I tried Dawn Spencer Hurwitz's Tamarind Paprika fragrance earlier this year, loved it, and hoped it would still be around when cold weather returned (it was originally a limited edition) so I could review it. And here it is, relaunched under the name Nourouz in honor of the Persian New Year celebration.

Nourouz opens sunny and fruity, but from the start the sweetness of the fruit is cut with a generous dose of dusty red pepper (the notes: black pomegranate accord, paprika, tamarind, Bulgarian rose otto, orris, osmanthus, oppopanax, red wine notes, tobacco and vanilla). As it dries down, the fruit notes are joined by subtle florals, and it becomes richer and fuller, but at the same time, the sweetness mostly dissipates. The "red wine notes" and the sweet myrrh lend an amber-y warmth to the later stages...

Comptoir Sud Pacifique launched L'Eau du Gouverneur in 1993 under the name L'Homme — a clue, perhaps, that it isn't one of the sweet fruity vanillas that now comprise much of the Comptoir Sud Pacifique line. If, like me, you're a woman who prefers dry to sweet (see: the best [fragrances] for borrowing), you might find much to love among Comptoir Sud Pacifique men's offerings*, which are quite different in character than the women's and which can be found at very reasonable prices.

The notes for L'Eau du Gouverneur include verbena, bergamot, lemon, clary sage, allspice, nutmeg, black pepper, clove, cedar, vetiver and musk. If that sounds like a dense, heavy spice-fest, think again: like many of the Comptoir Sud Pacifique fragrances, L'Eau du Gouverneur is more transparent than not...

Kevin reviewed the L'Artisan Aedes de Venustas Parfum d'Ambiance room spray back in 2006, and noted that he used the spray on his skin as much as in the air. Not being a big fan of room sprays, I used it only as a personal fragrance, and despite the fact that like most room sprays, it doesn't really "bloom" on skin, it quickly became a fall/winter favorite...

Bvlgari Omnia was created by nose Alberto Morillas and released in 2003. The fragrance was said to have been inspired by the spices discovered by Marco Polo on his famous voyages, and was also described by Bvlgari as "a tribute to the tradition of the great oriental perfumes, re-interpreted for the world of today". The notes include black pepper, mandarin, masala tea, saffron, ginger, cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg, almond, chocolate, lotus blossom, and sandalwood.

Omnia has a light, peppery-citrus top note over sheer woods and spices. The chocolate and almond are subdued, but do give this a gourmand feel for a short time. It dries down to a very pretty, very soft sandalwood with dusty spices. The saffron and cardamom are the most apparent, but every so often I smell a bit of ginger or clove. I cannot smell any floral notes at all...