1969 Parfum de Revolte

Fruit-chouli is always a very touchy subject with me but leave it to Sylvie Jourdet to convince me of the genre's notability, which she's done more than once. 1969 evocates the cultural shift of the late 1960s marked by the Vietnam War and the anti-war movements of peace without question, and the general hippie ideology characterized by anti-establishment and anti-conventional sentiments, permissive sexual and drug practices, and, of course, the ubiquitous smells of that period: flowers and patchouli. Trashy, dirty, colorful, debauched, playful yet self-important. The opening of peaches and tree fruits is nearly suffocating. It is massive. Juicy, sweet, fleshy, touches of ripe and zesty skins, and also superbly realistic but so vivid that you question the realism. The fruit notes string down to the heart to naturally link up with fruity roses, flanked by muguet and jasmine, while a baking-spice-flecked white chocolate patchouli begins blooming and billowing in an enormously loud voice from the base. Just when you think the sweet, vanilla, floral, fruity, chocolatey, patchouli onslaught is about to become too much the earlier elements dry down to go to a deeper, darker, drier, and spicier route, shifting the character of the patchouli by a significant margin. It's still earthy chocolatey, but the mood is a lot more serious - and "grown up" - when placed in the context of the opening. This is a very good perfume, but I don't know that I'd care to wear it again simply because it isn't my style. There is the combination of the accords that are, generally speaking, not a style preference of mine, and their massive diffusiveness also mostly reinforces my position that this perfume is not going to be part of my collection or everyday wear rotation. Despite this I will always have a high opinion of it. I will recommend it as a standout for the genre, without question. It is superbly made with great materials as is typical of Sylvie Jourdet, and it sticks to the creative brief in a truly exceptional way. With its very convincing and well-handled transition from aloof, unserious, trashy, and dirty opening to a deeper, darker, seriousness is a tongue-in-cheek statement on the flower power generation and how they fell apart as victims of their own half-baked ideology; while experiencing 1969 I was reminded of one of my favorite passages of Hunter S. Thompson's Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas: "We are all wired into a survival trip now. No more of the speed that fueled the 60s. That was the fatal flaw in Tim Leary's trip. He crashed around America selling 'consciousness expansion' without ever giving a thought to the grim meat-hook realities that were lying in wait for all the people who took him seriously... all those pathetically eager acid freaks who thought they could buy peace and understanding for three bucks a hit. But their loss and failure are ours too. What Leary took down with him was the central illusion of a whole lifestyle that he helped create... a generation of permanent cripples, failed seekers, who never understood the essential old-mystic fallacy of the Acid Culture: the desperate assumption that somebody - or at least some force - is tending the light at the end of the tunnel."

Let's be clear, this is a completely unique creation and I have never tried anything like it before. Another thing, this is not a perfume that will appeal to most people, because this house does not cater to mass tastes. This is truly a perfume of revolt and rebellion against hyperproduction, against trends, against drowning in the crowd. I see it as an artistic expression in which rare people find themselves. That is precisely its value and charm. I have tested this perfume on several occasions and we went through several different phases, from complete intolerance to respect (I can't say love). It was very difficult for me to understand and love it because each time it showed a new face. The opening itself was promising, somehow wonderfully herbal, aromatic and refreshing and I would not agree with the description that states the presence of warm spices, I would say that these are still fresh spices (cardamom and cloves, by the way, I really like them). Every time in the opening I smelled mint even though it is not in the list of notes. Unfortunately, this lasts for a very short time, until a dirty, earthy and musty smell starts to emerge. The peach is clearly noticeable, but not juicy and not at all fresh, but rather fallen, overripe and withered, mixed with dust, earth and leaves on which it fell and was then trampled. Those earthy tones probably come from the patchouli that comes out of the background too early. I only smell the rose in traces, more like the scent of rose water, not the flower. This is a rather sour, rancid and unappealing phase for me. In the drydown, that sharpness and acidity are muted and softened by discreet hints of coffee and chocolate, with a more pronounced presence of musk (patchouli does not fade ). Don't expect anything sweet from it. As for performance, don't expect a killer, this is a perfume that sits on the skin and doesn't last very long. 1969 smells somehow artificial and synthetic to me, leaving some melancholy behind, but also freedom. I don't find it seductive or appealing, although it is certainly different. It's not to everyone's taste and not recommended for blind buy. It's an easy pass for me, but I highly recommend you give it a try. I'm sure there are those who would prefer this weirdo.

Cardamom, Peach & Evoked Carnation... Carnation loving Carrie Bradshaw can eat her heart out because this evoked-carnation & patchouli beauty is allegedly Angelina Jolie's signature scent. Carnation was previously listed in the notes here, but it isn't listed on the discovery set insert which now matches the notes above. A fruity burst of evoked-carnation & patchouli open up for a spicy rose-cardamom heart on a Mexican chocolate patchouli and rooty vanilla base. In the air I get mostly cardamom-carnation and some chocolate cake patchouli, and on the skin I get gingerale, pencil shavings and thrills gum until the drydown of chocolate and rooty vanilla. The patchouli in 1969 has some vintage touches and is reminiscent of other Histoires de Parfums scents such as Noir Patchouli and 1740. Although overall I wouldn't call this a vintage patchouli scent. it would be up to the task of inspiring a political revolt. Contrast to Pink Coral Armaf: These are different, but there are similarities with rose & patchouli. 1969 is more spicy with cardamom, while Pink Coral is more citrus forward. Both have good performance but Pink Coral outperforms. Contrast to Intoxicated By Kilian: These are different, but there's a similar vibe with the cardamom-coffee-chocolate, and of the various popular coffee scents, I find it most similar to Intoxicated By Kilian. 1969 has a more forward peach and a more obvious patchouli (of the HdP variety) in the base. But otherwise, yeah, in broad strokes: Intoxicated plus peach & patchouli. Performance is about equivalent. Overall: Well above average performance, and a very unique scent that could easily be worn by anyone for any occasion. I'm trying to forget that I only have a sample as this baby is FB worthy. 10/10. Enjoy! Update 06/25/24: I really enjoy the cardamom-peach-chocolate in this one. I do get reminders of Intoxicated By Kilian with added peach & patchouli. I've realized I'm a cardamom fan. It's still a love for me. 10/10.

This is going to be a longer review. But I think a fragrance like this deserves some fleshed out thoughts. 1969 starts out rather earthy or medicinal. This medicinal spice is quickly enhanced by a lovely peach. The peach soon fades a bit after 5 or so minutes, but it still lingers. Just enough to accentuate the hyper realistic smell of the roses that settle. The chocolate then emerges. The initial medicinal or earthy smell doesn’t fade too much, but I don’t mind it. It melds perfectly with the chocolate, and it wonderfully compliments the notes of peach and rose. I think I read a comment saying something along the lines of “This isn’t so much the outspoken and rebellious hippies of the 60s as it is the philosophical beatniks,” which I agree with. Because it’s not bright, colorful, varied or upbeat. It leans more towards sophistication and confident sensuality. There’s also some sad, melancholy tones to it. It adds a touch of alluring beauty that many perfumes don’t have. This frag can seem linear, though it still feels complex due to the sad mood that lingers around such a comforting smell. The quality is good. It has strong lasting power on me, perhaps 8-12 hours. The silage is decent too. People within an arm’s length can smell it throughout the day. It’s not overpowering or overwhelming but is still enough for other people to notice it. It’s a scent I associate with autumn and winter, but I think you could get away with it during spring too. Overall, this is a good concept executed wonderfully. This is definitely the gourmand I would recommend to those who aren’t fond of gourmands (such as myself).

Perfume 9, tested on paper, decant 10 ml It has always reminded me of 1899 Hemingway. Since I got it after 1899, I've always thought of it as the younger brother. In reality, they're not all that similar, but they have a very similar, if not the same, base. I always preferred 1899. Now, after more than a year of having both under my nose, I'm surprised by this one. It actually suits me better now because I've generally started to prefer slightly sweeter fragrances. This isn't an overwhelmingly sweet scent. What stands out to me most is a sweet citrus note, like mandarin or sweet orange, with a touch of aromatic herbs and something warm and irresistible. A powdery note runs through the entire composition. Once everything settles, the cardamom becomes beautifully noticeable. It's an exceptionally well blended fragrance. During the first few minutes, the citrus and herbal notes are a bit sharp, and I even thought I caught a hint of rum, but it settles quickly and becomes beautifully balanced. It strongly reminds me of an orange tea you'd buy in a specialty tea shop that sells high quality blends. Looking at the official notes, there is no mandarin or orange, only peach. My nose was completely wrong. There are apparently also notes of chocolate and coffee, but everything is so subtle and well blended that I can't pick out either of them.