The certified organic We Love New York collection from Honoré des Prés is one of the best surprises of 2010. Like many others, I had issues with the line's debut scents, launched in 2008 and developed by perfumer Olivia Giacobetti.1 My favorite of the first five was Sexy Angelic, a tribute to the calisson, specialty of Aix-en-Provence and possibly the world's most divine confection. Sexy Angelic opens with a fresh, mouthwatering cloud of marzipan and crystallized melon... and then, swiftly, nothing. Within a minute or two, the top notes have completely dissipated, leaving behind a very faintly minty, showered-skin smell that lasts for approximately six more minutes. Even for all-natural eaux and in the context of Giacobetti's ethereal Iunx waters, four of the original Honoré scents set new records for brevity. Unfortunately, the sole enduring scent, Chaman's Party, seems to feature enough tulsi (aka holy basil) to remind me of those ayurvedic teas served at spas where you are instructed to always apply facial moisturizer with a counter clockwise motion. (Don't let me discourage you from sampling it, though. It was a winner for Robin.) The experience seemed too mixed for 100 ml at $145, so with mild disappointment, I mentally filed the line away as one not likely to inspire a purchase.
But then, with the announcement of the We Love New York trio in March, I had to consider re-filing. From the note lists, which seemed to promise bolder, longer-lasting fragrances, to the painfully cute, coffee-themed packaging: everything about I Love Les Carottes, Love Coco and Vamp à NY caught the attention of wired perfumanity. Early reviews from Denyse at Grain de musc and Octavian at 1000 Fragrances were very favorable. Looking for a North American release date, I went to the Honoré des Prés website. Back in June, the text on the site was sublimely ridiculous, rivaling anything out of Serge Lutens or By Kilian. The copy has since been trimmed, but consider the original "story" of Love Coco: "The one of an heroic globe-trotter, rescued from an sea injury, crossing the Malaysian jungle, carried by her brave boyfriend. Happy Ending : She got saved in a village by the latex milk from the hevea tree, applied as an olfactory plaster." (via colette.fr) Clearly, it was time to order samples from Europe. Whatever else the experience was going to be this time, it was unlikely to be mixed.
I don't regret sampling any of the three scents in the collection, but Vamp à NY was my early favorite and is still the one most likely to join my collection. The center of the fragrance is tuberose absolute. The tuberose note here is both extraordinarily weird and tantalizingly familiar: it has the tropical feel but not the freshness of Piguet's Fracas, it's as uncompromising but not as cold as Serge Luten's Tubéreuse Criminelle and it is has the specificity but not the weightless floral structure of Beyond Love from By Kilian. As March from Perfume Posse has pointed out, it seems to maintain a balance between the salty, buttery slick of a tub of movie theater popcorn and the raspy, spicy sweetness of root beer. In fact, the early and middle stages feel to me like a tuberose version of Dior's jasmine-centered Hypnotic Poison: a soda shop float made with coconut rum and suntan lotion instead of ice cream. While Hypnotic Poison remains smooth and creamy to the finish, though, Vamp à NY becomes more raw and smoldering as time passes. It is the sort of siren song that wears best in either the hottest summer or the deep freeze of winter.
The original five Eaux de Toilette from Honoré des Pré seemed like baseless fragrances. In stark contrast, Vamp à NY is a fragrance with two melodic lines and it gains in intensity after the first half hour: in the lengthy drydown, tolu, peru balsam and especially benzoin are the embers that carry and magnify the heat from the earlier notes of rum and green vanilla. The floral notes never entirely burn out and they add a langourous, feminine feel to the otherwise unisex base. The sillage throughout is significant enough to be seriously sexy, but this Eau de Parfum is not Fracas-sized. (What is?) Spraying, rather than dabbing, is recommended. All in all, this is one of the most memorable fragrances of the year and it will likely be my next perfume purchase.
Honoré des Prés Vamp à NY is $98 for 50 ml Eau de Parfum; for buying information, see the listing for Honoré des Prés under Perfume Houses.
1. With the exception of Honoré's Trip.
Erin, thanks for the review!
Aside from Nuit de Tubereuse, Vamp à NY is the only tuberose that I like and wear—and the jury is still out as to whether it’s FB worthy. It’s *so* pretty, every time I wear it I think, “I might just need a bottle.” But it fades away and I think, “ick, tuberose” and begin the cycle again. 😉
Thanks for reading and commenting! Yes, it’s funny that there have been two interesting “Tuberose Plus” releases this year. Is the Nuit de Tubereuse FB worthy for you? I much prefer Vamp, but in some ways NdT seems better for someone who doesn’t normally gravitate towards tuberose. I like the note myself, but my collection needs to catch up: I promised myself months ago that Armani Prive Rose Alexandrie would be my next purchase, and I never got around to it, and then, of course, I’ve never sprung for that bell jar of Tubereuse Criminelle I’ve wanted for years…..
BTW, I go through a similar cycle with the best lily-of-the-valley perfumes!
Well, with NdT, I bought a sample, then did a split and acquired 15mL—I think that it might someday turn into a full-bottle, but my collection is young enough that I need to test drive the full 15mL and re-evaluate.
I have one of those 4mL mini parfum bottles of Fracas, and while I keep it on-hand for reference, I fund it *utterly* unwearable; It’s so much more than not “normally gravitate[ing] towards tuberose”!
If I’m out in the real world and I smell someone wearing Amarige, I have to vacate the premises… it’s a serious problem 🙂
That might be why I’m having such a hard time with Vamp—I’ve got a little clipping of the Beautyhabit catalog Honoré des Prés ad on my desk, and I look at it every day trying to decide. My little sample spray is almost out, and I’m not sure I can live without it!
I love Fracas, but it is terrifying. I sometimes spray or dab a kleenex or hair tie instead of my skin to control the blast radius, but I once left one of the tissues in my hot car for an hour or two and I just about had to call an exorcist. Robin and a commenter once had a discussion about a Fracas solid that was apparently a little less nuclear, and I’ve been interested in that since.
Have you tried the Rose Alexandrie? It’s a little softer than some of the scents we’ve been mentioning and might suit you well… but, of course, it’s also expensive. *sigh* Good luck with your Vamp decision!
I haven’t tried Rose Alexandrie… but I’m going to hunt down a sample or a small decant of it! 🙂
Now that I think about it, Vamp might make a good Christmas present request— think there’s just enough time… if I don’t buy it myself, I don’t have to languish over the decision!
Good luck at Christmas! Around here, Santa always brings a great scented presents, but he does not take requests or lists (he apparently considers it insulting that he can’t just use his nose to find something I’d like.)
I bought both (NdT, Vamp)! but I feel they are better with summer temperatures, now with the colder weather, I prefer beyond love as a tuberose (and TC when I’m feeling brave)
I can completely see that, Bee. I have found myself craving the warm spices and resins on Vamp in our current chilly temperatures, though, I guess as a tropical antidote to the cold!
Congrats on your bottles, btw! And wearing Beyond Love before this review, I remembered how cool and always aloof it is.
Ack! Meant “almost aloof”.
Vamp a NY makes me ridiculously happy. It’s so light hearted. I swear there’s a bubble gum note at the beginning. If anyone ever told me that would be something I liked, I would have laughed, but I’m now surprised to find that I like it a lot. Go figure. Perfume can bring about a rather peculiar sort of self knowledge. I am coming close to the end of a decant and think that a full bottle is in my future.
Ah, the Juicy Fruit-ness that Frederic Malle once commented on! It *is* light-hearted, isn’t it? Though not in a cheeky way – it’s fun, but serious fun. Exactly the sort of thing I wouldn’t have thought I’d fall for either, but as Anglea once wrote: “I’m this kind of woman, too.” Hope you get your bottle!
“Perfume can bring about a rather peculiar sort of self knowledge.” I love this observation! 🙂
Me too!
Me three!
yes there is a bubblegum note! i LOVE the beginning. it’s like demeter’s spicy and delicious ‘bubblegum’ blended with fracas!
sadly i dislike the rest of this scent though. too much suntan lotion and coconut. makes my l’aritsan tubereuse, which is deliciously tropical and buttery but somehow also sopshisticated to my nose, seem positively grown up in comparison.
Uh, oh…I suspect this is one I’m going to have to have to try and that I will probably love. The other two reviewed in this line didn’t appeal to me at all but this sounds right up my alley.
I liked Carottes quite a bit, and Love Coco was really interesting (if somehow the most “dupeable” as well, if you know what I mean), but this one was the biggest surprise for me. It seems like a new sort of scent for Giacobetti, though it has her trademark wit. Oddly, the one it reminded me most of from her scents is one I don’t always like: Safran Troublant.
Aha! And Safran Troublant is my favorite OG scent–that might explain something 😉
As I was replying, I thought it was a weird comparison, but it looks like there might be something to it. Thanks to you and Denyse for making me feel less crazy 😉
I have a spray sample of Vamp a NY – tried it on one wrist while trying Nuit de Tubereuse on the other. NdT “won” and I ended up buying a bottle, but I need to try VaNY again. Definitely got that bubble gum note that some have mentioned. Pillowy soft and sweet. It’s a fun fragrance.
As to the Honore des Pres line, I fell in love with Sexy Angelic, and ended up buying a bottle (after it went on sale at I think Luckyscent?). True – doesn’t have the lasting power of other fragrances AT ALL! I found that spraying it liberally and on my clothes makes it last much longer. It’s a great bedtime scent.
The opening of Sexy Angelic was really, really fun, as short-lived as it was. When they were on discount, I also thought for a few minutes about picking up a bottle to spray liberally, but I ended up not pulling the trigger. I can see how it would be a perfect fragrance for bedtime, especially sprayed on the hair, pillowcases or pjs.
Have you smelled Nicolai’s Kiss Me Tender yet, btw? No melon freshness, unfortunately – more pastel Jordan almond, but interesting for the marzipan lover…
No! But I LOVE Nicolai, and have been tempted to purchase this one unsniffed. Sounds so nice!
Not my favorite Nicolai – still a bit dainty for me, I think – but it is definitely worth sampling and is the best of the florals she’s been doing lately, I would say.
Erin, it’s interesting that you should link Vamp with Hypnotic Poison, hadn’t though of that but while as you say they don’t have the same texture, they have a similar type of vibe. Definitely one of the winners of the year to me too… BTW, it seems that Sexy Angelic now comes in a much higher concentration. I haven’t tested it yet — I also had issues with its lasting power — but I’ll be trying out a spritz next time I go by the Honoré des Prés display… Especially since I’ve spied the French actress Isabelle Adjani buying some on a market. I don’t usually give a hoot about what celebrities wear but it seems for all the scents she names in interviews that Ms. Adjani is one-of-us…
Denyse, I really enjoyed your reviews and mentions of this one – thanks for leading me to it! Great news about the stronger Sexy Angelic, too. Sadly, I didn’t recognize Ms. Adjani’s name, although her picture looked instantly familiar. A little research quickly revealed I’d seen her at Daniel Day-Lewis’ side during the early 90s. Good to know that such a beautiful and talented, seemingly smart woman is “part of our club”…
Oh, and I forgot to tell you that your reference to Safran Troublant really rang a bell too: it’s Giacobetti’s lesser-known, playful gourmand vein. A lot of her Iunx candles are in that style.
As for Isabelle Adjani, she never really succeeded in exporting herself (she had a brief stab at a Hollywood career when she was living with Warren Beatty).
Anyway, I’m glad Vamp didn’t disappoint!
I really need to get to Paris and try those Iunx candles (among other things!) The date one in particular calls my name. And Pulp (pulp of what?)…
Warren Beatty – is there anyone that man has not dated?
I haven’t tried any of these new ones, but perhaps I should. I was disappointed with the almost instantaneous disappearance of the earlier scents. I liked both Bonte’s Bloom and Nu Green and bought bottles when Luckyscent remaindered them. Like Karin, I only wear them inside and just respray (a lot) as needed. I’m enjoying them, but won’t be bereft when the bottles are gone. If there’s a new and more intense Sexy Angelic, I might give that one a try.
Bonte’s Bloom last a leeeetle longer on me and was the other one I liked. Do give the NY EdPs a try if you get the chance – I think you’ll find them quite different: simultaneously more polished and rawer than the others.
Thanks for this interesting review and discussion, Erin!
I had been very mush intrigued with the We Love New York scents and bought decants of all three recently in order to give them a proper testing. As a result, Vamp is on my wish list (that’s quite a long list, though). I need to test Carottes further, but I did figure out that what it smells like to me is NOT carrots, but rather dried apricots – LOL! I like the top notes of Coco very much, when it is drier and greener – I wish someone would do a perfume that smells like that!
I can see the apricots! And I know what you mean about the list….
About Love Coco: the coconut is very green and raw in that one, and while there are many curry-type scents out there with some coconut, there aren’t any that seem to maintain that initial dryness, are there? As Robin said in her Demeter Fiery Curry review, perhaps we need CdG: Series 9 Curries of the World? Have you tried the new Pacifica Indian Coconut Nectar, btw? EPIC FAIL for me – too sweet and creamy, no vetiver.
I definitely need to sniff more Pacificas – someone also mentioned a juniper one recently.
My favorite solid is the Tibetan Mountain Temple, but I like the Malibu Lemond Blossom for a nice, easy-going spring and summer fragrance. Don’t think I’ve tried the Juniper……..
I too wound up testing Vamp a NY and Nuit de Tubereuse at about the same time. NdT I am STILL on the fence about – I really do not enjoy the opening at all; it smells like mildew to me. I like the 3-minutes’-worth of mango, I like the nice quiet woody drydown… and my colleagues tended to compliment it (when normally they say nothing about my scent). My beef with it, other than that sour, mildewy, earthy opening, was that it wasn’t, you know, tuberosey enough for my personal taste.
But Vamp was Instant Love – I bought a decant as soon as I could scare one up. A few months before, I had been testing Havana Vanille, which I like but do not love, except for that gorgeous drydown, which is the clearest, most intensely unsweetened, unpowdery vanilla I’ve tried. (It totally kicks SDV’s butt, iffen you ask me.) Thanks to a lucky layering accident, I found that Beyond Love next to that liqueur-like vanilla of HV was wonderful. Sweet, yes – but gorgeous.
Vamp reminds me very much of that fortuitous accident. Although I normally have enormous difficulties with tolu balsam, it doesn’t bother me in Vamp (why? tuberose covers a multitude of sins?). The whole thing is very spicy-floral-sweet, as in mulling spices (cinnamon, clove, allspice) + tuberose (the real kind, with its weird echoey “this can’t just be one kind of flower” feeling) + vanilla liqueur. It was wonderful back in the summer…
When I pulled it out sometime in October, though, it seemed a bit on the trashy side – sweet and goopy and fun in a root beer float sort of way. I was not in the mood for that at the time, so I put it away. You watch, though – I’ll start craving it about February. Yum.
mals, you are confirming my belief that NdT is ideal for the person not normally drawn to tuberose. And the mildew lover, perhaps? 😉 And great layering experiment, by the way! Wearing Beyond Love before this review, I was struck with the similarity to the tuberose note in Vamp: the same complexity, the same accords…but not the same feel or style at all. HV is not my personal favorite vanilla – neither is SDV, btw – but it would totally add the heat and rawness of Vamp to BL.
Hello Erin. Thanks for the review!
I wonder, how does it compare to Estee Lauder’s Private Collection Tuberose Gardenia?
I did a lot of tuberose-scent sampling this past winter, so I’ll jump in, but I’d love to hear what you say about it, Erin.
I would call PCTG very, VERY floral. (Fine with me, I like that.) Vamp has a big oriental base, lots of vanilla/benzoin, and it is extremely spicy on me. (Also fine. Very different “feel.”)
Thank you mals. As you know from my comments (telling where I live ad nauseam), here in Argentina we get *most* of the international brands and a precious *few* of the more rare brands. So the comments comparing it to fragrances I know is the only way I have of “sampling” at a distance 😉
Good to find out whether it’s similar to things you know, to see whether it’s worth ordering a sample, right? I do this a fair amount, too… but then I usually break down and order the sample, anyway! 😉
I was going to say almost exactly the same thing as mals, k.g. Some of the same materials, but different genre and feel. PCTG is really *pretty* and soft and the opening has some of the cheese-note of gardenia. Vamp is creamy, but is otherwise very hot and spicy and resinous – not particularly floral-smelling.
Thanks! 🙂
Hey, Erin. Great review, and interesting back story on the original HdP scents.
Vamp was a little too “buttered popcorn” for me the two times I sampled small drops of it. Now that the weather’s cool I should try again and maybe give it a proper wear. I’m not a big tuberose guy, but I do like the occasional spritz of Carnal Flower or Tubereuse Criminelle.
The small decant I own of Les Carottes was a winner for me also.
Thanks, Joe! March didn’t like this one either and usually I’m turned off by that slick, buttery note – so what can I say? I’m inconsistent! 🙂 CF andd TC have interesting, “difficult” notes in their openings – CF with that odd, juicy green, TC with its infamous swamp gas – but they are cooler, elegant, more mysterious scents, and probably better suited to most men (or most men who wear tuberose – you’re in a rare and elite club!) Glad you like Les Carottes, too. It’s my favorite of OG’s carrot scents…
Thanks for such a great review, I hadn’t heard of this and as i love TC and carnal flower I quicky rushed to get a sample and loved it!
Its more fun than the others and had made it to the top of my “I need a full bottle of this list”. I have also ordered samples of the other Honore des Pres fragrances so looking forward to sampling those too!
I’m so glad it worked out! Vamp *is* quite fun, I think, and for a very different sort of day from TC or Carnal Flower (which are both beautiful, of course, and among my favorites). The nice thing about Vamp is that, while not inexpensive, it’s cheaper and/or more available than TC and CF. Good luck with the other HdP samples!
Vamp was my New Year’s present to myself. From the reviews I thought I would like it and I did. Instant love, and I am wearing it today. I find it a very happy and fun scent; it makes me smile. My favourite tuberose so far. I still have to try Carnal Flower and Beyond Love though.
So glad it worked out!! (I am always nervous when people order things unsniffed.) Are you finding Vamp good for this time of year? I am enjoying it in the cold. BL and Carnal Flower are both well worth sampling, btw.
I wasn’t clear about it but I bought it in a shop. I took about 10 seconds to decide that I wanted it. I am very good at buying unsniffed though.
I like it now because it is the total opposite of the weather which is cold, damp and dreary. I am guessing it will bloom in the heat. I really need to sniff those other two Tuberose greats, but Vamp is a winner. Have been wearing it to work today ( small dose) and I can still smell it 10 hours later.
The 10-second buy is almost as nerve-wracking for me. I’m a very indecisive person, so I’m always in awe of people like you who can try something and immediately know they love it. I think that’s happened to me only a few times in my smelling career, and then mostly with what turned out to be some of my fave scents from fave lines (PdN Nicolai Pour Homme, a few of the Ormonde Jayne perfumes, L’air du desert marocain, etc.) And I agree on the HdP: great lasting power for an all-natural perfume.
Tried this one yesterday, and found it pretty horrifying – overly sweet, like a particularly nasty kind of bubblegum. Very much that Juicy Fruit thing that tuberose often does. I am probably not a tuberose kind of person, I think…
Blast! Well, sorry I steered you wrong there (unless, like me, you *enjoy* trying the occasional horrifying thing?!)
I just tried this (got it with GLOBALBEAUTY promo code from beautyhabit) and where I usually prefer more gourmand or earthy scents, I am really, really (really) enjoying this. I kinda think I love the Juicy Fruit thing and the drydown is fabulous. I even got the “mmm” of approval from my little girls (6 and 3) so this is going on my wish list for sure. Erin, your description nailed it completely, it is wonderfully weird.
Thanks, I’m so glad it worked out. Hope you get a bottle! And I always run scents by my kids, too…
this really is a strange fragrance. for me it’s like yummy bubblegum, delicious tuberose absolute, peru balsam and vanilla, root beer, buttered popcorn, and then (the parts i don’t like at all) suntan lotion, coconut cocktail, and a dry almondy heliotrope (see also i profumi di firenze tuberosa d’autunno for this dry note). i love the beginning but it quickly smells cloying to me, which is rare as i’m the self-proclaimed queen of lush tuberose scents!
I’m late on this as usual but I just got a bottle of this at a liquidation sale for just $2 – which is a crazy bargain by any standards. I had no idea what it was, I just knew it was a tuberose bomb at first whiff of just the lid. After getting it home and having a spritz, I am head over heels in love. It’s truly unusual, almost off-putting, in it’s richness. I do not like gourmands but I love tuberose – and to me this is all tuberose, smoke and vanilla – like a balm of caramelised tuberose. Oddly after an hour or so it smells like fresh banana pudding to me. I love that it keeps changing and developing. Gorgeous organic scent.