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TBF Project:Blog
Posted by Dain, Sunday, July 17, 2005 2:19 PM (Eastern)
Some fragrances take a while to get to know—e.g. Caron Parfum Sacré (I remained uncertain until I realized it was meant to be applied sparingly). Most others smell ok, pretty, nice, alright... but nothing extraordinary. And some—the rarest of them all—smell glorious from first sniff. Everything about Cristobal is "right", from the beautiful bottle, the price, the name (the exquisite couterier, Cristobal Balenciaga), and, of course, the scent itself. I'm a little surprised, to be honest. Had you laid out a description of notes before me, I'd have said, "Absolutely not." I don't like transparent fruity-florals, à la Escada. But then, none of the fragrances I truly love, the ones that occupy a permanent position in my collection, were obvious choices. At the urging of one who also loves Givenchy Organza Indécence, I was more than willing to try it.
It was a surprising mélange of notes to my inexperienced nose, when I first tried it. It smells... wholeheartedly delicious. A mouthwatering confection, though it is more floral than gourmand. And totally unique.
It begins with a sort of lemon sugar note, all the tangy citrus of lemon, but no sour sharp bite. Then freesia lifts it from candyland, makes it ethereal, and something tropical enters in, a pineapple note. Then it moves into a peony heart, which is usually the classic floral for prettiness without mystery, and yet there's a very interesting interplay with notes of green figs and plums, honeyed o'er. As it dries down, there's orris and musk, with a little rose singing in the background, with vanilla, sandalwood, and amber following up. And it's important to say... this doesn't smell like a progression of notes appearing and then disappearing... the lower notes unfold just as in any other perfume, but the top notes remain and somehow accommodate the latecomers... it's just extremely well-balanced, albeit sweet and sugary and fruit-laced (if you're against such things...).
It's not dark, there's something lighthearted, verging on tropical, just enough to make it festive, but not enough to turn me off. It has more complexity than that, more sophistication, but relaxed. I think a lovely French woman, normally very proper and serious, on vacation in Italy. She normally wears YSL, but she's on vacation, so it's Derek Lam and a judicious dash of Chloé. Perhaps I say Italy because Dolce & Gabbana Sicily smells of lemons, so by olfactory association... though for my money, I'd suggest Annick Goutal Eau d'Hadrien if you're in the mood for lemons. Otherwise, Cristobal is more Tahiti than Naples. A wedding in Tahiti, no less.
Image courtesy http://perso.wanadoo.fr/imagesdeparfums/.
Labels: balenciaga, beauty notes
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