French Cancan

I have been wanting to write a review on this for some time, but each time I try, I falter. I end up writing some incoherent babble, and then delete it all again with a sigh. Why? Because when I encountered this scent for the first time I fell instantly, totally, head over heels deep in love with it, and I don't know how to accurately convey how I feel about this perfume, and how it moves me. I cannot believe that only 68 people have voted on this (for like/dislike, etc) and only about 50 people list it in their collection. How can this be? This is such a beautiful scent, so much better in terms of quality, fragrance, longevity, sillage etc than so many other scents that get way more attention. It is admittedly far from the sweet candy gourmands and caramel praline vanillas that seem so popular at present, but it would surely appeal to the lovers of classics, vintages, and more old-school perfumes. That said, this doesn't have the fame of other, comparable, scents, until I came across a bottle on the cheap it wasn't familiar to me, other than knowing Caron were a good brand. Apparently this scent was initially conceived for the US market, so perhaps if it was only marketed in the States it was not known or available to European customers in the past and perhaps this lack of familiarity and connection has contributed to its anonymity? In my opinion this is a perfume for a woman, not a girl. That isn't a category I base upon chronological age, social status or anything else, lest anyone take umbrage at my choice of words. What I mean is that for this to really work for you I think you would need a certain amount of self assured confidence, to be comfortable in your skin and to be aware of the subtle hints of carnal suggestion that French Cancan makes every now and then. It is sensual in a pure silks and lush velvet way, it is sexual in the same way a single meaningful glance from your lover can be far more erotic than skimpy underwear or fluffy handcuffs. It came to me by chance and then almost immediately it claimed a place in my top 5. It can be difficult to dissect the notes and character of perfumes that you truly love, for fear of over analysing and focusing on the component parts, thereby risking the loss of the whole, the very essence that initially drew you in and stole your heart. Kind of like back in school, when a whole term would be spent dismantling some play script or poem, until it became joyless, the sublime becoming mundane and insignificant. What I can tell you is that this is a wonderful example of the Caron signature accord. I believe this was the famous Mousse de Saxe that Daltroff used to such great effect in his creations, and French Cancan definitely has a dark, mossy, velvety sumptuousness with an almost powdery leathery feel at times. I also find there are definite similarities with Nuit de Noel at times too, which is known for it's Mousse de Saxe accords. The combination of Oakmoss, Iris, Sandalwood and Patchouli in a fragrance seems to do something to my brain that I imagine is not unlike one would experience from narcotics, or sex, or a virtuoso live performance of an incredible piece of music. These are the notes that call out to me from this composition, all resting on and within that signature base, and I find the result absolutely exquisite. I actually find myself craving this perfume, seriously, it has done something to my brain, and my heart! It is no lie to say that some nights before bed, if I am wearing something else that won't layer, or I am feeling in need of comfort, I spray a little of this onto a handkerchief or scarf and slip it between the mattress and the headboard of my bed. I have never done this before with any other perfume. Longevity is excellent, If I apply this in the morning (current EDP) I can still smell it when I get changed for bed, and the scent lingers on clothes, scarves, coats for days and weeks. Judging by the comments from others this leaves a good sillage trail but isn't overpowering or overbearing. In fact while I find it rich, dark and in some ways (good ways) heavy, I have received compliments on it's airiness and brightness. Himself, when helping me decant some recently, remarked that it was "beautiful and uplifting....a feeling of springtime, bottled". I am glad he likes it, because it means I can wear more!! Whenever I wear it, I get wafts of scent throughout the day, I love to catch the scent as I move around. I now own the current (or recent) EDP, a small bottle of current Extrait, and a little vintage EDP. They are all great, the vintage has lost a little over the years, I believe it is pre-1980s judging from bottle and cap design, box etc. and it has a slightly more animalic feel. The extrait is stunning, a stronger, richer and deeper incarnation of the EDP as you'd expect, with incredible longevity. I tend to wear the EDP with a drop of Extrait. I am keeping my eyes out for some vintage extrait now! I would apologise for writing such a long review, except I am not sorry. I want everyone to try this and to love it as much as I do, while simultaneously keeping it all to myself. But no, really, try it and fall in love with it so that they keep making it! TLDR: Smells amazing, performs well, deserves greater popularity, go find a sample ASAP!!

OK, bear with me... To me, great perfumes fall broadly into two camps. Most of them have what I always think of as a kind of twist at the core. Beautiful, yes, but there's something strange or odd in there that makes me lean in, and drink deeply, and keep going back to try and grasp the secret. Into this class go Bois des Iles (the first perfume to truly teach me what perfume can be, a true olfactory journey that develops over hours, ever changing), Gucci Rush (my immediate reaction was 'God, no', and then I kept going back and back and back and then realised I was craving it like a narcotic and kept spraying) and Chinatown by Bond 9 (similar to Gucci, something in it was almost repellant to me, and in the continual attempts to isolate that something I became totally addicted to the whole). In the second, smaller group of greats are the ones that just smell fabulous from first to last. There might not be a mystery in them, but then, you aren't always in the mood for a whodunit. Sometimes, simple beauty does the job. Into this straightforward knockout camp go my beloved Florabotanica (although I think the whiff of cannabis in it does give it a touch of weirdness), Ivoire by Balmain, in all its clean, calm loveliness and Eau de Guerlain, my favourite cologne of all time, a straightforward gush of sparkle with every spray. One of my favourite books (not just about fragrance, I mean, of all time) is Luca Turin and Tania Sanchez's Perfume Guide. They've rarely ever led me wrong and when I saw they'd given the dreadful Love in White (Creed) one star, I felt validated, because I hated that trash so much I had to remove the discarded perfume strip in an outside bin. They've never given their opinion on Florabotanica, but all the others I mention above have been rated four to five stars. SO - Last week I was on the perfume floor of Fortnum and Mason in London. If you haven't been, go. It's gorgeous. But that's by the by. Drifting along the Caron counter, I smelled French Cancan for the first time and I toppled head over heels. To me, it's a clear second camp dweller, i.e., it smells simply great at first sniff and keeps smelling great for hours afterwards. I was amazed when I looked up the notes that there was no spice in it. I get that gorgeous dusty almost peppery carnation very strongly (a note I love, which seems to be unfashionable, though it was used in Florabotanica, too). I kept sniffing and sniffing my wrist, wandering the department, and was deep into the rose/patchouli heart when, having circled the entire floor, I came back to the Caron counter and decided I had to have a bottle. The name, admittedly, is awful. It sounds touristy and naff. French Cancan. What next, Irish Jig? Highland Fling? But the juice itself is divine, a deep, warm, spicy floral that holds together all through the drydown. When I looked it up, I noted that one of the first things said about French Cancan was that it was 'developed for the American market', and I note that Fragrantica says the same. Then I open my Perfume Bible, happily anticipating Luca Turin/Tania Sanchez's glowing review of my new treasure, only to find... one star. One star. One lousy star. 'An insipid floral'... I mean, come the hell on. You want an insipid floral, go sniff Penhaligon's Bluebell. Take a good whiff of most of the Roisine offerings or some of those Aerin Lauders... but this? No, it isn't groundbreaking, but it's gorgeous. And sometimes gorgeous is exactly what you want. The other thing Tania Sanchez says in her review? 'Developed for the American market'... So, seriously, am I alone in thinking there might be a weeny bit of snobbery involved here? Are expectations immediately lowered at the sound of a French perfume house catering for the American market? I can see that the name is pretty crass, but seriously, who cares? This stuff is beautiful. Highly recommended if you want a seductive, warm and worldly floral. PS I'd love to hear what you all think of the (maybe even subconscious) effect of knowing what market a fragrance was supposed to find. Also, the power of names! I'm definitely guilty of not trying perfumes with names I dislike. 'Knowing' is supposed to be great but I'm put off it by the moniker. I didn't even look at the name on the bottle when I first sprayed French Cancan.

what a master piece..one of the hidden treasures of caron..a true perfume.. french.. perfumey.. elegant.. vibrant.. full ..wholesome ..complete..truelly sophisticated ..full of wonder.. and bliss..a perfume worth being called a perfume.. from the golden era of perfumery ..spicy ..green.. aromatic.. carnation.. ..woody ..ambery.. white floral..balmy powdery ..alive fresh .. invigorating ..a perfume to wake up the senses.. smells like pure french perfumes ..that are almost all instinct.. now a days ..how i wish perfumery can go back to such originality ..how i wish we can smell such perfumes more often ..how i wish the world would be a happier place with such accords and medelies .. give it time.. let it do its own thing ..settle down..dont rub it in.. let it develop ..and play.. and work with your skin..or even cloths its an everywhere scent.. meant for an elegant.. sophisticated.. independent.. brave ..witty.. woman ..its certainly a characteristic ..iconic.. perfume ..many will definitely remember you with this .. i wish i can spray it all over me.. and bathe in it.. its like basking in to sun rays.. filled with power.. love ..and emotion..its a fulfilling perfume.. made for peace and war..its like a Russian roulette..you get mixed layers and accord ..bombarding your senses.. some times its serene.. and other times its violating.. and eruptive.. just like the french canon. i guess it can explode at any moment.. so be ware wearing it ..control your temper.. and pheromones..for it secretly works with your inner hormonal system and acct accordingly.. the whiffs that come out of it are mesmerising.. tantalizing.. endless.. and scary.. sometimes..you have to have a heart of a solder.. and a mind of a worrier.. to pull this together.. but when you do.. you can almost concur the world..with respect dignity and grace.. edp 100 ml perfume rating 4.7 out of 5 bottle ratting 4.4 out 5 my personal pefume liking ratting 4.7 out 5 bought from Harrods knightsbridge london

Caron Can Can Edp Caron French Can Can is a advanced course in perfumista love. I can see the inner base of Nuit De Noel residing within Can Can. Can Can overlays ladylike florals and a whiff of animalic musks to the vibe. Its stunning, one of a kind femme formulation. It can be tempestuous much like any classic Caron can. Be careful to wear her in a upset, fear or rage as she is very chemistry dependent. She may turn on you but if you conquer the world in grand fashion retro style, she's right by your side. Sooo Aunty Mame. A huge love.

I really didn't know what to expect here. First of all, an apparently generic "french" perfume. Then an hour later some magic happens. The combination of rose, violet, oakmoss and sandalwood turns it into a whole other thing, really exquisite. Multiple wrist sniffings and a feeling that I must have a full bottle, so I can move around in a proper cloud of the magical drydown. Quite unexpected and definitely sold! Love it xx