Charade

I love when you’re surprised by a perfume you’re not expecting much from. I haven’t really heard much about Charade, and it has been out since 2018. Not a single review for it on Fragrantica either, so I assumed there must not be much to get excited about. I’ve been trying my sample set that Sarah Baker was kind enough to send me, and I just kept passing Charade and moving it to the back of the line. So, today I finally decided to go ahead and pull it out from the line up and give it a try...and Charade came kicking out like a Rockette. Do any of you remember Susan Boyle from Britain’s Got Talent? She is a rather homely looking woman who came out on the stage to sing and you didn’t expect much at all and she ended up having the voice of an angel. Smelling Charade is a similar feeling but in perfume form. For some reason I just wasn’t expecting much from Charade but she came out singing like Ella Fitzgerald. Charade is a retro green floral chypre, coated in drops of honey. It’s ultra mossy, just the way I like ‘em, but sweetened up with a plush honeyed tuberose dancing & singing in a choir of amber, patchouli, leather, resins and ylang ylang. It’s glamorous and green over a bed of white florals and it belts out sophistication. It’s for the impeccably dressed, whether a woman in her best Jackie O, or a man in his custom made suit. (But I would totally wear it with my jeans and sneakers.) It’s old Hollywood glamour that somehow still feels modern. This is one sleeper of a fragrance that has somehow gone under the radar. When it should actually be ticketed for driving under the influence of fabulousness.

I got a small sample pack that included Flame and Fortune, G Clef, and Charade, and while I liked them all, Charade was my favorite hands down. It's a very sexy honey coated leather, styrax, tuberose bomb that brings to mind the great vintage fragrances of the past. I couldn't possibly expand on all the lovely descriptive and enthusiastic reviews of this fragrance from others here, except to say that for me, this has it all. I love the mossiness contrasted against the styrax, lush tuberose and sweet honey leather notes. It is so beautiful how the notes complement and enhance each other bringing out their best. While this fragrance does have a vintage appeal, not only in composition but also in performance, it is not dated at all. I wore it all day yesterday, and it was so lush and gorgeous on that damp, chilly day that I now want a bottle. But do I need a bottle? While it is definitely fb worthy, one spray of this 2ml sample filled the room and lasted the whole day, though silage did eventually go down to a more discreet level. Ideally, I would love 10ml.of this, but this house no longer offers that option. So, it looks like this will go onto my future fb purchase list. In the meantime, I just have to make do with this little sample.

Charade took me by surprise, as I was testing my way through the Sarah Baker range for the first time in Jovoy. It captured my heart in an instant, and within that moment I knew I had to buy a sample at the very least, to fully explore and appreciate this masterful scent. Since then, it currently sits right at the top of my wishlist and is easily my favourite from the house. This is a powerful tuberose scent, but not as you might know. The sweet, fruity facets of this wonderful flower are heightened by the deliciousness of honey, resting on a buttery smooth base of warm amber, and a creamy marriage of ylang, sandalwood and oakmoss. However, leather is what makes this scent what it is. It gives it a somewhat rugged thickness preventing the tuberose from becoming too soapy or bubblegum-like. I can honestly say I think this is an utter masterpiece. Tuberose and leather is a pairing which can smell out of this world if done correctly, and here it is perfect. This scent made me realise tuberose is one of my favourite notes if done correctly.

True story: I was on a layover in LA and ordering coffee. The woman who was taking my order seemed really distracted. Then she leaned forward and said, "Sorry I can't speak because all I can think about is how you smell. Are you wearing Chanel?" I laughed and said, "No, it's Sarah Baker Charade." We laughed and I went to the other end of the bar to await my drink. A moment later the barista was there again, "Sorry, but would you write that down for me? I'm never going to forget that scent... but I might forget the name." It's nice to meet someone else who loves this perfume as much as I do.

Gorgeous scent. Yes, the Tuberose reminds you of a fragrance from the 60s. Especially since a movie with the same name came out in the early 60s. But when it finally settles into your skin, it takes on a sexiness that can only be compared to a Narcisco Rodriguez signature musk scent (without actually having musk listed in the notes). The scent is bold, present, sitting in the front row, with a lot to say. Even with regular wafts throughout the day, I still cannot stop smelling my arm. If you like Tuberose or a strong musk, get it.