Grand Amour (1996)
by Annick Goutal

From the first second I smelled Grand Amour, I knew I could not remain indifferent to this perfume. It reminded me instantly of the bushes of mastic where I used to hide as a little girl: either from friends and siblings while playing hide and seek; or from greater horrors imposed on little children by the adults of the world. The scent of the mastic bushes is unique and unmistakable. And although mastic is not mentioned as a note in this perfume from Annick Goutal – the precise makeup of this particular perfume creates the impression of the scent released from the crushed crisp leaves between little fingers of a child hiding in the dense evergreen bushes.

The gum or resin from this bush is the same “mastic” which is used to flavour baked sweets and ice creams in the Middle East and Greece (more about this later). The Latin name of this bush is Pistacia Lentiscus, and it is from the pisttachio family. In ancient times it was used to create a chewing substance (mastic is chewing gum in Arabic and Hebrew), and it is also used as a medicine and a spice. A synthetic substance with similar chemical makeup is created especially for the chewing gum industry.

For those who are unfamiliar with the aroma of mastic, and particularly that of the raw leaves, I would try to describe it as it is in Grand Amour: it is green yet not like grass or leaves, sappy, but not resinous, and with an undercurrent of powdery warmth, while releasing a gently and evenly floral aroma in such manner that no particular flower stands out. It also resembles Chamade in some ways, though I detect none of the galbanum, oakmoss or vanilla notes that are so prominent in Chamade. Perhaps it is the hyacinth, a note that appears in both perfumes.

When I discovered Grand Amour some two or three years ago at The Bay in Vancouver, I immediately lavished myself in it carelessly in excess that can be only explained by my excitement. I was not able to enjoy it very much, the memory of those evergreen childhood hideaways brought a throat-clenching sensation, like the one that visits us just before bursting into inexplicable, shameful tears. I neglected the fantasy of wearing Grand Amour, but haven’t completely given up. I took a vial with me on my trip to Israel this spring, and decided to wear it in the natural environment and compare it to the live bush. I was right about their similarity. But imagine my surprise when I managed to enjoy the juice for three days straight while staying at my Mom’s place, surrounded by the bushes and the spring blooming greenery. In Hebrew we say “Meshane makom, meshane mazal” which means, that when you change location or place, your luck might change too. So true for perfume.

This review is for the Eau de Toilette, which is lovely in my opinion except for the fact that it is not extremely long lasting when dabbed. When sprayed the performance is excellent. The official notes (per the Annick Goutal website) are lily, hyacinth, honeysuckle, Turkish rose, amber, musk and myrtle.

I like helg´s review.But somehow that actress gets home , and eventually removes her make up and takes off her expensive luxurious clothes , and after all, you know what? She is only a woman.That happens to me with this one.Reminds me of guerlain´s nahema, lots of flowers ,great first impresion , sweet ,charming ,but after a month gives me the feeling of dead flowers on me.Like a funeral under the sun. Pretty scary eh?

I am too lazy to learn the notes so I will only state the feeling it evokes. It is a very grown-up fragrance. It makes me feel like a mature woman who is getting ready for a night out.

Time to hear from a guy on this one, I suppose. I had high hopes for Grand Amour after reading various reviews and descriptions, but things never did quite work out.

Grand Amour is sultry, dense, and heady from the very opening, yet somehow unsure of whether it wants to be floral at all, or a rich, dark oriental instead. The complex assemblage of notes never manages to settle down and get itself organized, and the heart seems at once bitter, overbearing and chaotic. This is a heavy, dark accord, but not something I find at all seductive.

A somewhat bitter rose note eventually rises to the top of this stew, but it’s not enough to tame the cacophony that wells up underneath. I have decided that Grand Amour is not something I'm going to enjoy, though I do admit that it has plenty of strength and character.

I love Grand Amour. I rarely wear it now because I'm always trying new things rather than staying with my tried and true. Sometimes I will wear it for nostalgia's sake. It is a rich, lush, feminine, floral fragrance. To me, it smells like easter lilies, but dries down to a velvety ambery-balsam finish as Helg's notes mention. Yes, it is a little decadent. The hyacinth or lily has that bit of decayed odor beneath the extreme high sweetness of the fully developed blossom. It is a fragrance in full bloom that is just about to turn, which is when it's at its best. For me, Grand Amour is a romantic, evocative fragrance. I used to get quite a few compliments when I wore it. It is quite potent and long lasting. For floral lovers only.

A sexy actress in her boudoir after her performance. Pensive , smiling hazily to herself as she lifts her hair off her forehead and gazes at her image in the mirror. Her most enthousiastic fan has sent her armfulls of liles , bunches of honeysucle and posies of hyacinth to fill the room and her lacy clothes with an initially fresh and sweet fragrance , with a penetrating aroma that becomes deeper and slightly decaying as time passes.
The whole concoction is intoxicating somehow , yet it makes her think of him with nostalgia. She thinks she's falling in love... It's a Grand Amour. It has to be.
That's my impression of this rich floral with hyacinth , lily , honeysuckle , rose , amber , vanilla , balsam musk and myrrhe. Mature and rather heavy in the EDT , to be used sparingly , and only by white flower lovers and such. Extra feminine , both in scent and presentation. A little decadent , not as airy as the majority of the Goutals , more in the company of Gardenia Passion and Passion. Try it. You may like it. It is intriguing.