George Sand (200)
by Les Parfums Historiques

If you're familiar with the character of George Sand you'll probably realize that this composition by JF Laporte is a real homage to an unconventional lady, responsible of memorable novels as well as being one of the first women to fight for women's rights. Uncompromising yet classic, resolute yet romantic and absolutely unforgettable. And that's exactly how this perfume smells.

A dark opening with a threatening patchouli note joined by rose and contrasted by a strident - yet barely perceptible - bitter citrus. Scary, mysterious but absolutely compelling and somehow familiar. It quickly turns to a very classic sandalwood / patchouli / musk drydown of rare perfection. An incredibly solid composition that's classic in the structure but masterfully orchestrated to perfectly pay homage to one of the most controverisal writer/personality of the '800.

29th May, 2011.

Gorgeous, warm, spicy. High quality.
Smells like Scherrer 2 done with even more quality ingredients and feels deeply rooted in the fine history of la grande parfumerie francaise. If you are looking for an alternative to Scherrer 2 (or even to Coco by Chanel) - this one could be an ideal option.

31st December, 2010.

V.S. Pritchett called George Sand a 'thinking bosom that overpowered her young lovers.' With that in mind, I spritzed her namesake on my own bosom and went about my day looking for young, impressionable men. (none were to be found)

The notes here should be unsurprising. I read that Sandalwood is similar to the human pheromone alpha androsterone, and is considered an aphrodisiac. The same for Patchouli, which is used as an anointing oil in Tantric sexual rituals. Bergamot is second to lavendar in its ability to relax brain waves, and rose also acts to calm nervous tension.

Whew. With all that going on, just what sort of life did this woman lead? Who cares. I like the scent. I can't give an unbiased review because these are my favorites notes, and here they are mixed scandalously well.

It does open with the middle act, or, I don't detect a citrus opening. You can tell its there, though, because the heavy woody base has an edgy, sharp spin to it. This is going on my bosom's 'consider buying' list (and why not?)

9th May, 2010.

The first time I tried this, I completely missed the patchouli note--and I'm a great lover of patchouli. I had made this same mistake with Estee Lauder Knowing, a longtime personal favorite, but for a different reason. With Knowing, the patchouli was covered in honeyed roses. But with George Sand, I just didn't apply enough perfume. I revisited this fragrance and put lots on, and found a dark, harsh heart of pathouli, and there is no excuse for a hard heart in my opinion. It's still an interesting perfume, but I must downgrade my first impression.

17th June, 2008. (Last Edited: 20th July, 2008.)

I don’t get the citrus of the opening because the darker notes from the lower levels of the pyramid rise into the opening immediately and drown the citrus out. George Sand opens deep, rich, and a bit dark. In the first several minutes I seem to find a strong element of animalism in the mixture: This is probably the result of the way the patchouli is presented, but I wouldn’t be surprised by an inclusion of civet. Whatever… I really like this part of the fragrance, as well as the remainder. I do love the depth and richness of the opening and the heart accords. I don’t find the fragrance really “dark” per se. It’s just rich, mature, and fulfilling. I believe that, while the patchouli and sandalwood are responsible for the depth and shadowy feeling that dominate, the middle notes of rose and amber combine to round out, balance, and refine the patchouli / sandalwood accord to a beautiful degree. This fragrance drips with sophistication. The dry down is a spicy / ambery / sandalwood treat, quite classic and very well made. It surprises me that it is now offered through MPG – or is it still Les Parfumes Historiques? – because it seems more classic and traditional that the usual run of MPG fragrances. I don’t see much of a relationship to Opium, but I can agree with the comparison to Bal a Versailles. It is labeled as a feminine fragrance, but, just like its George Sand persona, it can go both way. Personally I’m a sucker for well-made, classically styled Orientals, and that’s exactly what George Sand EDP is: excellent and well-made and beautiful.

10th May, 2008.

I once smelled this one on a paper strip I believe. I can't distinctly remember what it smelled like, but I have a vague memory of it resembling Baldessarini Concentree. And that one is one of my absolute favourites. If possible I would like to revisit this one again someday. It was quite unisex with lots of woods in it. For now I am going to give it a thumbs up.
benb

2nd March, 2007.