Palais Jamais

Palais Jamais is my first Etro, and though it's become a love, it first gave me a bit of a surprise and a bit of a heartbreak. The surprise is that it smells sweet. (Not dessert sweet—citrusy sweet.) With mandarin and orange blossom among the notes, perhaps it's no great revelation, but since everyone describes it as a mossy, musty, green fragrance, I was surprised to find it both sweet and *orange* in color. The comparison with Collistar Profumo di Benessere had mislead me the most. Collistar is definitely and unambiguously green, lacks any hint of sweetness, and belongs more properly in the neighborhood of Sisley Eau de Campagne. Palais Jamais is mossy and musty, but it also has an almost syrupy orange quality about it. This quality is the first to show up and the last to leave. It colors the experience from the beginning to the end. It's fused together with the perfume's more expectedly earthy and dry features, and initially it can be perceived as discordant. The first time wearing it, I wanted to ignore it and get to the green. But as soon as I relaxed into smelling what’s there instead of what I thought should be there, I came to crave Palais Jamais exactly as it is: a strange new harmony, ethereal and beguiling. Evernia prunastri aka oakmoss (which someone wondered if is still listed on the label) *is* still listed on the label. It's easily detected and gives the perfume much of its bewitching character. The heartbreak has to do with the performance. As another reviewer said, Palais Jamais isn't so much fleeting as it rushes through its development. The best stage, when all the notes sing in glorious harmony, lasts some 20 minutes. It makes you wish you could stop the clock. The wisps, however, last most of the day. On the whole, I feel this delicate, unusual perfume is a treasure. A part of it is precisely that it's not boosted by one of those aromachemicals that have the half-life of plutonium. I look forward to trying more from the same house.

To me, this is a very unusual fragrance in its curious mossy green appearance. Not what one would expect to have been formulated. There is ample oakmoss within, and vetiver, but the way it is blended with the cedar, bergamot and petitgrain... At first it is dry and a bit sharp, a brewed herbal that almost suggests some kind of scented cleaning fluid. I did NOT like this at first. I bought it blind and thought I made a mistake. I have come to discover that newly experienced accords take time to appreciate. They can be off putting at first, but in time you get to discover their true character. With Palais Jamais, that sharp opening softens into the dry down. The rich oakmoss is garnished with sage and jasmine, and cedar becomes less prominent than in the beginning. Still, there's only a subtle sweetness to this. And burnt plastic? Well, you might be able to force that imagery. There are qualities to unpleasant aromas that can appear in similar forms, but shifted enough as to become quite pleasant. Palais Jamais seems to do this. But don't get me wrong -- this is NOT an easy fragrance to wear. I think of it more like a personal scent, one that you wear when you just want to enjoy the artistry of an unusual accord. I bought this along side the older Etro Vetiver. I thought for sure that the Vetiver would be more appealing to me (which at first it was), but Palais Jamais, the ever palace it is, nudged its way to the same shelf. I don't know if Etro's latest version of it is the same as the older gold cap version. If it is, don't hesitate to give it a try if the prominent notes appeal to you. This is a curiosity worth owning. Longevity is OK, sillage is a little below average.

Etro Palais Jamais is distinctly personal and freeing. I liken Palais Jamais to the beginnings of each season, particularly spring and fall, where the landscape is reborn to eventually decompose; the evolving beauty taking evocative turns along with the ensuing scents that emanate from this ethereal cycle. There is seductive pull to this wonderland where the wooing is innate and fully whole, resulting in an uplift and a reset for all... Palais Jamais is a bottled aromatic of that process. With its initial citrus spritz shaped by a sharp coriander and a cardamom hint, there is a some kind of wonderful in the making towards a naturally dry, yet refined floral greenery. The leathery birchwood, the fragrant jasmine sambac, and the bitter orange foliage of Paraguayan petitgrain shape the tobacco hay slight of the maté absolute into a smoked, herbaceous green tea only to be augmented with a tasteful pepper, before the mossy dews, the rich vetiver strains and the soft sweetness of clary sage elevate as ensemble towards a dusty green aura of freedom and change. Ahh, to begin the begin... Lovely!

A chypre with fougere elements. Verdant lemon balm. Bitter, medicinal rather than medicinal, cold spring washed Petitgrain, plus Sage, spice spiciness and jasmine sweetness surround the smoky charred core of tobacco, Birch. This...is this really a work from 1989? Even today, Palais Jamais does not feel dated at all, it is still functional, and I wonder if its formula has never been changed. Palais Jamais is a green field overgrown with grass, and the scent of moss greens full of moisture is refreshing and pleasant. It would be great if there were no IFRA ban, Palais Jamais could use real oakmoss. However, this idea must not be realized one day. Even so, Palais Jamais is still my favorite.

Etro's Palais Jamais has extremely smokey vetiver and sweet jasmine. It's dense and multifaceted. There are hints of leather and smoked tea, a blooming orange tree and some herbal bits in the supporting roles. Still, sweet jasmine, vetiver and birch form the leading theme. If there had to be a perfume called Jasmine and Cigarettes, this could be it. But the name chosen is much more magical. These are keywords: Morocco, hidden gardens, rustic landscapes, palaces, the dry heat of night. It is one of my favorite Etros, the most inspiring for sure, but also the hardest to wear on a daily basis, randomly, just like that. Nothing is "just like that" with Palais Jamais.

I really love this scent. My impression is a bonfire in a blooming orchard at dusk. I get sharp smoke and some herbs, wood and blossoms behind it. Feels pretty much like an enjoyable trip to countryside, such a nostalgic reminder of childhood. When I wear Palais Jamais I just can't stop sniffing my wrists, it is so pleasant to me. But it is also very specific and definitely not easy to wear. I mostly use it at home for myself, because I'm afraid it can be offensive for some people. And yes, I disliked it at first, but it grew on me so quickly that I bought it in half an hour after testing. A wonderful and unique creation.

The Etroism is strong with this one. If there was a vetiver ice cream, PJ would be it. Smooth, silky, light with a deliciously citrusy aftertaste. It’s wonderfully woody with a soft leather touch. A vetiver highlight. Lucky to have it in its old design. Each old Etro had a specific label that accentuated its different character. Now the sameness of the bottle badges slightly ruins the charm, but in the end it’s the scent that matters. And when it comes to consistent quality of fragrances Etro are among the top examples. *****

Such a lovely, elegant way to explore birch tar. Starts with a green tar explosion, which later quiets down to a mostly smoky vetiver fragrance, but with a lot of depth. Refined like all of Etro's offerings, Palais Jamais is also thoroughly unique. Just one caveat: on me, Palais Jamais _races_ through all it's lovely stages rather quickly before settling down to a beautifully green, discreet, long-lasting base, so if it's the birch and smoke what brought you here, try it first.

A beautiful green grassy fragrance (in the top), that switch to a smoky vetiver, sage and moss combo in the base. This is beautiful. But for whom doesn't manage to locate a bottle of that beauty, I would strongly suggest to get Choc de Cardin, that shares... shocking similarities with this one in the base (I'm wearing them side by side) - noting that a 50ml bottle of Choc currently retails for under $15 on ebay... Once it will be gone, don't say that no one told you :)

bellissimo e bilanciato, questo è uno straordinario profumo unisex, fresco, campagnolo eppure elegantissimo. le note di inizio sono verdi e terrose di bergamotto, te verde, muschio di quercia e vetiver. l'assestamento procede verso una morbidezza che restituisce sentori lievemente affumicati di cuoio ingentiliti da gelsomino e salvia. sul fondo si arriva ad uno skin-scent muschiato gradevolissimo. veramente notevole.

I must say this one, in its current formulation has incredible lasting power. I had worn it one day, applied liberally in the morning before going to work, and not only did it last all day long, but the next day I wore Guerlain’s Shalimar, the edp, and I could still feel the Palais Jamais through it, and the shalimar was gone without a trace within an hour after application, but I could still feel the P J!

To me this is green, grey and beige... Very dry and intellectual, also peaceful and restful. I love to wear this before bed, I sleep very well. It's not listed here but the musk is referred to as an 'oak musk' somewhere and it's beautiful, with a definite oaky smell like a white wine cork. Personally its just a bit dry for me and seems to vanish very quickly, otherwise one of my favorites.

Herbal, fresh, green. Pleasant airiness. It's not safe, but kind and lively and stimulating. Feels entirely natural. This is such a beautiful composition I can't find the proper words for it. Like something out of a most wonderful dream, which unfortunately can never become a reality. Oh wait... Maybe I'll find some more inspiration later. Wearing this perfume will certainly help ;)

the absinthe-coloured juice sits patiently in the myriad bottles waiting for the precisely correct time to be worn; it's a coolish, overcast summers day, a hint of menace in the clouds. this smokey, mossy tea - with a stout vetiver heart - elixir has its moment..... pj always imparts a contemplative, comforting impression when the right day appears. very nice

Palais Jamais is, to me, the archetype for what a green aromatic fragrance should be! The opening is perfect -- a little bit herbal, a little bit grassy, and a little bit citrusy. Like a good apertif, it makes you want to keep sniffing. It dries down to a well balanced vetiver and smoke, with some woods, but remains bright and uplifting throughout.

I love this little gem, but wonder if I'd love it as much if it were colorless. For me, that vibrant chartreuse is part and parcel with the experience of Palais Jamais, much the way saffron imbues Spanish Rice or a classic Paella with the inviting sunny hue that heralds the deliciousness that awaits.

It's green at the top, but the leather and tobacco smooth that out, then the lovely vetiver keeps it interesting. This is one of the most interesting scents I've worn. It smells like the morning after a great night -- a little bit of smoke, a hint of suede, maybe a little aftershave on that suede...

Very interesting and a sparkling beginning which goes into a more interesting and complex evolution. Green, earthy and woody. It has vetiver, tea, it's herbal, aromatic and smoky. And what a great name: "Palais Jamais". Scent: 8/10 Longevity: 7/10 Projection: 4/10

A pure green sugar cube. A Candied bergamot. A bit "Plummy". A fairy forest, full of kind spirits. Adorable. Magic and without time like a tale.

First impression: the first drops of a summer storm hitting blocks of dusty sandstone, the smell rises hitting your nose with a mineral, earthy and dry yet humid scent. As the fragrance develops, this image becomes cloudier, citruses and herbs enter the picture, the scent becomes woodier, I do get the liquorice roots reference, with that earthy, dusty almost leathery sweetness, a perfect example where the perfume is more than a sum of the parts (vetiver, birch and oakmoss). This perfume is all but simple. At first I dismissed it, only upon second wearing did I really grasp the creativity. I expect I will continue to discover this fragrance with its subtle facets. All in all, great fragrance, perfect for reflecting on perfume as an art form. A refreshing attempt to create art and not a commercial people pleaser.