Needle In A Haystack: Diamond Water By JAR Parfums
Today’s Needle In A Haystack is such a fancy perfume that it would never allow any sort of association with needles or hay for that matter - Diamond Water by JAR Parfums. If you’re not familiar with JAR Parfums, it’s founded by an American, Paris-based jewelry designer (Joel Arthur Rosenthal, hence the abbreviation) “who has a stellar client list for jewels that are inspired by nature and render it more beautiful in gems” (iht.com). As far as I know, the fragrances are sold in only two places - a free-standing boutique in Paris and a posh little room downstairs in the Bergdorf Goodman beauty department (which I also had the privilege to visit last fall). I won’t go into too much detail as to in what manner exactly the scents are available for testing, other than saying you don’t get to do a lot of touching and spraying yourself (if any at all!). Instead, it’s all done with the help of a medium (a charming man) who with a masterly sweep of hand, one by one, presents to you the jars filled with perfume-saturated fabric. If you then desire to do what all normal, self-respecting perfume maniacs like to do, that is, to do a skin test, you’re asked which scent in particular you’d like to try which is later on applied by the same hand, once again pretty much leaving you out of the equation. (I guess I have actually gone into detail describing the process - oh well). The presentation and the whole experience is obviously really cool with a certain enchanting flair. My only reservation (and perhaps a partial reason for not taking to JAR fragrances that much) is the air of superiority - you just feel sort of unworthy to not only smell but also wear these perfumes (which is also intensified by the fact no perfume notes are disclosed). Nevertheless, it’s still quite a remarkable experience, and I highly recommend it. Out of all the fragrances available, my favorite are Golconda and today’s pick, Diamond Water.
I’m afraid I have no recollection as to whether there was any explanation of the name and such, and I don’t know the official notes so I have to trust my nose. Diamond Water is a floral oriental with the emphasis on carnation. It starts out somewhat chilly, with a bite of cloves. It’s soon softened by what seems to be coconut (which adds certain creaminess) and nutmeg (which accounts for a gentle, dusty undertone). There’s probably some pepper thrown in for kicks. The scent really warms on skin, turning into an enveloping, fluffy blend. That’s about all I can say as far as the notes and development are concerned. I realize it’s hardly regal and fitting with all things JAR but, hey, you gotta do what you gotta do. Diamond Water to me is a very appealing carnation fragrance, conjuring up deep, golden-purple satin. I’d very much like to own a bottle, if it didn’t have such a prohibitive price tag. Meanwhile, my sample suffices for occasional sniffs and visual effects in my memory.
Please be sure to check Marina’s pick of the day.
18 comments June 29th, 2007