Christian Louboutin

Christian Louboutin is the fragrance line of the French designer of the same name, the maker whose red-soled high heels became one of the most recognizable signatures in fashion. Born in Paris in 1964 and of Egyptian heritage, Louboutin found his calling early, sparked, as the story goes, by a museum sign that warned against wearing heels on its floors. That same instinct for the bold and the striking carries into the scents, now produced under the perfume house Puig, which translate the label's sense of glamour and drama into fragrance.

The style is sensual and statement-making. Amber and woods form a warm, enveloping core, with earthy patchouli and a surprising lift of sea air adding contrast, and bergamot and green notes brightening the opening. The result feels rich and a little theatrical, in keeping with the house's flair. Trouble in Heaven leans into that warm, ambery depth, while Bikini Questa Sera turns toward something fresher and more sunlit. Perfume with the same audacity as a red sole.