Rappelle-Toi

I blind bought this and it is in the old glass octagon shape glass bottle. This is an extremely interesting take on gardenia and I don't have anything like it in my collection. This begins very spicy, with Szechuan pepper and a very dry gin note. That can be a bit strange for some peoples expectations because it is very strong. It could make this gardenia unisex. As it goes a long it becomes a very indolic gardenia with very sweet honeycomb mingling with the spices and gin. Then as the fragrance travels along a very lotion like coconut aspect comes in. This perfume is like a combination of creamy sweet floral with crisp, dry and spicy aspects. I would enjoy this on a man as well because of the spice and gin. Very strong and long lasting. I would go easy with this one. It has a real niche quality to it. Different but still wearable. The name goes with the concept of the perfume Remember and don't forget. I don't think this is a forgettable fragrance. It will take a daring personality to pull it off. It certainly isn't run of the mill. A gardenia garden with spices and a few gin martinis. Fresh spicy and slightly green, touches of tropical fruits, honeycomb, cardamom and of course gardenias. Much more beautiful on skin. The gardenia ,honeycomb sandalwood cardamom and very musky base really comes out on skin. Update to a strange new love. Not a safe bet for most. There is a riskiness to this perfume. There is a sensual aspect to it. My husband likes this one and he usually hates white florals. Very honey dominant so if you dislike honey I would steer clear. Edit if you like EA Red Door this perfume is quite inspired by Red Door IMO. They aren't the same of course but I sense an inspiration. Presentation is gorgeous. Why buy new perfumes when one can get real beauties like this on the Internet for peanuts?!

I've blind bought it, can't actually remember why. It took me some time to write a review about it, because it is so strange. It is complex and unique, for sure. Not for everyone, for sure. I've noticed that this is one of the perfumes that change with my hormones the most. Sometimes, I can't stand it and sometimes is just what I need to make me feel better. Definitely works differently in different weather as well. Very sensitive perfume. The start could be cloying, I have similar relationship with gin as I have with this perfume: sometimes i take one sip and want to puke, on the other occasion, I can drink it all night and love it. Then it develops, each time differently. I can agree with a lot of reviewers, I can sense floral notes, gardenia and also tuberose, something spicy, bitter and sweet notes at the same time, but it works naturally with my skin. There is definitely an association with being drunk, or maybe on some drugs, something that shocks you at first, but melts you down at the end. It has some sci fi element, like you are hallucinating, but from your heart. For some people, I believe it seems a bit artificial, but personally, I have a feeling that it bolds my skin scent and I find it sexy. I love the drydown honey note the most. It is sooo nice and special. The most funny fact is, that every time someone smells it from the bottle, they react very negatively and repulsive, they won't even try it on. But I get lots of compliments when I wear it (sometimes from that same people!). You have to dare and give it a chance. I already own Rappelle Toi, Amour Nocturne and Deliria from Explosions d'Emotions line and I am in love with all of them. Like they were made for me, they are special, a bit strange and very intense. Plus, I love the bottles and whole packaging!

I bought this last weekend at Barneys. My favorite fragrance is POAL, but I wanted something new for the holidays that would be sexy and feminine and but not cloying or overly girly. I spent a good deal of time working with the fragrance associates to sort through my options. (A huge thanks BTW to the boys at the Chicago Barneys for being so helpful and taking so much time with me). In the end Rappelle-Toi was exactly what I was looking for. This fragrance is mature and confident in its femininity and I feel very beautiful when I wear it. I like the bright gin opening, but then... I'm a martini-up sort of gal. This note passes quickly and moves to my favorite part, the combination of pepper, gardenia and incense with just a touch of creamy honey underneath. These notes are balanced beautifully and create a warm and feminine mystique. I would say that the sillage and longevity are moderate but then, I am used to POAL. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Edited to add... I've been wearing this now for a month and I'm obsessed with it. I wish I had a better understanding of perfumes so that I could correctly describe the interplay of the various notes. The longevity is definitely better than I first thought. While it isn't POAL, it does project a moderate sillage for a good 6 hours. If I spray it on before bed, I can still smell it on my skin the next morning.

This opens with a blast of sichuan peppercorn, gardenias, and tiny bit of gin. (I'm half asian and very used to the herbal almost soapy pepper smell that sichuan peppercorns impart, but never knew that they blend so gorgeously with gardenias! They're a match made in heaven) Seconds later it transforms and a layer of beautiful real honey and what I associate as coconut cream drenches the the peppered gardenias. It's so creamy, intoxicating, and deliciously gourmand. I am falling in love with this beautifully blended scent that combines sultry and innocent. This stuff is pretty powerful in the beginning, but it subdues into floral musk skin scent. This embodies the scent of christmas with the asian side of my family in California. The food cooked with coconut milk and lots of pepper, the flowers, some drinking, and creamy lighty sweet desserts. I love it. I run cold so I will probably wear this during the summer too since it has an asian/tropical/pacific island feel, but it's a rich and slightly warm scent that may be too warm for some during the summer heat (depending on where you live and your body chemistry)

I wanted to try this one because of the sichuan pepper which I’m so fond of. But I wasn’t expecting ANYTHING like this: another incredible complex and fascinating scent from that has become one of my favorite house. The opening is really peppery, at least to me. The gin is there, and it’s fresh, spicy and only slightly boozy and herbal. It’s just the initial spray thought because soon the whole composition evolves into pure honeyed gardenia. The gin somehow faintly remains to tone down the overall sweetness, but still.... there’s so much honey! At the end of the day this scent is basically a lovely honeyed gardenia with a more original fresh opening note. It’s a very nice scent indeed, but it’s quite a pity that the interesting initial notes do not stay longer and stronger. They are there none the less and add to the gardenia an interesting side: more watery, more spicy and more intricate. This is a template L’Artisan scent: classy, beautiful, elegantly balanced, constantly evolving and always with an interesting twist. Well done, as always.