip and Pepper (I made my annual pilgrimage to Last Chance last weekend.)
The shoes: Suede trainers by Puma (Last Chance)
The scent: Mentha Body Lotion by C.O. Bigelow (Bath & Body Works) I’ve been fighting a cold so spraying on cologne isn’t anything I’m concerned about, but this tube sits on my desk and it’s part of my sitting-down-at-my-desk routine.

sammit

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