Say you adore Guerlain Shalimar’s feel of silk velvet amber and stained glass, but its lemon is too sharp or its civet turns your stomach. Or maybe Shalimar is too recognizably Shalimar, and you don’t want to be so easy to peg. It could be you simply crave a throwback oriental fragrance with more sophistication than the average department store amber. If so, try a sniff of Papillon Bengale Rouge.
Bengale Rouge’s notes include sandalwood, honey, orris butter, myrrh, Turkish rose, tonka, benzoin, labdanum and vanilla. Bengale Rouge was inspired by Papillon’s founder Liz Moores’s Bengal cat Mimi. As far as the visual can reflect the olfactory, the image of a Bengal cat — maybe seated on a velvet cushion and painted in oil in the 1920s — is a solid interpretation of Bengale Rouge.
To me, Bengale Rouge smells like a honeyed Shalimar with the rough edges sanded away. The fragrance kicks off with a bare tingle and sepia-hued rose and ylang ylang wrapped in honey and benzoin that sometimes throws off a whiff of cinnamon or sweet tea. Really, though, Bengale Rouge is all about its lush, warm foundation notes. Benzoin adds the glassy sweetness that is, I think, partially responsible for its sisterhood with Shalimar. Myrrh gives structure, and wood and labdanum soften and round it out. Both vanilla and honey are noticeable — vanilla especially so in the dry down — but they’re not even close to pastry case levels.
Bengale Rouge easily lasts all day and packs a healthy sillage, especially during its first few hours. (My testing was from a sample vial, and sillage might be more expansive from an atomizer.)
Bengale Rouge feels comforting and, well, basic — a cool-weather, flapper-esque basic, if you can imagine that combo. Unlike Shalimar, while it has muscle, it isn’t a diva. I’d feel comfortable layering a few drops of a dark rose or mandarin or even a leather fragrance over Bengale Rouge in the evening, just as someone might accessorize a golden cashmere pullover with a silk scarf one day and tribal jewelry the next.
I’m happy with Shalimar and mutt cats from rescue organizations, but that doesn’t mean that dreams of Bengals — or, calling Marchesa Casati, cheetahs! — and smooth, retro orientals don’t grab me. If you feel the same way and are in the market for a winter perfume, Bengale Rouge might be the answer.
Papillon Bengale Rouge Eau de Parfum is $190 for 50 ml. My sample is from Fumerie. It’s also available at Indigo Perfumery, Luckyscent and Twisted Lily.
Am I that Papillon generally works in the retro, womanly woman vs girl-child corner of the perfume universe? Being a womanly woman I rather like that corner…
I definitely have that feeling! I get the vibe that the perfumer has a lot of respect for the classics. In Dryad and Bengale Rouge, she sticks to a “basic” read on them, but I like it.
Shalimar you say..I must try this!
It might have been Shalimar’s calmer, less diva-ish sister, I thought. Let me know what you think if you do try it!
What a marvellous review, thank you. As a lout who never “got” Shalimar, this sounds very intriguing.
It’s almost a gateway Shalimar to me!
I loved Bengale Rouge and I hate Shalimar, so don’t let that comparison stop you. On me it was more similar to Hiram Green’s Shangri-La, minus the cinnamon blast up front you get from BR. Also, I got plenty of longevity but not much sillage. It was quiet and cozy. But definitely full bottle worthy. Once the furor has died down I will get a bottle early next year.
“Cozy” is a great description, and I did smell some stemmy bits, as in Shangri-La. I’m glad you found a bottle for the winter months!
I like the Papillons well enough, but none of her creations have quite convinced me so far. I will try this though as it sounds very, very good.
Sometimes I feel relief when I don’t connect with a fragrance I’m afraid I’ll love! My pocketbook feels relief, at least.
Same here, especially the really expensive ones!
Yes, especially those!
Thanks for the review! I don’t hate Shalimar, but I enjoy reinterpretations of it more (Aroma M Geisha Noire, for one). Though, I was hoping for this one to be an oriental rose like Rosine’s Rose Kashmiri or something like that. I’ll still give it a sniff at some point.
And I’ve seen her Bengal in Instagramp photos and it’s a gorgeous animal- almost up there with were her stunning pet owl ?
What?! She has an owl, too? She’s my new hero.
I’m so glad that, on me, the honey doesn’t appear, as my skin makes honey do crazy smells. Will be the perfect time when my bottle arrives end of October. Had no idea how popular, or in limited quantities, this one is.
It can be hard to wait for a bottle when you’re looking forward to it!
I definitely smell honey, but not in cat pee quantities, fortunately.
I have FBs of Angélique, Salome and Dryad, and I was very excited to try Bengal Rouge. I love the first hour, but it’s a bit too vanilla-heavy for me in the drydown. I love vanilla in food, but it seems I don’t like wearing a lot of it.
It’s definitely an oriental fragrance, and for people who don’t love that type of fragrance–which can pack some amber and/or vanilla!–it won’t be a favorite.
This sounds so dang beautiful…but that price! This house gets a lot of love but they are way outta my league.
I totally get it! It’s hard to be on a budget and love good perfume. I fondly remember the $100 bottle….and I search thrift stores for the $10 bottles.
This sounds so good.. Thank you for the as-always wonderful review, Angela!
You’re welcome, and I’m glad you enjoyed it!