Parure (1975)
by Guerlain

Guerlain Parure

Parure refers to a matching set of earrings and necklace and I find that only appropriate as this 1975 creation by Jean-Paul Guerlain feels like a beautiful piece of fragrant jewelry every time I wear it. Parure is a chypre in every sense of the word but M. Guerlain also managed to add in a leather accord that takes this to a lovely animalic place at the end. The top of this starts with the classic chypre bergamot beginning but it is paired with a deep plum note which contrasts the sparkle that bergamot brings to the beginning quite nicely. The heart is a rose-dominated bouquet of florals. Rose comes forward first but it is joined by jasmine and lilac which add a touch of sweet and astringency, respectively. This kind of balance is what realy allows scents, that are a cut above, to stand out. To use other florals to subtly change and enhance the central accord that is when I know I am in the hands of a perfumer who knows their business. It is here where the leather accord comes forward and this is a strong full leather, on me. I find it similar to the leather accord in Cabochard de Gres but a little more intense. Parure finally settles down into the truly classic oakmoss dominated base that defines the chypre class. Parure has great longevity and typical sillage for a Guerlain. Parure is a complex scent that has displayed different facets to me upon every wearing and that makes it a joy to behold. If you are a lover of chypres Parure deserves to be on your list.

"Parure" means ornament, adornment, finery, often in the sense of jewelry. This is indeed sparkling and brilliant, like a ball gown or a diamond tiara. Green, citrus, and aldehyde notes in the top give the sparkle; deicate florals shimmer in the heart note; and orientals, leather, moss, and amber give depth and just enough gravitas in the base. In the drydown, this takes on a curious, cinnamic note, which has really been present all along, and just waiting its turn for the others to get out of its way in order to shine more brightly. A Jean-Paul Guerlain classic, without a doubt, worn as happily by some men as by women.

I love Parure. It has always reminded me of a more refined, smoother, and softer version of Paloma Picasso. I particularly like the plum and oakmoss combination, which is so unique in a fragrance. All in all, a really elegant scent for the discerning perfume lover.

The transformation from initial application to drydown is dramatic. It starts with that classic Guerlain mystery and brooding found in Mitsouko with the addition of what is referred to as plum (I'm not sure of this fruit note) and bergamot. Oakmoss becomes predominant joined with dark rose, wood, spices and incense. Unfortunately, on my skin the oakmoss fades and Parure becomes a fairly innocuous woody Oriental. I did discover that my clothes retain the dark Guerlain mystery and oakmoss 10 hours after application. Because of this, Parure has become a "handkerchief fragrance" for me.

Parure,
Oh, Parure…
Wherefore art thou Parure??

Parure, why did Guerlain let your grand old head roll (however outmoded , however decadent and unapologetic)??? And let that bourgeois beast Jardins de Bagatelle, run free, propagating banality and vacuity on behalf of Guerlain??!! The folly of over-correction?

What a marvelous, grand, Miss Havisham of a scent! Musty and hissing, complicated and barely still alive… yet so redolent with culture, it is painful…

Although, I experience the process of a chypre here, with a nice plumy lactone that jumps right out, I liken this more to the woddy masculines by Guerlain than to their numerous feminine chypres.
In fact, it is woody, piercing, and dry like Heritage, to me. What a great pair Parure and Heritage could have made… Alas….

Ever come across a fragrance that is very nice that, regardless of it not being remarkably gorgeous, becomes a preoccupation? Enter Parure. I came across Parure in my ongoing Guerlain sampling and for whatever reason I am smitten. When discussing classic chypres, Parure is unfairly overlooked and deserves to mentioned along with Givenchy III as one of the best.

Parure starts off with a bright, cheery bergamot note deepened by plum and a mix of florals. The top/mid fruit/florals are rich and create a wonderful aroma around the wearer. The base appears soon - a little to soon - and quickly one of the richer oakmoss bases I've ever smelled takes over. Most of Parure's life is it's oakmoss/woody base, which in some ways is interesting because most chypre EdTs are usually faded out by the time the base presents itself.

I recently acquired a small amount of Parure extrait. I'm so glad I did, even though there is only enough to wear more than 1-2 times, because I was able to experience a deeper, richer presentation of it's fruit/floral heart. The fruit/florals mix with the oakmoss as the extrait slowly lingers it's way to the base, and it is during this transition from heart to base that Parure is as it's most gorgeous.

Parure has been discontinued as of this writing for about two years, but bottles still appear occasionally here and there. I'm on the hunt. For those of us interested in Guerlain's 'bottle history', Parure has a couple interesting notes. First, there is the wild, vintage 'wavy stopper bottle' described in Mr.Guerlain's review in which the stopper nearly dwarves the bottle. My extrait is in a mini-version of this bottle. There was also a version that came in an art-deco style 'upside down pyramid' style bottle (I'm not sure what else to call it) and boxed in a funky orange/yellow geometric 70s-style pattern printed on the box.