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Perfume Review & Musings: Terracotta Voile d'Eté by Guerlain
Terracotta Voile d'Eté was created in 1999 by Jean-Paul Guerlain as a limited edition. Like Les Météorites by the same house and more recently Azuree by Tom Ford for Estee Lauder it is a perfume associated with a makeup line. One can thus guess that the marketing concept presiding over the launch of these perfumes is to make the perfume be apprehended as an integral part of a beauty routine: the makeup is for the face and the fragrance is for the body. In effect, these fragrances are conceived of as skin scents, evoking the intimate relationship one can develop with one's body through the mediation of scent. The powder for the face is mirrored by a fragrant powder or veil for the body. I like this concept. It puts stress on the simplicity contained in the perfuming gesture envisioned as a complementary touch of beauty rather than as the adorning of a master-piece of perfumery to be worn like a jewel. It is an especially welcome concept in the summertime. It suits me to wear this kind of relatively simple yet subtle scent as a preface to the holidays or to prepare to bottle in advance the memory of these. When I say that the fragrance is simple, it is actually more complex and rich than many scents I have smelled lately, yet it is clear at the same time that it wants to play the card of summer relaxation and enjoyment...
Terracotta Voile d'Ete did not make a strong impression on me at first until I experienced this very happy moment that perfumistas are familiar with, that is the revelation of the intrinsic beauty of a scent when your own attention has already wandered off to "better" things. In the space of your inattention, a subtle, exquisitely beautiful aroma comes to pull you by the nose, asking you to not pass quick judgements on it. It is even more complicated than that because you do not identify the source of your rapture immediatedly, thinking it's that other scent. You see, you do not remember very correctly the map of scents that you have drawn on your arms with its many rivulets, lakes, mountains, forests, and valleys. Finally, you see the light, you are able to put a name on that beautiful mysterious aroma. The perfume teaches you a lesson; you had judged by appearance (the top notes) it could only reveal its true nature to you when you knew it more completely with time (the lingering base notes.) What happens next is that, having a more complete picture of the personality of the perfume you now know that this calm appearance is just mere politeness covering an intriguing and original personality. With this new insight in mind you re-smell the perfume in a completely different manner. You know who it is and from now on you are able to tell the difference between external appearance and internal character so you smell knowing what is in the perfume and hence you are able to both experience the scent and imagine it at the same time. The end result is that you will never smell it in the same way you did the first time.
It is a beautiful, understated fragrance that smells vapid (beware of quick judgements) at first (I had previously worn Eau de Reglisse so it probably smelled meeker by comparison) but that reveals its strengh of character soon enough. Notes are vanilla, carnations, iris, and ylang-ylang. I smell all of these notes, the softness of the iris and the vanilla at first, then it becomes sexier while still showing poise as the ylang-ylang becomes more prominent. Finally, the carnations give all their meaning to this fragrance, revealing interesting asperities of character. It is a lovely carnation fragrance that turns very spicy and peppery in the drydown while keeping a softness, sweetness, and a slight powderiness to it that is truly enthralling. The beginning of the fragrance, now I realize, smells quite a bit like Carnation by Mona di Orio; there is this same slightly boozy, spicy, fermenting flower note, but much more subdued in this case. Carnation happens to contain clove and geranium in its top notes. It is a sheer fragrance as the name indicates. In the very end, it even evokes the soft pleasantness associated with the drydown of a suntan oil. Isn't it a perfect combination? It is one of my all-time favorite landscapes (with the steppe) that is, the countryside jutting out into the sea, the grass and the flowers stopping right at the beach line. I find the juxtaposition of the countryside and the ocean to be enchanting.
It is discontinued but you can still spot it at discounters. 1st perfume carries it for $22.99.
Photo is from Imagination Perfumery
Previous Posts in Perfume Review & Musings:
Perfume Review & Musings: Siberian Barber no1 by Novaya Zarya
Perfume Database Review: Online Fabulous Fragrances of the World, 24 h Access Program
Perfume Review & Musings: Innocent Summer Flash Eau Malicieuse by Thierry Mugler
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Comments
What a thoughtful and lovely review, darling!
A generous friend gave me a bottle of Terracotta Voile d'Ete a few months ago. I love its rich carnation spiciness and soft vanilla-iris drydown. And did you mention ylang-ylang? I seem to love any fragrance that has ylang-ylang in it. :)
I need to put this one on tomorrow, as I had considered it more of a spring/fall fragrance and have not tried it in warmer weather.
Hugs!
Posted by: violetnoir | July 7, 2006
It smells marvellous on my sweaty skin right now -- I hope you catch the wonderful beachy smell in the drydown.
Hugs back to you!
Posted by: Mimi | July 7, 2006
Huh. Okay, embarrassing confession: as a big Guerlain fan, I remember reading this panned somewhere (MUA?) and deciding to skip it. Your review is making me think I made a Serious Mistake, which I will look into remedying shortly.
PS I am also a big fan of their cheesy, ultra-cheap Meteorites.
Posted by: marchlion | July 8, 2006
Do give it a sniff and a prolonged skin test. I found that it paid off in my case. I adore it but I am a big skin scent fan. The carnation scent turning into a subtle, woodsy suntan oil smell is just gorgeous.
I must test Météorites soon!
Posted by: Mimi | July 8, 2006
I'm wearing Terracotta today, and it's all you say it is... Françoise, the knowledgeable SA at 68 Champs Elysée told me that it was originally created in 1970 as "Quand vient l'été" and meant to reproduce in its evolution the course of a summer day. Mint and bergamot top notes, ylang, carnation, jasmine, lily and a dollop of iris in its heart, a vanilla and tonka bean base. "Quand vient l'été" is now available as an exclusive in EdP, 140€ a flacon. I say stock up on the Terracotta!
Posted by: carmencanada | July 10, 2006
Carmen,
Oh, thank you for the exciting info! You are so, oh so right! This is currently one of two scents with Hervé Léger that have me wondering before I fall asleep at night how many dozens of these I would need to make sure I won't run out in my lifetime.
Posted by: Mimi | July 10, 2006
Note: I find that the perfume smells better when dabbed on than when sprayed on. When you spritz it, it develops more of a candy-like sweetness phase before the carnation makes its entrance.
Posted by: Mimi | July 10, 2006
I received my bottle today, threw caution to the wind (hey, it's Guerlain!) and slapped a fair amount on. It is wonderful! Yes, subtle, but not at all insipid. I cannot understand why the reviews on MUA (?) were so negative. It is rather beach-y, but subtle. A delicious skin scent. I get a fair amount of carnation, but soft rather than piquant, wrapped around the tonka-bean. Thank you for getting me to finally try it.
Posted by: March | July 21, 2006
I heard about this scent from a coworker. She said I would love it b/c it smelled beachy. Do you think Terracotta is too feminine for a man to wear? If so, any suggestions for a similar beachy skin scent marketed towards males? I have yet to come across one.
Posted by: troy | January 16, 2007
Totally agree with you and you are an excellent writer.
I lo-lo-love everything that is powdery! and it reminds me of playing with make-up when i was little. So I love this scent although it is true that it is only slightly powdery if we compare it to Les Meteorites (my all time fave because of the violets...).
And it is so totally summer, it reminds me of the last hour by the beach when the sun is going down and the sky is red in Andalucia...
Posted by: Paula Contreras-Carballada | January 2, 2009