The First of the Fragrances

The first of the fragrances arrived at the ASW store this past week, those being the Dzing! and Timbuktu eau de toilettes from L'Artisan Parfumeur, the small Parisian perfume house. Each of them is one of a very small percentage of the men's fragrances in the known world that were rated five stars by Luca Turin, who may well be the best scent critic working and if he is not he is certainly the best known.

Dzing! was designed to smell like a circus. It is a modern version of the leather note mixed with sawdust and sweets expressed as toffee, ginger and coffee.

Timbuktu on the other hand is a vetiver, but "unlike any other," (Luca Turin) with the silage and longevity of an eau de perfume. It is subtle, elegant and composed almost entirely of woody notes.

Joining the fragrances is one of the handiest travel ideas ever, L'Artisan's Nomad travel atomizer that fills easily from a spray bottle. It holds 4 ml, or 1/8 ounce, meaning it can be packed in checked luggage or even carried (in the usual small baggie) through airport check-in without fear of confiscation. And a single fill will last for more than one week of travel.

I want to make it as easy as possible for ASW customers to sample these scents before laying out a not inconsiderable sum to acquire them, so I am offering a 4 ml / 1/8th ounce tester atomizer (the same size, though not the same quality container as the travel atomizer) for each scent for $20 (these atomizer bottles have been delayed but are expected this coming week).

By the time they arrive we will have much more to talk about.