Fleurrare

After a writing break, I don’t want to leave this perfume unreviewed. For me, it is something very special. This is about the bottle with the golden plastic cap. The seller states that it is the 2013 version, so before the next reformulation in 2014 (with a slanted black cap).
After my confusions and wanderings in the perfume jungle, this fragrance gives me the feeling of having arrived home. It is simply beautiful. And that word can be savored on the tongue. Only someone with a very strong sense of aesthetics and beauty, independent of market pressures, could have created something like this. And so is the fascinating story behind it. The original version by Edmond Roudnitska was born in 1944, what a time! In the midst of the ugliness of World War II, under difficult conditions and with scarce resources, Edmond Roudnitska created an absolute masterpiece, an ode to beauty. Commissioned by Marcel Rochas, a fashion designer, for his much younger beautiful wife, whom he named and turned into a style icon. Somewhere I read that the fragrance was meant to imitate the scent of women’s skin. In 1989, the scent was reformulated by Olivier Cresp. According to descriptions, it is supposed to contain more cumin.
However, the modern version smells very classic and gives me the feeling of being chic without feeling pressured to conform to the style of the fragrance. I felt the same way about Miss Dior original, the first chypre I came into contact with. Rochas Femme has a similarly very elegant, extremely pleasant warm aura, but not the heaviness. Somehow it is still light enough (at least the modern version) to wear on any occasion without feeling "overdressed." I also recognize a similar DNA as in Eau de Rochas, which I already knew. My dream of a wearable Miss Dior (original) has come true. I am very happy with the fragrance, even or perhaps especially in summer. I lack the words to describe it more precisely. Like with other classics, the notes create an overall impression. And this one is unique. And completely detached from trends of the times or age and gender boundaries. By that, I mean that you don’t feel like you are wearing an old-fashioned perfume or that only women can wear it.
I am absolutely thrilled. It has the potential to become my signature scent if I ever manage to :)

I came to this perfume after many years of memory. I discovered it on a friend and later tested it repeatedly. However, I found that it didn't suit me very well. Good things take time. Only after many years did I treat myself to a large bottle. Already pre-conditioned, I thought that the chypre season is autumn. And somehow I always reached for the scent in the cool autumn. It didn't want to develop on my skin. It somehow remained barely changed on the surface and clung more to the clothing. I know it differently with chypres. Usually, they enter into a real symbiosis with my skin and change over time. I have now discovered the perfume for myself in warm April. Apparently, this chypre needs more warmth to develop beautifully. Now all its facets seem to be illuminated from all sides. The diva is coming out! This is a true classic, from a time when much more time was invested in a perfume composition, as I suspect. And many women, like the friend from whom I discovered the scent, wore a single fragrance. It unites many aspects: elegance, style, character, temperament... For me, it is still a size too big for everyday wear, but I now enjoy its presence like a piece of art that one admires simply because it is beautiful. Everything in its time.

Like in the song by Dinah Eastwood, where she sings that every rose has its thorns, the rose from Cardin strikes me in the same way. It is not playful at all and very serious, almost dramatic. From the bottle, it smells deceptively soft and fresh. After application, it shows its tough side. Not sweet at all, surrounded by bitter notes, the composition creates an almost cutting sound that leaves a cool impression overall. I suspect the perfume fits very well into the age of emancipation. Although rose traditionally represents the soft feminine side, here it is not shown from its gentle side. I also perceive stems and thorns in the scent. It is truly brilliantly composed. The entire fragrance is really dedicated to the rose; the other notes are only there to frame and emphasize the rose. She is the queen here. So far, I have not been able to get excited about any solo-note rose. This one is versatile on one hand, yet I really only perceive the rose in its various aspects. Like all chypres I have encountered so far, the scent develops wonderfully on my skin and is never boring. I sense a certain strictness. This fragrance conveys concentration and a sense of calm. I would probably wear it more on occasions where I want to focus particularly. Perhaps it is the grounding base notes that allow the mind to think clearer and cooler. I imagine a rather calculating madame who is focused on her own advantage with this scent. But that's just my imagination! I let everyone envision their own rosebush with it and leave it at that.

Today is a stormy autumn day. The wind is whistling and sweeping away the yellow leaves. On a day like this, one longs for coziness. Without much thought, I reached for Rebelle. Like all the Rihanna fragrances I have tested so far, this scent is strong and striking. It radiates a sweet warmth and evolves from exotic sweet to creamy sweet to a delicious drydown, which for me has woody undertones, even though no woods are listed in the pyramid. I can't tolerate too much sweetness in fragrances. Here, it is always "tempered" by other notes. The perfume is not subtle; it possesses a very strong radiance and sillage. Despite its pronounced gourmand character, the scent feels "airier" to me than Rebl' fleur, which truly takes over the entire room around it. To me, the fragrance feels calming and conveys a sense of security. The howling of the wind has lost its threat. It could perhaps work well as aromatherapy for children if the adult wears it next to the child. And it might even replace the occasional sweet treat.

For a long time, I kept a wide distance from Cavalli fragrances, put off by the provocative design that I found kitschy. I tested one scent and wasn't particularly impressed until I recently became aware of a few fragrances again. It all started with EdP Roberto Cavalli. What caught my attention was the interesting shape of the sillage, which is very noticeable but still "keeps it in check." My curiosity was piqued, and the bottle from Florence seduced me, I admit! When I discovered some of my favorite notes in it, I was hooked... Admittedly, it smells artificial, but it's a refined artificiality that doesn't annoy me because it's intelligent and serves its purpose. The natural scents that I generally prefer usually have a very subtle sillage. They are more suitable for relaxing at home than for the loud and sometimes hectic big city. I've been searching for suitable scents for a while that give me a good scent cloud without overwhelming me and the surroundings. And there are good fragrances with good sillage. However, they are like boxers who can only punch in one direction. Ultimately, they can overwhelm me if I don't dose them carefully. And when dosed carefully, they are too quiet to create that cloud around me. Cavalli can do that! I feel like I'm in a diffuse cocoon of scent, and I feel good about it, even with several sprays. There are often enough situations in the city where people get closer than one would like. Especially now during the pandemic, this has become particularly apparent. One wishes for a personal protective space. Cavalli didn't choose predator motifs in its design for nothing, even for the fragrances. They are scents that actually radiate something like: I won't do anything to you at first, but if you get too close, then watch out, you better get far away really quickly! The patterns are used for camouflage, but not standing out means being able to hunt better. These fragrances move smoothly like graceful predators or Aikido fighters. So just right for the urban jungle!!! I raise a toast with Cavalli to the little predator in the bunny! I know it doesn't match my profile picture. But sometimes, you have to let the claws out!

P.S.: The scent developed beautifully in the heat. Although the artificiality does sometimes bother me upon closer sniffing.