1826 by Histoire de Parfums, 2001

I dabbed this on before watching the first episide of season 4 of the Tudors, so pardon my references. This is the episode where Kathryn Howard comes to court as Queen, and we the viewers get to see lots of bedroom activity.

Now I paid attention to this era in history class, so i know that King Henry was a fat old diabetic with an ulcer that stunk up the entire castle. I also know these folks didn't bathe, so how on earth where they able to 'get romantic'?

With this I approach 1826. Yes, it's a few centuries later, but the concept is still there. This is what I imagine those bodices smelled like, and I don't say that with a nod of praise. There is the strong musky note, aka the perspiration- saturated linen undergarment. This is covered up by frequent visits to the powder room, where a handful of white florals are smashed and rubbed all over the bosom. Picture yourself standing in one of those big rooms on a hot summers night; the windows are open to let in a stale breeze, and everyone is fanning their body odor about with a feathered fan scented with incense and patchouli taken from the peasant's church.

Sound good? Then give this a try. Sound like it would rub your bodice the wrong way? Then move on.

The notes I have for 1826 are somewhat different than those posted in the review, below. These are the notes on the new bottle (pardon my bad French):

Top: Bergamot, Mandarin
Mid: White Flowers, Violette, 'Gingerbre', 'Cannelle'
Base: Patchouli, Amber, Incense, 'Bois Blondes', White Musk, Vanilla

As I've worked my way through the Histoires line, I've come to realize that the published notes are only indicative of what you'll actually experience, and they do not represent the actual order in which you will smell them. The Noir Patchouli should really be called 'Noir Rose' because the patchouli topnotes are fleeting and it's all about the rose. People should not think these are historical recreations - rather, this line has chosen historical figures as catchy associations with their fragrances (the way Etat Libre has done with sexual innuendos).

1826 would have been more appropriate to have patchouli in the name, because although it's a published basenote, it's a primary note to the fragrance structure and is apparent from top to base. The top is a pretty - but not delicate - citrus tempered with rose and other florals. Patchouli makes an entrance fairly quickly after the opening and becomes more prominent as the fragrance progresses. Patchouli is joined by what I believe to be violet (or other slightly pungent florals) in the heart. I like the composition's balance - it is never too sweet, too floral, or too citrusy, yet there is a brightness that highlights all of these aspects.

Unfortunately, by the time the base establishes itself (3 hours), the fragrance has run out of steam. There is a musky patchouli, rose, and some mild woody notes poking through, but it fades quickly from this point. I get none of the amber, incense, or vanilla per the published notes, though perhaps they are simply part of the composition and not distinct. The longevity is surprisingly short compared to 1969 Parfum de Revolte and 1740 Marquis de Sade, which both lasted 12 hours or more on my skin.

Even with the average longevity 1826 is a fun fragrance - if I had to categorize I'd say it's a 'patchouli/citrus/floral'. Good stuff.