11/25/2012

Cryptic
24 Reviews

Cryptic
Very helpful Review
8
Remembrance of Things Past
Angélique Encens serves as a haunting reminder of how much has been lost in perfumery because of the decline in use of animal-derived notes. AE was created in 1933 as a tribute to the iconic, androgynous Marlene Dietrich and her role in The Blue Angel. At the time, perfumes with lusty, animalic notes were all the rage. The 20s and 30s saw the launch of Joy, Shocking, Chanel No.5, Shalimar, etc., and civet, deer musk and ambergris were commonplace in fragrance.
Today, these classics are often disparaged as urinous, fecal and "old lady," in part due to the change in preference of the average nose in favor of the clean, the fresh and the unrelentingly sweet. In addition, many of the old natural fixatives have been replaced by synthetics, such as Ambrox, Cashmeran and Iso E Super, which is a positive development from an animal lover's standpoint, but a blow to fans of the classic carnal notes. Ambergris, being a cruelty-free byproduct of sperm whale digestion, is the exception to the animal rights crusade against cruel natural notes, and it is the substance that renders AE so glorious.
AE was discontinued several years ago, so information on its notes is scarce and contradictory. According to my humble nose, it opens with a great vintage bergamot note accompanied by the green and mysterious angelica. Sources can't seem to agree on the florals present in AE, which is reasonable, given that they only serve to soften the dryness of the incense and aren't featured prominently. As a result, AE resides comfortably in unisex territory, making it a fitting tribute to a woman who looked as elegant in a tuxedo as a ball gown. The highlight of AE (for me) is the sensuality imparted by the ambergris, which is a little salty, a little greasy -- like anyone would be if they just rolled out of bed. The interesting combo of the rather ascetic incense and the carnal ambergris brings to mind a courtesan like Madame Du Barry at High Mass.
In a likelihood, AE was pulled from the Creed line due to the shortage of whale excrement washing up on the beach as opposed to the IFRA's Reign of Terror, so props to Creed for refusing to compromise this perfume. If you dislike the Creed line and haven't tried this one, you might be pleasantly surprised, as it is radically different from the other Creed feminines. AE wears close to the skin but is quite long lasting. Well worth a sniff if you happen to come across it on eBay or in an antique shop.
Today, these classics are often disparaged as urinous, fecal and "old lady," in part due to the change in preference of the average nose in favor of the clean, the fresh and the unrelentingly sweet. In addition, many of the old natural fixatives have been replaced by synthetics, such as Ambrox, Cashmeran and Iso E Super, which is a positive development from an animal lover's standpoint, but a blow to fans of the classic carnal notes. Ambergris, being a cruelty-free byproduct of sperm whale digestion, is the exception to the animal rights crusade against cruel natural notes, and it is the substance that renders AE so glorious.
AE was discontinued several years ago, so information on its notes is scarce and contradictory. According to my humble nose, it opens with a great vintage bergamot note accompanied by the green and mysterious angelica. Sources can't seem to agree on the florals present in AE, which is reasonable, given that they only serve to soften the dryness of the incense and aren't featured prominently. As a result, AE resides comfortably in unisex territory, making it a fitting tribute to a woman who looked as elegant in a tuxedo as a ball gown. The highlight of AE (for me) is the sensuality imparted by the ambergris, which is a little salty, a little greasy -- like anyone would be if they just rolled out of bed. The interesting combo of the rather ascetic incense and the carnal ambergris brings to mind a courtesan like Madame Du Barry at High Mass.
In a likelihood, AE was pulled from the Creed line due to the shortage of whale excrement washing up on the beach as opposed to the IFRA's Reign of Terror, so props to Creed for refusing to compromise this perfume. If you dislike the Creed line and haven't tried this one, you might be pleasantly surprised, as it is radically different from the other Creed feminines. AE wears close to the skin but is quite long lasting. Well worth a sniff if you happen to come across it on eBay or in an antique shop.