Quelques Fleurs Royale (2004)
by Houbigant

Without expectations, this juice hit my wrists and boy oh boy it's a nice suprise! I am amazed at how the modern re-working of a 90 year old fragrance is so pleasing! The name for this long delayed flanker is perfect too. Quelques Fleurs Royale is an orris powdery floral that really enhances the rose/jasmine heart. Topped with citrus & bergamot, QFR grabs onto the possiblity of a masculine floral...I don't get too much indole, if any, and the musky base is a perfect ending. Undoubtedly worthy of a test run!

Not having a lot of experience with florals it's hard to compare it to its peers, but I also noted some similarities to YSL L'Homme at the heart of the fragrance. In a direct comparison QFR makes L'Homme smell like a cheap knockoff (if you don't happen to already think of it that way), possessing a certain depth and quality of ingredients that L'Homme seems to lack.

On a personal level, Quelques Fleurs Royale opened my eyes to the idea of wearing gender-ambiguous and gender-mismatched fragrances. As others have noted, this is clearly a feminine offering but it works very well on men, too, and for that alone I think it's pretty noteworthy. Wear this with confidence amongst forward-thinking crowds and it will pay off nicely.

This is by far the best of the Quleques Fleur. Not old lady like the Original and not too dark and depressing as the Violettes. Royale is feminine, strong, yet soft, just beautiful. It is timeless.

I obtained two 2-ml sample vials of this, and was all set to enjoy them. I tried a light application one evening and found the fresh citrusy opening pleasant (I get no currant notes), and the heart elegantly floral and feminine in that "French Perfume" sort of way. I dabbed some on the next morning before heading to work, and although I was wearing ponte' knit trousers and a sweater, felt as chic and elegant as a French woman in a chignon, a fitted suit and stilettos, tapping down l'avenue.

And then the indoles hit me. As I was pulling into the parking lot at work, it was suddenly as if this elegant French woman had taken off the silk thong panties she'd been wearing for a week and hung them from my rear view mirror! Ack! I rushed right into the bathroom and used the grit soap to wash my wrists. That calmed it down enough for me to tolerate.

Later, the drydown became the most exquisitely enjoyable I have ever experienced. Orris, amber, wood, and musk: sooooo wonderful. I didn't want to stop sniffing my wrists. However, I'm not sure I can endure the indolic jasmine heart just to reach the drydown, so I won't be purchasing this.

A lush and very full floral with rose leading the way. Sweet but not sweet, and not overtly feminine such that a guy couldn't wear it. This is reminiscent of how a full mixed bouquet of flowers smell. Add a touch of liqueur in the background for texture and you've got QFR. Very pretty, very nice. No offense intended to SirSlarty, but I don't get the L'Homme comparison at all.

I really love this one. Yes, it's officially a womens' fragrance, but the rose and flowers are tempered with woods and musks, and the lasting note is a sweet, buttery amber. It's extremely sweet, but in a masculine way, largely thanks to the bergamot.

From their description:

• Fresh, sparkling top notes of Sicilian bergamot and grapefruit.
• Heart notes of Egyptian jasmine, Moroccan rose, and Indian tuberose warmed by hints of white acacia honey.
• Intense base notes of precious amber, sandalwood, orris, and white musks.

To me, this is a really intricate, evolving scent, the type of which normally goes over really well with the people on this site. Honestly, if this were a L'Artisan Parfumeur or a Commes des Garcons, this would have over a dozen reviews, but it seems to be languishing in its own obscurity at the moment...