Barneys New York has just launched its second fragrance collaboration with a designer; the first in the line was L’Wren Scott for Barneys New York, and now we have a new scent bearing the name of Greg Lauren. Like L’Wren Scott, Greg Lauren for Barneys New York was developed by perfumer Ralf Schwieger. Its composition includes tonka beans, vanilla, and marine notes that evoke “irresistible sensual emotions.” Each bottle is “hand-embellished” by Greg Lauren.

As I sit here with a spritz or two of Greg Lauren on my wrist, with a carded perfume vial and a copy of the Barneys catalogue sitting next to my laptop, I’m left wondering again how much the “image” of a fragrance should factor into a review. In this case, I don’t think we can avoid it: while not exactly a celebrity fragrance, Greg Lauren for Barneys New York is inextricably tied to its namesake’s identity: Lauren is a former actor, an artist-turned-designer, the husband of actress Elizabeth Berkeley (yes, she of Showgirls fame), and a nephew of Ralph Lauren, one of the most famous of all American designers with his own fragrance brand…

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