Let me lay out a scenario that would lead to two of the best mainstream fragrances in years and see if you could predict the success.

First take a celebrity who two years ago tweeted the following:

Actual tweet from March 5, 2011

Second decide to create two gender-specific versions for $35/oz

Third take one of the most talented perfumers on the planet and expect him to turn all of this into something that isn’t akin to a perfumed train wreck.

I knew all of the above when I received a bottle of each of the new Adam Levine fragrances for Men and for Women. I expected to spray them on and consign them to the large graveyard of other wan uninspiring celebrity fragrances; because I agree with Mr. Levine’s tweet. Instead what met my nose was a continuation of what perfumer Yann Vasnier has been doing for the last few years. M. Vasnier has slowly been letting a niche aesthetic find its way into his mainstream releases. He has been the most persistent in attempting this and in these two fragrances I think we’ve come to the place where we’re about to find out if the great majority of fragrance shoppers are ready to take a walk on the niche side.

Adam Levine at Launch in CA

Adam Levine for Men is at an Eau de Toilette strength and M. Vasnier creates an edgy citrus cologne that is so modern but still easily approachable. The citrus is green followed by a bit of herbal spice down to a traditional ambery woody finish. That sounds like a lot of other fragrances, here is what is different. M. Vasnier uses mandarin and grapefruit as the citrus. It is much more grapefruit than orange and it is a full grapefruit which has its slightly sulfurous nature more pronounced. In a typical mainstream fragrance that sulfur quality would be tamped down or removed. In M. Vasnier’s hands he takes it and uses it as a foundation to add lemongrass, ginger, and sage. The slightly raw sulfurous edge is turned into an advantage as it makes the lemongrass more delineated, it makes the sage smokier, and it turns the ginger more kinetic. It is right here in the heart of Adam Levine for Men where M. Vasnier shows his belief that a consumer will embrace something different. For those of us who have left the department store counter behind this feels like any of the better niche citrus focused fragrances you can name.  The base is the only thing traditional on display as amber, sandalwood, and cedar close this out. It is those citrus notes, which are allowed to display all of their facets, matched with a well-chosen array of notes in the heart that make this stunning. Adam Levine for Men is an EDT fragrance and thus has below average longevity and average sillage.

Yann Vasnier

Adam Levine for Women is even more surprising as this is going to be so different than the avalanche of fruity florals it will be standing next to. For those of us who have discovered niche perfume a spicy woody floral is something we are familiar with usually for something north of $100 a bottle. M. Vasnier has become a perfumer version of Rumplestiltskin as he has woven figurative straw into pure gold. The niche genetics are on display right from the opening as a spicy mélange of saffron, cardamom, and pepper are paired with the astringent floral quality of marigold. The heart of jasmine and rose is the place where Adam Levine for Women plays it safe although the jasmine has a bit more indole than usual for a mainstream release and the rose is a bit more full and spicy. They pick up many of the facets of the top notes and then it leads to the sweetly resinous finish of vanilla and benzoin. If I handed you this fragrance blind and told you it came from almost any niche house out there I think I could convince you of that. This is just a masterful feat of perfumery by M. Vasnier. Adam Levine for Women is Eau de Parfum and it has above average longevity and average sillage.

I’m still waiting for Ashton Kutcher to come through my door to tell me I’ve been “Punk’d” because even after all the time I’ve had with these two perfumes I can’t believe they are meant to be sold at department stores for $35 a 1oz. bottle. I have handed out my highest praise for perfumers who work with the finest of materials with unfettered freedom. What M. Vasnier has created here with financial and creative restraints has to be recognized as an equivalent, if not greater, feat of legerdemain.

Disclosure: This reviews was based on bottles provided by iD Perfumes.

Thanks to iD Perfumes we have a reader’s choice of a 3.4oz bottle of either Adam Levine for Men or for Women. To be eligible please leave a comment naming your choice. This draw is for US only. The draw will end on February 18, 2013.

We announce the winners only on site and on our Facebook page, so Like Cafleurebon and use our RSS option…or your dream prize will be just spilled perfume.

-Mark Behnke, Managing Editor

Editor’s Note: For those in New York City Adam Levine will be launching both fragrances at the Macy’s Herald Square store on Friday February 15, 2013. You can find details at this link.