There are generally two things I ask of a fragrance before it earns a coveted space on my dresser: clarity of concept and basic social decency. Clarity, meaning that there's a sensory story I can follow from top to heart to baseI don't want to drown in an overpowering fog of vanilla or tobacco. And decency means the scent has staying power yet doesn't overwhelm every room I walk into. I want an olfactive experience I can almost feel, whether that's citrus that energizes, spice with a kinetic bite, or woods that transport.