How beautiful you are. You take me back to Ibiza. Almost 20 years have passed in the meantime. Back then, there were perfumeries on every corner of the island. They sold designer fragrances at duty-free prices. And almost every vacation, I treated myself to a new scent. I did that back then too. My partner, by the way, thought he smelled British, the new fragrance. I would have said French, which fits better with a French house.
Yes, French. With gentle fruits and floral notes. But not like today. In the early 2000s, floral and even fruity fragrances, perhaps already something like gourmands for that time, had a serious, mature base. Perfume all the way. Vanilla was at the center of this beautiful fragrance. And every time I wore this scent, I was enveloped in a soft, wonderful, adult vanilla aura all day long. Dreamy beautiful.
Encore Une Fois by Coty also envelops you in such a vanilla aura. Actually, I don’t like expensive exclusive lines. And now Coty has to do this too. But okay. That shouldn't be the topic here. The fragrance intrigued me. With its reduced notes of vanilla, vanilla orchid, and tolu balsam. So I had to test it. And yes, it is beautiful. Beautiful, like fragrances were 20 years ago. Noble, vanillic, grown-up. Perhaps a few fruits and flowers here and there as well. Whatever they may be, the heart can choose for itself. Unfortunately, we learn nothing about the details or the perfumer. So let the imagination play. Fragrances of this kind are unfortunately almost only available today if we dedicate ourselves to these expensive exclusive lines. Or if we look at brands like Henry Jacques or Krigler.
The reference fragrance I mentioned earlier was Alchimie by Rochas. But I could also mention Joop Le Bain in its very first formulation. I also detect hints of Joop Berlin, which I had longed for back then. I could list more examples. In the 90s and at the beginning of the 2000s, comparable fragrances lined the shelves of perfumeries. For my budget as a young professional back then, they were certainly not cheap at the time.
Encore Une Fois costs 230 euros. A nice vintage that smells similar and is well-preserved probably costs that much today too.
Yes, the name fits, reliving that time again. Reviving one’s youth and smelling just like before. Encore Une Fois! Quite beautiful. Yes, I must admit that. But do I need it? I still need to think about that a bit more.
I would like to thank SiriusK very much for the sharing and the testing opportunity.
It's a shame I can't remember the Rochas scent anymore. But I do remember Ur Le Bain (I still have that one) and Berlin. To me, it always smelled like someone who secretly treats themselves to a little drink now and then. No idea. I guess I need to test Encore Une Fois for the sake of the '90s 🤪
You described it beautifully. :-) When scents transport us to a pleasant past, it's always a lovely experience. This one from the new Coty collection didn't impress me the most, probably because the fruity notes bothered me. The fragrance was a bit too sweet for me. But I haven't tested it on my skin yet. At the Coty event in Paris, I liked Après L'Amour the best. I need to revisit the whole series because the (beautiful, artistic) way the fragrances were presented definitely influenced my experience a bit.
Oh yes, some fragrances really take you on a trip down memory lane. Since I loved those scents back then too, your review convinced me to add this fragrance to my wishlist.
Now I have a catchy tune (Encore Une Fois), a flashback to the 90s, and a new fragrance on my wishlist... ☀️ Thanks for the inspiration. P.S.: I brought back a scent from my last Ibiza vacation in 2004 that still hasn't gone off.
I also like the mature aspect in fragrances. You express it nicely with the term "seriousness." It's like with classic, high-quality clothing. They have presence.
That sounds really lovely, and the notes seem very cozy and soft. My vanilla heart is racing... except for the price. And now I have a weird time-travel earworm stuck in my head :-)
Unfortunately, that's the price you often have to pay these days to own a nice fragrance. Although I'm sure that the prices are often driven by marketing and don't really reflect the actual effort involved. Of course, exceptions prove the rule...
And how wonderful that you can put them into words that take us along with you!
Everything has its time...
It was a lovely journey.
P.S.: I brought back a scent from my last Ibiza vacation in 2004 that still hasn't gone off.
That the beautiful ones have to be so expensive now...
🏆