This has been an ongoing debate for a very long time. My bachelor's degrees are in International Studies with emphasis on the Far East and Mandarin Chinese as a foreign language. I spent 20 years working for Taiwanese and Japanese firms here in the United States overseeing shipments of materials from China, Indonesia, Taiwan, Vietnam, Japan, the Philippines, Singapore, and far eastern Russia. When I was studying back in the early 90s, the topic of the word "Oriental" was already a big discussion, and we started shifting away from it. It was considered an anachronism. A holdover from a Eurocentric, colonialist, outdated mindset when Asia was considered an exotic and mysterious destination. Over the last 30 years, as the world has become a more global market, it just doesn't make sense anymore, so the term has largely been dropped in favor of more clear and descriptive terms. On the other side of the discussion, especially when it comes to perfume, the term is considered a compliment and does not poke fun at or insult anyone. It was born from the creation of Guerlain's Shalimar (which has recently seen a big resurgence in the market) in the 1920s, when "Oriental" was used to describe the exotic and mysterious blend of spices and resins used in its formulation. Over time, it became a category unto itself - not unlike the creation of "Blue" fragrances with Bleu de Chanel. It's not meant to poke fun of or minimize the vast and beautiful cultures of the Asian continent, but rather as a descriptor for the origin of the ingredients that make up the category. So if the category were to change, what should we use? I have a lot more to say about this, but would love to hear from you guys. What say you? And let's remember to keep the discussion civil and cordial. We are all brothers here, and this is meant to be food for thought.

After yesterday's Layering from Frank Barnett layering post with a tuxedo/Noir extreme combo. Well it sounded rather good, but I don't own Tuxedo. But I do have a fresh bottle of suits, so here goes nothing. Noir Extreme is warm spicy/amber/woody. It opens with cardamom, saffron, mandarin/ creamy kulfi, rose, jasmine/amber, sandalwood, vanilla, tonka. It's rich, sweet, creamy, smooth, long-lasting. Suits is a Fresh/spicy/oriental, with bergamot, coriander, violet leaf, rose, black pepper, lily/patchouli, amber, bourbon vanilla. It's Crisp, sharp, earthy, leans fon the formal/structured side. After some experimenting I found the best way to layer was hit up both wrists with 2 sprays of suits, let this settle for about 30 sec. Then go in with a single light spray of Noir extreme to each wrist. What I learned was that too much Noir becomes overly sweet. Yet too much suits makes it overly sharp, so keep it light, this for me was the best combo. Normally by layer style involves separating the scents on different sides and letting them merge in the air around you as a scent bubble. But not this time. With that done, it was time too see how is progressed. The opening 30m, Suits brings bright citrus-green freshness with a sharp black pepper that cuts through Noir Extreme’s heavy spices. The result is a cleaner more polished start. It's less sweet overall and the Rose/cardamon blend like they were meant too be. Over the next two hours the Creamy Kulfi & florals from Noir extreme blend nicely with the Rose/pepper from Suits. You get luxurious creamy spice & refined floral elegance. Noir softens Suits’ edge; Suits adds brightness & definition. After the 3 hour mark this combo really shines. Noir Extreme’s amber, sandalwood, vanilla & Suits’ earthy patchouli, amber, bourbon vanilla combine for a deep, warm, rich, woody-amber base. Patchouli adds depth, darkness, with a tailored character; Noir adds creaminess and sweetness. Vanilla merges perfectly, sweet but not cloying, very smooth.