Emir Cherry Cola Eau de Parfum 75ml

Novelty names usually mean thin fragrances, so Paris Corner Emir Cherry Cola Eau de Parfum 75ml is a pleasant surprise: there is a proper composition under the joke. Cherry leads and it is the dark cooked kind rather than the fresh fruit, thick and slightly syrupy, with lemon placed over it for brightness. Cinnamon and nutmeg come in immediately behind, and that spice is what creates the impression the name is after, because cola flavour is built on spiced peel more than on anything else. It is a clever piece of construction and it works within seconds.

The heart is short. Patchouli brings a damp, earthy depth that keeps the sweetness anchored, and orange blossom lifts above it with a clean white petal brightness. Neither distracts from the fruit for long. Then the base takes over and settles everything down. Tonka bean adds a warm, faintly bitter softness, vanilla rounds the sweetness off, benzoin brings a balsamic resin that smells of warm shop cupboards, and labdanum gives the whole thing a sticky, resinous weight that holds for hours. Ten materials, and the bottom half is noticeably more serious than the top half ever suggests. At eau de parfum strength in a 75ml bottle it lasts a long time and carries a long way, which with a scent this sweet means a certain restraint when applying it. Cold weather and evenings suit it, and it will be far too much for a warm office. It is aimed at people who enjoy being asked what they are wearing, and it tends to get that question.

The label is Emir, one of several brands owned and developed by Paris Corner, a Middle Eastern perfume group that works under its own names instead of licensing designer ones.