Coriandre

Coriandre is a scent that I had very high expectations of, but that has turned out being hard to love. I’ve been trying this for a few months now, and though I don’t love it the way I expected to, there are some things I like about it. The opening is really what makes this scent hard to love. The first hour or so I get a truly overpowering smell of hair. Almost like wet hair, that is also being burned, and it’s quite unpleasant, especially given how long it lasts and that it’s the most dominant note at this stage. The heart is a lot better. It’s quite subtle, and gentle. I don’t pick up many individual notes, just a vague coriander smell with some Iris and violet, without being very powdery. The aldehydes are quite subdued too, which I’m glad about, since I’m not a huge fan of them. At this stage everything about this scent is subtle, and that’s makes it quite pretty. It’s also quite different to any other fragrance I know. It’s light and well suited for spring and summer. The dry down is the part of this fragrance that I actually love. Even though it has become more of a skin scent at this point, it has a salt note that is absolutely addictive. This salt note is actually the Oakmoss, which in my 2022 bottle has to be a very low concentration, and because of that it doesn’t really smell mossy, but rather salty on my skin. In my opinion the dry down is where this fragrance really shines. It’s just salty skin, with the slightest hint of some sweetness, something herbal, a hint of bergamot, Lily and orange blossom. I keep pressing my nose into my skin to breathe in more of it. Too bad I have to suffer the long opening to reach this beautiful stage.. I’m not sure if I will keep it, and because the opening is truly off putting, I can’t give it the like it deserves from the heart onwards. That being said; it’s an interesting and unique fragrance that might be amazing on some other people’s skin chemistry from start to finish. At no point does this smell cheap or generic. The hair note in the opening wouldn’t be a problem if it wasn’t so overpowering, which is probably due to my skin chemistry. So despite feeling ‘meh’ about this overall I have to say that this has the potential to be an absolute gem at this price point, for those who don’t struggle with the burnt wet hair note.. EDIT: A more generous reapplication has resulted in a much less overpowering hair note. I think the secret to a pleasant experience with this fragrance is overspraying, which brings forward the other notes more. I was hesitant to overspray, out of fear of the note becoming nauseating, but the opposite seems to be the case. I will experiment more with this.

As a big fan of old school chypres, I purchased Coriandre knowing its reputation as an excellent classic chypre, and I love owning and using the classics. It's quite different from what I expected! I expected a stronger, mossier perfume (a la Mitsouko, Paloma Picasso, or Knowing) but, as Anamandy beautifully put it, it's really a "delicate coriander-spiced rose with a light incense note." In fact, it's too delicate for me; I actually can barely smell it! I have the EDT (the EDP surely would be stronger) and I've been applying it and reapplying it throughout the day once it starts to disappear on my skin, but I've discovered that I'm almost anosmic to the scent -- and I can't say I've ever had that happen before! But what I CAN smell is very delicate and lovely, with the powdery coolness that others have mentioned. It is reminiscent to me, in its cool woody earthiness, of Perles de Lalique, which also has a super low-key velvety rose note wrapped in a cool, powdery, unisex fragrance, but patchouli -- and Iso E Super -- play a stronger role in Perles than in Coriandre. Since I can smell, and therefore appreciate, Perles more than I can Coriandre, I will likely pass Coriandre on to my fragrance-loving daughter or step-daughter, and keep Perles de Lalique for when I want that cool, earthy, light, powdery rosiness. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Yay, it's a return review!!! I can finally smell Coriandre! I've heard of other people having this experience where they can't smell a scent at first, but when they return to it a few weeks or months later, they can, and this is what happened to me. Also, in the interim, I acquired Agent Provocateur, the original dark, spicy-herbaceous, musky-dusty rose scent, often compared to Coriandre. AP blew my socks off -- I LOVE it -- and it also jump started my ability to smell Coriandre. I'm wondering now if it would pair well with another rose scent, like Perfumer's Workshop Tea Rose or something, to amp up the volume on it, as per AP: just a thought.

This is outstanding. Such a great, refreshing chypre. On me it opens with herby aldehydes that unfolds to reveal gorgeous airy florals with a slight kick from the geranium and the bergamot, then moves on to a delicate coriander spiced rose with a light incense heart. This is followed by a smooth sandalwood dry down, though it’s not woody by any modern standard. The oakmoss, vetiver and patchouli are adding a lovely, earthy green facet, and the angelica a touch of sweet spiciness. The musk in this isn't overwhelming but gives the base a dry powdery feel that has a very cooling effect. Wearing this perfume is a thoroughly enjoyable experience. I keep finding myself saying “Mmm” in my head every time I smell it. I was originally going to purchase the edt of this scent but am so happy I changed my mind and purchased the edp instead. I was concerned it might be too heavy for warmer weather. I need not have worried. This is a very well-executed perfume that handles warm weather very well. I used it later today while it was still warm out and it never became cloying or too much. It remained light and airy, though always there. Silage is wonderful arm’s length that floats softly around me. Longevity is great too. It was still going strong almost 7 hours after first application and held up beautifully on a warm evening up until I took my shower. I think this is a fragrance that will work anytime of the day, in any season, though I think best for warmer weather. It is particularly refreshing then. For me, this turned out to be one of the best blind buys I ever made. I plan to always have this wonderful fragrance in my collection. IMO the quality of this fragrance rivals any of the more expensive scents out there, which is amazing when you consider that it’s available at bargain-basement prices. What a find!!!

This has been a summer of getting reacquainted with many old green loves which led me to experience the joy of Coriandre for the first time in 40 years. I still remember the day when three of us girls skipped out at lunch hour to buy our precious bottles in the first week of Coriandre's launch. The beautiful dark green packaging drew me then as it does today. Coriandre is like the bold and brash, unbelievably beautiful cousin to the more delicate and subtle "Y' of YSL. Like the prior reviewer, I also don't get any aldehydes. I love the bracing greenness that flavors all of the lovely florals,which I do perceive,one after another. The Oakmoss, Civet, Patchouli, Bergamot and sandalwood bring a crisp and endlessly interesting aura to this scent. I find Coriandre to be both invigorating as well as comforting. The scent is mildly spicy, but I don't detect a strong presence of coriander. This scent feels wonderfully feminine to me, but I definitely think a man could wear it. The musky,woody aromatic nature of this fragrance is exceptional. My bottle is vintage parfum,which is first generation of this divine fragrance. The sillage is great,about 3 feet and the longevity is greater than 15 hours. Shasta, I too experienced a strong savory smell when first opening the bottle. I let the bottle sit opened for about 2 hours before applying the perfume and by that time, that funkiness disappeared. I've had similar experiences before with older bottles, particularly with fragrances heavy on aldehydes. Lovers of Coriandre should try a bottle of the vintage parfum. There are a number of them for sale on Ebay very inexpensively. The parfum has a lot more depth than the other concentrations. I'm thrilled to have this gem back in my collection after so many years!

Coriandre is iconic and isn't given nearly as much reverence as it should. Perhaps because it is still in production and doesn't have a price tag that some infer is a sign of value or quality (these two constructs are ripe for more discussion and dissection). Coriandre isn't merely a "cheap and cheerful" yesteryear scent, it was at one time proudly displayed on the counters of Neiman-Marcus and Bloomingdale's. It was a luxury and still felt luxurious long after it moved to drugstore shelves and discounter sites. I have an older bottle and a newer bottle, and as to be expected, the dry down differs just a bit, but not enough to matter really. Older bottles have more of a civet note and a higher percentage of oakmoss, but newer bottles are a joy to wear, I guarantee it. The openings are both the same, a conflagration of soapy aldehydes, that eponymous coriander that is warm, spicy, herbaceous, almost rosewood-like (they both share a high content of linalool). A peppery, pungent, musky angelica combines with this crisp, green-stemmy rose and almost sour, perspiring geranium (ooh la la), simmering down to the most luxurious green floral soap I could imagine. Certain moments almost remind me of Green Chartreuse liqueur. Into the base, it gets muskier, duskier, dustier, and more shadowy woods cool. I absolutely love Coriandre; it hits all the right buttons much like Habit Rouge—an immediate embrace from first sniff. It deserves more love. Also, the bottle, much like the fragrance, with its green malachite accent, is a feast for my mid-century design oriented eyes. Hubba hubba.

I’m still getting to know Coriandre, so I’m not going to decide if I like it yet. I expected this to be an instant love, but it’s not. It’s not a hate either.. I simply don’t know, cause the scent is somehow confusing me I guess? I love chypres, but I guess I expected this to be more mossy, like mitsouko, ma griffe or cabochard. The moss does seem to come through some after several hours, but I’m hardly getting any. Perhaps I should’ve tried to find an older bottle rather than a contemporary one, or maybe I need to let it macerate for a few months. Anyway I don’t necessarily see it as an old lady scent. There is a soapiness to it yes, but this scent is way too strange to be classed as a typical vintage soapy, powdery kind of thing. It’s creamy and the coriander is mildly soapy. The reason I’m writing about this now instead of waiting until I have fully formed an opinion is the skin and hair scent. It’s no joke! Maybe it’s even fingernails.. do fingernails have a smell? Does hair have a smell? Apparently they do, cause this is certainly it!! I wouldn’t even describe it as animalic, because it’s just really human hair, skin and nails in the heart of the scent. It’s so strange! Do I dislike it? No.. but it’s weird and it kinda weirds me out. Basically in the heart phase to avoid the weird hair/scalp smell you need to not smell this with your nose directly on your skin. At this point I’m uncertain whether I like the opening and the heart, but I do like the dry down. Let’s hope this is one of those scents that needs to grow on you. I feel like it might be.

I started wearing this fragrance in college in the 80's. I wish I could remember how I discovered it. I went through a bottle (or two), and also had a refillable travel atomizer which was a glass spray bottle inside a metal tube printed with the malachite pattern. I still have that, in fact, but it's empty except for some sweet-smelling dried residue of the perfume. I loved Coriandre, and I suppose I considered it my signature fragrance back then. One time I was home for the holidays, and my brother, who lived in another state, was there as well, with his then girlfriend. She smelled Coriandre on me and exclaimed, "That's my signature scent! You can't wear that!" I assured her that I had been wearing it for some time, and could and would continue to wear it. She wasn't too happy about it, as she considered herself very creative, sophisticated, and unique. I suppose I thought of myself in those ways, and I think Coriandre suits that temperament. It's not for everyone. It has many contradictions, being simultaneously clean and dirty, sharp and soft, floral and musky, dark and light. I still love it. I realize it's been reformulated, so isn't quite the same, and is now, sadly, discontinued. I picked up a couple of bottles at Marshall's, and some soap and lotion (too strong!) at a small perfume shop. I have yet to try the vintage parfum, but will keep looking. Nothing will ever take this perfume's place. A brilliant composition. (With just one star from Luca Turin. B*tch, please.)

This review is for a new formulation of the EdT. I bought Coriandre blind (first blind buy in years) and I am really happy with it. It is a lovely bright and crisp chypre. To my nose it is easily unisex and even quite masculin. It opens with green, soapy aldehydes and some angelica instead of the bergamot of a typical chypre. I detect lily and a dark jasmine as well. There is a gorgeous sweet, but sharp metallic geranium - rose combination in the heart and the base is mainly oakmoss, vetiver and musk, with a hint of civet, which plays through the entire perfume. Coriander is another note that is detectable throughout the composition, giving the fragrance a bitter spicy, soapy feel. These are not all the notes of course, but the ones that, to my nose, stand out of the blend. The rest is blended in a typical chypre swirl of notes, akin to light filtering through the trees. Coriandre has been likened to Y, but I think it is not as transparant and feminin as Y. Where Y is a young English forest in spring with carpets of hyacinths on the forest floor and little undergrowth, so one can see through the trees, Coriandre is an ancient Scandinavian pine forest in the same season, but the trees are denser, and instead of fairies, little trolls play on the forest floor. Coriandre is beautiful, light and happy, but somehow dark and haunting at the same time. I am tempted to say: a gem for its price. But that wouldn't do it justice. It's a gem. For any price. Great perfume!

How could something so ridiculously inexpensive smell so expensive and elegant? That’s my question every time I wear Coriandre. I just purchased both concentrations in loving memory of my cousin Ana who introduced me to this green jewel some time ago. She loved it and I feel the same fondness for it. The edt is mostly green herbs with some florals and woods. Fresh like crushed herbs in spring, green like a walk in the forest on an autumnal day. The edp is an amplified version with a stronger rose and sandalwood. On both you can feel the jasmine and the angelica through most of its development. Some moss dances in the background but is very subtle. No civet at all at least on me. I would recommend this for practically any time of the year and any occasion. Coriandre is worth being a signature fragrance not only for its price, but for its timeless style, inoffensive silage and gorgeous fragrance. Yes, you must reapply it from time to time but it’s a pleasure feeling it’s invigorating opening notes when spraying it. I don’t get the barbershop smell or the ladylike connotation specially in the eau de toilette. The eau de parfum is a little bit more on the female side during the first 10 minutes but then it all changes to something magnificent. Give this a try if you like herbal, clean and classic fragrances that evoque elegance at almost no cost. Wonderful in every way!

All I can say is OMG! This fragrance was so weird when I bought it about a year ago. It was weak and unimpressive with an intense smell of wet hair. It was very hard to love, but I persisted and tried spraying it throughout the year to see if it got better, and now a year later BOOM! Suddenly this fragrance is strong, intense and DEEP! It has a warmth now, it’s mossy, and only one spray suddenly smells so intense. There is still a hair and skin note, but the deeper notes now surround and support it, balancing it out. I can now see why this is described as one of the great chypres of yore. It is so natural smelling, yet abstract in a way, with a very subtle, gentle, floral sweetness and a crips slightly soapy blast at first spritz. All the layers are now present at once, and it’s addictive. It’s like freshly washed laundry in a hayfield in the late summer sun. It’s magnificent. I love it more on every sniff. This went from dislike, to meh, to love! I don’t know what has happened, but if you buy this fragrance and can’t appreciate this, and are bothered by the weird hair smell; put this in a cabinet and leave it there for a year. Magic can happen in a year! This is perfectly unisex, and -while not a particularly safe blind buy- worth the risk for the price if you’re a chypre lover (and willing to potentially have to wait a year before it becomes wearable).

There is absolutely no way that Coriandre could be described as a gourmand - but it has the curious ability to make my mouth water. A classic chypre, there is nothing sweet - or 21st century - about Coriandre. On first spraying, I recoiled from it; there's a very harsh opening and a powerful hit of roses (rarely an easy note for me). Fortunately I waited for the drydown, rather than acting on my initial impulse to scrub it off. My Coriandre is in a splash bottle. I am not a fan of these and have decanted some into an atomiser, which I think improves sillage; despite this, I'd describe it as being within arms-length. Longevity is also moderate on me (but I have dry skin). I'm not very good at picking out individual notes, but my inability on this occasion is, I think, because Coriandre is very well-blended. It dries down to a sheer, bone-dry, slightly powdery, herbal scent - and is easily unisex by today's standards. It's a very mild early autumn day here and I think Coriandre is perfectly suited to the weather. Although it is slightly powdery, I don't think it would be stifling even at warmer temperatures, because of its dry herbal composition. Coriandre is a bargain for any lovers of true chypres and is definitely worth buying - even if you don't like it, you won't have lost a lot of money.

Flawless, cool, reserved. Coriandre is a masterclass in restraint. It opens with the fresh breeze of aldehydes, the snapped plant-stem green of angelica, a hint of bergamot and, of course, coriander seed oil adding a delicate, dry spiciness. These top notes smell like cool, wet grass. The heart of the fragrance is a heady blend of florals, but there are so many, and in relatively low concentration, that it feels vague and somewhat damp. Perhaps like smelling flowers in a rain storm. The rose is perhaps the most prominent, but only slightly and is kept very much in check by the violet (which smells more like violet leaf than root to me, but yeah...) Beneath these layers, we find a robust base. The civet is detectable probably from the first spray, as it works beautifully with the coriander; a dull animalic presence which reminds me of maple leaves decaying in the autumn. Moody - and like a grand “au revoir” to summer. Coriandre feels substantial and definitely not transparent. Anyone could wear this and I feel like it’s the grumpy version of Amouage Lyric Man, as if it grew up, got a stressful job and an addiction to sleepers. Coriandre will suit anyone who loves a bit of glamour but doesn’t want to dance on tables.

The reason, I believe, that Coriandre is such a great perfume is that it is based on the scent of the coriander seed - and this scent is like no other. It is at once spicy, fresh, lemony and warm. Those characteristics carry over distinctly into this unusual chypre perfume. The scent is balanced out by so many other wonderful elements, like oakmoss, roses, geranium, patchouli, crocus - so it certainly has a full bouquet, but it does have a wonderful, gauzy feel that I've not quite seen in this type of perfume before. What I particularly love is the way it settles into the skin within about 5 minutes after applying. It is almost on the edge of being soapy, but not quite. However, it has that sparkle, that finesse. This is, to me, a very sophisticated scent that smells of very high quality, which is fascinating considering it's very affordable price. It's certainly feminine, although I'm really drawn to the smell and wonder if a guy can pull it off (perhaps layering it with something else...) mainly because it is such a nicely clean and green scent; something that men don't have available to them too often. All in all, a wonderful warm-weather scent that just about anyone could wear.

Coriandre is amazing, characterictic oakmossy-rose-geranium fragrance, complex and vintagy, its very much in tune with Soir de Lune Sisley but I would never disrespect it by calling Coriandre the “cheaper dupe” of de Lune plus its not loaded with honey for better or for worser. My little cube is extrait perfume so its stronger than usual EDP or EDT versions, but when I Am in mood for it – its olfactory heaven – I can smell waves of civet, spiciness here and there, the way how aldehydes and angelica behave in it remind me long lost love Ellipse of Jacques Fath, - they give the vision/feeling of air crystalness so you do react on notes by all senses, differentiating upper space and the dry grassy earth you walking on. I think each version – EDP, EDT or extrait are VERY much different so would be nice if people will mention in their review which one they describing. Also similarities with Agent are probably coming from EDT. Coriandre is the only fragrance made by Jacqueline Couturier (wife of Jean Couturier) and its a special, classy, mysterious and complicated one. Absolutely the one of a kind and must have.

Corriander is definitely a unisex fragrance. Both males and females can easily wear Corriander. It starts out very spicy, mossy, strong, unique. After the first hour or so, Corriander becomes a skin scent as it drys down, and softens into a dry earthy floral. It's sweet in the drydown, but not too sweet. Civet, oakmoss and patchouli are quite strong at first, but they settle down and blend into the florals, sandalwood and vetiver. Very masculine at first, Corriander settles into a heavenly smooth earthy sweeter floral wrapped in creamy sandalwood. The corriander spice becomes much less sharp and prominamt, but still adds noticeable flavor to the mix. Silage and longevity are moderate with one or two sprays. If you spray more liberally, it will last a good 12 hours. Corriander is a wonderful bargain, smells a lot more expensive than it is, and makes a most unique additon to a perfume wardrobe. Suggestion for anyone who finds Corriander too masculine : You can mix Corrianer with any sweet perfume to tone down sweetness and add a spicy kick. Just spray one fragrance on top of the other !

Coriander is not for everyone. This perfume is bitter and strong, agressive Chypre. I guess, many ladies just can't tame it. First the only note I smell is coriander (and some soapy adelhydes). This scent is not warm and not cold, something in the middle. I'm gonna wear it in the early spring, when the weather is cool and windy. Lasting power is good and even more. After hour or two the scent becomes much tender (as far as it possible with the rebel nature of Coriander). In that time I feel some new notes (geranium and jasmine). I like to lie in my bed smelling Coriander from my wrists and dreaming about far away countries. I picture myself somewhere in India for example. After it, my pillow keeps the smell of Coriander for the long time. It's better use Coriander in small proportion, or it may induce headache. The bottle is so old-fashioned that it makes me smile. Oh, this malachite box! I have never seen Jeans Couturier perfumes in the stores, I bought my Coriander in online store. I'm happy to find something rare and unique like this!

Jean Couturier Coriandre is as much an Oriental as a chypre, comfortably straddling the tension between bitter and sweet. The top and middle has replaced the traditional chypre bergamot/fruit note with herbal coriander, which gives it a rather distinctive smell for the first few hours, a fresh warm soapy herbal tone much like coriander seed. The coriander is blended with a rather subtle waxy aldehyde note and a rosy floral that are more familiar in a chypre. These eventually give way to a base that is only part chypre as well - the traditional oak moss dominated (dark algal bitter) base is less emphatic and there is lots of patchouli and musk in there and maybe some vanilla not listed. A very distinctive and well balanced work of olfactory art. It is also quite potent and inexpensive. Dump your Britney Spears (tacky) and Paris Hilton (vapid) and try something interesting for the same price! PS vartenouche - it does not appear to be discontinued to me - still listed on the Jean Couturier web page and still sold at regular prices on line.

I have just acquired a 1978 EDP mini, in a vintage collection of Parisian souvenir fragrances. Of the entire lot, this one, and "Zibeline" (Weil), have aged the the best, and the loveliest. I can tell by the others, that these were stored improperly, as well! What a beautiful fragrance, this is! It makes me picture a long, tall, wood nymph, her skin the colour of a bronze pearl, cleverly disguised in a forest green DVF wrap dress, a glittery gold sautoire necklace, gold hoop earrings, and a funky pair of gold gladiator sandals...headed to Studio 54, for a night out. In other words, this fragrance is gold, deep green, and bronze. She is one of the most organic, earthy, and yet, refined and airy, fragrances, that I have ever had the pleasure of meeting. The patchouli, oakmoss, civet, and aldehyde drydown, is to die for. I can't really say anything else about this spectacular vintage frag, that hasn't been said already. If you love vintage, patchouli and moss based chypres, with a twist of aldehyde, do not hesitate to blind buy.

By the name of it, i thought this perfume would be so strong and full of spice scent or coriander all over, it kinda discouraged me to try to sniff it or even buy it when I first saw it. But, after reading reviews on it, I was kind of curious and next visit to the store, spritzz it and it doesn't smell offensive at all, it smell so lovely so I end up buying it. Now I'm obsess with it. A very beautiful nice airy spice scent. Nothing overwhelming,or hurting my nose (just dont put your nose right after spraying it), which I project everytime I try to smell spice scent in perfumes, but this one,its a very elegant mix of spice and floral with fresh aura of it. Makes me wanna keep sniffing my nose to my wrist where I sprayed it. Lucky me, it stays on my skin long enough, so spending hot days in a tropical country would keep me fresh and smell so nice with just a few spray, and spray it again in the afternoon and last the humid night in a different angle of exoticity deep yet somehow comforting scent. Love love love it!!

Comfort and warmth is what Coriandre brings to me along with (how can I describe it..) a certain softness. This perfume embraces me and wraps around me as no other aroma out there. No wonder that this is what I reach for when I need some comfort and shielding from the chaos of this world. A beautiful fragrance born the same year I was - 1973... a karmic connect perhaps? I read reviews that said it starts of with a harsh blast of spicy coriander... I cannot agree there as I have not had that experience at all with Coriandre. Somehow I get distinct wafts of rose, orange blossom and jasmine along with earthiness perhaps oakmoss, a beautiful and fragrant combination which works magic with my skin's chemistry... like a walk through the woods dotted with a profusion of wildflowers. From beginning to end all I experience is softness and warmth, like someone whispering in your ear as they wrap their arms around you 'you are safe, you are loved.'