Well, I've fallen in love with another tuberose fragrance - Serge Lutens' Tubéreuse Criminelle. I've given it two full wearings, and will likely use up my tiny decant on a third wearing tomorrow.
After the dreadful disappointment that was Fracas, I wasn't particularly drawn to Tubéreuse Criminelle when the sample set arrived; I was more excited about La Myrrhe and Muscs Koublaï Khän, neither of which turned out to be really "me" fragrances.
The top notes are lovely. I really don't smell the whole gasoline rubber camphor menthol nails-on-chalkboard note many smell in this. There is a lively, cooling sharpness that modifies the floral bent of this fragrance - wintergreen, to my nose, though not just wintergreen.
When I first applied this the top notes faded quite quickly; fifteen minutes or so. In the second wearing a heavier application resulted in them lasting much longer; around two hour hours.
Though the tuberose is always present, as the the top notes give up the ghost the tuberose really comes into its own.
I find it interesting to compare this with Malle's Carnal Flower. Before Tubéreuse Criminelle entered my life Carnal Flower was the tuberose in my life, and the only one that could truly satisfy my tuberose hunger. Confronted with Tubéreuse Criminelle I had to ask myself - how could something that smells so different from Carnal Flower smell equally, if not more, like the real thing?
I think a few fellow of my fellow Basenoters - purplebird7 and Mike Perez come to mind - are on to something when they talk about real tuberose being rubbery. I don't smell tuberose or tuberose absolute that way but there is a certain something about tuberose; a richness; a heaviness; a hidden depth. Something that adds almost an animal element to an entirely botanical scent, and something that Tubéreuse Criminelle emphasizes in a way that makes it smell almost more real than the living flower.
The tuberose in Carnal Flower is the fragrance of tuberose carried on the evening breeze; the tuberose Tubéreuse Criminelle is a bouquet of tuberose blossoms inhaled deeply.
I love both, but where as Carnal Flower is an experience I'll always cherish, Tubéreuse Criminelle worked its way into my psyche on first wearing in a way that doesn't really compare - Tubéreuse Criminelle IS me, somehow. It's like putting on a warm coat I've always worn and loved as well as it being an artistic experience in itself.
The drydown is dominated by the tuberose note I just elaborated in detail upon, but there are subtle modifications and a distinct vanillic base with spices whispering faintly to one side. The notes are listed as "tuberose, orange blossom, hyacinth, jasmine, musk, vanilla, styrax, nutmeg and clove", but other than tuberose, vanilla and the not-listed wintergreen, I wouldn't be able to identify what's in Tubéreuse Criminelle. I'm glad to see my friend clove is in there - I can't pick clove out here, but the presence of clove often endears me to a fragrance.
The sillage is good - I was trailing clouds of tuberosy goodness
- and the longevity is excellent; a twenty-four-hour fragrance. Another thing I appreciate is that this always smells like tuberose from beginning to end, instead of becoming more of a jasmine fragrance in the base as some tuberose soliflores are wont to do.
Can a man wear this? If he's comfortable smelling like tuberoses, why not? If you love white florals, go and sample this. Of course, this being Basenotes, our white floral lovers have probably all discovered this wonderful tuberose fragrance long before me.
My large decant is on its way here.
After the dreadful disappointment that was Fracas, I wasn't particularly drawn to Tubéreuse Criminelle when the sample set arrived; I was more excited about La Myrrhe and Muscs Koublaï Khän, neither of which turned out to be really "me" fragrances.
The top notes are lovely. I really don't smell the whole gasoline rubber camphor menthol nails-on-chalkboard note many smell in this. There is a lively, cooling sharpness that modifies the floral bent of this fragrance - wintergreen, to my nose, though not just wintergreen.
When I first applied this the top notes faded quite quickly; fifteen minutes or so. In the second wearing a heavier application resulted in them lasting much longer; around two hour hours.
Though the tuberose is always present, as the the top notes give up the ghost the tuberose really comes into its own.
I find it interesting to compare this with Malle's Carnal Flower. Before Tubéreuse Criminelle entered my life Carnal Flower was the tuberose in my life, and the only one that could truly satisfy my tuberose hunger. Confronted with Tubéreuse Criminelle I had to ask myself - how could something that smells so different from Carnal Flower smell equally, if not more, like the real thing?
I think a few fellow of my fellow Basenoters - purplebird7 and Mike Perez come to mind - are on to something when they talk about real tuberose being rubbery. I don't smell tuberose or tuberose absolute that way but there is a certain something about tuberose; a richness; a heaviness; a hidden depth. Something that adds almost an animal element to an entirely botanical scent, and something that Tubéreuse Criminelle emphasizes in a way that makes it smell almost more real than the living flower.
The tuberose in Carnal Flower is the fragrance of tuberose carried on the evening breeze; the tuberose Tubéreuse Criminelle is a bouquet of tuberose blossoms inhaled deeply.
I love both, but where as Carnal Flower is an experience I'll always cherish, Tubéreuse Criminelle worked its way into my psyche on first wearing in a way that doesn't really compare - Tubéreuse Criminelle IS me, somehow. It's like putting on a warm coat I've always worn and loved as well as it being an artistic experience in itself.
The drydown is dominated by the tuberose note I just elaborated in detail upon, but there are subtle modifications and a distinct vanillic base with spices whispering faintly to one side. The notes are listed as "tuberose, orange blossom, hyacinth, jasmine, musk, vanilla, styrax, nutmeg and clove", but other than tuberose, vanilla and the not-listed wintergreen, I wouldn't be able to identify what's in Tubéreuse Criminelle. I'm glad to see my friend clove is in there - I can't pick clove out here, but the presence of clove often endears me to a fragrance.
The sillage is good - I was trailing clouds of tuberosy goodness
- and the longevity is excellent; a twenty-four-hour fragrance. Another thing I appreciate is that this always smells like tuberose from beginning to end, instead of becoming more of a jasmine fragrance in the base as some tuberose soliflores are wont to do.Can a man wear this? If he's comfortable smelling like tuberoses, why not? If you love white florals, go and sample this. Of course, this being Basenotes, our white floral lovers have probably all discovered this wonderful tuberose fragrance long before me.
My large decant is on its way here.
