Monsoon Beach Party! Sira des Indes by Jean Patou

By Marla Jean Patou, that once great French house of perfumery that has become a subject of controversy in recent years, released “Sira des Indes” about 5 years ago. The official notes are: champaca, banana accord, bergamot, pear, red berries, cardamom, musk, amber, vanilla and sandalwood. After my recent mind-expanding experience with L’Artisan’s PEAR perfume, Mon Numero 1, I couldn’t resist trying a perfume that championed both the loathesome pear, and the banana. Synthetic banana flavor or smell induces severe nausea in me. Seriously. Why? Let’s just say that university students can be tragically experimental, a banana liqueur does in fact exist, and sometimes, students have access to really nasty things like banana liqueur at fraternity parties. You really don’t want to know the rest… OK, back to Jean Patou. “Sira des Indes” is actually a fabulous summer beach party scent, one of those rare fruity florals for grownups. The red fruits are light and fresh, and pear is crisp and green, and the banana is a natural accord, and very subtly laid on; I really like what it adds to the composition. Cardamom adds a cool note. The heart is full of white champaca, which is lighter and brighter than golden champaca, and the musky drydown is heavier on the vanilla and sandalwood than the amber. It’s more light and transparent than sweet, like a very sheer cotton dress. This perfume is fun! And girly! I want to go down to our local beach in a hot pink sari when I wear it and dance Bollywood style on the beach with Karan Nath. Maybe this weekend, I will, if I can just find Karan, he’s gotta be on Facebook, right?? So what perfume have you fallen in love with, or like with, that has a list of notes that originally sounded quite vile to you?