Debut

DelRae Perfume DEBUT occupies a tiny plot of sparsely inhabited olfactory space along with oddball neighbors VENT VERT, MA GRIFFE, FUTUR, and BE LEAF (a discontinued TBS frag--it was no doubt just too odd for their clientele...). This plot of freshly cut grass is about as green as green gets. More measured floral greens seem like chypres next to the inhabitants of this übergreen little quartier. DEBUT, like its neighbors, wears very much like a grass stain. Imagine having spent the afternoon mowing the lawn as cut grass spattered all over the place, including on your pristine white capris. Now they are tinged green and you smell green and you're hot and tired and thirsty so you reach for something cool and refreshing in your fridge, and what you find is a big pitcher of tart limeade. This is DEBUT. More citrusy than any of its neighbors; less dark than FUTUR; less funky and soapy than MA GRIFFE; and devoid of the sticks and twigs chewed up by the lawnmower in VENT VERT. DEBUT is green grass clippings with a big splash of lime.

A green citrusy linden blossom perfume; I love the smell of linden and this scent brings to mind other linden perfumes such as L'Artisan's La Chasse aux Papillons and Jo Malone's French Lime Blossom, also similar to Elizabeth Arden's 5th Avenue and Oscar de la Renta's Something Blue. Very soft and pleasant, doesn't last long on me but I enjoy the smell.

Very green to start, but then becomes primarily linden blossom on me--a scent note my chemistry seems to accentuate. I don't find it objectionable, but my sample will be enough to satisfy my curiosity.

Debut is a strong, spicy, green floral that starts out with lime and lily-of-the-valley, along with some other floral notes that are a bit like lilac, and what I could swear is ginger. As the spiciness wears away, the green grass/violet leaf notes emerge, and the LOTV subsides a little leaving the grassy notes together with an unidentifiable floral note and a harsh, very synthetic-smelling woody base. I generally don’t like LOTV or synthetic woods of the teak genre, and am not crazy about the scent of freshly cut grass. Combine all of these notes to generate considerable sillage and a good day’s longevity, and you have a fragrance that’s theoretically not badly made, but simply not my cup of tea. If you like this sort of perfume, it’s probably worth a try.

Debut is a pretty floral green that starts off with a tart burst of citrus and fades gradually to a bouquet of soft white flowers. I detect some similarities to other classic "green" scents like Vent Vert, though Debut is less sweet, and even Ma Griffe, with Debut being less sharp, less green and much more fashionable. I find many white florals too intense and sweet, but Debut strikes a perfect balance between lush greens, heady florals and the dry base notes. I detect more lily than ylang-ylang. It's very wearable for a woman of any age. (I really can't see a man pulling this one off.) Debut smells expensive and has a definite evolution from top to heart to base, with quality aromas at every level. The overall effect is pleasant and feminine, but not overpowering. This is a good fragrance for daytime or office wear. The sillage is good, but Debut's persistence is on the low end of average for an Eau de Parfum. I could detect it for about six hours.