Cabaret (2003)
by Grès

Cabaret strikes me as a fragrance that's not quite yet been made; a pleasant accord that doesn't lead anywhere, but doesn't have enough character and interest to stand up on its own as a "minimalist" fragrance.

All in all, it's just too simple for my tastes - a slightly tart, slightly fruity, slightly powdery take on rose that's quiet and soft and totally linear.

It's weak on sillage, and only middling on longevity.

A little girl in pink skips by a rose bush. The End.

Only the briefest of sweet citrus and bergamot top notes introduce Cabaret’s star player: a rich and relatively dry woody rose accord of superb balance and proportion. Imagine a less animalic Amouage Lyric for Women or a Parfum Sacré minus the incense, and you’ll be closing in on Cabaret’s location on the olfactory map. Cabaret is drier, softer, and more subtle than either of those big rose scents, and also less complicated in its structure. Its clean, clear rose and wood accord persists quietly for several hours before fading into a soft cedar and musk drydown. If you’ve been turned off by the big, blousy rose scents of the 1980s, you may find Cabaret’s gentle eloquence especially refreshing.

While by no means a bright scent, Cabaret is possessed of a peculiar translucency, a certain lightness on its feet, and an elegant poise not often encountered in rose-dominated fragrances. It’s not groundbreaking, but it’s very well put together, versatile, and gratifying to wear. It’s also sufficiently soft-spoken to work as a scent for men who find the Montale oudhs, Lyric for Men, and Czech & Speake No. 88 too heavy in their interpretation of the woods and rose theme.

This is my favorite Gres scent. While I remain unimpressed with Cabochard and Homme de Gres, Cabaret is surprisingly much more wearable with a more appealing palettes of colors in its notes. When you look at the gaudy bottle, you may not want to take it seriously. That would be your lost. A sweet and wonderfully delicate unisex scent, it deserves to be better known. I don't how many stars Turin gave this juice. For me, it's a well-deserved 4-stars.

Beautiful, and so incredibly easy to wear. It combines several of my very favorite notes (wood, patch, incense) with soft florals. This scent is my choice whenever I just cant decide. It's lovely in any season and for any occasion, and I have never once regretted spritzing this one (as I sometimes do when I make the "wrong" choice for a day/season/occasion/mood). I'm having a hard time describing my feelings about it without making it sound mediocre, but the REASON I love this so much is that it's neither too much nor too little. It smells wonderful without making a loud statement or attracting undue attention. It is complex and deep, while somehow simultaneously being sheer and light. It's the sort of scent you'd choose when you want people to pay attention to you and not your fragrance. I hope Ive succeeded in conveying the right impression here. I'll close by saying that of literally hundreds and hundreds of scents tested by me, Cabaret is solidly in my top 10.

The name conjures images of Joel Grey in campy makeup and the bottle says the circus has come to town. Hence some initial hesitation. Once I repressed these associations, however, I actually tried a sample and was smitten. Cabaret balances equal parts freshness and depth, making it a perfect fall scent. I get compliments from men and women when I wear it, and I find myself looking around to find the source of that beautiful scent. Why, it’s me! I use it sparingly, as it is strong and lasting. I thought I could never wear rose, but in gentle doses, Cabaret has become one of my favorite fragrances. If, like me, you have had a sample in a drawer for some time, I urge you to forgive the name, ignore yellow and red Barnum and Bailey packaging, and live with Cabaret for the day. You may be pleasantly surprised!

This was the first perfume from Gres that I tried. It smelled very rose-y and I found it kind of off-putting as sniffed from the bottle, but this is one that definitely must be tried on the body for the full effect. The incense and peony notes really blossom on my skin and nicely balance the rose. Very beautiful and feminine perfume and very well-crafted, considering the affordability. I even like the red and gold bottle.