Sarah Jessica Parker's Twilight Perfume

Numerous celebrities have lent their names and images to perfumes and other cosmetics, but according to Chandler Burr, fragrance critic for the New York Times, Parker is one of five percent of famous faces who take an active involvement in the creative process and indeed had something very specific in mind when she approached perfumers to help her realize Lovely, which was released in 2005 (Burr documented Parker's efforts in his book, The Emperor of Scent). And although I would never buy a fragrance solely because a celebrity promoted it, I have to concede that Parker knows how to put together some nice-smelling stuff. Lovely is indeed lovely, definitely not the musk your mother wore in the 70s, when wearing musk-based scents was the rage.

Parker released two more fragrances in 2007 and 2008: Covet, a very unusual cyphre with notes of geranium leaves and chocolate; and Covet Bloom, a clean-smelling floral that reminds me of a favorite shampoo I used in high school. Then Twilight was released in 2009 as a part of a much-anticipated, three-fragrance set in Parker's Lovely Moments Collection (the other two fragrances are called Dawn and Endless). Because all three of Parker's previous creations -- Lovely, Covet and Covet Bloom -- are in heavy rotation in my abode, I ordered Twilight from Ulta "sight-unsniffed." No disappointment here.

Twilight is amber-based, sticking it firmly in the category of "oriental" (other fragrance categories include "floral," "cyphre," and "gourmand"). Now, amber can be a touchy topic amongst those who cannot wear this note, as they sometimes associate amber with -- how do I say it gently? -- a scent a "matronly" lady might wear. Without making this assumption, I personally have been unable to wear amber-based fragrances until I purchased Twilight. Apply amber directly to my person, and I smell like I've been coated with marzipan and rolled in baby powder. Twilight is the exception. The fragrance itself is built on a base of musk, sandalwood, incense, and, of course, amber. But warm floral heart notes (peony and jasmine) and top notes such as mandarin (orange) and pink pepper give Twilight depth and intrigue.

If Parker's Lovely is a flirtatious coquette and Covet the edgy Carrie Bradshaw party girl, Twilight is all tender supplication. Twilight evokes mental images of a large sun pulled toward the horizon; in fact, it reminds me of the time I lived in Alaska, when those rich, orange sunsets seemed to last for hours before finally disappearing into the lagoon. Sandalwood gives Twilight earthiness, and mandarin adds a slant of afternoon light. But what makes Twilight so fascinating is precisely because it is an oriental. Orientals are notoriously difficult to pull off for everyday wear because of their innate incense-like weightiness and complexity. But with Twilight, Parker has pulled off what few perfume-creators have been unable to achieve: A subtle, contemporary, amber-based scent suitable for wear at any time of day.