Fleur du Mâle had some big boots to fill, released in 2007 it came a whole 12 years after the tour de force that was Le Mâle. Le Mâle is one of the greatest ‘Marmite’ fragrances, it has its lovers and its detractors, but very rarely does it provoke a feeling of indifference and despite whichever camp you find yourself falling into you cannot deny that it is a well made and interesting fragrance.

Gaultier isn’t one to shy away from controversy and Fleur du Mâle, with it’s name that is a play on Baudelaire’s collection of poems ‘Les Fleurs du Mal’ (The Flowers of Evil) and overdose of orange blossom doesn’t either. Sure, a masculine floral is nothing new, us boys have been wearing florals for yonks, but the idea is rarer in the mainstream and one so overtly floral (and advertised as such) as Fleur du Mâle was a breath of fresh air.

As you can see from the above advertising image (which I have included for informative purposes only, not because it’s a picture of a VERY attractive man in a bath, honest *cough*) Fleur du Mâle aims to strike a softer chord than the ultra-sexed, ultra-metrosexual image of Le Mâle.

The Notes

Top: Petitgrain
Heart: Orange Blossom and Fern Accord
Base: Coumarin [1]

How Does it Smell?

Fleur du Mâle is essentially a modern twist on the most masculine of fragrance genres – the fougère. But it’s not as refined or safe as most fougères, this is Jean Paul Gaultier and, after all he is the ‘Enfant Terrible’ of fashion. Every part of Fleur du Mâle has been pushed up to its upmost level of extreme. The top notes are chock full of green, woody petitgrain and a massive overdose of orange blossom. The effect of these two notes combined is like fresh pollen rubbed in between the fingers, it’s loud and diffusive but at the same time it is clean and pleasant.

Orange blossom is a note that is used a lot in mainstream and niche fragrances, and its use here is interesting. In most fragrances the note is allowed to shine & shimmer, and its indolic (dirty/skanky) facets are usually focused on. However, in Fleur du Mâle, the orange blossom smells green and bitter, it’s also quite powdery thanks to a mega-ton of sweet, powdery and hay-like coumarin.

The top notes do feel quite bitter and if you’re not a fan then unfortunately you do have to stick with them for quite a while as the first part of the fragrance is relatively linear, that is until the base sneaks up on you.

It is worth mentioning that whilst Fleur du Mâle isn’t a flanker to Le Mâle it does share the latter’s famed barbershop fougère accord and as Fleur du Mâle approaches the dry down the two fragrances become more and more aligned, in fact if it weren’t for the persistence of the orange blossom you could be fooled into thinking they were almost the same.

Personally I was always a fan of Le Mâle but since its release I would always pick Fleur du Mâle over the original, partly because it wasn’t as prevalent (what else is?) but also because it always felt unique, interesting and far less dated than the original. Where Le Mâle feels as if it has something to prove with it’s hyper-gay, faux machismo (which is more to do with the advertising than the scent, sailors and all that), Fleur du Mâle is relaxed, easy going and more likely to make you smile than piss you off because he is to busy preening himself in the mirror. Also, despite being a ‘big scary floral’ Fleur du Mâle smells a great deal more masculine than Le Mâle.

Why Was it Discontinued?

Perhaps the men of the mainstream weren’t ready for this huge, hairy orange blossom or perhaps they would rather have stuck with the ‘pulling power’ of the original?

Whatever the reason, shame on them for not buying it, because now, yet another good fragrance ends up in the graveyard before its time. I shall visit Fleur Fleur du Mâle’s headstone and lay a few orange blossoms as a tribute. He will be missed!

Availability *

The word on the street is that Fleur du Mâle is still available in some stores and online, but I imagine, as stocks run out they will not be replaced.

Disclaimer

This review is based on a bottle of Fleur du Mâle from my own personal collection.

[1] osmoz.com

Image 1 basenotes.net

* Added on 12 October 2011

I’m not entirely sure why, but ever since the news of Kokorico started hitting the Blogosphere I have been absolutely desperate to try it. Perhaps it’s the fact that Jean Paul Gaultier, despite being somewhat over-exposed, is a solid line of well-made fragrances or, perhaps it’s the fact that I’m a sucker for a quirky bottle, and Kokorico’s bottle is definitely full of quirk. Whatever the reason, I was very glad when esteemed perfume blogger Persolaise gifted me a sample of Kokorico to try.

Kokorico (isn’t the name fun to say?!) is the latest masculine release by Jean Paul Gaultier and it has big shoes to fill. Following in the footsteps of such a colossal bestseller as Gaultier’s Le Mâle is no mean feat, and after the discontinuation of Gaultier’s second masculine release Fleur du Mâle, the pressure is on for the brand to have a success.

This latest addition to the Jean Paul Gaultier line is composed by the olfactory dream team of Annick Menardo (Lolita Lempicka, Hypnotic Poison and Bvlgari Black) and Olivier Cresp (Angel, Kenzo Amour and Juniper Sling)  and is described as “a powerful and explosive aphrodisiac, emphasising woody and cocoa notes” [2] and the name ‘Kokorico’ comes from the french name for the rooster’s cry, their version of ‘Cock-a-Doodle-Doo’. Everything about the marketing of this fragrance; the bright red ‘graffiti’, the pushed up feathers and the confident strutting of Jon Kortajarena in the tv/print ad screams cockiness and masculine confidence, I’m just not entirely sure the fragrance is on board with the idea.

Jon Kortajarena strutting his stuff in the Jean-Baptiste Mondino directed TV spot for Kokorico.

The Notes

Top: Fig Leaf
Heart: Patchouli and Cedar
Base: Cocoa and Vetiver [1]

How Does it Smell? 

Kokorico starts relatively green, with a sweet and spiky fig leaf note, there is also a pleasant figgy milkiness that acts as an undercurrent that runs throughout the fragrance. The most noticeable part of Kokorico is the cocoa, and surprisingly the cocoa doesn’t turn Kokorico into a gourmand, there is enough dry wood to balance the cocoa and give the impression of warm, slightly bitter woods.

There is also a pleasant anisic vibe to Kokorico, and that is no surprise seeing as it is half-composed by the ‘Queen of Anise’ Annick Menardo, and unlike other Menardo fragrances the anise is used sparingly, and Kokorico is all the better for it.

As Kokorico develops, the patchouli and vetiver become more pronounced and they work nicely with the cocoa to create a smell that is not only masculine, but also cosy and comfortable. My only real problem with Kokorico lies with the quality of the woody notes which, despite starting out relatively dry and warm, become stronger, more obtrusive and ‘synthetic smelling’ within the base.

The base is a pleasing blend of cocoa, patchouli, a flash of vetiver and quite a large amount of vanilla. It is just a shame that the woods try to take over at this point, and their synthetic hue can’t seem to help but ruins things slightly.

It is impossible to smell Kokorico and not draw parallels with two other, rather excellent masculines; Guerlain’s L’Instant de Guerlain and Thierry Mugler’s (sadly discontinued) B*Men. The fragrance is certainly derivative, and whilst it may seem like a mishmash of the two aforementioned masculines, it seems less spicy than B*Men and not as rich as L’Instant. Despite it’s derivative nature, Kokorico does have it’s own identity and I certainly wouldn’t shun it because of the similarities.

Kokorico doesn’t quite live up to my expectations, I did have really high hopes for it and perhaps I have hyped it up in my mind a little bit too much, and I would be lying if I said I wasn’t a little bit disappointed but, and this is a big but, it is a heck of a lot better than most of the masculine dreck that is released and I’m struggling to think of a better designer masculine released this year. I am tempted to purchase a bottle when it becomes available over here, I imagine that it’s going to work really well in the colder months, but only time will tell if I do decide to bite the bullet.

The Bottle

Having packaged his scents in a variety of unusual flacons, including; male and female torsos, a snow globe and dual magnetic bottles, Monsieur Gaultier doesn’t scrimp on the creativity with Kokorico.

Kokorico is packaged within a jet black head adorned with bright red feather-styled graffiti, yet the most striking feature of the bottle is the fact that it highlights the silhouette of the Le Mâle/Fleur du Mâle torso when it is turned on its side, which just highlights the importance of Gaultier’s first masculine. The flacon is also housed in a bright red tin in the shape of a film canister.

For other reviews on Kokorico please see Persolaise, Memory of Scent and Now Smell This.

Availability

Kokorico is available in 50ml or 100ml Eau de Toilette, prices range from £36.50-£54.00. A set of matching body products (shower gel, deodorant and after shave lotion) are also available.

Disclaimer

This review is based on a sample of Kokorico kindly gifted to me by Persolaise.

[1] osmoz.com

[2] fragrantica.com

Image 1 malemodelscene.net

Image 2 olfactorum.blogspot.com

Awards night is always a tad emotional…

2011 has been a big year for the perfume industry, it has seen a total of 1200 [1] new perfume releases and as expected with such a high volume of perfumes being unleashed onto the market, it was a mixed bag – some were great, some were good and some were downright terrible. Sifting through the plethora of perfume releases this year has been great fun and for this end of year round-up I have picked out those fragrances that I feel are the very best of 2011, my ‘best picks’ if you will. These fragrances are the ones that deserve to be celebrated for their artistic merit, flair and quality, oh and because they smell good too!

There are a four main categories; Best Feminine, Best Masculine, Best Niche and Best Flanker, each with a winner, and because there were quite a high amount of fragrances worth celebrating this year I have also included a number of runners up for most categories. In addition to the first four categories I have included an extra one entitled ‘The Candy Perfume Boy’s Best Discoveries of 2011′ which celebrates three fragrances that I have discovered and fallen in love with this year.

Before moving on to my ‘Best Picks of 2011′ I would like to thank each and every one of you who reads and supports this blog. As The Candy Perfume Boy is just about to reach 50,000 hits in the next day or so, I must take a moment to reflect on how great this experience has been so far. I truly value everyone who visits and interacts with me on this blog and my absolute highlight of this year has been the interactions and friendships I have formed through The Candy Perfume Boy and Twitter (you all know who you are!). They are as important, if not more so, than the perfumes that have brought us all together.

So without any further ado, I present to you The Candy Perfume Boy’s Best Picks of 2011…

Best Feminine

Amouage
Honour Woman

I always knew that Amouage would do great things with a big, no-holds-barred white floral and they certainly delivered with Honour Woman. This white floral wins ‘Best Feminine’ because it is euphoric in its beauty and exceptional in its quality. Honour Woman is one of those perfumes that surrounds you with an aura that is beautiful, melancholic and self-assured. If you are a fan of beautiful white florals then Honour Woman is an absolute must try, I would also recommend it to those who think that they don’t like the genre, it has been known to convert a few ‘non-believers’.

Runners Up

Guerlain
Shalimar Parfum Initial

Prada
Candy

Elie Saab
Le Parfum

Tom Ford
Violet Blonde 

Best Masculine

Jean Paul Gaultier
Kokorico 

Although Kokorico won’t make it over the Channel into England until the beginning of 2012 it most definitely has to take the crown of ‘Best Masculine’. Picking 2011′s best masculine was tricky for me, I tend to wear mainly feminine fragrances and it would be fair to say that very few masculine releases wowed me this year and none impressed me more so than Kokorico. Kokorico is a warm, woody fragrance with accents of cocoa, anise and fig that does what all fragrances should do – it smells great.

Runners Up

Thierry Mugler
A*Men Le Goût du Parfum 

Lorenzo Villoresi
Theseus

DSquared2
Potion

Best Niche

Mona di Orio
Oud

Mona di Orio’s fragrances, and Oud in particular, seem to be topping a lot of people’s ‘Best Of’ lists this year, and deservedly so. To me, Oud is an absolute triumph of perfumery, it is by far the most outstanding use of oud in any fragrance and it wipes the floor with the colossal amount of mediocre oud releases we have seen recently. Oud, with its signature blend of oud from Laos and osmanthus, feels like the hot breath of a lover and has the shimmer and sparkle of a glorious sunset. A truly beautiful perfume, what more is there to say?

Runners Up

Neela Vermeire
Trayee

Tauer Perfumes
White Pentachord

Serge Lutens
Jeux du Peau 

Etat Libre d’Orange
Archives 69

Best Flanker

Thierry Mugler
Le Goût du Parfum
(The Taste of Fragrance)

This year Thierry Mugler presented foody variations of four of his fragrances; Angel, Alien, Womanity and A*Men. Each version was shaken up with the addition of a taste enhancer such as bitter cocoa powder, salted butter caramel, fig chutney and red pepper paste – very yummy indeed. This series of four flankers turned out to not only be the best of the year but I would go as far as saying that they are also the most inventive and well put together series of flankers to be seen in a long while. Each foody version was a fascinating essay on the original perfume and in Womanity’s case it demonstrated how a degree of fine-tuning can offer an improvement on the original composition. As always, Thierry Mugler shows us how it should be done – flankers that offer something new, a variation on the original perfumes theme rather than just a variation on the name!

Please see my reviews of each fragrance in the series: Angel, Alien, Womanity and A*Men.

The Candy Perfume Boy’s Best Discoveries of 2011

These three perfumes may not have been released in 2011 but they have made a big impression on me this year.

Amouage
Gold Woman

Gold Woman has become one of my all time favourite perfumes and when I tried it for the first time I could not believe that I hadn’t tried it before, it’s perfect for me – a huge diva of a floral, what more could I ask for?! I am lucky enough to now own a bottle and I shall wear it proudly with abundance.

Tauer Perfumes
Orange Star

Orange Star is a very recent discovery of mine, but boy what a discovery! Who thought that a citrus fragrance could be so damn comforting?! Orange Star showcases Andy Tauer’s flair for creating something unusual yet distinctly familiar and when I wear it, I lay back into its warm, comfortable arms, revel in its beauty and float away.

By Kilian
A Taste of Heaven

A Taste of Heaven wasn’t just a big love for me, it was part of a revelation. Before trying A Taste of Heaven I found lavender to be a tricky note and had only fallen for one lavender perfume (Antiheros by Etat Libre d’Orange). But A Taste of Heaven came along and was the catalyst that sparked my love for one of perfumery’s most complex notes and for that reason I am very glad that I fell in love with it.

Join the Discussion!

That’s it for 2011, but here’s to a wonderfully fragrant 2012! I hope the new year brings you all that you wish for. But for now I would like to hear your thoughts:

What were your best picks of 2011?

Do you agree with the fragrances I have picked? What would you have included?

What was the highlight of your year?

Please leave your thoughts in the comments box below!

Disclaimer

[1] fragrancesoftheworld.com

Image 1 tfl-clan.de
Image 2 exparfum.ru
Image 3 & 8 vonmaur.com
Image 4 larosadeiventiprofumi.com
Image 5 lenoma.ru
Image 6 perfume-bg.eu
Image 7 fragrancesandcosmetics.co.nz
Image 9 shop.lorenzovilloresi.it
Image 10 harveynichols.com
Image 11 monadiorio.com
Image 13 nkdman.co.uk
Image 14 vittoriaprofumi.com
Image 15 polyvore.com
Image 16 luxuryactivist.com
Image 19 apropos-store.com

“Perfume is the first garment we wear on our skin.”
Jean Paul Gaultier

Fragile, the Eau de Parfum, was Jean Paul Gaultier’s second feminine fragrance, it was released in 1999 and followed the phenomenally successful Classique. Created by Francis Kurkdjian, Fragile couldn’t be more of a stark contrast to the warm, powdery oriental tones of Classique.

Where Classique is evocative of Gaultier’s loud, abrasive style of couture, Fragile plays on classic French perfumery. There is nothing ‘boudoir’ about it, it is incredibly enigmatic and feels almost unsuitable for everyday wear. Fragile is a perfume of the night.

Like a lot of the other fragrances in the Gone, But Not Forgotten Series, Fragile was a big love for me early on in my perfume journey. It was also my first tuberose, and whilst it may not be the best example of nature’s rawest and most carnal of flowers, it is lovely and it did kick-start my love for the flower.

“Once upon a legend… A fragrance for young women, forbidden from strolling into the tuberose fields for fear of sensory intoxication. This flower, when it is picked at night, releases a narcotic, almost poisonous perfume. But at daybreak its fresh white petals restore its virginal appearance. For Fragile, Jean Paul Gaultier has selected tuberose, and tuberose only…” [1]

The Notes

Top: Bergamot, Orange Blossom, Ginger and Coriander
Heart: Jasmine, Tuberose, Pimento and Carnation
Base: Amber, Cedar, Vanilla and Cinnamon [2]

How Does it Smell?

I feel like I should start with some sort of tuberose disclaimer here; Fragile is not the tuberose it claims to be, and I wouldn’t technically classify it as a tuberose. Instead it is an unusual floral that showcases a contrast between cold and warm. Fragile is a peculiar perfume, it is, unlike it’s name suggests, not ‘Fragile’, but there is something, quiet and reserved, even withdrawn about it that makes it interesting.

Fragile’s opening is cold and austere. It starts with bright, indolic flowers with equally bright bergamot, spices and menthol. There is a good degree of pepper (thankfully not of the pink variety) that livens things up slightly, but the overall affect is cool, aloof and as classic as a couture gown.

The florals in the heart are a perfect example of an abstract bouquet. This golden bouquet features the cool green of jasmine, bright indole of orange blossom and hot flesh of tuberose. Wearing Fragile is like taking a moonlit stroll through a field of flowers, each one sparkling and dancing under the moonlight.

Fragile warms considerably with time, and what at first seemed cool and aloof soon becomes sensual and comforting. The florals are supported by a wonderfully rich base of dry woods, vanilla and cinnamon. It’s creamy, spicy and slightly bitter all at once. The base is incredibly elegant, there is a confident warmth to it that feels surprising when compared to the withdrawn nature of the opening. Fragile feels opulent and almost baroque.

It’s funny, I had intended to add Fragile to this series for quite a while but hadn’t gotten around to it and it’s been a really long time since I wore it. Spraying it on over the last few days has really reminded me just how beautiful it is, and how there isn’t really anything else like it. Fragile may not be a narcotic tuberose diva of the night, but it is a wonderful composition that shows that the ‘Queen of Flowers’ can remove her crown and sit amongst her floral comrades quite happily.

The Bottle

Jean Paul Gaultier is known for packing his perfume in the most unusual of vessels; male and female torsos, magnetic bottles and a dali-esque face that also doubles up as the silhouette of a male torso. His best bottle however, belongs to Fragile.

M. Gaultier is the only person that could get away with housing a perfume within a snowglobe, but it works, so well in fact that one is left wondering why no-one has done it before! A couture-clad woman stands inside the globe amongst falling sparks of gold. Beautiful!

Why Was it Discontinued?

It’s true that Fragile had big boots to fill, both Classique and Le Mâle had been (and still are) massively successful, and whilst it isn’t dull, I don’t think Fragile was daring or innovative enough to hook people. At the same time it certainly can’t be considered to be a crowd pleaser (like Classique and Le Mâle), instead it sits somewhere awkwardly between dull and fascinating.

Describing Fragile as a tuberose was also a mistake. Those looking for tuberose would have been disappointed, it’s there but it’s not prominent enough for it to be headlining the composition.

Also, the bottle probably didn’t help, as is always the case with those discontinuations, many people saw it as gimmicky rather than kitsch, which is a massive shame because I think it is one of the greatest perfume bottles of all time.

Availability

The Eau de Parfum is very difficult to get hold of nowadays, your best bet is eBay, but it does occasionally pop up on the discounters or sales boards. The Eau de Toilette is easier to come across but it isn’t anywhere near as nice.

Disclaimer

This review is based on a bottle of Fragile Eau de Parfum from my own collection.

[1] jeanpaulgaultier.com
[2] osmoz.com

Image 1 pulsarwallpapers.com
Image 2 centdegres.com
Image 3 aileenstore.com

The Magnetism of Skin

When I think of Jean Paul Gaultier I think of effeminate, yet muscly sailors, cone-bras, corsets and spanking. His fashions, fragrances and even he himself embodies all that is naughty about the french. There is a reason why he has been dubbed the ‘L’Enfant Terrible’ of Parisian fashion

What I don’t imagine when I think of Jean Paul Gaultier is softness, subtlety and warmth, but that’s exactly what I find in GAULTIER². Each of JPG’s fragrances are so bold and popular that it’s a hard job to escape them out there in the real world, but not GAULTIER² – the stealth Gaultier and black sheep of the family. Classique and Le Mâle may get all the attention, but GAULTIER² is the quietly clever one, severely underrated yes, even misunderstood, but it cannot be denied that it is a stroke of genius.

“Him and Her. Her and Him. Mixing the genres is Jean Paul Gaultier’s favourite game. With GAULTIER², he breaks through traditional fragrance barriers with his unisex fragrance. A true olfactory statement.” [1]

GAULTIER² was created by Francis Kurkdjian (we’re all in agreement that the man’s a genius, right?) in 2005 and is a scent for both the boys and the girls. It is described as “the essence of two skins in love. A warm, sensual fragrance that blends the masculine and feminine in a trio of musk, amber and vanilla” [2] and is housed in a bottle of two halves, one for him and one for her, held together by a magnetic force.

I find it interesting that JPG, the king of excess, would go for three simple notes in this fragrance and I’m sure that if we were to look at the formula we would discover that there are more ingredients, but I can’t help be attracted to the idea of three aromas blended together to find the perfect equilibrium. There’s something really quite romantic about that simplicity and the harmony it brings.

GAULTIER²

The Notes

Amber, Musk and Vanilla

How Does it Smell?

It is pretty safe to say that GAULTIER² is a weird scent. It starts out with an opening that sort of smells like metallic grape soda but at the same time also smells like caramel soaked biscotti. Underneath all of that is the off-beat odour of sweaty skin, almost if someone has sprayed on something strong and sweet to cover the fact that they perhaps aren’t at their freshest…

The biscuity come sweaty grape soda vibe never really disappears but before long the vanilla wades in and takes charge. What I really adore about GAULTIER² is that it smells very French, there’s just something about the amber-tinged, powdery vanilla that makes me think of the boudoir and the kitchen. It is the warm, tussled and slept in bedsheets mixed with the remnants of a french breakfast in bed (that may sound like a euphemism but I promise you that it isn’t) It speaks of excess and enjoyment, but it does so quietly.

GAULTIER² is a very unusual scent in the respect that it really doesn’t play to any form of gender convention or trend. It is simply a scent and a feeling that can be adopted by anybody who falls for it. It is also very much a skin scent, in the sense that it wears very close to the body, almost like a second skin and it invites you to roll around in the hay with your loved one, smelling delicious.

Stuck to You…

The Bottle

Available in both single and duo bottles GAULTIER²’s flacon is designed for both sexes – one for him and one for her:

“A bottle that follows the grand traditions of perfumery, but in an unconventional way. Things are not always what they seem to be: one bottle can be magnetically attached to another for an irresistible encounter.” [3]

And the best part? You can stick your GAULTIER² to your fridge should you wish to. Not that I would do that. Nope….

Availability

GAULTIER² is available in 40ml, 120ml and 2 x 40ml Eau de Parfum with prices starting at £40.50. Matching body products used to be available but I believe that they have been discontinued.

Disclaimer

Image 1 osmoz.com. Image 2 centdegres.com. [1] & Notes via Jean Paul Gaultier. [2] & [3] via Escentual.

The Candy Perfume Boy’s Movember Barbershop Quartet

Movember Madness has struck me this month and as well as attempting to cultivate a handsome portion of facial hair upon my top lip things have been a bit more man-focused on The Candy Perfume Boy. Sometimes one must remember that it’s important not to forget the boys and this month I am honouring my fellow Mobros in true Candy Perfume Boy style.

Those of you who read The Candy Perfume Boy regularly will know that I wear a mixture of feminine and masculine scents, with the ratio skewed much more to the former rather than the latter. That’s not to say I don’t like masculine fragrances at all, quite the opposite in fact, it just so happens that my favourite style of fragrances (earth shattering florals) tend to lurk on the feminine side of the perfume shelves.

When I wear a masculine fragrance I tend to go for something classic with a modern twist. I often find myself drawn to the floral-sweet yet dandified style of fragrances that can be classified as barbershop. For me there’s just something attractive about smelling well-groomed and well-oiled.

In this post I would like to showcase my top four barbershop scents, presented in the form of my Movember Barbershop Quartet. So without further adieu I present you The Lead, The Tenor, The Bass and The Baritone.

The Lead: Fougère Royale by Houbigant

The Lead sings the melody and none are more suitable to sing the lead in this quartet than the world’s first ever fougère; Fougère Royale. Released in 1882 Fougère Royale is a very handsome blend of citrus, green notes, geranium and vanilla/hay-like coumarin.

Fougère Royale set the bar for a million masculines that followed it and whilst it may seem a little old-fashioned now, it perfectly epitomises all that is gentlemanly. Wear this if you want to add a little bit of a vintage twist to your wardrobe, just make sure you are enough of a gentleman to pull it off.

The Tenor: Fleur du Mâle by Jean Paul Gaultier

The Tenor harmonises above the melody and if there is one thing Fleur du Mâle has it’s a strong voice to sing high above all others. One spritz of this floral take on Gaultier’s classic Le Mâle and you’ll be taken into a man’s bathroom, in which you can smell the odours of grooming products, soap, floral toilet cleaner and one incredibly well buffed individual.

It is simply wonderful stuff and the contrast between the sweet heady flowers and vanillic coumarin facets makes for an incredibly enjoyable take on the classic barbershop masculine. I might even say that it is possibly one of my all time favourite masculines, but don’t hold me to that…

The Bass: L’Homme Infini by Divine

The Bass sings the lowest notes and L’Homme Infini (full review and giveaway to come tomorrow) showcases the deeper, richer notes of the barbershop style. L’Homme Infini is heavy on the black pepper and pairs it with warm spices and rich woods to create something quite butch.

What’s interesting about L’Homme Infini is that the butch-ness is tempered by soft powdery amber and vetiver (not to mention a generous slug of clary sage) which really give it an atypical barbershop vibe, leading one to think of an expensive shave cream or moisturiser.

The Baritone: Sartorial by Penhaligon’s

The Baritone completes the chord and no barbershop quartet would be complete without Sartorial. It is perhaps the least barbershop-esque within my quartet, classifying itself as a modern remix of the traditional fougère instead.

Inspired by Savile Row tailors Nortons & Sons, Sartorial takes the fougère accord and mixes it up with the addition of aldehydes, ozonic notes and beeswax. The result is something familiar yet unusual and when one wears it one cannot help but smell impeccably well-groomed. All one needs is the bespoke suit to match.

— — —

For daily updates and to make a donation to Movember please visit my Mo Space. All donations are welcome, even if it is just £1 and as Movember aims to raise money for men’s health charities, specifically in the areas of prostate and testicular cancer it would be going to a more than worthy cause. Don’t forget to select GiftAid if you are UK tax payer, so that the Taxman coughs up some cash too.

Disclaimer
Image 1 joshuachollis.wordpress.com. Image 2 noventa-grados.com. Image 3 dutyfreeshops.gr. Image 4 cafleurebon.com (cropped). Image 5 smallflower.com.

Orange Blossoms in Watercolour via Watercolours With Life

I don’t know about you but I am most definitely suffering from the January blues. Christmas and New Year have gone meaning two things; 1) the weather is just going to get worse (boo); and 2) we all have to go back to work for the foreseeable future (double boo). It’s at times like this that one looks forward to summer, when things seem that little bit more joy-filled and fancy free.

If there’s one ingredient that speaks the words of summer it’s orange blossom. To me it is the smell of the elements of summer, It is the olfactory depiction of the air filled with life; the pollen on the breeze, the flight of the bees and insects, and the hot sticky skin of all humans and animals that live for the sun’s warmth and sustenance.

As a continuation of my ‘Guide To‘ series, and to give you all some much-needed Vitamin C, I would like to share with you my list of reference orange blossoms. These fragrances are the ones that I feel that any person exploring the note of orange blossom should pay attention to. It is by no means a conclusive list and as with the other guides in the series (see Tuberose, Lavender and Oud) it is very much a work in progress with new discoveries to be added as an when it is deemed necessary.

Orange Blossoms

Orange Blossom

As the name suggests, orange blossom is the white fragrant flower of the orange tree. Its most popular use is in perfumery, however orange blossom water is often used to scent marshmallows and other foody things.

The Smell

Orange blossom has an incredibly complex scent, with many nuances that vary depending on the type used. I would describe it as having the following facets; citrus, honey, bright floral, indole, orange, sun, green (as in stems), beeswax, clean, soapy, plastic and earth.

It is best used in the following fragrances:

Orange Blossom by Gorilla Perfume

The Straight Up Orange Blossom
Orange Blossom by Gorilla Perfume

Tucked on to the shelves in Lush, next to the likes of the Ladyboys, Cocktails and surprisingly clean Dirty boys, is a rather unsuspecting orange blossom fragrance that serves as a good starting point for anyone interested in the note.

Gorilla Perfume’s Orange Blossom plays out each nuance associated with the note; it’s a little bit clean and soapy, there’s an enjoyable degree of feral skank and it has a warm, sunny disposition, but the majority of the emphasis is placed firmly on the depth and bitterness of honey and beeswax.

Orange Blossom is a beautiful essay on the conflicting forces of nature, of the dark and the light. It’s the summer sun beating down on the flowers but it is also the swarm of killer bees…

APOM Pour Femme by Maison Francis Kurkdjian

The Effervescent Orange Blossom
APOM Pour Femme by Maison Francis Kurkdjian

If there’s one note that Francis Kurkdjian seems to have a natural talent for it is orange blossom. Out of the eight orange blossoms on this list he has composed half, proving that even for a single perfumer orange blossom is an incredibly versatile note that can be utilised in many different ways.

For the feminine half of his APOM (A Part of Me) duo (both inspired by the Lebanese and centred around orange blossom and cedar), Kurkdjian has created an airy and effervescent orange blossom that evokes delicious treats such as Jordan Almonds whilst simultaneously harking back to classic Guerlains such as L’Heure Bleue. It’s incredibly powdery, and sweetly so, but there is an underlying bitterness that prevents the whole thing from becoming too gourmand. Wonderful stuff that is not to be missed.

APOM Pour Homme by Maison Francis Kurkdjian

The Butch Orange Blossom
APOM Pour Homme by Maison Francis Kurkdjian

APOM Pour Homme is an entirely different beast from its feminine counterpart. In fact in comparison it comes off rather butch. For a start it’s much warmer and where APOM Femme could occasionally be seen as classic and aloof, Homme is much more personable and is more in line with masculines from the 80s than the Guerlains of the early 20th century.

The opening of APOM Pour Homme showcases the harmony between orange blossom and its more common floral cousin lavender. This gives the scent an almost cologne-like feel that is instantly familiar but when viewed as a whole, with the warmer base notes in mind, also appears new and surprising.

Cedar and amber in the base warm things up considerably and make for an incredibly robust scent that suits any occasion; work, dinner, date night, anything. APOM Pour Homme is one of Nigel, my partner’s, favourite scents and more importantly one of my favourite scents on him.

APOM Pour Homme is quite manly, yes, but I do think it would also work really well as a feminine. On the right gal it could come off as rather androgynous and powerful.

Fleur du Mâle by Jean Paul Gaultier

The Barbershop Orange Blossom
Fleur du Mâle by Jean Paul Gaultier

For Fleur du Mâle Kurkdjian takes the retro barbershop blend of lavender, coumarin and vanilla put to very good use in Le Mâle and shoves in a huge (read: HUGE) powdery orange blossom that, at once, smells like white flowers in the sun, hay and car tyres.

Not only is this one a damn good orange blossom it is also one of my all-time favourite masculines. It is perhaps the cleanest interpretation on this list but it is clean in an almost novel way, smelling like a steamy bathroom filled with the lotions and potions of a well groomed (and rather dashing) modern gentleman.

By law all boys should smell like this.

Fleurs d’Oranger by Serge Lutens

The Filthy Orange Blossom
Fleurs d’Oranger by Serge Lutens

Serge Lutens’ and Christopher Sheldrake’s ode to orange blossom ‘Fleurs d’Oranger’ is very often regarded as the reference fragrance within the genre. I can definitely see why it’s a cult classic, for in true Lutensian style it is anything but simple and unsurprisingly for Uncle Serge it is easily the dirtiest, most erotically charged orange blossom around.

Firstly it’s important to note that in addition to the orange blossom, Fleurs d’Oranger also has generous slugs of tuberose and jasmine which work together to create a heady, narcotic cocktail of plasticky white flowers. The whole thing would be blindingly bright and sunny if it weren’t for an impolite dusting of cumin that amps up the predatorily erotic nature of each of the flowers. Wear it if you have the balls.

Séville à L’Aube by L’Artisan Parfumeur

The Hot and Steamy Orange Blossom
Séville à L’Aube by L’Artisan Parfumeur

In my review of Séville à L’Aube I may have said that, in my opinion, it was the greatest orange blossom of all time, or words to that effect anyway. Now that I have had a few months to reflect on this statement I can quite happily confirm that I stand by my initial proclamation, for it is the most full and euphoric orange blossom I have ever encountered.

Inspired by a particularly hot and steamy night spent in Spain and created by super-talent Bertrand Duchaufour along side blogger Denyse Beaulieu, Séville à L’Aube uses orange blossom as a central core from which a whole variety of notes, such as; lavender (a dark, earthy variety or Luisieri lavender), incense, beeswax and benzoin, all swirl, interlocking their matching facets with the centre.

Séville à L’Aube has a beautifully dewy and mediterranean feel to it but it also has a remarkably potent human element to it, partially due to the addition of costus, which adds the impression of warm skin and unwashed hair. You cannot say you’re an orange blossom aficionado until you have tried this olfactory postcard from Seville.

Elie Saab Le Parfum by Elie Saab

The Golden Orange Blossom
Elie Saab Le Parfum by Elie Saab

The premiere perfume outing from lebanese fashion designer Elie Saab could have been a typical pale, musky floral in line with many other designer offerings, but thankfully it is nothing of the sort. Having teamed up with the exceptional Francis Kurkdjian (see above) Elie Saab has created a shimmering, golden orange blossom that puts many other mainstream fragrances to shame.

Like Kurkdjian’s APOM duo created two years earlier in 2009, Le Parfum is a pairing of orange blossom and cedar. On top of this, sticky sweet fruit gives the fragrance a mouthwatering, almost piquant tone that works wonderfully with the orange blossom to create something tart, tangy and nearly tasty (but not quite).

Kurkdjian then amplifies everything with the addition of a massive skyscraper-esque dose of musk that lifts Le Parfum up and off into the stratosphere. Not only is it an entirely joyful experience but it also does what so many designer fragrances fail to do; it perfectly fits the brand for which it represents. Take a look at Elie Saab’s designs whilst sniffing Le Parfum and you’ll understand exactly what I mean.

Orange Star by Tauer Perfumes

The Down-Right Bizzare Yet Ultimately Amazing Orange Blossom
Orange Star by Tauer Perfumes

This one isn’t strictly an orange blossom, in fact it’s pretty difficult to determine exactly what it is. What can be easily determined about Orange Star though, is that is most definitely unique and whether it is to your taste or not it cannot be denied that it is, above all, a fascinating piece of work.

For Orange Star Andy Tauer has used the juice, pith and peel of an orange, mixed it with a rather rough-around-the-edges orange blossom note and then finished the whole thing off with an über creamy and delicious rendition of his sour yet plus Tauerade base.

As my title suggests, Orange Blossom may be plain freaky but boy is it fantastic stuff!

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Join the Discussion!

How do you feel about orange blossom?

What are your ‘reference’ orange blossom fragrances?

Have you tried the fragrances listed above, what do you think of them?

What would you add or change?

Please leave your thoughts in the comments box below!

Disclaimer
Image 1 watercolourswithlige.blogspot.com. Image 2 scent.penhaligons.com. Image 3 lush.co.uk. Image 4 sahling-duefte.com. Image 5 thescentedhound.wordpress.com. Image 6 dutyfreeshops.gr. Image 7 nocibe.fr. Image 8 rarecosmetics.com. Image 9 theperfumshop.com. Image 10 persolaise.blogspot.com (cropped).

Burt Reynolds on Bear Skin Rug 2013 – Very ‘Beau’ Indeed

It would be hard to argue that Jean Paul Gaultier’s Le Mâle released in 1995, isn’t one of the most popular modern masculines on the market today. As far as scents go it’s a pretty hard metrosexual beast to escape and perhaps suffers from a bad case of over exposure (I love it but don’t often wear it due to it’s popularity – stupid I know), you literally cannot move for it in gay bars, straight clubs and on the streets.

Due to its success Le Mâle, with it’s barbershop accord of lavender, mint and vanilla, has seen many incarnations over the years, with many summer editions, a huge floral version (the fantastic Fleur du Mâle) and a more mature grapefruit and vetiver rich ‘Terrible’ fragrance. In continuation of the fragrance’s evolving nature 2013 sees the release of a brand new Mâle, ‘Le Beau Mâle and this particular dude is as cool as a cucumber.

Created by Francis Kurkdjian, the perfumer responsible for penning the original Le Mâle and all of it’s subsequent editions, Le Beau Mâle is simply described as “the freshness that makes men hot” (if the scent doesn’t make you hot the above ad image certainly will – my oh my) and is an ice cool rendition of the sweet fougère made popular by Le Mâle: “the sensual sailor with a soft heart.”

This time the soft heart of that handsome sailor has turned cold, nay glacial and bitter. Yes he’s a ‘beau mâle’ but his beauty lies within his sharp, angular lines that say you can look but don’t you dare think to touch…

Le Beau Mâle

“I really wanted to reclaim ownership of the formula. With hindsight, some things were obvious. Preserving the original structure and unfolding of accords while stretching the note to the maximum. The redefinition of lavender that characterises ‘Le Mâle’ remains, but the oriental facet has been toned down in Le Beau Mâle to make room for skin-caressing sensuality. As if the skin were exuding the fragrance.”

Francis Kurkdjian

The Notes

Mint, Mugwort, Lavender, Orange Blossom, Clary Sage and Musks

How Does it Smell?

The first impression of Le Beau Mâle is of a fresh and intensely bracing mint. The mint note is intensely herbal and whatever sweetness there may have been to it is tempered by the harsh bitterness of absinthe, which also adds a dark, moody effect to the top notes. Underneath both the mint and absinthe lies a subtle hint of something acerbic, perhaps grapefruit, that somewhat softness the harsh quality of Le Beau Mâle’s opening.

As much as the general vibe of Le Beau Mâle is of icy cool freshness there is also an offbeat aquatic quality to it that when mixed with the herbal nature of the mint and lavender is ever-so-slightly reminiscent of Creed’s Green Irish Tweed (it does have an early 90s retro feel to it). The lavender itself is much more subdued and softer than in the original Le Mâle, allowing for Le Beau Mâle to take on a life and identity of its own.

Le Beau Mâle’s interest stems from the discord between energising, icy aqautic notes and the bitterness of herbs. As things head in to the dry down musk takes over and the interest wanes slightly. The musks ensure that these dark, bitter facets carry through to the far dry down but surprisingly it all feels a tad too thin in the latter stages and doesn’t quite live up to the promise of the opening.

It would be accurate to sum Le Beau Mâle up as an aquatic and icy-fresh interpretation of the original. It would also be spot on to say that is the most far-removed from the original out of all of the Le Mâle incarnations. The opening couple of hours are great fun and I can see Le Beau Mâle working in the intense heat of summer, I just can’t help but wish it delivered more in the dry down. Still, without being entirely bowled over I would recommend it as a good fresh masculine, or feminine for that matter.

Availability

Le Beau Mâle is available in 75ml (£39.50) and 125ml (£56) Eau de Toilette. Matching Shower Gel (200ml – £21) and Deodorant (75g – £19) are also available.

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Love is in the Air…

If you are gearing up for Valentine’s Day and are looking for a nice fragrant gift for that special someone please do check out my Valentine’s Day Fragrance Gift Guide for Escentual.com*

Disclaimer
Images, notes and quotes via press release. *Affiliation.

“I dress men and women with my perfume, wrap them with my art and my love.” – Francis Kurkdjian [1]

Kurkdjian says of his line: “The range is like creating a wardrobe. You go from casual to evening to couture. And in my vision, what’s missing is a daily ready-to-wear perfume” [2] and with his latest feminine and masculine duo ‘Amyris’ Kurkdjian has filled this void with two suitably pret-a-porter perfumes for the everyday guy and gal on the go.

“Its head is in Jamaica, and its heart in Florence. The Amyris duo evolves somewhere between the flamboyance of the sun and the vibration of the earth.” [3]

Both Amyris scents are centred around notes of Jamaican Amyris (the Jamaican tree which exudes elemi) and Iris from Florence. Each feels like an extension of Kurkdjian’s designer work taken to a niche level of quality where “instant hit” style of mainstream fragrances is traded for the slow burning love of niche perfumery.

Amyris Femme

The Notes

Lemon Tree Flower, Orange from California, Amyris from Jamaica, Iris from Florence, Vetiver from Haiti and Musky Amber

How Does it Smell?

If I could describe Amyris Femme in one word it would be “stylish”. Everything about it seems expertly crafted, just like a freshly cut piece of jersey. It opens with tart lemon and mandarin, both notes having a slightly juicy and zingy quality to them, before developing into a strong and distinct blend of woods and flowers.

The use of iris in Amyris Femme is relatively faint, I find it to add just a touch of sweet earth and powder. To my nose there is also something orange blossom-esque lurking in the middle, adding brightness and lift. It all feels very pretty but not ditzy and that’s an important distinction to make, Amyris Femme displays an intelligent kind of prettiness rather than pandering to the lowest common denominator.

In the base Amyris Femme utilises a good slug of Kurkdjian’s laundry musks that are tinged with vetiver, woods and patchouli to give off a slightly bitter air. Surprisingly, the soft effervescence of the top notes seems to be carried through into the musky theme of the base notes, creating a solid rooting for the airier materials that make Amyris Femme so damn enjoyable.

Smelling Amyris Femme it is easy to draw parallels with Kurkdjian’s creation for Elie Saab ‘Le Parfum‘. It has a similarly radiant quality, but with Amyris this radiance has been approached from a different angle, specifically a softer and more refined point of view. The result is something a little less showy (and dressy) that exudes an “off-the-peg” vibe, begging to be picked up and worn.

Amyris Homme

The Notes

Rosemary from Morocco, Mandarin from Sicily, Amyris from Jamaica, Iris from Florence, Tonka Bean Absolute from Brazil and Modern Woods

How Does it Smell?

The first time I smelled Amyris Homme I was most unimpressed. To my nose it was nothing more than a generic masculine, you know the type; sweet citrus up top, slightly aquatic and watery in the middle and with fuzzy, milky woods and vanilla in the base. It most definitely feels like a designer outing but where it may not be decidely unique in its style Amyris Homme is most definitely atypical in its quality.

What makes Amyris Homme significantly better (and more enjoyable for that matter) than many of its designer brothers is balance. The citrus notes are suitably crisp and smell natural enough to conjure up images of ripe fruits in the sun and the woody notes feel measured enough to provide both rough and smooth textures. At no point does anything shout or battle for attention, it is all in perfect proportion.

Normally these types of masculines derail in the base by blasting a chemical foghorn of vanilla and cedar. Amyris Homme however, rounds itself off wonderfully with the plushness of tonka bean and sandalwood. As it heads into the base things also quieten down considerably to a low hum of sweet woody-ness that simply smells comfortable.

Amyris Homme is an incredibly easy to wear masculine and I don’t mean that as a criticism at all, in fact I think it highlights the true art of subtlety. It strikes me as the kind of fragrance that would be worn by the shy, unassuming man that likes to appear well turned out and smell good without drawing undue attention upon himself. Sure, Amyris Homme won’t win any awards for breaking new ground but it serves as a welcome reminder that you don’t have to be unique to be special.

Availability

Amyris Femme is available in 70ml Eau de Parfum (£115) and Amyris Home is available in 70ml Eau de Toilette (£105).

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Valentine’s Day

Happy Valentine’s Day! If you’re stuck for what fragrance to wear on your date tonight then check out my Date Night Fragrance Guide over at Escentual.com*.

Disclaimer
PR samples. Image 1 Dior Ready to Wear via nowfashion.com (combined). Image 2. Image 3. [1] & [2] via lifestyle.inquirer.net. [3] & Notes via franciskurkdjian.com. *Affiliation.

OM NOM NOM

Perfume can be used to evoke a variety of emotions; joy, lust, sadness and love but perhaps the strongest emotion perfume can instil is a sense of comfort. At times when the weather or life is cruel a warm, enveloping perfume can shroud the wearer in layers of liquid armour that fights off the world’s negative elements.

When thinking of comforting perfumes one’s mind drifts easily in to the world of the gourmand, whose inhabitants are olfactory dinners, puddings and treats for those that wish to take comfort in food without the calories. They are comfort on a plate or in a bottle.

Perhaps the most comforting gourmand notes of all is chocolate and it is very much an accord that can go either way with a tendency to be cloying and sickly if used incorrectly. If you are a chocoholic like I am then this guide to the fragrant delights of the genre should serve as a delicious tour of pure delight.

Cocoa Beans

Chocolate

Normally in one of these guides I would give a brief description of the note, it’s origin and uses, however as we are all familiar with chocolate and its odour I thought it would be more pertinent to share with you the following extract (and recipe) from olfactory wizard Jean-Claude Ellena’s book ‘The Diary of a Nose’:

“The aroma of cocoa beans alone is made up of hundreds of molecules, but, by roasting the beans, man has given this distinctive flavour a very human complexity because he has tripled the number of odorous components. This juxtaposition of smells demonstrates that perfumers are above all illusionists.

isobutyl phenyl acetate

vanillin

To ‘make’ plain chocolate, I recommend adding patchouli; for a ganache, a trace of civet; for ‘orangette’, orange zest; for an After Eight, spearmint; and for the smell of cocoa powder, concrete of iris” [1]

The Original Chocolate: Angel EDP by Thierry Mugler

It would be rude to start a guide into the world of chocolate perfumes with a fragrance that wasn’t Angel, for it isn’t only the most successful choco-based fragrance around but it is also the fragrance that put chocolate notes on the map.

Angel is a fragrance of contrasts, juxtaposing the intensely sweet and sickly notes of berries, white flowers, caramel and candy floss (there’s a metric ton of ethyl maltol in there) against bitter dark chocolate and a noir monolith of patchouli.

In theory it shouldn’t work but the best things in life very often don’t sound good on paper and Angel very much deserves its spot as one of the most novel and beautiful fragrances of all time.

The Dark Chocolate: Angel Le Goût du Parfum by Thierry Mugler

Angel Le Goût du Parfum takes Angel’s chocolate accord to the next level, emphasising its darker, more roasted qualities and giving the impression of ganache freshly rolled in bitter cocoa powder.

This one is for those that want something a bit deeper and richer than the original Angel. It has hints of cooking chocolate and loses a lot of the sweetness that makes the original cloying to the more discerning palettes.

Also worth trying is Mugler’s quadrilogy ‘Les Jardins Etoiles’ (The Garden of Stars) that consists of Angel plus a variety of flowers, specifically Lily, Peony, Violet and Rose.

The Gluttonous: Chocolate Greedy by Montale

If you ever thought that Angel was difficult to stomach then you’re in for a treat with Chocolate Greedy. Never has a perfume been more aptly named than with this calorific rendition of death by chocolate.

Chocolate Greedy is the smell of hot butter stirred in to melted chocolate. It has hints of orange essence and chocolate cookies as well as oodles and oodles of vanilla cream. Its as fun as it is delicious but whether it is entirely wearable I am unsure, it certainly requires a careful trigger finger, spray just a bit too much and you’re in for a serious bought of indigestion.

The Chilli Chocolate: A*Men Le Goût du Parfum by Thierry Mugler

This is the last Angel on the list I promise! Despite the fact that the combination of chilli and chocolate is well-known and equally well-respected A*Men Le Goût du Parfum is perhaps one of the weirdest scents around.

The piquant note of hot chilli oil really adds a kick to A*Men’s melting pot of god-knows-what (seriously A*Men has just about everything you can think of inside it) and the overall impression is a stark contrast of black and red. Fabulous stuff!

The White Chocolate: Iris Ganache by Guerlain

If there’s one thing Guerlain knows how to do properly it’s a floral gourmand and Iris Ganache is one of their most unique and striking, which is why it is so distressing that the house has made the decision to discontinue it.

Taking the rooty, powdery and violet notes of iris and swirling them into a warm pot of white chocolate, Iris Ganache caresses you in a cloud of edible velvet that is light, fluffy and seriously addictive.

The Milkshake Chocolate: PG04 Musc Maori by Parfumerie Générale

It’s quite easy to refer to a chocolate accord as ‘novel’, after all the idea of the familiar odour of cocoa as a perfume is a pretty funny one, but none are more so than Musc Maori, which is so instantly recognisable it cannot fail to encourage a smile.

Musc Maori is spray-on chocolate milkshake, Nesquik chocolate milkshake to be precise, and it most definitely pushes the novelty factor to the limit. That said, it is very easy to wear with a gorgeous texture of almond milk and chocolate powder. As with all Parfumerie Générale scents the quality is unarguably good and Musc Maori is definitely worth a sniff if you’re looking for a bit fun with your chocolate.

The Fig Chocolate: Kokorico by Jean Paul Gaultier

Jean Paul Gaultier’s Kokorico has received mixed reactions since its release in 2011 and as far as I am aware it hasn’t made a massive splash in the department stores. Personally I love it, it’s a real mishmash of themes – fresh green fig, warm cocoa and plush woods – that seem to pull together to create an extremely friendly and wearable masculine.

The chocolate is relatively subdued in comparison to some of the other scents in this guide and that’s what makes it unique, it is much more of an abstract fragrance that uses foody notes without smelling redolent of anything remotely edible.

The Weight Watcher’s Chocolate: Petit Fracas by Robert Piguet

Last but not least in this ode to chocolate is a fragrance that uses bitter cocoa as a base note rather than a central theme. As you would expect from a perfume that is intended to be a youthful interpretation of the original party girl of fragrance – Fracas – Petit is a big sweet bomb of white flowers and fruit accented by a creamy delicious base of dark chocolate ganache for those that do not believe in behaving.

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Join the Discussion!

What are your favourite choco-scents?
Do you agree with my choices?
What would you add?
Do you like chocolate fragrances?

Let me know your thoughts in the comments box below!

Other Guides in This Series

Tuberose
Lavender
Oud
Orange Blossom

Disclaimer
Image 1 fanpop.com. Image 2 tumblr.com. Image 3 theperfumeshop.com. Image 4 & 7 osmoz.com. Image 5 basenotes.net. Image 6 esun.ro. Image 8 osmoz.fr. Image 9 douglas.de. Image 10 via press release. [1] Ellena, JC. 2011. The Diary of a Nose. Particular Books.