08/01/2012

Coutureguru
223 Reviews

Coutureguru
Very helpful Review
11
Beauty beyond compare ...
I love Arpege. It's just that simple!
I was inspired to try this beauty some time ago, when I first read The Guide. From Turin's list of 'masculine feminines' (and I haven't been able to source all of them to try) this one is definitely the star. I had always wanted to try it anyway, as in one of my favorite songs by the legendary Eartha Kitt she croons " ... you didn't give me anything ... not even Arpege you beast!".
I've done a fair amount of research and it appears that Arpege was regarded as Chanel no. 5 for the masses early on in it's life. While this may be so, I find that these days it outstrips no. 5 on every front ... but I'm not here to review Chanel :o) ... suffice it to say that in a head to head of current formulations, to my nose Arpege definitely comes out on top.
The opening blast of peachy Aldehydes is gorgeous ... clean and uplifting, leading to a glorious symphony of florals combining beautifully with each other like the mind boggling bouquet of a florist shop. The Camellia and Jasmine here are the triumphant winners in this floral race, made superbly wearable by the velvety base. The Sandalwood and Vanilla create a gorgeously smooth bed for the florals to rest upon.
Sillage and longevity here are just stellar! I do believe from my reading about this fragrance that the current formulation is as close to the original as one can get. Apparently, Arpege wasn't as good as it is now post World War 2. On this I cannot comment but I'm quite enchanted with the way it currently presents :o).
I will always have a bottle of this timeless classic in my collection.
I was inspired to try this beauty some time ago, when I first read The Guide. From Turin's list of 'masculine feminines' (and I haven't been able to source all of them to try) this one is definitely the star. I had always wanted to try it anyway, as in one of my favorite songs by the legendary Eartha Kitt she croons " ... you didn't give me anything ... not even Arpege you beast!".
I've done a fair amount of research and it appears that Arpege was regarded as Chanel no. 5 for the masses early on in it's life. While this may be so, I find that these days it outstrips no. 5 on every front ... but I'm not here to review Chanel :o) ... suffice it to say that in a head to head of current formulations, to my nose Arpege definitely comes out on top.
The opening blast of peachy Aldehydes is gorgeous ... clean and uplifting, leading to a glorious symphony of florals combining beautifully with each other like the mind boggling bouquet of a florist shop. The Camellia and Jasmine here are the triumphant winners in this floral race, made superbly wearable by the velvety base. The Sandalwood and Vanilla create a gorgeously smooth bed for the florals to rest upon.
Sillage and longevity here are just stellar! I do believe from my reading about this fragrance that the current formulation is as close to the original as one can get. Apparently, Arpege wasn't as good as it is now post World War 2. On this I cannot comment but I'm quite enchanted with the way it currently presents :o).
I will always have a bottle of this timeless classic in my collection.