Natural Fragrance Review: Acorelle Pure Patchouli

by: Dr. Marlen Elliot Harrison

Summary: From French organic and natural beauty brand Acorelle, Pure Patchouli (Patchouli Essentiel) is a creamy, sweet blend of patchouli and labdanum essential oils - with a unique, boozey edge - that wears like a niche perfume.

One lucky commenter will receive a 1ml sample
of Acorelle's Pure Patchouli.

About the Brand: "Acorelle was created in 2005 in Frespech, a small village in the Lot et Garonne region of Southwest France. The Acorelle brand was originally a pioneering brand in the organic and natural beauty market. Its aim was to develop effective, innovative and pleasant-to-use products that respected women and the environment. The power of essential oils is used in every formulation so that none of the plants’ energy is lost. The result is effective products with concentrated active agents from plant sources.

Acorelle formulations contain natural active agents from readily available organic sources. In order to guarantee this responsible, sustainable process, our products are Ecocert certified and carry the Cosmebio label. We obtain our active ingredients and raw materials using processes that respect people and nature. With low energy consumption and no chemical solvents, the plant extract is preserved in its original state. Our active agents are selected to respond to the skin's essential needs. Our formulas contain the perfect concentration of these agents in order to guarantee the desired effectiveness.

Our products are all created to be bioavailable, with proven effectiveness and a pleasant texture that comes close to that of conventional cosmetics. Creating natural fragrances is in Acorelle's DNA. Acorelle applies this expertise to give every product a signature fragrance, for a beauty ritual using fine, yet natural, cosmetic products."Acorelle.com

 

Try this if you like: Patchouli, generally; patchouli on the sweeter side with highlights of oriental resins; vanilla; whiskey; all-natural, ethically produced products.

Reminds me of: Patchouli Leaves by Montale, Real Patchouly by Bois 1920,Patchouli by Floris, Patchouli by Reminiscence, and to some extent scents like Krazy Krizia, Givenchy Gentleman, Tiffany for Men, and Prada.

Pros & Cons: For a good decade now I've admired Acorelle as a company and initially fell in love with their almond-inspired fragrance, Amande de Ble. My chief complaint is that the fragrance had little longevity and disappeared in less than an hour on my skin. The American public relations firm for Acorelle was kind enough to send me a number of their fragrances late last year and I'm excited to report that Pure Patchouli (Patchouli Essentiel) is not only a surprisingly smooth and complex interpretation of the controversial green herb, but also boasts the best longevity of any of the Acorelle Eaux de Parfum that I've tested.

Those that dislike patchouli *may* find something interesting here as the patchouli is much more vanilla gourmand than one might imagine. In fact, there is something of a whiskey effect happening after the 2nd hour and I suspect it might be the contribution of vetiver and sage.

Though the fragrance lingers, the sillage is very subdued. This might be a great scent for layering, as one Fragrantica reviewer notes, "Lovely patchouli! This is a very invigorating scent as such, but it's also excellent for layering. It adds some nuances and depth to fragrances that seem a bit "lackluster". Lasts quite long with a good sillage."

I have to offer my applause to the company for the lengths they take to work within their local communities for harvesting and production of their products.

Notes: "HEAD NOTES: myrrh, labdanum; HEART NOTES: opoponax, clary sage; BASE NOTES: patchouli, vanilla, amber, vetiver." Acorelle.com

Patchouli

Designer’s Description: “This eau de parfum with essential oils of labdanum and patchouli promotes confidence and sensuality. Labdanum: Nervous system regulation Patchouli: Increased alertness, awakened sensuality Clary sage: Womanly pains soothed Pure Patchouli is a true patchouli powerful, yet warm. The eaux de parfum are composed of wheat alcohol, organic essential oils with active properties, and floral waters 100% organic and adapted to each fragrance. INGREDIENTS: ALCOHOL**, CENTAUREA CYANUS WATER*, PARFUM, BENZYL BENZOATE, CINNAMYL ALCOHOL, COUMARIN, GERANIOL, LIMONENE, LINALOOL. *ingredients from Organic Farming **Made using organic ingredients 100% of the total ingredients are of natural origin. 90% of the total ingredients are from organic farming."

Labdanum blossoms

Number of times tested: 5 over the last two months.

Number of sprays applied for this review: I have a roll-on, so I used 5-6 swipes on the back of my hand (from a product sent to me by Acorelle).

Fragrance strength: Eau de Parfum

Development: (Linear / Average / Complex): Acorelle's Pure Patchouli is a chameleon of a fragrance. At first the aroma is a sweet, foody vanilla with undertones of heady patchouli leaves and creamy, resinous accents. Here is where it most resembles fragrances like Prada or Krazy Krizia. As the fragrance relaxes in the first hour, the aroma turns greener and more of the patchouli essential oil shines through.

However, something interesting happens here in the mid-range of the development. There is a boozey edge that develops like a peaty Scotch Whiskey. And here is where I'm reminded more of aromas like Givenchy Gentleman and Tiffany for Men.

As the fragrance relaxes, the amber re-appears and the scent dries quite similarly to Montale's Patchouli Leaves.

Longevity: (Short / Average / Long-lasting) 4-5 swipes lasted 3-4 hours with the basenotes sticking around even longer.

Sillage: (A Little / Average / A Lot) Unless I press my nose to my wrist, this one is difficult to perceive. Likely office safe and good for warmer weather.

Note about the packaging: All of Acorelle's spray fragrances are packaged similarly in a simple, rounded, transparent glass atomizer bottle with accompanying spherical, plastic cap. The bottle is modestly labeled and housed in a simple paper box. The 10ml roll-on is a typical glass column with metal roller-ball and cap.

Where can I buy it? The 50ml EDP spray is listed at 32,90 Euros and the 10ml travel roll-on is 12 Euros. Acorelle.com

The Bottom Line: As I noted earlier this week in my review of the infamous Tabu by Dana, I was a longtime patchouli-phobe and only in the past decade have I started seeking out patchouli in any and all forms. Two of my favorites include the classic, dry, herbal Givenchy Gentleman - and for the life of me I can't think why, lol. I'm usually averse to anything dry and bitter, yet somehow, Gentleman with its retro leanings works for me. Another favorite patchouli at the complete opposite end of the spectrum is Montale's Patchouli Leaves with its damp, dark, and very warm and ambery composition. So what is most interesting about Acorelle's Patchouli is that it starts and ends similar to Patchouli Leaves with an enchanting, brief stopover in Givenchy-land. I just wish the aroma lasted longer and carried a little more depth and sillage.

I also want to note that there were some other winners in the group of samples Acorelle shared with me: Citrus Infusion (Infusion de Neroli) is a beautiful, aromatic aroma of flowers, fruit and citrus akin to classic colognes but sadly longevity is less than an hour on me; Lotus Dream (Rêve de Lotus) is a surprising lavender and litsea cubeba-focused composition that wears quite differently than one might expect but also with brief longevity; and Divine Orchid is a citrusy vanilla aroma that smells far and away from any other orchid aroma I've ever encountered and boasts average longevity.

So here's the big takeaway from my experience with Acorelle: natural, organic, ethically-produced aromas with modest sillage and longevity (likely due to the complete lack of synthetic fixatives, not that those are necessarily harmful or a bad thing) that don't always smell like the typical flowers and plants they're named after. With Acorelle, expect the unexpected!

Are you a patchouli lover or do you stay far away? Do you prefer your patchouli green and minty or sweet and earthy? Have you had a chance to experience any of Acorelle's other aromas?

One lucky commenter will receive a 1ml sample
of Acorelle's Pure Patchouli.