Corps & Ames Pierre Guillaume 2006 Eau de Parfum

Since my sample of "Corps & Ames" is slightly damaged/tipped in the top note, my comment here should be taken with caution or leniency. Who knows where the sample, which I would easily attribute to being at least 10 years old, has been lying around, from warm baths to sunny balconies... Nevertheless, the scent unfolds enough to be assessed and pieced together in the mind. It is simply too pretty to leave uncommented, even if dear Apicius has already described it mercilessly well (as always)... Buying or freshly catching it is actually no longer possible. Unfortunately.

"Corps & Ames" is a she. And what a she. A dark rose queen with uncomfortably snappy grave-digger vibes and yet bright accents of geranium. A frivolous, refined blend. The leathery finish adds the dot over the ninth letter of the alphabet. This is classic, fierce, and certainly not to everyone's taste. I can smell it well, it is made of high quality, and you don't come across such a shadowy-sandy rose every day. Whether it is more suitable for men or women is hard to decide. Actually for both, if one likes it. And black roses usually go down well with gentlemen too. Not just in cemeteries and funerals. I clearly see it as an old-school suit scent. Fits like a glove. Rich in texture, palpable, cool yet highly emotional. Smoldering ash, oud-like tar. How unfortunate that it has been discontinued...

Bottle: good Pierre cares about the content
Sillage: holds back. A queen doesn’t need to say too much or jump around.
Longevity: long-lasting and voluminous - at least 8 hours.

Conclusion: the revenge of the thorn birds - bitter, rosy, dark, and very chic, in a classic, almost domineering way!

There seems to be no larger niche brand that hasn't tried to connect with at least one product to the apparently very popular Arabic style of the grand rose-oud combinations from Montale.

In this case, oud is not listed, but the similarity is nonetheless undeniable. I suspect a tiny splash has still found its way into this composition. Corps et Ames is a heavy, woody rose perfume. The above description mentions geranium. However, I suspect it refers to geranium, which serves as a substitute for expensive rose absolutes while also bringing its own nuance. As far as I know, this fragrance ingredient is derived from a type of pelargonium. It does not exactly smell like a magnificent, dark rose; rather, I think of wild roses.

This rather bright, fruity rose-like tone sits on a very dark sandalwood note. What Melati wood is supposed to be, Wikipedia could not tell me. This wood apparently grows exclusively in Pierre Guillaume's garden.

The fundamental character of this fragrance is not only sandalwood-like but also somewhat sandy or straw-like, which I attribute to a small amount of immortelle. Together with the rather bright geranium accord, it results in a strange mixture. The perfume cannot be clearly categorized into a specific direction, such as opulent, light, dark, or bright.

On one hand, it is dark and opulent like a rose-oud combination from Montale; on the other hand, it is slightly bitter, and the floral tone is not entirely dark. This is definitely worth a test.

The leather note must not go unmentioned. It remains very much in the background. However, I can recognize that it is a "dirty" wild leather note. I believe this causes the sharp contrasts between the other notes to become somewhat blurred. One cannot say that this leather note contributes a particular spiciness, as it is not a spice. But due to its dirty character, it serves the same purpose as cumin does in perfumes. In this context, Al Oudh by L'Artisan Parfumeur should be particularly noted.

I always find this type of wild leather note very difficult, but here it is used with much restraint.

If it weren't for Montale's oud line, I would be enthusiastic about this fragrance. However, there are already so many imitators. Dark Rose by Czech & Speake, Arabian Diamond by Micallef, the ouds by by Kilian, Tom Ford's oud, and now this one as well.

I think - to still give the fragrance some honor - that the omission or the most economical use of oud characterizes it somewhat differently. For me, it lies about halfway between Montale's Steam Aoud and the noble, dark rose fragrance Black Tie by Washington Tremlett.

Its outstanding feature is what I perceive as its sandiness. It really crunches between the teeth. And it positively differs from other imitators. It is not as boring as Tom Ford's oud and not so tailored for wearability and likability as Dark Rose and Arabian Diamond. No, it has enough character to stand on equal footing with Montale's ouds - which is something that can be said of very few imitators.

Please forgive my extensive name-dropping in this comment, but a fragrance like this invites comparisons.