In ancient Greece, one myth stood out as the most passionate and sensual: the love between Psyche and Eros, the beauty's quest to meet with her lover and the happy outcome of their union which led to the birth of their daughter, Hedone. Only one scent can convey this legend as a fragrance, that of musks. Equally legendary, they have the unique ability to enhance the skin with their arousing carnal accents. They are at the very heart of Fleur de Peau, as cottony and light as they are soft and moist. — Diptyque
With the launch of Fleur de Peau1, Diptyque celebrates the 50th anniversary of its first perfume — L'Eau. I've gotten so many suggestions on the translation of the phrase à fleur de peau ("on edge") that I will use my own instinct regarding Eros and Psyche. Fleur de Peau = horny. So there. After wearing Fleur de Peau, I believe the agitated lovers are, in spirit, millennials.
In a recent New York Times article, The New Softies, Rachel Syme noted the types of minimalist perfumes (the 'softies') that appeal to millennials: fragrances that...
...help them smell like their glorious, unique selves, only better. (This is the olfactory equivalent of no-makeup makeup, in which people spend hundreds of hours, and dollars, to look effortless.) [...] Now the dream question to be asked is: Why do you smell so good? Is it new soap?
Fleur de Peau fits this soft spot perfectly; its notes smell as if they're being sniffed through a dense filter that makes everything smell light and far, far away. Fleur de Peau goes on downy and musky — at first the musk is fruity, then it's accompanied by peppered rose. In mid-development, which arrives quickly, musky ambrette seed is prominent; iris powder and white musk are Fleur de Peau's final destination (and the sweet, laundry-room WHITE musk is the strongest element of Fleur de Peau...Diptyque has finally "gone there"). Fleur de Peau is squeaky Clean and about as "carnal" as a cashmere teddy bear with a pink bow tie around his neck.
For me, Fleur de Peau is annoying and not sexy; but it does, true to name, put me "on edge." For those of you who love white musk (especially white musk paired with iris), you should investigate Fleur de Peau.
Diptyque Fleur de Peau is $165 for 75 ml Eau de Parfum. Hat tip to Diptyque for a great idea to deal with impulse/blind buyers (like many of us here at Now Smell This): each Diptyque fragrance purchase now includes a matching sample. Use the sample to test the fragrance on skin before opening the full-size bottle. If the fragrance does not please you, Diptyque will happily accept unopened returns within 14 days of original purchase.
1. Perfumer Olivier Pescheux; fragrance notes of ambrette, iris, rose, pink pepper, musks and ambergris. Being released simultaneously with Fleur de Peau is Tempo (a patchouli-centric perfume).
Note: top image is detail from Cupid and Psyche by John Hoppner [cropped and altered] via Wikimedia Commons.
Oh dear, but thanks for the laugh. Looks like those of us who’ve long since tired of white musk will have to continue delving into more obscure & “edgier” niche.
galbanumgal: I think white musk has seeped into every crook, cranny AND niche!
I was in the very lovely Diptyque shop on Larchmont In L.A. last week, and came out with several samples and fully doused in Fleur de Peau. “Doused” being a relative term with this one, as it is indeed clean, soft and blurry. Yet when I picked my teen son up from school, he immediately remarked, “You smell just like Grandma Sandy!” And he was right on, Fleur de Peau smells precisely like something my 76 year old mom would wear beautifully. So I suppose in some ways that musk journey has come full circle. It reminds me of her Tova or Cashmere Mist, which are terrific on her. Fleur de Peau may be from a somewhat hipper house, but it’s the same vibe, and there’s a place for it. We decided grandma needed a bottle of Fleur de Peau for her birthday. She’ll be happy to know she shares a few traits with Millennials.
Merrily Row: EXCELLENT! Millennials, Psyche and Sandy.
I sprayed the entire sample all over me and couldn’t really smell anything. Pass.
cazaubon: with all those musks, bet lots of people may have trouble smelling it. For once, no musk shut down my “mechanism.”
I liked it a lot and it took almost 24 hrs for the white musk to become noticeably dominant on my skin aka everything else had faded off
Similar here 🙂 I sniffed my wrists for an entire day and loved the medley of pepper, ambrette, rose and iris notes. The musk remained an undercurrent.
thegoddessrena: 24 hours and a shower later the white musk was still pumping close to my body… HA!
Although they are totally different, both this and Tempo gave me the queasy headache usually reserved for certain Hermes perfumes and a lot of the Ormande Jayne line, at least for me. Some aromachemical that disagrees with my nose? Thanks for taking one for the team here!
Amy: hmmmm, wonder if it’s Iso E Super? I much prefer Tempo to this one…but you have to LOVE LOVE LOVE patchouli, right?
I’ve been really into Jovoy’s Psychedelique and so really into patchouli, and liked the idea of Tempo and even how it smells, but then the queasy came on! It is much better than this one though for sure.
I scrolled to read the review without seeing who wrote it and got three sentences in and said to myself, “Oh…that Kevin….”
Robin, Angela, and Kevin each has their own distinct writing style that I can usually tell who wrote a review without looking first.
Funny review. This new Diptyque can remain in the “Avoid” pile for me. White musks are a no-go.
sayitisntso: I’m assuming the word “horny” identified me? HA! If you love patchouli, do give Tempo a try….
Annoying? Honestly?
Michael: Yes. Intense white musk bothers me.
I’d still really like to smell this, but I enjoy the social commentary. I’m hoping the best thing about millennial culture coming to a head is that it has to pass it’s prime, and hopefully we can all partake in more substantive cultural expression before we all die!
Kevin, you should have reviewed Tempo at the same time, so I don’t have to wait for your opinion on that one 😉
I haven’t smelled either of them yet, but I have a feeling that Tempo is much more my style..tho I have heard that Fleur de Peau is a mix of the new Iris candle and the mucs one (I absolutely adore the musc candle..and I had hoped it was more of that style with a good dash of irish…guess not 😉