Hiya Perfume Posse! Coup de Foudre is Parfums DelRae’s “bolt of lightning”, or as we better know it, Love At First Sight. Now I have been falling in love at first sight for decades. When it comes to love I can be shallow as a mirrors reflection. So I think I will be able to give you a real and hearty post today with all the knowledge that decades of practice can bring.
Coup de Foudre by Yann Vasnier for Parfums DelRae 2010
Parfums DelRae gives these featured accords:
Top: Baie Rose, Bergamot, Italian Lemon ‘sfumatrice’, Pink grapefruit
Heart: Rose de Mai France Orpur absolute, Purple peony, Egyptian Jasmin absolute, Magnolia Orpur
Base: Tonka Venezuela, Vetyver, White moss, Velvet musks
Coup de Foudre is one of the few French fragrance names that I trust myself to say, even then I probably mangle the holy shit outta it. Oh well, we are here for fragrance, not inflection.
Wet roses, ice cold fizzy lemonade, the chill of florists fridges. Sparkling like the crystals on a chandelier. The peony is soft and dry, like rubbing a fully opened peony flower against your cheek. Something in the fragrance starts to warm it up in the heart. It’s a cotton velvet kind of furry. Sleek, glamorous but a little plush.
I find something ever so slightly charred in Coup de Foudre, as if you are smelling a rose in the garden and there is charcoal dug into the earth. It’s a damp smoke smell. Yes, I have described it poorly built I can only work within the parameters of my vocabulary.
No matter what else happens in this lovely scent roses are the central role and continue to bloom through to dry down. There they become ever so slightly cut through with a snappy, fresh cut stalk scent and cool white musks. As to the longevity problems I keep reading about, they don’t affect my wear. I get about 2-3 fragrant hours and a couple of super close rose & twig hours.
From Parfums DelRae “My objective with ‘Coup de Foudre’ was to create a perfume that captures the ultimate beauty of the rose, as you find in nature— deep, luscious, fresh, bright and completely intoxicating. So stunning, that when you first discover this perfume, you feel immediately that it is ‘love at first sight’ ….. coup de foudre!”
Further reading: Muse In Wooden Shoes and EauMG
LuckyScent has $150/50ml and Samples
When you want rose do you want it ethereal of dense?
Portia xx
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This is one of the best garden fresh rose scents I’ve experienced, there is no dusty potpourri, dried petals or sour rose here. Some have complained about the citrus opening being too harsh, which I can understand, though to me it gives it a summery lift and disappears as the scent evolves. I only wish it were easier to find decants. It seems less popular than others in the Parfums Delray line-up, and I would have to live with it awhile before committing to an FB.
Hey Fleurycat,
Not sure where to get decants other than LuckyScent sorry.
Portia xx
This rose sounds like one I could get along with well. I like rose perfumes to smell like a real rose with some extra oomph.
Parfums DelRae fragrances are remarkable because each one I’ve tried was either an instant infatuation (Wit, Debut, Amoureuse) or an intense no-no (Bois de Paradise, Mythique). It’s time to give Coup de Foudre a sniff.
Hey Tiffanie,
So interesting that you have such polar reactions to the Delray house.
Yeah, Coup de Foudre is so good. I’d love to hear if you ever do try it, hit or miss?
Portia xx
The name of the perfumer is Vasnier not not Vainer. He has created some great perfumes.
OOPSIE! Bloody spell check and my lazy ass self completely oblivious.
Thanks Austenfan.
Portia xx
You are most welcome. I would love to try this but DelRae is very hard to find in Europe.
I like my rose to be on the dense side. Lyric and Epic comes to mind when I think of roses.
Hey Eldarwen22,
I quite like a hefty rose myself. MMMMM
Portia xx
I haven’t yet sampled Coup de Foudre, but I am a fan of Yann Vasnier, who created the perfumes for Divine, all of which are gorgeous. I like my roses a little weird funky, paired with unusual notes, like the smell of wet earth in Voleur de Roses,
Hey LisaD,
Isn’t the Divine catalogue of fragrances amazing? I love their work.
Portia xx
Wow — love your description, and I don’t even particularly like rose! If I wear rose, it’s usually well-blended with other notes — Mohur, or Portrait of a Lady, or maybe Chanel 5.
Oh HeidiC,
You picked three of the loveliest roses of all time. Why would you need another?
Portia xx
This is a lovely description and now I want to try Coup de Foudre just to see if I can find that smell of damp smoke. And I’m so glad to see someone else admit they mangle the French names too!
HA! Janice, sometimes I tell people i can’t remember the name of my scent if it’;s too complicated. Of course at other times I revel in my crap French diction and make it as Aussie as I can.
Portia xx
Nice review, this sounds like something I need to smell! I never thought I would be a rose lover in perfume (even though it’s in my name, ha), but I’m finding I really enjoy it, and sometimes crave it. I’m not a fan of overtly sweet rose conconctions, but prefer a more earthy-garden rose, or a spicy rose. So far in my sampling I have loved SL Rose de Nuit, Malle Portrait of a Lady, L’Artisan Voleur de Roses, and Tom Ford Noir de Noir. I did not care for Tauer’s Rose Flash or Incense Rose (which just based on name I should have adored, but it was not incense or rose enough on my skin). I shall continue my rose experiment, and hope to get a FB of something I love so that when I get a rose craving I can have a go-to fragrance!
Hi Rosemary,
There are so many wonderful rose scents, you could be searching for decades and still not ever decide. Doesn’t that sound thrilling?
I love L’Artisan Voleur de Roses, what a beautiful scent.
Portia xx
Good morning from Montreal! I love roses but have never smelled this one. I don’t know anyone who carries this line in Canada, but will try to check it out this fall when I am in San Diego.
Hey Tara,
Parfums DelRae are quite hard to find. Good luck hunting.
Portia xx
I always enjoy your posts but this one was particularly well written. Also, I love roses both visually and their scent. It’s 7AM here in Canada so I’m going to wish you a good day!
Thank you BevFred,
What a lovely thing to write.
Wishing you a good day too.
Portia xx