Explosions d’Emotions : Rappelle-Toi (2014)
by L'Artisan Parfumeur

A lovely opening with gin and Sichuan pepper. The gin is not very boozy and quite light and without a lot of juniper - this not a typical London Dry gin, but with its inherent sweetness and berry aroma it reminds me more of the characteristics of a Chase Sloe Gin. The pepper is not that strong, and mixes very well with the gin note.

The drydown adds a floral impression - gardenia with whiffs of a green jasmine are added to the top notes.

The base added a sweet - not very sweet though - honeyed cedar impression, which is tailed by white musks towards the end.

I got moderate sillage, good projection, and five hours of longevity on my skin.

This autumn scent’s most impressive part is the initial phase, where with a couple of notes a fairly unique effect is achieved - sometimes a few simple brushstrokes can be as creative as a whole mixture of a whole palette of colours. The rest is a bit more generic, but it is crafted well. At the border between mid-level and a positive score, one gives it the benefit of the doubt. 3/5.

Opening of honey and gin, wonderful and delicious. The Sichuan pepper note threw me off at first as I wasn't expecting it. It's faint but definitely there and oddly works with the perfume as a whole. Soft gardenia rounds it out and this perfume turns into a slightly hot/spicy floral. Excellent ending of musk and more even more honey.

I smelled Rappelle-toi on paper, in a shop full of l’Artisan Parfumeur fragrances, and it didn’t strike me as the others. I remember I said:’oh, it’s quite good, for a floral’, but I’m not a huge floral fan and I got overwhelmed by all the other original fragrances from the house. I should smell it again with a little bit more attention, but I know it deserves a positive rating.

I consider myself an adventurous sniffer. There's practically nothing that I'd pass up on sniffing, should you place a bottle, sample, or tester strip in front of me. When I hear "tropical floral" however, I involuntarily make an eww face and I've the urge to pass. My opinions on most tropical florals are usually one of three things:

1) Hackneyed, boring
2) Pretty gross
3) Both

Despite the fact that I used to slurp down Hawaiian Punch by the gallon as a kid, I don't like sugary drinks and I definitely don't want to smell like one. Adding gardenia or jasmine or tuberose or mimosa to fruit punch makes it even less appealing, despite those flowers' abilities to produce beautiful soliflores.

Rappelle-Toi, for whatever reason, simply works. I think this smells great. To me it reads as a simple concoction of jasmine and gardenia notes with a backbone of white musk and a touch of incense, with very brief aromatic citrus top notes. It's modestly sweet, although it doesn't read as the listed honey note, just more of a "sweet floral" accord. It possesses an charming sense of tropical exoticism that I enjoy.

Not too heavy, not at all cloying, and somehow rather distinctive smelling, despite the rather common structure.

Off the top of my head (and I'm probably forgetting a couple) I can only think only one other "tropical floral" that I enjoy - Dusita's Mélodie de L'Amour. The Dusita is much more full-bodied and decidedly more exotic/classy, but they scratch a similar, very specific itch for me, and I can't help but enjoy them. Nicely done.

This is my favorite of the entire Explosions d'Emotion series. I do love gardenia, and this is a wonderful take on a flower that has to be imagined entirely by the perfumer. The sichuan pepper makes an unusual partner, and it works. There is a honey note but it's very sheer, never cloying. Incense and musk reveal themselves in the drydown. I didn't pick up on the gin note, which is good, because I don't want to smell like someone splashed their drink on me. Longevity is at least 8 hours, sillage is moderate. This is a cheerful, yet quiet gardenia with a few fun quirks. Really lovely.