Le Parfum de Therese

Frederic Malle has a deep connection to Dior, going back to his mother and also broadly. He’s not shy about it, as if releasing two perfumes by the Roudnitska father and son wasn’t a big enough hint. Michel, the younger, would give the house Noir Epices, a glorious fall spices concoction. But Edmond didn’t give Malle this, Le Parfum de Therese. Instead, it was Therese, Edmond’s wife, who gave it to Malle in hopes that her husband’s composition would have a shot at immortality. Edmond’s CV needs no expounding or explanation here; if you don’t know who he is you’ve been living under a perfume rock, or in a very small echo chamber. His compositions for Dior and Rochas are legends, but this little orphan composition was rejected twice, once by Dior and later by Guy Laroche. It was just too unusual for the period. This is a good reminder for us fragheads that mass consumers’ aggressively mediocre taste is not anything new, since we like to bemoan the taste of today's “perfumistas”. But Edmond kept at it, kept developing it, only to later present it to his wife as a gift for her own personal perfume. If he gave this to me, yeah I’d marry him. To the courthouse we’d go, my person slathered in this perfume. What made it weird was the aqueous fruit opening. Roudnitska was no stranger to fruity openings; it was virtually his signature on his Dior compositions - the “Edmond fruit salad” as I often refer to it. His fruit salad signature would mostly come across as an amalgam, as a fruit salad would, left out in the summer sun to warm up and “turn” a bit. What makes LPdT a bit different is an aqueous quality made more “wet” and obvious with Edmond’s oft used cucumber note, a calone, handled with more intention. Additionally, and similarly, the fruit has more clarity and precision by coming across as obviously melon-y (calone) and orange-y rather than salad-y. LPdT’s formula is very old, Roudnitska was making it for many years, so how much of Malle’s reconstitution of it via more modern materials and the “handling” by the perfumer who reconstituted it for Malle - who is still unknown - poses how accurately and precisely this is like Roudnitska’s own composition as a big question and a curious mystery that is fun to ponder. This is a postulation that hangs over the entire perfume, which, let’s be honest, makes it really fun for us fragheads to think about and debate. Regardless though, one thing is certain about this opening: it’s superb. My personal preferences allowed to overrule any objective parts of my brain would mean I should not like an aquatic fruit opening, but this is gorgeous. Edmond you flirt you. The heart section is recognizably good ol’ Edmond. A plain-Jane delivery of his plum accord that he put in several Diors and big slug of red roses. But, before you go equating this simplicity with mundanity, think again. Roudnitska invented the plummy floral for Dior, and to this day no one else has done it quite like him little alone as well as he did. The plum is a such a beautiful accent to the fruity aspect of the luscious red rose. The wateriness is still here but only a bit, coming across as more juicy fruit sugars and zesty skins overlaying a slightly woody and slightly creamy and slightly earthy regal red rose. Justice of the Peace, Court Clerk - can we wrap this up, please? - there’s a honeymoon to get to. The dry down is a more standard affair, a leathery chypre that abounded in the 60s and 70s when Edmond was really working through this formula. Damp, green, woody oakmoss; peppery and aromatic cedar; gentle suede-like leathers with an animalic musky powderiness. So perhaps a bit less compelling than earlier sections, it is still impeccably handled (by Roudnitska or interpretation/materials?), but noticeably less ballsy. Roudnitska could certainly blow your shoes and socks off with clouds of oakmoss and animalics, but he (presumably?) restrains himself here. This dry down is offered to us with quiet elegance and class that spells love. This is a hand being held, an arm around the waist, a peck on the cheek, not a grand gesture meant for the world to see. Nestle me under the warm sheets, Edmond. What a lovely, lovely, lovely perfume. It is the perfect blend of modernity and classicism, of emotion and technical prowess, of forward thinking and respect for history. Edmond Roudnitska was a genius ahead of his time yet perfectly capable of working very well within that time, and you only need to smell Le Parfum de Therese, and know that no house would buy it from him, to recognize this. We must be grateful to Therese Roudnitska and Frederic Malle for allowing us this perfume, and the glimpse into the mind of a genius that was probably stymied more often than we’ll ever know. Now this perfume is owned by Estee Lauder, who has messed with it since it’s original release, but I won’t go into that here; blessings need to be accounted for and celebrated when they present themselves because, unlike Therese Roundnitska’s hopeful intention, they don’t last forever. You’d better put a ring on it.

Twice I have worn this in public. Once at a house party, once at a club to hear a rock band. At both events, whenever I tried to hang out alone (I love to spend some time by myself at parties - maybe that's weird, don't care) I repeatedly had the sense that I was being followed and/or crowded although there was plenty of space for all. So I looked around, and girls were closing in! Every time. Yes, I noticed that men were friendly towards me, and willing to smile and make eye contact - but the girls! They just zoned in! Once I turned around to find myself actually in a circle of three young women who were having a quiet conversation. I raised my eyebrows, smiled, and they gazed softly and sweetly at me as if I were a beloved member of the quartet before carrying on. Once I looked up from my purse to find a woman taking pictures of me! To be fair, she was photographing the band that night, so maybe she wanted some crowd shots, but at this point there was no one behind me... just girls on either side of me... after I moved to that spot they had accumulated. To be clear, I'm female, engaged to a man. I'm so impressed with this fragrance, possibly more impressed than I was smelling mother's signature Oscar as a child, almost as impressed by my first experience with vintage Shalimar as a teen, and more impressed than I am with my own signature right now, Laurence Dumont Vanile Pamplemousse, which simply inspires my wholehearted glee (no small feat). I love every note. Everything in this perfume is working. I mean *working*. There is something alive in Le Parfum de Therese, it breathes. That's not to say it's airy. Roudnitska is the nose behind Diorissimo, also a "modern vintage" type of fragrance. These two perfumes are similar in two ways to me, and the main one is technical. How Roudnitska can create perfumes that are so deep yet light is remarkable. Reading the lists of notes in his creations, I would never expect them to smell the way they do. They have exceeded my wildest imagination of the best possible scents. The other similarity between Diorissimo and Le Parfum de Therese falls into the category of emotion: deep and even. The emotions portrayed here aren't turbulent or bubbling. They aren't restrained or subdued. They are deeply felt, but evenly felt. I think his perfumes are for women who know their own heart. They are for women who smile with their eyes. I also think his perfumes are for women... who are confident but not bold with their speech. They are for women who are active in the world, and active in their dreaming. It is often said in the perfume world: Wear _____ and you will inspire the world to love you! Le Parfum de Therese isn't for a woman who wants to be loved. It's for a woman who is already loved. I haven't purchased a full bottle, because I'm so impressed that I feel the need to test more perfumes from the house of Frederic Malle. I have En Passant and Une Rose next in queue. If they are all as revolutionary as LPDT is to me it will be quite the wondrous experiment choosing just one! When I go out, I wear LPDT on my neck and arms, hair and clothing. I've worn LPDT at home a few times, too. I only wear it on my neck and arms, though. If I wore it in my hair each time, I think I'd grow tired of the melon note that clings to it and to fabric. I do like the idea that I can wear just a touch on skin for myself and enjoy it just as much as I feel comfortable and confident wearing it out in the world, sprayed all over. Attracting lovely females, lol.

I re-sprayed Le Parfum de Thérèse from an old sample I have and as first impression I thought: "OMG! the sample has gone bad!" I was immediately attacked by a cloud of very strong, almost syrupy fruit & leather brown juice on my neck. Also some part of my jaw since it was early in the morning and I was still sleepy ;-P I had to hurry up, dress for office and rush out! I had no time to wash the scent away. I thought: "Ok, worse for them, today they will keep me stinky!" When I gt into my car the scent was already different, still very strong but softer and rounder, starting to make a dialogue with my skin. By the time I got to work I felt a lovely deep, fruity leathery classic and sophisticated cloud on my neck close to my turtleneck sweater. What a beauty! Not just a beautiful perfume. There are many around but LPDT has a special capacity of provoking something on me. KTERHARK said it right: emotion! This is not an easy perfume, not easy to wear, not too friendly, not frilly, not girlish at all, but for sure it is "Edmond Roudnitska"! I still have to meet perfume made but this genius that haven't won me, even when it was not my type of perfume. What kind of imagination and mastery did he have? There is a special note that connect all his creations in spite of their difference. I cannot name it, but I feel it. That's why I think that Le Parfum de Thérèse smell similar to Rochas Femme in some way. another gorgeous masterpiece of tremendous feminity, when feminity was not about smeling as sweet as possible like a fruit flavoured candy. If this one was inspired by ER's wife I bet she was quite a kind of her own. Or maybe a non-existant figure on which an incredibly imaginative man attached a smell. Rather the first I think. I agree 100% with the reviewers that said that this perfume has a soul and it also smells like a perfume that comes from within the person but not like something that has been added on top of a grooming! There are very few perfumes that can match skin in this way. I heard about LPDT like a "naughty" perfume for naughty women wearing black leather, high stiletto and maybe a wip also? Not so much for me. I see a very intense lady, not necessary pretty in a conventional way, no fake doll, not dominating according to a standard imagery, rather with gentle appearance and steel nerves, dressed somehow casual but with top class accuracy, used to luxury but not naive wannabe. Maybe also old French or old European. LPDT kept sending me little but very present clouds from my neck any time I moved my head. If you like to forget about the perfume you're wearing this is not for you. I kept smelling it from time to time for many hours. Just when I fought it was gone a new smaller cloud came from my neck. Please, wear only 1 spray, maybe 2. No more. Being so taken by this perfume I wanted my bf to smell it on me. As expected he was not fond of it and didn't understand all my personal hype. After 1 hour or so, as I asked again, he said: "Mmm... nice" This is expensive but you get a lot back for your money, if you like it of course. Then you will need only a spray.

I don't wear perfume by season or occasion, but if I were to make a list of favorite fragrances to wear during hot Summer days, Le Parfum De Thérèse would rank as my number one choice. If you are a fan of this house or of Edmond Roudnitska's work, you know the story behind Le Parfum de Thérèse (although some reviewers on YouTube still make dedicated overviews on the house and have no clue about the story behind it, won't point fingers). Edmond created this perfume for his wife, Thérèse, to be hers and hers alone to wear. At that time, he felt this perfume was too futuristic for its period and that it wouldn't be well-received by the market. Honestly, even today, this perfume feels like a futuristic olfactory composition. I don't think Le Parfum De Thérèse can be bound to any era of perfumery, which makes it rather timeless. If I were to go by the notes, I should not enjoy this. And yet I love it. I like to describe the way Roudnitska crafted this perfume as an Impressionistic painting. One that immediately comes to mind would be Monet's "Le Déjeuner sur l'herbe", and Monet's style in general. This perfume transcends any general knowledge of the fruity, floral, and chypre accords one might have. Yes, you get fruits - melon, plum, and tangerines, but devoid of the typical sweetness and tangible characteristics; they feel natural and rather watery, even zesty at times. The florals, from which I mostly pick up an indolic Jasmine, are ethereal and not heavy, as jasmine most often comes across. Here you'll find one of the most interesting jasmine accords, light yet indolic at the same time. He almost restrained himself on the floral aspects while being generous with the indoles. And the Chypre base is built as a "modern" chypre accord using no oakmoss but a rather copious amount of vetiver with hints of patchouli and cedar. The leather accord never shines on my skin, or perhaps it is too light for me to detect, given my high tolerance for rough and dense leathers. Overall, Le Parfum De Thérèse is an almost watery, diaphanous perfume with plenty of the spark and fuziness characteristic of most chypres. Sometimes the watery fruity accords are most prominent over a woody base, others the jasmine pushes out more, and there are instances when it wears and feels like an emerald mossy perfume. It is a clever creation that only consolidates further Roudnitska's genius and the saying that goes: "materials are important, but the nose is the most important." The reason why I love wearing this perfume in the heat of Summer is because it makes me think of a picnic on the grass - a basket with fresh fruits and the smell of flowers, grass, and the trees nearby, with a cool breeze blowing through their branches. Just like in Monet's "Le Déjeuner sur l'herbe." And of course, people invited know how to dress, no shorts and tees here. IG:@memory.of.scents

The smell of a hazy and uncertain destiny, Le Parfum de Therese is unsurprisingly brilliant, one of the real standouts in Malle's collection and, given it was complete and its creator passed on by the time Malle published it, it hasn't been edited into the modern-trendy-chic style like many of the house's other releases. There are many myths surrounding this scent, such as that only Edmond Roudnitska's wife Therese was permitted to wear it, but I think the reality is more that she wore it to meetings with perfume execs as a kind of living advertisement. Le Parfum de Therese is said to have been turned down time and again for being too "out there" and I have to say, 70-ish years after its initial conception, it's as weird now as it was then. Thank god it stuck out in the mind of young Frederic Malle, who remembered first encountering the perfume on Therese by virtue of his family ties to Parfums Dior. In fact, "weird" is probably by far the most accurate adjective I can think of to describe this scent, which despite being made of clearly detectable plum, rose and melon is nevertheless quintessentially abstract, smelling like all of those things and none of them at the same time. LPDT is a wonderful touchstone from Roudnitska's style, which fetishistically rotated around stone fruit chypres (Femme, Diorella) and rendered the innocuous drupe into the most otherworldly, ptolemaic odour. Those who call Le Parfum de Therese "forward-thinking" are half-correct, I think, as the inexplicably futuristic feel of the scent feels as obvious now as it no doubt did back in the fifties - it's a strange future that will never truly arrive, and will forever be out of reach. Though elements of the constituent notes are readily detectable, I think this scent is best enjoyed as an intact whole rather than dissected or "understood" in the conventional sense. For me, the watery-rosy opening is conjoined to the plum which is in turn conjoined to the leather to create a scent that doesn't actually exist in nature (smell a plum side-by-side to LPDT, and you'll see what I mean). While eschewing oakmoss, LPDT nevertheless creates the classic chypre magnetism through use of a leather note tinted judiciously with soft greenery. It's a shining gem and one of few scents from Edmond that has remained largely intact. It's as much his as his wife's: their joint, utterly French reverie of an endless field of flowers and fruit.