This is my last area of major lovage this week. Considering the huge price hike in perfumes in the last two years, the Prada exclusive parfums start to look almost reasonable at under 200 U.S. for 30 mls of parfum. Guerlain pure parfums are around $300 per ounce for an ounce of pure parfum. Chanel is around the same, I think? It is my assumption these are parfum strength. Correct me if I’m wrong, and I’ll fix the post.
Prada centered their pure parfum editions around soliflores, which is pretty much why I wasn’t that interested in them. I like soliflores well enough, but not enough to spend $200 for a bottle normally. While they do center them around one note, these are so much more complex, at least the ones I have tried. Now Smell This has the notes for the Prada Exclusives.
Opoponax is dark, leathery and musky, it’s not one I’d wear unless I were stepping out for the evening or intending to bag my man at the grocery store. It’s a little Frederic Malle Musc Ravageur, but smokier, not as sweet.
Tubereuse is not a heavy tuberose, made lighter by the neroli, but grounded into heat with the musk.
Iris, well, swoon me runnin’. It’s rooty incense. This is lovely.
Carnation is a major love of mine normally, and they get it right with Oeillet. Clove, heliotrope, rose, iris, musk. Spicy, earthy floral. Like Caron’s Poivre with a musk base. I have a few exclamation marks to put after this, but don’t want to look like a Prada fangirl.
Violette is the last one I’ve tried so far, though we sniffed a few more in London. Leather and galbanum mixed in with violet. Violet grabbed her whip and scared me, but it’s so darn great.
Best part of the ones I’ve tried, I tested them all, and everyone in a great big room said the same thing, what did you spray? Well, all of them, which may be the best result of all. At least these ones together are a stunning scent when combined.
Now, if any of you have tried others, let me know what you think. I did sniff Myrrhe and Benjoin, and I didn’t spend that much time with them and thinking maybe I should have. I didn’t think I liked it with just a few minutes. I’ve heard good things about the Cuir Ambre, but haven’t sniffed it yet.
As far as availability, I know they are all over London, Liberty for sure, which is where I sniffed and bought. I know Bergdorf has some of them. Allegedly the Prada boutique in NYC and L.A. has them, but I called months and months ago one of the Prada boutiques in NYC, and they never did call me back with what they had. Grrrr. Other places in the U.S.?
Oeillet is, hands-down, one of the most beautiful fragrances around. I sprinkle some of the ends of my pocket square whenever I wear a suit.
What a coincidence–I wore Fleurs d’Oranger yesterday from a forgotten sample (a gift from Chaya) and was reminded how truly incredible it is. It smells exactly like the great orange blossom and beeswax hand soap from Trader Joe’s, only it lasts and lasts (and laaaasts), and just gets better as time goes by. I am DYYYING to try the Narciso and Iris. Everyone raves about the Iris, and Narcissus is just so rare as an essence. I actually like soliflores for their old-worldly, apothecary-esque feel. But you are right, these are really complex scents that rely on subtle blends to enhance the eponymous ingredients rather than clouding them.
I definitely love the Iris one–I tried that at Liberty last year. It’s hard to justify buying it, though, since I own a tidy little stockpile of #19 parfum. And gosh, Violette sounds kinda like a clone of Jolie Madame in all her vintage glory. I want to try that too, now!
I completely agree with you that these are fabulous. My favorite -and the one I bought- is Fleur d’Oranger which is THE orange blossom to end all orange blossoms.. fuuuuuull of orange blossom absolute, just wonderful wonderful wonderful. It is very much a soliflore but with a little twist: its honeyed accents of beeswax are absolutely marvelous.
I have tried and liked a few of these. Cuir Ambre, Oeillet and Iris were especially nice. Benjoin, Opoponax and Myrrhe I remember as nicely done, but they didn’t command my attention in the same way. Now I’m dying to try the Violette.
I wish that I had more that a small sample of each at the time, because I wanted to spray, rather than dab them. I somehow felt that I couldn’t give them a fair try.
I was on a leather kick this winter – so I had to try Cuir Ambre (I usually like amber, I love leather and I heard good things about the exclusive line)…
But, no.
It wasn’t a scrubber, but everything was said in the name: Leather and Amber. And for THAT price? no Thanks. Nothing interesting, no complex Oriental Leatheryness. I find PDE Cuir Ottoman to be a much better take on the subject, and a much better deal as well. Actually Cuir Ottoman is my HG leather ;)!!!
I have been loving these for quite some time now. The Narcisse and Tubereuse are gorgeous. I actually love all of them, but haven’t tried the Opoponax, Benjoin or Myrrhe. I have been purchasing mine from Prada Beverly Hills from the amazing Joao in Menswear. He is utterly charming and fabulous and goes so far as to email me pictures of, well, just about anything in the Prada Universe. I just adore him and have not even met the man.
I also love to decant a few of them into one bottle…shake and spray. I haven’t grossed myself out yet!
: )
Bryan, were you the one waiting until (last) Christmas to go to London to purchase the Narciso? I’ve been off these boards for a while and have forgotten if you were the fellow narcissus freak?
Billy,
That wasn’t me, I don’t think, but I am a floral freak. My baby is tuberose….any which way I can get it. I do love narcissus, but alas, I haven’t been to London in a couple years. Sigh
I know they have them at the Prada boutiques in Honolulu. SA’s didn’t know/care much about them. Bought the Opoponax, dithered on if I wanted the Cuir Ambre, but it wasn’t “all that”. Tax there was less than 5%. I’m a happy camper!
I would love Oeillet and Opoponax…oh heck, I’d love one of each. Unfortunately, even the EdP is way beyond my means and desire (for a soliflore) IMO.
The Violette and the Oeillet are calling my name. CC did you try? Alls I have to do is see what you think and it’s usually going to be right on the, ah, money for me.
Which reminds me, Patty, what happened to Let Patty Buy It?
Carter, I only smelled them on my sniffing companions that day. Patty makes them sound pretty great. If it’s leather and violets you’re looking for, try Heeley’s Cuir Pleine Fleur, which I keep wanting to review and put off (no sample). And nothing beats the original Poivre though I don’t know what state that’s in, and even if it’s still acceptable now, it’ll be dead soon thanks to IFRA, because of the eugenol.
Yes, that’s very much on the *To Try* list, along with several others by him. Like Aimee L’Ondee below, I do wonder about how the Prada (and the Heeley, for that matter) stack up to my beloved Jolie Madame.
And Poive; I dunno, those Carons are a mess these days, so it’s dicey. Always gotta roll with the vintage it seems, because they simply leave a body no other choice.
I remember particularly liking the Cuir Ambré — which is a simplified take on Tabac Blond — though it had the teensiest moment of turning sour-vomity on me. I started out coveting the Benjoin but it ended up a little too medicinal. The Opoponax I quite liked. But I’m still loath to fork over that much money for what almost amounts – though not quite — to a solinote.
Here in Paris you can only find them in the Prada boutiques, as far as I know.