3 Fleurs

Sticky and waxy pollen nectars slide down the petals of jasmine, tuberose, and rose. The galbanum opening is watery and slick, an ooze from freshly cut green stems. The jasmine is the first to make an appearance in the heart layer with soft citrusy facets, a touch of indoles, and a heady and honeyed character that is, mostly, an effect of the tuberose already playing upwards. Red roses connect the jasmine and tuberose in this layer with a soft powderiness and a fruity angle. But then, 3 Fleurs unleashes the tuberose. Marc-Antoine Corticchiato loves to recreate classic structures, and 3 Fleurs is his 80s tuberose. The name is a bit misleading because, yes, there are three distinguishable floral notes to 3 Fleurs, but inarguably the star is tuberose. It carries and takes over the heart section of the perfume. The tuberose flower naturally radiates its aroma, much in the same way jasmine does; it attaches to the air like iron filings to magnet and can float over distances that baffle the mind, especially when you consider that it's closely related cousin, the standard rose, needs your nose up close and personal to largely capture all that the rose has to offer. Corticchiato does a splendid job of giving this tuberose accord the radiance it has in nature. It's warm and creamy headiness, vanillics, aggressive white floral facets, and the thin but sharp green note around the edges levitate off of the skin and fill the air without closing it off. It's big, it's rich, and it's powerful, but it's not on top of you. It takes a long time for the tuberose to dry down to the base layer, but when it does there is a very coherent and superbly executed transition to animalic white musks. The animalic facet of it is a natural link to the heady and creamy character of the tuberose, the gray and white soapiness to the white floral facets, the slight earthiness of the musks to the vanillics. As always, Corticchiato's dry downs are superb, even when they are superbly simple as in 3 Fleurs. Where Corticchiato puts his own spin on the old spinning top of 80s tuberose perfumes is with his signature clarity and precision. Every note, texture, and facet that make up 3 Fleurs is readable and detectable; it's not a soupy amalgam of white floral notes, and chypre or amber materials, in the way many 80s tuberose perfumes were/are. Less is more, and 3 Fleurs is an exercise in minimalism. A small number of great materials impeccably balanced by a masterful blending hand is sometimes all it takes.

On me, starts out strongly floral with a cooled green tuberose, reminding me of Tubereuse Couture by PG and Tuberose Ciminelle by Lutens, but after a few minutes calms with a musc tone and a balanced middle rose. One spray is enough, do not start with more, in fact this may be one of those perfumes it is best to spray into the air and walk through to have skin and clothing be as lightly misted as possible; this will bring out the facets. It lasts tenaciously and of course, blooms out in summer heat, but holds its own in strong AC as well. Parfum d'Empire with this, Cuir Ottoman and Le Cri, is becoming a favorite perfumer for me, unique, with a multi-faceted personality that reveals itself over time and across its range. Bear in mind this is one that will overwhelm the nose and make it impossible to appreciate if you over apply, meaning it takes a very small amount and as finely misted as possible. Definitely try as a sample first and give it some time. I was lucky enough to be gifted this one. Romantic in the extreme, rich, yet fresh and uplifting. Getting the impression from the other remarks that this is one of those perfumes that acts itself out very differently on different people.

A modern interpretation of a grand floral! What comes to my mind as equal in style and intensity are Joy by Patou, No 19 by Chanel and Diva by Ungaro. I adore this fragrances and never for a moment I belived that I would find a new fragrance living up to their standards. By style I don ́t mean that they are alike in notes or in composition. No, the style is a GRAND FLORAL with a wonderful intensity. My taste are normally not so much for tuberose or jasmin as the leadplayer. No, I am more towards the rose as the mainrole. But as with every fine fragrance you dont really care. It is its personality that really matters. This is classic with a modern twist when it comes to notes and composition. The wonderful way this scent behaves on my skin makes me belive that its a masterpiece.

Im falling in love with the whole range. Im not usually that into florals but even this is a new love. Its a bright intense, tuberose, rose and jasmine opening that certainly clears the cobwebs. Over the next hour the galbanum, ylang and geranium come into their own. Galbanum and mint just have such an uplifting affect to any floral fragrance. All of these notes could be too much and headache inducing but they have been handled with great skill and kept balanced. You do need to love the rose geranium note to really love this. If your a lover of florals then you must try this! Its the fresh "good to be alive" smell of an English country garden in June. Moderate sillage and longevity.

Indeed 3 Fleurs is very similar to Joy and Jardin de Bagatelle, being an absolutely gargantuan mixed floral of sharp and heady texture. There's an almost gin-like clarity to the scent, giving to my nose the effect of some kind of tincture of fresh flowers. These flowers are extremely heady and ripe though, brimming with pollen and soprano in vocal scale. A challenging prospect for modern times, but this will be much enjoyed by big blousy 80s floral lovers.