Unusual Suspects

Fragrance blogger Dariush Alavi of Persolaise on the strangest perfumes in the market.

As with most other artistic pursuits, the notion of weirdness in perfumery is difficult to pin down. More often than not, it’s defined not by what it is, but by what it isn’t. Chances are that when most of us imagine a fragrance, we think of rose, jasmine, ylang ylang, and other floral notes. We might also picture woods and spices such as cardamom, cinnamon, or sandalwood. And we’re also happy to accept citruses as standard perfumery ingredients. After all, eaux de cologne have been filled with the likes of mandarin, orange, and lemon for centuries. But anything outside of those familiar realms is likely to be perceived as odd.