J'ai Osé

J'ai Ose ("I Dared") starts with a jarring blast of aldehydes, but before I have time to react, I am intoxicated by it. It's like disco lights and the glint of gold jewelry, body heat at first, but like a dream, it somehow morphs into an outdoor affair, and instead of leisure suits and jersey wrap dresses, people are donned in fleeces and hiking gear, albeit flashy such attire. The dizzying rhythm of music contrasts with the smell of the woods and flora. The wetlands smell of patchouli as there are strides and spins on the boardwalk, there meadows smell of vetiver as party-goers are wary of deer ticks whilst dancing and prancing. Then everyone moves to some form of altar while a voice sings "brothers and sisters!" The crew then gathers in a circle as a censer swings, and everyone is imbued with frankincense and benzoin, chanting. It all changes form outdoor jamboree to a ceremony. The air, already filled with resinous incense, now has the additional scent of powdery sandalwood mixed with orris root, while violets, jasmine, a panoply of flowers start to fill the perimeter of the altar. Then a stage all of a sudden appears at the foot of the altar, and Billy Preston and Syreeta start singing "With You I'm Born Again." Okay, I guess that makes sense. Anyhow, J'ai Ose made me feel all of this as I daydreamed while wearing it. I will have to agree with Barbara Herman (who inspired me to seek out this and several other vintages through her Scent & Subversion) that J'ai Ose has quite the story arc, from a time where one was more likely to listen to a record album from beginning to end. It demonstrates a restraint and temporality that may be lost in an age of short attention spans, but if one deliberately slows down and lets this or any perfume take its course, they may be in for quite an experience and notice things they may have otherwise missed.

J’ai OSE was my first “grown up” perfume. Many years and many fragrances later I still have not found anything that could come close to that exquisite bouquet of notes, lush and sophisticated at the same time, the kind that elevates a perfume to the status of a signature scent. J’ai OSE is translated as “I have dared” and, apparently, was inspired by Napoleon Bonaparte and his love story: a shorter, stout shape of the bottle; the stopper, that is reminiscent of the Emperor’s famous hat; and the name of the fragrance itself resonating with “Josephine”. I believe, the original J’ai OSE by Guy Laroche was discontinued in the late 80s and is now produced by J’ai OSE PARIS. I was a little leery about buying the new version but decided to give it a shot... and was not disappointed! J’ai OSE PARIS has remained the same magnificent fragrance I remember from many years ago - a timeless classic...

I have a vintage bottle in EDT. The cap is cut to appear as one giant lipstick. It’s coloured with burgundy shades that easily suggest such a comparison. The allusion is further enhanced by the honey-ambery looking potion kept under lock inside the bottle. This is the scent of sophisticated balsams, expensive powder, and yes, red and proud lipstick. Excellent fragrance with quality ingredients - sandalwood, iris, amber and a gallant accord of violets, all wrapped within a mossy makeup bag. An oriental to be admired. Guy Laroche is one of those rare houses that do not release many fragrances. In their lifetime they have only a handful of pillars. All three in my collection - Drakkar Noir (2010 bottle), Horizon (1993 bottle) and J'ai Osè (cannot figure our just how old is this beauty) are absolute pleasures and treasures. *****

I just love this. I think my bottle, is unfortunately Post-IFRA nonsense. If your bottle is earlier than mine, I am truly jealous of your precious potion. Perhaps because mine is extrait it has a supple presence that the spray EDP may be lacking? This is really smooth and blended with perfection as only a master perfumer can summon. The oakmoss does remind me of the first chypre that pulled me down the rabbit hole: Millot's Crepe de Chene. I bought this in 2011, so it is most likely post the IFRA debacle. Perhaps next week I'll try an experiment, I know that one of my Crepe de Chine bottles is older than I am, on one wrist Jai Ose the other Crepe de Chine. Yummy.

J'ai ose Guy Laroche was my signature scent for years, unusually captivating perfume which should be back! Barely noticeable oriental note, just as much as I love, it's a timeless perfume. A masterpiece. Composition was unique and so feminine. What I particularly loved about this perfume - aldehydes were highlighted. Mostly all oriental frags are seductive, mysterious and sexy, sensual... J'ai Ose was oriental with soapy overtones, so pure and gentle, and at the same time puzzling. Noone ever made anything better then this. This is Art. Yes, it's J'ai Ose. And fragrant trail was one of the most impressive that I remember. 10/10