Karl Lagerfeld
A unique visual signature based on accords, character, and seasonality
Lime and white pepper ignite with almost aggressive vivacity, creating a zinging top note that feels sharp enough to cut. Basil weaves through immediately, herbal and slightly peppery, whilst the citrus remains aggressively bright—this is not a gentle introduction but a cold splash of mineral-water freshness.
As the citrus softens after an hour, rhubarb's tart, almost candied character becomes the unexpected protagonist, playing against water jasmine's restrained florality. Geranium adds a green-metallic undertone that refuses to let the composition soften, maintaining that cool, slightly austere character throughout the middle hours.
The fragrance mellows into its synthetic white woods and vetiver base, losing considerable presence as it settles into the skin. What remains is a faint woody-musky hum—pleasant but considerably quieter than its opening declaration, with a whisper of geranium's green pepper lingering longest.
Karl New York Mercer Street announces itself as a bracing manifesto for urban clarity—a fragrance that cuts through the afternoon fog of Manhattan with the precision of a freshly pressed shirt. Aliénor Massenet has constructed something deliberately cool-headed here: lime and white pepper clash in the opening moments like ice cubes dropping into a glass, whilst basil lends an almost botanical sharpness that prevents the citrus from becoming merely bright.
What distinguishes this composition is its middle act. Rather than dissolving into fruity sweetness, rhubarb emerges with an almost sour-candy tartness, creating an unusual tension with water jasmine—a note that typically traffics in creamy florality but here feels restrained, aquatic, almost astringent. Geranium circles underneath like a metallic whisper, its green-peppery character reinforcing the synthetic accords that frankly dominate this scent's DNA. There's no pretence of naturalism here; the woody base arrives with deliberate artificiality, all clean white woods and the barest kiss of musky softness atop a vetiver that feels more architectural than earthy.
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3.5/5 (104)