Take Me to the River

Take Me to the River arrives as a peculiar study in contrasts—a gourmand fragrance that refuses sentimentality through the deliberate introduction of charcoal in its opening moments. Marie Duchêne has constructed something genuinely unusual here: the vanilla blossom doesn't announce itself with the predictable sweetness you'd expect, but rather emerges from a faintly ashy, almost smoky haze. This charcoal-vanilla interplay gives the composition an unexpectedly modern edge, preventing it from tumbling into the saccharine territory where most vanilla-praline fragrances languish.

The heart reveals the true architecture of the piece. Vanilla reunites with talcum and pralin, creating a powdery softness that feels deliberately vintage—not in a nostalgic sense, but as if Duchêne is actively referencing the clean, slightly metallic dryness of cosmetic powders from another era. There's something almost theatrical about this combination; it smells like sophisticated self-presentation rather than genuine sweetness. The pralin adds a nutty warmth that prevents the talcum from becoming chalky.