L'Empreinte

cloth test: citrus. bergamot. (yes, it is bergamot. I like it.) spice? spice is nice. (wow, that's patchouli? I thought I hated patchouli.) unidentifiable ambery scent. (it's ambroxan. so that's what ambroxan smells like. everyone hates it but I guess I like it.) skin test: yes, the bergamot just smells good, not like specific notes just good. In the hands of a master, even an unpromising note pyramid can yield perfection.

I get the BR540 comparison, but this one is not a smell-alike in the same way. It's not very sweet at all. I think it is a lot more like the des Merveilles line. It's like those, but less punchy, definitely softer, and without the masculine edge that some people may find difficult with the original Eau des Merveilles. Also not a strong "orange" here, just a gently sparkling citrus (bergamot). I like this one, and even got a compliment on it. I prefer this kind of BR540 inspired fragrance than the ultra sweet ones.

The patchouli is light and floating, which I found very pleasant. Did not get much bergamot from it. Heavy on the ambroxan, but I like that. Nice, unoffensive scent. Does not last, though.

Scent Split was kind enough to send me a free sample of L'empreinte by Courrèges in addition to my order. I dabbed some on my wrist, and immediately thought, "This smells familiar..." For whatever reason, it reminds me of SheWood, just... Less nice. But honestly, it is a pretty darn good little fragrance for every single listed note being one I typically avoid. The bergamot is not the whiniest I've ever smelled, the patchouli is mid, and the ambroxan actually gives this one an airy, slightly metallic vibe that saves the fragrance a little. Still... It isn't for me at all. I rate it about a 5/10. Not a pleasurable or desirable scent for me personally, but the quality is rather nice and I could imagine a bergamot and ambroxan fan loving this.

Literally nothing to do with the original Empreinte. L'Empreinte opens with bergamot, then moves to some musky-floral (rose?) Ambroxan first brings some plastic-crystal transparent texture, then becomes more and more dominant. Fortunately, it is not overdosed or overwhelming. Pleasant but common. A friendly choice for those new to fragrance. Overall, I personally cannot rate very high of the new Courrèges, so this average scent comes as the second best among, after Slogan, BTW. I can hardly understand the relation between the scent and the name. Why 'imprint'? Like something has been done before?