Elle 25

Good things DO really come to those who wait! It took my bottle (#14/25) almost 60 days to reach me...and took me almost two weeks of sniffing and testing to be able to even review it. The first fragrance I have ever smelled from this House is absolutely divine. It arrived sealed in the box, flacon side numbered & signed in GOLD ink by the hand of the man himself (FK), outer box festooned with ribbons and a little note inside about the fragrance and its development. The bottle itself is heavy like crystal and the cap is also very weighty and "lead" colored. I am deeply honored and so very flattered to have such an scent in my collection!...A million Thanks to British ELLE magazine, Mr. Kurkdjian and Fragrantica for running the article and link to the contest (and that sweet girl in London, who answered each one of my string of relentless questioning e-mails)! The scent? My submission was a piece about all facets of the gem that is "woman" and this captured them all very well. It is playful, luxurious, romantic and happy all at once. There is a bit of citricity in the opening; just enough to brighten it, but not overpower it. The floral bouquet is an understatement, at best. It is like someone squeezed fresh, living flowers into a bottle! I get narcissus (more of the daffodil type), lily of the valley, and oodles of soft sexy jasmine. There are many more in there (for sure) but these are the ones that touch me. This never becomes cloying, and is in fact: a joy to wear. Flowers, flowers everywhere! Swirling all around me, but they never suffocate or intimidate; just exist in the purest experession of their beauty. Springtime distilled. This may be an EDP...but it develops and FEELS like parfum! The cedar is gentle and dreamy here; not like dry wood, "hamster cage" chips or even needles/leaves but more like cedar "milk"-it's that creamy! The chypre base comes in a bit later with some powdery (but not overly dry) greeness, and finishes with a very classy and elegant aura... This is a very exclusive and superb fragrance, but I tend to agree with Naheed! This is something that should be available to every person, as it is absolutely gorgeous. I feel very priveliged to own some, but a bit guilty as well for there being so little (only 25 bottles made) and wanting so many who would appreciate it to experience it... Sillage: Very good Longevity: great Overall: 4.75/5 There is a Chinese goddesss called Kuan Yin (Quan Yin, etc...) who personifies kindness, compassion and unconditional love. This is how I os-magine HER smelling. I cannot imagine anyone (male, female or anything in-between) smelling this and not liking it or falling under its spell! No being or creature within 10 feet of Kuan Yin can even think of anything negative or harmful...that is what Elle25 is to me: a lovely healing balm for the Soul!! When I saw the contest, I thought: "Yeah, like I'd ever win!". Let me tell you people something: Dreams can (AND DO) come true...if you follow them! :)

This is a fragrance that you had to win, and oh yea am I happy I entered! (My bottle is autographed by FK himself and marked 1 of 25) Privately I was skeptical, because I've tried some of FK's commercial frags that were clearly a waste of his time (Bebe, anyone?) But this bull came out of the chute with a coat and top hat, and I give it a standing ovation! Bull came to mind because to me this is a 'Taurean' fragrance. It's sensuous, slow-burning, and dripping with all the right sins. Think Venus in all her self-gratifying glory. Nothing is denied here, this is straight up Eden with no barrier to the tree. I want to say it has orange blossom or narcissus because the florals are heavy. This could pass for a Guerlain, and if I dind't know any better I would think that it was. It's marketed as a chypre, but if there is oakmoss here it is very weak. I'd be surprised if vetiver wasn't included, because at the tail end of a deep sniff it dips into the 'stinky body' category. The halo is what sells this, as it's like tinkling piano notes of a tender ballet tune. Nice. Again, thank you British Elle!

If it is a game, I think I play with Masterpiece :)...and want it on and on :D. Burst of heady sparkling floral notes at the beggining - I feel Lily of the valley, jasmin, maybe some lilac? With time flowery freshness melts in bright softness of gentle petals. Smooth and soapy, then after few hours clean warmness stay on my skin and last, last... so long! Very feminie, with kind of spirit like such creations: CH 212 and Rumeur. Oh I can't wait to put my romantic dress and take a sunny, late-afternoon June walk with my love :)... Bottle - elegant simplicity, with very heavy metal cap softly (like butter;) settling on the top. Gold signature of Francis Kurkdjian and number of bottle :D Thank You for this happiness !!!

Lovely Dianthus gave me a generous decant of this beauty and I feel genuinely honoured. Did I really deserve it? I love its spring freshness, subtle elegance and a great quality - one spray lasts and lasts. Great sillage, too! Thank you, dear Dianthus!

An anonymous angel offered a chance to review this rarity, and I couldn't turn down this opportunity. Big Big Thanks! - The first rain of spring: The rain washes away the dirt and dust of winter and brings colours back alive again. Elle 25 is just that. Like taking a walk among the first flowers of spring. Really, Elle 25 felt like taking a deep, invigorating breath of fresh air after spending an hour in a humid, suffocating room. I live by one of Helsinki's busiest and most polluted streets, and I couldn't have asked for a better timing to review this fragrance. Indeed, mother nature had just cleaned the streets from dust, and air was as clear as Elle itself. The fragrance reminds me a bit of Diorissimo, Idylle and even the elusively sexy Narciso R for her. Then again, Elle is in its own league: it smells like real flowers in a bottle, like Gypsy Parfumista said. If you want to smell it in your mind, imagine this... Elle 25 is like a perfectly balanced bouquet of freshly picked flowers: Plenty of lily-of-the-valleys accompanied by roses, narcissi and beautiful lilies. It gets a bit smoky at the drydown, but still feels so so very balanced. Soft, perfect(!), alluring. I can only say that Francis Kurkdjian is a master of perfume!