Tableau de Parfums is of course the creation of Filmmaker Brian Pera and Perfumer Andy Tauer. It’s the second scent released to tie in with Pera’s film “Woman’s Picture”, which I was fortunate enough to see at OutFest last year. I was also fortunate to meet Andy and Brian at ScentBar this past Friday to experience Loretta.
Miriam was a full-on, old school kind of scent with a twist. I loved it but would no more wear it that I would pearls, pumps and a suit with an A-line skirt.
Loretta is a tuberose scent, according to LuckyScent. To be honest, I had to completely reset what I think of as tuberose. This isn’t the in-your-face beaten with white flowers sort of tuberose that I’m used to (and have a love-hate relationship with).
Notes from LuckyScent: Ripe sweet fruits and oriental spices (cinnamon, clove, coriander), Fresh rose, clean orange blossom and a dark tuberose, hints of suave leather, old vetiver, woody vanilla, and aged patchouli
What I get out of it is the spices, fruits and the vetiver primarily. The white flowers are there, but not shoving their way to the front. There’s the vanilla and patch in the dry down, and a touch of that “tauerade” that I love; lasting power is incredible, easily 24 hours.
Loretta is written of as referencing the spicy florientals of the 70’s. I get that, but it’s also completely modern and I would wear this one in a New York minute..
Speaking of New York, if you want a 70’s movie reference that I think says what this scent is like, it’s not the poly-clad disco style of “Saturday Night Fever”, it’s more the hyper-stylish, gritty and surreal “Eyes of Laura Mars”
$160 for 50ML with a DVD of the segment, at LuckyScent, where I received the sample
Photo: IMDB
One of the few perfumes I’ve actually run to the bathroom to scrub off. And I loves me some high heeled, big-haired, fur-wearing, ’70s supermodel scents filled with a truckload of white flowers. But this is just awful on my skin.
Ooh- I’m sorry!
It’s odd, maybe my nose is off this week, but I got only the grape note and incense – not a pleasant pairing. I’ll try it again at another point. Meanwhile, I’ll stick with old favs Une Rose Chypree and L’Air du Desert Marocain.
It took a while for the flowers to peep out for me. But I did like it.
Hi, Tom! Thanks for reviewing this; it sounds great. I liked Miriam as well, so can’t wait to “meet” Loretta. I’m not able to wear all of Andy’s scents, but the ones I like, I really like. And even with the ones that don’t work for me, I appreciate their character and the obvious care that went into creating them. P.S. Is that photo from “The Eyes of Laura Mars”?
Yep, that’s from the movie. They do a photo shoot in Columbus Circle.