Salome

Close the blinds and send the kids to bed- Salome, the latest sensation from Papillon Artisan Perfumes, is Sexy with a grown-up, capital "S"-- a swooningly vintage-feeling delight that proves that the golden era of full-bodied perfumery isn't nearly as bygone as the doubters might claim. Built around a strikingly animalic blend of rich, dirty florals and even dirtier animalics, Salome is put together with such deft, classic skill that we'd be praising its refinement- that is, if we weren't busy picking our jaws up off the floor.

Just as the biblical Salome had a seven-veiled dance of progressive seduction, so too does Salome seduce in tantalizing layers. At first spray, we're struck with bright, bitter orange blossom and the sweet richness of rose and jasmine, with the indolic sensuality of the florals growing gradually. As the rich heart of animalics begins to growl, suggestiveness turns to an all-out bacchanal, with hyraceum, castoreum and an increasingly indolic jasmine all adding their own elements of dirty, carnal power. As Salome reaches the extended final drydown, smoky leather and deep oakmoss begin to move in slower, more deliberate momentum, still every bit as carnal but now even deeper and more luxuriously vintage-feeling. Vibrant, erotic, classic and devastatingly gorgeous, Salome is another big win from one of the most exciting new houses in niche fragrance.