Orchidée Blanc (1985)
by L'Artisan Parfumeur

The name Orchidee Blanc is slightly deceptive in that you'd think it's another white floral. Personally I was expecting it to be something like a precursor to La Chase Aux Papillions. Totally, utterly incorrect. In a marketplace crowded with florals and florientals, OB is a distinguished and unique fragrance. OB is an explosion of different floral notes, all held together with a very lactnoic, creamy background. I'm not particularly adept at identifying specific florals, but there's definitely quite a bit of iris, violet, jasmine, gardenia and lily. The blended florals themselves mix with creamy/honeyed vanilla and a touch of amber. I'm not sophisticated enough to accurately describe it's development, but I can report that the creaminess lasts throughout the composition and that it does become lightly woody as it progresses to its base. For being such a full floriental you'd think that OB would be heavy or cluttered, but the genius of the fragrance is that it's remarkably straightforward and totally easy to wear.

Sadly Orchidee Blanc is both long discontinued and seemingly forgotten. I was lucky enough to have a friend who owned a bottle and introduced me to it. I was even luckier when my friend decided she no longer wanted her bottle. If you happen to be reading this review because you've seen a bottle for sale and you're reading up on it to see if it's worth buying, take my advice and just buy it.

11th September, 2009.

I agree with chalchic, it is not a love at first sight scent. you might try it and get away thinking this was a no no.too powdery,too heavy, almost breathtakingliy retro.
And then you head away on your shopping tour and in the meantime OB does a little wonder on your skin. At once it hits you and you stop thinking,wow where does this subtle ,yet intense elegant nosecharmer come from? And automatically start looking for a tall classic beauty in white fur and pearls and realize, this is you evaporating this unique fragrance.
It first seems to get one of those heavy ,earthy scents and then it surprises you, throwing off the earthyness, maintaining the wet intense exotic of the white orchid, showing you with nonchalance that you should never gudge this lady at first smell

11th October, 2006.

simply wonderful ,there are no words to express such a holygrail for any perfumes lover

3rd August, 2006.

Calchic's got this one covered 100%! For me, the topnotes come off a little soapy...the drydown however is soooooo very pleasant. Do give it a chance, an extremely unique and well done (not overdone) scent!

5th June, 2006.

I'm proud to be one of the residue owners of his amazing fragrance. Even more so given the fact that it is desined to be relegated to oblivion. It is a classic, in a way old-fashoned, yet distinct and modern. I wear it for very special occasions hopelessly hoping to renew is lease of life. Whenever I see and orchid, irrespective of the colour it flaunts, in my eyes it is White.

27th May, 2006.

Once you fall in love with this scent, prepare to love if for life. I was not so wild about it at first; the iris in it is heady, powdery and yet a tiny bit sharp and also very gently earthy, like the ground as it smells when thawing out in spring. But I soon learned this was part of its charm, particularly in the way it interacts with the light drizzle of honey and softly sweet vanilla and jasmine. This smells a bit retro, as if it's stepped into the 21st century from another time. Perhaps the 1940s - sometimes it reminds me of a lady's face powder from that time, something tinted very lightly pink. If you try this, be patient with it; many people are turned off of it at first and dismiss it because it's such an unusual composition, but treat it gently and let it grow into itself before you decide.

1st October, 2005.