Haute Voltige

Bought this on sale last spring as the weather was heating up and just didn't "get it". Pomegranate came across rather more like grapefruit which usually turns to the dreaded "kitty pee" on my skin, and yes, it did this time, too. But I've learned not to give up on a fragrance until I've worn it in both hot and cold weather since many seem to "prefer" one or the other & even come across as completely different scents, polar opposites in fact. So, having worn Skin on Skin, Amour Nocturne and Deliria in the past week I cautiously reached for Haute Voltige on a gray, chilly & rainy day and VOILA! Now comes full on pomegranate and right behind follows a gorgeous wintery fir. Not a hint of grapefruit and not a whiff of "KP". Pomegranate is the only fruit here and it's a genuine pomegranate, like opening a bottle of ice cold POM brand pomegranate juice. And then comes the fir --a crisp,piney green, definitely NOT cedar, a note I love but don't find here at all. Next my nose picks up the tang of juniper berries, as if you've crushed some in your hands, not just poured a generous helping of gin. A bit of pepper spices up the undercurrent of some vague blend of woody notes that bind to a nice base of oakmoss (my Precious!) that gives the whole blend substance. Cold temperatures really make HV glimmer and shine like no mere fruity fragrance. I drove and walked around doing last minute errands, both ordinary and holiday, all day long (so 6-8 hour longevity) and Haute Voltige shimmered on my skin and clothes in a way that reminded me of Guerlain's Winter Delice, Clinique's Wrappings and Goutal's Nuit Etoilee. Yes, this is definitely a cold weather fragrance and I'm very happy I held on to it long enough to make this discovery. Discontinued but 4.2oz bottles are still available online at a fraction of the original price. If you're looking for a cold weather fragrance HV might just fit the bill.

I have only recently become interested in the L'Artisan Explosions d'Émotions range, partly due to their sudden decrease in price in response to the brand's bottle redesigns and subsequent discontinuations. I had read many reviews on all six fragrances here on Fragrantica, and the general consensus was that they were risky blind buys. Haute Voltige was one fragrance I found rather tempting as a blind purchase, but I did refrain from doing so as reviews were less than promising. Luckily I managed to test Haute Voltige at one of my local department stores as they still had a tester on display. The initial blast was super fruity, tart and fizzy. I actually mistook the dominant pomegranate note for a tomato leaf accord at first, but later realised my error when the sweetness came into effect. Haute Voltige is a very unique fragrance but also a very pleasing one. After the powerful, fruity top notes begin to fade, Haute Voltige softens into a somewhat powdery blend of balsam fir, oakmoss and juniper berries which is rather sensual on the skin, and my partner tends to agree. Pomegranate can be a tricky note for me to wear at times, especially juicy pomegranate fragrances like Jo Malone's Pomegranate Noir. Thankfully Haute Voltige is a tad more subdued and has a similar powdery, oakmoss-y drydown to my signature fragrance Annick Goutal's Passion EDP. I would go so far to say that Haute Voltige is one of my favourite L'Artisan Parfumeur scents. Longevity is superb and the sillage is strong yet not too overpowering. It's a shame that this fragrance in particular has been discontinued whilst two other scents in the Explosions d'Émotions range have been promoted to their permanent line-up.

There is a nice ozonic touch to Haute Voltige that brings to mind hot wires and the smell of air before a thunderstorm. I'm surprised I've not yet come across anyone mentioning how cleverly and naturalistically "electric" this one is. Having read the reviews, I was expecting sth terrible and conceptual to the point of being unwearable. Well, quite the contrary. I like it, wear it with pleasure, and am impressed by Duchafour's wit and craft. The clash between futurism reminiscent of CdG's Odeur offerings and the fruity-floral sweetness (pomegrenate and peony) is refreshing, fun and... works. For me at least ;)

I have to disagree with all the negative reviews. This is really a beautifully balanced fruity floral and I'm amazed at how it remains balanced, never veering into too much of the woods in the base. I'm wearing it on a very cold wintery day and it is brightening the day considerably. Gotten some nice compliments on it as well. Not a sillage monster and with decent longevity, I think there is room for a fb of this in my collection. I don't like everything Duchafour creates but this is just right.

Apparently I love pomegranate and black pepper because the opening for this is AMAZING! And it's even winter so should be even better in spring :o) I believe this is the only pomegranate forward fragrance I own! I know I have some with it buried in others, but never number 1 noticed note :o)