Solid Scents That Can Last

Even the most pungent scent eventually fades into the ether, which may be why fragrances are now becoming heavier—literally. Resembling lip balm, solid perfumes are long-lasting and portable. Marc Jacobs's eponymous gardenia blend is stored in a compact that slips neatly into a zip-up leather case ($55; sephora .com). London-based perfumer Miller Harris makes Geranium Bourbon Fragrance Balm ($60; millerharris.com). Some cases are more complex than the scents within; Estée Lauder's Pleasures is packed in a bejeweled spider ($250; esteelauder .com). Paying homage to its handbags, Leiber encases its perfume in a crystal encrusted minaudiere ($185; neimanmarcus.com). Yves Saint Laurent conceals a smidge of Elle in its dangling-cube charm, which attaches to a tote ($56; sephora.com). And the musky Sublime by Jean Patou is presented in a faux-diamond case that slides open ($95; zitomer.com). Pretty solid.

© 2008