Parfums de Couleurs is the newest line from Histoires de Parfums. According to their website, the trio "plays with classical perfume notes", and I recently gave them a try:
Noir Patchouli has notes of patchouli, coriander, cardamom, floral bouquet, juniper berry, black pepper, musk, vetiver, moss, leather and vanilla. This starts out as a heady mix of patchouli and spices, but settles quickly into a dry, earthy fragrance with lots of vetiver and moss and a dash of vanilla. The leather, which starts out very light, intensifies considerably as it dries down.
I don’t like patchouli and I am not overly fond of leather, but I rather like Noir Patchouli, and it is my favorite of this trio. It is not as heavy as it sounds, but it is hard to imagine a leather and patchouli scent that would not be too much for the extremely hot and humid weather we are having this week. I am going to revisit this one in the fall.
Vert Pivoine (shown above) features peony, green leaves, fresh herbs, rose, mimosa, gardenia, red berries, black pepper, clove, pink pepper, sandalwood, cedar, musk and vanilla. It starts as a dewy sweet mixture of peony and light herbal notes. I am somewhat jaded after a summer of wearing fragrances that scream GREEN (Miller et Bertaux no. 3, CB I Hate Perfume CB 93, Gobin Daudé Sous Le Buis), so I found this only mildly green at most.
It dries down to a pretty, spring-like blend of florals with a smooth woody base. The spices are gentle, but give this a bit of oomph that I found missing in Guerlain Pivoine Magnifica. The Guerlain, however, has a more direct focus on the peony note, so as always it depends on what you are looking for.
Blanc Violette has notes of violet, bergamot, leaves, jasmine, rose, ylang ylang, iris, star anise, sandalwood, vanilla, musk, and rice powder. Sweet green citrus top notes fade into a demure violet fragrance without any dark or earthy undertones. The dry down is a lightly sweet, powdered blend of sandalwood and iris with a trace of anise. It is very delicate and girly. As I am neither delicate nor girly, it is not my cup of tea, but it is a pretty scent.
The fragrances run 90 euros for 120 ml of Eau de Parfum. As far as I know, these are not available in the United States. Across the pond, you can order directly from Histoires de Parfums.
Thanks for the great review R! The Blanc Violette sounds right up my alley. Must do so soon.
Have a super weekend!
xoxo
N, do you know if they even have a boutique in Paris, or where the fragrances are sold?
And is the line at all popular there? It is certainly not widely carried here.
Am I reading this correctly?!??! A patchouli-blend that pleases you, R!?!?!? I'm in shock and have no more to say right now…
LOL! K, I liked Montale Patchouli Leaves too. I think that when perfumers emphasize the earthy aspects over the sweet, I like patchouli, even in concentration.
I think I also prefer patchouli when the earthy aspect is accented more. I have not tried this line, therefore I loved reading your reviews. Noir Patchouli sounds like the one I would be most interested in.
V, will see to it that you get the chance to try it!
I just emailed them to see if they have a shop in Paris, will let you know the response. Your link is incorrect on the main page BTW – there is an extra HTTP at the beginning which causes it not to work.
Thank you so much T, I fixed the link. I suspect I do that frequently because of the way my editor works. Do let me know what you find out!
Hello R – was off doing some stuff. I don't know if they have a boutique but sent them an email earlier. I will also ask around here.
xoxo
Hey Tara! I sent an email too. No response yet.
:))
PS – I have to check if I have some brochure as I saw a stand of theirs at an exhibition. Will get back.
NST!! Perfume and colors!! Right up my alley, wouldn't you say?? These sound SO interesting!! How did you get your samps?
Green-eyed Gert
Here is the Paris address they list as one of two French 'headquarters:'
1969 – Cabinet de curiosités désirables
5, rue des lombards
75004 Paris
Tel : + 33 (0) 1 48 04 03 30
E-mail : infos@1969.fr
GeG, I got them by begging
The juice isn't colored though, and the bottles aren't either. But assuming you have no trouble seeing the colors in your mind!