Perfume Eureka
Sometimes you can read the same phrase about a particular smell or combination of smells many times, but you just don’t get it. Then suddenly it clicks. It’s that perfume eureka moment. Last week I reviewed Le Labo’s Jasmin 17. It’s nice enough, but is never going to set the world on fire. But it reacquainted me with how jasmine smells, how jasmine tea smells(!) and how jasmine perfumes should smell.
Chaotic Mix of Samples
By complete chance, later the same day I was rummaging through my perfume sample collection and came across La Chasse aux Papillons. My sample collection is a chaotic mix of things I’ve been given, bought online, or exchanged in swaps. I try to avoid reading anything about a perfume before I try it – so in general I don’t really have a clue what treasure/trash I’m hoarding. It’s great to discover things afresh without either build-up or disappointment.
Instant Jasmine
Perhaps it was because I’ve recently visited the shop of L’Artisan Parfumeur that I was tempted to try one of their perfumes. Opening the bottle of La Chasse I got an immediate whiff of perfect jasmine – in a way that was completely lacking from Jasmin 17. I swiftly applied a big fat test amount. Instant heaven.
Picture Perfect
What I like about La Chasse is that it’s pretty in a way that very few other perfumes I’ve tried recently are. It doesn’t have notes of amber, aldehyde, musk or anything else that I can think of. It just smells like picture perfect flowers in a summer garden. And what’s more- it has staying power. I can still smell it after applying it more than four hours ago – which, for me is a breakthrough.
White Flower Medley
To get back to my initial point, I’ve read a lot about ‘white flowers’ in perfume. Things like, ‘an orchestra of white flowers’, ‘a perfect mix of white flowers’ etc etc. And I’ve never understood this phrase. Well, now I understand. La Chasse aux Papillons has white flowers including jasmine and orange blossom as key notes.
The Description from L’Artisan Parfumeur’s website:
Linden and citrus blossom - the whole summer medley of aromas are at the heart of “Chasing Butterflies”… A scent playing hide-and- seek amongst the orange and lemon trees. A siesta beneath the old lime tree… Butterflies dancing in an airborne fairy ring, fragrances of summer blossoms, of sweet and delicate tuberoses, wafting through their tiny shivering wings… Such are the scents caught with the butterfly net.
“Chasing Butterflies”... A fragrance drifting on a summer breeze, sunny heat over southern scents. The fragrance of sun-kissed skin - just simply that. To make summer last a little longer!
“Chasing Butterflies”... A fragrance drifting on a summer breeze, sunny heat over southern scents. The fragrance of sun-kissed skin - just simply that. To make summer last a little longer!
Family : floral fresh
Blend : linden flower, light tuberose, orange blossom
Blend : linden flower, light tuberose, orange blossom
Hmm interestingly not even a mention of jasmine. However, tuberose is mentioned (which I can’t stand). Just goes to show that you have to smell a fragrance before judging whether you will like it or not.
La Chasse aux Papillons is perfect if you want to feel pretty, uncomplicated and just lovely. For a more sexy, evening jasmine fragrance, you may want to try Jasmin Noir
9 Lovely comments:
It's great to have a Eureka moment. Something similar happened to me the other day when I tried L'Artisan Tubereuse and discovered what I think is how tuberose really smells like (and fell in love with it). But what I wanted to say is that you say you smell jasmine and it's not listed but tuberose is, I tend to somehow get lost when smelling them both and not be sure at first what it is, even though by themself they are quite distinct.
I really, really wanted to love La Chasse... alas, I don't. The first 15-20 minutes are absolutely gorgeous, summery, juicy delight. Unfortunately, then it degenerates into bathroom cleaner on my skin.
And I don't smell much tuberose in La Chasse, either, tubey fiend that I am! There's a lot of linden (lime blossom) and orange blossom, but the tuberose is quite faint.
Sooo glad you found a white floral to love.
Hi Ines and Mals 86. I was reall gutted when i went to bed last night and read Luca Turin's review of La Chasse. He's very negative about white flower perfumes in general. I can't remember his exact wordking - but he said something like prim and school-teacherly! Anyway - you like what you like, no point being worried by what the critics say.
I'm so not a light/fresh perfume person, BUT this one I cannot stay away from!
I *totally* agree that LCAP is pretty-- that is the perfect word for it. Jasmine, tuberose, I dunno. Indolic, to be sure, but so light and not sticky sweet. I'm like Bloody Frida-- I tend to like the dark side of scent, but this one is a fun, fresh scent, to be sure.
Hi Bloody Friday and LCN.
The sales of LCAP are suddenly going to shoot through the roof. Maybe it's also one of those fragrances that's great for a cold long winter. It totally gets you through the dreary days by remiding you of the summer ahead.
LCN - I still don't know what indolic means. I even tried looking it up yesterday, but couldn't find an answer. Does it mean 'heady'?
Generally I'm eager to share my opinion about
most things. When it comes to La Chasse aux Papillon I've been at a loss. I've been wearing it for the past week to reacquaint myself with it. I love the tartness of the orange blossom mingling with the prettiness of the jasmine. It's very touching. I beleive I've been at a loss for an opinion because I'm wanting with LCaP. I want something to sink my nostrils into. I get a lofty airy feeling and I'm waiting for a substainative base note to hold me.
So, initially it's ravishingly pretty. I just need something to hold up the pretty or for something the pretty can land on.
I'm going off what Chandler Burr wrote about in "The Perfect Scent": Indoles are molecules that naturally occur in a bunch of things (including rotten meat!!!!) and give certain flowers their heady, cloying quality. I smell indoles most/best (in descending order) in tuberose, gardenia, lily/lily of the valley, jasmine, lilac, orange blossom. It's a tricky property, to be sure.
Thanks LCN - I think I have a vague idea of that now - need to go away and practice sniffing some indolic things to get a better idea.
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