Au Pays de la Fleur d'Oranger: Rose Irisée and Violette Sacrée

by: Serguey Borisov

I do not know how you remember and pronounce this long and poetic French name:Au Pays de la Fleur d'Oranger. Desperate to remember its French name, I remember it in Russian: “Country of blooming orange trees” (the trick worked with Etat Libre d'Orange, which was mistakenly called "Free Oranges" some time ago). I have to remember the name, because I love its fragrances and have to name it every now and then. So, this Provençal perfume house launched two novelties, Rose Irisée and Violette Sacrée, in their Collection Les Inedits this year, and I consider them among several of the best perfumes of 2014.

The violet of Violette Sacrée is beautiful, though it did not immediately reveal itself as violet, first pretending to be a damp paper, a starch-like orris, some sharp vibrant greens and a warm soft dust of spices. On the blotter it shows much more wet greens— galbanum, lily of the valley and vetiver—while on the skin, the green phase is modest, dusty and powdery-iris. Later violet is replaced by a woody-musky chord based on Iso E Super or its analogues, with warm, dry and oaky cuddles. On the blotter one could detect candied violets with a dry tartness reminiscent of unlit cigarette tobacco—coumarin is added to the musk and vetiver.

Was there violet?

Yes, there was! What other flower can be so indecisive? Wet and dry, cool and warm, soothing and invigorating, inspiring and sad simultaneously. Only violet can tell the story of the grasslands and all their inhabitants by hints and undertones. That the Rose is beautiful, but she likes to suppress others by her beauty. That Bergamot's fresh, but, to tell the truth, rustic. That Jasmine was the star of the night, and now sleeps until the afternoon. Lilies of the valley hide from the bright sun, but in fact they are great company and smell modestly. And in general, flowers should be shy, as humility is the highest virtue of flowers. The closer the smell of a flower is to the subtle dry tea or dried wood scent, the more noble the flower is. “Noble flowers do not need to show off," says Violet. "It seems indecent behavior for a flower.”

British and French ladies of the 19th century shared Violet's views on perfume life—light neroli colognes and light violet perfumes, discreet and faint powdery scents, were the only decent perfumes for the bourgeoisie women. Girls of the 21st century who love Iso E Super and other transparent woody fragrances also share Violet'ss principles for musky violet-woody sillage. Light iris and violet veilings, and sun umbrellas, woven from vetiver rhizomes, are back. What was once considered a sign of good taste now is known as political correctness and a hint to pheromones. Violette Sacrée, like all fine iris and violet aromas, is better to spray on scarves, hair and clothes.

Au Pays de la Fleur d'Oranger Violette Sacrée

Top notes: Bergamot, Violet, Violet leaves;
Heart notes: Rose, Jasmine, Orange blossom, Lily of the valley;
Base notes: Cedarwood, Vetiver, Musk, Wood accord.

The other new perfume, Rose Irisée, also looks like an exercise in the classic theme of powdery orris. Being bright, intense and vivid, Rose Irisée should be called “The aggressive orris,” as an oriental antithesis to melancholic orris.

Typically, orris is such a sad and escapist note, but in the start of Rose Irisée the iris smells like a spear in attack. Cyanide-smelling heliotrope with aldehydes, which soon begin to accompany the iris, are probably the bitter delicious poison smeared on the orris spear. First stage: the orris-almond attack is supported by aldehydes and citrus. And then suddenly orris scatters in all directions as the spotlight turns to a shining cloud of shimmering powder, rose and ylang-ylang. Then the languid flesh-colored cloud of light glows and grows in space. The dulcet peach cloud gradually fills the space, and turns into a powdery veil of oriental woody-ambery sillage.

The perfume seems old-fashioned a bit due to the heliotrope, violet, iris and flowers chord. The recent Guerlain Place Rouge is reminiscent of the violet-oriental fragrances that were popular in Europe 120 years ago and does that in the same manner. Of course, this new perfume does not reach L'Heure Bleue's richness and oriental feeling, but a hint is clear. Also, check out a good old male fougère aftershave like DanaCanoe Royale that hides under Rose Irisée's outer femininity and languor. A kind of Zorro in the harem, or Joe and Jerry under the guise of “Sweet Sue and Her Society Syncopators.”

If you like Le Labo Iris 39, it will be interesting to compare it with Au Pays de la Fleur d'Oranger Rose Irisée. Try to find the similarities and differences, to figure out the accords that are responsible for their old-fashioned and modern appearances.

There's a huge advantage in the vintage features of the fragrance: a languid and seemingly sluggish perfume has a long lifetime. Even built for modern tastes, that is having much less impact, being non-aggressive and having learned the rules of life in society, Rose Irisée works fine all day. It's a perfect perfume for youngsters to know what perfumes were all the rage a century ago, and to establish a relationship with the eldest generations of the family.

I do not know what the perfumes of the perfumer Jean-Claude Gigodot were when he was much younger, but he is the pure genius of Au Pays de la Fleur d'Oranger, the source of success and a signature feeling of modern vintage.

Au Pays de la Fleur d'Oranger Rose Irisée

Top notes: Bergamot, Orange, Wormwood;
Heart notes: Almond, Rose, Orris, Ylang-ylang;
Base notes: Cedarwood, Musk, Patchouli, Vanilla, Sandalwood.