Grain de Poudre

I have to admit, as much as I love the house of Saint Laurent, I'm generally not a fan of the current standard YSL fragrance range, the only exception being Opium (2009). The rest is either seriously underwhelming (Libre, La Nuit, Y) or outright offensive to my nose (all Black Opium flankers, Mon Paris). I am, however, falling in love with the majority of the Le Vestiaire des Parfums collection. Grain de Poudre is named after the type of leather Saint Laurent uses for their leather goods, reminiscent of Chanel's caviar leather. But don't worry, this actually does not smell like a handbag or a leather wallet. This is a "cold" scent dominated by violet leaf and a prominent leather/suede accord. In the opening I also smell a hint of coriander seed, but no black pepper. Wait, leather and violet leaf? This might sound like a heresy, yet I can't help but think about GDP as a classier, more wearable and less offensive cousin of Dior's Fahrenheit, even though it clearly lacks what makes Fahrenheit instantly recognizable. Both fragrances share similar floral and ozonic qualities. I dare say GDP could be a good alternative choice for someone who is turned off by the overly noticeable masculine gasoline and burned rubber smell that many seem to hate and criticize, ladies especially. GDP is perfect for moderate temperature days in spring and fall when the sun shines just a little. I am unsure how it will perform in summer heat. For me personally, leather accords become cloying and unpleasant when it is too warm. For winter it is simply not heavy enough. 100% unisex and in my eyes very inoffensive, suitable even as an office scent. I have to be honest, sillage is not enormous, but the fragrance definitely makes up for this in longevity. On fabrics I can smell it even a few days after spraying. What is even more surprising, I do not experience absolutely any anosmia with this scent, even though I go immediately noseblind with a lot of other perfumes. Sprayed myself in the morning three times and I can constantly smell both violet leaf and suede on myself! I just checked the batch code for by bottle bought in 2022 and mine was produced in January 2019! Must be the initial batch. I'm surprised this does not sell as quickly as for example Tuxedo does, because the scent is equally good and deserves more attention. Grain de Poudre is another gem from Le Vestiaire des Parfums, an outstanding creation by Quentin Bisch. 10/10.

Quickly becoming one of my favorites... Let's get the Fahrenheit thing out of the way real quick. You could say there is a similar DNA but Grain De Poudre is definitely its own fragrance. Replace the leather with suede and tone it down a notch. Remove the petrol note for the most part as well as the designer synthetic vibes and replace with noticeably higher quality ingredients. Also, there's a different spice note between the two. Grain De Poudre: Top: Black Peppercorn, Coriander seeds essence, Bergamot Essence Middle: Clary Sage Essence, Violet leaves absolute, osmanthus absolute Base: Musk, Suede Accord, Benzoin Resinoid Is a well blended fragrance where the violet / suede / Peppercorn create this soft yet spicy, warm yet lightly fresh, quality vibe with a little sweetness. I'd highly recommend getting a sample of this if you like violet or pepper or suede notes. No note is too dominant and it's a great blend which makes it easy to recommend to most people. Performance - Long lasting and projection is big at first then gets moderate somewhat quick. Should work well for when you don’t want to be too loud which is probably better for suede / leather scents in general. Edit: Performance could be a bit better but I'm happy with it. Its performance makes it suitable for indoor / office environments.

I blind bought this fragrance on account of it being made by perfumer Quentin Bisch, and he does not Disappoint here. Overall it’s fresh spicy in the opening, semi sweet green herbal and Violet mid, to a white musk with beautiful suede leather accent. The opening had a slightly sweetened bergamot and black pepper, black pepper disappears very quickly, leaving a fresh Violet and osmanthus scent with small touches of coriander and even smaller ones of pepper. The smell is not loud at all and dies down to a skin scent in an hour at which point it’s a white musk fragrance with hints of leather and osmanthus. I want to emphasize the osmanthus because for the first hour all the “leather” is actually a beautiful osmanthus. I would not say osmanthus is very apricot or peachy here, but it is a bit sweet and tea like. Very tamed and smooth scent, still many facets- leather, tea, herbal, spices, violets etc- it’s quite a surprise actually that all the notes end up smelling like this, so simple and pleasant, yet all clearly there, and that’s a wonderful experience. The great downfall is performance. Total skin scent and becomes simple white musk after 1.5 hours. However it’s a delight and I’m happy to have a bottle for times I need a short lived perfume

I was excited to try this scent just due to the "violet leaf and sage" notes listed on the bottle. I liked the calming, green coloring, and it seemed like something that would be quite light on me. Typically I am a big fan of powdery scents, and while leather is listed as a note, I find that leather performs much differently on my skin than on others. Staying power and projection are so-so if not downright marginal. I cannot smell the pepper anywhere. At first dab, I get a lovely green, fresh, herbal burst with the sage and smidge of violet, and then the scent calms down considerably. This is one where I can overspray and not be concerned about offending anyone on the bus or in the office. Very much work or church appropriate. After a couple hours, I get a lovely sweet musk on my skin that is skin-scent, but also sweet with violet and powder. This one definitely mixes well with my natural chemistry and seems like a "skin scent but better" on me. High quality ingredients, nothing screechy and nothing that would make me sneeze. A bit pricey but I would buy a full bottle if I found one for a good price.

Being a huge fan of violet leaf this was an obligatory blind buy, risking disappointment but ending with quite the opposite, Grain De Poudre was an instant love. Herbal and aromatic sage, coriander and mild pepper are blended to a velvety texture, mostly devoid of sweetness and leaning savory for some minutes. As the violet leaf gains prominence the fragrance becomes ozonic, a touch of botanical sweetness is present and the overall effect feels watercolor green, the violet is neither grassy, petroleum like or harsh. The base is a long lasting buttery suede and slightly furry musk. Regarding the name i dont find this fragrance particularly powdery, the drydown does evoke the sensation of running your fingers over alcantara suede which has a dry almost powdery feel, so in that respect i can see the connection. Overall its a softer experience and wont appeal to those seeking a loud fragrance, this one is about calmness and quiet confidence while smelling incredible.

Elegant, soft and pleasing scent. Office friendly for sure. Clean, early spring, green notes on the opening; soft floral middle that doesn’t seem powdery to me but somehow (I experience and associate scents with texture) pillowy?? The dry down is definitely a delicate musk. I only have a few fragrances that indicate suede as a note and they do all share a similar feature of warmth but not heavy. The suede is absolutely present in the dry down along with the musk. This fragrance is beautiful and despite its softness and lack of projection, it’s addictive and so wearable. Easy reach. I don’t I have anything else like it. Will be worn a lot this spring and summer. Far so delicate for fall and winter for me as I live in a four seasons zone.

This has nothing to do with Fahrenheit. I mean, thank God. I'd say this is akin to fragrances with Iris at heart, like a second cousin of Chloe Capucine or somewhere between Dior Granville and New Look 1947 due to the pink pepper accords in the latter one and the aromatic quality in the former. The violet gives it an elegant powderiness and I can't wait to get a bottle ever since I first smelled it.

I was sent a number of decants of the Le Vestiaire des Parfums collection and this is the first one I have tried. Wow, just love at first sniff. Such a beautiful scent. I’m no master of picking out notes, but I know what my nose likes. It’s soft and powdery, not talcum like, but top shelf powder, cuddly and comforting. I can’t wait to try the others and it’s a shame they are so highly priced.

Got this today, it was not even on my list to get! I blind bought it before it is gone and i am very happy i did, subtle with fresh and clean feel to it, love it

I have an almost full bottle with its box 70/75ml. 80 Euro plus tracked shipping 10 Euro. i am based in Athens Greexe. Diana.

I absolutely disagree about Dior Fahrenheit :) Gonna buy this beauty

I always enjoy the creations of Quentin Bisch. This is certainly interesting, bold, complex and unique. The suede comes first to envelope you in a musky, dry, sweetness that comes across like tonka. It’s almost like he’s re-imagined the human skin and exaggerated the natural musky, ambery, woody, animalic, nutmeg, clove-like and woody notes, all with a sweet touch. This un-vanilla-like and untraditional sweetness is almost tonkery but it’s just too sweet for me. It’s very well done though and I do like this.

I knew this one would be powdery, and thats why i ordered it. Was hoping against all odds that it would not be an overly sweet powder......and happy to say it did not disappoint. Very powdery, fresh opening. And then i got a earthy, yet Melon hint that lingered quite a while, strangely inoffensive too. Now, about 3 hours later a get a leathery, powdery freshness. Glad i got this, its unique. I would recommend it to guys, and to women who like a powdery, woodsy fragrance.

Opening is sage and violet, front and center - creating a herbal, green scent with some sweetness. Then it almost immediately goes to this powdery, nutty like suede musk combination that smells familiar but I cannot place where Ive smelled this before (and no its not Fahrenheit). Suede becomes pretty dominant on my skin and is the star of this scent. I detect some hints of the spices here but its really more a smooth, sweet suede. Very classy and work appropriate.

This screams spring cool nights. Love it! Starts off almost like an anise green soapy fresh vibe then dries down to a spicy suede with a little sweetness from the violet I think. Far dry down a spicy musky suede.

Initial blast of black pepper quickly turns to a fresh and airy green fragrance with great lasting power. Pleasurable and unique

I didn't detect any pepper or coriander. Very obvious sage and violet leave at the beginning lasted one hour. Then musk gradually starts dominating sage while violet still trying to keep up with it for another hour or two. After the 3rd-hour musk goes on and on for 10 hours alone! Not big on projection but it doesn't pull a disappearing act either. It's there, you can smell it. Not much powdery but a bit like the light scent of body cream. This reminds me of Zegna's Florentine Iris EDP. They are both feminines perfumes. But it wouldn't be too odd for a man to use this though. As a man, I'd chose Burberry Touch for Men for a violet musk fragrance. Also, pepper is more obvious in that. I agree with the higher quality ingredients, nothing scratchy here. That's why I'll finish my decant but it is just OK. Not a full bottle worthy. Can be used year-round.

After Tuxedo, the best YSL fragrance in my opinion. Good performance and a justified price.

Nice ozonic, musky freshness with a faint whisper of fine leathery texture. on paper it smells like the dusting of powder on a fresh strip of gum. Light and gentle. There's a hint of greenery in here veering towards vegetal, as I find some violet leaf perfumes can be, but the sweetness and whispy texture turn it towards something like..cotton candy? It's certainly sweetened, but it has some kind of saving youthfulness about it that I find attractive and easy-going, but also a tad feminine. The coriander and sage bring an interesting aromatic warmth which take this in a slightly different direction than typical masculine fresh leathers. Where those might go rough and maybe austere, this goes into a warmer humidity and musk, while keeping all those fresh, ozonic aspects you might be expecting. Honestly I don't know if I'd wear it much because I keep coming back to this bubblegum association. Haven't confirmed it's discontinued from anyone reliable, but that might be the case, at least in the U.S. Alternatives would be Ex Nihilo as suggested above (very similar) and surpisingly I get CDG's 2 to be similar as well.

I am a big fan of the violet leaf, especially when it combines with leather and spice in a fragrance. I was very excited about this one, considering the quality of the exclusive line of the YSL and a great perfumer, but I was disappointed. The note of violet leaf is very dominant at the top note and the fragrance is quite powdery (included in the name as well). Most powdery fragrances use iris, orris root, and even ambrette but the creativity of Quentin Bisch here is to combine powdery notes with violet leaf. Considering that both powdery and leather accords are used in luxurious fragrances, he wanted to add the luxury of these accords to the freshness, aquatic, and ozonic character of the violet leaf, but to me, the final result is not very good. The good point is it's versatile, you can wear this fragrance with almost anything, anywhere, and anytime when you want just a background scent. 6.5/10

Aromatic, cosy and feminine. Completely sexy but grown up and understated. I think this is such a happy smell! It’s like YSL bottled up all my favourite things. It’s like posh powder compact and fresh bed linen in a forest after rainfall. This is clean and crisp without the citrus. It’s like a woman who went back packing in a 3 piece suit but is still ready for every eventuality with clean laundry everyday. It’s got a very gentle bite. I didn’t know such a soft delicate smell could be so crisp. (Maybe that’s the coriander?) Becomes a skin scent after 2-3 hours but I still get soft violets long after. 🍃💜 Perfect for all seasons. Love it! Addicted.

Ok this is my kind of a scent !! It aromatic fresh violets very much a fresher version of Fahrenheit and tuxedo . This is amazing refreshing and now becoming my favourite scent. I wear this during the day and then crave tuxedo at night with a glass of wine and some company. Luxurious , classy and refind. Will always have this in my collection and this makes me want to stop my search for my favourite scent. I believe i found it !! Pure luxury and class , elegance and all year round scent. Great for any occasion , perfect for after the shower, perfect for really anything:) In love !

You have to like powdery (me), light leather (me as well), and musk (me again!). So yes, I really like it. The powdery is not that face powdery, midcentury lipstick kind, it's a little greener. Leather is gentle, as it is in the best fragrances that feature it (like Chanel 1957). Musk is very clean, but you aren't going to think you're in the Body Shop in the 90's. I also get very little pepperiness, if it at all. Feels high end, not synthetic. Recommended.

This is so, so good. It is so smooth and refined, but with a gentle animalic growl from a soft suede note that pervades. The violet/ sage accord is so unexpected; sometimes I smell sweet violet powderiness and sometimes, the dusty, savoury sage. The perfume is named after the famous wool/mohair suiting fabric, but to me, it is like a perfectly scented suede glove. It is unisex and sillage is good. Longevity 4-6 hours. It is my new fave!

This one is mostly violet leaf, cedar with very subtle light spices. Elegant, a little soapy and smooth. The suede shows up about an hour later and the scent evolves into a classy affair. I like it a lot. A bit pricey but very nice. Similar to Wild Forest but with better lasting power.

This reminds me of C. Howard’s violet candies...how wonderful. Moreover, if you’re looking for a violet scent. Look no further, because this will fulfill your violet desire. Side note: I would say this is a very beautiful violet scent that evokes tranquility.

If the rogue kid from a well-to-do family likes to galavant on to the wrong side of the tracks. Fahrenheit... Then, When he goes home and washes the grime and sin away, putting on an innocent face. Grain de Poudre. "Good Morning, Mother".

Unique smell. Nice. Inoffensive, but has personality. I thought I smelt violets instead of violet leaves. But might be both. The black pepper is spicy, but not imbalanced. Nice fragrance. Can’t really fault it. Projection was decent.

Clean, musky, powdery violets and violet leaf. I also get a very little rose, like a white rose that tries to pass quietly without disturbing rose haters. Very elegant scent. I like it.

Really nice fragrance. In the same family as Givenchy Cuir Blanc but sweeter and with much less pepper. Green, clean, versatile scent. Nice suede dry down.

This one is very underrated from the YSL boutique line. Besides its fresh and ozonic it has very unique note. Great for office wear. Beautiful and unique.

Smells extremely similar to Dior Fahrenheit, probably due to the Violet and Leather notes.

Wooooow!!! Tuxedo but for day time. Very fresh and musky. This is such an underated gem.