Les Plus Belles Lavandes de Caron (2008) {Perfume Review}
Les Plus Belles Lavandes de Caron (The Most Beautiful Lavenders by Caron) was announced in 2008 as an unisex Eau-de-Cologne iteration of the house of Caron's famous masculine scent Pour Un Homme (For a Man). As if to make the genealogical link explicit, it takes as a name the tag line that used to be inscribed on the labels of the bottles of Pour Un Homme (see the 1934 advertisement below).
Pour Un Homme is reputed for its characteristic aromatic freshness combining with a delicate sustained sweetness. It is a scent that manages to balance out these two facets without one overshadowing the other. Thanks to the subtle dosage of vanilla and amber, the lavender in Pour Un Homme seems to have been hand-picked as is from a dry windy hill as a representative of the sweetest varietal of the flower without ever feeling artful...
Les Plus Belles Lavandes is a harmonious subtle sweet and musky lavender perfume never lacking in character thanks to its dirty naturalistic pungent herbaly overtones. A creative touch seems to have been added by Fraysse for a more unisex interpretation of sweetness by pulling it in the direction of sweets, but done very subtly. It has been softened down as well, with an undertone of green angelica.
The eau de cologne starts with a fresh lavender outburst and then becomes more opaque and soft-smelling, more like a soft gourmand oriental even hinting at a subdued, attenuated accord smelling of delicate dragées, sugar-coated almonds that present quite a subtle scent of vanilla and sugar with faint nuances of aniseed, licorice and marzipan.This little confectioner's motif is very understated adding an almost subliminal gourmand touch to the sweet lavenders. To counterbalance this angelic sweetishness, more primitive animalistic notes, amber and dark musk, retain their influence, with nuances of black rubber and pith. There is something reminiscent of Chanel Bois des Iles and Donna Karan Cashmere Mist in the soft, understated peppery vanillic musky and ambery powdery drydown. At times, especially in the dry-down, some of the vanilla peeks through as feeling a bit synthetic and naked on its own when it is not as well-covered by other ingredients, but it is a minor gripe. The longer dry-down has the character of precious powder. It is a delicious lavender cologne with a neutral complex unisex personality.
Perfumer: Richard Fraysse
Notes: Lavender essence, lavender, vanilla, lavender absolute, amber, musk
Gender label: Unisex
Previous Posts in Perfume Shorts:
White Musks Part II: Top White Musk Trails To Try Out
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Comments
Hello, Love your blog and Caron:)
How's the lasting power of Les Plus Belles?
Posted by: Nika | September 30, 2008
Hi Nika,
Thank you for you kind words! I'd say that the lasting power of this "cologne" (as indicated on the packaging) is more than of a persistent eau de toilette. It must last at least 5 hours, discreet powdery-aromatic drydown included.
It's a really nice lavender eau.
I forgot to add that the spray bottle is refillable.
Posted by: Marie-Helene "Mimi" Wagner | October 1, 2008