Colony

I absolutely adore this one. Of the brilliant Ma Collection, Colony and Vacances are the very pinnacle in my estimation. Colony is the most luxurious creamy pineapple scent imaginable. Before smelling the edt, I had no idea I needed to smell like luxurious creamy pineapples but I really do. I've being trying to find replacements due to its scarcity, and Caron's Acaciosa, Montana's Just Me, and Dali's Le Roy Soleil do not cut it. I wish Thomas Fontaine would reissue Jean Kerléo's Colony without changing a note and, hear me out, rename it Martinique. Here's why a name change would not be empty PC whitewashing: Martinique was the French colony Colony referenced. It's the one with a major pineapple industry. "Martinique" is more specific, in addition to being much more glamorous. The word "Colony" evokes clueless bureaucrats, and who wants to smell like them? The name was a mistake from the start. (Speaking of colonizing, Fontaine won't be able to resist making Colony his own, of course, as he did Chaldee. I do not care what the man does to Chaldee, but Colony needs to be left alone structurally and made available.)

The best pineapple accord I've smelled in a perfume is here, in Colony. It's not that it's the most realistic, complex, or juiciest, but it just makes sense here. I recall first having the pleasure of smelling the Ma Collection version at Colonial Drug in Newton MA some time ago, and was immediately hooked. A tangy, creamy ping pong that titillates the nose, but what is quite curious is when the pineapple is eclipsed with ylang ylang and rose, rendering it fattier, riper, more tropical. I feel convinced that I am smelling banana daiquiri and piña colada in a smoky Tiki bar, and a dark, brooding quinoline leatheriness closes in—a remarkable turn of events, while the pineapple remains, growing more ripe, sticky, even carnation-inflected. I even detect in the dry down what my mind registers as costus within the musks. I am floored by every minute of it. [From 1984 Ma Collection mini]

I'm not sure that I would have known I'm smelling pineapple without fragrantica to enlighten me, but indeed there is a slightly sweet, slightly tangy fruity note on top of a somewhat typical smelling vintage fragrance. Very interesting and I don't regret the purchase. It's nice to have a vintage tropical scent that isn't overly sweet like current fruity fragrances. A fun note - I bought a factory-sealed bottle from an eBay seller. As I reached in the box, I felt something soft and thought, "Oh, the seller stuffed some tissue paper in the box for extra protection." Then it registered, "No wait. I just opened the cellophane wrapper." Well, out I pulled a 100% silk Italian-made (per the label) scarf in the same print as the box. What fun! A vintage bonus gift :)

Colony is such a delicious perfume. A gorgeous creamy delight!! The best pineapple, a real rich creamy sweet juicy pineapple, which changes itself from really creamy, to less creamy and more tangy, at various times during the day. Completely mouth-wateringly delectable! And there are a lot of other lovely smells as well, like a soft smooth animalic dreamy leather, a woody smell, lovely gentle flowers and beautiful soft soothing musk with the very gorgeous smoky vetiver. Oh it's just divine!!!! And I love both Gjilchrist's (I completely agree!!) and kiristarr's reviews!!! Wonderful!!!

I heard Colony was inspired by Josephine Baker. Colony has a fruity-chypre structure. EDT's pineapple flavor is sour and sweet but light, with yellow powdery floral aromas of ylang-ylang, iris and carnation as the main axis, interspersed with smoky, dry vetiver-patchouli accord, and finally ending with Jean Patou's signature creamy musky wood base (I also smell smooth, soft suede). It has a tropical feel and the name is just right.