Sheherazade by Jean Desprez, 1983

I wore this perfume when I got married in 1986. It is a sublimely feminine fragrance.

I have an unmarked sample, so it may be an EDT. The opening is a kind of sweet waxy note that for some reason I associate with the 70's. It may be an aldehyde/carnation thing. I don't experience this as sultry...a bit stodgy I feel. A tweak of citrus is in the mix, or is it rosewood? Rosewood has that kind high sharpness as well. Then moss plus vanilla. It's a murky ol' thing. Carnation powder.

I wore this one in the mid to late 80's. I first bought it in Harrods in 1983 just after it was launched, and then re-bought it in Coral Gables, Florida (at a perfume shop on Miracle Mile) in 1989. I loved it. It was both chypre and powdery, making it very, very distinctive and terribly elegant. The bottle was exquisite, too.

So I have to ask: "Why, oh why, was Sheherazade discontinued?"

Please bring it back!!

A soapy aldehydic slap in the face followed by a soothing fresh chypre accord (citrus, labdanum, moss--but none too noticeable individually) and a spicy carnation heart. The drydown is a powdery oriental vanilla. Quite invigorating, lovely, and unique!

Here's what The Perfumed Court has to say:

"Sheherazade Parfum by jean Desprez is a stunningly sultry fragrance classified as an aldehydic chypre that is impossible to find. Top notes ofAldehydic, Bergamont, and Rosewood Middle notes of Rose, Carnation, Jasmin, Ylang Ylang, Orris, and Cassia. Base notes of with notes of.... Vanilla, Sandalwood, Benzoin and Opoponax creating a powdery sweet sensation"