Le Parfum de Thérèse Editions de Parfums Frédéric Malle 2000
4
Helpful Review
Timeless Tribute to Thérèse
I don't wear perfume by season or occasion, but if I were to make a list of favorite fragrances to wear during hot Summer days, Le Parfum De Thérèse would rank as my number one choice.
If you are a fan of this house or of Edmond Roudnitska's work, you know the story behind Le Parfum de Thérèse (although some reviewers on YouTube still make dedicated overviews on the house and have no clue about the story behind it, won't point fingers).
Edmond created this perfume for his wife, Thérèse, to be hers and hers alone to wear. At that time, he felt this perfume was too futuristic for its period and that it wouldn't be well-received by the market. Honestly, even today, this perfume feels like a futuristic olfactory composition. I don't think Le Parfum De Thérèse can be bound to any era of perfumery, which makes it rather timeless.
If I were to go by the notes, I should not enjoy this. And yet I love it. I like to describe the way Roudnitska crafted this perfume as an Impressionistic painting. One that immediately comes to mind would be Monet's "Le Déjeuner sur l'herbe", and Monet's style in general. This perfume transcends any general knowledge of the fruity, floral, and chypre accords one might have. Yes, you get fruits - melon, plum, and tangerines, but devoid of the typical sweetness and tangible characteristics; they feel natural and rather watery, even zesty at times. The florals, from which I mostly pick up an indolic Jasmine, are ethereal and not heavy, as jasmine most often comes across. Here you'll find one of the most interesting jasmine accords, light yet indolic at the same time. He almost restrained himself on the floral aspects while being generous with the indoles. And the Chypre base is built as a "modern" chypre accord using no oakmoss but a rather copious amount of vetiver with hints of patchouli and cedar. The leather accord never shines on my skin, or perhaps it is too light for me to detect, given my high tolerance for rough and dense leathers.
Overall, Le Parfum De Thérèse is an almost watery, diaphanous perfume with plenty of the spark and fuziness characteristic of most chypres. Sometimes the watery fruity accords are most prominent over a woody base, others the jasmine pushes out more, and there are instances when it wears and feels like an emerald mossy perfume. It is a clever creation that only consolidates further Roudnitska's genius and the saying that goes: "materials are important, but the nose is the most important."
The reason why I love wearing this perfume in the heat of Summer is because it makes me think of a picnic on the grass - a basket with fresh fruits and the smell of flowers, grass, and the trees nearby, with a cool breeze blowing through their branches. Just like in Monet's "Le Déjeuner sur l'herbe." And of course, people invited know how to dress, no shorts and tees here.
IG:@memory.of.scents
If you are a fan of this house or of Edmond Roudnitska's work, you know the story behind Le Parfum de Thérèse (although some reviewers on YouTube still make dedicated overviews on the house and have no clue about the story behind it, won't point fingers).
Edmond created this perfume for his wife, Thérèse, to be hers and hers alone to wear. At that time, he felt this perfume was too futuristic for its period and that it wouldn't be well-received by the market. Honestly, even today, this perfume feels like a futuristic olfactory composition. I don't think Le Parfum De Thérèse can be bound to any era of perfumery, which makes it rather timeless.
If I were to go by the notes, I should not enjoy this. And yet I love it. I like to describe the way Roudnitska crafted this perfume as an Impressionistic painting. One that immediately comes to mind would be Monet's "Le Déjeuner sur l'herbe", and Monet's style in general. This perfume transcends any general knowledge of the fruity, floral, and chypre accords one might have. Yes, you get fruits - melon, plum, and tangerines, but devoid of the typical sweetness and tangible characteristics; they feel natural and rather watery, even zesty at times. The florals, from which I mostly pick up an indolic Jasmine, are ethereal and not heavy, as jasmine most often comes across. Here you'll find one of the most interesting jasmine accords, light yet indolic at the same time. He almost restrained himself on the floral aspects while being generous with the indoles. And the Chypre base is built as a "modern" chypre accord using no oakmoss but a rather copious amount of vetiver with hints of patchouli and cedar. The leather accord never shines on my skin, or perhaps it is too light for me to detect, given my high tolerance for rough and dense leathers.
Overall, Le Parfum De Thérèse is an almost watery, diaphanous perfume with plenty of the spark and fuziness characteristic of most chypres. Sometimes the watery fruity accords are most prominent over a woody base, others the jasmine pushes out more, and there are instances when it wears and feels like an emerald mossy perfume. It is a clever creation that only consolidates further Roudnitska's genius and the saying that goes: "materials are important, but the nose is the most important."
The reason why I love wearing this perfume in the heat of Summer is because it makes me think of a picnic on the grass - a basket with fresh fruits and the smell of flowers, grass, and the trees nearby, with a cool breeze blowing through their branches. Just like in Monet's "Le Déjeuner sur l'herbe." And of course, people invited know how to dress, no shorts and tees here.
IG:@memory.of.scents