After wearing Debut yesterday, I decided to revisit my old friend Amoureuse. Amoureuse was created for Parfums Delrae by perfumer Michel Roudnitska, and was inspired by the box trees of San Francisco. The notes include tangerine, cardamom, honey, moss, tuberose, jasmine, ginger lily and sandalwood.
I adore Amoureuse, but I don't revisit it very often. The reason is simple: this is strong stuff. Now that Debut is available in an Eau de Parfum, it is time to issue Amoureuse in an Eau de Toilette — this is a fragrance that would be much easier to wear if it were considerably lighter than it is. It starts with tangerine and cardamom, underscored with touches of melon and pepper. That doesn't sound like much, but if you don't spray it on carefully (and actually, I prefer to decant and dab) it will very nearly knock you out.
The florals in the heart are, in a word, gorgeous. They are sweetened by a dab of honey, but also tempered by a lightly bitter green; Amoureuse, strong as it is, never even comes close to cloying. The dry down is musky woods, and even the tiniest dab lasts straight through the day, with the jasmine intensifying as the hours pass. It is very feminine, sexy rather than pretty, and while I wear Debut more often, I'd call Amoureuse the best of this line.
And while I'm wishing for Amoureuse Light, let me add a prayer for a new Delrae fragrance. We've been waiting a long time.
Parfums DelRae Amoureuse is available in 50 ml Eau de Parfum. For buying information, see the listing for Parfums DelRae under Perfume Houses.
I do adore Amoureuse, although I wish the stunning top notes would hang around a little longer. My skin seems to amplify honey, and after an hour or two the honey predominates. But it's those fabulous green/mandarin top notes that make this such a knockout. Of course it's a knockout in more than the beauty way; one drop of Amoureuse can be smelled across a city! I'm with you in hoping for the EdT.
I'd agree the honey intensifies in the dry down — I guess I like honey! It never feels too sweet to me. But I too wouldn't mind if a bit of cardamom lasted longer. Of course, with an EdT, that probably isn't how it would turn out, is it?
I am joining you in your prayer. 🙂 I want them to do a leather scent. But then I want everybody to a leather scent. 🙂
Leather-schmeather, LOL…I want woods. Something inspired by Big Sur or the Muir Woods, since we're doing the San Fran connection.
I fell in love with it at first sniff at Takashimaya after a long day of Sniffapalooza oh so many moons ago. I bought it, took it home, tried to wear it, and discovered that my Sniffa-exhausted nose had led me to underestimate its potency. Cripes, that is one helluva strong thingamajig. I'm with you on wishing for an EDT.
I love Amoureuse, and its name, just the way it is, in all of her full-strength glory. What a woman! She was my first DelRae purchase, and my most treasured of this gorgeous line.
Let's pray for a new DelRae fragrance in 2007. Msr. Roudnitska does such a masterful job, I don't care what the notes are.
Hugs!
I'm guessing we like these in (roughly) reverse order. I like: Paradis; Illuminee; Amoureuse; Debut. I do agree with Violetnoir that I like her in all her glory, though. And you are right, I wish Delrae would do another. (How about an incense frag?!? heh)
T, it is amazing how far a little drop goes….
It is a great line, R, and I do hope they aren't finished. Wish I could join you in saying I don't care what the notes are, but I'm too selfish 😉
Ah, incense would be great too!
Close to reverse: Amoureuse, Debut, Paradis, Illuminee. Actually, Illuminee is the only one I really don't like.
I agree with you 100% on the order, R! And Illuminee smells kind of boring to me, so it's not a favourite. But I'd love to see DelRae/Roudnitska do a rose scent, simply because most roses seem so insipid to me, and I bet a Delrae Rose would fry your eyeballs…
Your review made me run for my Amoureuse sample and dab some on the back of my hand! Indeed, what a lovely, sensual yet sparkling, fragrance. Like you described, it's amazing how clear and beautiful the floral notes are here. Great review!
I can't decide if Illuminee is dull, or if I just don't like it because of the lavender. Either way, it is firmly at the bottom of the heap for me!
Oh, a rose could be really interesting too!
They smell like real flowers, which is so rare in and of itself in perfumery any more. Don't know if they are, mind you — I wouldn't be able to tell — but they smell like it.
Illuminee to me was an iconic cologne, like the CdG cologne series … okay, there are a zillion of them, but I thought the Delrae was richer and weirder — like a cologne made by Ormond Jayne (which is what it reminded me of). I've come around to the CdGs too.
If you keep smelling, eventually you come around to almost everything, LOL…
I think this is the best of the line, too (but I admit I gave Illuminee only a quick sniff). And I agree – and this is rare – that it is too strong. I feel unable to concentrate on speaking in full sentences when I am wearing it. Is this the one that is supposed to smell like a boxtree? Does it actually smell like one? I should ask my best friend (who lives there) whether people are always staggering around, talking in sentence fragments.
Yes, it is the box tree one, and although I have spent a fair amount of time in SF, I have no idea what the box trees look like much less what they smell like. I do know that Michel Roudnitska went to SF to smell things DelRae Roth thought were important for her fragrances, so presumably *he* knows what box trees smell like.
Boy, everyone talks about how strong it is. Not on me – I do spray judiciously in the morning, but by afternoon its pretty much gone. I love it – very different from what I usually like but that woody undertone that keeps it from being to “frilly” is what attracted me. I have that skin that can hold a strong scent which is good, but some of my favorites barely last the morning. I love this one – makes me feel elegant.
Wow, that is the first complaint I've ever heard about Amoureuse's staying power! But I love it too 🙂
Just wanted to say… this is stunning. I love (and have) Bois de Paradis as well but Amoureuse is the first floral I’ve fallen in love with. Compared to all the screechy “white florals” that I’ve come across, the florals here are creamy and dense, and the honey twist keeps it going until forever. Love it!
It’s a great scent 🙂
I’ve just tried this for the first time, and I just love it. It’s absolutely gorgeous, lush w/out being cloying (at least IMO), I adore the way the magnolia is used, the way the lily and jasmine duke it out — I love everything about it. It makes me feel utterly devastating, and I like that too. I’ve worn Bois de Paradis, which is wonderful, but this one is just peerless.
Seemingly, there is no magnolia. Silly me.
Hey, it might have magnolia, I don’t know. Anyway, glad you love it!
I’ve tried this twice now and think I might love it. When the sun hits my skin, it’s lovely — but could there be a melon note here? I didn’t see one on any descriptions but it reminds me a little of Malle/Roudnitska’s Therese…anyone one else get melon?
Oh yes, there is melon (I mention it in the review), although to me perhaps not so much as in Therese.
I just bought a bottle and can’t stop sniffing. I know everyone praises Therese as a masterpiece, but I this one works for me. Yummmm
So glad you love it!