Sinan
Eau de Toilette, Jean-Marc Sinan (1981)

If Jean Couturier Coriandre is chamber pop, then Sinan is new wave: the latter's coriander, muguet and rose refracted by aldehydes and imbued with smoke. Dark green leaves, patchouli, and moss has it singing in alto as it sips hors d´âge. It's an after hours spot with a backlit bubble wall feature and crushed burgundy velvet.

Do I have one too many chypres? Never! Not when I am seduced by something like this: dry and dusky, its sillage releases oxytocin into my bloodstream.

In 1973 Jean Couturier created the stunning peppery rose chypre, Coriandre.

A decade later Sinan copies it - the notes are practically identical.

Barbara Herman calls it a cross between Coriandre and Paloma – "a spiced chypre with angular green florals and herby green coriander."

It also bears a slight resemblance to Lalique's Perles, but lacking the intense peppery accord.

Top notes: Bergamot, Coriander, Rosewood
Heart notes: Rose, Geranium, Muguet, Jasmine, Orris, Ylang, Cardamom
Base notes: Patchouli, Vetiver, Amber, Moss, Musk, Cistus

An excellent formula for rose lovers, but a neutral review due to lack of originality.

bohemian roseThis obscure perfume is similar to the series of coriander/rose womanly 70s scents, but in my estimation is fuller and rounder. It's a dusky, musky, dry rich rose laced heavily with dry hay fields and coriander. It reminds me a bit of Fendi in its density and clarity. I think it's great. Yum. But it is on the opposite end of the current universe of youthful, simple, aromachemical,sugar fruitcholis. Does anyone want to smell this way nowadays? Hmm...I doubt it. But I think if you have an inner Stevie Nicks streak, it would be a good match.Pros: classic structureCons: maybe dated"

Sinan, by Jean Marc Sinan, is one of only a few fragrances that compelled me, in the early 1980s, to follow its wearer upon catching a whiff. I had the pleasure to own and wear this warm chypre. For reasons that remain unknown, Sinan's packaging was changed in the early 1990s from the original curved bottle bearing the name "Sinan" in distinctive gold script topped by an elegant, unusual half moon contained in a smoky matte box, to a dime-store quality bottle in a nondescript grey box. Although the distinguished juice remained the same, its compelling presentation was gone. Soon after, the fragrance, too, had vanished. I must admit, however, that a mere two weeks ago, another Sinan-ish eau-de-wonderful captured my fancy in the same way when a woman passed me in a department store. She was proud to introduce me to Soir de Lune by Sisley, a house that I'd not previously known. Without having smelled Sinan in at least 15 years, I recall that it did resemble Soir de Lune, which is now part of my wardrobe. They share the same beauty, sillage and longevity.