Rules of Attraction

I recently purchased Flame & Fortune, and during the return process, after realizing it wasn't for me, Sarah personally asked me if I'd review the perfumes from her house that I do like. So, I'm honored to review Rules of Attraction, which I love, but apparently is discontinued. Rules of Attraction is a skanky, sexy, somewhat dirty perfume, but it also smells high-end, fearless, and classy with a vintage vibe. I get the similarities between Poison, Tubereuse 1, and Skin on Skin (all of which I own and LOVE). I've never smelled Bal a Versailles, so I can't comment on a resemblance to it. I smell the tuberose, civet, gardenia, and leather the most, and some aldehydes, which help make a nice counterpoint to some of the dirtier notes. I also get something kind of bitter (which it shares with Charade) that I'd thought to be oakmoss, but it doesn't appear listed as a note here. I don't really detect much cumin, and I think the iris is more structural, adding more to the general mood, than to the actual scent profile. Rules of Attraction smells enough like Poison to me, that I was almost sure it had a plum or dark fruit (maybe even a black rose, like in Voleur de Roses?) in it, but there is none listed. I have a very dark, grayish purple shirt that fits the mood of Rules of Attraction perfectly, and when I worked at the library, I would often wear them together to work. I felt very much the part of the sexy, but not trashy, librarian while wearing them. I have several Olfactif samples of Rules of Attraction, which is how I currently enjoy this gorgeous perfume, but if Sarah Baker brings it back on her website, I would definitely buy the full bottle.

This perfume is like a sexed up White Shoulders! It’s got this vintage vibe with the tuberose, iris, jasmine and aldehydes...but this fruity modern side. It’s musky and a bit animalic, sort of that civety thing of vintage White Shoulders parfum but it has grapefruit which gives it this fresh modern feel.. The iris here is pretty dominant and the entire fragrance is potent. Rules of Attraction is fun and flirty and almost has a split personality of sorts. Imagine Courtney Love during the Celebrity Skin years. She’s trying to be a lady but she can’t hide the rocker. Definitely a night on the town kind of scent! This is daring and loud but at the same time it has a sophistication. I haven’t smelled anything quite like this while at the same time there is a familiar aspect to it. Very original scent and my very favorite creation by Miguel Matos so far!

I’ve become quite a fan of the Sarah Baker fragrances, and this was the first scent that I ended up purchasing a full bottle of - the other so far being Atlante. On first spray this is extremely animalic and not a crowd pleaser, but (as I’ve found with all of the fragrances in this house) give it some time on the skin and there is true evolution. This scent takes a little while to fully settle, 30 minutes at least, but then the florals overtake the animalics in the race to your nose and they stay in the lead. The animalic notes stay present throughout the (long) life of this scent, but stay restrained while adding interest to these big white florals. The projection and longevity on this (as with most Sarah Bakers) are huge, and this performance was a factor in my purchasing this fragrance.

WOW! This one is a wild ride but it sure is fun. There are so many twists and turns as it is very complex and not your traditional three phase transition. I am not good a describing notes but it starts off being sweet and aromatic, you get phases where tuberose is the strongest note, then seamlessly transitions to jasmine and then Iris (not the traditional sharp floral scent but more dry dusty orris butter). The dry down brings in the animalic musky notes and even the dry down has various phases. I strictly reserve this for winter as the civet amplifies on me in warmer weather. Its a very carnal and sensual scent. Definitely sample before you buy as I can see this scent not being for everyone. If you like challenging complex scents then you need to give this one a try.

Wow! It's powerful just like Jungle Jezabel. Thankfully I really like this one. It's not kicked off a migraine! It's a tropical, slightly animalic, quite musky scent. One to wear for seduction. Powderiness from the iris and a lovely freshness from the aldehydes. This doesn't smell heavy and cloying. It's a tuberose and white flower sorbet. Further along the timeline and I start to note the animalic notes more but they still remain relatively low key. For me white florals can easily be too much but not here. The aldehydes keep it bright and suspended around you. I get above average longevity and sillage. I think its unisex. Its not very sweet. I look forward to trying more MM creations.