Un Crime Exotique 12.1

Not an exotic crime but a cozy invitation: to take a cup of lovely strong tea and some ginger cookies, in the mellow, warm-orange glow of a kitchen in late autumn festooned with pomanders. Sweet, but CRUCIALLY, not too sweet - there's enough of a herbal, real-plant glint to the tea (the osmanthus and holly contours maybe?) to stop it getting too cute. Sure, the sense associations with Christmas are certainly there, but this has the restraint to not gallop into full-gourmand mode but rather to hang around somewhere a little cooler, more botanical, and un-sugared enough to be classy rather than cloying. For me this ended up in a surprisingly impressive happy place between real dark-smoked-tea spikiness as in Mona di Orio Bohea Boheme, and full-on Christmas/cinnamon bombs like Rousse, Ambre Narguile or Jungle L'Elephant. In fact it was everything I always wanted L'Artisan Tea for Two to be - properly tannic and rich like real dark tea, but NOT oversweetened with sticky honey or too much sugar/vanilla, which ruined T42 on my skin. Not all that far off PG's existing (and very lovely) cinnamon siren Indochine, but the added herbal tangs of the tea and osmanthus make it sparkle even more. Yet Crime Exotique does have a dark undertow of a sort - enough to keep it interesting and upscale - and that's exactly what makes it work for me, despite the overall powdery and rather gentle feel. As with all tea scents, its full glory doesn't last and as it cools, it does lose charisma. Longevity is not-bad for a PG, but that means not-great by a normal yardstick; same with the price - too high if you just want something generically warm and welcoming; yet this is weird enough to be arguably worth it. Basically breaks down into 2-hour blocks: REALLY impressive for the first 2h, just really good up to 4, fading but quirkily intriguing up to 6-7h in on skin. Maybe a little longer on textiles. Still just perceptible (and teasingly gorgeous) right at skin level for a while longer, but you (or someone very lucky) would have to be sniffing hard and very very close up. Ooof. With all the overlap with other stuff I have and already love ... it's a big ask ... but I'm tempted. Very very tempted. Very highly recommend it to others. ETA: went for it, and have zero regrets - and not for the first or last time, I was dead wrong about the longevity - sprayed properly from a bottle, not eked out from a tester, it lasts like a champ (but: the bit where I was not wrong: those herbal notes are precisely what gives it the legs.) It's a keeper - and gets compliments.

Private Collection Un Crime Exotique by Parfumerie Generale This name alone creates a sense of.. Heightened DRAMA..... something will happen or is about to happen and your in the middle of it . Intrigued and lured by its Old Hollywood Film Noire name I ventured to sample it .... "INDOCHINE" might have been a better suited name .... Allow me to set the film up.... The Decadence of the French living in Vietnam and the exploitive evils of Colonialism.... A exotic place all Steamy and Humid! Languorous visits to hidden Mandarin "OPIUM DENS"... All the while you are floating on a "JUNK" on tranquil waters..... When suddenly you are awakened by the rude shots of a gun.... You feel the wetness of liquid on your chest. the OPIUM has dulled your sense of pain .... Is it blood ? NO! The smell of fragrance fills the air ... Your favorite crystal decanter lies on the floor shattered.... You smile ... having cheated death one more time ... you return to your revelry. Then ... Un Crime Exotique would perhaps make a bit more sense. I really like this Spiced Tea Infusion scent. The fragrance is so heady with GINGER and Spice... predominantly Saigon Cinnamon. Perhaps this mysterious sounding ingredient ..called "Osmanthus" which in CHINA is infused with green or black tea leaves, to create a scented tea called guì huā chá (OSMANTHUS TEA) creates the "CRIME EXOTIQUE" in this Potent,Intoxicating and Long Lasting Fragrance.... A 50ml bottle for 100.00 bucks

I found a very heavily discounted bottle at a reputable retailer and blind bought this scent based on the name, the assertions here that this fragrance is very similar to Tobacco Vanille and knowing about the mixed reviews. The longer I have it on my skin on a very hot day, the more I like it. The chai element and a vanilla sandalwood note keeps wafting when I get a smell of myself. Tobacco Vanille? Not so much to my nose. Chai tea vanilla is more like it, I think. Now, add the milky tinged ginger notes from the chai tea to the vanilla and cinnamon notes that are undeniably here as well and you get "gingerbread"-- more the sweeter American style than the spicier Germanic type. For me, these are very comforting smells and I look forward to wearing this scent in fall and winter. Today will be my last time wearing Un Crime Exotique in high temperatures because it just sits too heavily on the skin and radiates too strongly, even in air conditioned rooms, for me to want to wear it in higher temperatures. As for the name, I do not comprehend a connection between it and the scent--there are no more exotic or criminal elements here than in a kitchen where a grandmother is baking holiday treats for her loved ones. So, in spite of the misleading name, I will enjoy this cozy fragrance in the cooler temps. Try this scent on skin and you may find it a comforting fragrance too.

INSTANT love at first sniff. This had been on my 'want' list for so long, and all the anticipation was worth it! Admittedly, the reason I love this fragrance so much is that it's 100% reminiscent of an Arts & Crafts store like Michael's at fall/Christmastime. It is all cinnamon, vanilla, gingerbread and tea. Simultaneously a little bit gourmand, a little bit spicy, slightly milky and warm, and a little bit potpourri. Very warm, cozy, inviting, and comforting. Definitely potent, probably not very practical for every day wear - but will that stop me? Nope! The longevity is several hours - Spice clings to my skin very well, so on me, this fragrance is at least a 10 hour wear. Sillage is also pretty huge, I was impressed. Many 'tea' scents are very close to the skin. If you love the holidays and fall beverages, check this out.

And I'm left breathless, i have thing for these kinds of scents and I just can't get enough of them. After I first saw the notes I knew I'm going to be completely in love and yes I am. There is everything I love - anise, tea, cinnamon and vanilla. After I applied it I got the most amazing cinnamon which reminded me of home baked cookies, scent wise, the opening was very similar to Sacrebleu by Parfums d'Nicolai. Anyhow, then I started to get sweet tea with a bit of syrupy osmanthus, but just a tiny bit and it faded away rather quickly, yay for that as I'm not so fond of syrupy scents. The next thing that arrived on my wrist was dark and smoky sandalwood. Sexy, alluring, comforting. It has it all, simply lovely.