Reviews of Songes (2006)
by Annick Goutal

As others have mentioned, there’s something unoriginal about this composition – it reminds me of various fragrances all at once. Still, it would have been a pleasant vanilla based scent if the frangipani note wasn’t so dominant – so much that I found the entire composition quite off-putting.

Tovah sent me a decant of Songes a while back, and I get exactly the same overwhelming chemically note of rubber tire. So weird because people rave over this stuff. On me Songes is noxious. This is the first AG I've tried that I really dislike.

To me this smells like a relative of Trouble by Boucheron. It is also distant cousin to Fracas, L'Instant de Guerlain, and Hypnotic Poison. It is not very unique in my opinion. Additionally, the strong frangipani note gives me a sinus headache.

This began as Jungle L'Elephant without the spice, and it was very pleasant indeed. (Elephant is one of my staples.) But after an hour or so, I too got the mothball note. I think this is one that must be tested on skin prior to purchase.

AG Songes today and I've been wearing Songes since this morning. I am disappointed in it,(actually, I hate it). At first it smelled like a very, very close relation to Carnal Flower, and I got excited, but as it warmed on my skin a bit, it smelled like oakey Chardonnay. As it's dried down, it has the distinct smell of Moth Balls with a rather oppressive note of rubber tire. This is not the unusual camphor note present in Carnal Flower, which is rather hypnotic. This is definitely Moth Balls, straight from a mildewy closet in an old house, and rubber tire goo emanating from a car that skidded on a hot, newly paved road (must be the chemical present in jasmine and asphalt). I don't like to smell like Moth Balls and rubber tire, and I wish this stuff would wash off easily. It's got great lasting power...

The relief I feel is that in spite of my love of the beautiful bottle, I definitely don't want to buy this fragrance. But, of course, I'm sad, because I had high expectations for it. I hate that my body chemistry makes an unpleasant odor out of what is probably an amazing perfume.