Magnetism
Escada Magnetism Eau de Parfum is the serious one in a range built mostly on summer fruit, and the perfumers behind it explain why. It opens on fruit all the same, but handled with more care than the house usually bothers with. Lychee and blackcurrant give a tart, pale sweetness, pineapple and melon widen it, and cassia adds a dry cinnamon edge underneath that signals early on that this is not going to stay a fruit salad.
The heart is enormous. Almond blossom and heliotrope are the two to notice, both powdery and faintly marzipan sweet, and they sit among iris, freesia, jasmine, magnolia, rose and lily of the valley, with basil and caraway running through to keep the whole arrangement from turning syrupy. Caraway is the oddity: seedy, bready and slightly bitter, and it is the material that makes the fragrance recognisable from across a room.
The base is where the money went. Caramel and vanilla give it a warm sweetness, patchouli and vetiver bring earth and a dry bitterness, benzoin adds a balsamic richness, sandalwood a creamy wood, and amber and musk hold everything together. It is a dense, smooth, well upholstered finish.
Pierre Bourdon and Steve DeMercado are the names on it, from 2003. As an eau de parfum it is long lasting and projects properly for the first two hours, so two sprays is the sensible dose. Autumn and winter suit it, evenings more than daytime, and it has the kind of presence that was expected of a women's fragrance at the time.
The house is German, founded in Munich in 1978 by the Leys, Margaretha and Wolfgang, and associated with vivid colour and print. Bankruptcy came to the fashion arm in 2009, after which the Mittal family trusts bought it. The fragrances are licensed rather than made by the clothing company, and the range is identified with its annual limited edition summer bottles.
Please note: images are a guide only. Packaging and bottle design may occasionally differ from those shown due to manufacturer updates or promotions.
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