Jean Baptiste 1717

This is a lovely scent. I’m from Louisiana, and it does indeed make me feel like Evangeline under the Oak Tree when I wear it. It’s a very pretty memorable fragrance. It’s definitely classy. It’s simple enough for a teenager but sophisticated enough for a woman. It’s nothing like the candy lollipop stuff that’s so popular now days. It’s very classy. Classy and well mannered, yet pretty and mysterious at the same time. It’s a fragrance I imagine Sybil on Downton Abbey would have worn. Sybil was the youngest sister who married Tom then died :( There’s some old garden rose in there, but it’s veeeeeery subtle.

I've never smelled any fragrance quite like this one. I received the body lotion as a gift and decided to try the perfume. I was not disappointed. The lotion and perfume smell differently just enough that I would call them each their own experience. If you want something mysterious yet warmly comforting, but doesn't smell like everything on the market, you need to try this scent.

According to the notes listed, this shares tuberose, cedar, patchouli and vanilla with Bond No. 9 Chinatown and I do smell the similarity. If you'd like a scaled-back and sweeter version of Chinatown, you'd probably love this! I'm testing the scented body oil. On me, this opens surprisingly herbal and spicy. Gourmand? Yes, but NOT cupcake/candy gourmand; rather it reminds me of an herbal bread perhaps. It's beginning is, to my nose, nearly gender neutral and certainly interesting. Woodiness enters into the picture next and comes to the forefront. Soon after, vanilla rolls out, and it's all about woody vanilla luxury. But wait... what's that? Caramel?! Yep. Sort of like when the apple is all gone, and you're gnawing the caramel off the woody stick. Woody, caramel, and slightly tempered with rose. Evolve... change... morph... this frag is a real chameleon. I love the ride!! Interesting and reasonably priced.

Does this qualify as a niche fragrance? I'm not sure. I discovered this scent today in a popular local boutique near my house. I was intriqued by the bottle and description. One spray and I knew this perfume was coming home with me. LIke dame_piglet described, it is a chameleon. My nine-year-old daughter likes to smell my perfumes and couldn't stop sniffing my arm, backing away, then leaning in for another sniff. "It smells like caramel!" "It smells like flowers!" "Now I smell our woods." It reminds me of a walk in the Jean Lafite swamp when the water lilies and water hyacinth are in bloom. Spanish moss hangs heavily off the oak trees in southeastern Louisiana and until this moment, I didn't realize how much it adds to the scent of the place. This is just absolutely seductive, evocative, and truly surprising. I am quickly becoming addicted to the way the different notes pop off my skin as the scent dries down. I just love Jean Baptiste 1717. Dare I say, it actually reminds me of the Hermes Jardins series in the sense that it is an attempt to capture the scent of one particular place in a bottle (Jardins de Nouvelle Orleans!)