Les Elixirs Charnels - Chypre Fatal (2008)
by Guerlain

Utterly fantastic - Chypre Fatale has been my most recent obsession after sampling it, and I consider myself lucky to have secured 20ml for my library. This is my favorite of the three 'Les Elixirs' and the most unique and dynamic of the three. What I also like about it is that I actually get all three stages of development distinctly, and the longevity is long enough such that you can enjoy the base as more than a bare skin scent.

CF starts of with a vibrant peach accord made sharp with the addition of rose. One can also detect the chypre bergamot/oakmoss structure and the 'fuzziness' that comes with it. But the star is the strength of the peach, which intertwines with the other notes all the way to the base. The peach/rose accord lasts about 90 minutes, at which point a sweet patchouli heart emerges. Not any sort of earthy patchouli, but rather a vanilla/rose patchouli reminiscent of of Juliette Has a Gun Citizen Queen. There are twinges of peach noticeable around the edges of the patchouli. An odd thing then happens on my skin, which is that the fragrance fades to almost nothing and basically disappears. I thought that was it, but noticed soon after a distinct mossy and earthy base emerges and holds onto my skin for quite a while, until this too fades out. At first I thought that I was perhaps smelling something else (a fragrance I hadn't washed off completely? Did I spray something on and forget I did?), but this happened with three different wearings.

This isn't a fruity chypre in the classical Mitsouko, Diorella, or Givenchy III tradition. It's much more a peach/patchouli fragrance that clings to an underlying chypre structure. It's unlike any other Guerlain I've experienced, except for the high quality. I easily got 8 hours from each wear with an average application. This was released last month at the time of writing, and the few bottles available through high-end 'lifestyle' retailers are long gone. It's only available through Guerlain now, and I assume not for long. If you're reading this and don't like your bottle, just let me know....

I had really hoped that Chypre Fatal might be the fragrance to counteract my cursed luck in finding a Guerlain to love. Alas, it was not to be. I am a huge fan of dry chypre perfumes (Chanel's 31 Rue Cambon, Hermes' Caleche, Piguet's Bandit and YSL's Y are some of my all-time favorites) and I especially adore Caleche's mossy, almost citrus/astringent quality. However, Guerlain's Chypre Fatal has that sweet-ish Guerlain base that I find so sugary and cloying that it really takes away the pleasure of smelling the chypre notes. As the fragrance settles down to its basenotes, it acquires a non-descript "perfumey" smell that is just kind of average, department-storeish, etc... Ho hum. If I am going to veer towards the land of sweet chypres, I would much prefer to do so in the competent arms of YSL Yvresse or Dior's Diorama.

Here are the notes for Chypre Fatal, courtesy of The Perfumed Court: White Peach, Rose, Patchouli & Vanilla.