Poudre D’Orient

I was initially taken aback somewhat by Le Labo POUDRE D'ORIENT, which must have dashed my expectations--though I must say that it's entirely unclear why I should have had any in the first place... In any case, my first reaction was that this composition was similar in some ways to Prada INFUSION D'IRIS--which also surprised me a lot the first time I wore it. In the case of POUDRE D'ORIENT, I felt as though I was perceiving a dominant super-finely powdered cedar supporting the composition. Yet cedar is not listed among the notes. Whatever accounts for the fine powdery quality of POUDRE D'ORIENT, I have to say that I am becoming addicted to it. Now that I know what's in the bottle, I find myself reaching for it more and more... The violet and vanilla mingle with the pseudo-cedar powder to produce a very pleasing texture which is not too sweet and does not actually smell like vanilla (good news for those who dislike vanilla frags...). The patchouli, too, is very low key--if detectable at all. Of course, that's in part a result of the preponderance of über-patchouli perfumes on the market today, many of which simultaneously offer super-saturated vanilla solutions. This creation is nothing like those, you may rest assured. I really like POUDRE D'ORIENT and recommend it to those who appreciate gently woody violet perfumes.

Oooohh yes!!!! This is REALLY lovely! Beautiful violet, and a gorgeous soft suede type of smell, that is very comforting and cozy. The patchouli is so rich and gentle and florally, sweet and herby - just gorgeous! And it's a beautiful musky/suede dry-down, with every other note staying right through to the end, which is a long time coming - 18 hours or even 24, because I can still smell it in the morning. It's really a fascinating perfume! The vanilla is rich and not too sweet, and fulsome, really gentle and pretty, and mixed with the patchouli and violet, it's quite a dream. A rich, warm, enveloping, exotic and beguiling dream!!! It is quite powdery, but in a real creamy way, and I LOVE it!!! I love it more and more all the time.....really I'm bewitched by it!!! Bewitched and besotted!!! Poudre D'Orient is so feminine, exotic, sensual, elegant, luxurious, divine and luscious!! I adore it!!! And it's a gorgeous bottle!!! Very exotic!!!

After spending over a decade trying to find a dupe, here you go (btw, this requires 2 discontinued fragrances, but much more recently discontinued... I know.) Penhaligon's Constantinople with 1 spray on the base (the vanilla and patchouli hits EXACTLY the same on the dry down) and Jo Malone's Mallow on the Moor with 2 sprays over top. The former is still easy to get. The later not as much. Insolence works, though the end result will be a bit sweeter than the original. Mallow on the Moor is closer despite being violet leaf. Lipstick On also works on top (though its harder to get than mallow on the moor and much more expensive if you find it) I've kept a solid disc of this stuff on me at all times for 15 years, forcing god knows how many perfume counter humans to smell it and help me find a dupe. If this was anyone else's white whale... there you have it.

Poudre d'Orient smells just like the name implies--powder with an oriental twist. It's hard to describe what's Oriental about it, but it definitely smells exotic. It reminds me of vanilla tobacco. First there is lots of green yet powdery violet leaf, and as the perfume dries down, the vanilla creeps in. This is not just any old vanilla though--no, no, no! Le Labo is never so mundane. It is a sticky, resinous vanilla that has more of a benzoin feel to it. At first when I smelled Poudre d'Orient, I was certain it would not grow on me because I usually can't wear violet well. But leave it to Le Labo to create a violet perfume that turns into something stunning, even on me.

I just got my sample of this a few days ago, and I'm already thinking that Poudre D'Orient will be one of my favorite scents. It's everything I've been looking for this winter: warm, woodsy and powdery, but still feminine thanks to the violet. I'm wearing in the office today and although it's noticeable, it's not about to knock anybody out. Good moderate sillage with good longevity on my skin. Really loving this right now.

Lots and lots of powdery violet, with just a hint of vanilla and some patchouli to hold it down. There is definitely a cedar facet in there too somewhere (it seems to be paired with violets pretty frequently). Glorious! This is a heavier version of She Wood - less aqueous, more unisex, and definitely more grown up. I'll be using this in the spring... or maybe earlier if I start craving spring-like weather.

It is a unique perfume for me. All notes is clear. The Greatest silage! It definitely not "bite" any nose if worn during day time. It stays on you nice and discreet. Nothing can replace this. Of course, it all goes to your scent palette!

This is very pretty!! It is between Trussardi blue jeans & Silver iris mist, w/ a twist of Bottega V. :) so, many of my favorites wrapped into one! It's heavenly!!

I received the concrete parfum version of this from my best friend for my birthday. The packaging is just so lovely, it is designed to look like an old fashioned weight and it is heavy, lovely, looks to be made of brass. Grasse is written in big letters on the top, although looking this up here I'm not sure what relationship Grasse has to this fragrance. Maybe it's a weight reference. Anyway, I agree with all the reviews. It has that gorgeous vintage cosmetics open. I didn't realize I was smelling violet, but after reading the reviews I can feel it. It reminds me of those old fashioned violet candies that have popped up again. I think my primary experience is the patchouli, which reminds of of a solid patchouli perfume from india that my ex husband gave me when we were first dating. That patchouli was so lovely and full and floral, and I sense the exact same thing here. I'm not sure if solid perfume is my favorite. I find that I just sniff at the object more often than applying it to my skin. I don't know if anyone has any tips for using solid perfume that I am missing. Anyway, this is lovely and I might seek out the liquid version now that I understand where this came from. Thanks Fragantica!

I love this perfume. Its very different & I like that. Alot of ppl may not enjoy this but thats the magic, its unique & does not recall any quick memories of other scents so your nose keeps trying to identify and because of that some ppl get put off with the strange foreign scent but because of that it intices and makes you wonder and that is the genius. This is very creamy powdery as well which i enjoy also. It starts off waxy sort of like Dior Homme did and the vanilla with greens and violet start to mix nicely and this musk comes along and almost tobacco like with still the makeup and powder scent lurking and you get this suede like feel. I enjoy it cause even though it is a scent you can almost sence the texture.The new Tom Ford Noir smells just like this so I guess I was right that I like this for a reason and if Mr. Ford slaps his name on something that smells like this then it cant be bad.

This is such a fascinating fragrance, yet it's one that takes a while to become accustomed to. After the first wearing I didn't like it all too much, but since wearing it these last few days, I must say I'm quite hooked. Poudre d'Orient is a dusty and unique violet fragrance. It opens with a very cosmetic-type smell, like the scent of old-fashioned lipsticks and pressed powder. After it settles, the muskiness disappears leaving a smooth, slightly powdery and feminine violet. It's quite an intimate fragrance in the sense that the sillage is not all that strong. It also has an adorable quaintness, which is like a breath of fresh air for me. Poudre d'Orient is perhaps not as strong as Le Labo's heavy hitting fragrances like Oud 27 and Rose 31, but it carries a lot of presence. The drydown is the best bit. I smell an icy and creamy blend of violet, vanilla and patchouli. It's only slightly sweetened on the skin, and I can honestly say it's one of the prettiest vanilla drydowns I've come across so far. I enjoyed it so much more than Vanille 44 by the same house. It's a pity these fragrances are only exclusive to Anthropologie stores. I would have liked to see these fragrances hit the Australian shores. Le Labo irritates me sometimes when they make half their fragrances exclusive to certain parts of the world. Since they are one of my favourite niche houses, I won't rest until I've tried them all.

I had to give this one time, because the combination of violet and an oriental accord is rather odd. The drydown is somewhere between powdery and chalky, which may not sound good but it's unique and I came to appreciate it fairly quickly.. I wouldn't be surprised if some say this smells like musty candy, or something along those lines. Thus, this is not for the casual scent person, but for an aficionado looking to broaden his or her horizons, so to speak. Ingredient quality seems very good, as is longevity, but projection ("sillage") is moderate, though it's certainly possible that spraying more would increase it significantly. How many more oridary orientals do we need at this point? I'm glad that some companies are trying something new, regardless of the limited audience that might exist for it.

This is a big powdery scent. It reminds me of couch cushions, like the smell of a new suede sofa. Or maybe a vase of oriental lily's in the corner of a house some place out of sight but you can still smell them. It's an easy scent to wear because it's like it surrounds you rather than invades your personal space. I get about 5+ hours and the dry down is soft and peppery. An overall smooth musky vanilla scent that is powerful.

Yes, there's a lot of powder, but I don't get anything distinctly oriental. Violets, soft musk and unsweet vanilla. I think the patchouli more anchors this fragrance than adds scent. To me it doesn't smell like candy, but old fashioned cosmetics. It has a very vintage, dressing table type feel.