Sira des Indes

I think when I first acquired this bottle, several years ago, I perceived it differently. I thought I could smell a buttery jasmine, but I think that must be champaca. I definitely get the orange blossom and the banana-like accord up top--so much so that I'm surprised Fragrantica categorizes this as "amber woody" when to my nose it smells like a fruity floral, base notes notwithstanding. It doesn't really remind me of any other perfume that I own; when I bought it, I just wanted to add it to my small Patou collection while I still could. I like this a lot in hot weather, even though I guess it could be cloying to anyone craving a crisp chypre. I'm not fond of indolic fragrances, and thank goodness I don't discern any fecal notes anywhere near that cardamom/banana accord, or I would need to discard this immediately. But to my nose this is a tropical take on a French floral, and it reminds me of a fancy drink at a luxury hotel. Also, I think it has deepened in the years since I first bought it--it lives in my upstairs refrigerator, so it's still in great condition--and I'm noticing the sandalwood in the base a lot more, along with the milk note, which doesn't smell like milk per se but does confer a certain creaminess, especially combined with the sandalwood. I haven't yet smelled Borabora (Bora Bora?) or its Dua dupe, Hug of Flowers, which sells out instantly every time it's up for sale, it seems. But based on the notes, I'm wondering if Sira des Indes might be a budget(ish) substitution. It probably doesn't smell exactly the same, but the more Sira des Indes dries down, the more I get that "Bianco Latte" vibe but with banana instead of honey and champaca instead of ylang-ylang or whatever tropical flowers Borabora uses. Again, caveat smeller: as stated, I haven't smelled Bora Bora or Hug of Flowers. I will also add that although I love this fragrance in certain situations, I could see being sickened by it in certain situations. It's probably more suited to evening wear, but I work from home and it's Sunday, so to hell with the temporal plane. I just read alphairone's characteristically stellar review below, and I sign on to everything he says. The Samsara resemblance wouldn't have occurred to me, even though I probably wear Samsara more than any other frag in my collection, but he's right. It's the base notes, that creamy chiming sandalwood. I also agree with the reviewer who compared it to Champs-Elysées on the drydown. Must be all about that base, after all.

I just received the EDP. Lovely, slightly spicy, woody, oriental floral. I find this quite fresh and vibrant smelling, without seeming trendy or juvenille. It's unusual in a way I can't exactly name. I'm delighted by the dry-down, and don't smell anything that seems overly exotic or earthy, as the name would suggest. It's safe and inoffensive, sort of an easy, careless fragrance that one might throw on to be wearing something nice without too much concern for how it might read to others. Nothing overly special or distinctive about it, but I do enjoy it and will wear it again. A measure of it's mediocrity is it's lack of longevity and wearability. It simply doesn't perform, and would need reapplication to squeak any endurance and and projection out of it. Two hours post application, and it's a bit more than a skin-scent. I hold my nose quite close to my arm to get any scent, and I applied it fairly liberally. The vanilla and musk are prominent for me in the drydown, with a slight comforting creaminess. I think this would be lovely to apply after a bath and before bed. It would be nice to find something like this that really has good longevity, sillage, and projection. For me, THAT would push it into the extraordinary category, because I do love the smell, and at moments I can certainly visualize something like this being made by Terenzi or one of the other niche perfume houses who might use higher quality ingredients to make this superlative, the way Terenzi created Maremma, which I view as a much higher-quality incarnation of TF's Black Orchid - the similarity is certainly there, but Maremma, as with all Terenzi fragrances, simply and undoubtedly oozes with a quality of ingredients and an embodiment of creativity that Black Orchid really never achieved. I own and love Black Orchid, but it will never be Maremma. Overall, I think this would be a safe blind buy. It would be appropriate for someone young, but has a slight powderiness that may even appeal to very mature wearers. I like it enough that I will pursue something very similar in a better quality fragrance.

I was surprised to learn that I hadn't reviewed Sira des Indes yet. It's not my favorite Patou fragrance--that would have to be Joy, which is imprinted on my DNA by now as The Classic Floral--but I do like it a lot. Thanks to the disgusting takeover by the Louis Vuitton mercenaries, all these classic Patou fragrances will be no more. I probably have enough in my refrigerator to last until I die, with ounces to spare for the feckless heirs, but I still treat this Duriez creation--like all my other beloved Patou perfumes--as a rare treasure. We won't see the likes of these monumental beasts again. People today seem to prefer simple categories like fruity-floral, but Sira des Indes is more like an indolent stroll through a tropical garden. The notes are all too well-blended for me to distinguish the banana from the champaca, but the overall effect is lovely. There's enough citrus to cut through the sweet-powdery notes of the cardamom; the combination of the ambers and spices is bewitching during the drydown. This doesn't smell much like Coco by Chanel, a scent I wore a lot in the 1980s, but it does impart a similar vibe, and I think there are some common notes in SdI that would appeal to Coco lovers (80s formulation). As with Coco, I would advise wearing sparingly; the EDP is strong. Update, several hours later, with a refresh: I can smell the banana! It reminds me more of a banana Laffy Taffy than actual banana, but that might be the champaca variable. Anyway, I love this, and I'm tempted to pick up a backup bottle, even though I have almost a full ounce of the EDP. The discontinuation of the Patou house is infuriating.

I really wished to find a banana dominant perfume and finally I found it here.it's totally different with the banana I was dreaming about,I wanted a gourmand banana dessert,Sira is not that, still I love it and consider myself a lucky girl to own such a rare perfume. while banana is the most noticeable note in Sira Des Indes,it's not really sweet or a gourmand,I'd call it a smooth,creamy and sensual scent.fortunately I can't pickup pink pepper,cardamom or plum.what I really smell here is an unripe,almost green banana,a natural one not smelling like a fake banana bubble gum,I also pickup milk,a bit of musk-vanilla powder and a lovely floral accord.I agree with others mentioning tuberose and ylangylang.it's not a heavily floral scent but I can get a subtle,buttery scent of mentioned flowers and champacka which blend in so well with other milky,powdery notes As time passes it develops to a warmer scent,the greenish banana of the opening ripens(but not to the point of smelling like brown,gone bad bananas)and sandalwood makes it even more creamy.I dislike it when sandalwood overpowers everything else in a perfume and it's not the case here.all the notes melt in each other and none of them struggles with the others,the overall scent is a very pleasant one which may seem simple in a glance as it's almost linear and so well blended so that it's not easy to distinguish separate notes(except banana ofcourse!) but it's unique and classy indeed Longevity is great on me while sillage is soft to moderate.I wish it was stronger,acting more than a nice smelling body lotion on my skin and projecting more

A little off topic but can I just say that no matter what kind of perfume one purchases (meaning oil vs commercial) I think it is very important if you had shipped to you to let it sit and acclimate to its new environment (your house) prior to opening, sniffing and making judgements. I read a few reviews of this fragrance that made it sound DIVINE and I wanted to get in on having a bottle of now discontinued Jean Patou's. I did Joy back in the 80's & honestly am good enough with my memories of that and have no desire to recreate that decade in my life. 1000 seems risky as a blind buy and I have a lot of "challenging perfumes" already so I went with SDI - a soft banana note and cardamom? YES PLEASE. When I first received it - right out of the box it smelled a bit like a fruity sweet shampoo - so I let it sit - back to the back of the closet. Then last week we had a little heat wave and since everyone raves about this for heat waves - I gave it a whirl and to my nose this is a stunning complicated slightly gourmand, a bit powdery, a bit woody - tropically creamy wonder. Rarely do my colleagues comment on fragrance but I had colleagues coming over to tell me I smelled divine..the banana cardamom and nag champa with milk and musks & woods - there is this roundness to the powdery - almost edible and yet the base keeps it from being too sweet or gourmand. This isn't suntanning lotion and isn't some kind of sweet gourmand by today's standards. It is a real perfume so it's creating a cloud of what the tropics "could be" if it were a perfume and I love it! Buying a few backs up now.

I have a lot of respect for this old house. In the fragrance world, I wouldn't classify Patou among the big players. So many of their greatest creations have been discontinued or fallen into obsolescence, and many of their more contemporary ones seem to miss the mark. I'm aware of their heritage collection, but haven't yet tried many of them; I don't know if they live up to their former glory. That said, some of their offerings remain absolutely enchanting. Among those are 1000 and Sira des Indes. I have nothing else like this in my collection. I agree with the reviewers who reject this as a "beachy" scent; I'd even hesitate to call it tropical. I side with those who highlight Sira's cool, creamy qualities; I believe somebody even likened it to ice-cream. That rings true to me. The slightly sweet mixture of cool-fresh banana, mellow-green champaca, powdery sandalwood, creamy milk, and smooth-spicy cardamom produces something like the olfactory equivalent of a chai-banana milkshake. I know that's a rather eccentric characterization, but there's a frosty, clean, velvety sweetness to Sira that is somewhere in between balm, powder, and cream. It's not really a gourmand, but it doesn't really read as an oriental to me either. It's light and fun, but there's also a dense sophistication to it as well. I really like it. Despite the sweet spice and light musk, I think it works better in warm weather. Not dated at all, but not particularly conventional either. Very flexible in terms of age and gender, and with better-than-average performance. A real treat!

Balmy Floriental with Banana & Vintage Vibe... Opens with a fruity burst of banana & pear supported by multi-faceted bergamot with spicy nuances from cardamom & pink pepper. That all transitions to a champaca heart with milky/creamy, plum-y, powdery, citrus & sweet tones, all resting on a musky vanilla & amber-woody base. In the background there's a vintage white-floral vibe that's pulling all the elements together. The overall vibe here is of Bananas Foster crossed with a balmy vintage floriental. The longer this ages, the richer the Bananas Foster component gets. This requires a few weeks/months of dark storage to sweeten & develop the true scent and performance - then seriously it just keeps getting better and better. Seekers and collectors of vintage florientals won't be disappointed. This is the perfect scent to wear while watching Rachel Zoe Project re-runs. It's a love for me. Enjoy! Update 09/17/25: Initially I was most influenced by the banana, but the scent is more holistic & spiritual than any individual note. Some passing references to Samsara Guerlain & Tam Dao Diptyque although it's different from both. It's balmy, luminous & meditative champaca & sandalwood. I'm transported to a mountain-top Buddhist monastery, where meditating monks seem to glow from within their satin cheeks. This scent combines two of my loves: creamy florals & creamy woods. The creaminess here is thick & balmy rather than fluffy, and cooled to luminous with cardamom & banana. The ultimate calming scent. Love it still.

Sassy1,I am so sad that that you found this to be nothing like the ingredient description:( I too bought Sira des Indes on a whim. The banana and champaca notes are those exotic elements that I love to have as prominent in perfume. The ingredients never really did fully "bloom" on my skin. Patou is a house that I admire for their ongoing adherence to quality ingredients and thier bucking of trends in favor of maintainig tradition. I continued to sample, and patience finally paid off. Recently, I got the sweet tropical beauty that I have been hoping for. And "not the chemical approximation of the real thing" scent that so many have taken for granted purchasing modern commercial fragrances (Chloe, some Givenchy,Escada, etc.) How does Sira des Indes develop? On my skin: The opening of Sira des Indes is at once sweet and tart . A true fruity floral, and no patch for goodness sakes!! I smell tangy fruit punch. I can't easily depict the fruits separately, Except may be an accent on a sugary and ripe banana. The rest smells like a whole punchbowl full of cherries, strawberry, orange, and some heady ripe tropical blooms. A seamless sandalwood grounds the whole thing, and does not poke through the composition. Sira is the ultimate in fruity florals. It is so sweet, strong with a banana and sandalwood smoothie accent. The color and bottle label and glass just adds to the whole gorgeous package. It took several months, but finally I am very happy I bought it!

I blind bought this a year ago or so, because of my ongoing hunt for spectacular tropical scents. On first spray, it was much lighter than I expected. At first I was less than impressed. But then I sort of forgot about it until hubs came in and commented on how much he liked the scent. So then I went back to sniffing. . . This is truly a lovely scent, but quite unexpected. The banana note is more of a hint. It's a creamy, sweet, slightly tropical-ness that gives the idea of banana. But I wouldn't call this a banana scent. That's more like an undertone. To me this is first a champaca and sandalwood scent. It turns a bit spicy and has a creamy sweetness to it that is all-around very pleasant. It is really glorious in the heat in the way I don't think it would radiate in the cold. To me, definitely a summer scent. But it's one that while you're not going to probably notice a whole lot, it will radiate and waft for hours on end in the warmth of the sun and with a bit of a breeze. This is a summer day shopping on the pier sort of scent. Or perhaps lounging on the yacht . . . All the sorts of activities outside the reach of someone like myself. I'm thrilled to have this, and it is certainly one of the more unique tropical scents I've smelled. Not at all your typical tropical delight . . . But s delight nonetheless!

Rich sweet floral, no matter the claims of gourmand accords, the opening is all classic Patou. However, in the process of drydown, towards the middle and finish - I swear it's the aroma of an ice cream parlor. Not just the fragrance of ice cream alone .... it's the fragrance of the whole entire parlor: fruit, marshmallow whip, sparkling clean floors, over-working a/c, everything is there. Vanilla is here, oh yes, but so definitely an ice cream vanilla - it's chilly! how can Patou convey temperature? I can only guess. And the fruit....these are not the ripe, heavy bananas flecked with brown from the top of your kitchen counter, nor are these the classy caramelized delicacies found in a Bananas Foster. Instead these are quite indeed the fresh, perhaps even slightly green, chilled, subdued, bananas of an ice cream split. Other fruits mix in, with the florals still shouting quite loudly, making the banana even less prominent. But they are there. Between the heavy floral notes, the icy cold fruit, chilly vanilla, and the hints of mildest white musk anchoring things, a more appropriate name for this fragrance would be "First Date at the Ben & Jerry's". Which is actually a compliment. A great summer scent, very fun.

Floral-fruity scents are way out of my comfort zone, but on a whim I decided to try this fragrance since I love Patou's Sublime and assumed the house could do no wrong. This scent has grown on me, although my initial reaction was unfavorable. The temperature of skin and air makes a big difference in how a scent works, and temp. seems to be everything with this fragrance. The first notes were tropical fruits, I couldn't detect any specific types, just a general fruity opening. Seems too sweet at first sniff, but that does wear down a bit in a short time. The drydown saves this frag from being too juvenile for my taste. The amber, musk, and sandalwood adds the dimension that the fragrance lacked in its opening stages. On warm days, this scent blooms like an exotic flower and then it's very lovable to me. It dries down to a skin scent over time, which makes it very wearable in hot weather. Longevity very good, about 7 hours, sillage average. If you generally dislike fruity scents, application makes a big difference in how it will work for you or against you. I liked it much more when applied lightly; when I sprayed freely, my nose was overwhelmed. I'll certainly keep this in rotation as the weather warms up.

A creamy-satin luxurious ruby-red floral which I rapidly fell in love with. By the end of my first day with this scent I had bought the body lotion, the EDP (I was trialing the EDT) and a back-up bottle. I couldn't bear the thought of losing it now its discontinued... and its still so affordable and easy to find. It opens with an unusual pear/green-banana-peel zing, which is mildly peppery and fascinating. After 10 minutes, orange blossom and Champaca are rising and an opulent plum fragrance is twining through everything like a purple ribbon in a vase full of flowers. Its at this stage I'm beginning to identify this as a creamy-satin experience... During the next hour an ambery-shaft of deliciousness shoots through the atmosphere and the creamy loveliness is fully lit and utterly delicious. My critical faculties failed and I just drifted around in a swoon of pleasure, repeatedly spritzing myself at 3 hour intervals throughout my day for a full-velocity immersion again and again and again. A favourite and unique (much better than the Badgley Mischka I trialed today, but that's another story...). Today's Haiku creamy satin spice swoon-making experience my head in the clouds

I read the notes, I read the reviews everywhere I could, and I finally ordered a bottle at Parfum1 for a very reasonable price. Buying unsniffed perfumes is the only form of gambling I indulge in. And what a gamble! I was very familiar with 2 other Patou offerings, the exquisitely elegant and classic Joy and 1000, and Sira des Indes threw me for a loop. Only the house of Patou could manage to make a perfume in the fashionable fruity/oriental genre and make it something exquisite and unforgettable. Who would ever think of banana as an elegant note, and yet in Sira des Indes it is nestled in the arms of berries and spices and resins and flowers in a way that is very unusual and yet, in its own way, subtle and elegant. It has something irresistible, sweet and comforting yet not cloyingly gourmand, it smells like desserts and flowers and spices, and yet it still retains that something beautiful and elegant of other Patou perfumes. I do wish it had more sillage than it does (I have the eau de parfum) and the lasting power is nothing to write home about (about 4 hours), but I can't stop sniffing my wrists when I wear it. Wonderful!

I blind bought Sira des Indes because the notes sounded so intriguing. If you like the notes AND realize this smells like a perfume and not like an ultra sweet photorealistic banana milk shake gourmand, I would recommend you to try it, too. Not that a sweet banana shake gourmand would be a bad thing, Sira des Indes is just something totally different. There is banana, but it starts with spices. In fact, cardamom is the most dominant note in the top and the heart to my nose. Champaca gives a powdery floral vibe, a bit old school. Overall this is drier than I would have thought, even though there is a milky and creamy vibe, too. Imagine an unsweetened banana milk dusted with cardamom, next to a piece of fragrant sandalwood and a vase of yellow flowers. In the drydown the spicy and powdery notes slowly vanish. Now the scent is very creamy with sandalwood, milk and banana and a slight vanilla sweetness. Sira des Indes is a unique, warm and exotic perfume. It's not a loud scent, but it lasts all day, like a soft veil of fragrance around me. I am very happy with my blind buy.

I don't believe I ever smelled champaca in real life and I certainly never smelled any fragrance like this one before. The first time I tried it, I was sure the fragrance was off and found the smell to be quite unpleasant. I’m not one to give up easily after a blind buy so I let it settle for a few days. The next time I tried it, I still found it to be strange but there was also something alluring about it. Now I can truly say that I adore this fragrance. It’s still an odd one. It smells somehow... foreign, in a really, really good way. I can’t really identify any of the notes for sure. There is something tart and fruity going on reminding me dried apricots. I believe it must be the plum. I’m also quite sure I know which is the champaca note - a strangely unsweet floral. For a fleeting moment I even think I get a light, fluffy banana. Apart from that it basically smells like what I imagine to be a creamy, slightly sweet and tart and a little spicy «exotic dessert» mixing with a clean, white musk in the dry down.

Sira des Indes is a lovely tropical fragrance that kicks up its heels in a romantic lanscape, all while retaining a classic beauty. It opens with a ripe banana accompanied by honeyed yellow florals with milky, vanillic tones. The fragrance does not overly transform through wearing, but grows deeper and warmer, revealing a heart of sandalwood that, paired with the yellow flowers, could almost make a person dream of Samsara, with the tiniest tan and a banana daiquiri in her hand. Although the fragrance refers to some traditional suntan lotion and tropical elements, I wouldn't say that it's "beachy." Sira des Indes has a classic vibe that makes it charmingly ambiguous, luxurious, and sophisticated. On the other hand, it gestures enough toward exotic holidays that it might feel slightly out of place in cooler climes. I put it on in February once and found the experience a bit disorienting. Moderate sillage and solid longevity, definitely a worthwhile addition to a summer wardrobe.

As I apply Sire des Indes and Esquivel! immediately plays in my head. Tropicalia in olfactory form, its foremost champaca-infused, as Jean-Michel Duriez includes this accord as if to pay homage to Patou's Joy. In the magnolia family, champaca is more a narcotic perfume than its cousins, with a beguiling and sultry floralcy with undertones of tea and ripened fruits. Here, it is enhanced with creamy lactones, spiced pear and most notably, banana, to render it all fleshy. It may at first seem all "Daiquiris in a tiki bar" surrounded by tropical florals, but there is some depth that belies its seeming languor. The balminess is underlined with a woodiness from a musky, buttery sandalwood that feels more meditative, as the champaca accord lingers through the dry down as well. Champaca has significance in Theravada Buddhism, as the tree is seen as the vehicle for Bodhi, or enlightenment. It's as if this turn of events redirects the attention from hedonism to that of illumination.

I really didn’t “get” this fragrance right off the bat. I sprayed it and sat for 5 or so minutes going ...”what??” As my nose took in a strange, very dry green banana note, then the florals came in and I felt like I should be on a vintage tropical travel poster dressed in a fruit hat and sarong. Very thick, heady, mixed with a spicy sweet and dry accord?? Now I crave this!!! My nose began to slowly understand this, love this!! I am the lady in the poster when I wear this. It’s a comfort scent for sure. At the end of a long work day or a fun vacation day. I love the dry down! Wore it to a water park in the summer and even after being in the water the wafts I got were delicious!! I don’t think it’s a safe blind buy but certainly was fun for me to discover the layers of this and fall in love with it. I do think the heady champaca thing could be a deal breaker for some but I’m all in. Note: this is so warming, thick and cozy in winter.

This is the ephemeral heart of LouLou by Cacharel. When you smell LouLou, you're searching for something. In modern LouLou, I can find the reflection but not the spirit. It just evades me. This is the quiet muse, the spirit of that perfume. I do not get all the notes listed in this perfume. The banana note is like those yellow banana lollies and it's so fleeting so, as not to be there. Sira des Indes is a warm, intoxicating perfume full of complexity that doesn't give me a headache. This plummy floral is unlike the pure florals of Jean Patou's other perfumes. I have the 75ml bottle and I will be getting one or two back-ups as it's no longer in production. This is not a safe blind buy. LouLou is like Poison original. If you loved LouLou though, you'll probably love this perfume more.

Champaca is the leading note of this fragrance for sure. It smells georgeous in the opening. Warm and exotic, especially mixed with the noticeable cardamom note and the baie rose note. The bergamot, banana and pear notes on the amber base with the noticeable vanilla note make this fragrance also sweet and gourmand. And I guess that the plum note sourness saves this fragrance from being too sweet. While milky notes make it more soft, the sandalwood makes it more serious. I almost don't feel the musk note and it's awesome! This fragrance reminds me L'Instant de Guerlain because of the magnolia (champaca) and the amber notes, and Dolce Vita - because of the magnolia (champaca) and the cardamom notes, but not too much. I like this fragrance. My hot and exotic champaca pleasure!:)