Poppy Rouge D.S. & Durga 2011

The name Poppy Rouge was taken, according to D.S. & Durga, from a song I am not familiar with, in which an immoral unmarried woman prepares for a night on the town with her rosy red garter belt, bright poppy rouge, and turkey red bloomers (or something like that... see "a loose married woman prepares for a night on the town in her rosy red garters, bright poppy rouge and turkey red bloomers").

While Poppy Rouge does not smell wild and dangerous, nor surprising, it would indeed be fitting for this or a similar scene. I instantly think of dance parties with gin and 1920s flapper dresses. All of this fits a classic scent that could have existed in earlier decades. A current comparison that comes to mind is "Grand Neroli" by Atelier Cologne, which however deserves the name Cologne more in character.

The orange blossom predominantly dominates with its delicate floral notes and light freshness, intoxicatingly beautiful. Other players include the Parma violet and the daffodil variety Jonquille with their green, lush nuances, but they do not reveal themselves distinctly; rather, they harmoniously round off the overall picture. The base note also remains light without the heaviness of musk and vanilla. A cheerful orange blossom scent, perfectly composed in its clarity.

I believe that a lot of natural ingredients have been used, as the naturally occurring scent experience cannot be explained otherwise. This is also supported by the fact that at D.S. & Durga, as a small personally run company, each box is still handwritten with the corresponding batch number. My bottle has the batch number F3. The longevity of the Eau de Parfum is very enduring.

To ensure it’s not all positive, I must criticize the pricing. 30 ml of Eau de Parfum costs a hefty GBP 76.00, which unfortunately only applies to the scents that are more associated with women. Although the company generally declares all scents as unisex, there are classifications regarding feminine or masculine on their own homepage. And lo and behold, with the more masculine scents, you get a 50 ml bottle for the same price! That’s not what equality looks like.