Petit Fracas

I am both curious and suspicious when it comes to supposedly modernized or revisited versions of classic perfumes: on one hand I do understand marketing rules and the willing of many Brands to be up-to-date without abandoning the glorious trail left by their masterpieces, on the other I think there is - or there must be - a good reason for a fragrance to be considered as timeless and often used as a comparative for valuing other scents in the same category, hence there’s no need to appeal younger crowd with kind of easier to wear variations. But hey, that’s just my humble opinion, and sometimes I get surprised by the beauty of some historical fragrances’s little sisters (or, age-wise, even children or nephews to them). That’s what happened with Petit Fracas. This fragrance somehow manages to fascinate me, and while I feel I could never pull off the opulent and uncompromising Fracas I would gladly find a place in my wardrobe for this one. Since my first encounter with Petit Fracas the word “retro” instinctively popped up in my mind without any apparent reason (even though I suppose tuberose is responsible for that kind of ancient vibe).. each time I dab some drops from my sample I am carried away by the reverie of being a young lady in the early Twentieth century, meeting my lover in an intricate maze surrounded by sultry flowers and succulent fruits while a chilly wind moves my hair and my velvet dress. An almost caramelized pear greets me, made even more vivacious and youthful by an enticing breath of brisky citrus notes; as soon as this EDP settles on my skin, I am introduced to a harmonious, elegant, softly creamy accord of white flowers, powdery cocoa and tuberose, here thankfully enhanced in its fruity and mouth-watering facets and almost devoid of its usual intoxicating vibe. The whole effect feels much more abstract than natural, as if the perfumer wanted to evoke a precise feeling or painting an image instead of replicating the smell of flowers and fruits: whiffs of delicate petals and juicy nuances surround me like a gentle breeze, and as minutes pass I am more and more reminded of the smell of something... wedding’s confetti! More exactly, the romantic and vaguely nostalgic scent of those little tulle envelops in which each almond is enclosed, retaining the smooth and ethereal aroma of sugar and fabric (it's surprising how the scent of white florals is able to suggest such olfactory sensations depending on the way it is rendered - coconut, butter, almonds, even peach at times - and that's one of the reasons why I find those notes so fascinating and magical). The fragrance doesn’t seem to change drastically from there on, it just gets a bit rounder and more intimate in the drydown, dominated by a soapy hint of tuberose lying on a base of sweet musk and subtle sandalwood that accompanies me for several hours. A huge sillage is not to be found here, this EDP lingers tenaciously but in an extremely natural way on skin... I guess people around me would get a sophisticated, feminine and slightly malicious trail as I pass by wearing Petit Fracas. All in all a very well done and lovable fragrance, a must-try for white floral lovers: thank you again, dear Fragrantica friend, for your thoughtful gift of this sample :) (While the familiarity with Fracas is pretty detectable, I honestly don’t get strong similarities to Madonna Truth or Dare - except they’re both centered on white flowers and sweet notes... this one is subtler, more refined and doesn’t show the suntan lotion effect I definitely get from ToD. I like both, but in a different way and for different reasons).

Petit Fracas has become one of my top favorite fragrances to wear. One that I would choose to keep if I had to downscale my collection to a mere two or three scents. Usually I have trouble detecting the subtlties of contrast if the fragrance is super sweet. That makes it less challenging for my senses...and if there is one thing I am sure about it is that I must be challenged. Otherwise I tend to get bored. This fragrance started out as if it could go that direction for me, but it soon started to intrigue me First, there is that fatty cocoa-butter accord, kind of chocolatey at that. Weird, I thought crossed with Tuberose, which my skin tends to overpower at any amount. Then there at the other side comes the citrus-the concerntrated kind like in the cannisters one adds water to to make juice! This couldn't work!! But it happended!! With each wearing what seemed random settled into something that not only made sense, but a stunner!! Wow, a contemporary perfume that I could sink my claws into. Every time I wore it I fell a little more in love with it, until I became besotted with it. I'ts that pear!!! So juicy and wondrfully reminicent of my favorite Bosc in full ripeness. The pear was a genius addition, rounding out the sweetness. I must say much more appealing than that peach for me in the original. I love Fracas Original. It is a work of art. I feel a little uncomfortable wearing it everyday because on my skin it feels frankly sexually provocative. Truthfully,there isn't a fragrance that I know of that smells so blatantly sexual. All those fleshy flowers!! On my skin, Petit translates as both elegant and free spirited. The whole composition is awesomely concentrated and long-lasting. You can count on a wallop of sillage, so be careful with this one. Original never really grounds itself on me. It's imprint is fleeting, then is detected in drifts and drafts. A contemporary fragrance that doesn't have that super strong alcohol burst early on.. Another sign of the caliber of this fragrance. For what it is: a pure five. Excellent ingredients, longevity sillage which makes it is so worth it's price tag. While there are many perfumes that I am not sure about repurchasing, Petit is the Fracas for me!

this is a really cool perfume. i wore it for the first time a couple days ago. it lingered a full day after on my clothes, one of the longest lasting perfumes i've ever experienced, and the scent evolution is pretty much perfect. it doesn't stray too far from the initial spray, but it settles and calms down from what starts out as an almost metallic bubble-gum smell. Maybe i'm not describing it correctly, but i don't mean it in a negative way. I really like it. I don't think it's juvenile or 'young'. Petit Fracas suggests that its a toned down and less fierce version of Fracas, which I don't have experience with, but I can say that this one is bold all on its own. It's very distinctive, and the longevity and sillage is up there with Alien, so if you're looking for something really unique but not ubiquitous, this could be worth looking into. It's loud, but it still smells niche and refined, albeit the scent does come across as somewhat synthetic. It's an interesting paradox. This is a very confident perfume. I cant see a young girl wearing it at all. It's actually quite suggestive even though its almost candy-like quality can seem innocent. I wouldnt call it sweet in the same way as some fruity perfumes are. It's not mass market. I'd describe it as electric, intoxicating and surprisingly dark and mysterious despite the lack of the usual suspects in its notes composition. If I smelled this on someone I'd absolutely have to know what it was. THis was a blind buy for me but I think most would want to test it first. Although I can't pick apart the notes as i find it very well blended, my overall impression, which would disagree with some of the reviews I see here, is that this is not an innocent girly fragrance. It's more like an innocence lost fragrance, which just might convince you it's sweet when it's actually very devious.

Tuberose is one of my fav floral notes, and if it's one of yours, this is a *must have* for your collection. I actually initially smelled this in Bergdorf's like 5 years ago and it was so memorable and special that it has been on my 'want' list ever since. Funny enough, the salesperson at the RP counter was actually very rude and when I went to explore other Robert Piguet frags, she was like, "These are too sophisticated for you. Try this:" and dismissively handed me the blotter of Petit Fracas. I was so turned off by her attitude, I didn't want to smell it, BUT, LOL, she was right! It was perfect for me! (I mean there are still many other RP frags I have not tried and she is the reason why, but I digress...) This is the perfect candied, bubblegummy (but not too bubblegummy) tuberose. It's got depth, warmth, and dimension from the cacao, but a light, soft, juiciness from the pear. It is somehow so playful, fun and youthful, while still being absolutely sophisticated, well-blended, and artful. It's youthful luxury with great projection, sillage and lasting power. Wore it all day, and at the end of the day, I was still getting whiffs. If you like Gucci Bloom, Tocca Florence, etc... you will LOVE this. It's a step up.

For me Petit Fracas is love at first sight. A nice lady at bergdorf goodman sprayed it on me and I couldn't' stop sniffing off my wrist. I usually do not buy perfumes after first encounter; I would do tons of research and try a sample for at least 10 times to make sure I truly like the perfume. Petit Fracas is the first perfume ever that makes me fall in love after one spray. The rest is history. Creamy, divine, super long-lasting - which is a must for me when I buy perfumes. Usually I put it on in the morning, and I can still smell a strong endnote at night. If I put it on my hair, it would last for days. I always get tons of compliments when I wear it, and my friends would always say "ah this scent is so YOU!" I wore it during one of our first dates with my boyfriend, and I still remember the look of enchantment on his face. Petit Fracas has quickly become my signature. As a white floral lover who demands long-lasting power, I'm truly grateful that I found my signature!