Chypre Sublime

If you like POAL and are looking for a somewhat more reasonable "dupe" of sorts this is for you. It's not exactly the same; POAL is deeper, richer, and has a less "green rose" quality and I think POAL's patch is smoother somehow. But the point is, if you like that, you may like this too, and it's less spendy. If you like your roses with a strong backing of patchouli, again you'll go for this. It's a green rose (to my nose), very lemony-geranium, peppery "rosine"; this is ROSE. It is not mild or meek and it's not a blowsy pink, but a dark jammy red (probably less jammy than POAL). It is somewhat reminiscent of the "Rose Jam" Lush body spray--but better (the high sort of green geranium note is pronounced there--and here too). There is certainly the lovely "incense" and "woods" dry down, but it's less strong than in POAL with a more dominant patch in the middle and the end. I do not detect the violet much except in a sweet way--it might be that kind of candy-sweet-tart aspect this scent has. This is not a garden "true" tea rose type of rose; it's amplified, exaggerated, spicy. Another characteristic that Rose Jam and Chypre Sublime share is longevity and projection. My skin is dry, and I often "over spray" just to get some kind of silage at all. This one I applied with my usual (very heavy) hand, and it was, "Oh, oh!" I'm middle aged, and I think this might knock the younger set over, so bear that in mind. A spritz or two will do. That strong silage and longevity I suspect has to do with the generous helpings of geraniol and some synthetics; this does have a more "synth" vibe than POAL (again, my primary comparison). It lasts forever on me, which again is surprising considering the "dry skin" issue. I'm not a big fan of heavy synthetic perfumes; I have a lot of mixed media, or more "natural" scents, but if it works, it works. I quite like this. This is the second scent I have from Floral Street, and I must say so far so good with this company; I also purchased the Ylang Ylang Espresso, and it was everything I had hoped Cafe Tuberosa would be from Atelier (a little sweet, but more coffee thank you)--except, Ylang, not Tuberose. Anyhow, I'm going to use my small Sephora bottle up and go FB on this, since my POAL is saved for special occasions.

I have the 8-scent discovery set. I was hesitant to try this one because I do NOT like rose-forward perfumes. I wear big rich fragrances: my signature is Coco and I daily year-round Obsession and Black Orchid. Still, I was determined to try all 8. This was unexpectedly love at first sniff, and got even better on my skin. Incense, warm woods, and a wet, rich rose that smells like my ancient rose bushes and nothing like what I thought of as “perfume rose.” (Now I know what “jammy” means.) I ordered a full bottle 30 mins after putting it on for the first time. Chypre Sublime projects gloriously with 2 sprays but only lasts 5-6 hours before needing a top-up. I haven’t tried POAL yet so can’t compare but if this is her little sibling I’ll adore POAL even more. Unisex but not for the faint of heart; seductive and stunning for a dramatic woman or daring man. This might be overwhelming in warm weather (I don’t see much of that here in Ireland). Go light on the trigger finger for the office.

I started at the light side of the "light to dark" 8 vial Floral Street sampler set and I must say that now I am on no.6 of 8 into the dark side, I am enjoying these fragrances much more. I really don't understand Floral Street's names, this one is called Chypre Sublime. Yes, I suppose under the dictionary definition of a chypre, this one does fulfil it, but I have to say the name "chypre" put me off before I'd even tried this fragrance. I was thinking of 80s powerhouse scents that scare me like Paloma Picasso, I was so wrong, this is exquisite. The lovely fresh jammy rose is the star of the show here, (this is what I wanted from Neon Rose and didn't get!). The opening is showered with the spicy pink pepper and green geranium. The incense get smokier as the fragrance dries and the violet blooms. Tread lightly with this one, one spray is enough, the projection and longevity are good. This is an absolute winner!

I have tested every single existing sample from Floral Street, not once, but wore each for a few days, and my winners and FB worthy became Chypre Sublime and Iris Goddess. Both classy, elegant and long-lasting. Chypre Sublime is the fragrance I was impressed the most during last year of obtaining newbies. It is very Byredo-like, the nose is Jerome Epinette who has made many perfumes for Byredo. Ignore the similarity votes on this page, please, they are very misleading. The only similar fragrance with Chypre Sublime is a Portrait Of a Lady Malle indeed, like some reviewers have picked, but I prefer Chypre Sublime nevertheless, it is more bright, less gloomy-patchy and more incensy. It is not a budget substitute of POAL at all, but a very glamorous, mature, well-blended chypre, full-bodied, emotional and unique.

I love rose fragrances that are undercut with a darker depth - and Chypre Sublime does that so well with how the rose is blended with that patchouli and the incense notes. Love this - it feels so layered and rich, like a swatch of bright red velvet cloth. I also own Portrait of a Lady and Diptyque’s Eau Capitale and although they’re similar, I think it’s not redundant to own all three (and I’m not just rationalising my decisions here lol). Whereas POAL goes really dark and almost dusty with its incense note, Chypre Sublime leans slightly earthier and the geranium note makes it retain a little sparkle without losing its depth (unlike Eau Capitale which almost too light with its citrus). This could last longer but I just carry a travel spray which is refillable for a discount.