Raffinee

Sorting though the perfumes I have stored in a spare cupboard not currently in rotation, I curiously sampled my Raffinee. The delicious ambergris/orange spices accord is just what I am in the mood for wearing lately, and put it back in with my fragrances in heavy circulation... Next, I re-read the review I wrote some time ago, and it sounded like it was written by a stranger. How could I have not loved this gently sweet, amber, orange and spice melody is the great mystery of the moment. Raffinee is such a blessedly beautiful composition. The amber warm as melted butter and maple syrup. I have to laugh to myself for how ridiculously easy it was for me to spend more than 4 times its price for 24 Faubourg, a fragrance which for all it's incredible beauty I have found doesn't budge on my skin after the initial spritz. Raffinee, although not the same by any means has the silage I am looking for, and hits upon many of desirable elements of 24 Fauborg.There's the orange with spices accord along with warm, heavenly ambergris drydown.The orris,ylang, hyacinth are all there. Layer on some of the high quality gardenia soliflore I possess if and when I want to duplicate the strong white flower accord. The contrasts between white flowers and earthy amber are surely the central component of 24's legendary status. Raffinee projects much more boldly and warmly, like the ambient heat of the sun rising off warmed skin at the beach. I get to enjoy Raffinee for myself, instead of having to steal a sniff my arm or hope to get a ribbon of scent drifting past.. Here I am again.It's -2/24/16 and sadly I sold my Raffinee when I realized that another bottle could not be obtained for an amount I could afford to keep me in stock. This really rips me...I am really annoyed that Houbignant has not stepped in to pick up the rights considering it's phoenix like re-appearance on the perfume scene. To some this perfume is just another ambery Oriental. I thought it unique with it's heavly Orange accent. Just love Orange flower Soliflores and Florientals..

What makes (vintage) Raffinee stand out as a spiced floral amber is its unmistakable Juicy Fruit (is gonna move ya!) tuberose and ylang ylang, a bright and fizzy yellow mimosa, and a carnation accord that reminds of the scent of wallflowers. Wallflowers? Scent? What? Yes, for those who aren't aware, there is an actual wallflower in the plant kingdom, and its aroma is often a heady, clove and cinnamon with powdery honey undertones. There is a stage in Raffinee where everything falls into a place where it smells like wallflowers. However, this is no figurative wallflower: Raffinee is bold, almost strident, albeit delightfully so. A notable plum wine accord seems to orbit around all of the floral pageantry. In Raffinee, we see not only a delineation from Opium, Cinnabar, and the like, but it's also a harbinger of what is to come in such dramatic bouquets such as Krizia Teatra Alla Scala and Dior Poison. As it unwinds, an incensey accord, which feels to my nose like a combination of myrrh and benzoin, sustains this anisic spiciness and the sweetness of the florals in sort of a consonant refrain. This further dries down into a sensual spice-accented, creamy sandalwood in its last stages. From my research, it is clear that Raffinee was not treated well in subsequent iterations as offered by Prism and Dana, and that these should be avoided in favor of the Houbigant-produced versions.

I wore this in the 80s / early 90s during the winter, and I am actually relieved that I did it while I was young. I don't think I have the chemistry, hormones, skin dew to carry this off now. It was pure luxury, and I would bury my face in my turtleneck neck to inhale where the heat and scent radiated from my neck to the sweater. I especially found it to take me into a meditative state good for studying and long hours of reading and reflecting and writing. This was a contrast of the time to Liz Claiborne Realities, which was citrusy bright and corporate, and the Lauren floral. Anais Anais was somewhere in the middle for everyday. I had super short hair in a time when that was considered to be androgenous. Most women were rocking the long perms and making them big. My hair was tucked tight at the nape of my neck in a very short 'do. This fragrance made me feel feminine without being girly. It was sensual without the annoyance of Opium. There were some flowers buried deep in there that you were rewarded with if you got close enough. If a boyfriend would kiss my neck and I would kiss him back this almost gourmand sweetness was still there and I could taste it on my lips. I'm sorry you all hate this. I have stunning memories of it.

By some stroke of amazing good fortune ( thank you SadieBluesLady! ) the amazing vintage Houbigant came my way recently. OH MY. This is good.... In the opening we have the kind of sweet orange blossoms found in L'origan or Tabu. Richly sweet. And the spices and other fruits and florals perfectly blend in a kind of rich and riotous melange. Powder, Cinnamon, Plum, and Tonka are especially prominent. This kind of heady splendor is from another era altogether! While the opening is exceptionally rich, it is not as loud as one would expect for such a note combination, and gradually softens to quiet beauty. Dry down is soft and long with Raffinee. She becomes a gentle Mimosa-Sandalwood of real elegance, justifying her name, meaning 'refined'. The only drawback with a discontinued fragrance of this intoxication is availability, sadly driving prices skyward. Otherwise I would buy more immediately and DIE HAPPY. Five Stars!

Oooh, man! Just seeing the bottle on ebay brings back memories! I was searching for Tabu on ebay, and came across Raffinee. I remember this! I wore it, I loved it, I wish I still had some! So deliciously spicy (if you read my other reviews you'll see there's a theme) And it would stay for ages. It was probably my signature scent in 1983-1984, when I first headed off to college. I felt expensive when I wore it, much like when I wore Red Door. I don't recall noticing a similarity at the time, but I'm sure there was. I'm drawn to these scents, with cinnamon, carnation, anise or clove, sandalwood, amber and rose or jasmine.... It just smells "rich' to me. I'd hate to buy a new bottle and discover that Dana has done me wrong. I'll be keeping my eyes peeled for a vintage one, tho!