1876

A silky sarsaparilla rose, rooty and bit tooty-fruity, 1876 is another piece of intrigue from Histoires de Parfums. It has a bit of a candied sour pucker powder and a dash of baby aspirin Tic Tac tastiness in its opening, while still feeling rather opulent. The sassafras and Moxie gentian bite comes in as the rose unfurls, bittersweet and somewhat aloof, but oh so satisfying. This rose is a bit more fruity-damascone, just the way I like it, not too green, but also not so jammy that my teeth hurt. The contrast of bitter and sweet is what the children need more of these days. A holy trinity of "look, but don't touch" carnation, violet, and iris accompanies this antique rose, echoing beauties such as Le Dix and Dans la Nuit, but this warm cumin and unctuous woody foundation pulls this into a someone more masculine: a plot twist! Reviewers throw around "grandmas" and "grandpas" because their scent association may be a bit naive: have compassion for them as the sands of time will have them rubbing their eyes and wondering why in a blink they're the ones who are now mocked and pitied. This doesn't give me any association like that, but maybe it's because I have a grandpa spirit anyhow; young folks can often make me feel that way, especially if they awkwardly misapply French in their Youtube usernames. 1876 was dedicated to Mata Hari, a Dutch exotic dancer and courtesan famously executed by firing squad during World War I for espionage. If this seductress with a crazy life could die without fear, perhaps we should learn to live without fear and learn to lean into uncertainty, because sooner or later, it will come creeping in anyhow. Sensory pleasures should be simple: fetishizing it, fussing over it, feigning disdain for fear of the Grim Reaper, well, isn't that a pity? Far more pitiful than our wise elders who could teach us a thing or two about how to grab life by the balls before it's too late.

The sale of HdP perfumes is being discontinued by one of my local perfume stores, so the remaining perfumes in stock were on a clearance sale. I hadn't gone in with a specific perfume in mind to purchase, but ended up leaving with Ambre 114 and this. Lychees are a common fruit down here in Southeast Asia and I've always loved the lychee + rose combination in food but normally find the lychee too "watery" in perfumes for my liking. I like how the combination smells in Delina but the perfume in general is too candied and sharp for my liking. In 1876, the rose and lychee combination sits on a spicy, woodier base, and making it feel a lot more balanced and stops it from falling into the gourmand category. The carnation note gives it a vintage flair (à la L'heure Bleue) and the scent dries down into a powdery floral that feels like you're being haunted by the ghost of a burlesque dancer - perhaps befitting of a perfume inspired by an exotic dancer-turned-alleged spy who was executed by a firing squad. I hadn't expect to like it so much but it's become one of the perfumes that I miss when I take too long of a break in between wears. Probably recommended for those who enjoy perfumes that remind them of vintage cosmetics and not for those who are looking for fresh fruity-floral perfumes.

A Spicy Rose for Mata Hari that blends in Cinnamon-Heart-Carnation & Luminous-Violet-Iris... This is one of my favourites of the line, and there are similarities here with carnation to 1969. But this has a more luminous feel with violet, whereas 1969 dries down rich and chocolate-y. Overall a spicy rose scent, this was composed as a tribute to Mata Hari, and I could imagine Greta Garbo wearing this on set as she played the title role in Mata Hari (film 1931) of which only a censored version remains. The discovery set insert reads: "Mata Hari was a half French, half Asian courtesan, later caught and condemned for using her powers of seduction to extract military secrets from her many lovers. To honor this archetype of the femme fatale, a powdery oriental floral composed of the most exhilarating of flowers, the spicy rose." As spicy rose scents go, this one is complex, blending in the cinnamon-heart-carnation, dewy-litchi & luminous-violet-iris. For me the litchi comes out more in association with the violet. This is a really beautiful rose scent. It's a love for me. 10/10. Enjoy!

I cannot even express how I enjoy this perfume. It is feminine, young, unusual, joyful, fresh and sweet, with great sillage and longevity. It makes me feel all pampered up and the most attractive woman in the whole universe ;) It opens up juicy not in an obvious fruity way, rather juicy-flowery I would say. As far as I know, litchi has a very subtle smell and is soft in its taste, so probably the beginning is litchi + citrus and bright rose. Later on, the rose remains and unfolds even more fully. It's a big lush intoxicating rose, spiced up by caraway and carnation and smoothed down by powdery, velvety, strong iris note... What a combination! In short, 1876 is as powdery as it is spicy, the main players here are rose, iris and spice (quite an unusual one: carnation, caraway and cinnamon well blended together). Towards the end (after 8+hours) it also gets woody: sandalwood and vetiver are the most prominent base elements for my nose. I highly recommend 1876 to rose and iris lovers.

Le Traité de Versailles This little marvel should derserve much more attention. It's a super original chypré-like whith a very feminine fruity opening who evolves to a strong masculine base of spicy woody vetiver. It's not easy to wear because it's at first very "pretty" and then suddenly very "ballsy". There is this delicious contrast , very old school but revisited, between a very juicy fruity head and a carnal (cumin) earthy (vetiver) base. The delicat powdery flowers in between look almost like the victims of this little trench warfare and try to play the peace pourparlers who still did not rule what is genderly correct between what could be an extravagant divaeque powdery floral or a straight but very sexual spicy bouquet. For me it's what would smell a courtisan during the reign of the Roi-Soleil, powdered and elegantly dirty

Not for beginners, I would say. Some of the HdP are an aquired taste, so is Mata Hari. Summer wearing. This is a complex, gourgeous floral that is rather soft and comfortable, neither disturbing, nor offensive once you get to know her. Cumin and cinnamon might need some getting used to and I do understand why these spices are conseptually nesessary for the composition, but frankly, I could do without them. Remove the cumin and rename the composition to Isadora Duncan or some other famous dancer of the period and I would buy buckets of it. As it is now, my summer is brightened by Mata Hari and I suspect she would be stunning in autumn too.

Is it old-fashioned? Yes. Is it a bad thing? Not really. All the powdery notes, musk and carnation do give me a bit of the grandma vibe initially, but then the dirty caraway topped with rose jumps in and this is where all the fun begins. Somewhat animalistic, dusty and extremely sensual to me. It’s bold and I admit it can be annoying, so I tend to wear it on those days when I mostly do walking, not sitting around. It can be pretty suffocating on hot days but it’s perfect for spring and early autumn in a mild climate.

Without a doubt my favourite perfume I’ve owned, and the one I’ve worn longest without getting sick of it. I can smell it when I have migraine, and it somehow doesn’t bother me. We were meant to be. On me it’s a spicy red carnation, with some rose and litchi. It does smell ‘old’, and many would put this firmly into the category of scents their grandmother would wear. I happen to like ‘grandma’ scents and love this all the more for it. I hope I never tire of this scent.

For me this is Guerlain Habit Rouge EDP mixed with a bit of champagne. As a result the scent less sharp than HR and more wearable. It is also richer and more dimensional thanks to notes like caraway and litchi. I am a guy and wear this with pleasure. The frag is classy and appropriate for office and any time of the year. It's in my top 5 favorite fragrances. I really recommend it to fans of Habit Rouge. My rate is 10/10

The first notes that I get out of 1876 are classic notes of bergamot and something woody and spicy. A bit of cinnamon, caraway and something floral start to appear. The scent gets a bit sweeter now. I also smell a tiny bit of vetiver in the distance. The scent gets more sweet now, fruity notes with a hint of flowers on a cinnamon base. The scent is becoming a bit dusty now as the carnation becomes stronger. Next one up is rose, a very sweet one, and it is getting stronger. The scent gets quite dry at this point. The drydown is a sweet woody-vetiver base with a bit of musk, with rose and cinnamon on top. Sillage and longevity are moderate on me. Very classic opening, but turns out to be a flowery oriental on my skin. Interesting, not sure if I can handle all the rose in here. I don't get much iris, violets or distinct lychee and orange notes. Hmm. Not sure about this one, I don't like the vetiver coming through. The combination of sweetness and dryness is interesting though. I don't dislike it, but it's not my cup of cinnamon tea to be honest.

A complex, mysterious floral - sensuous and surprisingly masculine. A powdery, old school floral with fruit, smoke, and undertones of rootbeer. Complicated, multidimensional. It's so well blended that it's hard to pick individual notes out which, along with the complex floral/amber construction, gives 1876 a retro feel. However, the unconventional "masculine" touches - the aromatic and woody notes - gives it an almost deviant quality. During the drydown it changes from an oldschool retro perfume (like a really luxurious Tabu) to Commes de Garcons 2; all powder and Smarties candies, minus the incense and plus some smoke. I'm not sure if I love or even like this fragrance but, like everything I've smelled from this house, it's intriguing and amazingly well blended. Sexy, intelligent, and dangerous.

This is alright, the cumin is non-existent for me, but I can see how it's resemblance is shaped here. The vetiver is front and center as well as the Carnation and bergamot. It's impressively interesting how the same fragrance can smell so different skin to skin. I hardly get a rose at all, but there is iris and jasmine. The iris adds just a bit of powder, but nothing overbearing. Jasmine seems to sing on my skin, not that I mind, but it's the clear leader in the floral department here. There is some slight cinnamon that peaks out occasionally but seems to be washed away in a citrusy note. As it mellows out, the woods come out and it's a nice ambery dry scent. It's nice, it's no show stopper for me and has no interesting nostalgic ties to conjure my imagination up, but I'm still satisfied. 7/10

1876 is fun and strange. When I was a little girl, someone in my extended family wore Opium to big parties and holiday celebrations, so I associate spices and carnations with elegance and getting dressed up. That is probably the main reason I enjoy 1876, because its’ spicy notes take me back. Because to be honest, it is not a very seamless and beautiful composition. It smells very good - spicy, earthy, medicinal, a bit leather- and tobacco-y, but it is sharp and strong and the notes dont blend but stand out in a messy way. It could be a background scent for a store that sells herbs and spices, or a scented sachet in a wardrobe with wool sweaters and fur coats, but I wouldnt wear it for a whole day.

To begin, I LOVE Mata Hari. As a matter of fact, I've taken to storing the sample size in my purse for a pick-me-up in the middle of my shift when my original scent has faded away. I don't get a lot of the fruity sweetness that people describe, but I do get a delightful combination of rose and cinnamon. As a matter of fact, I would go so far as to describe the character of this perfume as being "warm." I think that SeauxGood describes the scent rather well. It's the fragrant version of chomping down on a stick of Big Red - minus the excessive amounts of glucose. It gets a bit "fruitier" when it reaches the drydown, but it's not the sugary. There may be a bottle in the future. *wink*

I'm only going to speak to the opening which I'm currently experiencing for the first time: There's that tinge of opening a stick of big red - the powdery bit that catches your nostril after you open the foil - but without the sharp spiciness. There's a soft spicy floral behind the initial hit that is surprisingly addictive; I keep coming back to my wrist to smell it. This is a fragrance that is afflicted by multiple personality disorders but in a good way. The rose is now making its way to the foreground after almost 10 minutes...Kinda old school. The powder is still there, but it's somehow still fresh and spicy. Quite enjoying this, actually...

I really think this is wonderful, but it does smell a bit like a generic modern take on a vintage perfume — the "ideas," so to say, feel a bit scattered — there's a makeupy powder-iris combo, a stuffy rose, and an animalic-spicy underpinning. But hey, Mata Hari was a complicated lady. The longevity is not great but the dry down might be the best part. That part really feels vintage, powder and animalic at the same time. I don't know if it's distinct enough to warrant a whole bottle (the price point doesn't help), but it sure smells good.

1876 opens with a strong spicy note (I think it's the caraway). The overall sensation of the first minutes is of a strange and very old (antique) perfume. Here is listed as a floral with prominent rose fragrance but I really don't get these notes. It's a very complex fragrance, difficult to understand. It's like it is made by two different souls, one is the spicy souls, the other I know is there but I really can't decipher it. I think that was the intention of Hdp creating this fragrance in honor of Mata Hari.

Pleasant and refined. Natural. Semi-sweet, fruity, unisex arrangement. Perfectly powdery. Starts out subtle and picks up a bit of intensity as it goes along, which I find a pleasant refrain from the norm, which is the opposite. The wonderful opening gives way to a spicy floral arrangement, which includes tobacco leaves. At this point, the fragrance leans feminine. As it wears, it lays back into a unisex lean. Mature but not classic. Interesting and youthful, but not young. Art gallery stuff.

I guess it’s my chemistry making me this joke, but for me it’s extremely fruity and spicy fragrance. And I do not like neither fruits neither spices. I love rose and iris, but where are they? I miss them... The dominant note is caraway and I guess the fruitiness arises from combination of citruses, litchi and rose. Trying to amplify my olfactory receptions, yes, I get this hidden rose, but it’s not enough to satisfy my love of roses. 1876 is complex, interesting, but not my cup of tea!

1876 is hard for me to describe. If you’ve ever chewed Big Red gum, you know how it has that blend of spice with sweetness. This is a similar profile, but in a fragrance. It smells like a spiced cider. The cinnamon + orange + vanilla is transporting me to Fall Festival time. The sillage is just right, strong enough to make an impression without smacking you in the face. The dry down takes on an almost potpourri quality. I can’t wait to wear this around Thanksgiving and Christmas.