Une Amourette Roland Mouret

In Western Massachusetts, I once visited an antique shop that specializes in Asian art. There were all sorts of Buddhist, Taoist, Hindu, and Shinto art. Deities carved in wood, sculpted with bronze. There were Tibetan stupas, elaborate altars, shrines, vases, vessels, teapots, incense burners of all types. The lighting was a low glow, and the running water from a stream in the garden outside could be heard. There was a scent in the air, one of dust, of age, old wood, the sweet echo of incense, waxes and unguents. Une Amourette took me back to this place when I first smelled it. It begins with a flash of camphor, a dry pepper, and floral matte, metallic neroli, luminous highlights. No sooner than this fanfare begins does that feeling of old wood become apparent. Old wood: just a bit musty and fusty, but also deceptively warm and inviting. I smelled it before, elsewhere, time and again, but at that antique shop, it struck me in a different way, perhaps because of my surroundings. Akigalawood is used here by Daniela (Roche) Andrier. This Givaudan captive, fractionated from patchouli oil, is processed with the use of an enzyme called laccase, which transforms the natural starting material into that strips away the earthy, damp, herbaceous qualities and renders it vibrantly spicy, peppery, woody, even somewhat fungal. This can very well account for the "old wood" feel. With the addition of a plangent iris and underlined with lignin-like vanilla, this effect continues to grow throughout the development. There's even a certain waxy, mushroomy feel, reminiscent of gardenia. Suggestions of smoke, whether it be old tar from a censor or that of cigarettes, overlap with the old wood after an hour. It feels fuliginous (there's your fancy word for today), in the space between unnerving and comfortingly familiar. I'm reminded of a hug from a chain-smoking uncle who's preferred smoke is Chesterfield. Then there are violet striations, similar to that of Jolie Madame that sneak in, candied yet blue and forlorn. It sobers up over time, resembling the pages of old books, stone walls, and fine powder, feeling less haunting and more still and restful. Having traversed through so much of what I enjoy in leftfield perfume through wearing it, I feel so satisfied with its peculiar presence.

Overall ELDO fragrances have really worked for me, and Une Amourette is no exception. I enjoyed it from first spray, even more once I wore it. The fragrance is both fresh and rich. The woodiness is present throughout the wear of the fragrance. In the opening that woodiness is very dry and crisp. The neroli brightens up the woodiness adding a bitter citrusy floral note that makes the opening refreshing. In the mid the iris is there, but it is very much a supporting note. If I didn't know it was there I probably wouldn't have picked it out. When I really pay attention to it I can find a papery/powdery iris mingling with the woods, especially as the neroli fades away and before the vanilla is really noticeable. The vanilla adds richness once the fragrance fully dries on the skin. I find it slowly gets stronger until it fully takes over the neroli and iris in the deep drydown making the woods feel a little deeper and darker. I find Une Amourette is masculine leaning unisex fragrance. I find it very appealing on a man, a little bit sexy but casual enough for everyday wear. It is also a masculine leaning fragrance I love to wear myself. I think it is even a little sexier on a woman. It's a fragrance that can comfortably be worn all year. The refreshing opening is wonderful in warm weather. Even though the drydown is rich enough for cooler weather, it is never heavy or cloying in heat. There is something about the crisp, dry woodiness that gives me fall vibes which is when I am most likely to wear it myself. I have no complaints about the performance of this fragrance. It lasts quite well. It easily lasts all day, 10+ hours. I can smell a lovely bubble around myself the whole time. The projection of the opening is quite strong, I can smell it across the room. Although it is strong, the sillage is light, fresh and airy. It settles on the skin after an hour or two, then the projection is more moderate, reaching just a little beyond arms length. I have the 30ml bottle so I don't have the pretty gold bottle available for the larger sizes. It is still the same solid qualitly bottle and atomizer, just not as interesting looking. That's the down side of getting the smaller bottle. ELDO tends not to give the individualized bottle designs to the 30ml bottles.

So drawn am I to divisiveness in perfumery, that when I heard there was a love / hate reaction to Une Amourette, I couldn't help myself out of ordering it. For me, the first spray was magical! Chalk dry notes of oud, balanced so cleverly with honeyed orange and neroli. Iris, also parched and powdery, is quenched with floral sweetness. The saturation of scent possesses gladiator strength and eternal longevity. Its very existence and market value justified with the expanse of breath delivered upon application. There's a vintage nostalgia with its scent, like watching men in black and white, project masculinity on screen and in script. It is regally balanced, in gentlemen-like manners, and asserts cleverly, weaving its sillage around the room. I truly wish I owned more of this powerful elixir, and swoon over the top notes every time I hear the sprayer's "shhhp". That is me, utterly enamored. My mother, on the other hand, states that this particular fragrance can never be worn again in her presence, and flinches as I place it back on my shelf, and not in the bin. So there you have it: Division within and without. An intriguing world of opposites. Beyond the brands popularity, exists a forum in which algorithms have no power over the perfumer. After all, scents are, by nature, meant to conjure emotion. Fragrances being the unspoken handshake directing attraction, signalling other like-minded to connect. They were never really intended to become a mark for accolades or acceptance. Ultimately, when companies attempt to please everyone, they please no one at all. Une Amourette makes a loud declaration; and humbly, I am summoned to answer. This is not a safe blind buy, and in point, it's not 'safe' at all. Then again, not many things that are safe end up being very rewarding.

I tried this today from a sample vial and it has put me in a dreamy, cosy state. A swipe from the vial I get notes blended in perfect harmony; Cardamom and Cinnamon sticks (obviously it's the Akigalawood which I have never smelled), the ones you put into Indian tea as a whole and the combination of these two spices releases an intoxicating aroma with some sweetness maybe from the vanilla. In addition to those I smell and I think that the mix of iris and neroli give it that ever so slight detergent quality. It's very faint but it's there in the initial stages. Initially I did think it had a peppery vibe but it was a passing feeling due to reading the reviews on here and then on second application, I didn't get any pepper at all. I see why some people are getting patchouli. It is akin to the patchouli in MFK's Lumiere Noir Pour Homme which is barely perceivable in that too. Here it's paired with the Iris instead of the rose. I could mistake this for a MFK creation if I had blind tested it. Une Amourette could be my favourite from the line-up from ELDO from whatever I have tried so far. There's something magical about it which I cannot describe and haven't smelled before. A close second is Eau De Protection. I feel both are hampered with projection and longevity issues with being really close to the skin that I have to really dig deeper. Having said that, I would still like to pursue a bottle of this because I think a few full sprays from an actual bottle would really satisfy and do justice to the feelings I already feel from a tiny dab.

Like others below mentioned- its wow, its weird, its sexy, its deep, its light, its clean and yet...such an amazing amount dirty! For me, a winner from the first moment. How come? I dislike iris, i'm not into neroli, and certainly not mad about vanilla. Well, its a witchcraft of a sort. There is patchouli, clear and in your face but not as you know it. Instead, patch is clean and dry but with lots of depth that blends in with akigalawood that is a new note for me, but apparently similar, plus adds a touch of oud look-a-like. There is neroli, but again - not as you know it. Very peppery neroli right from the get-go so the scent comes across very spicy at the beginning. Peppery spicy. The mix of peach and iris forms an intoxicating heart with the slight woodiness. Its a bit like Cabotine, but massively modernised and far more lux. Not headache inducing (personal experience with Cabotine). The projection of mid-phase is literally to die for and it is easy to imagine how the trail of Un Amourette after a woman makes the crowd of people turn the head instinctively and in unison. Its one alluring beast getting better and better as it settles. The dry-down is expensive-smelling and impossible to ignore. Big love and FB worthy! p.s. can't believe I'm saying this about something thats essentially a white floral. But there it is. White floral, yes...but not as you know it. Edit: I used the full bottle to skin-test it, not a sample and got pretty decent longevity and moderate sillage out of it, its definitely not a weak one.