Coeur Joie

I'm not sure how old my bottle is -- possibly '50's or 60's -- and so the top notes are off, but what I mainly am getting is neroli, some jasmine, a lot of iris,and then it goes straight to the base notes, where I get the most beautiful orris root I've ever smelled. The kind of scent where you can't stop sniffing your wrist. That's the dominant note that has mainly survived in my older perfume, and it's aged like a fine bottle of Bordeaux. I wish I could know what this perfume smelled like as a young beauty, as the sillage is somewhat diminished on this too, but I'll take it as it is, which is gorgeous. They will never make a perfume like this again with this quality of iris and iris butter (orris root). The old Lalique mould heart bottles are beautiful and worth buying for that alone. I'm not sure what the famous long-lost Iris Gris smells like, and I know that it had a peach note that is missing from this composition, but the iris in this must surely be just as lovely. A real collector's find for the vintage lover.

With Coeur-Joie, we encounter the softer side of Germaine Cellier, famous for her more assertive and angular masterpieces such as Bandit and Vent Vert. Here, in EDT form, Coeur-Joie sings tenderly rather than belts; it's a spring romance of lilting neroli leading into velvet petals of violet and rose. An accompanying jasmine lends a sharp note, a counterpoint to the tessitura of the other florals. The centerpiece, however, is the iris, its softened sumptuousness, with suggestions of tender melancholy. The orris and civet together render the dry down into a rich, warm butter, ensconced with woods (I detect maybe some vetiver, too?). The more introverted qualities echo that of Apres L'Ondee, except here, Coeur-Joie isn't teary eyed—it is the "joy of the heart," after all. It is perhaps the day that follows the rain, all sun and hope and promise, but still reflecting suggestions of the whole emotional prism. It would be great to compare with the parfum version in its iconic "open heart" shaped bottle.

Ah Nina Ricci, why forsake this one? You could’ve released this as an exclusive fragrance. I believe people shouldn’t be deprived of this kind of art. The older Riccis have that sweet and herbal base maybe coupled with some chypre elements. The problem with them would be they’d be too much in the extrait version. That being said, I believe that the edts of the older creations are the superb dilution. I have the edt of Couer Joie and somehow it reminds me of the handiwork done in Vent Vert. It’s hesperidic but in no way a cologne fraiche or a citrus aromatic. It’s a powdery floral hazed with citruses. It’s beautiful and none like it. I would say only Nina Ricci’s house could make something like this. Oh God how can you make something so beautiful and let it perish?

Vintage parfum review. L’Air du Temps brought me to Nina Ricci but it is Coeur Joie that holds my heart - the scintillating opening of neroli and iris, the haunting drydown of the orris root. A powdery romantic perfume that matches the feminine and elegant image of the house. There was an internet review that I wholeheartedly agree - "Coeur Joie offers a subtlety that is rare and a balance between softness and dryness that is unusual. It also manages to be discreetly luscious and green at the same time."

It's hard to put into words what a masterpiece of a fragrance Couer Joie is. I am lucky enough to own two bottles like the one you see above (it's even more beautiful in real life). And the perfume still smells wonderful. The notes are in perfect harmony with each other, and yes, like most vintages it has civet, but it only enhances the rest of the notes. If Florals were works of art in a museum, Coeur Joie would be the Mona Lisa.