Narciso Rodriguez knows women; renowned for making the female form look and feel beautiful with simple, elegant lines together with an exceptional eye for colour, he marries diverse elements and makes the result appear completely effortless. [Cool fact: everyone’s favourite woman crush, Michelle Obama, is so enamoured with Rodriguez’s design mastery that she wore one of his dresses on the night Barack Obama won the 2008 presidential election. How’s that for a ringing endorsement?]

When it came to interpreting his beloved note of musc through an arresting red filter for Rouge, Rodriguez enlisted the help of perfumers Sonia Constant and Nadege le Garlantezec to create a vision of a woman who is naturally sexy, yet timeless. The first spritz of Narciso Rouge immediately reveals its addictive nature. Overtones of plush Bulgarian rose meet with the part-earthy, part-powdery character of iris to create a lipstick-like accord that smells achingly chic. There’s a subtle touch of sweetness in the opening chapter, as though the rose petals have been lightly dusted with sugar before going in for the kiss. It’s divine.

As the fragrance develops, this fantasy bouquet moves between moments of light and shadow. A deliciously moody medley of woods including aromatic vetiver, black cedar and white cedar create sophisticated depth, before an inviting note of tonka introduces an almond-like creaminess with a touch of amber. Stitched throughout the fragrance like the thread of a couture gown is musc, which is almost carnal in its raw, fierce sensuality. Rouge is perhaps not what you’d expect from the statuesque forbears of the Narciso Rodriguez fragrance line; this vision of the Narciso woman toes the line between wildness and poise.

It goes without saying that the bottle, a sister to the other fragrances in the line, is simply gorgeous. The scent is presented in a heavyweight glass cube with a crimson insert that appears suspended in mid-air, with a colour-matched lid as a final, elegant touch. Pair it with your finest scarlet lip for a serious ‘I am woman, hear me roar’ moment.