As previously reported, Sillage de la Reine, a Marie Antoinette fragrance, was recently recreated by perfumer Francis Kurkdjian. It is now available for sale at Versailles:
Indulging in a work of reinterpretation, Francis Kurkdijan [sic] has created a “ghost of a perfume” using only one hundred percent natural products. We discover the intensity of rose, iris, cut jasmine, tuberose and orange blossom. This fragrance is modulated by fine woody touches of cedar and sandalwood. To perfect the composition, two magnificent base notes were added: Tonkin musk and precious grey amber.
Ten bottles in Baccarat crystal are available for €8000 euros each; 1000 bottles in less expensive packaging (€350) are also to be sold. For more information, see chateauversailles.fr. Many thanks to Sara for passing on the news from Vogue.
Oh my goodness! I would really like to try this, but I guess you have to be in Marie Antoinette's income bracket to afford it. So I will keep my head and refrain.
LOL…perfect
Cough…splutter….how much? I misread that as '1000ml bottles…for €350' – a litre might just about be worth it!
It is not cheap, but if they are really using all naturals and producing on this small scale, the fragrance can't have been cheap to produce. And I think they are using the proceeds to benefit the museum. But…all the same, I can't afford it!
Hi Robin:
I've spoken on the phone with the man who is in charge of selling this at Versaille, and here is the email I got from him:
If you are interested in purchasing a perfume, you can make a reservation by sending me your names, addresses (including your email)and phone number
For legal reasons, perfume will be available only at the middle of september, but you still can make reservation if you want to.
I will inform you of the precise date of the effective putting up for sale and the methods of payment.
He is: jean-francois.quemin@chateauversailles.fr
The proceeds are going to refurbish MA's area of the palace. Lost my link to that article.
Whoops — double post when I tried to add this… the bottles are 25 ml.
Thanks A. The site said it was being sold “by subscription”, but actually I assumed that was now outdated info, so thanks for setting me straight. If you're getting a bottle, pretty please come back later and tell us how it is!
Two years later, I'm finally able to try this. It's as lovely as I imagined it could be. Like a well done piece of art, preferences fall away (tuberose normally rots on my skin) and the beauty of this raw composition shines through. It's thick with the oils of flowers and roots. It could almost romanticize dirt. There's a spicy cut to it that evolves into a soft, delicately soapy orange flower that isn't remotely acrid. It is of a strange, organic nature…unlike many modern scents that exclaim “sexy” or “demure” possibly “edgy”, Sillage de la Reine is above pasting a label upon its owner. The wearer of this scent will seem blessed by the gods with a heavenly body odour, as if this beautiful scent would rise from their pores, declaring a divine superiority over other, less fortunate smelling beasts. Certainly fit for a royal. Lovers of orange flower and tuberose might find it devastatingly perfect.
“Terranova” brand does a nice, oily “Tuberose” scent that is almost reminiscent of this blend. Not as thorough and finished-smelling as “M.A. SdlR”, but very lovely. I could also imagine wearers of Molinard's 1849 “Gardenia” liking this scent—both start out in a paradoxial burst of creamy, floral soap/”early morning oily body”, before developing into a cleaner interpretation of white flowers.
Well, you're ahead of me — still haven't tried it, probably never will! Is it still for sale, or did you get a sample?
(The Perfumed Court !)
Ah. Wonder if there are still bottles left to buy? Not that it matters, I can't afford it!
(I'm grateful for samples! “The Perfumed Court” is like a sanctuary for the fragrance obsessed. I love how they find vintage and dscontinued scents. They recently had a Poiret rose fragrance from 1922–I think it was “Rose de Chine”. While I'm sure it was a bit degraded from the passing of time, there is still something exciting about opening a “blast from the past”.)
What's left? I wonder, too. It would be interesting if Chateau de Versailles did a more affordable imitation of “SdlR” and installed it as a regular choice in their shops. Perhaps that's what would be considered an American sentiment, though–make something exclusive more available for the masses, for better or worse–but I think even a more affordable interpretation of this fragrance might be popular. “SdlR” is a lovely scent that will really grow on you–you'll crave it. An imitation (I know; “an imitation of an imitation…”) likely wouldn't be as powerful but it could hint at the styles of the period and make an interesting gift.
If it makes you crave it, just as well I haven't tried it, LOL! I can't buy it even if it's still for sale. But love the description of TPC as “a sanctuary for the fragrance obsessed” — so true!