Beauty

Scenting the Presidential Candidates & Spouses Part II: Barack & Michelle

By Michaela Carolyn Griffin / KHOU

My attempt to give your mind a break from the serious issues in this year’s presidential race, by speculating about how the presidential hopefuls and their spouses might smell, continues with the Obamas.

Perfumes for Possible Presidential Couple Number Two: Barack & Michelle

Barack Obama strikes me as intelligent and highly ambitious. Other ambitious men I’ve encountered have been pretty clueless about their scents - usually wearing far too much - as if it helped to mark their territory. Maybe that's not as clueless as it seems now that I think about it.

But I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt and guess that Barack doesn’t do that, and in fact, goes in the opposite direction and keeps his scent subtle. With this in mind I could see him in fragrances like the earthy Guerlain Vetiver, the cozy Bulgari Eau Parfumee au The' Rouge or the citrusy Annick Goutal L’eau d’Hadrien. An aromatic fougere would also be nice on him - Guerlain Jicky would be an interesting choice.

I don’t find the man particularly sexy (sorry to those who do!), though he does have a great smile. In fact, I think I would be shocked to smell anything obviously musky or animalic on him. So no YSL M7 or Kouros or Dolce & Gabbana for Barack (all of which I enjoy in the right doses on the right men).

If you think Barack’s hot, please feel free to imagine him in the sexy scent of your choice.

Michelle is as well-spoken as her husband, if not more eloquent. She also seems a bit prim and doesn’t strike me as a woman who would care much about perfume. She’s too busy. Busy thinking. She might have a handful of tried-and-true favorites in her wardrobe or a signature scent, but she doesn’t go nuts with perfume. That doesn't mean she can't wear a standout scent; I'll bet she does.

She could pull off Chanel No. 5 beautifully. It has just the right amount of Ice Queen in it - the woman who wears it is totally, fully a woman, but you can’t expect to touch.

Samsara by Guerlain also comes to mind for Michelle with its rich jasmine and sandalwood notes, as does the original Carolina Herrera, a bombshell floral on the right body (that one is all about the chemistry). Narciso Rodriguez, with its barely there musk and white roses, would be a good choice if Michelle wanted to keep things super-subtle.

Michael Kors Michael, another popular floral, could also work on her, but I think it’s a little pedestrian. She could do better with the exquisite Annick Goutal Songes or creamy Caron Tubereuse. I could also see Michelle wearing Sira des Indes, a sweet and sexy treat of a perfume from Patou. If she visited the Estee Lauder counter, I'd recommend she steer clear of the Beautifuls and Pleasures and instead opt for the more elegant Private Collection (vintage or new).

Next time, Hillary & Bill!