Elie Saab
A unique visual signature based on accords, character, and seasonality
Peony arrives with a crisp, slightly green-tinged florality that feels almost aqueous—there's brightness here before the composition settles. Within moments, this clarity begins diffusing into warmer registers as the rose nectar emerges, suggesting honeyed petals rather than raw florality.
The fragrance becomes decidedly sweeter and creamier, with the jasmine adding an almost cosmetic powder and the fruity notes lending unexpected roundness to the rose. Sandalwood begins threading through the base, softening the sweetness into something more unctuous and skin-like, whilst vanilla adds gentle warmth without competing.
What remains is predominantly powdery and soft—the sandalwood and patchouli create a subtle woody undertone, but this is ultimately a skin scent now, offering whisper-soft florality rather than projection. The fragrance becomes increasingly intimate, with the vanilla and rose lingering as a gauzy, slightly sweet memory rather than a vivid presence.
Le Parfum Rose Couture unfolds as a rose-centric composition that prioritises opulence over restraint, though Francis Kurkdjian's hand prevents it from tipping into saccharine territory. The peony opening establishes an airy, almost translucent floral framework before the rose nectar arrives—not the dewy, tea-rose interpretation one might expect, but rather a lush, honeyed iteration that sits somewhere between fresh florals and confectionery. That fruity accord threads through the heart with purpose; rather than a generic "fruity notes" descriptor, there's a subtle stone-fruit character that prevents the rose from becoming cloying, lending it a fleshy, almost skin-like quality.
The jasmine and vanilla combination creates the composition's most interesting tension—the former contributes a creamy, slightly indolic warmth whilst the vanilla grounds the sweetness (88% according to the accords) into something almost cosmetic-powdery. There's genuine elegance here, a restrained femininity that borrows from classical fragrance construction rather than chasing contemporary trends.
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3.3/5 (147)