Modern Que Sais-Je? - Too Much is More

by: Miguel Matos

It's been almost a year since I got my bottle of the 2014 edition ofJean Patou's Que Sais-Je? and only now I feel prepared to tell you my thoughts about it. This is part of the Heritage collection, where perfumer Thomas Fontainetries to bring back some of the vintage iconic fragrances of the house. The Heritage Collection by Jean Patou is growing each year. First of all there was Eau de Patou,Patou Pour Homme and Chaldée in 2013. As part of the second act in this reedition action we had Adieu Sagesse, Colony, Deux Amours, L'Heure Attendue, Que Sais-Je? and Vacances in 2014. Que Sais-Je? was originally launched in 1925 as part of a trio dedicated to three kinds of women. Adieu Sagesse was for the red haired ladies. Deux Amours was for the blonde girl. This one, Que Sais-Je? was created for the brunette woman and to me it is one of the most daring editions of the line.

“I had to smell the old materials and find out how they were done, in order to replace them or even reproduce them. It's kind of an archeology of perfume, what I was doing.” - Thomas Fontaine

I have never smelled the original Que Sais-Je? from 1925, so I cannot tell you how faithful the new one is in relation to the vintage. But I can tell you it smells vintage to the bone. Only true vintage lovers can appreciate this offering as it is dense, oldfashioned and syrupy like perfumes used to be in the old glorious days. I was presented to this almost a year ago and I was immediately seduced by its deep floral heart drenched in honeyed animalic sweetness. But somehow, when I started wearing it, I always found it too quircky. And that can be good or bad, depending on what your mood is. There is this boozy opening, something very balmy and thick going on with indolic jasmine and orange blossom. Something lightly smoky smells like a small piece of burnt rubber was sunk inside the bottle. Sometimes it's like a drop of gasoline... It only makes the scent more interesting, but not very easy to wear, as far as my experience goes. However, even though I rarely wear this fragrance, my mind goes there from time to time and I feel like smelling it for the sake of intellectual pleasure and nostalgic glamour. Later on I discovered that this is perfect for a fancy night out, when you want to impress people with a luxurious and unusual scent. It smells pretty rich.

The first thing that struck me in Que Sais Je? was that smell of old ambery perfumes that have just started to decay. I like that smell of old perfume that is not exactly turned but accuses its age. Like vintage Bal a Versailles or Chanel nº5 Eau de Cologne with patine. The following key elements that appear evident to my nose are honey and styrax and the combination of these strong accords with flowers and peach. The result is a very sweet, oily, dense composition. It seems impossible to wear it in the summer, but it surely is a warm treat for the cold days ahead of us. Luxury seems to be in its DNA and there is a clear vintage aura to it. While I was comparing the list of notes in the original and the new versions, there was something in the vintage formulation that made it clear to me, regarding that gourmand oily element I was feeling: hazelnuts. Although there is no nutty element in the pyramid of the new version, there is a nutty gourmand element to it. Loads of honey, juicy peach, a strong flower bouquet, almonds, suede and leather with styrax: this is what I smell in the modern Que Sais-Je?. The animalic tone of this scent, along with the sweetness and fruits, reminds me of other fruity leather chypres like Balenciaga's Quadrille or Rochas Femme gone oriental gourmand. Actually, if you want to have an idea of this perfume, imagine that you take equal parts of Quadrille and Femme, mix it with Lancôme Tresor and a drop of Balenciaga Rumba, let it macerate for 50 years in a vat that previously contained Cuir de Lancôme and you should get something close to this.

I feel that everytime I smell this I get a different idea of it. As I am writing I am spraying it again and for the first time I got whiffs of oak moss and carnation. Yes, it screams vintage and I am tired of modern vintages that smell too modern. Does this seem too much to handle? Well, it is a maximalist scent and sometimes it smells like too much going on. But in my dictionary too much is more!

Vintage Que Sais-Je? Notes:

Peach, Honey, Hazelnut

Perfumer Henri Almeras

Modern Que Sais-Je? Notes:

Top notes: Peach, Apple and Orange Blossom

Middle notes: Rose, Carnation and jasmine

Base notes: Honey, Styrax and patchouli.

Perfumer Thomas Fontaine

Jean Patou To Return To High Fashion First With Bespoke Perfume

Nearly 30 years after the last Jean Patou fashion show took place in Paris in 1987 under the aegis of Christian Lacroix, there is talk of reawakening the stylish house from its sartorial ashes. But first, the brand have decided to open a bespoke perfume service dedicated to those patrons who allow Haute Couture to breathe, just a few thousand people worldwide...

A Street Photo of Jean Patou in 1914

Like Guerlain and Cartier, in-house Patou perfumer Thomas Fontaine, who is the de facto curator of Joy by Patou and the rest of the house fragrance portfolio, will be on hand to listen to rich customers, interpret their desires and finally propose a unique signature scent for 50 000€, which will be "refillable" for a few thousands more. The formula however will remain the property of the house.

Bruno Cottard, the vice-president of Jean Patou says that the project wishes to be a first line of defense of "true luxury". He thinks that the label is being faithful to its cultural heritage as the purveyors of "the most expensive perfume in the world" which reportedly remains true to this day thanks to the overdose of jasmine from Grasse in Joy which costs 77,000€ a kilo at current rates.

image: http://www.mimifroufrou.com/scentedsalamander/images/suzanne_lenglen_tennis_patou_1926.jpg

Tennis Champion Suzanne Lenglen wearing a Patou ensemble in 1926. Jean Patou is credited with inventing the tennis skirt.

This of course in our viewpoint would not be entirely conducted in exactly the same spirit since Joy was a rich perfume created for an impoverished American clientèle experiencing the shock waves of the Crash of 1929, before becoming a symbol of true yet affordable luxury for the larger consumer market.

Not entirely artisanal in its operating model either, and in fact just like for big market launches, the newly-created perfume will undergo laboratory and regulation tests which cost 15 000€.

Added trappings will be - beyond the unique blend - a coffret made by one of three possible baggage specialists: Pinel & Pinel, Elie Bleu or Norline. The flacon will be signed by Baccarat. Patou see it as a celebration of the Made in France label although the brand is now owned by Designer Parfums, a branch of the British group Shaneel.

The most interesting part might be that this is considered as a possible first step towards a relaunch of the House of Patou.

Via JDD

Read more at http://www.mimifroufrou.com/scentedsalamander/2015/08/jean_patou_to_return_to_high_fashion.html#QMRjy90lP3okljwo.99

The Many Lives of Joy by Patou: Vintage and Flankers

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by: Elena Vosnaki

 

Among classic perfumes, Joy by Jean Patou still stands on a pedestal. Glorious remnant of a more glamorous era when the  pioneer designer cleverly marketed his fragrance to dwindling audiences of the 1930s. Most perfume lovers recall the tagline "Costliest perfume in the world," reputedly devised by Elsa Maxwell, which helped catapult Patou's perfume into the realm of true luxury. It is perhaps astonishing, but certainly not unexpected, that the French tagline uses the word cher, "le parfum le plus cher du monde" which implies that it is the most beloved, instead of the most expensive.

 

 

Posh nevertheless it still is, this icon of classic perfumery. Patou went to great lengths to assure us that one ounce of Joy parfum demands 10,600 jasmine blooms and 28 dozen roses to be produced. This would be not as impressive, hadn’t those flowers been the venerable Jasminum grandiflorum of Grasse in the south of France and the two crown glories of rose varieties: Damascene rose (Rosa damascena) from Bulgaria and Rose de Mai (Rosa centifolia), the latter again from Grasse.

 

 

The in-house nose for Patou since 1997 Jean-Michel Duriez monitored the fields and crops to ascertain that the end result rendered out of those two rose varieties meets the quality control criteria demanded by the house of Patou. Now that the Jean Patou house has left P&G hands (a company which didn't particularly care for luxury, it seems, judging by the lack of promotion they did for it), Thomas Fontaine has been in charge of ensuring the quality of the perfume and the upkeep of the raw materials. 

 

At any rate, Joy unfolds majestic proportions of floral grandeur with a nobility and restraint of hand that points to a very skilled perfumer indeed: the original composer of the formula, Patou's sidekick, Henri Alméras. 

 

 

Keeping the noble nature of the two focal points of the suite intact and singing in a melody of thirds, he garlanded them with the merest touch of honeysuckle, ylang-ylang and tuberose, anchored by a very light sandalwood base which manages to smell opulent, yet beautifully balanced. A grand dame in a youthful setting, Joy smells translucent and at the same time durable and substantial. 

 

It is my impression that there is a difference of emphasis on the two different concentrations of eau de toilette and eau de parfum. Indeed this is because there is a difference of historical provenance. The vintage advertisements show Eau de Toilette and Parfum, stressing "there is only one Joy Perfume," "there is only one Joy eau de toilette." Eau de Joy (you might sometimes see this short-coded as EdJoy) is the eau de parfum concentration of the regular Joy. It also smells a bit different than the Eau de toilette and the pure parfum version but not wildly. Just the balance of rose vs. jasmine is given a twist.

The eau de toilette gives the baton to a jasmine intonation, like a solo aria in the midst of a lively Mozart opera, while the eau de parfum is a bit more powdery with accents of rosiness that permeate the whole with a softness that resembles a Schumman lullaby. In fact the Eau de Parfum is repackaged Eau de Joy which was a different perfume than Joy in parfum. The confusing thing is that both extrait de parfum and eau de parfum circulated in the black snuff bottles during the 1980s and early 1990s. This is a sure fact, as I recall cutting magazine clippings with editorials on perfumes featuring said bottle style. Later batches were repackaged adopting the rectangular bottle which we see continuing in the current edition of Joy eau de toilette. 

 

 

Given my proclivities for jasmine over rose, I opt for the eau de toilette myself, however both concentrations are quite worthwhile and equally well worn by men. 

 

The parfum is assuredly more animalic in the civet direction (a wonderful characteristic and thus the one which I always prefer over other concentrations) and stays close to the body, a sensuous hint of noble status. The vintage specimens that display the best quality are the ones in the black snuff bottles (prior to 1990), while the rectangular ones with the gold edges are newer (reflecting the older style original 1930s design, nevertheless!) It's also important to note that during older times around WWII,Joy circulated in a beautiful faceted bottle with a fluted cap for extrait de parfum, like a faceted diamond.

The latest reformulation of Joy happened in 2014, under perfumer Thomas Fontaine working for the new owner after the P&G sale. In a rare attempt to not confuse consumers and to distinguish the newer batch from the vintage edition, still on stock online and in boutiques selling old stock, the newer edition is called Joy Forever. 

 

Finally there is also En Joy, a a newer perfume in eau de parfum concentration, released in 2002 and composed by a different perfumer, Jean-Michel Duriez, than the classic Joy by Henri Alméras. They just both share the "joy" name in the presentation as well as the style of bottle, packaging and typeface (a no doubt annoying habit which is due to the necessity and difficulty of copyright on names and design).

 

 

The newer En Joy is a contemporary fruity-floral "chypre" rather than an outright traditional floral. It has intense "notes" of blackcurrant, rose, patchouli, banana and pear. It's ever so slightly pinkish tinted (the box is lilac and the bottle has a lilac label sticker) and is a completely different scent than the old straw-coloured Joy. 

 

Taking into account that Joy by Patou has been one of the most popular fragrances of the 20th century and is still in production, it is important to note that specimens can crop up anywhere: from estate sales to garage sales to Ebay auctions and bottle collector's private sales. For the vintage lover who is intent on securing a specific batch, or willing to explore the progress and evolution of maturing scent, the above info should be somewhat useful and direct away from sellers who sometimes conflate all the various editions due to sheer ignorance.

 

Joy de Jean Patou (1930, 2015)

Sumário: O mundialmente famoso Joy, supostamente o segundo perfume mais vendido de sempre depois de Chanel N^o. 5, é conhecido por muitos como o perfume da avó devido a sua popularidade durante a maior parte do século XX com seu buquê rico de flores e aldeídos. Com cada vez mais materiais sintéticos sendo experimentados em perfumaria, e a compreensão cada vez maior do Ocidente em relação à cultura de fragrâncias do Oriente, poderia Joy, celebrando seu 85º aniversário este ano com o relançamento da EDP, ser usado por um homem?

Perfumista: Henri Alméras

Experimente se gosta de: Indoles, o aroma quase fecal das pétalas de jasmim; civeta, uma nota animálica; intensas rosas turcas ou búlgaras; aldeídos, as moléculas aromáticas responsáveis pelas notas atalcadas e muitas vezes verdes de perfumes como N^o. 5 e L’Air du Temps.

Prós & Contras: Antes de mais, Joy pertence a outra era quando as normas de fragrâncias e a aromatecnologia eram muito diferentes de hoje em dia. Como tal, Joy tem mais em comum com os perfumes do final dos anos 70 e início dos 80 como Antaeus, Jules e Kouros que capitalizaram nos acordes clássicos com civeta, cravo e aldeídos em vez de algo fresco, aquático, gourmand, frutado ou cítrico. Depois, como muitos de nós já cheiraram isto de certeza em algum ponto de nossas vidas usado por uma mulher mais velha, as associações podem ser fortes (por exemplo, Shalimar é o cheiro de minha mãe, independentemente de quantas vezes eu já o tenha tentado usar).

Mas no despertar de gostos renovados por florais masculinos (como Burberry Brit for Men, Fleur du Mâle, etc.) e a popularidade global de fragrâncias naseadas no oud, Joy parece surpreendentemente relevante. Sim, os aldeídos são fortes, a civeta é suja, e o jasmim é, bom, um pouco fecal, mas será que estes extremos não se adequam ao homem moderno, avant garde? Não serão estes temas aromáticos mais relevantes ao mundo em expansão do nicho e da perfumaria moderna sem consideração pelo gênero? Há algo de intrigante acerca de Joy na minha pele. Como o misterioso carro chegando todas as noites no filme de Woody Allen Midnight in Paris, Joy tem o poder de transportar-nos a outra época.

Notas: “Intensas e luxuriantes com uma atraente composição floral, Joy foi criado por Henri Alméras, que tornou suas notas de topo irresistivelmente maravilhosas. A composição começa com uma fragrante tuberosa, uma rosa luxuriante, flor de ylang-ylang, aldeídos, uma pera doce de fazer água na boca e notas verdes. O coração bate apaixonadamente em notas puras e docemente frescas de jasmim, com uma sedutora, balsamicamente especiada e obscurecida raiz de íris. A base tem um sensual almíscar, um quente, leitoso e atalcado sândalo, com tons ligeiros almiscarados de civeta.”— Fragrantica.com

Me faz lembrar: Iquitos de Alain Delon, Chanel N^o. 5, L’Air du Temps, Lutens A la Nuit, Creed Fleurs de Bulgarie, YSL Kouros, Amouage Gold pour Homme

Descrição do designer: “Em 1930, no máximo da depressão económica global, Jean Patou deu largas a sua natural joie de vivre e enviou a 250 dos seus melhores clientes americanos um frasco de um perfume raro, único e improvável, uma avalanche de rosa de Maio e jasmim de Grasse, o presente mais luxuoso, precioso e reconfortante que se poderia imaginar. E assim nasceu Joy. Cada onça deste sutil buquê floral, a perfeita simbiose de rosa e jasmim, requeria 10,600 flores de jasmim e vinte e oito dezenas de rosas. Na verdade 'o perfume mais caro do mundo,' Joy era uma fragrância excepcional que envolvia cada mulher, loira, morena ou ruiva, numa núvem de sofisticação e prestígio. Sempre moderno, Joy, o perfume assinatura da casa Patou, anuncia os perfumes do amanhã.”—JeanPatou.com

Número de vezes que testei: 20+ nos últimos 25 anos.

Número de vaporizações aplicadas para esta resenha: Duas nas costas da mão a partir de uma EDP recentemente relançada num frasco enviado pela Patou.

Força da fragrância: Eau de Parfum

Desenvolvimento: (Linear / Médio / Complexo) Joy é efervescente no topo com talco e sujidade, uma rica abertura terrosa para saudar os primeiros botões das rosas de Verão. As rosas florescem entrelaçadas em galhos de jasmim noturno ainda por abrir. Esta é uma interessante transição desde os tons modernes, verdes, metálicos de um jardim de rosas turcas durante uma tempestade. À medida que os florais abrem e a fragrância se move para o coração, o indólico jasmim domina a rosa e outros numerosos acentos florais como a tuberosa, o cravo e o ylang que espreitam sutilmente. À medida que a sinfonia chega ao final, um leve e doce âmbar carrega os tons florais. Gostaria de ter um pouco mais de força nesta altura; madeiras mais fortes ou notas ambaradas levariam a fragrância mais longe.

Joy hoje é vaseado na abertura opulenta pois o final é bem sutil em minha opinião. Este é um aroma para tempo frio e eu imagino que a riqueza dos aldeídos e florais seja demasiadamente forte com calor.

Longevidade: (Curta / Média / Longa) Não tão longa como eu esperava que fosse, e sendo uma EDP: aproximadamente 4-6 horas.

Sillage: (A Little / Average / A Lot) The opening is a bit overwhelming but after hour two, I was surprised that I had to really sniff my hand to perceive it.

Nota sobre a embalagem: O clássico, rectangular, translúcido frasco de vidro com adornos e tampa dourados se mantêm. Joy vem numa caixa branca de papel.

Onde posso comprar? Disponível em balcões Patou em todo o mundo; 30ml custam $110 USD.

Conclusão: Muitos aficionados sérios de fragrâncias têm buscado Joy para experienciar a história. Mas como é usar de fato a fragrância atualmente? Será verdadeiramente alegre?

Minha vizinha achou que era “legal” mas “confusa” enquanto meu companheiro simplesmente disse “Mmmmmmm;” acho que ele estava tentando ser educado. Ele sugeriu que o fazia lembrar sua ama. Quando eu o usei, não podia deixar de pensar na bomba de civeta e musgo de carvalho que é Kouros de Yves Saint Laurent (simplesmente não o consigo usar) e as ricas flores de Fleurs de Bulgarie de Creed (usei mas achei a rosa simplesmente exagerada para meu palato amante de baunilha); era como se os dois se tivessem fundido.

Perguntei a mim próprio se me sentia confortável com a fragrância e concluí que de fato, não. Mas isto não é porque a fragrância se tenha desenvolvido como um perfume de “mulher”, antes porque ela representa um tipo de perfume que eu não acho atraente—o floral aldeídico. Acho que esta família representa o “perfume” para mim como eu o relembro em meus primeiros dias como explorador de aromas, vaporizando frascos de minhas tias e experimentando nos balcões de fragrâncias Burdines e Jordan Marsh. Prefiro aromas gourmand, orientais e aquáticos, por isso Joy não é minha praia.

É “feminino?” Esta palavra será algo a lutar contra nestas resenhas. Pelos padrões atuais, não. Se eu considerar os perfumes no topo de vendas dos últimos vinte anos (Issey, Stella, Angel, Flowerbomb, Tommy Girl, Beyond Paradise, etc.), então Joy não é nem bonitinho, nem delicioso. Se, contudo, examinarmos uma gama mais alargada de perfumaria, incluindo casas como Sisley, YSL do início dos anos 2000, eÉtat Libre, então sim; Joy pode ser intoxicante, abafado e unicamente exótico.

É “masculino?” Em muitos padrões da perfumaria, sim. Tenho gostade de conhecer os óleos corporais da Índia, os attars do Dubai e os sintéticos vanguardistas da Europa e EUA. Os homens usam rosas e jasmim. Quando combinado com seus aspetos animálicos, Joy se afasta ainda mais do “bonitinho.”

Minha conclusão é que os homens inteligentes que são de mente aberta ou procuram algo completamente diferente podem achar Joy intrigante. Consigo até ver algums a acharem que é “gótico.” Quanto a mim, manter-me-ei fiel ao meu frasco de 1000, lançado 40 anos depois. Parece ser uma ponte entre Joy e Patou Homme e como tal, oferece o melhor de dois mundos.

A Century of Scent and Style - JOY Yesterday, JOY Today, JOY FOREVER

by: Olya Bar

The evening of JOY by Jean Patou and JOY FOREVER at Bergdorf Goodman was a joyful soirée! Hosted by the Chairmen of the Directors Council, including Allison and Tara Rockefeller and the Museum of the City of New York, the benefit was a celebration of the century of scent and style. The beautiful presentation of Jean Patou perfume bottles, Jean Patou art books and scarves took center stage. The limited edition silk scarves featuring the original Jean Patou print design were given away with the purchase of the JOY and Joy Forever bottles, with proceeds going to the charity.

The air was saturated with the sultry and creamy classic JOY mingling with the more fresh and flirty JOY FOREVER. The classic JOY was released during the Depression Era. To chase the Depression blues away Jean Patou created JOY, the “costliest fragrance in the world” at the time it was created. The nose behind it was Henri Almeras. It was a “gift” for his clients to bring the feeling of joy into their lives following the 1929 Wall Street crash, and was worn by an international clientele including fashion icons Jacqueline Kennedy, Grace Kelly and Audrey Hepburn, among many others.

JOY FOREVER is a stunning new green floral. In 2011 the legendary perfumerThomas Fontaine was commissioned as the in-house perfumer for Jean Patou and began work on the scent. JOY FOREVER contains the key original ingredients ofJOY—May Rose and Jasmine—the “Patounade” or secret blend of JEAN PATOU fragrances, but with a modern twist. Perfect for both day and night. The opening notes of fresh Bergamot, Mandarin and Galbanum slowly give place to the heart notes of Jasmine, Rose, Orris, Marigold and Orange Flower with Peach. At its base lie Cedar Wood, creamy Sandalwood, and sensual White Musk with warm Amber. The scent is classic and modern at the same time.

Olya B. What was the inspiration behind creating JOY FOREVER and using particular ingredients for it?

Thomas Fontaine:  “I enjoy using the verb, 'read' the fragrance. Fragrance is a book and I am a writer. My notes are words. JOY is a beautiful book but sometimes hard to read because of its depth and composition. We wanted to take this beautiful and complex story and present it in a modern way. What we call in painting the visual metamorphosis, or the shape-shifting in art, the technique which allows the artist to transform a shape representing one item into a similar shape representing something else. You cannot tell where the jasmine ends and rose begins. I wanted to take the scent and present it to the younger generation.  I wanted to use certain ingredients that will represent the chic Parisian woman with those powdery classic notes of orris and galbanum and make it also a bit more American Girl with the opening of Bergamot and Mandarin. After all, it was a gift to an American girl during the crisis time in the 1920s. Orange flower with rose and jasmine feels so fresh and in the base I wanted to use Cedar Wood and Sandalwood because a lot of furniture was made using these aromatic woods back in the day.

"Just imagine a mother and a daughter entering the Jean Patou boutique and the mother is buying the JOY while the daughter is buying the JOY FOREVER but still sometimes steals away a few sprays of her mother’s JOY perfume for special events, to discover that more complex story that JOY is all about. To feel very decadent.”



Olya B. Why  do you think JOY still remains one of the top favorites till this day?

Thomas Fontaine:  JOY is unique, with top quality ingredients and very high concentration. A simple but decadent formula where the quality of the ingredients takes the center stage, a scent that has lived through decades and never went out of style. Joy captures the essence of 28 May Roses and 10,600 Jasmine Flowers from Grasse. That type of quality is still not often found in any other perfumes.

Olya B: There are many different trends in the perfume world right now. Was the creation of JOY FOREVER affected by any trends?

Thomas Fontaine:  For Jean Patou we have to be out of the trends. Our scents are classics, and that is the reason why they work so well throughout the years. JOY has never been out of trend. Women wore JOY for decades and I hope years from now they will still wear JOY and JOY FOREVER because they can be worn at any time by anyone and in it lays its power.

JOY is a never-ending book.

Olya B.  If you can describe in one word how do you want a woman wearing JOY FOREVER to feel, what word would you use?

Thomas Fontaine: “Unique.” Because every woman is unique and that is what we celebrate in Jean Patou scents.

Photos from the event by Olya Bar

Gender Bender: Joy by Jean Patou (1930, 2015)

by: Dr. Marlen Elliot Harrison

This is the first in a series of fragrance reviews that asks, “Can a guy pull off a women’s perfume?” Leave a comment below for your chance to receive a sample, shipped anywhere in the world, free!

Hello and welcome to my new column here at Fragrantica: “Gender Bender,” an exploration of aroma, gender and scented freedom. Though by no means do I prescribe to fragrance having a gender, sociocultural stereotypes about masculinity often prevail at the fragrance counter. Join me as I explore some of the 20th century’s masterpieces of perfumery in my quest to address the familiar question, “Can a man successfully wear a women’s perfume?”

Summary: The world famous Joy, purportedly the second-best selling perfume of all time behind Chanel N^o. 5, is known to many as Grandmother’s scent due to its popularity throughout most of the 20th century and its bouquet of rich florals and aldehydes. With more and more synthetic materials being experimented with in perfumery, and the West’s growing awareness of Eastern fragrance culture, could Joy, celebrating its 85th birthday this year with a re-launch of the EDP, be worn by a man?

Perfumer: Henri Alméras

Try this if you like: Indoles, the almost-fecal aroma from jasmine petals; civet, an animalic note; heady Turkish or Bulgarian roses; aldehydes, the synthetic aromamolecules responsible for the powdery, often green top notes of scents like N^o.5 and L’Air du Temps.

Pros & Cons: First of all, Joy is from another era where fragrance norms and aromatechnology were vastly different from today. As such, Joy has more in common with late 70s and early 80s fragrances like Antaeus, Jules and Kouros that capitalized on classic accords employing civet, carnation, and aldehydes than anything fresh, aquatic, gourmand, fruity or citric. Next, as so many of us have undoubtedly smelled this at some time in our lives when worn by an older female figure, associations might be strong (for example, Shalimar is the scent of my mother, no matter how many times I try to wear it).

But in the wake of renewed appreciations for male florals (e.g. Burberry Brit for Men,Fleur du Mâle, etc.) and the global popularity of oud-based fragrances, Joy seems surprisingly relevant. Yes, the aldehydes are strong, the civet is dirty, and the jasmine is, well, a bit fecal, but might these extremes not fit the modern, avant garde male? Wouldn’t these aromatic themes seem more relevant to the expanding world of niche and modern perfumery without a consideration for gender? There is something intriguing about Joy on my skin. Like the mysterious auto arriving each night in Woody Allen’s Oscar-winning Midnight in Paris, Joy has the power to transport one to another époque.

Notes: “Intense and luscious with alluring floral composition, Joy was created by Henri Alméras, who made its top notes irresistibly delightful. The composition starts with fragrant jilt tuberose, luscious rose, ylang-ylang blossom, aldehydes, sweet and mouthwatering pear, and green notes. The heart beats passionately in pure and sweetly fresh jasmine notes, seductive and balmy spicy and darkened iris root. The base whiffs with sensual musk, warm and milky-powdery sandalwood, with mild musky civet tones.”— Fragrantica.com

Reminds me of: Iquitos by Alain Delon, Chanel N^o. 5, L’Air du Temps, Lutens A la Nuit, Creed Fleurs de Bulgarie, YSL Kouros, Amouage Gold pour Homme

Designer’s Description: “In 1930, at the height of the global economic depression, Jean Patou gave free rein to his natural joie de vivre and sent 250 of his best American clients a bottle of a rare, unique and improbable perfume, an avalanche of May rose and Grasse jasmine, the most luxurious, precious and comforting gift one could imagine. And so Joy was born. Every ounce of this subtle floral bouquet, a perfect symbiosis of rose and jasmine, required 10,600 jasmine flowers and twenty-eight dozen roses. Truly 'the costliest perfume in the world,' Joy was an exceptional fragrance that enveloped every women, blond, brunette or redhead, in a cloud of sophistication and prestige. As modern as ever, Joy, signature perfume of the house of Patou, heralds the perfumes of tomorrow.”—JeanPatou.com

Number of times tested: 20+ over the last 25 years.

Number of sprays applied for this review: Two sprays to the back of hand from a newly relaunched EDP bottle sent to me by Patou.

Fragrance strength: Eau de Parfum

Development: (Linear / Average / Complex) Joy fizzes at its top with powder and dirt, rich earth opening to greet the first buds of summer’s roses. The rose buds bloom entangled by vines of yet-to-open night-blooming jasmine. This is an interesting transition from modern, green, metallic tones to a Turkish rose garden during a thunderstorm. As the florals blossom and the fragrance moves into its middle range, the indolic jasmine overtakes the rose and numerous other floral accents like tuberose, carnation and ylang peek out, albeit subtly. As the symphony draws to its close, a faintly sweet amber holds the earlier floral tones. I do wish there was a bit more oomph at the end here; stronger wood or amber notes would ground it further.

Joy today is all about the opulent opening as the finish is somewhat subtle in my opinion. This is a scent for cooler weather as I imagine the richness of the aldehydes and florals would be overwhelming in the heat.

Longevity: (Short / Average / Long-lasting) Not quite as long as I had anticipated being Joy, and being an EDP: approximately 4-6 hours.

Sillage: (A Little / Average / A Lot) The opening is a bit overwhelming but after hour two, I was surprised that I had to really sniff my hand to perceive it.

Note about the packaging: The classic, rectangular, translucent glass bottle with gold adornments and cap remains. Joy is housed in a white paper box.

Where can I buy it? Available at Patou counters around the world; 1 oz is presently $110 USD.

The Bottom Line: Many a serious fragrance aficionado has already sought out Joy if for no other reason than to experience history. But what is it like to actually wear the fragrance throughout one’s day? Is it indeed joyous?

My female neighbor thought it “nice” but “fussy” while my male partner simply offered “Mmmmmmm;” I think he was being polite. He suggested that it reminded him of his Nana. As I wore it, I couldn’t help but think of both the civet and oakmoss bomb that is Kouros by Yves Saint Laurent (I simply can’t wear it) and the richly floral Fleurs de Bulgarie from Creed (I wore it but found the rose simply too much for my vanilla-loving palate); it was as if the two had merged.

I asked myself if I felt comfortable in the fragrance and I concluded that in fact, I didn’t. But this is not because the fragrance was developed as a “women’s” perfume, but because it represents a genre of scent that I don’t find appealing—aldehydic floral. I think this genre represents “perfume” to me as I remember it from my earliest days as an aroma-explorer, spraying vanity bottles from aunts’ dressers and experimenting at the Burdines and Jordan Marsh fragrance counters. I prefer gourmand, oriental, and aquatic aromas, so Joy just isn’t my bag.

Is it “feminine?” This word will be something to wrestle with throughout this column’s reviews. By today’s standards, no. If I consider the top-selling perfumes of the last twenty years (Issey, Stella, Angel, Flowerbomb, Tommy Girl, Beyond Paradise, etc.), then Joy is neither pretty, nor delicious. If, however, we examine a wider range of perfumery, including offerings from houses such as Sisley, YSL of the early 2000s, and État Libre, then sure; Joy could be intoxicating, sultry and uniquely exotic.

Is it “masculine?” By many standards of world perfumery, yes. I have enjoyed becoming familiar with body oils from India, attars from Dubai and cutting edge synthetics from Europe and the USA. Men do wear roses and jasmine. When combined with its animalic aspects, Joy strays even further from “pretty.”

My conclusion is that discerning men who are open-minded or looking for something completely off the beaten path might find Joy intriguing. I could see some as considering it a bit “goth.” As for me, I’ll stick with my vintage bottle of 1000, released over 40 years later. It feels like a bridge between Joy and Patou Homme and as such, it offers me the best of both worlds.

Vanity Table image: Heath Refinishing

Jean Patou Lasso: A Forgotten Way Of Seduction

by: Serguey Borisov

Every time I get a parcel, it makes my day happy and joyful. Now Mr. Postman brought me a package from the Marais part of Paris, with a bottle of Jean Patou Lasso eau de toilette inside. Someone's Parisienne mother's or grandmother's forgotten gift, a souvenir of the 50s-60s, that was found in a dusty closet. The little-known fragrance by the glorious house of Jean Patou. Reason to open the bottle, to try some vintage perfume and find yourself in the history.

photo by Serguey Borisov, Lasso Jean Patou, 1956

The first thought: I know it! It is familiar to me, it's the perfume of my Soviet childhood! A strong fruity chypre start in which the lactonic sweetness of peaches is shaded by moss and patchouli. However, then an easy fleeting powdery sweetness sneaks in, that of heliotropine, powdery iris and carnation. And this violet triple accord moves Jean Patou Lasso away from the old Guerlain Mitsouko (which could be thought of, with the first fruity chypre notes) and towards another historic gem,Guerlain L'Heure Bleue, with its sweet-powdery oriental feel of relaxation (heliotrope, carnation, iris flowers and vanilla).

So, does Lasso represent a desire to get between two Guerlains, or combine two successful concepts? It's possible, of course, but it is unlikely. Being an historically established perfume house, Jean Patou had its own fruity chypres (like Que Sais-Je?,Colony) and powdery floral-orientals (Chaldée, Amour-Amour) from which to make this perfume.

The first post-war Jean Patou fragrance was creamy soft L'Heure Attendue (1946), “The long-awaited hour” in which the joyful sigh of relief after the war was depicted by incense, jasmine, sandalwood and vetiver, and it brings a peaceful feeling of “all is going to be well now.” Could it be the post-war Europe dream of returning to the wonderful Belle Epoque times, or at the end of the First World War? Maybe. In which case the sweet powdery chord of Jean Patou Lasso would just have been quoted from the pre-war perfumes to build a new structure on an old foundation. In the past this sort of citation is often encountered: for example, Guy Robert mantioned that hisHermès Calèche was the development of Fruit Vert by Florel, and Madame Rochasarose from Lanvin Arpege, while Miss Dior fragrance was a continuation of Chypre de Coty and Pierre Balmain Vent Vert. It can be found nowadays, as well.

However, the new fragrance cannot be an exact copy of the old one. Some development of the well-known theme is compulsory. New themes of the post-war times appeared in the form of chypres: leather chypre (Robert Piguet Bandit, 1944), green chypre (Carven Ma Griffe, 1946) and floral chypre (Miss Dior, 1947).

Lasso by Jean Patou is a soft, non-aggressive aldehydic chypre, with dense rose marmalade, warm and woody purple violet, fruity jasmine and an impressive sillage of animalistic musks that initially hides behind heliotrope, sweet flowers and creamy peaches. The Lasso perfume does not show sharp claws—it's a leather chypre in soft focus, a soft and furry animal. It seems like tired Guerlain Place Rouge or Guerlain Quand Vient La Pluie got lost in their times and eras, but that's probably shared with the tastes of the clients and sources of inspiration. For example, Jean Patou Lasso could grow from soft chypre Que Sais-Je?, combined with Chaldée or one of the “cocktail perfumes” of Cocktail Bar de Jean Patou. In The New Yorker magazine in 1957, the advertising article compared Lasso to Moment Supreme (also, the fragrance is called new and it reports the perfume's price—from $5.50 to $27.50 for a bottle). Today Jean Patou fragrances are much less well-known than Guerlain perfumes and the Patou examples do not immediately come to mind.

Inside the sweet powdery oriental body of Lasso, in its dense floral heart, in the middle of the soft dessert base, lies dry leather or suede, with a green gardenia tint, and dry woods with moss and patchouli. By the soft fruity-suede sillage with animalic musks it recalls for me the enveloping and viscous drydown of Paco Rabanne La Nuit. It is interesting that while being linked to so many different allusions, Lasso remains an incredibly familiar and dense sweet déjà-vu scent from my Soviet childhood. Given that the authorship Jean Patou Lasso is credited to famous Guy Robert, then a young perfumer, Soviet perfumers did quite impressive perfumes sometimes!

Jean Patou Lasso was launched long after Jean Patou passed away, and came along under the slogan "Votre Arme Secrete" (“Your Secret Weapon”). A lady in a glamourous open-backed dress is throwing a lasso to the air—a symbol of active, intentional and designed seduction via aroma. The image would have looked quite contradictory to the 50s: the lady in the luxurious dress does not flirt by means of a fan and does not glance from afar in hopes of attracting male attention, but is actively trying to catch the chosen and desired man of her choice.

The approach in which a woman become an active person of seduction while men assumed the role of prey just upended the notion of seduction. (And it`s quite perfect timing for the recent International Women's Day, this year with slogan “Make it Happen,” linked with all women's rights.) I have no idea how this aggressive advertising approach would work today, against the background of all genders struggling for their equal rights— but 60 years ago the ad worked poorly. This perfumed lasso did not sell very well, and in the 60s it was discontinued, replaced byCaline, the gentle floral chypre for young girls. The house of Jean Patou does not consider Lasso a worthwhile perfume (like many others, such as Monsieur Net, Hip and Heureux Amants). It was not included, for example, in the Jean Patou Ma Collection 1925-1964 set of 12 perfumes,revived by Jean Kerleo in 1984. And now, when the house of Jean Patou has changed its owner and in-house perfumer again, it would be a miracle if Lasso were to appear on the shelves. This kind of sex does not sell.

photo liveauctioneers.com (auction is active)

Jean Patou Lasso Top notes: Peach, Heliotrope, Carnation, Fruit accord; Heart notes: Jasmine, Rose, Iris, Violet, Pepper; Base notes: Leather, Vanilla, Oak moss, Patchouli, Musk, Amber, Civet, Vetiver, Sandalwood.