Oh, where to start...
I loved this one from the start. I smelled the aldehydes and the rose in the opening and so much more than words can convey.
I love smelling vintage perfume becasue unfortunately, you really can't smell that anymore today (well, you can but very rarely and it will probably then cost some serious money). Anyway, the thing is, vintage doesn't always correspond to something you will like/love, but usually it does mean you will appreciate the trip.
I was completely prepared to love Ombre Rose. It smelled to me like the first cousin of Shalimar. Obviously not a sibling, but very close family. Somewhat more proper but with a twinkle in the eye that hinted at more interesting things. Not as powerfully present and strongly opinionated as Shalimar but still having the same beauty displayed in a different manner.
Oh, I was seduced by the rosewood making my association to Shalimar veer off in another direction and giving this spirit of its own. I was so happy to find another friend.
And then we got to know each other better.
Turned out that the twinkle in the eye was only learned from the more experienced cousin but there was nothing afterward to give it credence. The interesting cousin turned out to be a proper little miss smelling of shampoo flowers/rose and not the sexy minx from the introduction.
Unfortunately, we were not meant to associate for long.
Notes: aldehydes, peach, brazilian rosewood, geranium, sandalwood, orris root, vetiver, ylang-ylang, lily-of-the-valley, cedar, rose, honey, orris, tonka bean, cinnamon, musk, vanilla and heliotrope.
I do wonder though, how it was possible to turn one into the other, perfumer-wise. It must be a feat.
Pic by: http://www.jcbrosseau.com/index.php
I've had Ombre Rose for awhile but have not yet applied it to my skin. I can't get past the smell of the sprayer...
ReplyDeleteOne day when I'm feeling brave.
Josephine, while googling for notes I found that the current version differs from the vintage one (what a surprise!). ;)
ReplyDeleteI wasn't spraying mine but dabbing so no hair spray thank God. :)
It's always so beautiful to see the vintage Perfumes.. Ombre Rose, mais oui! I had this one, it was very special, very feminine and I liked a certain point of sweetness. I have not gotten the actual version. I only had the old vintage one. Never bought it again. Now if I did I see that it would not be the same exactly..:-(
ReplyDeleteVintage Lady, unfortunately, yes, if you bought it today it certainly wouldn't smell the same.
ReplyDeleteAt least you got to enjoy it for a while. :)
Too bad you couldn't rewind the beginning and play it over and over again!
ReplyDeleteI have not smelled Ombre Rose since I was a young teenager. My sister or mother had a bottle. I don't recall what it smells like...
JoanElaine, I really wish I could. I don't get so excited by the opening often, I'm more into liking the later stages of perfumes.
ReplyDeleteOmbre Rose certainly is a quiet one. "Proper little miss" is exactly right! When I first obtained Ombre Rose, I was reading "A Dress for Diana", a book chronicling the process of designing the Princess of Wales' wedding gown. Something about Diana circa 1980 (AND her dress) reminded me a lot of Ombre Rose-- a sumptuous fabric cut conservatively, worn by a demure girl whose eyes flashed with sudden appeal.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful review-- a pleasure to read, and a pleasure to have shared with you. :)
Thank you Olenska!
ReplyDeleteI can see how this one related to your book.
Btw, when it comes to my perfumes, I don't really ever project the proper little miss. ;) Come to think of it, I never was a proper little anything. :)