Fracas (1948)
by Robert Piguet

Two salient facts regarding Fracas:

1.) It’s beautiful.

2.) It can knock down a charging bull elephant at 100 yards.

If you can wear it, more power to you. Most women I smell it on apply far, far too much, which is to say more than one spray. Please, for the love of god, keep it light ladies. Upon overexposure, Fracas becomes extremely tiresome.

Also be aware that Fracas is one of the two most instantly recognizable perfumes of all time. (Chanel No. 5 is the other.) People will say to themselves “Oh, she’s wearing Fracas.” If that thought bothers you, consider another tuberose.

As an aside: I am a man. I wear tuberose. I wear Carnal Flower. I wear Tubéreuse Criminelle. I will not wear Fracas.

I wore this in the early 70s. It is sweet, but there is something about it. I would recommend this to anyone who likes a flowery perfume. Also, I find the Vintage formula doesnt have that light burning smell like the new stuff has. But they tell me it has not been reformulated. So....maybe they can't use the exact ingredients in it like the old days. Didnt they use to use whale blubber??

There's a trick to wearing this beautiful scent, and that is to use very little. Just as I wouldn't set my stereo speakers in the windows and blast the whole neighborhood every time I wanted to hear a bit of Wagner, so it is with Fracas. Those who own the eau de parfum in the spray bottle, you may want to consider spraying one small spray into the cap, then using your finger to daub just a bit on.

The scent is different to me depending on how much I'm wearing. When I wore Fracas as I would any other fragrance---by spraying it directly onto the skin---my main impression was that of jonquil. Now I detect more tuberose and the experience is delightful.

I cannot get my arms around Fracas. It's way too big for me to handle! I have never smelled a bigger floral in my life. After the initial blast of varnish, I get a big whiff of gardenia.And then there is the tuberose which goes on forever! I am bowled over, literally, by this fragrance. This ode to flowers which went into wristlets of my youth seems a bit old fashioned. But I do understand why it creates a Fracas!

I bought Fracas for the first time and found I needed at least two sprays and after 30 mins. found I loved it. Fracas is somewhat oriental and somewhat naughty. It is certainly a fragrance that I am pleased I bought. It will never be my favoroute but will make me smile until I finish the bottle.

Ah, Fracas - its reputation precedes it! Yes, everything you've heard is true. It's big, it's showy, it's loud. It's a tuberose that oozes luxury and good living, and yes, it's as subtle as a hand grenade at a baby shower.

I was initially put off by Fracas' top notes - too bright and aldehydic, retro, and perhaps a bit girly. However, after numerous wearings, I've grown to love it, especially in the drydown. Give this one a chance to bloom on your skin before judging. The tuberose note is crisp and clean, and is a somewhat abstract rendering of the flower, more of the opera house than the garden. There is a distinct spiciness to the blend, a faint soapiness, and a generally cool and "airy" vibe heightened by the more soft spoken florals that halo the tuberose. Muguet? Gardenia? Perhaps, but Fracas is a very seamless creation, and its hard to pick out its facets amid the white floral sheen.

The longevity and sillage are very good on both counts, but if you can wear other loud florals, there shouldn't be a problem.