La Chasse aux Papillons L'Artisan Parfumeur 1999 Eau de Toilette

A beautiful Tuberose Solifleur. It's a bit linear but that's okay because it's lovely. It never gets sharp and is very full and creamy. I don't really get anything else in it besides the tuberose, either because it's just that well blended or because that's all I can get out of it. Not sure which.

It's pretty short lived, about 4 hours and it wears close to the skin.

May
31
2014

L'Artisan Parfumeur LA CHASSE AUX PAPILLONS opens big with megaphonic, mostly white florals, with tuberose looming large. I initially thought that I detected violet as well, but it didn't persist and is also not listed as a note. The linden blossom has a minimal presence to my nose, so overall this hits me as a sweet tuberose perfume.

However,what starts as a pretty standard Big White Floral strangely fades in exponential proportion to the passing of time with the result that the composition has dwindled to nothing in less than two hours. I find the loud opening a bit contradictory to the fleeting nature of this fragrance, which, while a certainly pretty composition, does not hold a candle to FRACAS, an admittedly tough act to follow.

What we have here is essentially a Charybdis or Scylla situation: Those who prefer more subtle floral fragrances will be put off by the opening; those who like big bad florals will be disappointed by the half-time sillage and poor longevity of LA CHASSE AUX PAPILLONS.

A beautiful meadow lies in front of you. Delicate flowers sway gently under the caressing hand of a spring breeze. The sun is high in the sky, while marshmallow white clouds lazily move along. The soft buzz of insects can be heard all around you. You spot among the field many butterflies, fluttering from flower to flower. The atmosphere is gentle, soothing and calming.

This is a pretty lovely floral perfume. The beginning is fleeting as pink pepper and citruses offer a small sting of awakening. What follows soon soothes your senses. Jasmine is fresh, but also well-rounded. Tuberose is bubblegum, slightly animalic. Linden and lemon blossom offer this fresh, citrusy take. Orange blossom is on the greener side. I did detect ylang-ylang with its tropical, carnal facet lying underneath everything. Flowers are everywhere here and they're all pretty well balanced. The mood is lovely and feminine.

I do have to say the fragrance is pretty fragile. It's quite delicate and there's nothing keeping it fixed to the skin. Evanescent, it flutters away like a butterfly (the perfume is thus aptly named). I'm not sure I'd be ready to pay suck a high price for a perfume that doesn't last that long. After 5 minutes, it was already a skin scent. I could overspray and never choke anyone standing beside me. It's nonetheless a beautiful thing and if it had better performance, I might've gone for a full bottle. Unfortunately, this won,t be making it past a decant.

This fragrance opens with a bright and rather sweet flower note — reminiscent of Vanille Galante - that gradually becomes darker and intense as the alcohol evaporates. The main accord is built on a delicate interplay of jasmine, tuberose, orange blossom and linden resulting in an intoxicating floral bouquet. Green notes counter-balance the luxuriant sweetness of the accord and add to its overall fresh and spring-like quality. On my skin the fragrance loses most of its citrusy tartness and flowery sweetness as it progresses; it remains dewy and sweet, but has lost most of its initial vibrance.

I was initially surprised by how sweet this fragrance was. La Chasse aux Papillons (beautiful name by the way), is very girly and pretty, and in regards to that I find it truly lovable.

In the initial stages, La Chasse aux Papillons reminds me of the scent of sugary bubblegum. This fragrance is quite strong at first, but as it settles it becomes much quieter. The tuberose is of the friendly and universally likable kind. It's neither too creamy nor too floral. Bois de Jasmin described it well, "a mist of bright floral notes, underpinned by the coconut sweetness of tuberose". Essentially a sweetened white floral in a slightly different vein to what you may be used to.

It evokes something within me, perhaps a childhood memory, a desire to run in the Spring fields wearing a pretty, pink fairy dress with sparkly wings attached. Okay, so La Chasse aux Papillons may not be the most mature fragrance on the market, but it sure does delight me with its imaginative and juvenile nature.

It is indeed a very happy and fun-loving fragrance, one that I'd recommend as a niche for young girls and the super feminine types. I do believe, that even someone who doesn't usually like white florals will be impressed by La Chasse aux Papillons.

The longevity is so-so, not incredibly lasting but also not too disappointing. The sillage however is very close to the skin, which can be a good thing especially during the warmer weather of which this fragrance is best suited.