name that smell

So, you knew there were perfumes called White Linen and Egoiste, but did you know there was one called In the Library? Perfume names, like perfume bottles and (some) perfume commercials, are one of the fun parts of the whole perfume obsession. (Obsession, that's another one.) Some names are simple and direct - Chanel No.s 5, 19 and 22 come to mind - others are more lyrical, like Hermes' Un Jardin Sur Le Nil (it smells like green mangoes, which I guess are common in gardens on the Nile). And others are metaphorical, whimsical or just plain weird, like Dzing! by L'Artisan Parfumeur.

Here are some of my favorites among the more weirder perfume names (some descriptions taken from the Perfumed Court website):

In the Library, by CB I Hate Perfume - First of all, love the name of this perfume house. Perhaps predictably, this is supposed to smell like "a combination of Russian & Moroccan leather bindings, worn cloth and a hint of wood polish." Other perfumes by CB I Hate Perfume include Burning Leaves and I Am a Dandelion (which is supposed to smell "rich, earthy, with a slightly milky feel").

Dzing! by L'Artisan Parfumeur - Chandler Burr says this smells "like a plank of newly sawed pine still warm from the blade."

Garage, by Comme des Garcons - I love the description of this one: "Don't think just grease, oil and rubber...Think of your father working on a car, an old leather chair, or your grandparent's toolshed." The scent of this one is supposed to include notes of kerosene and "plastic flowers."

Guerrilla, by Comme des Garcons - This one has notes that include saffron, black pepper, and vetiver.

Lady Vengrance and Miss Charming, by Juliette Has a Gun - I don't know what these two smell like, but I just like the juxtaposition of the names, and the name of the house.

Let me Play the Lion and Unicorn Spell, by LesNez - Another good pair of names.

Magazine Street, by Strange Invisible Perfumes - I mostly just like the name of this perfume house. Magazine Street is in New Orleans and I think this perfume is supposed to be somewhat spicy.

Dzing!