Miriam by Tableau de Parfums, 2011

Miriam is one of Tauer's latest essays on feminine florals. Like so many other perfumers faced with the restrictions on rose imposed by IFRA 43, Tauer sought a way to use this cherished note without running foul of the guidelines. And he's succeeded brillliantly, with Miriam. It's a gorgeous, unabashedly feminine perfume that manages to be contemporary yet evoke old-fashioned glamour too; the sort of thing I could imagine Rita Hayworth or Hedy Lamarr wearing to a premiere. There's rose, yes, and a slew of aldehydes along with bergamot, geranium, violet and ylang ylang, all evident in the first half hour. The aldehydes linger for some time, and then the predominantly floral fragrance stays quite linear for several hours, eventually drying down to a beautifully soft ambery, vanilla and sandalwood composition. Incense notes and a spiced tea accord, recognizable from Une Rose Chypree, are also evident. I couldn't detect the orris root, but I'm sure it's there, helping everything meld together. On me this fragrance lasted for seven hours, something of a record. As you can probably guess, I love it. I think anyone could wear it, for just about any occasion. It's a bold perfume, but spritzed on sparingly you could wear it to the office. And at night, it would come into its own anywhere. I don't think it's an age-specific scent, either. I could imagine a sophisticated 20-something enjoying it, but so could a 50-something person with classic tastes. Definitely worth trying if you like vintage-style perfume, and don't mind being noticed.