Flankers are much maligned by perfumistas, here as much as anywhere else. At their worst, they’re endless — and often, mindless — series of minor variations on perfumes that weren’t all that interesting to begin with. There are flankers of flankers, and flankers of flankers of flankers. There are good flankers and bad flankers, flankers I hope never get made (anything having to do with Diorissimo, thank you) and flankers I can’t believe ever were made. There are flankers that outsell the original pillar fragrance, flankers that eventually elbow the pillar aside, and flankers that just can’t hope to best their elders. Flankers do well, of course, but they’re annoying, not least because there are just so very many of them.

In theory, of course, it’s not a bad idea: take a beloved fragrance, and explore some facet of its composition in more depth. And sometimes that works. There are flankers that I like better than the pillar fragrance…

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