Camélia Chinois (1997)
by Maître Parfumeur et Gantier

This is the kind of aldehydic, soapy, floral scent that I usually don’t enjoy, either on myself or on anybody else. It’s made more interesting to me, though, by very cool, sharp green notes that come to the fore as the aldehydes retreat. In the true Maitre Parfumeur et Gantier manner, Camelia Chinois’s green notes are aggressive, uncompromising, and unadulterated, and as with Route du Vetiver and Parfum d’Habit, this stance lifts the fragrance to a level of distinction rare among its type.

As Eau de Camelia Chinois develops it becomes less and less powdery and much more green. The floral notes are crisp and dry, traits that are accentuated by an accent of green tea. By the time this scent has settled into its heart the fresh florals and herbaceous greens have melded into a seamless accord that persists for at least four hours. The projection is moderate and the sillage fairly light, so that unlike aldehydic florals in the Chanel mode you won’t be clubbing down passersby with your scent if you apply too much.

On paper, Eau de Camelia Chinois has a delicate but bright floral and light exotic fruit ambiance; unfortunately, this is not what I get when it’s worn. No, on the skin this is not an “Eau de”… This one is too heavy, too soapy, too over-the-top, and all of these “too’s” are going on too long. Eau de Camelia Chinois hits my skin and becomes this basil soapy monster, except that there is some little smell deep down inside it that is totally disgusting. Soon the fragrance morps into a urine smell. The strange thing is that I have never really gotten those urine smells in fragrances infamous for urine smells, but I get them here in this one. My nose gets quickly fatigued from smelling this. I think calchic is absolutely right – it’s a skin chemistry thing, and it surely does “things” when it hits my skin.

Overall reaction was "eh". Started pretty, and then went somewhere strange - I think calchic nailed it...

excellent fragrance, fresh but also very elegant, its definatley not "light", its a heavy-fresh if that makes any sense. so far my favourite MPG although I haven't tried very many of them

Though it's often touted as a fresh and clean fragrance, I find Eau de Camelia Chinois heavy and "off" in an odd way. There is a strong topnote of grapefruit, which can be a pungent and sour note in some cases and is here, coming up against a strong, rather bitter green tea and, at the base, a strong and somewhat bug-sprayish sandalwood. And woven in there is a basil note that lends a certain oiliness. Altogether, not my idea of fresh! I can see what the concept of the fragrance is trying to accomplish but the reality of it is difficult to wear. I once used a particular brand of hair toner (stuff you put in your hair after coloring/bleaching) that smelled much like this fragrance does, and I can't say I find that a particularly positive thing! I think personal chemistry plays a role in this particular scent, though, too, as I've met two other people on whom it smelled glorious.