Remember how I chatted about Estee Lauder’s Woody Mystique the other day? Well Aramis Calligraphy is pretty similar in that it’s also a unisex scent especially created for the Middle Eastern market (but we’re getting it here in SA, obviously):

While I thought Wood Mystique leaned a bit more towards the more feminine side of things, I think Calligraphy’s just the opposite in that it’s more likely to be snapped up by men. Still, any woman could easily wear it should she want to. And there’s never been any hard or fast rule as to who can wear what. Angelina Jolie’s been wearing Bulgari Black, a ‘male’ scent for years and has yet to be arrested by the fragrance police.

Anyway, despite the fact that Calligraphy was inspired by the beauty of the written word, it doesn’t smell like ink. You’re looking a luxurious oriental blend that includes oud (also known as agar wood) which is often referred to as liquid gold ‘cos it’s so bloody expensive and rare. Other notes include rose, spicy cardamom, lemon, cinnamon, myrrh (oh yes!), saffron, patchouli, amber and musk.

To me, it smells expensive and sophisticated. I could see it on an elegant older business man. The kind who sits behind a desk with a view of the city sky line and buys Mont Blanc pens like we do BICS. Or at least the kind of man who wishes that that’s how he rolled. If it were to be worn by woman, she’d have to be someone with a real presence. Someone like Anne Bancroft’s character in Great Expectations; Ms. Dinsmoor, the crazy, intimidating, uber-glamorous aunt.

If you someone who thinks they can pull it off (it’s that kind of scent) or an Aramis fan, I think you’ll appreciate this luxurious new addition to the line up.

Love, love

Leigh