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!

the original EDP version by Houbigant is a true masterpiece indeed. It is useless to try a Dana version, cheaper, weaker and totally different smell. pPrism actual version is an insulte - a totally different scent I have no idea how some online markets can sell Raffinee by Prism as long as it totally something else, a pungent cheap cologne and no connection with the original Houbigant. so if you want a true raffinee, buy a Houbigant, as vintage as posible (pre barcode are the best) and in EDP version. On ebay I found it for less than 50 $ wich is a real steal for sure. The sillage, projection and longevity are MONSTERS. Hope to save some money and buy a new bottle as long as it is still available. 9/10

I bought a bottle of Raffinee by Houbigant back in 1985, and I loved it!!! A year ago I bought a big bottle of Raffinee by Prism, and I think it smells a lot like my old bottle. This bjuty holds so many nice memories from my youth - and all my hopes for my bright future to come ... I got Raffinee when I was in my early twenties - and still had a future to come - which in my eyes looked very bright at the moment, Raffinee - you are my for ever love!!

This is the best aged champagne in the house. Smooth, well-blended, beautiful. I wore this back in the 80's and just recently purchased an old formula bottle. It's that expertly crafted full-bodied powdery cinnamon spiced potion that I remember and loved so well. It does remind one a bit of Lou Lou...a bit more grown up. I never get tired of this scent, it's just beautiful. My all time favorite face powder scent! ;)

I have worn this fragrance off and on through out the years since the early 80s. It is that woodsy, spicy, Oriental type floral that I love. I just gravitate to these Oriental florals that are strong in their base notes with lots of what I call "bottom" (more earthiness) to it. It lingers well after 8 hours or so. This is a flirty, seductive, sensual type fragrance not for the faint at heart!

This smells simular to Oscar De La Renta with more spice in contrast to La Renta have more frankincense and suble woods i prefre Raffinee It stands out without the overpowering Effects like Giorgio of Beverly Hills Red Has. i love the color of the liquid the bottle a little above average but noting to whrite about but it's worth keeping when it's empty and put colored sand in it.

As a fan of spicy scents, I love this one. My favourite flowery scents - carnation, jasmine, mimosa - also put in an appearance. Strangely enough, colleagues mistake it for "L'Air Du Temps" (another favourite!) when I wear it at work. A warm and feminine scent, with good staying power.

I have found the original one in a shop near my house, the bottle isn't like the picture! The cap is os like a prism, like a diamond shape! Is very powerful, lots of incense! Loved it after 5 min, too heavy in the beginning but its the original so it was to be expected!

Beautiful, initially spicey powder and aldehydes. Smells like a freshly bathed lady who lunches who is off to an art gallery to have a little look. A scent from the past, when people were so polite and had time for each other.

I probably have 25-30ml of the Houbigant version which I LOVE! For me it is so delicate and composed perfectly! I haven't tried the other formulations but will probably give them a shot as I see them come around!

I loved the original Houbigant Raffinnee but I do not care for the Dana Raffinnee of later years. I would love to find another perfume that is very similar to the original.

Lovely stuff, a cheaper Lou Lou and Red Door rolled into one :)

My bottle is Houbigant's , and it is AMMAZING

I have a bath oil version of this by Houbigant that I am wearing as splash perfume. This is a really lovely powdery, warm white floral. It does remind me quite a bit of L'Origan, which is similar to L'Heure Bleue. I think the oil is probably different from the actual alcohol-based perfumes. That's usually the case, although it's not always true that the oils are less intense. Zibeline oil, for example is crazy strong. I suspect Raffinee oil is indeed slightly less intense, based on orhers' reviews. The spices in particular domt jump out and grab me in the way that, say, Opium does. But then L'Origan has never struck me as very spicy and according to votes here, it is to other people. I think perhaps the oil is just sort of muddling everything and making the scent more rounded and smoother. I get a lot of refined carnation, orris, vanilla with the other florals coming in to keep it from being a total carnation bomb. I get a bit of the pluminess, but I wouldn't call it a fruity perfume. It's as though the plum is just enriching the floral aspect. And the spices/incense are sort of dusted over everything else to create a nice warmth. I am enchanted that there are still bottles of this gem that remind me of L'Origan, 60ish years its senior. It does not have the anisic aspects of L'Heure Bleue, but all three of these similar perfumes I've mentioned have a sort of warm floral powderiness that I think is quite romantic and seductive and rarely inappropriate. I need to try the regular perfume now.

I would call it a "Spiced Oriental". I would not call it a "Spicy Oriental" because the spice is light and mainly for the top notes. The spice lasts gently in the middle notes, but, not strongly. However-the whole perfume is strong! Itś pungent, persistent,loud, and the fixation is great. I suppose I used this fragrance, um, 20 years ago, and Raffinee instilled my love and fascination of uniquely styled orientals. Itś very Oriental, itś a tad gourmand. The spicy opening with sweetening plum leads to the strong florals that enwrap you like a velvet cape-next you wander into the mysterious, dreamy realm of sandalwood, musk, and insense, tonka, and vanilla combination wich creates a fantastic scent and carries the perfume all day, while creating the illusion of Amber and powdery notes in the base. This perfume is definetly perfume in the 1980s category, for sure. It is remeniscent of Ciara, Lutece, and then a later more sophistcated Spellbound. I had this perfume as a teen and a generous member sent me a large decant recently so I could enjoy it again. I am enjoying it again, however it feels unusual and a bit cheap or lower quality to me now beacause the powdery dry down is so strong. It is only a touch sweet, and very strong!

Just got a vintage brand new bottle of EDP...and wow, this is gorgeous! I didn't get my hopes too high because you never know with these old school "stinkers" and I had to send back quite a few of them recently, but Ruffinee turned out to be absolutely beautiful. Warm carnation and jasmine, slightly sweet and spicy, it feels like pure luxury on the skin. I think this is what Gorgio Red is trying to be but completely misses the point and lacks the complexity and this luxurious feel. Ruffenee is a wonderful choice for a dinner at a fancy restauraunt on a winter night. And don't forget to wear your fur coat to match this beauty!!! Don't know about the version made by Dana, but Houbigant quality is always exceptional.