• About
  • Login to comment
    • Facebook
    • RSS
    • Twitter

Now Smell This

a blog about perfume

Menu ▼
  • Perfume Reviews
  • New Perfumes
  • Perfumers
  • Perfume Houses
  • Shop for perfume
  • Resources

Coolife Le Quatrieme ~ fragrance review

Posted by Kevin on 4 May 2016 13 Comments

root chakra

I'm a tobacco fiend; I love growing tobacco plants (including Nicotiana tabacum) and sniffing their aromatic dried leaves. Thankfully, my love of tobacco didn't lead me to a smoking habit. When I was 18, I'd buy expensive French and English cigarettes just for the packaging. Whenever I tried to smoke them in a nonchalant/worldly manner (in ANY manner, actually), I'd burst into coughing fits (as my companions would burst into laughter). Tobacco plants and perfumes have satisfied by tobacco cravings. My bottle of Serge Lutens Fumerie Turque (my "winter" tobacco) is empty, and come autumn, a bottle of Coolife Le Quatrième Parfum1 may take its place. 

Le Quatrième Parfum is the fourth fragrance curated by Coolife partners Pauline Rochas and Carole Beaupré; eventually, there will be seven perfumes, each scent "illustrating" a chakra. Le Quatrième Parfum is a 'tribute' to the root chakra (Muladhara in Sanskrit). The root chakra is at the base of the spinal column; it provides a sense of assurance and refuge — physically, mentally and spiritually. Coolife describes the root chakra a bit more dramatically:

In homage to our ancient connection with earth, Le Quatrième is grounding, erotic, and lush. It captures passion and draws out that exquisite moment of connecting with our roots...the root chakra is the border between animal and human consciousness...the root chakra is the stem of life, the smoldering origin of our sexuality, seated at the basal end of the spine. Muladhara is the chakra of scent, our most primal sense. Le Quatrième manifests the power of fragrance, entrancing strangers and rapturous lovers to linger in your presence, luxuriating in romantic union. With a balanced root chakra, you are at once sensual and instinctual, magnetic and in control.

If only....

(Using the chakras as perfume inspiration is not new; Aveda sells a chakra range and its root chakra cologne, Chakra 1, features decidedly root-y/earthy elements: patchouli, olibanum and vetiver.)

Le Quatrième Parfum opens with rich plummy rum, sweet, but with a hint of tartness. When I make plum jam I leave in half the fruit skins for "tang"...to offset the sweetness of the pulp (Coolife plum has a bit of a bite, too). As the fruit and rum subside, myrrh "incense" arrives, leading to the rich aroma of honey-drenched tobacco leaves. The tobacco phase lasts till the perfume fades, and it is joined by decidedly non-white muskiness augmented with semi-leathery vanilla beans and patchouli. Le Quatrième smells delicious (and in its base notes there is a phase that smells of dense Middle Eastern sweets with their thick syrups, dates and other dried fruits). 

I love perfumes that are intense to the wearer but that don't invade the spaces of people in another room; Le Quatrième has very good lasting power but polite sillage.  Do give it a try if you enjoy tobacco fragrances.

Coolife Le Quatrième Parfum is available at Aedes, Osswald or Twisted Lily, in 50 ml Eau de Parfum, $175.

1. Listed notes: rum, tobacco leaf, myrrh, patchouli, Peru balsam, honey, vanilla, plum. Perfumer: Yann Vasnier.

Note: top image is Mooladhara (root chakra) via Wikimedia Commons.

Possibly of interest

Coolife Le Sixieme Parfum ~ new fragrance
Coolife Le Cinquieme Parfum ~ new fragrance
Coolife Le Quatrieme Parfum ~ new fragrance

Filed Under: perfume talk
Tagged With: coolife, tobacco, yann vasnier

Advertisement


13 Comments

Leave a comment, or read more about commenting at Now Smell This. Here's our privacy policy, and a handy emoticon chart.

  1. Koenigsberg says:
    4 May 2016 at 6:20 pm

    My goodness but that sounds magnificent! Too bad the distribution network is so weird, and they don’t seem to offer samples or a discovery set.

    Log in to Reply
    • Kanuka says:
      4 May 2016 at 7:15 pm

      I was just thinking the same thing – it sounds so good and so unobtainable. I really like tobacco.

      Log in to Reply
    • Kevin says:
      4 May 2016 at 8:46 pm

      I believe Twisted Lily sells samples.

      Log in to Reply
      • Sun Mi says:
        5 May 2016 at 9:47 am

        and Aedes.com!

        Log in to Reply
  2. Kanuka says:
    4 May 2016 at 7:17 pm

    Thanks Kevin. And good luck entrancing strangers!

    Log in to Reply
    • Kevin says:
      4 May 2016 at 8:46 pm

      Kanuka: I’ll try my best!

      Log in to Reply
  3. nozknoz says:
    4 May 2016 at 8:16 pm

    Dang, both you and Luca Turin approve. Must get a sample!!!

    Log in to Reply
    • Kevin says:
      4 May 2016 at 8:46 pm

      noz: well, Mercury was in retrograde recently, right? HAHA!

      Log in to Reply
      • Oakland Fresca says:
        5 May 2016 at 1:14 am

        Ha!

        Log in to Reply
  4. apsara says:
    4 May 2016 at 9:40 pm

    Oh my, this review came at a perfect time! Thank you Kevin. My bottle of Fumerie Turque is quite low and I was not looking forward to the price of a bell jar.
    This could slide in there quite nicely.

    Log in to Reply
    • Kevin says:
      4 May 2016 at 10:59 pm

      apsara: like you, I don’t need a bell jar of Fumerie Turque…so a new tobacco is in order.

      Log in to Reply
  5. Sun Mi says:
    4 May 2016 at 10:20 pm

    Wow this sounds really good. I’m particularly intrigued by the rum/plum combo as that was a winning combo for me in Immortal Beloved. I don’t often love honey, but I’m still very curious to give this a go. This is going on the short list for samples!

    Log in to Reply
    • Kevin says:
      4 May 2016 at 11:00 pm

      Sun Mi: hope you enjoy it

      Log in to Reply

Leave a reply Cancel reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

Advertisement

Search

Browse by...

Topic

Perfume talk New fragrances
Shopping Books :: News
Body products Home fragrance
Polls Another subject

Date

August 2023
July 2023
June 2023
May 2023
April 2023
March 2023

Prior months

Author

Robin Jessica
Angela Kevin
Erin Guest Author

Tag

Celebrity perfumes
Cheap thrills
Collector bottles
Perfumista tip series
Video
The complete tag index

Recent reviews

Atelier Cologne Love Osmanthus
Moschino Toy Boy
Arquiste Misfit
Diptyque Eau Capitale
Zoologist Bee
Parfum d’Empire Immortelle Corse
Comme des Garcons Series 10 Clash
Frédéric Malle Rose & Cuir
L’Artisan Parfumeur Le Chant de Camargue
Yves Saint Laurent Grain de Poudre
Régime des Fleurs Chloë Sevigny Little Flower
Chanel 1957
Gallivant Los Angeles
Amouage Portrayal Woman

Blogroll

Bois de Jasmin
Grain de Musc
Perfume Posse
The Non-Blonde
More blogs...

Perfumista lists

100 fragrances every perfumista should try
And 25 more fragrances every perfumista should smell
50 masculine fragrances every perfumista should try
26 vintage fragrances every perfumista should try
25 rose fragrances every perfumista should try
11 Cheap Perfumes Beauty Outsiders Love

Favorite posts

The Great Perfume Reduction Plan
Why I Love Old School Chypres
New to perfume and want to learn more?
How to make fragrance last through the day
Fragrance concentrations: sorting it all out
On reformulations, or why your favorite perfume doesn’t smell like it used to
How to get fragrance samples
Perfume for Life: How Long Will Your Fragrance Collection Last?

Upcoming

List of upcoming Friday projects

23 September ~ swapmeet

3 October ~ damage poll
7 October ~ fall reading poll
21 October ~ splitmeet

Back to Top

Home
About Now Smell This :: Privacy Policy
Perfume Reviews
New Perfumes
General Perfume Articles
The Monday Mail

Glossary of Perfume Terms
Perfume FAQ
Perfume Links
Perfume Books

Noses ~ Perfumers A-E :: F-K :: L-S :: T-Z

Perfume Houses A-B :: C :: D-E :: F-G
H-J :: K-L :: M :: N-O :: P :: Q-R :: S
T :: U-Z

Copyright © 2005-2023 Now Smell This. All rights reserved.