From Liz Claiborne, Curve Connect is a 2008 woody aromatic cologne that takes the Curve line in a noticeably different direction — darker, warmer, and more complex than the fruity-fresh flankers that came before it, built around a distinctive tea-and-tobacco core that makes it one of the more interesting releases in the catalog. Black pepper, bergamot, and black tea open with a bold, slightly spiced freshness — the black pepper giving an immediate confident crackle, the bergamot adding clean citrus structure, and the black tea threading in a green, slightly bitter quality that sets Curve Connect apart from every other cologne in its price range from the very first spray. Maté tea and tobacco flower carry the heart with a warm, slightly smoky, earthy richness — the maté deepening the tea character into something more herbal and complex, and the tobacco flower adding a smooth, honeyed edge that reviewers consistently describe as surprisingly refined for the price point. Sandalwood, tonka bean, and coumarin close with a warm, creamy, subtly sweet base that grounds the whole fragrance and gives it better staying power than most colognes in the Curve line. 5–7 hours, moderate projection. Best in fall and spring; the Curve bottle that consistently earns the most compliments from people who don't expect much from a $20 cologne.