Fleurs de Rocaille

This classic icon of a stylized bouquet of rock garden flowers says it all from the electric blue tulips to the vibrant lip-stick pink daisies, a multi faceted floral/amber parfum of immense beauty & complex construction. My recently opened flacon of 'extrait' from the early fifties has kept remarkably well, like a genie locked in his/her lamp this golden hued amber juice yearns to be liberated from it's crystal prison with the sole purpose of bestowing fragrant wishes upon those who would seek to sample one of Caron's most treasured jewels.This big boned Ernest Daltroff creation is a sumptuous affair receiving similar recognition & acclaim also afforded to many of his earlier works including 'Bellodgia, 'Narcisse Noir' & 'Tabac Blonde', a symphonic opus masterly constructed with high quality absolutes, essences & raw materials all cleverly fixed & bolstered by powerful synthetics considered novel and innovative even 10 years after the launch of Chanel's No.5 & Arpege by Lanvin. I appreciate the slightly offbeat & diverse floralcy in Fleurs de Rocaille with jasmine, violette, palisander, lilac, lily of the valley and a most gorgeous deeply spiced carnation/rose effect vaguely similar to the 'heart/middle' theme in 'Bellodgia', no animalic undertones detected apart from a slight hint of musky civet, drying down with a warm lactonic ambery base counter balanced by cool woody notes of cedar & sandalwood. Fleurs de Rocaille could be perceived as being dated, slightly stuffy and reserved by some although I have found this masterpiece from 'Caron' thoroughly charming and deserving of it's Grand Dame status in classic perfumery !

Mon Dieu que dire sur ce parfum sans tomber dans l'emphase tellement j'aime ce parfum. A mon esprit il est comme une valse, tourbillonnant, rond, les notes viennent et partent, reviennent et repartent comme une valse à Vienne et le tout en tournant sur soi-même avec son partenaire de danse. Concrètement j'ai l'impression d'être dans un champ d'immortelles écrasées de soleil. Accompagnées de mousse de chêne, de lilas. Fleurs de Rocaille porte admirablement bien son nom... Des fleurs qui poussent dans la rocaille dans le Midi de la France ou ailleurs en Italie et tous ces pays gorgés de soleil et dans un univers très minéral. Cette association pierres/fleurs que je sens sur ma peau est provoquée par les aldéhydes je pense... Très loin des parfums linéaires qui me barbent à l'époque actuelle ! C'est une véritable association de notes d'une qualité qui fait honneur aux parfums français. Des accords harmonieux qui se bousculent qui se dissipent et qui reviennent dans la pyramide olfactive. Mais dites moi, n'est-ce pas le génie des parfums d'origine russe, Ernest Daltroff,qui a créé ce petit bijou ??? Hé oui.... D'un nez aussi génial ne peut sortir que des créations géniales...

Vintage parfum: sparkling floral. My first introduction to aldehydic florals was Chanel no.5, so my first association when I smell an aldehydic floral is to compare it to no.5, but the vibe here is quite different. Fleurs starts off with a blast of soapy aldehydes and the most cheerful flowers. I get an image of a grand white room filled with vases of every type of flower so no single one stands out. From the outset this is not no.5. This is innocent, pure, sheltered femininity. Whereas no.5 has a haughty edge, Fleurs de Rocaille has people and walls to keep the unwashed masses away. The sweet warmth of the Caronade joins in the symphony over time, but does not disrupt the Golden Age scene. I can hear Edith Wharton narrating... Beautiful and of another time. This was my grandmother's signature when she was young. It gives me insight into who she might have been before the burdens of womanhood.

I own this fragrance in two formulations - a 125ml EDT and the 15ml parfum. Both vintage. Both absolutely beautiful. An incredibly ladylike floral that you could wear to church or to a wedding, simply beautiful without being sexy or animalic in any way. Caron fragrances always seem to me to come and go with your body temperature and sweat, so they swell or fade all day. Both formulae are very long-lasting, the perfume just requires a smaller quantity - a dot or two really is enough. One of the greatest fragrances ever made.

I have the vintage pure parfum. It is nothing like the modern version. One drop on neck and one on wrist projected and surrounded me for hours and hours. I put on at 6 a.m. and am still going strong at 9:30. It is a floral soapy aldehyde perfume that is not heavy on the oakmoss or woods but is rich and deep.

Well, I just won an Ebay auction 1/2 oz., sealed pure perfume. The cap has a spray of colorful flowers on top, and the bottle shape appears as above. The only difference is that the ribbon is black, and though the cap is clear, the little spray of flowers has a black background. Does anyone have a similar bottle? I am naturally concerned about the authenticity of my purchase. Perhaps it is vintage? Any insight would be appreciated - please PM if you have any ideas! Thanks! EDIT 2/21/2019 - my bottle arrived today and appears to be genuine. Having never smelled it before I had no idea what to expect, but this starts out very bright. There is definitely a vintage vibe - a big and bold opening that has a lot in common with No. 5, Arpege, Joy, etc. Its overall composition, slight aldehydic blast, and even slighter animalic notes call to mind all the Grand Dames of classic French perfumery. However, it seems to lack much projection and it's longevity leaves a lot to be desired. However, that might be me, as I seem to rapidly develop anosmia to most perfumes as I wear them! I'm not sure if that is unusual, but my nose definitely gets overwhelmed quickly. I keep reapplying. The real test is if my husband can actually smell it on me when he gets home from work. That said, I hope that holds true for F(s)dR, as this is a fragrance I really want to get to know better! He should be home soon! EDIT 5/1/19 - I am wearing this today for the first time since my initial purchase. Smooth, spicy floral, very lovely, and nice for those days where I need to be "proper". I like this better than the EDP, which I also own. The last time I wore the EDP, I was overwhelmed by the smell of funeral floral arrangements. It put me off, not enough to scrap it, but I am going to have to see how the weather effects it. The pure perfume does not give me that impression. I like this quite a bit, and think it belongs in the collection of every serious perfumista with a soft spot for vintage, but it will never be a love for me. The only Caron I own that I absolutely love is Nuit de Noel, but that is an entirely different animal! Of course, I only own a few out of the Caron canon, so it's certainly not an indictment on the house itself.

This is one of the perfumes included in a ”Parisian souvenir miniature set” I purchased from a second-hand marketplace. The bottle is a small, about 2ml miniature version of the full-sized design shown at the top of this page, and it appears to be from the late 1980s to early 1990s. As the liquid inside is clear, I assume it is an eau de toilette. I’ve been applying only a very small amount—gently touching just a bit to my wrist through the narrow mouth of the vial—so it may be far less than the intended application. Still, even that tiny amount allows me to enjoy the perfume’s beautifully nuanced floral character. The top note is a vivid, earthy green—like inhaling the scent of freshly cut plant stems and moss all at once. Expecting a straightforward floral scent from the name Fleurs, I was quite surprised. But on second thought, perhaps this is the scent of Rocaille—the stems growing out from cracks in stone, and the moss that clings to their surfaces. Soon, the stems begin to bloom. The green steps back, and a gentle floral tone unfolds. Rather than bold, showy blossoms, it feels like small, white, delicate flowers opening one by one. The scent is clean, comforting, and white—reminiscent of freshly laundered linens. Gradually, a soft and slightly sweet musk begins to layer over this floral clarity. Perhaps this perfume is a portrait of a flower’s life—from the moment its stem first pushes through the rock, to its flowering, to quiet maturity. Overall, it’s a subtle and reserved fragrance, conjuring the image of a graceful woman in a crisp white blouse. That said, as I’ve been applying only a minimal amount, the impression may well change with a fuller application.

I have a 70s-80s vintage of this. 2.25 oz natural spray, squarish bottle with a gold plastic cap with a C on top. Label is white and gold, concentration is Parfum de Cologne, which is certainly confusing compared to modern labeling. Not sure if my review belongs here. PM me with your thoughts? Fatty aldehydes remind me of Lanvin Arpege. There's what I smell as lovely old fuzzy nitromusks, too. Max Factor Primitif comes to mind, there. Something makes me think of Carven Ma Griffe. She's not as prim as Turin claims. I'll bet he was smelling a new batch. With Arpege, the older the naughtier. I'd place bets that Fleurs de Rocaille is the same. It's a like, not a love, but very good. Projection is weak and longevity is poor becoming a skin scent quickly. So PDC behaves like a cologne in my opinion. I'm not mad about that since I certainly didn't pay an extrait price for my bottle! Fleurs is more cheerful than Arpege, so to me, more work-appropriate, too. Very happy to have this in my collection. Caron makes such important perfumes.

Fleurs de Rocaille Indeed, the three main elements found here are the very same trio that dominated much of feminine perfumery in the 20th Century: 1) the brightly crystalline sparkle of fatty aldehydes, 2) a polyphonic symphony of flowers, and 3) moody yet soothing, bittersweet pools of oakmoss, accented here with musk and woods. The aldehydes are the brilliantly airy, glowing kind. The floral notes come from all directions: rose violet, white florals, muguet. The prominently-listed lilac likely serves as a middle ground to tie them all together. Of course, today it is the deeply delicate oakmoss that breaks my heart. Its relative absence in these dreary modern times has indeed made my heart grow fonder. ....but also, the interplay of oakmoss and the other notes is creating a strange sensation that reminds me of the salt notes currently popular in some present-day fragrance styles. This effect is admittedly vague and assuredly unintended, but I'm actually enjoying the unexpected tang of it. I suppose everything old is new again, ...and vice-versa. The term 'rocaille' refers to various elaborate types of ornamentation found in 18th Century French architecture and furniture. It shares a similar etymology with 'baroque' and 'rococco'. Also, I understand that this perfume is one referred to in the 1992 film, Scent of a Woman. I haven't seen that though.

Mentioned in the movie "Scent of a Woman". This one was made in Caron's prime, but it wasn't a top-level masterpiece, with N°5 in the front, Sortilege in the back, and even Gold—though that would be much later. Fleur de Rocaille is a model of the ladylike, too restrained, but not a problem, this kind of fragrance was quite common in the 1930s. Fleur de Rocaille is one of the best, born in Caron, with a guarantee – Fleur de Rocaille will be the best of its time. There's nothing wrong with quality, structure, and the carnation-core floral, nice, but not charming and doesn't appeal to me. Wearing Fleur de Rocaille is like putting on new all-white socks with lace when checking clothing at school, it will help you get rid of your teacher's warning.

Well, I was about to score a half ounce or so, maybe a whole ounce of this, but my bottle leaked its already only 1/2 full contents on its journey to me.. Oh well. I have enough to test it at least. Needless to say the package was extremely fragrant. I will review more after I put it on my skin lol. bc I was wearing other frags today so I didn’t tell it was time to try this:-)

Vintage only, and to be worn with a 1930s Madeleine Vionnet classical Greece revival evening gown, or not... Because Fleurs de Rocaille smells equally fantastic on a warm naked body. :)