French niche line Memo Paris has introduced Palais Bourbon, a new vanilla fragrance.
It is a Parisian palace destined to house the fragrance of an orchid with regal pods. Its name is Bourbon, like the duchess Louise-Françoise de Bourbon for whom it was built in 1722. Bourbon, like the designation created in 1964 to name this vanilla cultivated specifically in the Indian Ocean. Palais Bourbon is a place made for unprecedented alliances.
Behind its majestic pediment, the persuasive vanilla from Madagascar does not wield its power alone; it works with amber and oud as they develop their notes with warmth. From the podium, perfumer Gaël Montero tempers and guides. Three parties occupy the benches, represented by spices, woods and balsams, and each brings its own touch and character to this olfactory assembly. Black pepper from Madagascar, upheld by Indian cardamom and Laotian cinnamon, set the tone: lively and ardent. Akigalawood, vetiver and patchouli vote for voluptuous intensity. Laotian benzoin, Peruvian balsam and Brazilian tonka bean use their softness to win favour.
Memo Palais Bourbon is €230 for 75 ml Eau de Parfum at Galeries Lafayette.
(quote via memoparis, additional information via galerieslafayette)
It sounded good until we got to the oud. Nope.
🙂
They really are churning them out, aren’t they?
Seriously.
what Robin said.
Ears perked up with mention of vanilla. 👂🏻
Ears went down with mention of oud. 🙉
Betcha it ain’t much oud but who knows.
Exactly.
Akigalawood was a new one on me and I had to look it up. It’s made up, invented, based on patchouli (somehow). Hmmm.
Neiman Marcus (here at least) used to carry Memo and had a beautiful display of their many offerings. Then they stopped. I mentioned it in curiosity on a visit to one of their nice SA’s (not the pushy ones) and she immediately clammed up and said nothing. Or just, “We don’t carry them any more.” I wonder what that was about?
I think it is fractionated patchouli or some other molecular derivative, but I’m not 100% sure.