Champs Lunaires

There are two things about this hobby that bring me a truly rewarding feeling. One is when I finally find a fragrance that changes my opinion about a note I thought I did not like, and the other is when you discover a relatively unknown perfumer or brand that is staggeringly good yet basically undiscovered by most of the world. It feels like your own little secret but you want to climb up on a mountain top and scream and tell everyone about them. Confession, I have never been a fan of tuberose. It tends to always make my eyebrows furrow if too strong, or it overloads my senses and gives me a throbbing headache. I generally only like it if so mild that I can’t really smell it so it doesn’t really count that it’s even tuberose. I recently got samples from Manuel Cross of Rogue-Perfumery who sells his perfumes on Etsy. He suggested his favorite, Champs Lunaires. Since I don’t really like tuberose, it sort of went on the back burner. Tonight I thought what the heck it’s late and I won’t have to deal with it long so I will just go ahead and try it. And I’ve never been more shocked in my life. Not only do I like it, it’s without a doubt, hands down, the best tuberose fragrance I’ve ever smelled in my life. Not just that but one of the most beautiful white florals I have ever smelled. This perfume is absolutely stunning. From Manuel Cross: “I spent months of trial and error until finding a satisfying balance. I then used this base along with a lovely buttery tuberose absolute from Eden Botanicals to create Champs Lunaires. I took this tuberose accord and set it into a formula, accenting it with white rose, sandalwood and pomelo. I tweaked up the lactonic notes to create the coconut milk effect and used musk ketone for a vintage feel. All in all I kept the supporting notes subtle because Champs Lunaires is all about the tuberose. Milky white tuberose blossoms in the evening air.” (It also includes pure indole and eucalyptus leaf oil.) The months of perfecting this fragrance shows and the man has a serious nose for white florals. This perfume has heavy tuberose in it but it’s so pure and so realistic, it’s like you’re wearing fresh milky flowers and even for a non-tuberose fan, it’s impossible not to be mesmerized by its beauty. I have found that perfumes with natural absolutes from Eden tend to smell fantastic to me so I wasn’t surprised to find out this is what he used. The only tuberose heavy fragrance I’ve ever smelled that came close to this was a vintage 1940s bottle of Fracas parfum in that old style crystal topped bottle. And to me, this is better. Yes, you read that correctly. This is better. It’s like the Fracas only smoother and freshly made without any turn. He says this is an EDT but it smells and wears like an extrait. Buttery and creamy, dense and luxurious. This is one top level, remarkable white floral as good as anything out there selling for hundreds of dollars. Actually, it’s better than most. PS, my review is completely unsolicited. I just love this perfume.

I love everything about this perfume! Creamy tuberose is turned translucent because natural rose petals soften it and leave the scent of a flower unseen, something revealed at dawn--fully fragrant and touched with just a bit of dew. The rose-infused bliss somehow transforms what seems like it is growing into a big classic tuberose-its essences made into a milder soliflore..but it is never mild or meek. It is addictive, you can smell the richness of the tuberose absolute, calling to mind my holy grail Carnal Flower, but never heady, never that intense. If I never called Carnal Flower my signature- I might not keep frowning in confusion at Champs Lunaire--this is potent, yet caressingly soft in a way that it doesn't expand like I keep expecting, and possibly wanting it to. It just smells so good that I accept that a translucent flower is different from a white one, exquisite in its delicacy. The sillage is so minimal here, but I am using the dab-on sample, and this seems like it has so many natural materials, that it is bound to remain discreet, always. Overapplying this would surely feel less sickening than overapplying any other white floral.The longevity is very good. Shall I tell you about the rest of this fantastic fragrance? It has the menthol of Tubereuse Criminelle by Serge Lutens, but it's so much more wearable. The mentholated heart isn't over the top, it isn't sweetened like the Lutens. And it doesn't change in a way that could cause the perfume to wane in character. With Tubereuse Criminelle I am stunned and addicted by the strange opening, and as pleasant as the perfume is afterwards, I can hardly remember it because of the layer or disappointment--it went from magical to practical. This is also compared to Fracas for fruitiness, and there is certainly some subtle fruitiness here keeping this from being sharp. Yet as much as I love tuberose, I was not too thrilled when I sampled Fracas years ago. It was loud and interesting, but harsh and buttery, far far too distant from the flower it is devoted to. I am not sure what formulation I had sampled, but perhaps a more recent reformulation of Fracas would be more enjoyable to me, and more comparable. I would totally buy a full bottle when I get my funds in order. I would live to try dousing myself until I reach the point that I have sillage to my tastes, without making myself ill. But perhaps one shouldn't apply more than the little bit that I did, since the potency seems parfum-like, and if it can remain divinely present on my wrists in this heat, it shouldn't be underappreciated in its subtle strength. I love this, I would also love to try something similar with more rose, perhaps Monsieur Manuel might want to make such a variation in the future...

Oh. My. Goodness. What a spectacular fragrance! I've had a for a couple of months but today is the first time I really put it to the test. I remember my initial impression when it first arrived was somewhat disappointing due to the mentholated quality of the first hit of the tuberose. It's not my favorite aspect of the flower and one of the reasons I stop short of loving Carnal Flower. But magical things began to happen when I wasn't really paying much attention. I find it hard to put into words what it is that has made me fall in love with this, but I will try. For one thing, I find that it has an airy, almost ethereal quality that dazzles me given the traditionally heady star of the show. I've noticed that others have described this as creamy, but I would say it's more like whipped creamy given it's delicacy. I don't mean that in a gourmand, sweet way. It's merely a comment on the lightness I perceive. Others seem to be able to pick out and isolate the notes of the fragrance and I am struggling to do so. I think it will take a few more wearings in order for me to be able to do so, but at the present, I don't mind. The end result is just a stunning fragrance that manages to capture all the various aspects one associates with tuberose, best exemplified individually in Fracas, Carnal Flower, and Tubereuse Criminalle. The other notes are supporting players as far as I can detect. Right now, I am experiencing some nose fatigue - I was making decants for an upcoming swap, so I've smelt a lot of perfumes today - so it's difficult for me to gauge it's actual longevity and performance. Luckily, I can still smell it quite clearly when I sniff my wrist! This is my third full bottle Manuel Cross fragrance, but I've tested several. I think it's safe to say that this one is my favorite. If you are a lover of tuberose then you MUST sample this. Maybe you won't fall in love the way that I have, but I'm pretty confident you will find it different from the countless tuberose fragrances on the market!

Received a sizable sample of "Champs Lunaires" when I purchased a 75ml bottle of "Tuberose & Moss." I sampled Tuberose & Moss and loved it. I wasn't too excited about Champs Lunaires 'cause I was set on purchasing Tuberose & Moss. Champs Lunaires is really lovely! I'm surprised at how much I love the perfume. I was not expecting to love the perfume as much as I do because many people describe the perfume as a "green and earthy tuberose." I've grow weary with uber-green, tuberose fragrances. Champs Lunaires opens with a wonderful, non-mothball, camphorous note...something that feels cool and smells minty, to my nose. I imagine this wonderful, opening note is the pomelo?? A very lush, bubblegum type tuberose flower accord soon follows the opening. The fragrance does not present as super-green to my nose (wet, earthy, leaves, stems). Base notes emerge and add some creaminess and warmth to the fragrance. Champ Lunaires' drydown is very similar to Tuberose & Moss' drydown. I'd say Tuberose & Moss turns a bit creamier and somewhat denser (versus CL) in its drydown. Both are wonderful. If you are seeking a wearable, realistic, affordable niche tuberose fragrance you cannot go wrong with Champ Lunaires (or Tuberose & Moss).

I've just received a full set of samples by Rogue Perfumery, so I will be reviewing them in the next few days. Obviously I had to start with the tuberose one. I'm not a die-hard tuberose fan, in fact me and tuberose have sort of a love/hate relationship; however, when done right, tuberose truly becomes the Queen. My verdict on Champs Lunaires? Omg this is an absolutely beautiful perfume! It is a rare tuberose fragrance that is neither sweet nor cloying, but quite the opposite - fresh, moist, natural and absolutely enchanting. It smells like a freshly picked flower after the rain, with still dewy petals; moreover, Manuel Cross has not only captured the scent of the flower, but also of its stem and leaves. I would say that the list of notes provided above is fairly accurate. Aside from tuberose with its buttery-milky aspect emphasised (while the bubblegummy sweetness is shunned aside), I can smell rose, something piercingly citric (possibly pomelo) and sandalwood. Coconut is barely there and, luckily, it doesn't arouse any suntan-lotion associations. It projects outstandingly and lasts 7-8 hours. For my money, this is better than FM Carnal Flower - so shoot me. :)