These past few years we’ve seen a number of “modernized” versions of classic fragrances. Some of them, like Yves Saint Laurent Belle d’Opium and Christian Dior Miss Dior Chérie, don’t smell at all like their parent versions. Others, like Chanel No. 5 Eau Première, Estée Lauder Youth Dew Amber Nude, and (to go back a few years) Hermès Soie de Calèche are recognizable kin of their forebears. Oscar de la Renta Esprit d’Oscar stands apart from the pack in that it is both clearly related to the original Oscar de la Renta of 1977 and yet has its own personality. I wouldn’t be surprised if it ends up outselling its parent.

Perfumer Frank Voelkl created Esprit d’Oscar, which launched this month. Esprit d’Oscar’s notes include lemon, bergamot, citron, jasmine, orange flower, tuberose, heliotrope, vetiver, tonka bean, and musk. Although I hadn’t smelled Oscar, the original, in years, Esprit d’Oscar called to mind the original’s tuberose and sandalwood signature right away. But there was something different — softer, lighter, and not as insistent, yet complex and much more than a watered-down version of the original…

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