We’ve all heard the pap the perfume machine puts out. Here are some examples from recent releases:
The perfect fusion of sweetness and strength, passion and perseverance, this Oriental musk celebrates independent girls who aren’t afraid to follow their hearts and live each day as an adventure. (Baby Phat Luv Me)
Uh huh. You wear this and you’re sweet, strong, and adventurous, but not much of a speller.
Or
Opulent, rich and oh-so special. A must-have. The new sensual fragrance for your ultimate evening. A glamorous scent that radiates from your true beauty. (Judith Lieber Night)
Come on, people. Someone paid for that copy? I'm already asleep.
So, when I watched the video about Elie Saab Le Parfum on the Elie Saab website and heard perfumer Francis Kurkdjian say, “I felt I had to translate a brilliant femininity,” and that he wanted to create a fragrance that reflects “when the sun is almost gold or even white,” and smells “as if gold was glowing so brightly it was almost white,” I was skeptical. Blah blah femininity blah light. Sure.
But, by gum, he nailed it. Le Parfum is a frenzy of white flowers that whirls itself into a searing vapor. It burns crystalline pure and bright as a piccolo.
I’m used to fragrances that start out tart or sneezy before settling into something with more dimension, underlain with a hum of base notes that outlasts the rest of the composition. Or, a fragrance might start out slightly lighter, but basically sing the same tune until it wears itself out hours later. Instead of the traditional pyramid or something more linear, Elie Saab Le Parfum is a firecracker.
Le Parfum kicks off with a traditional, slightly juicy, orange blossom. Fresh and virginal and done a hundred times. But hang on. Within a few minutes, jasmine and maybe lily kick in, just barely softened by rose. Then, someone lights a match, and aldehydes explode through the flowers. The explosion continues for a good half hour before calming into a silvery, kerosene-like, jasmine haze with a touch of sweetness.
You know the part of the Beatles’ “A Day in the Life” where the orchestra races from low notes to a crazed but thrilling crescendo at the top of each instrument’s reach? That’s what Le Parfum feels like to me, except instead of concluding in a low, sustained piano chord like the song does, the fragrance hangs onto its highest notes.
Besides orange blossom, jasmine, and a rose honey accord, Le Parfum’s official notes include patchouli and cedar. I don’t smell them distinctly. On me, Le Parfum simply fades away after five hours or so with a hint of clean musk, keeping the fragrance more chaste than carnal. It’s intensely feminine and will probably be a favorite for evening weddings. If you can, test Le Parfum from an atomizer. I don’t think you’d get the same effect from dabbing.
The narrator on the Elie Saab perfume clip describes Le Parfum as an “ode to light.” That sums it up nicely. It’s a strange little perfume. Strange, but pretty. I might need a small bottle for the thrill of the ride.
Elie Saab Le Parfum is available in 30, 50 ($90) and 90 ml ($120) Eau de Parfum; 6.7 oz body lotion ($50) and 6.7 oz shower cream ($42). If you read French, here's a short but interesting article from L'Express about the making of Le Parfum.
I love Francis K. This is a brilliant review!
If you’re an FK fan, you’ll want to smell this one for sure. Plus, it’s so much more easy to sample than some of his fragrances.
Oh my! This sounds lovely. I am definitely going to need to sniff this..
Now I’m hoping I didn’t overplay it! I really was taken aback by the frenzy of the middle of the fragrance, though, and think it’s worth experiencing.
Hi Angela… concur with your brill review…. bought this the other day and “strange” it is… I truly couldnt decide if I loved it or hated it!! I love it….
I’m glad it worked out for you!
Wow – what a review! It’s been a long time since anyone has said something so dazzling about any fragrance. And I love “Day in the Life”, so you definitely have my attention. The piano cord still gives me chills even after hearing that song a million times. There have been times when I say to people – no, wait, you have to listen to this one part, it’s the most amazing piano – and they all look at me like I am nuts. Well, I’ll definitely try this now!
Whether you ultimately like the fragrance or not, I think it’s worth trying just for that tornado of aldehydes and flowers.
I love that part of The Day in a Life, too. What an amazing song, all around.
“Tornado of aldehydes and flowers” sounds so very To My Taste!
You just might like this one, then!
I remember being considerably underwhelmed when I sniffed this in a magazine strip…which is probably just the nature of magazine strips. Clearly have to hunt out a spray!!
the bottle and colour are quite appealing to boot!
I like the chunky feel of the bottle.
I smelled it in a strip, too, and it didn’t do much for me. A generous spray from a tester is a whole different experience.
Francis K? I’m there….
Let me know what you think!
So you would class it as a blinding solar, as opposed to a common chypre, or soft fruity-floral? Dazzling review!
Definitely not a soft-fruity floral and not a chypre. I’m not really sure what a “solar” perfume is (although I’ve seen that term), but this one is buzzingly high-register and clean.
Oh no! I thought I got to coin the term and category – with reference to the most apt imagery for the frag!
I think it I saw a reference to “solar” in Le Parfum’s PR materials somewhere. Maybe you’re psychic!
Elie Saab is my favorite designer. Her fashions are so frothy and feminine. I hope the same can be said of her perfume…is it a her?
I am a floral gal at heart, so is this something I can wear that isn’t cloying? For example- I think Fracas and E.L. Tuberose-Gardenia is too cloying for me. If this is lighter, it might be my H.G.
As always, love your reviews Angela.
Elie Saab is a guy (although I do know a few women called Elie!). His designs are so pretty–lots of gorgeous fabrics.
I wouldn’t really call Le Parfum light. It’s pretty high-pitched. Still, if you’re in a nice department store sometime soon, it’s worth a try. Who knows?
I’m glad you enjoy my reviews!
First, we learn that Francis K. is the nose behind this, which in itself is somewhat impressive and arouses some interest in a mainstream fragrance. Now we have your review, which confirms my feeling that this should be sniffed. Doesn’t seem to be the usual formulaic department store type scent.
To me it’s different from a lot of department store scents. If I had to compare it to any, I’d probably take the aldehydic, vaporous cleanliness of NR Essence and add a double shot of jasmine and orange blossom.
Looks like somebody loved the bottle for L’Instant de Guerlain!
From the front it definitely looks like L’Instant! It’s more of a cube, though, when you see it in real life.
well, drat. why does this always happen just when I’ve spent the perfume account dry?? well…I suppose it’ll be around for a while, yes?
It should definitely be around whenever you’re ready. If I do get a bottle, I’ll send you some and you can try it out.
Speaking of trying something out….Have you gotten your Vitriol yet?? I should go do some tracking….
I did! Thank you so much! I’m wearing it right now, in fact. I get a good hit of patchouli off it, too. I can’t wait to try it again in fall.
I’ll send you a proper thank you soon.
patchouli? I get cumin, others get pepper, someone said it’s heavy in violets, someone else told me it was leathery….but you get patchouli?
This is some amazing stuff.
Yes! I get a lot of patchouli. Of course, my skin really amps patchouli. If there’s a pinpoint of it in there, I’ll find it. I’m really enjoying it, though. It’s such an interesting perfume–so much is going on it’s taking me a while to sort it out.
Octavian over on 1000 fragrances reviewed this – he sounded very disappointed.
That’s too bad! Well, he certainly knows a lot more about perfume than I do. But I found it pretty intriguing.
knowing and smelling are not the same thing though. He knows tons more than I do….but in the end: I plan to trust my own sniffer. 🙂
Taste can be pretty idiosyncratic. Plus, I like lots of things that don’t necessarily have intrinsic artistic value. Junior Mints, for instance.
mmmm, nothing wrong with Junior Mints!
Except that there’s never enough of them in a box, no matter how big the box! Something about those deliciously waxy candies is irresistible.
I know!! I always tip up the box for a few more and IT”S EMPTY! I seriously think they start evaporating as soon as you open the box!
But that’s why you go to Costco and buy the ginormous container of York Peppermint Patties….you’ll pass out before you even make a dent in one of those babies!
Yep, you’d find me, unconscious, with flakes of chocolate stuck around my mouth and a snowstorm of peppermint patty wrappers…
Oh, I didn’t mean to demean your review, Angela!!! Just thought I’d add another perspective. Hey, I love me some Juicy Couture…and probably many other things that others think are utter c*ap. We like what we like. I value all opinions, but in the end, only trust my own. We’re the ones who have to live with ourselves after we spray something!!!
I didn’t feel demeaned! But thank you for being sensitive to it. I’m grateful that you brought the review to all of our attention. I hopped over to the site and read it–you’re right, he didn’t like Le Parfum one bit!
oh Karin —I wasn’t getting up in your face about mentioning Octavian’ s review…..didn’t mean for my comments to seem like that. He’s always so ..um…opinionated. 😉
hmmmm…didn’t he completely blast Parfum Initial too? Which I happen to LOVE.
This one had been off my radar for somereason. Now it’s a must-sniff. So much for my newly-austere budget! Can I blame you? 🙂
Sure, go ahead and blame me! You might not even like the fragrance, who knows? But, if you do like it, it might end up at discounters sooner or later–maybe about the time the austerity plan ends.
I HATE newly-austere perfume budgets! I hope the strictures relax some in the future.
Vanessa at Bonkers about Perfume really liked this one, leaving me curious about it. (Can’t find her review, or I’d link to it.)
And I like FK. And that floraldehyde tornado sounds fabbo to me. (And a 30ml bottle! Woot!) Might have to beg-borrow-steal a sample where I can.
This one shouldn’t be too hard to find, eventually, if you have a decent department store anywhere near. I’d love to hear what you think of it.
I don’t have a decent department store. I think this calls for a visit to my brother in Richmond. Or to my SIL near DC… Tyson’s Corner, anyone?
I hope you keep a list of everything to smell!
Mals – if you get to test it anytime soon, you have to do a review. As we are nearly fragrance twins, I can take your word as god. I’m trying to be extra picky b/c a bunch of the newer frags out now have piqued my interest, and I can’t have them all….
It does sound tempting and I like ur review. I have hoped that it was a perfume, that would linger on for hours, coz its an edp. But I hope to get to test it myself. But I doubt it will be around here in Denmark.
Does it take a long time for perfume to get to Denmark? Hopefully it will show up eventually.
It *is* kind of confusing to have an EDP called Le Parfum. Writing “Le Parfum Eau de Parfum” felt strange.
Sometimes we don’t even get some perfumes in Denmark. And some takes a time before they are here. But I think that Prada and commercial brands comes worldwide. I highly doubt we get this, coz its not a brand that we know here (unless u read fashion magazines), so I don’t think it will be a big seller. Niche brands is also very shortlived here, as well. Peeps are mostly into brands they have known all their lives and wear the same perfumes as their friends. I think its kinda boring, so its nice, that I can order online 🙂
I think the Le Parfum is confusing. Just Elie Saab would be great. I will love to try the scent, but if it simply fades away after five hours or so with a hint of clean musk, then its not really my kind of scent. I like a perfume, that stays the same, with something interesting. Like Chanel’s.
Le Parfum probably won’t be a lot of people’s thing, really, since the florals are so insistent, and it’s on the clean rather than “interesting” side. But there’s something about it….
I was quite shocked when I first tried; what it seemed An Orange blossom based cologne, turned into a powerfull white floral with a spell of honey. I liked that turn a lot but found it too feminine to wear. I bought for a friend’s birthday and got samples of the body cream and shower cream. Love them both and probably buy some soon. Elie Saab at least deserve some credit for doing something different, not fruity floral here..
I’m glad to hear from someone else who has tried it! It’s definitely a pretty intensely feminine fragrance.
It seems like the body products might not have the same vaporous effect of the spray fragrance, just because of what the products are made of. I’ll have to try them when I get the chance.
They are much lighter, more on the cologne side from Orange blossom notes. I love cologne so perfect for me! 😉
That’s great!
I sniffed a test strip and thought “meh”. Now I feel compelled to go back and spray it on my wrist! I really enjoyed the review!
I’m glad you enjoyed the review! I think this perfume is best enjoyed from a hearty spritz on skin.
Wow what a STUNNING gown the model is wearing in the ad! And going by your review and the way the fragrance wears, it seems to fit real nicely too – a glowing woman amidst a street of grey and black.
Isn’t that dress fabulous? Just to wear the dress for a minute would be something to remember.
Good review! I like this fragrance too. To my mind it’s one of the best from spring-summer releases. Francis skillfully mixed jasmine and orange blossom notes – first make the scent sophisticated, when second make it romantic. But I don’t feel any roses here as well as patchouli and cedar. Maybe that’s why Le Parfum is not similar to sth specified, but it can remind of dozens of scents based on orange flowers (Marc Jacobs Splash Orange, Jo Malone, Prada Infusion) and simultaneously on jasmine (Alien, Mon Jasmin Noir).
Nice observation! I’m interested to see how it sells.
Your review is, as always, tempting. But this time – no lemming is nagging, cause I already bflickedit off me. I sniffed this on paper and thought it was amazing, so sniffed it on paper again, still thought it was amazing, so sprayed some on. What I got was a wonderful burst of flowers, followed by a seriously cloying middle. I mean CLOYING. Not actually sweet, but more like I get with Fracas: heavy tuberose-wax that sucks out all the oxygen. I tried hard, but had to wash it off. It is really well-done for a department store scent! However, I ended up buying the new Cartier Baiser Vole, which I much preferred.
I like your comparison to Fracas–they both have that vaporous feel about them, all lighter fluid and flowers. But I like that!
Isn’t Baiser Volé nice? I’m positive every starlet in Hollywood in 1935 would have sprayed it in her boudoir if she’d had it.
Tama: do comment about the Baiser Vole – I am sorely tempted by that one. Is it more lily like in Amoureuse or DK Gold (but not as strong), or lily like lily of the valley? I read so many different reviews that I am perplexd. LOTV isn’t really my thing…
Ann,
I don’t know Gold, amazingly, and haven’t sampled Amoreuse very many times. It is not LoTV, it is more like Stargazer, like the lily in Lys Mediterranee. However, where Lys gets a bit too heady for me, Vole is very stemmy/leafy along with the flower, making it more balanced. I once said it was like someone took a whole lily plant and just ground it up to make it. It’s lightweight and great for spring/summer.
Lots of finely milled powder, too, so you’ve got to like powder.
Angela, You Send me into the Stratosphere every time! I have been longing to smell this since i heard it was coming out, I had some kind of divine knowledge that this was going to be some seriously good juice and from what you say, I think i was totally correct… I am going to Saks Weds. to smell it and i am just atwitter with anticipation! I am assured it will… “GLOW” jts wondering if it will knock my current fave “Jimmy Choo” off it’s lofty Perch, Because that is some FANTASTIC Stuff there! WHOO! 🙂 As Always, Mademoiselle Angela, You Inspire Rapture, Romance and Delight in your reviews and i shall strive after I smell it to be One-One Thousandth as Eloquent and Lyrical as you are in your reviews when i come back to let you know how much i either love it or not! 🙂 Hugs to you Always, My Dearest Muse of The Parfum! 😉
Holy smokes! I’m fanning myself.
Please let me know what you think once you’ve tried it. Make sure you get a good spray of it, and give it a few minutes to do its tricks. I can’t wait to see what you think. (I have to admit I haven’t even tried Jimmy Choo yet. It’s that great, huh?)
Jimmy Choo is Sublime… it really is, another one i kinda divined was going to be Awesomeness in a bottle and is… Kinda close to Flowerbomb without the Fruity-yet-not-Fruitiness of that fragrance, a bit more Sultry and Sensual! and I am ADDICTED to Flowerbomb ( i wear it actually) so that’s no slur in any way to it! But Jimmy is just Awesome!
Well, that settles it. I’ll try Jimmy Choo the very next time I’m at Nordstrom.
Sounds worthwhile, Angela. I seem to have heard some good buzz about this one, but the idea of a searing light and a sustained piccolo sounds like a potential migraine-inducer.
Regardless, from your review, I’ll bet this is far better wedding scent than that other famous wedding scent that was chattered about so much this summer. Aluminium something Gardenia whatsit.
As always, love your writing in this.
Joe, Angela’s description of it as ‘buzzingly high-register’ reminded me of what Tania Sanchez wrote (in the guide) about La Myrrhe: ‘L.M. has a pure, clear, unearthly tone with beauty and force, as if the fragrance could sing a clean high C as high as heaven and not show the strain’. (I just looked it up).
I guess they are both ‘radiant’ frags! (Though not necessarily at all alike in other ways…)
I remember that description of La Myrrhe. What a beautiful fragrance, too.
I just tried La Myrrhe – it’s a sneaky devil. Really nice.
I like it too. Wouldn’t mind a bottle at all.
Yes, I think it could scorch more than a few noses and trigger a few migraines. It’s fun to try once, though, just to experience the pyrotechnics. And yes, much better than the soggy pantyliner that was White Gardenia Petals (although I like your name better)!
Yes, I am one of them who becomes a migraine from Elie Saab Le Parfum
I’m sorry! I’m not completely surprised, though.
It’s OK, don’t feel sorry. I bet I am not the only one, and there are some more scents out there which give me a headache or a migraine.
I’m happy to see a positive review of this one. I sniffed it last week when I was in France, knowing that FK was the nose behind it and so hoping for something good. It didn’t knock my socks off and it did feel quite synthetic but I liked it. I got the orange blossom and jasmine and honey (but not rose) and some cedar but mostly it made me think of the intensely feminine effect of the original NR. Nice bottle.
Did you get the soft start with the crazy frenzy of jasmine following?
Now I come to think of it – yes, I do know what you mean. It was def more jasminey to my nose than orange blossom. And there was a very intense feel to it! I proffered the card, on which I’d sprayed some, to two girlfriends in the evening and the reaction was positive. Though one of them commented that she still loved Ormonde Woman which I’d introduced her to a few years ago!
Ormonde Woman is a knockout. I love that fragrance! A world apart from Le Parfum, though.
I love the sound of this 🙂 can’t wait to try it. is it coming to the UK?
I also like the advertising: the bottle is pretty and the dress is stunning.
I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s already in the U.K. Please let me know what you think if you try it!
it’s exclusive to Harrods atm, I don’t live in London so I’ll have to wait until it hits the other department stores but I’ll comment in reply to this when I try it 🙂
I have gathered my comments to many of the above here in one place.
Mahora was classified as a “sunny floral”.
Elie Saab designs are to die for. He is one of a handful of my favourites. Dreamy, magnificent, feminine and tasteful describe his dresses.
Kenzo Le Parfum is an EDP. How confusing for the consumer when companies name their EDP’s Parfum!
The bottle must be viewed in real life to see it in 3D. Remember the controversy about CK Secret Obsession and Idylle? On paper they looked very similar but turned out not to be when seen side-by-side.
L’Instant was a similar bottle to Dazzling Gold & Silver. There are only so many designs in the universe that can hold a liquid.
Wouldn’t it be nice to have–or at least wear for an evening–an Elie Saab dress?
I like the chunkiness of the Elie Saab bottle. It feels good.
I spritzed this on last weekend when I went to sniff a few newbies (Chanel 19 Poudre and Kilian Sweet Redemption….). I thought it was pretty and would likely be a hot seller. The bottle was really nice and heavy.
Not exactly a rave review! How did you like the No. 19 Poudre? I’m so curious about that one.
I LIKED it- but don’t think I will need a bottle. Maybe a d-cant. It reminded me a lot of Prada Infusion d’Iris. I would like to sniff both of these some more to decide what I think. I was not into the Kilian (thankfully!)…baby aspirin on me.
I always feel like it’s a little bit of a personal victory when I don’t like something expensive!
I loved this one and am so pleased you feel the same! It was too expensive to buy in Germany the other week where I caught up with the first full bottles I have seen, but I managed to score 6 samples which will keep me going for a while! : – ) One SA gave me three which was very generous and my friend got hold of a couple for me too, bless her. There is a radiance about this that is quite remarkable, I think and I find it very cheering.
It really is an unusual perfume for the silvery vapor of jasmine and orange flower it makes, in my opinion. I’m glad you like it! I hope you land a bottle soon.
SCINTILLATION IN A BOTTLE!!!!!!! You were SOOOOO Right… this is MAGIC! There is something so Matchbox Sizzlingly Searing about this fragrance… it radiates High in your nose and just burns there with this sinuous, Pure Light! there is a very Warm Jasmine Underbelly to it that shines through Brightly but not too much so… to me there feels like there is also a undercurrent of Gardenia somewhere in the background that gives this a Certain, Boudoir-Ness (not the Westwood Fragrance, just a bedroomy feel) it is Luminous and I am already Saving the Pennies to snatch up a bottle! WHOOHOO!
I’m so glad you like it! I was beginning to wonder if anyone else got that buzzing light effect! You’re making me want to smell it again. I’ll have to go see if I have any left in my sample….
Hi Angela. Your review made me want to try this and I just did– yesterday. This is a “no-brainer” to me; after the first sniff, it goes into my “to buy” list. I mean, how can anyone resists this fragrance? Simply beautiful.
I’m glad you like it! I bet it will serve you well.
Wow, I’m blown away by your review. I’ve sniffed this scent 3 times on a card and didnt get much from it. However, I have learned that I have to put some skin in the game literally and spray it on. Thats the only way I can tell how something smells and what does/does not work for me. After reading your review I am going to go back to Nordstroms and try this one and Baiser Vole again in a head to head competition to see which one I like better on me. One (I’m hoping only one) will come out victorious!
I think this one really needs skin. It behaves completely differently than Baiser Vole–they’re both very pretty! I hope you like one of them.
I actually loved it on a strip but IRL it was a big yawn. So similar to 24 Faubourg but with more honey (to make it really sweet) and heavy wood in the dry down (to make it hard to wash off).
For me, it was the strip that was the disappointment, but the real juice that had the pyrotechnics! I’ll have to compare it to 24 Faubourg. It sounds like you got a lot more honey and wood than I did.
I totally agree with Angela. I am in love with this scent. In fact I just got a 30 ml bottle. It smells exactly like light, evokes memories of sunshine and a vacation in the mediterranean and brings smile to my face, yet it is a fragrance which, in my opinion, can be worn in any season and is complicated, mysterious and different. It just makes you feel great but without lightness or cheesieness and like Angela said it has depth from the moment you put it on. It is not a mainstream perfume but one for those with refined taste.
I think a lot of people have been put out by how “high pitched” it is, and I agree that it won’t suit everyone. But when you’re in the mood for olfactory putti, Elie Saab Le Parfum is the one.
True, my friend did not like it but honestly things that are really truly good will never please everyone and that is the point, do we want to smell like everyone else? Since I tend to have a classic but refined and somewhat of a different taste in just about everything, I knew right away that this fragrance was so totally me and wearing perfume is about expressing ourselves, our personalities. This why I do not really care if other girls like it or not, fragrances that many love I often either cannot stand or find totally boring. On top of it all, this perfume makes me feel so good, it brigtens my days (and nights:))). For a long time I have worn heavier scents (like Lauder Sensous Noir) and perhaps it is time to lighten up but at the same time this fragrance still has the depth and warmth I love.
I couldn’t agree with you more! The people lucky enough to sniff you will also agree, I’m sure.
Thank you Angela, that was so sweet of you to say. BTW, your review was wonderful. It is interesting that I dislike so many fragrances and get headaches from many I like as I have a tendency for migraines but yet I do not get a headache from this fragrance. It is complicated and has depth but to me it is a very clean scent as well. Guess I am lucky, I would hate it if I could not tolerate it as I am falling deeper and deeper in love with Le Parfum. As there was a sale weekend I had to go and grab another small bottle along with the matching shower gel and lotion:))) I just know this will be a fave for a long time now and it is so strange that I never thought I would like this fragrance.
Is long lasting on my skin, and I do smell a softened, sweet patchouli with roses, after the white flowers become quiet.
I am enjoying Le Parfum a lot, but seems to be yet another crowd pleaser! I wonder if there are some hidden notes: is sexy, and elegant, so how is it so easy to wear? I agree with the previous comment: I never thought I would like so much this fragrance but I do!
In some ways, I feel like Le Parfum is an easy crowd pleaser, but on the other hand, its high pitch and dizzying aldehydes have scared a lot of people off, I think. I’m glad you’re enjoying it!
I also think it is a firecracker and a very characteristic scent but though I tend to get headaches from quite a few fragrances, including some I would otherwise love, somehow I do not get the dizzying part. I get a lot of orange flower and honey right away and yes it is a passionate and high pitched fragrance but not one I could not tolerate. I do not smell the woods at all, just mostly orange flower, honey and some jasmine. Still my fave and falling deeper for it the more I use it. But to me despite what some said this is not an everyday fragrance but better suited for evenings, special occasions and certain days when you really need a special boost. Glad that some other people find it as attractive as I do.
I like how you call it “passionate.” Such a good word to describe the Elie Saab!
When I first tried this, I thought “UGH, too much!”, but since I was in a bad mood, I kept spraying the sample bottle on myself every 2 hours as I was at home doing some paperwork. It cheered me up a bit, even though I found it too sharp.
Then, I read this review. “I must not be refined enough yet,” I thought, “let me give it another try.” (At 23, I’m going through a phase where I’m realising my fruity 5 yr old scents aren’t for me)
I went to a perfume shop to buy myself Insolence (Guerlain), and saw Le Parfum there, and thought I’d test it on my skin (even though I already had with the tester) while I tested Insolence and Shalimar. I was immediately sold; the larger blast from the bigger bottle somehow gave me less laundry sharpness, and more soft white florals but with a tanginess that COULD give a headache but doesn’t. I just sprayed some on myself now and had to post here; so pleased I gave it another try!
I can’t tell you how many fragrances I’ve had to try a few times before I really “got” them! I’m glad the Elie Saab has opened up to you now. It should be a nice one for spring.
Elie Saab is a favourite–a quick spritz last thing at night and I feel
like I’m curling up in a peony and falling asleep.
I love the image of sleeping on a peony! Now I want to trade my bed in for one.
Great review! The sales assistant at the Bloomingdales counter spewed all kinds of marketing nonsense at me when I went to smell it – I think one word that he said was ‘addictive’ … and I do have to agree with him – I couldn’t stop smelling it while I shopped around!
As well as all the scents you listed above that one experiences with this fragrance I also got sweetness of ethyl maltol that mixed with the orange blossoms at the top. I am an ethyl maltol kind of girl so possibly this is why I found it so addictive! 😀
I’m glad you like it! I admit it’s been so long since I’ve smelled it that I need to get out my decant and give it a spritz. I’ll go do that right now and be alert for some ethyl maltol….
I just tried Elie Saab after hearing many great things about it and seeing the video stream in Nordstrom and I have to say that all I smell is orange blossom. I can’t tell any lilly, jasmine or rose after and it would have been nice to have a Chloe rose a bit, too, which to me is very rose watery. Nothing wrong with orange blossom but it reminds me too much of Allesandra del Aqua which came and went. Which leads me to believe that image and advertisement has more to do with a fragrance’s success than its actual scent.
I’m sure you’re right–marketing has a HUGE impact on how a fragrance is seen. Too bad all those advertising dollars can’t be funneled into the fragrance itself.
This is my signature perfume since the day it was launched and I’d seen the posters at Dubai Airport. Feminine in a classy way. But i feel it was better before reformulated. Which perfumes you recommend to an Elie Saab fun ? I have too many perfumes incl Xerjoff 40knots, Bois dore van cleef & arpels ,Guerlain Mon but i couldn’t feel comfortable with them such as Elie Saab but I am open to new hits
Too many perfumes? Impossible!
If you love Elie Saab, you should probably stick with that and try to track down older bottles. I don’t have any particular suggestions for you, except to encourage you to enjoy the fun of finding new perfume you love!