Lost Cherry

Bitter almond, black cherry, and cherry liqueur on top; sour cherry, plum, Turkish rose, and jasmine sambac through the heart; vanilla, tonka bean, cinnamon, Peru balsam, sandalwood, benzoin, cedar, patchouli, and vetiver in the base.

The composition that taught the modern fragrance world how to handle dark fruit without going gaudy. Black cherry and cherry liqueur in the opening — syrupy, but never childish. Bitter almond keeps it plush. Turkish rose and jasmine sambac give it the floral lift that separates this from every cherry-coded knockoff that followed. The base is roasted tonka, Peru balsam, sandalwood, and cinnamon — warm enough to last, dry enough not to cloy. Worn at night, in fall, when you want to smell like an idea you are not going to explain.