Versatile Paris Gueule de Bois

Don't worry, it doesn't smell like the morning after. It smells like the night before. Gueule de bois is French for hangover, literally "wooden mouth". That fits, because underneath the joke is a properly woody perfume. It opens with a kick of black and pink pepper and a pinch of cinnamon. Then the rum arrives: dark, sweet and a little candied, like the last glass you probably shouldn't have ordered. Smoky incense drifts through the middle before it settles into creamy sandalwood and warm amber, with a soft sweetness that stays on your skin well into the next day. It's boozy, spicy and smoky, and none of it is overdone. For the spray, perfumer Amélie Bourgeois of the studio Flair kept the warm, smoky, suave character of the original roll-on. Versatile calls it a neo sandalwood, built around rum, and meant as comfort for when you're recovering from last night.