Reviews of Cabochard (1959)
by Grès

Cabochard used to be one of the best things you could ever smell. It was exalting and ethereal, and as sultry and animalic as it gets. But now the thing barely even competes with Aramis (very similar, and also made by Bernard Chant). It was true to its name, big and strong, fully extended with Chant's herbaceous-patchouli-floral accord, and all the things that make a leather chypre come alive. The stuff was smooth as silk, the leathery isoquinolines sung, and never went sluggish like so many of its kind. There was plenty of animalic castoreum to keep it fleshy and warm, and it felt so natural you thought it could be oozing from your pores. It was dark-serious-mysterious-cerebral and x-rated anytime, but mainly just housed in twilight, infused with so many golden sunsets and all the things you need to make future possibilities more vivid. But now it’s as far from itself as a hawk from the moon, a mere outline at best. So that leaves Bandit, and as much as I preferred the athleticism of Cabochard, Bandit was always a slightly more substantial composition. And aside from one of the formulations, the quality is still as high as it gets. So high in fact that Bandit could easily still be considered one of the top five perfumes on the planet. Cuir de Russie parfum (Chanel) is liquid gold, but it’s not the dark, edgy type. Tabac Blond is too sweet, and it’s been sucked dry anyway. Among other things, Caron apparently doesn’t like castoreum anymore. Miss Balmain has a similar temperament to Cabochard, but comes off a little coarse (try it anyway, it’s excellent). So that means you get to try Oud Cuir d’Arabie, which smells fantastic, and is one of the most satisfying leathers ever made, full of silky-buttery animalic oud, leather, tobacco, labdanum, and who knows what else. It’s luxurious but as dirty as it needs to be, at home with the filthiest porn, or perhaps just eating with the Rothschilds. And you might as well try Aramis, because it’s not far from what Cabochard is now, but with a little more quality. And never forget La Nuit (Rabanne). You might not get on with it at first because it suffers from some minor structural deficiency, but give it a few weeks, and don’t listen too hard for the drydown until the fourth or fifth hour. Because that’s when the clock strikes, and it’s pure sex from then on. There are few things I’d rather smell on a woman than La Nuit.

Have fun.

oh Cabochard.... such a let down. I had visions of deep rich leather but on me it started off as a very loud "perfumey"smell,I couldn't detect any notes as such.
It dried down to the strongest smell of henna. Maybe the vintage formulation was far nicer. If anyone wants a full bottle of it i will post it no charge. Ah well....

Fabulous fabulous fabulous!

I've just embarked on my scented journey and found Cabochard after reading some random reviews here on BN and decided to give it a whirl. I'm SO glad that I have.

On me this smells like a female version of Obsession for men (but not like Obsession for women) which will mean that I don't have to nick my boyfriend's bottle any more!

Once a great leather chypre, this heavy weary unisex scent does not age well at all. Smell nicer on my clothes (after spraying on my chest and pulling the shirt over) than on my skin. My shirt loves this more than I do

Sadly neglected absolutely stunning espcially in the Perfume form of this fragrance.Why did it take so long for you to find me?.

Gorgeous. An absolute pleasure to admire all day and all night. Classy and elegant on girls AND guys.

A true classic.

Down to a last few precious drops of vintage Cabochard. Undoubtedly the best leather chypre in my mind. The woods give it a feeling of expansiveness that I have not encountered anywhere else.

Cabochard is a classic green/leather chypre. Many people comment on Cabochard's similarity to Bandit. They do share many characteristics, but I find Bandit to be a drier, less floral composition which ends up smelling more masculine than Cabochard. Cabochard has a similar jasmine/ylang/leather/tobacco dance as Tabac Blond, but is more feminine and more polite than Tabac Blond. Although I can smell all three of these fragrances easily worn by a man, Cabochard seems the most feminine of the three to me. I can't see myself wearing it, but I'd love to be around a woman who does. It is a truly stunning perfume.

My new best friend! After the inital, misleading leafy blast, it quickly settles to a delicious, evocative, natural feeling, dry, almost musty aura that leaves my clothes smelling so familar and comfortable, I don't even want to wash them. This is the reliable friend- perfum I've been searching for. Layers well with vetivers too, like Guerlain's, Boucheron Homme or Chanel Sycomore. In fact I am thinking of buying one of those huge (expensive) bottles of Sycomore just to repear that trick over the long term. I bought two bottles of Cabochard .. they are so cheap, why not!

I wore (and ADORED) this savvy scent in my early twenties and while this newer version hasn't the pizzaz (who remembers Diana Vreeland?) of it's forbear it is still a classy green scent with just a whisper of flowers and a slightly tobacco-filled-room of a drydown. Totally belies the rather frumpy frosted bow etched onto the front of the bottle. In my opinion.

Seems to be very full of notes — quite complex and very well put together. Along with the aldehydes, Cabochard opens with a pristine green and citrus accord—clean and sharp and sophisticated — all owing, as purplebird7 says, to the superior use of Galbanum in the opening. The floral elements of the middle quickly push up into the top, but the florals really don’t have much of an effect because they are quickly overshadowed by the darker elements of the fragrance. In the middle, I don’t really get much of a rose note although the jasmine, and orris come through clearly — but the florals, as a whole, are simply transitions. The darker notes — the patchouli, leather, and moss — plus the galbanum from the top really control the fragrance, and all combine to provide a palpable sophistication. This is an excellent fragrance — unusual in its own way, and the dichotomy it presents between the brighter citrus / green / floral and the lower keyed accords of the base, makes it a serious contender for the label of “classic.” Some reviewers mentioned its relationship with Bandit, and that could be true, but Cabochard is so much smoother and more elegant than Bandit, and I don’t find its rose note as potent as Bandit’s. Like Bandit, this is not an especially feminine fragrance; it is quite suitable as a masculine scent as far as I’m concerned. Cabochard has a strong, classy presence. It’s an intriguing fragrance. 240

I so want to like Cabochard, I so want to be the kind of woman who can wear Cabochard. But on me it packs a reeking wallop of (I'm sorry, I'm sorry!) old lady.

But I love Bandit and Tabac Blonde, so I'm hoping that I've got a dicky bottle. I'll try it again sometime at a perfume counter just to be absolutely sure.

Good stuff! Green, but intense, provocative, and just Aramis-like enough for a guy to wear.

My mum purchased a bottle of Perfume Empire.com.au recently.

I was going out one night when she was away, and decided to spritz myself with some...

Lo and behold, my gf and some of my friends complimented me on it. They said it smelled great, and that I should use it more often! I think I'll get a bottle for myself after I move out in the next week...

I sniffed this for the first time today and instantly thought "Bandit". A green, leathery fragrance with a hint of something naughty. Nice! But as I already like and own Bandit, I won't be investing in this.

I thought I was going crazy, when I sprayed Cabochard on my arm, after the drydown, I thought to myself, this reminds me of Aramis. What was I thinking? This is a fragrance created for a woman and Aramis is one of the most macho scents ever! Well, to my suprise, I just saw that Bernard Chant also created Aramis. So, there it is: Cabochard is Aramis for the the gals. As Gomer Pyle used to say, "Golllllly!!"

I'm guessing it's the vintage version I have a sample of. Anyway, it's an appealingly sharp and green and bold chypre. It's often compared to Bandit, and I'd say Bandit is the lighter and more wearable and floral/sweet scent (I have the modern edp, so it might be that the reformulated Cabochard is even softer) I certainly see the similarities though, the greenness, I just think Cabochard is more hardcore.

I am pleasantly surprised at the new Cabochard. I had avoided it, having heard that the reformulated version bears little resemblance to the bold original. However, it is still a good fragrance, and for a reasonable price. This is a great presentation of galbanum. I love this particular green note, and it conveys itself wonderfully in the opening notes, cool and stylish. Also, the spices are well-chosen--clove and/or bay-- which synch perfectly with the green notes. At the core of the fragrance is tobacco or leather and a bit of earthy patchouli. Overall, it is fresh, even minty, and more wearable than the harsher Bandit EDT/EDP. (I might note that Bandit pure parfum is a totally different story, incredibly soft and pretty.) As it dries, it takes on a powdery aspect that is both sweet and a little smoky. Very fun. Attention-getting.

Cabochard makes me think of a woman in a very stylish grey flannel suit. There is something green but tweedy under the sweeter florals when it first goes on, which I suspect is a combination of the oakmoss and leather. On me, it eventually fades down to strong notes of leather and vetiver, with a slight muskiness and an undernote of bergamot--very strong and masculine but in a female way. This is the scent for a female CEO to wear in the boardroom.

Though I do not wear this not so often anymore, this scent was on my highly admired list for long time. Few decades ago, a souvenir from Paris, my mother's dresser..., Sniffing Cabochard was my secret joy. Too bad they no longer sell (I wonder you still could obtain in Paris) the body powder anymore in US.

Notes: bergamot, mandarin, galbanum, ylang ylang, jasmine, Bulgarian rose, clove, oakmoss, tobacco, musk, iris, sandalwood, vetiver, leather, castoreum, patchouli and labdanum.

A bit of history first: Cabochard was created in 1942 for Madame Gres, a Parisian fashionista. After reading the notes list, I was ready for an olfactory equivalent of the Katrina disaster. After sniffing my way through a decant of Cabochard, I was impressed by this classic fragrance which I had formerly classified as obtuse.

Experiencing the fresh mandarin which opens the fragrance, you wouldnt guess that this is actually a fairly complex chypre. The high-pitched citrus notes blend with rose and jasmine to create an alluring floral blend which soon gives way to green notes. The green notes providing an interesting diversion, but aren't really the heart of the fragrance - so its good that they are fairly fleeting making way for the smoky balsamic leathery goodness that Cabochard is so famous for. Cabochard is a green chypre at heart. While the latter half of the notes list might indicate a full blown animalic leather snapping assault to the sense, I found it surprising well behaved with just the right amount of animalic leathery goodness and coolness. Coolness as in feeling fresh and minty. Not minty as in the fluoride toothpaste substitute that is Penhaligons LP#9, but minty in the way that animalic and leather notes are very well counterbalanced by the clove note. I didnt expect to like it as much as I did. It was almost like going to a Paul McCartney concert and actually enjoying the music.


Cabochard is an influential classic, and it shows in the way its composition unravel infront of your nostrils. The blend of fresh citrus, rich floral and earthy green notes all leading to the cool animalic leather accord is a textbook example of what good perfumery is all about. If you are a looking for a green chypre, Cabochard should be at the top your list.

yes, another great,great perfume!sexy, sophisticated,elegant and sexy!Yes it may be comparable to Tabac Blonde and Bandit of Robert Piguet-another two outstanding perfumes but Cabochard has it´s own class!So many different notes-an incredible mixture of wonderful ingredients.Well everyone has another skin and it may interact different but Cabochard is hall of fame and a unique and special fragrance for a classy,sexy and charismatic woman!

The original fragrance had so much character, I am still trying to find another that hits the same level.

I am steeling myself to have a sniff--and maybe a try--of the reworked version. Anyone out there in a position to offer a comparison of the two?

I should not like this fragrance as it contains some of the notes from my no-no list: aldehydes and spices. It also includes notes from my hard-to-smell list: orris and moss. Apparently I'm in love with what's left over: jasmine, rose, ylang, geranium, leather, tobacco, amber, patchouli, musk, vetiver, and castoreum. Quite a stew, isn't it? By layering in one element, Jo Malone's Orange Blossom, I'm blissed out--the combination is similar to the effect of Balmain Jolie Madame, but she's dull in comparison.

This really comes across as Bandit-like on me, only a little less sweet. It's hard to imagine something that can make Bandit seem sweet, but Cabochard does it. I think perhaps there's a little too much castoreum in it for me, I like the Bandit a bit better. Gorgeous leather, though. I'd like to smell this on my husband.

I never seem to remember to wear Cabochard, and I have no idea why not other than I'm usually in La Nuit or Paloma Picasso. I really like it, however. While I don't consider it to be a formal-wear fragrance by any means, it's got some sort of I-got-my-act-together-coolness to it -- chic, sophisticated, tailored... something. It's not one that I can apply and then slob around the house with no makeup and heaven-knows-what kind of raggedy clothing. I suppose it demands that I at least make an effort to rise to its standard of chic and class. Cabochard makes me want to be Lauren Bacall's character in the movie, "To Have and Have Not", and say the coolest things to someone named Steve (or maybe even Joe or Mike or Rocky) like: "You know you don't have to act with me, Steve. You don't have to say anything, and you don't have to do anything. Not a thing. Oh, maybe just whistle. You know how to whistle, don't you, Steve? You just put your lips together and... blow." (From "To Have and Have Not", with Lauren Bacall and Humphrey Bogart)

Cabochard is a distinctive, classy fragrance well suited to a confident woman (or man) who wants a break from floral/oriental scents. There is a definite animalic quality, but also prominent is the chypre accord of woods (balsams) and mosses, with hints of floral notes. Very bracing and deep, lovely in cool weather, and not for the faint-hearted!

This is a very interesting scent that's built on the same sort of mossy, leathery, smoky foundation as Robert Piguet Bandit and Caron Tabac Blonde. Unfortunately, for me Cabochard is too chypre, too leathery, too smoky and not well suited to my personality or skin. I feel as though I just smell like a big old leather saddle that's had a few ashtrays dumped on it. This is not a desired effect for me when I wear fragrance! But it's worth trying at least once if you get the chance - it can be devastatingly sexy on those who wear it well. And it comes in a big, heavy column of a bottle that just feels powerful and entirely self-assured, as does the fragrance. Notes include aldehydes, spices, jasmine, rose, ylang, orris, gernaium, leather, tobacco, amber, patchouli, musk, moss, vetiver and castoreum.