Prince Matchabelli Sexiest Musk sounds less like the name of a perfume than it sounds like a challenge. I mean, calling something the very "sexiest" and at the same time enclosing a coupon offering a dollar off the price of its body spray, regularly sold for $3.79, is just plain agitating for street testing.

Last night, I took Sexiest Musk to a dinner party. I put dabs of it, Jovan Musk for Women, Coty Vanilla Musk, Strange Invisible Perfumes Musc Botanique and Parfumerie Générale Musc Maori on my arms and asked the guests to tell which, in their opinion, was the sexiest musk.

As I walked into the capacious dining room after dabbing my arms, Ray, on the other side of the room, immediately said, "Did you put on your musks?" The perfume apparently overwhelmed the smell of Sterno cooking under a copper pot of meatball hors d'oeuvres...

Elizabeth Arden has launched Red Door Shimmer, a limited edition holiday flanker to 1989's Red Door fragrance:

This glamorous floriental fragrance is a modern blend of sparkling fruits, shimmering florals and warming woods.

The juice was developed by perfumer Clement Gavarry, and includes notes of pear, yuzu leaf, blackberry, pink pepper, gardenia, Casablanca lily, peony, tonka bean...

A promo spot for Rocawear's debut fragrance, 9IX.

Deal at b-glowing: spend $50 or more on full-priced products, get $10 off your next order of $50 or more using coupon code tenfree, good through 10/13 (discount must be used by 10/31).

Deal at loccitane: get free shipping with the purchase of any 2 fragrances, no coupon code needed. New items include Notre Flore Jasmin.

New at macys: J Lo Deseo for Men.

New at neimanmarcus: Kiehls Forest Rain.

Deal at nordstrom: with your beauty purchase of $100 or more, get a train case with 15 samples (includes Bvlgari Jasmin Noir, Marc Jacobs Daisy, Juicy Couture Viva La Juicy). Offer good while supplies last. New items include Guerlain Homme.

Gianfranco Ferré will launch Ferré Rose Princesse, a new fragrance inspired by the Princesse de Monaco hybrid tea rose, in Japan by the end of the 2008. It will be distributed elsewhere next year.

The fruity floral scent was developed by perfumer Karine Dubreuil; the notes include bergamot, sweet orange, lemon, blackberry, green apple, wood lilac...

A team of scientists at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem has found a way to genetically enhance the scent of flowers and implant a scent in those that don't have one.

[...] In research that was published recently in the Plant Biotechnology Journal, Prof. Vainstein and his research assistant Michal Moyal Ben-Tzvi succeeded, together with other researchers, to find a way of enhancing the scent of a flower by ten-fold and cause it to emit a scent during day and night - irrespective of the natural rhythm of scent production .

— From Genetically enhancing the scent of flowers at Seedquest.

I've had mixed feelings so far about the By Kilian line. All 6 of the original scents that debuted in 2007 are nicely done, if perhaps no match for the swollen rhetoric of the ad copy, but as I've said before, ultra-luxe trappings don't endear me to a brand. When the prices range from $225 for a refillable 50 ml bottle* nestled in a lacquered box complete with lock and key to $2500 for a 1 liter perfume fountain, I'm prone to roll my eyes. My perfume cabinet is chock-full of masterpieces (and many of them in far handsomer bottles than this one), and I've yet to top $200 for a single bottle purchase.

The latest By Kilian fragrance, Prelude to Love, is a unisex, and like the others in the line, is introduced with great fanfare: "As a splash of crimson blossoms across the cheeks and hearts beat wildly, a refined yet bold bouquet of the noblest citrus soothes and refreshes mounting sensations of exhilaration". That might actually be more action than I'd like from my perfume, thank you...

Ayala Moriel has introduced Sahleb, a limited edition perfume named for the popular beverage of the Middle East:

...a scrumptious pudding beverage, flavoured with rosewater and crushed mastic resin, which is offered by street vendors straight from a copper caldron...

New at colette.fr (France): Boudicca Wode.

New at first-in-fragrance (Germany): Tauer Perfumes Vetiver Dance.

Deal at fourseasonsproducts: spend $50 or more on Christian Tortu, get a free Luxury Bran Soap. New items include Fragonard Caresse & Vrai.

Tous has launched Tous In Heaven, a duo of youth-oriented fragrances:

Tous In Heaven Her ~ A fruity chypre developed by perfumer Vincent Schaller, with notes of pineapple, apple, red fruits, lemon, bergamot, freesia, peony, lilac, tiare flower, vanilla, musk, cedar, sandalwood, vetiver and patchouli...