pierre guillaume – Page 2

* Bois de Copaiba starts off as an orange liqueur – like Grand Marnier or Curaçao, with a hint of ginger.

* My nose was playing tricks on me with this one, because it wears differently each time. Sometimes in the top I get a note that reminds me of the plastic covering that elderly people put on furniture to protect it. Very odd.

* The sweetness continues as licorice, incense, and resins come in. This may seem like sweet on sweet- but it’s not too sweet. It’s more darkly sweet – almost forbidden.

* I also get a slight rubber note – similar to Serge Lutens Cuir Mauresque. It’s not as strange as CM, but the vibe is kind of there.

* The incense and resins continue into the base as they are joined by a nice, dry woody note.

Summary: Copaiba is a resin from South American trees. The name fits the feel of the scent as there is a sweet or resin note throughout the whole development. Bois de Copaiba is a fun scent to wear. It starts off as a boozy party and then relaxes into warmth and comfort. It’s unique enough to be interesting, but not so strange that it is completely weird. The projection and the liquor notes makes this inappropriate for most offices, but creative types could get away with it. The base lasts overnight until you shower it off, making the longevity above average for an eau de parfum.

Parfumerie Generale fragrances are available from LuckyScent and Osswald.

Other opinions:

Aromascope

Eiderdown Press

The Non-Blonde

Perfume-Smellin’ Things

Disclaimer: No disclaimer needed as I own a full bottle. Image courtesy of Luckyscent website.

* Noir Marine goes on with a brisk spicy peppermint that will wake you up with its strong projection.

* Phaedon is a new line of fragrances by Pierre Guillaume. This was kept secret at first in attempt to keep the focus on the fragrances rather than the names involved.

* The peppermint stays present and is sweetened up with a really nice tobacco note. The tobacco is not overwhelming or ‘old man’ish – its present and acts as a nice sweet transition.

* I do not like aquatic (water/ocean) fragrances, so when my friend recommended that I try Noir Marine, I laughed. Throughout the life of the scent, I don’t get any aquatic notes at all… maybe that’s why it’s so dark (or noir)?

* After a few hours, the pepper winds down and the tobacco transitions into really warming and nice resins that last a long time.

Summary: I was introduced to Pierre Guillaume’s Parfum line when I was in Paris last year and absolutely love Aomassia, Bois de Copaiba, and Un Crime Exotique. Noir Marine fits into that line quite well. The longevity is absolutely wonderful, with the sweet resinous base lasting more than 12 hours on my skin. If you apply this an hour before work, this could be an office-friendly scent. Otherwise, it makes for a great after-work pick-me-up that will last until the next day.

Phaedon fragrances are available from LuckyScent and The Perfume Shoppe.