Chypre Azural Les Indémodables 2016

I understand that this fragrance is difficult to decipher as a Chypre - it is certainly not a Chypre-in-your-face like "Mitsouko." I also understand that many perceive it as monothematic, as it is primarily the orange that sets the tone here. Yes, I also understand that it is said to lack originality; citrus-fresh Eau-de-Something has indeed been around for decades in abundance.
But, and here comes a big BUT: I love it, and I mean LOVE it!
Now, I do have a fondness for this genre: with Chanel's "Pour Monsieur" and Dior's "Eau Sauvage" as the grand masters on the tableau, Le Gallion's "Eau Noble" and the wonderful "Eau de Guerlain" within reach, and the novice "Bigarade Concentrée" by Frédéric Malle and Parfums d’Empire's "Azemour les Orangers" on equal footing.
For this one, however, I would leave them all behind, all of them. At least for now...

In this fresh, juicy-bitter orange note, more of an orange peel note, I could just dive in. And who doesn't know the feeling when you bend a piece of peel from a fresh, plump orange between two fingers and see tiny droplets shoot out when held up to the light, instantly releasing a wonderfully airy-bitter-fruity aroma? That's exactly how "Chypre Azural" smells - at the beginning!
Because anyone who claims they smell nothing more than that note has not truly experienced this fragrance, let alone finished smelling it. The Chypre-Azural miracle happens later when the few finely balanced base notes begin to blossom, giving the fragrance body, depth, and an astonishing longevity for citrus scents. As I said, there are only a few fragrant players - but isn't the good old Eau Sauvage also a wonder of reduction?!

Those who enjoy the scent of tarragon, that fresh green herbaceousness that almost leans towards vetiver grass, will find the fragrance even more appealing, as tarragon plays a quietly yet crucial role in the scent development, beautifully contrasting the peel bitterness, picking it up and extending it into the base. Accompanied by a hint of rose, just enough to allow a floral presence to be sensed almost subcutaneously, without ever breaking through. This bitter-fruity-spicy-floral trio is supported by a stable oakmoss-patchouli base, which comes across as quite chypre-like and unfolds rather discreetly yet persistently.
So far, so good, so unremarkable, one might think, but now comes the miraculous twist: it is once again the amber that makes the difference. And when I say amber, I mean amber, not ambroxan (Orcanox etc.) and certainly not amber.
Amber, ambergris, colloquially: whale vomit.

The small, exceptionally fine perfume house Les Indémodables from the southern French Alpine town of Annecy has the decisive advantage over many much larger and more significant houses, as it is located at the source of the best natural raw materials. The husband of the founder and owner Valérie Pulverail, Remi Pulverail, runs a company called "L’Atelier Français Des Matières," which offers a special ambergris tincture in consistently high quality. This is quite a significant factor for perfume production, as amber cannot simply be cultivated; one must wait until a sperm whale has relinquished the indigestible parts of its meal to the ocean, where they mature and oxidize over a longer period.
The fact that Madame Pulverail can order said ambergris tincture from Monsieur Pulverail, so to speak, through the small service route, has led to the happy circumstance that Les Indémodables now has three fragrances in its range that contain natural amber. "Chypre Azural" was the first.
And even though the 2% of the fragrance oil content may seem small, there is indeed a significant amount of this miracle substance compared to most fragrances with natural ambergris blends. Exactly enough, in fact, for the fragrance to begin to shine, to expand and fix itself. As a fixative, the amber here does a remarkable job: the scent lasts and lasts and lasts. Moreover, the amber contributes some aspects of its kaleidoscopic scent profile: salty nuances, for example, a hint of the sea, overlaid with azure blue, and finally, with leathery and animalistic undertones, a hint of its dark, corporeal depth.
An orange chypre of cheerful naturalness and elegance, framed and held by radiant sunny azure - that’s how I would characterize "Chypre Azural" in a few words.

In my opinion, Florence Fouillet has created an exceedingly beautiful perfume here. In fact, I find that the first fragrances of this brand (as so often) are simply the best. All of them are by her, by the way. The fact that only Antoine Lie has contributed since then may be due to the belief that a big name is capable of even greater things. However, in my impression, there is an interesting phenomenon here: the big names working for many houses, whether they are Duchaufour, Lie, Feisthauer, or Matos, Lomros, and so on, less often embody the olfactory fingerprint of a company than their own. This means that a Matos fragrance is usually recognizable everywhere, just as is a Duchaufour fragrance, or one by Antoine Lie. The individuality, what distinguishes the houses olfactorily from one another, is somewhat lost in this process, and in the case of Les Indémodables, I honestly find that a bit unfortunate. Not that the Lie fragrances for this house are worse than the initial Fouillet fragrances (the two amber fragrances "Escale en Indonesie" and "Ambre Suprême" are great!), but those by Florence Fouillet once gave this company its unmistakable scent identity, which has now become a bit more interchangeable.

So, back to the roots: back to "Fougère Emeraude," to "Cuir de Chine," and to "Chypre Azural" - they are simply too good!