Red Door Aura Elizabeth Arden 2012

Today, I went out with my girlfriend on a "scent hunt," and we cast our lines in the perfumery.

I had a beautiful high-priced fish on the hook when my friend approached with a special "Aura."
I paused, sniffed her thoroughly, and immediately threw my expensive catch back into the water.

Her scent was impressive - transparent yet intense and expressive.

She smiled and held the red door in front of my nose - with the fitting subtitle Aura.
I looked at the beautiful little box and wondered what might be hidden behind this door.

A discreet, red velvet boudoir that one excitedly visits with their "affair"?
A tango school where dancers cling closely to each other with serious faces?
Or a noble drawing room where the ladies of "society" meet for a cup of Earl Grey or mocha, and occasionally hold séances?

I decided on the latter.
The salon is paneled in wood and the walls are draped in silk.
On the curved Chippendale tables sit silver bowls overflowing with raspberries and orange blossoms.
Bouquets of roses and jasmine adorn Jugendstil vases, filling the room with their enchanting fragrance.
The smoky aroma of teak and sandalwood wafts through the space, blending with the muted chatter of the sophisticated ladies.
Today, no séance is taking place - no, they are playing bridge.
Yet the room still has an enigmatic spiritual quality.

And so does the scent.
Transparent and intense, - noble and mysterious at the same time.

Of course, I read that the red door belonged to Mrs. Arden's cosmetics salon on Fifth Avenue - but this mundane solution to the riddle does not truly convey "Aura."