Risking my usual tendency to overshare, I am neither uncut nor much of a gem. I do think an argument can be powerfully made that I’m a raw and rough jewel, in dire need of faceting and polish, but I’m not a jeweler, and sadly I don’t know any or my jewelry collection wouldn’t be in such a shambles. My cologne cabinet, on the other hand, is pristine, and I’m putting out this Valentine’s Day request to add what may very well be the crowning jewel of it all: ‘Uncut Gem’.
According to the typically over-the-top verbiage of the Frederic Malle website, ‘Uncut Gem’ “…is an unapologetically manly scent, diamond-hard and absolutely fresh. Clear, spicy top notes of ginger, bergamot, mandarin, angelica root and nutmeg lead you to the sensual fire within: a leathery accord, vetiver, frankincense, generous amounts of amber, and a musk that vibrates with the skin. This is a scent that plays with the tired codes of masculinity while extracting their telluric force to create something beautiful and irresistible.”
Man, that’s a lot to take, and I can boil it down to this: the scent is wickedly gorgeous – the precise dose of freshness and brightness with a heart of warmth that makes it work just as well in winter as in summer. That’s no small feat, as most of my colognes fall in one or the other; only the best ones straddle all the seasons. I tried it on a test strip on a breezy and too-brief trip through Copley Square the last time I was in Boston, and it was exquisite. (I also tried the pair of new Tom Ford cherries and neither was impressive or worth their hefty price tag.)
And so this is my Valentine’s gift wish – the 50 mL bottle of ‘Uncut Gem’ – which may be found at Frederic Malle, Neiman Marcus, and Saks Fifth Avenue.
{If all else fails, I won’t be mad about a bottle of Tom Ford’s ‘Tobacco Vanille’ either.}
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