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

I have been after this for absolutely ages and managed to get my hands on it and I am not disappointed. It has the Caron style written all over it, the typical carnation note, the ever-present spice, undeniably alluring, unmistakably Caron. This is a divine, woody floral that also has a warm sweet note that seems to tie everything together in lovely waves of a narcotic, and therefore addictive, fragrance. Wonderful.

I have a sample from just before production halted and as a man, I fine it intensely masculine, rich, but wearable. It's very much in the vein of Narcisse Noir, and Nuit de Noël, that the strong base and heady rich tops feel rather "manly" to our contemporary noses.

Fantastic scent! Just classy, deep and true perfume. Stays ages (perfume and also edp) on the clothes. Definitely not cheap and chemical like most of nowadays niche perfumes. It is somewhat close to guerlain l''heure bleue and grossmith shem el nessim.

French CanCan inherits the bloodline of Coty L’Origan, and its notes are classified in the soft orient. Apparently French CanCan does what I want. The main axis is a rich and a lot of fat and powdery floral aromas - violet, iris, rose, jasmine, ylang-ylang, mimosa make it sweet and tender, cloves are particularly bright, carnations harmonize with a good hollow structure, everything is warm Works on a vanilla amber-musk base. The floral aroma is soft and fluffy with sweet almond aromas. When the (aldehyde) soapy feel diminishes, the floral fragrance transitions to a dry and warm patchouli wood, and the underlying metal texture is gradually exposed. The clear and transparent lily of the valley and orange blossom contrast with the dark and deep Mousse de Saxe, sandalwood with sweet almond scent has a deep foundation, especially like Bois Des iles. French CanCan reflects worldly joy, it is rich and fragrant, the colors are eye-catching and flamboyant, and it is downright raucous. You must be able to draw a picture in your mind - the gorgeous lights on the red roof, the windmills, the huge pomp and dance, the unbridled skirts, the beautiful legs with white, and the laughter of people. French Can Can loves to play tricks, and especially loves to leave its gracious, glamorous lipstick marks on the skin of the neck. YSL Paris must have borrowed from French CanCan. The basis for the above evaluation is based on the 1936 Parfum edition.

Im not a fan of all the florals but I do love Amouage Gold. Can Can is so beautiful, attractive, elegant and pleasantly attractive. Its drydown is a gentle smooth floral powdery scent so lovely. Can Can exuberates the scent of a beautiful feminine woman. Some say it smells like Dia Woman by Amouage or Chanel 05...I did not find that to be the case its not pungent and I did not detect synthetic aldehydes. Even if this would be the case it is not apparent. Ol factory with a welcoming timeless floral. Can Can is pleasing.

This is an interesting scent. When I first applied it, I immediately thought of elegant older womens scent. Somehow, though I am drawn to it! It is a spicey powdery floral scent. Although it is not a scrubber, I don't think I'll be purchasing a full bottle... we shall see by the end of the day ;) EDIT: ok, now the drydown is scrumptuous! My nose is constantly on my arm and ready to nibble... I wish the scent was stronger! Oh, what to do?!?

Although I didn't care for the violetty topnotes, the drydown is just gorgeous! But I can't justify spending the money just to be avoiding the top. boohoo. Wish I liked violets

This is a perfume for mysterious winter days, meandering walks down cobbled stone lanes, secret alleys and nocturnal pleasures. It is Paris in bottle - elegant but a bit dirty, old fashioned yet intriguing, classic and enduring --and at nighttime it comes alive. A hidden jewel box waiting to be opened. Little treasures lie in wait. There is always something new to uncover and discover. I can understand the mature connections some may make about this parfum. Paris - the city - is indeed an older lady. Heaving with historical nooks and crannies, darkened alleys, dusty second hand book-stores and time worn curio shops. Just like gay Paris, French Can Can is maturity baring youth with risqué. The sandalwood and amber middle notes bring this out in her. It is this that appeals to me most about this fragrance. Be warned - there is powder in this fragrance, which some may associate with 'soapiness'. The jasmine, orange blossom and muguet (lily of the valley) lead in the opening in a very floral 'up your nose' kind of way. This may be off-putting for some as it is as this point, first contact, you may dismiss as her as 'mature matron'. Thankfully, after an or hour or two, some lovely chemistry happens. The sandalwood, oak moss and rose drift up from the dark recesses and tame the tart floral toilette fussiness at the beginning. The fun for me kicks in here. The dry-down is the best. I fall in love with this fragrance around the 6-8 hour mark. So to really understand the complex nature of this perfume and allow for the reveal, commitment is required. French Can Can is a rare jewel of a parfum. One that probably is not in favour with the current trends of gourmand and fruity fragrances abound at present. However, if you are a collector of beautiful vintage things, this may pique your interest. I highly recommend the extrait for a more intense, private affair, purchased directly from Caron, fresh from the urn. Worn this way, the parfum evolves and changes on contact with your skin.

(Parfum review) Actual notes: jasmine, lilac, violet, lily of the valley, rose, orange blossom, patchouli, iris, sandalwood, amber, oakmoss Cancan unfolds like a night at a club. First you walk in and find yourself alone, and it takes awhile for other patrons to show up. Abruptly, however, jasmine and lily of the valley walk in, with a shaken bottle of champaigne that opens with a BANG and covers you with sticky, sweet bubbly. this phase i don't like, as the jasmine is too strong for me and in my head I was composing my first Caron epitaph. Around the 1 1/2 hour mark violet and lilac show up, which have the effect of two well heeled ladies that walk in and cause the roudies to settle down. But they don't stay nice for long. At the two hour mark the 'conversation' turns a bit salicious. I don't know what's causing htis, but the middle phase wears a bit 'dirty' on me, not stinky, but certainly not fresh. in a strange way the conversation remains interesting, and as the hours pass by i find myself returning to my wrist to satisfy my curiosity. The dry down is best, the opening is trying. As a floral this genre does not appeal to me, but as a Caron it is certainly worthy of the name and reputation. To love this you have to be a strong Jasmine fan. To appreciate this you have to be a true perfumista. To like this you just have to know how to enjoy a night on the town.

NOTHING can really compare to the 70s and 80s frag! my continuous seeking of vintage EDP got me this vintage juice of French Can Can... It's just really POTENT... without even spraying it, you can already smell whiffs of the scent in the air as soon as i opened the package and you know it's going to last you over a day and a bottle will take you years to consume... so happy! i usually layer my perfume with both male/female scent so it won't be distinguished... this smells like a more "cleaner" version of Queen Of Hearts By Queen Latifah(blue box transparent bottle) which i always gave my mom when she was alive... although the Queen Of Hearts do last and leaves a lingering scent, it's not as "strong" and as "potent" as this one and Queen Latifah's version has a "dirty opening" but still smells good... this has more "sophistication" and would smell best at formal evening parties among suits and gowns. The beautiful florals mixed with musk develops maturely without turning offensive... and like every vintage perfume, when there's oakmoss, patchouli, amber and sandalwood in its concoction, you know it's going to last and has staying power.

I'd never even heard of this one until recently but the name is so intriguing I had to blind buy it. Besides, it's the creation of the great Ernest Daltroff -- so how could it be bad? It's not but it's also not quite what I expected. "French Cancan" conjures such pictures of Paris nightlife: bright, sparkling as Champagne bubbles, lighthearted and joyous. This is actually a spicier version of "Nuit de Noel"("Christmas Eve"). The opening is weighed down a bit by Caron's characteristic soapiness but this disappears soon and the fragrance becomes quite energetic. "French Cancan" is the one that should have been called "Nuit de Noel". It's as warm and comforting as eggnog and cookies in front of the fireplace. A worthy addition to any perfumnista's collection.

I dared to spray some on my skin - for some reason I expected something pink, fluffy, blushing, feminine, and powdery like Lipstick On or the Frederic Malle one, whatever it’s called. Maybe it was the name of it that made me assume. It’s more like a grown-up, womanly, not for girls, seductress, femme fatale - you get the picture. Along the lines of Paloma Picasso or L’Agent Provoceteur. It’s still powdery but in a dark, leathery luxury handbag way. Naughty musks are still there. Not my favourite, but if you like the above type of thing, this fragrance is good quality and three dimensional. It’ll probably grow on me. It’ll probably be a good performer but I prefer to radiate youthfulness so I don’t wanna spray it.

Pure Parfum review, from San Francisco. They must have tweaked the formula on this, because when I tried it 5 years ago I wasn't that in love. I remember it being far too sweet and 'white'. Now it is wearing more like a floral green chypre, which could not be more perfect. The white florals are still there, but it's more grounded and mature than I remember. This is a delicate, discreet scent that will not offend. The base notes are innocent, the mid notes harmonious. If you like Apres L'ondee and softer takes on floral greens, you will like Cancan parfum. Try it, in both versions so you know which works best for you.

The usual earthy vintage blend broken by the twist of lilac, extra doses of jasmines, and orris. It is moreearthy than floral with that sour oakmoss, and buttery orris but doesn't eliminate the floral of course as it is kept few millis apart. The colder the medicinal it become. It is quite pleasant to be honest with that vintage classic frame, i just can't stop sniffing my arm. beautiful.

-Parfum Review- Intense, great sillage, longlasting and spicy. I like very old-fashioned fragrances but this seemed a bit too mature for me. Good but I just can't get very excited about it.

The name conjures up what this perfume is: exciting and playful. Sweet and powdery. Created especially for American women(the French version is much lighter and more subdued in spirit).

The violet and iris dominate on my skin and it gets pretty powdery. It's very floral with indolic jasmine and lilac and also quite sweet underneath the powdery flowers. 6/10

Smells like Clinique Aromatics and lots of dirty musk when I spray it in the air. I don’t know if I dare spray it on my skin.