Fragrance Review: Caron Parfum Sacre

By 1990s, Parfums Caron has lost its perfumers and began to contract other noses to create fragrances for the house. Jean-Pierre Béthouard of Firmenich took Or et Noir as a starting point for his creation for Caron. In 1990, Parfum Sacré was presented to the public, celebrating not only the Caron tradition but also the ancient ritual of perfume, an elixir which functioned as a sacred offering to gods.

This fragrance can be compared to a fine cashmere shawl as it clings to the skin in the most amazing manner, warm and smooth with all the notes in perfect balance as a design on an Oriental carpet. The first impression is a rush of pepper which tingles the skin ever so gently before mace (that red peel of nutmeg that has a rich assertive scent whereas nutmeg is sweeter and more floral to my nose), cardamom and a fresh burst of lemon billow out of the initial peppery warmth. For all its spicy notes, this is not a spicy fragrance, but warm and enveloping. This vivid melange grows warm until the rose emerges and softens the middle notes lending them an incredibly alluring sensation. Rose's appearance can be compared to a gorgeous stranger entering the room--the clamor stops and every minute whisper is heard distinctly. I hear orange blossom and iris delicately hinting at their presence under the sultry warm notes of the heart. Soon woodsy accords undulate slowly lending a resinous aspect to the dry down. I detect smooth balsamic quality of myrrh, warm amber and smoky vanilla touched by subtle musk as the fragrance develops melding into my skin and becoming almost a natural extension of me. It is truly one of the most complex and sultry fragrances (in a dark and mysterious way rather than unabashedly revealing manner) I own and I am afraid my description does not quite capture the ineffable quality of this perfume.

For Carons, as for many other fragrances, concentration makes quite a difference. The Parfum Sacré extrait de parfum is rather soft, clinging even more to the skin than slightly louder the EDP. Both are rather sweet, however I find that extrait de parfum is less sugary. All the same, it is my winter evening treat, warming and rich, like a glass of mulled wine. Notes: vanilla, myrrh, civet, cedarwood, lemon, pepper, mace, cardamom, orange blossom, rose, jasmine, rosewood.

Comments

[N aka parislondres]

You know darling V - I did love the extrait at one point and wore a lot of it over a few months - then got bored with it and gave it to a cousin who loves it and still wears the extrait. I agree with you that the extrait is much nicer than the EDP.

xoxo

[Ayala]

I love your review of Parfum Sacre, Victoria - and I LURVE Parfum Sacre.
Definitley one of my most favourites.
It is beautiful, sophisticated, elegan and sexy!
I love the peppery-incensy (myrrh...) opening, and the rose enterance is such a surprise - it is almost like a green fresh rose in the beginning, than becomes powdery and sweet, like a dried rose with orris root powder. The dry down is powdery - myrrh, vanilla and a lovely and feminine powdery imporession or rose and orris that lasts for over a day.
I love wearing it in the evening and wakign up in a cloud or roses, spices, orris and vanilla!

[BoisdeJasmin]

Ayala, thank you! I love your description of my beloved Parfum Sacre. "A cloud or roses, spices, orris and vanilla"--it just cannot be described better than this. I used to wear it often in the evening, and whenever I did, I would have the most beautiful dreams. Perhaps, I shall wear it tonight!