Dunhill Desire
So civilization is crumbling. The Camp of the Saints is playing out before our eyes in Paris. It seems only appropriate that here at Surfeited with Dainties we would review a cologne today and talk about cologne more generally.
The design of the bottle for Dunhill Desire is a nod to the tradition of the company itself. Dunhill made it's mark in designing accessories - "everything but the motor" for the earliest car owners. It also became well known for the stylish clothing associated with motoring around England. Dunhill soon moved to tobacco products - known for their pipes even today and their cigarettes as well. The bottle's cap recalls lighter and flask designs from the WWII era.
The cologne itself has been made to look bright red. With minimal labelling on the side the bottle sits attractively near the sink, or on the armoire - or wherever one keeps cologne.
The scent itself is as understated as the design is bold. At first it seems a little heavy on the alcohol that goes into most colognes - perhaps a bit like the experimental colognes put out by Jovan Musk years and years ago. But of course the initial scent gives way to something else. This time something much lighter. It is clean and fresh and reminds me of linen paper.
Of course reviewing a cologne is an exercise in futility. Unlike say, a book or a recipe it is impossible to judge the execution of cologne against the intentions of its creator. At least I don't think I can. Ultimately a cologne becomes just a part of your scent - that is the combined effect of your genetics, your diet, your soaps, shampoos and deodorant and finally your cologne. It is a sad time for civilization as many young men are not instructed in how to wear a cologne. My own first attempt in third grade was to wear Old Spice. All I knew was that my grandfather wore it - and it was in the house. I was turning heads with the Old Spice. They were 10 feet away and turning their heads. That is not the story of a successful cologne-wearing. My friend approached me, scrunched his nose and announced "Old Spice." He then informed me that he had never really smelled it before but guessed that it must be Old Spice from the over-powering scent. Perhaps one can measure the intent vs. the execution. If that is true- apparently Old Spice ranks high.
The proper way to wear cologne of course is to wear it inconspicuously. In fact no one should notice it at all unless they are close - leaning-over-your-shoulder at work close or better dancing.
Oh - more soon on France, Iraq, Russia, foreign policy - etc etc etc...
Michael Brendan Dougherty
in Review Monday
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Reader Comments (1)
I wonder if the same holds true for a women's perfume? Perfumes are after all made from flowers which are made by God to attract via their air-born scent.
As an aside, In my youth of long ago I was once engaged for a while to a girl who had the capacity to stop men dead in their tracks with her attraction. A friend of mine who was her teacher in highschool once said to me years later that while she was lovely to behold, she was attractive far beyond her visage, he concluded that it must have been pheromones. Taking nothing away from a girl I love from afar and many a year removed, I think my friend was correct.
Love is blind, but such is our nature that the other senses compensate for the lack.