Apercu

Apercu and the Last Days of Oakmoss To the reviewer below me, yes, this is chockchockchock full of oakmoss (but I disagree that there is nothing more.) In fact, if you are searching for a true oakmoss/chypre perfume I would pick this up--in a few years I'm sure this will no longer be available, as it was d/c'd a long time ago. I am surprised that Houbigant would try to resurrect something like this as late as 2000. Apparently the original Apercu was first created in 1925--who knows how close it is to the original? It does remind me a little of Mitsouko (1919) so maybe the Houbigant perfumer liked Mitsouko and decided to put his own spin on it? All I know is that this is a heady, woody, spicy, dense fragrance, totally unlike anything released even in 2000. Apercu (pronounced Ah-pear-sooh, I had to look that one up as I have zero background in French) is a perfume loaded up primarily with basenotes and spices: Oakmoss, patchouli, vetiver, cinnamon, clove, resins, and smoke. When I describe what this smells like, keep in mind that those notes are the dominant ones, and the other notes are merely the supporting cast. The opening gives way to a smooth green apple + bergamot, that gets a little greener as time goes on, the florals come out after the apple fades off, first demure white florals, then a very sultry, red rose and geranium. The rose + geranium is very velvety and rich and lasts for several hours. Also during the wear I can smell something like smouldering campfire coals along with wispy smoke. Keeping up with the outdoor woods accord is the patchouli that for several hours smells like 100% dirt. Loamy forest soil covered with crushed autumn leaves, but dirt nonetheless. The really amazing thing about Apercu is the way it wears-- it's not loud at all. Even though it is loaded up with super heavy notes, it really wears fairly quietly, the sillage is pretty light, I think this could be worn anywhere. However, it lasts a full 12 hours with 2 or 3 sprays, and I have no trouble smelling it on myself, which is nice. I hate when I can't smell my own perfume properly. I love love this, Apercu is a true spicy/floral chypre and probably the last perfume of its kind. I adore the smell of oakmoss and woods and dark flowers and spicy resins and autumn, I just started wearing this perfume and it has become one of my favorites. This had no time to be reformulated because it was discontinued soon after its release, so the bottles you find will all be the original formula. For those who do love Mitsouko or Aromatics Elixir you may love Apercu, too. This is why after all these years I still like to test perfumes, in hopes that I will bump into something exactly like this.

Apercu opens sharply, mostly cinnamon and powdery green. It's warm, spicy, and dry. I get a musty aspect initially, but it's faint and dissipates quickly. I catch a whiff of citrus as well, bringing to mind a dried orange studded with cloves. In the heart, blossoms develop and Apercu changes from a sophisticated, spicy chypre to one that is simply wonderful. The warm spices and bitter greens balance like a waltzing couple. Florals harmonize sweetly in the background. (They stepped forward when I drank a cup of jasmine tea while wearing it.) At first glance, Apercu is so pointedly cinnamon and spice that "Overview" doesn't seem like a good name. However, once the dominant notes settle into a melody, it is a wrist sniffer, not to decipher and appreciate note by note, but to savor as a whole. The overview is where the pleasure of Apercu lies. It is a masterful composition. It's also definately a wintry scent; when I sampled it in the summer it was suffocating. Thank you Fragranticans; I've never seen this in a store and bought it blind based on descriptions here. It is wonderful. Apercu has prominent green notes, but it's a red-brown fragrance. I'm reminded of 'Killing the Blues': Leaves are falling Just like embers In colors red and gold They set us on fire... Sillage and longevity are both good. A couple of spritzes will last all day. As the day progresses the scent gets better, sweeter, more intimate, less formal.

Review is of parfum concentration, teardrop shaped bottle with a red tassle, the one currently available from discounters. Apercu is a classic-style oakmoss-y chypre so beautiful, so widely available, and so inexpensive that I can't understand why it doesn't get more attention from lovers of Mitsouko or Rochas Femme. It is very much in that same family of fragrances, a spicy chypre for cooler weather. Dare I write it's even easier to wear than those two classics? It is! Apercu's development moves from a tender bud-like green opening (nothing sharp or galbanum-y here) through floral notes to dry down to a deep, spicy oakmoss. It ends up in a place somewhat similar to Mitsouko, only its starting point is even further removed than Mitsouko's is. This long development never has an awkward or harsh moment. It is soft and graceful throughout. The version available at discounters now is a year 2000 re-release of a much older fragrance. This version went into production and was discontinued shortly before IFRA's restrictions on oakmoss went into effect. All the more reason for Apercu to deserve attention from chypre lovers: the bottles available now are still fresh and have intact topnotes along with an abundance of oakmoss. Not many chypres on the market can boast the same.

I was a dormant fraghead till recently. Everytime I went in the forest I picked a piece of oakmoss and rubbed it between my fingers. That's something I would smell 24/7 in huge quantities if I could, it's so highly addictive! Reading about oakmoss here I found out about chypres and decided to start collecting lots of them (mostly vintages and niche ones) This is the first perfume I bought for my collection. It is absolutely divine! It's been an hour since I applied it on my left wrist. My oakmoss is there from the beginning, same strength! At first I noticed the tuberose and a slight hint of citrus and my darling oakmoss. Now I detect ylang-ylang and my oakmoss. Will see how it goes and update my review. Such elegance! A toned down, mature sexyness that covers wild things. You must fight for her a bit, she's certainly not an easy one! L.E. 3 hours after I can still smell it. It faded just a tiny bit, but it's not yet a skin perfume. I get my oakmoss and the sandalwood. 9 hours after , still on my wrist, subtle skin scent but not going anywhere :-) Good stuff , really good stuff. Next day it's still there as a skin scent :-) There's life before Aperçu and life after Aperçu!

A uniquely satisfying fragrance, and I am not as fond of Chypre fragrances in general as I once was. I have and wear Profumo by Acqua di Parma and also Parure by Guerlain. I do see the resemblance and these three could be siblings. But Apercu has I think more cinnamon which I even find sexy. Tingling and rich. All three are incredibly beautiful fragrances with a hint of melancholy (which does not detract from their fascinating beauty) like late afternoon sun through a stained glass window in a room with glowing dust particles. There is something softly sparkling to Apercu...it keeps me coming back and I find it more wearable than the other 2 mentioned here, and I find myself reaching for Apercu more often to spray a bit on to try and understand it. A true grand perfume for everyday use...