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?
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?
Marla, you had me at Karan Nath.... :-)
ReplyDeleteI do like this one, but I can't help comparing it to the older Patous. I need to judge it on its own merits I guess, and appreciate it for what it is.
Marla, this sounds lovely, although I wouldn't have looked at it twice either from this notes list. I was recently surprised by Orange Blossom by Penhaligon's (I am pretty scarred by Fleur d'Oranger, so I avoided that note), but I found another Duchaufour to love. ;)
ReplyDeleteOh, Sira des Indes sounds really delicious and funny (I love banana note in summer scents, but it's not easy to find something really interesting and wearable with this fruit in). Wonderful bottle too.
ReplyDeleteI wouldn't have loved so much M by Mariah Carey with its marshmallow/sea water/incense accord....but I do!!
Hi, Flora,
ReplyDeleteYeah, he's dishy, huh? ;-)
And no, Sira des Indes is not at all like the "grands Patous", but that's OK, because I don't wear those well anyway, most are a bit too grand and French for me, I am too small and scruffy to carry them off.
-Marla
Olfactoria,
ReplyDeleteOrange Blossom is nice, isn't it? Much nicer than that white petals gardenia thingy, the Royal Family should have chosen Penhaligon's Orange Blossom for the wedding!
-Marla
Lys,
ReplyDeleteYou know, I've heard a lot of good things about M, I have to try it someday!
-Marla
this is a great scent, and very sexy. have no idea why people poo-pooed it when it came out. some people don't like indoles, i suspect. i love it from top to bottom.
ReplyDeleteand the nose, jean-michel duriez, is a very sweet man - got to interview him when he was for the release of sira des indes. so this one holds a special place for me.
i don't find most lists of notes "vile," just overblown and usually misleading. so many lists sound promising and then the scent fails to live up to the promise. i also like a lot of indoles and animalic notes, so those fail to put me off!
cheers,
minette
I'm so glad you got to meet the perfumer, Jean-Michel Duriez! And I was sad that Sira des Indes was "put on the back shelf" so quickly. It's very good, but I think people were expecting "the next Joy", and it really is its own creation, and stands out in the Patou lineup, so it kind of got dissed, unfairly, for being different.
ReplyDelete-Marla
Gosh he's cute...
ReplyDeleteI haven't tried this one, lord knows why.
Marla,
ReplyDeleteM is gorgeous: wouldn't be sold under the Mariah Carey label it would probably get much more success than it has. Not because of her, of course, but we all know...celebrity fragrances reputation is not that good most of times.
It really deserves a place as a summer 'fume on our shelves, so I hope you will try it and make your review :)
BTW thanks for your lovely articles, hope to find Sira des Indes somewhere and have a try :)
Tom,
ReplyDeleteYeah, he's dishy! I have to find a couple more of his movies....
-M
Lys,
ReplyDeleteI wonder, too, if M had been released as a niche scent, how it would have been perceived in the blogosphere. I know several women who wear it without telling people what it is, they don't want to be caught in a celebuscent...!
-M
What is this: L’Artisan’s PEAR perfume, Mon Numero 1? I can't find it anywhere. Thanks, Breck
ReplyDeleteBreck,
ReplyDeleteMon Numero #1 is part of the new L'Artisan series launching this month. Each of the series will be available in a particular city (sigh), but they'll all be available online as well. Mon Numero #1 is supposed to be for Singapore.
-Marla
A bit of good aroma can turn on your partner.Often overlooked this beautiful concept of smelling good works all the time through all the seasons.
ReplyDelete