Oriza logo. Source: the Oriza L. Legrand website.
An ancient perfume house whose fragrances have been brought back to life like Sleeping Beauty awakened with a kiss. Oriza L. Legrand (hereinafter just “Oriza”) is not a well-known house, but its perfumes have a unique character that is redolent of the past and the classic French tradition. Yesterday, I provided an overview of the brand, its history and how its fragrances have been tweaked from the 1900s to suit today’s tastes. Today, I’d like to briefly review three Oriza perfumes: Chypre Mousse, Horizon, and Reve d’Ossian. The remaining four, primarily floral fragrances — Relique d’Amour, Jardins d’Armide, Oeillet Louis XV, and Deja Le Printemps — are the focus of another post.
Chypre Mousse. Source: Oriza L. Legrand.
Oriza describes Chypre Mousse (at the link imbedded above in the title) as the essence of nature in autumnal woods:
After the first rainfall in September nature exude scents of humus, peat and wetland. [¶] This is the time for a promenade in the woods to enjoy the freshness after the heat of summer. [¶] Autumn encourages us to contemplate, to observate nature that gently prepares us for the coming winter and its frostbite.
The mossy paths, precious jewels of the undergrowth, are brightened by the last rays of sun. [¶] Cyprus-Moss evokes in us our surrounding nature which soon will be covered by the first fall of snow. [¶] Smell of damp undergrowth of scorched leaves and the scent of moss before picking mushrooms and chestnuts.
Chypre-Mousse, a Fragrance of the House Oriza L. Legrand launched in 1914 for the dandies of this world!
Top Notes[:] tonic & balsamic: Wild mint, clary sage, wild fennel & green shoots.
Heart notes[:] aromatic & flowing properties: Oakmoss, Galbanum, Angelica, fern, wild clover, Mastic & Violet leaves.
Backgrounds[:] Notes mossy & leathery: Vetiver, Pine Needles, Oak Moss, Mushroom fresh Humus, Roasted Chestnut Leather, labdanum & Balms.Source: it.forwallpaper.com
As outlined in my earlier post on Oriza, I went to the boutique with the goal of sniffing and possibly buying a very different perfume, Horizon. I’m generally not one who buys a perfume without testing, especially given my crazy skin and how voracious it is. So, I sprayed both fragrances on my skin and on the sweater that I was wearing, walked out of the store to think about it, and headed on my way to Serge Lutens to buy my precious bell-jar. I went four blocks, sniffing myself throughout, then stopped dead in my tracks, and headed back. I had to have Chypre Mousse, then and there, without further testing. Suffice it to say, that is extremely unusual for me.
Source: photocase.com
I’m not sure how to best describe Chypre Mousse. It’s not the typical oakmoss fragrance; it has neither the dark grey, mineralized, dusty fustiness of some oakmoss fragrances, nor the bright green, softly plush, fresh mossy feel of others. To me, it smells like the damp forest floor, wet leaves, dewy violets, earthy mushrooms, drenched forests, and a symphony of green, brown, grey, and purple. Again and again, I go back to Oriza’s description of “green shoots,” because there is something of youthful life that is pushing through the wet floor of a verdant forest.
Source: Cottage Environmentalist blog at fifthlake.wordpress.com
Chypre Mousse opens with a pungent but sweet oakmoss that feels as though it’s sprouted right off the bark of a tree deluged by rain. There is a dark leather underlying it, covered in resinous, piney tree sap, swirled with darkened mosses, and speckled with reddish mushrooms. The strip of leather lies atop a mound of leaves whose autumnal oranges and browns have turned darker with dampness and water. All around are bunches of fresh violets, pushing out through the soil, past the green shoots, and in the wet space left untouched by the gnarled, woody roots of surrounding pine trees. The dewy, sweet purple flowers form a bright spot of colour in the dark, green forest.
Source: 123rf.com
The leather, wood, mushrooms, wet leaves, violets, grass, and moss are backed by traces of other notes. The sweetest black earth, the freshest of green herbs, the stoniest of grey boulders, the darkest of tree sap, and just the subtlest hint of smoky incense. The forest has come alive in a symphony that is leafy, earthy, green, woody version of Serge Lutens‘ delicate floral masterpiece, De Profundis. There is the same sort of haunting delicacy, of dewy wetness, of youthful life. The two perfumes are fundamentally different in notes, but they share a very similar feel. And, oddly, there is something of a chrysanthemum undertone in Chypre Mousse. Perhaps it’s the slightly piquant, peppered, floral greenness created by the other accords together that creates that strange impression. Whatever the cause, Chypre Mousse has the same haunting, evocative impact on me.
The most interesting aspect of Chypre Mousse may be the more unexpected notes. I have no idea what the “hummus” reference in Oriza’s list means, but the mushroom-y touch is fascinating. So is the combination of that leather note which has somehow been transformed by the other elements into something familiar, and yet not. This is leather that has been left out in the rain to have Nature and the forest absorb it, transforming it into something that is more a part of their world.
Source: modavesen.com
Yet, what I consistently found myself thinking about were the violets or pansies, whose tender refrain wraps its ribbons around you. The funny thing is, I never knew Chypre Mousse included them in my four or five early wearings, and I thought I was quite mad for detecting their delicate, purple hues in a scent intended to be a mossy, mushroom, earthy, forest one. In fact, long before I actually looked at Oriza’s list of notes, I sprayed Chypre Mousse on four people, and asked if they could detect violets. They merely scrunched up their eyes, responding with some form of dubious: “I guess.”
For them, Chypre Mousse was something indescribable, inexplicable, odd, but utterly mesmerizing. A swirl of unusual notes in a well-blended, seamless, elegant bouquet that they couldn’t place or categorize. One Paris fashionista who tested it took a single sniff of her arm, and immediately said, “I’ve never smelled anything like it. Where can I buy it?!” She couldn’t describe it, and neither could two others. A fourth tester was an experienced perfumista, and just looked at me with bewilderment. “What is this??!” Her initial response was uncertainty, but every passing minute changed that. She loved how she couldn’t put her finger on the scent or what lay underneath it. Even more so, she was astounded by the trails of aroma that followed in the air around her. As someone whose skin squashes both projection and longevity, she couldn’t get over it.
Source: wallpaperup.com
That brings me to Chypre Mousse’s sillage and longevity. It’s outstanding, even on my crazy, perfume-consuming skin. Two small sprays will create a large cloud all around me for the first hour, followed later by projection that extends about six inches. Later, when the sillage drops around the end of the third hour, Chypre Mousse continues to send out ribbons of scent in the air around you. And it lasts for ages. On average, I get around 10 hours with two small sprays, and well over 12 hours with more.
There are no entries for Chypre Mousse on Fragrantica thus far, but Ida Meister wrote a piece entitled Fragrant Snippets on a few of the Oriza scents. Like me, she was knocked off her feet by Chypre Mousse, and ordered a bottle right away. Her summation for the scent reads as follows:
It is Confession Time. I didn’t want to wait for another week: I ordered this edp PRONTO. 😉
Chypre-Mousse sings to me. All that lurks in the forest, humid and expectant after the first September rains. The exquisite aromas of the undergrowth; peat, mushrooms, humus. Moss and more moss; sheer delight for me, who craves that velvety green aromatic cushion beneath the nose, the feet, my fingers! A carpet of russet leaves underfoot, the seductive aroma of grilled chestnuts around the corner. Oriza may have had dandies in mind for Chypre-Mousse, but it is my ongoing intoxicating love affair with all things Green. I will wear my velvet cloak of chypre gratefully.
Chypre Mousse sings to me as well. I think it is an absolute masterpiece. To me, it doesn’t smell old-fashioned or dated for one simple reason: I’ve never smelled anything quite like it. From any age.
Horizon. Source: Oriza L. Legrand.
Horizon was originally released in 1925, and Oriza describes the fragrance as the embodiment of its decade:
After World War I, the Roaring Twenties reflect the desire of the exotic and the need also through fashion and decoration. [¶] The East and particularly Asia, provide new HORIZONS. [¶] The frenzy for exotic travel and encourages artists to transcend the culture of the East in their creations: new silk, fine embroidery, pearl beads, woody scents, heady and sweet …
In the euphoria of the Roaring Twenties, the female body is revealed, it abolished the corset, the flappers open the eyes and smoking languidly.
Slumming it in the salons of Paris!
The materials, colors, shapes symbolize a new freedom and portend, at the dawn of the Roaring Twenties, the hope of a new HORIZON. [¶][…] [An] Oriental fragrance for boys and tomboys, fragrance of Precious Woods and Ambergris agreements Tabac Blond and Soft Leather.
Top Notes: Bitter orange, Tangerine Confit & Dried Rose.
Heart Notes: Cognac Amber, Aromatic Tobacco Leaves, Cocoa, Roasted Almonds, Old Oak & Patchouli.
Base Notes: Benzoin, Amber Gray [ambergris], Peat, Tabac Blond, Vanilla, Honey & Soft Leather.
Source: dailymail.co.uk
Horizon called its siren cry to me the minute I read that long list of notes. Bitter orange and cognac? Patchouli and leather? Ambergris and tobacco? I was almost certain I would buy it, though things ended up differently when I smelled Chypre Mousse. But it was a very close thing. Horizon bloomed on my thin sweater with an explosion of Armagnac that was rich, nutty, and boozy beyond belief. I felt as though I’d actually had a bottle of aged brandy poured on me. Tendrils of smoke, patchouli, amber, and tobacco stirred underneath, but the main bouquet was a forceful explosion of booze in a kaleidoscope of reds, browns, amber, and gold.
It’s a different matter on skin. Very different, in fact, and significantly softer. I have to say that I’m glad I didn’t end up purchasing Horizon in the end for the simple reason that my skin seems to eat it up like a wolf who hasn’t seen food in weeks. I also can’t decide if Horizon is less complex on actual skin, or simply so much milder that all its layers aren’t as easy to detect. Whatever the case, Horizon is, for the most part, primarily just a boozy, cognac patchouli on me. You can definitely detect the other notes if you sniff closely and pay close attention, but, from afar, it is primarily a very soft patchouli cloud. I much prefer the deeper, more potent, robust version on fabric, alas.
Source: wallpaperswa.com
On skin, smelled up close, Horizon opens with leather, patchouli, and cognac, followed by faint hints of bitter dark chocolate that grow stronger with the passing minutes. There are whiffs of caramelized, candied orange and something smoky. This is a true patchouli scent, in all its brown, red, amber glory, smelling spicy, leathered, ambered, and chewy, all at once. Lurking at the edges, there is subtlest hint of something nutty. It never smells almond-y to me, but more like toasted hazelnuts. The whole thing sits atop a base of ambergris that has the element’s special, unique characteristics: a very salty sweetness that is also slightly musky, marshy, sweaty, and rich.
Source: 123rf.com
There is a definite chewiness and earthiness to Horizon’s opening that soon changes into something lighter on my skin. For the first 25 minutes, the perfume is a dark, dense, orange-brown-black mass in visuals, but it turns creamier, smoother, gentler. There are slow stirrings of a very custardy vanilla in the base. At the 45-minute mark, Horizon seems softer and thinner in weight, with sharply reduced sillage, and a movement away from that very dark, leathery, chewy patchouli and leather opening. The orange bits have receded, the boozy cognac has started to evaporate, dark chocolate has turned into milk chocolate, and the patchouli feels infused with cream.
Source: popularscreensavers.com
I’m consistently saddened by how quickly the fragrance becomes airy and light. It sits soft and low, with a scent trail that really only lingers for about 40 minutes before it drops to hover an inch or two above the skin. And then it drops even more. At the end of the second hour and the start of the third, Horizon sits right on the skin as a blur of creamy patchouli amber with the tiniest hints of milk chocolate, vanilla, and cognac. By the 6.5 hour mark, Horizon fades away as a blur of patchouli sweetness. It has to be me and my wonky chemistry, for Horizon feels quite potent and forceful in the first ten minutes. And a mere spray on my shirt continues to pulsate in full force days later.
Those with normal skin seem to have fared much better. Take, for example, Ida Meister whose Fragrantica piece on Horizon talks about the perfume’s longevity, along with how beautiful and modern it felt:
1925. Really???
Horizon smells utterly contemporary—it brings to mind Bois 1920’s Real Patchouly and Chantecaille’s Kalimantan. Truly well-aged patchouli is a joy, even for many who are phobic about it, having been previously traumatized by the cheap 1960-1970’s “head shop” astringent nostril-singeing variety. 😉 Horizon is as suave as it gets: ambery, boozy, honeyed and oaken. It feels utterly without gender. Horizon is a resinous silk duvet which enfolds you tenderly and possesses remarkable longevity. You can be a throwback to the Summer of Love or a CEO in an Ermenegildo Zegna couture suit; either way, it fits. It is heavenly in its own right, and a perfect illustration of classicism: if the design is excellent, it will remain so in the future. [It DID.]
On Parfumo, the lone review for Horizon is extremely positive, and talks about 12-14 hours of duration. The chap also mentions that his immediate reaction to testing the scent was “this smells like vintage Yohji Homme.” I may be remembering things incorrectly, but I believe I read somewhere that Yohji Homme was one of Luca Turin‘s favorite fragrances, and something whose loss or changes he’s mourned. Going back to the Profumo review, the commentator describes Horizon’s development, in part, as follows:
Horizon opens with a quick dash of almond before a slight powdery cocoa note emerges, mingling with a subtle dark dulled rose. As the fragrance enters the early heart the cocoa turns less powdery, blooming to full milk chocolate, as it mixes with the primary heart accord of boozy cognac and benzoin-laced semi-sweet amber. Natural woods and a touch of underlying anise join the remnants of the dull rose in support. As the fragrance enters the late dry-down, the cognac and dull rose dissipate while the relatively sweet amber remains dominant, now joined by traces of sanitized patchouli and suede-like leather. Projection is average and longevity is excellent to outstanding at 12-14 hours on skin.
You have no idea how utterly envious I am of such longevity. I loved the opening minutes of Horizon on me and, even more, the complete cognac-fest that exploded on my clothing. On the basis of smell alone, Horizon’s initial bouquet is extremely close to the ideal patchouli that I’ve been looking for since my old favorite from the 1980s, even if the subsequent development became very different. Alas, Horizon doesn’t ultimately work for me, but I’m sure that you will have better luck. It’s a lovely fragrance.
Reve d’Ossian label. Source: Oriza L. Legrand.
The romantic, 19th-century poetic style of Ossianism with its poems of fairies, dark forests and mysterious wood are the heart of the inspiration for Reve d’Ossian. Oriza’s detailed explanation on the fragrance and its backstory reads, in part:
Reve d’Ossian bottle. Source: Oriza L. Legrand website.
The [Ossian-style] poems achieved international success (Napoléon Bonaparte was a great fan) and many writers, painters and artists were influenced by the works, including Ingres, Schubert and Oriza L. Legrand Perfumes. […]
“Rêve d’Ossian” is a perfect perfume for those who claim a difference and the rich heritage of the History. Dark and precious essences, wooden notes filled with the mystery of the forest with fairies and pixies…
Top Notes: Frankincense and Pine woods.
Heart Notes: Cinnamon, Benzoin, Tonka Bean and Opopanax [sweet myrrh].
Base Notes: Tolu Balm, Sandalwood, Leather, Labdanum, Amber and Musks.
Source: www.sciencedaily.com
Reve d’Ossian opens on my skin with sharp black pepper, myrrh’s white incense, warmly sweet cinnamon, aromatic pine needles, and dust. It’s like an old monastery’s library in the middle of some German forest. For me, the dominance of the dust and incense makes the opening share some thematic similarities to Bertrand Duchaufour‘s Dzonghka for L’Artisan Parfumeur and, to a lesser extent, Heeley‘s Cardinal. I’m not generally a huge fan of High Church fragrances with olibanum or myrrh, and even less so for things with great dustiness, so I’m rather pleased when the latter quickly disappears. Less than five minutes into Reve d’Ossian’s development, it vanishes, a small soapiness takes its place, and the whole thing turns more ambered.
Quickly, Reve d’Ossian turns into a warmer, woodier fragrance with flitting bits of green pine needles that feel as though you’ve crushed them on your walk through the forest and on your way to church. There is a dark resinous feel underlying the white incense smoke, a pungently aromatic overtone reminiscent of a wintery forest, and the feel of crisp, sweet, piney sap. Less than 60 minutes in, Reve d’Ossian turns soft, a hazy blur of the two types of myrrh incense — olibanum and opoponax — with a touch of amber and only a hint of the great, green, woody outdoors.
Source: de.123rf.com
At the 2.5 hour mark, the focus of the perfume shifts away from the incense. Reve d’Ossian is now largely an amber scent infused with nutty, warm, soft sweetness of myrrh and a hint of olibanum’s soapy whiteness. It lies right on the skin with extremely weak sillage. The fragrance turns into more of a blur, and, at the start of the 6th hour, all traces of amber and sweet myrrh opoponax fade away. In fairness to Oriza, a greater application (around 4 sprays from the atomizer) yielded far better results, just close to 7.5 hours. The sillage, however, remained moderate to soft.
Reve d’Ossian is one of the few Oriza fragrances to have a Fragrantica entry. With regard to longevity and projection, the majority of the votes put it at “moderate,” though a few also vote for “weak” in each category. The few reviews thus far are all positive in nature with the most detailed, descriptive one stating:
It’s quite close to a balsamic Baghari by Piguet.
A surprising opening, aerial and metallic (aldehydes and terpineols?) notes of pine, old wood and foam on wet stone but it’s warming gently, blowing a strange impulse to this myrrh fragrance. The smell of warm lightly ambered paper, dry almost dusty leather binder. An impression of moor in the autumn.
It is so at odds with our modern conception of the perfume he could be the last release of Comme Des Garçons: Odeur 1900, without changing anything.
Truly a beautiful work of resurrection of the house, all these completely forgotten fragrances are high quality, both modern in their treatment and completely faithful to the spirit of time: a real success.
I haven’t tried Piguet‘s Baghari or the Comme de Garcons‘ scent to be able to compare, but I do agree with much of his description, especially the parts about a dusty leather binder and the dominant role of the myrrh. I also agree that it has a high-quality smell. That said, I think Reve d’Ossian has some problems with it: it has a linear aspect, it’s not enormously complex, and it has sillage issues.
Nonetheless, I liked it, even though it’s not the sort of scent I normally go for, and I thought it was done with a lot of graceful elegance. There was something very appealing about Reve d’Ossian, very softly comforting in its amber heart. I actually don’t think it smells very dated at all, and it’s hard to believe that it was originally created in 1905, more than 107 years ago. When you think of how many scents from the early 1900s were floral orientals or chypres like Mitsouko, while today niche fragrance counters abound with a plethora of “churchy” incense, amber scents, it seems clear that Oriza L. Legrand was far ahead of its time.
Next time, we’ll visit the remaining four creations of Oriza L. Legrand which are largely floral fragrances that are centered around carnation, lily, and assorted spring bouquets.
You left me in the forest with Chypre Mousse, I wish I had some here as it looks like the perfect day for wearing it. Such a picture you paint my dear. I’m going to have to do some exploring on this!
I don’t know what you would think of the line as a whole, because some of the florals can be very old-fashioned in feel. But I think Chypre Mousse would intrigue you. It’s not a usual oakmoss or chypre by any means!
Chypre Mousse is so phenomenal. The sillage and longevity are absolutely out of this world. That alone would be enough to make it me like it, but the scent itself is really quite unique and beautiful. The parallels to De Profundis (which I absolutely love and adore) are strong. As you mentioned, it’s not that the scents are remotely similar, but they really *do* evoke similar emotions and feelings for me. Honestly, this and a De Profundis belll jar are the two I most want to buy. Christmas is around the corner, after all.
As for Horizon, it is very nice, but it doesn’t have nearly the same longevity or potency as Chypre Mousse.
Lastly, I tried Reve d’Ossian last night and I’m afraid it didn’t work for me. I found something vaguely off-putting about it. I tried it before bed, though, so I only had about 2 hours with it before I fell asleep. I will try it again during the day and I reserve the right to change my opinion about it. But Chypre Mousse is far and away my favorite of the 3, followed by Horizon, and in a distant 3rd, Reve d’Ossian. But I am eager to try the rest of my sample set from this line!
Oh, I’m so thrilled you love Chypre Mousse as much as I do! As for Reve d’Ossian, I think the note you find off-putting is the very High Church, white incense myrrh. That and the dustiness. Myrrh or olibanum isn’t always cold and churchy like this (sometimes, it can smell of anise), but I know you struggled with Cardinal from Heeley, and that has very much the same type of cold, dusty incense as this. Here, however, and on me at least, it warms up because of the amber and the sweet myrrh (Opoponax, which smells different). But if you don’t like myrrh, it may not be change enough for you.
You know, after giving a few more tests to Relique d’Amour, that may actually replace Reve d’Ossian as my 3rd favorite. But it too has myrrh. And its opening 10 minutes are a bit tough due to that dusty, cold, Church feel.
I’m thrilled I loved it that much too! You have no idea (actually, you probably have a VERY good idea!) how annoying it is to try perfume after perfume that isn’t moving whatsoever! Maybe you’re right and the Myrrh is the troublesome note. I always thought I liked it, but I’m not sure I have a great understanding of what it smells like. Or perhaps, as you mention, the issue comes with the variation. I’ll try Relique d’Amour when I get home. 🙂
Oh Kakfa–your review of Chypre Mousse is a MASTERPIECE. I particularly loved this description:
“This is leather that has been left out in the rain to have Nature and the forest absorb it, transforming it into something that is more a part of their world.”
I am a moss fiend, and this sounds like exactly the sort of leather accord I would like. the opposite of the polished, ultra-glam Cuir de Russie.
I’m going to have to sample this one!
Aww, thank you for the compliment. I struggled with trying to describe Chypre Mousse, because, honestly, I doubt any of my descriptors can really capture its totally unique feel. It’s too, too different, and its unusual smell is so elusive in terms of normal comparisons that it’s hard to pigeon-hole. I actually am not sure that the term “chypre” really fits, because this is not a traditional chypre by any means. It’s more of a woody, forest scent that simply happens to have a lot of (very unusual) moss in it. But the usual structure of a bergamot/citric opening, followed by florals with oakmoss? No. I can’t believe this was originally created over 100 years ago. It is insanely inventive and creative!
As for the leather, no worries on that note as this is a totally different sort. If anything, it’s more like a leather by-product from the dark resins, than the sort of note you’d get in actual leather perfumes. And it couldn’t be further from Cuir de Russie. Night and day apart!
Oh, Kafka, you’ve gotten me again! I’ve been searching for just this perfume in the last few months, trying everything from Tauer’s Pentachord Verdant to dozens of modern chypres, to no avail. Not to say that I don’t have chypres that I love, I do, especially Jubilation 25, DSH’s Mirabella, and even vintage Mitsouko… but I’ve been searching for something damp and green and velvet mossy just like this!
I’m so angry at IFRA for their stance on oakmoss, as it’s one of my absolute favorite notes, and haunting chypres vie with lush orientals for my favorite perfumes… and I just don’t think you can have a proper chypre with just patchouli and no moss in the base. ~makes stubborn perfumista face~
But never mind that, right now I’m just absolutely thrilled about this post! You have such a phenomenal skill for describing sensory perceptions, I hope that you will someday write a novel of some kind…. I would read it just for the descriptions, regardless of subject!
Awww, you’re going to make me sniffle! Thank you, sweetpea. I’m very touched by your incredibly kind words. As for Chypre Mousse, I think you’d find the leafy, mushroomy, velvety, earthy parts to be your favorite. It’s certainly not a traditional “chypre” by any means because it has barely any florals to its base. Just that elusive violet note. But real florals as in Mitsouko, Jubilation 25, or any other chypre? Not even remotely! It’s really …. otherworldly in a way. A “homage to life” is what Undina said about De Profundis, and this feels like the earthy, forest, damp, leafy version of that!
Oh, you’re just getting me more and more excited! My bottle shipped from France this morning!
I very much like otherworldly, and while I definitely love flowers, I was specifically looking for something without much in the way of flowers right now, so I think it shall be perfect!
You ordered a bottle??! BLINDLY???!!! *faints* I don’t know whether to applaud you, bow down in awe, hug you, or check for a fevered temperature! LOL. The only thing making me hesitate in jumping up and down wildly is that you sometimes get allergic reaction to things, and it’s never clear what may trigger it. That said, I have absolute certainty that Chypre Mousse is YOU in a bottle — perhaps more you than anyone else on the planet given your particular life — so I’m trying to block out that remote, faint possibility of it causing one of your histamine reactions.
Oh God, I’m so excited for you to smell it! So excited, I could do a little Irish jig around my desk! 😉 😀
Well, not blindly, silly, with YOUR guidance 😉
Yeah, I do worry about the histamine thing too, but very often the perfumes that cause me grief seem to also give you a headache or that burning sinuses thing, or at least cause you to comment about the chemical smell.
I’m sooooo very excited about it,and I never even would have heard of it without you, even after long hours of researching chypres and green perfumes, and even MORE hours of a wrinkled nose and pained look when trying out failed prospects lol. You’re quite restrained with your personal recommendations, so your comment on fb really cemented it for me, I very much trust your instincts and understandings on this sort of thing.
At the very worst, I can pass it on to you, you’re so very fun to give gifts to!
You’re such a sweetheart, Cacomixtle! That is really all there is to say! *very deep, big hug*
Oh my god, Kafka, my Chypre Mousse came today and it’s so beautiful it’s making me cry. It’s the most perfume (for me) ever. I am absolutely in love, I have no idea how they made it smell like this, and otherworldly and haunting is such a perfect description of it…. I definitely smell the violet flowers too, and they’re my favorite sort (some violets smell like bathroom cleaner to me, meh) and so well melded with the velvet green. I swear I can actually smell ferns, and I do actually know what many ferns smell like!
The mushrooms (I’m assuming they used some kind of octanol-3 synthetic or natural isolate) is so very well done and multi-faceted without turning the perfume into mushroom soup (too easy to do with that particular molecule!), and good lord, this is well done! I totally get what you mean about the Lutenesque/De Profundis feel too…
I’m so incredibly grateful to you, dear Kafka! And it’s sort of amazing you can know me so well from afar…
I’ve read this comment three times, just from pure happiness. I’m so, so glad, Cacomixtle. SO GLAD!!! I told you how sure I was that Chypre Mousse was you in a bottle, but one always has a lingering, nagging worry and fear. I tend to second-guess myself because skin chemistry is always a wonky, deeply personal, subjective thing, and we all interpret notes different. But it seems that Chypre Mousse was the same way on you that it is on me! (And, hurrah, you had no allergic histamine reaction!!)
The fact that Chypre Mousse is making you cry with its beauty is the one time I don’t mind if you cry. And the fact that you too find it otherworldly and haunting…. well, it’s just made my day. It really has. So, part of that mysterious greenness is actually the real smell of ferns??!! Really?! How fascinating. As for the mushrooms, it’s so odd how they’re not really earthy like truffles, but not sweet or thick like cooked mushrooms. They’re almost not my mushrooms at all, in a way. I couldn’t even begin to really describe their smell here.
It’s funny, for all that Chypre Mousse is described as a “chypre,” it really isn’t one by all conventional, standard models, is it? I mean, that velvet greenness doesn’t smell like any usual oakmoss base, there is none of the bergamot opening, the florals don’t really take the perfume’s center (though, YAY, you detected violets too!!!), and there is nothing in the perfume that resembles a chypre like Femme, Jubilation 25, Mitsouko, etc. It’s just….. like nothing else. And for all your description, for all my description, I don’t think either one of us has actually really conveyed what it’s like. I don’t think we really could. It’s so….. different.
It’s true, it’s not a typical chypre at all, despite having most of the correct elements to be one…. and I adore chypres of all sorts (except maybe the really clean, sharp, citrusy ones), but this is something else entirely.
To me, the mushrooms are similar to freshly picked Porcini in scent. Salty, smooth, and slightly sweet… they make a cepes absolute as well, but it’s sort of like dirty soy sauce (which sounds horrible, but can be used to great effect) and very intense, this smells much like an Octanol-3 isolate that seems to create a more rounded, fresh scent.
I sprayed on Chypre Mousse later yesterday afternoon, had a bath last night, and still woke early this morning to smell the last remnants of oakmoss on my skin. And I was quite shocked that I seemed to be smelling real, true oakmoss, and a very fine grade of it at that. And yes, so well blended to be so smooth and nuanced and not fusty or abrasive at all.
It smells so very true to humus, to organic matter breaking down into soil on the forest floor while ferns unfurl and leaves push their way to the surface and mushrooms sprout from decaying wood after an autumn rain, and those violets! But with an added element of something very haunting and other and achingly beautiful. This perfume seems to fallen out of some Scandinavian fairy tale…. of the beautiful huldra with their tree bark backs and fox tails deep in the old forests. I’m so very enchanted by it, I never quite imagined a perfume could be like this. It needs a soundtrack and a landscape all it’s own…
Such a find, Kafka, and you’re so brilliant for recognizing it so quickly! And I think you described it very well indeed, especially with your comparing it to De Profundis and emphasizing the haunting and otherworldly aspects of the fragrance, while still detailing all the greenness.
I’ve learnt so much from this and from you, sweetpea. First off, I had absolutely no idea that “humus” was a thing, that it pertained to organic matter breaking down, and soil debris. I looked it up on Wikipedia after reading this, fascinating. All this time, I’d been utterly bewildered because the only “humus” I knew was “Hummus,” the Middle Eastern food. It can sometimes be spelled as “humus” with one “m,” but I think Oriza uses the spelling of the food, so I was just SOOOOOOOOOO confused. Chickpeas? Mushroom chickpeas? Whaaaa??? lol. Thank you for making it all clear now, and for increasing my education! It actually all makes sense now! 😀
Do you get that oddly leathered undertone to the fragrance? That sort of leather left out in the rain for plants to grown on and turn into their own thing?
Re. the longevity, it’s enormous, isn’t it? My mother whose skin eats everything, both in terms of sillage and duration, was stunned by Chypre Mousse. And a male friend with huge sillage problems compared Chypre Mousse to some sort of unicorn, asking if he should buy a lottery ticket since his luck seemed to have suddenly turned! 3 sprays of Chypre Mousse, and you’ll be in a cloud for a few hours, but then have little scent trails following you like a breeze for many, many more. It’s remarkable for a perfume that feels so much like the wind, leaves, and the rain.
“This perfume seems to fallen out of some Scandinavian fairy tale…. of the beautiful huldra with their tree bark backs and fox tails deep in the old forests. I’m so very enchanted by it, I never quite imagined a perfume could be like this. It needs a soundtrack and a landscape all it’s own…” — Heavens, how beautiful! I love that, and it’s so true!
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I think I must have this Chypre Mousse…I love stuff like this and the price seems pretty reasonable for what it is, which would appear to be a well blended, intriguing, unique scent. Not much of a floral person, but not every day can be an amber day. The older and more exploratory I become, the more I gravitate to scents like Trayee, OJ Woman (even w the headache ISO Super in it). In fact, I’m hoping this might be what OJ could be, without the ISO…
I think Chypre Mousse is very different from OJ Woman (even apart from the issue of the dreadful ISO E). The reason is that OJ Woman is very woody, while Chypre Mousse is leafy, earthy, and mushroomy. It’s not peppered or spicy in any way. It’s more…. God, it’s such a hard perfume to describe!! It’s more like nature and the forest floor, rather than the forest itself, if that makes sense. It’s like verdant moss with wet leaves and the sweetest of black soil first thing in the morning, with a hint of violets, the strangeness of mushrooms, and then leafy leather.
It’s hopeless, I really can’t convey the differences at all. LOL. Chypre Mousse = the one fragrance whose core stumps me.
I think the difference you conveyed is spot on!
Ha, I’m glad, but Chypre Mousse is such a hard perfume to describe! 🙂
Very detailed and wonderful review of this ancient perfume house Kafka 😀 , and some of this perfumes truly sound interesting to me, like Requiem d´ Amour, Chypre Mousse and Reve d´ Ossian, particularly these three grabed my interest from the descriptions. I truly hope I can visit this great perfume house in a few days,and hopefully I will find time within my busy sightseeing. It wil probably take a long time before I can use the internet again, since even though the hotel has Internet connection I don´t think I will use it (I will probably be too exhausted) . So see you again in about 15 to 20 days Kafka until then Au Revoir Mon Ami
Have a SUPER, SUPER time, sweetie!! I know it will be a blast, and I’m so excited for you. 🙂 🙂 I can’t wait to hear all your stories when you return. Be very safe, have a smooth journey, take a ton of photos, and see you in 3 weeks! xoxoxox
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Ok, I think something ate my comment. I just ordered the sample set and will report back once I have skin time!
Your comment wasn’t eaten. It was in the other Oriza post, the first one. There are three all in all, so I don’t blame you for getting lost. LOL! 😀
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I have to say I’ve become enamored of Horizon and wore it almost exclusively while on vacation. I love the boozy patchouli scent with a light tobacco overtone and sprayed it on both myself and clothing (only 2 or 3 light sprays from my Oriza sample pack) and I was able to enjoy the scent for 6 or so hours. It wasn’t an instant hit with traveling companions, but Horizon did make me feel as if I was in my personal fragrance bubble. When I place my order I’ll ask yet again (3rd time lucky?) for a sample of Chypre Mousse and perhaps the U.S. Postal service won’t crush the vial as they have on the two previous occasions. 🙂
Are you back? Hurrah!! I wish you’d made it one day earlier to enter the Oriza giveaway, my dear! I hope you had a wonderful time on holiday, Two2aHorse! You were missed.
As for Horizon, I’m glad you found another Oriza favorite? Did it take over 1st place from Relique d’Amour? I’m curious, does it last 6 hours on your skin or only on clothing? On my skin, it wasn’t the monster that you’d think from the opening blast. Also, why did your traveling companions not like it? Not a fan of patchouli? LOL
Dear Kafka, back alive and well in spite of the attempts of some friends to go on hikes up to waterfalls with vertical drops and signs that read: ‘Danger of Death – Fatal Accidents Do occur by falling from this path!”. I’m not sure Horizon has surpassed Relique D’Amour as my favorite, but it certainly moved to the #2 spot (excluding Chypre Moousse which I haven’t tried yet.) Horizon lasted six or more hours but I sprayed it so that it would touch both me and my clothing – as I read your experience with skin only! It really was a nice warm blanket of scent which I throughly enjoyed. My friends thought it was ‘musky’ and said they didn’t dislike it – which is pretty much Scots for ‘what the hell is that?” 🙂 I think you’ve had contact with a friend of a friend who’s a Scottish whisky connoisseur living in Holland? I read your blog religiously, but the internet connection was way too ‘iffy’ on the Isle of Skye to reply or else I would have tried to enter the Oriza contest.
Hello Kafka my Oriza sample set arrived today and I’m wearing Chypre Mousse right now.Such a delicate but at the same time persistent little perfume.When I first sprayed it my initial reaction was of mild disappointment, because it just seemed so gentle and innocuous. But then,few minutes later it just started blooming and gaining intensity and it’s really unique.It is the scent of nature and there’s like a million nuances to it. Like droplets of water that reflect light in such infinitely delicate and complex irridiscent colors.It is beautifully weaved,like the finest silk.It’s mood is of calm happiness,of warm serenity,that soothing of ailments of any kind that you feel when you walk through a forest.I’m enchanted!
Oh, HURRAH!!!!!!!!!! I’m utterly and completely thrilled that you love it. And comparing it to the rain or droplets of water in nature is beautiful. An exquisite description, especially with the part about calm happiness. Ana, I’m truly happy. I was having a bad day and this put me in the best mood. Thank you so much for letting me know. It’s pretty unique, isn’t it?
I’m truly glad this improved your mood and I’m sorry for the shitty day.I’m not having the best time either.My partner is away for a few weeks and I miss him terribly.I’m trying to use my time constructively while I’m on my own and do some studying for an exam I want to pass in December. But it’s not working too well,I can’t mobilize myself to focus completely on it and as a result I feel guilty as hell.But I’m so tired in the evenings after work that last thing I want is to bury my head in accountancy books.I most certainly prefer perfume blogs.And while I’m at it I might as well let you know that my Tauer Explorer set arrived as well,and PHI is beautiful but on me there is very little sweetness. Red velvety rose and emerald greenery. It’s very elegant,majestic even. Makes me straighten my back and wear my camel coat as if it were an ermine cape.So I’m happy with it.Didn’t have anything so queenly.And Andy was very generous sent me samples of Une Rose Chypree,Incense Rose and Noontide Petals.I had a sample of URC,so I know that one but the other two are going to be new discoveries.
Awww, that’s very tough. I know the sort of inner turmoil you’re describing, where one feels constantly guilty about feeling one should be doing something despite physical fatigue. The guilt is even more tiring and draining! I hope that the perfumes can add a little boost and lift. Re. Andy Tauer’s PHI, did you want more sweetness or are you happy that it is the way it is? Did you get a lot of apricot?
Yes you nailed it,it’s exactly how I feel!Re PHI I would’ve liked a bit more sweetness and apricot is barely perceptible on me(I was really hoping to get a big luscious jammy thing going on)but as I said it is beautiful as is and I have no regrets.And I need more time with it as well,I’ve only worn it once so far.
I got my Oriza sample set and immediately picked out Chypre Mousse to try first, which I did today. Oh my word! It’s green all right, and mushroomy and mossy and minty; I do not detect any flowers at all and I don’t miss them either. It is now hour 8 on 1.5 spritzes and It has no plans of disappearing anytime soon. The only thing that is holding me back from immediately going out to buy a FB is that it leans ethereal masculine my nose. I am not girly-girly feminine with my scents but this crossed my imaginary feminine-masculine FB ownership line.
Horizon is next.
LOL at the “Oh my word!” Heh. 🙂 It’s interesting that it is skewing a little “ethereal masculine” on your skin. Do you suppose it is that leathery note, the one that feels as though moss has taken it over? Or is it more the resins which your skin is amping up or making more powerful? Personally, I hope that you WILL get tempted to go out and buy a FB once you adjust to whatever that note is which crossed your “masculine line.” 🙂 At the very least, it’s all a very unique combination, no? 🙂 Let me know how long it lasts on your glue-skin, my dear!
i just got my sample package (I never win anything and didn’t expect to, so I went with the sample pack). I’ll admit that I was skeptical, but I know now not to doubt your opinions. Chypre Mousse is a really a unique scent. At first I was somewhat over whelmed by the mint which seemed to me to make the scent almost medicinal in the beginning. But then something happened and the mint quieted down and then it became different. I definitely don’t smell mushrooms and I can’t quite describe it, but its woodsy, pond like and damp. So interesting. Thanks Kafka.
I’m so glad you find it to be interesting and unique, Ellen, even if you were a bit disconcerted at first. LOL. It sounds like the mint is seriously intense on your skin, which I find quite fascinating. Is it a good thing or a disappointing bad thing that you can’t smell mushrooms? 😉 lol You’ll have to let me know if you end up with a favorite out of the 7 fragrances. 🙂
Will do. I was disappointed about the mushrooms actually, however, the final drydown was magical.
I just opened the package of samples I ordered from Oriza. This is over and above the decant I won. I just had to try them all. Of course the first thing I sprayed was the Chypre Mousse. Well Damn!!!!!! This is the weirdest, coolest, weirdest perfume I have ever tried. I am only 15 minutes in, but what a remarkable perfume. You absolutely NAILED the description. So so glad I tried this little forest elf of a fragrance.
And this is really strong!!!!!!
I laughed SOOO much at “Well Damn!!!!!! This is the weirdest, coolest, weirdest perfume I have ever tried.” The two (two!) uses of “weirdest”…. hahaha! It is truly unique, isn’t it? Over a 100 years old in formula, and like absolutely nothing else around. It makes me quite awed at what the rest of Oriza’s original line-up must have been like, and that fragrance that won the World Fair!!
As for my description, I’m glad you found it accurate. It was so incredibly hard for me to try to explain Chypre Mousse. I wore it the other day, in fact, and my post lady stopped me and said, “What IS that??!! You smell amazing!” I almost asked her what she thought the fragrance smelled like, but I knew she wouldn’t be able to describe it because very few of us have ever encountered the unusual combination of notes.
BTW, I’m glad to hear that you find it a powerful little forest elf too. Let me know how the sillage and overall longevity is on you once you finish testing it. Oh, one other thing: don’t expect ANY similar sort of strength from the other fragrances in the line. None of them are quite as tenacious or potent as Chypre Mousse, including the gorgeous patchouli Horizon. (Alas. 🙁 )
I did try the Horizon and I thought it was a good chocolate patchouli, but no better than my fave of the same notes, Les Nerides Patchouli Antique. And that, too, does not last long enough. As for the Chypre Mousse, it lasted all day. I must admit, I am a tad wary of really wearing it out into the world, because it is so darn weird, but Monday, when I get back to my regular routine I will put on plenty, take Bella for her walk, then go to the gym where I really discover the true nature of any perfume on my skin. I also need to retry the Relique because that had some moments of interest. The Chypre is such an outstanding elegant oddity, and I look forward to further exploration!
I’m having huge computer problems with a battery/adapter that has suddenly died on me (despite being plugged in), so I’ll just say quickly that I didn’t find Chypre Mousse to be that much of an oddity. It’s certainly different and unique, but, on my skin, it was more ethereal and otherworldly than weird. It has a De Profundis’ feel of nature’s most delicate, greenest essences, but it isn’t actually weird to me. Just unique, fey, and evocative of something out of Shakespeare’s Midsummer’s Night Dream.
Damn, I think my computer is about to go. I fear this is the worst weekend imaginable to try to get a laptop fixed, so if you don’t get any further replies from me, know it’s of computer issues. I can’t really type responses on my phone, though I’ll keep an eye on this thread.
Today, it’s all about Horizon. I wanted to proceed cautiously with this one and managed perhaps 1 spritz. I did not detect ANY of the top notes and went immediately to the ambery cognac, tobacco (dry, not the sweet pipe tobacco), faint chocolate and then all too soon, it quieted down, A LOT, even on me…but then again, it was only one spritz. It is not nearly as interesting as Chypre Mousse and longevity is anemic. Conclusion, if I were to go for a FB, it would be Chypre Mousse but I am not yet convinced I need a FB. I am happy with my sample set size of Horizon. Moving on…
Well! Not even your glue skin can give life or body to Horizon! That proves there isn’t much hope for it, I’m afraid, since your skin keeps everything. The anemic longevity and lack of depth is one reason why I recommended Chypre Mousse over the Horizon. Still, I would be really curious to see if 3 spritzes would give you more of Horizon’s top notes. I didn’t experience a ton of them, but I did experience some.
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Chypre Mousse. What to say about this? When I first sprayed it I thought omg, what is this? It is so odd. And then it becomes so intriguing. And then it becomes just mesmerizing. It is so unique. I blind bought it based on your review Kafka and it was a wise choice. Oriza sent samples of all their other scents and I couldn’t wait to try another so I spritzed some Reve d’Ossian. It’s not what I usually go for either, but it is very well done and I will give it a few more tries. I’m not sure how I could describe Chypre Mousse or who I could recommend it to, but I love it.
You blind bought it?? A full bottle??! Of a fragrance that, in the comments and review, is described as weird, odd, strange, unique, and impossible to describe? A full bottle!! You crazy, crazy guy! I’m enormously impressed by your guts and nerve. I certainly couldn’t do it, especially for a fragrance that is quite so unusual. Crazy guy…. I love it.
I also loved your description of your responses to Chypre Mousse from the starting sniff onwards. Man, how I wish I had been there to witness your face, especially initially! How precisely does it smell on you, more forest floor or more mushroom with green and mint? What does your wife think of it? I’m so happy it worked out for you, Cohibadad. I really don’t think a lot of guys could take Chypre Mousse’s greenness, and I know two who absolutely hated it.
Yeah it sure seems like a scent that many would hate, but I could be wrong. It is forest floor but it seems to waft to mushrooms and back and forth. I didn’t notice any mint but maybe that was in the oddness that I can’t put my finger on. From the first spray I thought, wow, this is like a trip back in time. And I don’t mean back to the 60s. I’m talking early 1900’s. It has an old timey vibe. Like a prehistoric Aromatic Elixir or Aramis 900. I didn’t directly ask my wife what she thought but I think I detected an unpleasant expression on her face. She tries to spare my feelings if she doesn’t like a fragrance. And I probably forgot to mention, but this stuff is powerful. I will try it again and ask her.
The funny thing is that it seems to be primarily men — and American men, at that — who struggle with it. Granted, it’s all a vague impression based on what I’ve read or heard, and not a scientific test, but I think European men are more used to wearing really green scents, hardcore chypres, and fragrances with an old-timey vibe. Women, as a whole, tend to love it regardless of nationality, perhaps because women are more used to chypres in general? Again, all this is merely an impression, and skin chemistry does definitely play a part, as well as one’s overall experience levels. Chypre Mousse certainly requires an experienced palate. lol.
My guess would be exactly like you said about American men vs European men vs women in general. What do American men wear? It all smells the same to me, and nothing like a chypre and certainly worlds away from Chypre Mousse.
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Dearest Kafka. I am directing people to this post as I have a split going for….Chypre Mousse! It’s the first comment on the NST splitmeet post. I’ll put the link here in case some of your readers are interested in participating. The splitmeet will be on through 2/14. Thanks!
http://www.nstperfume.com/2014/02/08/the-splitmeet-episode-1/#comments
Thank you, my dear Hajusuuri. I appreciate it, but I’m also glad that some people will get the chance to try Chypre Mousse. I hope you’re saving a good chunk of the bottle for yourself? 😉 All in all, thank you for letting others know about the scent and for the split opportunity, both here and in terms of NST.
Okay, I’m laughing.
I’m a member of a Facebook perfume-head group, and another member recently split a bottle of Chypre Mousse. I avoided because it didn’t sound like my sort of thing… and now, having read this review, I’m pretty sure I made the right decision for me. Earthy? No thank you. Humus, mushrooms, just no.
None of these three sound like my thing at all, in fact. So, yes, I’m laughing. Betting that I would get on better with the other four (which didn’t suit *you* at all!).
Heh, I’m SO glad you found me, Mals. You’re great fun to hang out with! No, I’d never recommend Chypre Mousse for you, but Deja Le Printemps is the main one that I think would suit you. The only problem with some of the Oriza florals is that they have wonky longevity and very soft sillage. I don’t know what your tastes are like with regard to projection, let alone how your skin chemistry is in terms of perfume retention. Since my review, a lot of people have talked about the those two things being weak even on their skin, but perhaps you’ll be one of the lucky ones. Generally people seem to like Jardins d’Armide if they’ve got “super girly tastes” (which is how I think you described your tastes), since Jardins d’Armide is all powder, makeup feel, and soapy florals. The other one is the carnation scent, which is also a bit powdery, but I don’t know your tastes with regard to either issue.
In any event, it’s a fun house to try for anyone who loves a really vintage, classique, quasi old-fashioned feel to their scents. Sometimes, the best part about perfume, imo, is how it can be a time machine. 🙂
BTW, I really LOVE the way you laugh about us being polar opposite, because there is such a friendly, teasing, almost affectionately amused quality to it all that it just makes it all the more fun for me. This feels like a really fun gab session between two people who are amused by their total differences. (Does any of that make sense? I’m a more little sleep deprived than usual today after a mammoth review. Don’t read it. It’s for a scent that would make you want to gnaw your arm off and then commit Hara Kiri. *grin* 😀 )
Well, I blame you, but I actually ordered the sample set. Wore Relique D’Amour this morning and rather enjoyed it, though it isn’t something I would buy. Barely floral at alllll on me, more pale light through old stone church.
At the moment it’s Reve d’Ossian, which is not my usual sort of thing either, but since it reminds me to some degree of both DK Black Cashmere and PdN Vanille Tonka, we’re getting along just fine. I’ll probably use up my sample.
Tried Chypre Mousse the other night and barely made it ten minutes before I had to scrub. DId someone say “mushroomy”? GAAAAH. Just just NO. I will give it another shot, of course, but a) this is really not a classic-formula chypre and b) it has a lot in common with your more pondwatery/mildewy Duchaufours (Not A Fan, let me say).
Will report further as my trials (ha, trials… in the case of Chypre Mousse, that was certainly true) continue.
Haha, I *knew* Chypre Mousse wouldn’t be for you! Told you so. Deja Le Printemps, however….. Interesting about Relique d’Amour not being very floral on you at all. That’s a shame, as I thought you may like the lily touch. I’m going to be really intrigued by what you think of the true florals, though, like the green Deja Le Printemps, the very powdery Jardins d’Armide and Oeillet Louis XV. Fingers crossed that Deja le Printemps works for you!
(YES I EAT MUSHROOMS. I just don’t want ’em on my skin, thankyew.)
I remember reading your Chypre Mousse post back in the fall. Finally got some. I’m home in bed with a bum hip and a broken tooth, and. . .have Chypre Mousse on and am in absolute heaven! Lying in bed, before I had even read your review, upon the first spritz I saw myself standing in the woods after the rain, standing in a pool of sunshine. My goodness this stuff is amazing. I thought of Brosius’ Forest Floor but with light and air and tiny flowers upon the path. I have never smelled anything this sheer and pretty that is so complex. Did I mention I’m in heaven?! Yes. What amazes me is knowing I’m in for hours of this joy since I know it lasted on your skin. It’s also such an old fashioned scent. I remembered my father coming home from one of his trips to Paris with soaps and who knows what else. I had forgotten that.
This is one of those scents that reminds me exactly why I love fragrance so much, and it saddens me not a little bit that others think fragrance is the smell of dryer sheets, floral deodorant and create the need to put up signs that read “Fragrance Free Zone.”
Your review also parallelled my experience of this scent so perfectly it is somewhat wacky. Well, your powers of description are impeccable, to say the least.
First off, I’m so sorry to hear that you’re not feeling well. OWIE for the hip and tooth, especially the latter! Did you manage to get a dental appointment for the start of the week?
Second, I’m thrilled you love Chypre Mousse. I know it’s not for everyone. In fact, there seems to be a definite love it/hate it thing going on with the perfume. It’s so completely unique, and most definitely not a Chypre in the way that we’re most familiar with it. I’m also really happy that your experience parallels mine, because I’m hoping that means you got some of the subtle violet notes and also that strangely resinous, almost leathered, dark streak lurking deep below. How long did it end up lasting on you? And how absolutely wonderful that it brought back a happy memory involving your father that you had forgotten. The power of perfume…. really something, isn’t it? 🙂
Feel better, sweetie. And soon! *hugs*
We must have similar skin. I could still smell it on mine the next morning, though it had dried down to the remains of what I’d fallen asleep with, the smell of an unknown French soap from childhood. I just sprayed on Relique D’amour and I can sense it’s going to have a similar feeling. Oh my – that first whiff of pepper! It was as if someone sprayed pepper on a bunch of lilies upon gray stone (and I just re-read your review of that as this comment was unfinished while I was eating my breakfast – crazy how similar our imagery was!). I know I’m going to like this a lot, as I am a fan of L’Artisan’s Passage D’enfer. On paper, I imagined it would smell similarly and it certainly does. I do like a certain French soapiness. I hadn’t realized what a fan I was! Memories do play a big part in scent appreciation, no matter what Luca Turin says about it!
Addendum: Alas, the Relique D’Amour only last 1 1/2 hours on my skin. Am going to go re-apply!
None of the scents are a powerhouse in the way that Chypre Mousse is, so they will require quite a bit of spraying. Even then, alas, they may not last for ages, depending on your skin chemistry. 🙁
Did Chypre Mousse manifest actual soapiness on you, or is it more of a mental association to the particular smell of your father’s soaps from childhood? If the former, how interesting! I don’t think I’ve heard that before. I’m fascinated to see what you think of Jardins d’Armide, as that one has definite soap!
I can not separate my impression of soap from “actual soapiness.” The association to my childhood and my father’s soap is too strong! It’s also a wonder, for I had an unhappy childhood and this is a beautiful and almost wondrous beautiful memory (or collection of memories).
I will not be trying the Jardins d’Armide. I can’t abide the smell of geranium. It makes me nauseous and headachey and makes my eyes feel heavy, so I’ve always assumed I have a bit of an allergy.
As for longevity, I’m on a second application of the Relique, and it’s already pretty much gone. Pity, for I simply adore it! I have been looking for a new lily scent and I would bathe in this if it were more readily available and less dear.
Ah, I responded to this earlier, but it was either lost due to Jet Pack or, more likely, due to my having a throbbing tooth ache and forgetting to hit the reply button (or something).
Sadly, Relique d’Amour is now gone after two separate applications! I will apply again, as soon as I’m done with this comment, as I’m intoxicated by the opening.
I am unable to discern whether Chypre Mousse’s drydown is actually soapy or if it’s my memories playing tricks with me. The olfactory memories of my father’s soaps are so strong (and so unexpected)! I actually went ahead and emailed the company asking if they made soaps in the 1960’s! I look forward to finding out the answer. The labels look familiar to me, but it all may be a illusory memory. Either way, it is a charming hallucination, lol!
I will not be trying the Jardins d’Armide. I can’t stand geranium. I think I may be allergic. It makes me nauseous, causes my eyes to feel heavy, and induces a headache. It is the one note in perfumery that I can’t go near. So, I will not be giving you an opinion on it. When I read your review, I made a mental note to give my sample vial to a friend!
After reading the reviews of Chypre Mousse I decided to order the sample set and I am so so impressed! The address is beautifully hand written and inside – double wrapped is an enveope of 7 samples. As I peeled the ornate label off the envelope and opened it tendril of old fashioned proper perfume smell wafted out and I was smitten! So the first one I’ve tried is this Chypre Mousse and I get no mushroom smell at all but a beautiful sweet medicinal slightly sweet grass opening with a hint of green violets that wobbles and shimmers like NOTHING else I’ve ever tried. It is GLORIOUS!!!! Heaven!!! What a perfume! What artistry! Thankyou Mr Kafka for your wonderful recommendation. This is my first review on this site……I love your reviews even more than NST…..ssshhh! xxx
I’d just like to add that some 12 hours later I coud still detect a whisper of this glorious perfume…..some say its a little soapy in the drydown – ok – maybe, but what soap!!! Its like that very expensive triple milled soap of years ago that maybe you were given as a present but could never afford to buy. So you placed it in your sweaters and they all smelled lovely – just from that soap. My first proper perfume was the real Shalimar in a flat round bottle (I still have it – minus that glass pointy cap) it was only the cologne but boy was it heady and beautiful and I grew up in the time of early Miss Dior (second perfume) and I remember and love the first time I smelled Opium and it was like a journey into a new land of sweet depth and luxury……today perfume is generally awful! I feared that I would never smell anything inspiring again – even the discovery set of Ormonde Jayne left me deflated and wanting – so I sold it on ebay. But so far this company Oriza L. Legrand gives me hope and joy – deep joy. I WILL be buying a full bottle of Chypre Mousse and I’ve still got 6 samples to savour…..will keep you posted – thankyou for reading:)))
Chypre Mousse is extremely long-lasting. I know some people on whom it lasts over 24 hours, though I think they have skin that holds onto fragrance in general. Unfortunately, the rest of the line does not have the same sort of longevity, except the new Muguet Fleuri and perhaps Jardins d’Armides. A lot of the others died very quickly on me, and were very light in body indeed. I hope you have much more luck with them, Katie. I look forward to hearing if you find any other favorites amongst them. 🙂
You’re so sweet, and I’m so glad you love Chypre Mousse so much. You’re also one of the few who seems to clearly detect the violets, which is wonderful. Some of the people whom I’ve made try Chypre Mousse think me completely mad for insisting that there is a violet note. Heh. It’s definitely one of those Love it/Hate it fragrances, so I’m glad you fall into the first camp.
And welcome to the blog, Katie. 🙂
Thankyou for the comments! Yes I got sweet green violet……and no mushroomy bit which I was pleased about – but I will do another test maybe tomorrow as I know a second and third testing will throw up different aspects. I’m an aromatherapist (as well as a remedial masseur) so I have a bit of a clue about different notes of fragrance. When I first started the quality of oils that I could buy was amazing but today generally the quality is not good. I use Baldwins in London for most of my oils but even their Benzoin for instance is just not a patch on the Benzoin of 5 years ago. So sad…….anyway today I tried Relique d’Amour which was a massive green on me. Cool and a little too flat with a touch a vase water……complex yes but not for me. I;m so loving this and look forward to being able to rant and reminise at length! Joke!
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I have now tried four of the seven pack of samples from Oriza. I just want to share with you my reactions to Reve de’Ossian. I sprayed and waited and sniffed and fell in love – again!! It opened with the most gloriously clear sweet frankincense and flowers which was very reminiscent of a perfume I love in the 70’s called Ritz by Charles of the Ritz. (Someone out there may remember?) I loved it and wore it with my Laura Ashley frilled and flowered dresses in the heady summer of 1975. Charles of the RItz folded sometime I guess in the late 70’s and my perfume disappeared. Until that is I smelled Reve. It is just lovely on my skin and it has an alcoholic gentle frankincense which I love – I’m not keen on the heavy spicy frankincense of say L’air du Desert de Moroccain (spelling??) which altho is beautiful its not for me. But Reve is beautiful and stunning and open and heady and sweetly flowered!! After the first rush of love I was a little disappointed as it seemed to fade quite quickly but on the second test it must have caught on my sleeve because I could smell it all day at work and with three sprays it stayed fixed for longer. So I am now torn as to whether to get a full bottle of Chypre Mousse or Reve…….hmm and I’ve got three samples to go………btw I also loved Horizon but for me it was in the end a sweet creamy patchouli which is lovely but for the money and compared to the two just mentioned -not worth the 120 euros……..just my skin and my opinion. But I’d just like to add that the quality of the perfumes so far sampled from Oriza is just spellbinding and beautiful and complex and JOYFUL.. I thought good perfumery was dead – but thank god for the French!!
I’m so pleased to hear that you’ve found a few that you like and that you’re enjoying Oriza’s general style. The vintage feel isn’t for everyone, but Oriza’s perfumes are certainly very well-done as a whole. French perfumery in the classic style, as you say. As for the longevity of Reve d’Ossian, perhaps you’ve stumbled upon a way to increase it by spraying on your clothing? 🙂
BTW, I remember Charles of the Ritz. lol.
Oh I AM impressed!! Thankyou for your kind comments. Btw….today I tried Reve again and really it didn;t last on my skin any more than 2 hours:((
So in a way thats good news because I have now decided it’ll have to be a full bottle of Chypre Mousse which is just so so amazing. Tried the 3 remaining samples and unfortunately I’m not over keen…….thats ok too. I only need one big love in my life…..perfume of course!!
I know it is a bit late to post a comment, but I just have to thank you for your critique of Chypre Mousse. I think this is a first time I leave a comment on your blog, but I’m a long time reader, and think your analysis are both entertaining and informative. Because of your post I bought a sample of Chypre Mousse and I have to say it is really unique and lovely. I was afraid it would be too strong since sometimes I feel overwhelmed by perfume, but is was not the case, on me it is a veil of perfume, always around me but light and transparent. I will buy a bottle for sure. I’m not a big collector, in fact I only own two bottles of perfume currently (Incense Extreme and Ambre 114), so a new acquisition is a big deal 🙂 thank you
I’m so glad you decided to leave a comment and come out of lurkerdome, Ana, but even more so that you would actually love Chypre Mousse so much. Given how few fragrances you currently own, it really says A LOT that you want to buy a full bottle of this one. I can’t tell you how happy that makes me. I know it’s not a scent for everyone and that it triggers rather a Love/Hate split amongst people, so I’m really glad Chypre Mousse works for you! 🙂
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Can you believe that I am in love with a non-amber?!?!? Unique, mesmerizing, rich, deep, plush, velvety & so comforting! The opening takes me into a cool, dark forest. I smell the green, the violets, & the forest floor leaves that are turning into humus. Your review describes it exactly & I’m buying a full bottle.
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I bought a bottle of Chypre Mousse and Reve last year and strange to say – a friend of mine ordered a sample set and one of them was Reve. Of course I had to try it cos I love it and was curious……its been tweaked! Just a little. But the frankincense has been amped up and it lasts longer! Now I knew that it didn’t last long on skin but on hair and clothes its a peach….so I was intrigued. The long and the short of it is that my chum didnt like it anyway and gave me the sample which I tried back to back with my original and yes they are slightly different. No surprise I suppose. It does veer now more towards L’air du desert Maroccain Andy Tauer -which I love anyway but there was more sparkle in the original. Just goes to show that if you LOVE a perfume buy at least 3 bottles before it gets tweaked:((
You should try Coven by Andrea Maack, I tested both at Twisted Lily. They are very similar in feel and aesthetic. I was weighting between the 2, and decided to go with Coven. I love it so much, the longevity is 12+ hours on my skin, and it feels so good on a cool day. If I run low on it, I think I will get Chypre Mousse next.
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